McHenry County Blog

Two Crystal Lake and one Huntley politician will be giving up their seats on the city council, park and school boards in the near future.

Carolyn Schofield, who is in her second term on the Crystal Lake City Council, and Mike Walkup, who is also in his second term, will tender their resignations prior to being sworn in for the McHenry County Board during the first week in December.

In Huntley, long-time School District 158 Board member Mike Skala will be vacating his seat as well.

The three governmental bodies have the choice of filling the vacancies just prior to elections which will be held next April or not doing so.

Those deciding to appoint someone will be giving such people a leg up on non-incumbents running next spring.

Remember in history classes how the professor told you that the conspiratorial theory of history was bunk.

I’m willing to guess the Oberlin College prof that told us students that didn’t know much about Illinois politics.

Having seen what appeared to be a quite healthy Sheriff Keith Nygren at the Republican Party’s Port Edward fund raiser Monday night introducing his chosen heir Andy Zinke, appointed Undersheriff after Undersheriff Gene Lowery left to become Deputy Crystal Lake Police Chief, I’m wondering what those interested in retaining control of the Sheriff’s Department are up to. (From that sentence structure, can you tell I took too much German.)

But it wasn’t just Zinke that leads me to think that an active campaign has begun.

I’m pretty sure he brought his wife and child.

One does not subject one’s family to a boring (to them) Republican fund raiser unless it’s really important that they be in attendance.

Rumor has it that both

• Gene Lowery, whom I’m told thought he was to be Nygren’s choice until election night, and
• Nygren’s 2010 GOP primary opponent Zane Seipler

are not at all happy at Zinke’s active campaigning for an office that most think will not be on the ballot until 2014.

After all, that’s when Nygren’s term runs out.

But, in the Northwest Herald’s September 28th front page article announcing Zinke’s candidacy for McHenry County Sheriff, Nygren says he is not only backing Zinke, but might step down if he has health or some other unforeseen situation arises.

The “let’s leave some wiggle room” approach by Nygren got me thinking.

Nygren also placed great emphasis in the NWH article that appeared the day before Seipler’s Appellate Court victory about how having a mandate from the voters is important, although he mentions a four-year term.

How can Nygren maneuver Zinke into office?

I see four ways and will discuss one a day.

Nygren could resign the day before the beginning of filing.

That would be Sunday, November 27th or maybe the Friday before.

Petitions and Statements of Economic Interest can be filed on Monday, November 28th through Monday, December 5th.

Resigning before the beginning of filing means the office would be filled by a special election in November and that there would be a primary election in March to decide who would represent the Republican Party on the ballot.

If Nygren decided to resign before filling started, he would be following the example of retiring judges, especially in Cook County.

Wanting to make sure their friend has a huge advantage, a Judge will not tell anyone but his chosen replacement that he intends to retire.

Then he (women wouldn’t stoop that low would they?) announces his retirement and the chosen one is the only person who has petitions ready to file.

With Nygren’s resignation, state law says the following would happen:

“…until a vacancy in the office of sheriff is filled as provided in The Election Code, the undersheriff shall be the acting sheriff with all the powers and duties of a sheriff.”

Coroner Marlene Lantz took over before Nygren was appointed.

Another section of the law talks of an appointment being made. I’m assuming that’s by the County Board.

Would the County Board wait until after the primary and, being dominated by Republicans, appoint whomever wins?

If this is Nygren’s plan, then he most certainly will follow the Northwest Herald’s advice and appeal the 2nd Appellate Court’s reinstatement of Seipler in the Sheriff’s Department and appeal his losing case to the Illinois Supreme Court.

Not that he has a chance of winning an union arbitration case before a Court majority that was elected with labor union money, but, hey, it’s the taxpayer’s footing the bill and as long as the case is on appeal, Seipler will not get a fat check for back pay, some of which he could use to finance a campaign against Zinke.

That was Nygren’s strategy in appealing Judge Meyer’s decision affirming the arbitrator’s decision that Seipler should get back his job after a three-day suspension.

So, if Lowery and Seipler think Nygren might be this sneaky, what should they do?

The answer, of course, is

PASS PETITONS

Pretty obvious, right?

Scenario two tomorrow.

= = = = =
“Backdooring” is explained in various ways at a gaming web site.   One is

• “The benefit of the strategy lies in the element of surprise” and
• as ” a high-risk high-reward tactic.”

A press release from McHenry’s District 15 Grade School District concerning the replacement of Patrick Miller, who was forced to resign because he did not file his Statement of Economic Interest in a timely fashion:

Vacancy on District 15 School Board

McHENRY – Residents interested in serving on the McHenry Elementary District 15 school board have until July 7, 2011 to apply.

Board member Patrick Miller resigned his position on June 20, 2011. Any resident of the school district who is 18 or older is eligible to fill the vacancy. The appointee will serve until the remainder of the term which ends in April, 2013.

Superintendent Alan Hoffman said those interested should send a cover letter and résumé to him, in care of Cindee Nootbaar, at McHenry Elementary District 15, 1011 N. Green St., McHenry, IL, 60050. Or, interested candidates can send the information by e-mail to cnootbaar@d15.org.

The board has 45 days from the date of the resignation to fill the post.

This is an significant time for the McHenry Grade School District because this board will negotiate the next teachers’ contract.

Below is Miller’s resignation letter:

Kevin Craver of the Northwest Herald wrote a story Tuesday about McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler’s unwillingness to ask for the resignation of former State Senator Jack Schaffer from the Metra Board.

The first indication I could find of Franks’ displeasure was after the fall election when he introduced bulls to toss both RTA and Metra Board members. Just a coincidence, Franks would have folks believe, is that Schaffer is a former McHenry County Republican Party Chairman as is RTA Board member Al Jourdan.  And Schaffer owns Liberty Outdoor Advertising.

According to the article

Schaffer “said he believes Franks’ efforts stem directly from the billboard ad on Route 47 in Woodstock, which alleged that Franks collected almost $1 million from lobbyists, unions and lawyers.

“’To the extent that he’s attacking everyone on the board, that bothers me, but if he’s strictly after me, as a former legislator, I’m offended by it,’ Schaffer said. ‘Voters elect people to go out and represent them, not to pursue petty vendettas. The state has plenty of other problems to focus on.’”

Missing from the article was a photo of the billboard. Had anyone asked, I would have been pleased to provide the one you see here.

It’s not often that a husband a wife serve on the same governmental body, but Dorothy and John Pfeuffer did so on the Lakewood Village Board.

They were elected in different election cycles.  John was in his first term, but Dorothy had been elected to a second term after her husband won a seat on the board.

Two months ago they put their home on the market. They were pretty surprised it sold so fast.

Now they are living with a son in Naperville.

The two resigned as of May 1st.

The Pfeuffers and Ken Santowski were often aligned together in votes that split 4-3.

Below is Dorothy Pfeuffer’s parting letter to her neighbors:

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

On a personal level, this is clearly the most difficult communication I have written to you. It has been my pleasure and an honor being chosen by you and serving as your Trustee on the Village of Lakewood Board. As many of you know we have sold our home and plan on relocating outside of the Village of Lakewood. In today’s market you literally come down to the wire to know you will close on the sale of your home, otherwise this communication would have come to you sooner.

Again, it has been a privilege and honor to represent you and I wish you and your family the best of luck in the future. I leave knowing that I have always put your best efforts first with all of my actions as Trustee. Whether it was

• voting to not increase taxes or fees, or
• standing in a flooded yard at 6:00 AM to find a solution to a drainage problem, or working with the McHenry County Chairman to install flashing stop signs at Lakewood and Ackman and
• especially being on the committee to choose and start up our own Lakewood Fire Department ( which was one of the proudest tasks I participated in)

please know that I have always put your safety and well being first.

In the 10+ years I have lived in Lakewood, it becomes clearer and clearer to me how fortunate I was to have met many wonderful people and to contribute to the growth of the community. Thank you for all of your support and friendship and please know that I will always be grateful that I had the opportunity to represent your voice in Lakewood. Please keep in touch our email stays the same and our cell number is 815-341-1177.

Warmest Regards,Dorothy

Following is John’s:

Dear Friends and Neighbors,On a personal level, this is clearly the most difficult communication I have written to you. It has been my pleasure and an honor being chosen by you and serving as your trustee on the Village of Lakewood Board. As many of you know we have sold our home and plan on relocating outside of the Village of Lakewood. In today’s market you literally come down to the wire to know you will close on the sale of your home, otherwise this communication would have come to you sooner.

Again, it has been a privilege and honor to represent you and I wish you and your family the best of luck in the future. I leave knowing that I have always put your best efforts first with all of my actions as Trustee. Whether it was

• voting to not increase taxes or fees, or
• standing in a flooded yard at 6:00 AM to find a solution to a drainage problem, or
• working with the McHenry County Chairman to install flashing stop signs at Lakewood and Ackman, or
• working with the Lakes Committee to represent your tax dollars and the beautification of the village,

please know that I have always put your safety and well being first.

In the 10+ years I have lived in Lakewood, it becomes clearer and clearer to me how fortunate I was to have met many wonderful people and to contribute to the growth of the community. Thank you for all of your support and friendship and please know that I will always be grateful that I had the opportunity to represent your voice in Lakewood. Please keep in touch, our email stays the same and our cell number is 815-341-1177.

Warmest Regards,

John

The headline is from the third sentence of a January 7th letter of recommendation written by Terry Awrey.

He was Cheryl Kalkirtz’ boss while she was employed at Huntley District 158.

The entire letter is below.

On January 11th, Kalkirtz submitted a letter of resignation offering to end her employment on June 30th at the end of her employment contract.

On February 1st, Kalkirtz departed Huntley under circumstances one could describe as

• “unusual,”
• “mysterious” or
• “unexplained by the district,”

your choice of words or phrases.

Could it be a majority on the board of education and likely Supt. John Burkey didn’t think having “a proven professional” who “has earned the respect of the Administrative Team” was reason enough to keep Kalkirtz employed through the first year of her contract?

Or was something else at work?

What other on-the-job-performance-related qualities did Kalkirtz boss praise her for?

If you read the letter below (click to enlarge), you will see Associate Superintendent Awrey writing:

“I find her to be highly intelligent, motivated and committed
to the educational success of each and every child.”

This hardly seems like a list of reasons for Kalkirtz to be no longer employed.

Did Awrey have any reservations about Kalkirtz?

It certainly doesn’t seem so from what he wrote:

“I recommend Mrs. Kalkirtz without reservation.”

Of course, getting praised by the number two guy in an organization does have its limitations.  The basic  one is that one is not in charge.

So who decided that Kalkirtz needed to no longer be employed as a proven, well respected Huntley professional who is highly intelligent, motivated and committed to the educational success of each and every child?

Huntley principals and other administrators may take note how you, too, could be highly praised one day and be thought of apparently very differently soon thereafter.

The phrase “we would never do something like this” takes on a different meaning when you look at in the context of Cheryl Kalkirtz employment.

So far, no good-reason explanation has been advanced for why board members and Supt. Burkey didn’t allow Kalkirtz to finish her contract, which ended until June 30th.

Huntley has done so in the past for other next step higher up administrators.

What happened can probably be found filed in a locked file cabinet in the office of Lauren Smith, Director of Human Resources under “Employee Morale – Bad.”

How can you have so many fair-minded, public-spirited, caring, well-meaning individuals as top administrators and board members and have this happen?

Maybe someone can answer that question.

Join Huntley School District 158–where you can be exceptional administrator or employee one week and no-longer-employed a few weeks later.

Remember.

It’s all for the children.

Below are four snippets from Huntley 158’s board meeting of March 4th. If you had taken the time to listen to or be at the board meeting, you would have heard the quotes below. (My apologies for any minor discrepancies.) Before each quote you see the context of what was being discussed.

1. After the board discussed the Middle School Handbook and how it had a homework policy in it for Huntley middle schools, Huntley High Principal Dave Johnson stepped up to the rostrum and commented on the absence of a homework policy in the high school handbook:

Mark Altmayer

“I think it would be difficult to come up with a policy.”

2. When the board was discussing whether further cuts should be planned for, Chief Financial Officer Mark Altmayer referred to $1.4 million by saying:

“It’s a lot of money, but it’s not that much money.”

3. When the board was discussing the appointment of a new board member to replace Shawn Green, who resigned at the end of the meeting, board member Donald Drzal commented on whether candidates should answer questions from board members at a public meeting:

“It’s not healthy to allow for a public Q & A.”

4. When Superintendent John Burkey’s proposed to have the last day of school for students be only two hours this year before a long weekend several board members balked, beginning with board member Aileen Seedorf questioning how this made a lot of sense.  After a lengthy discussion by the board Burkey offered this admission:

“I didn’t ask any parents about this.”

If administrators or board members were wondering at times about the audience reaction, these quotes might provide some hints.

Earlier today I posted the “Notice of Vacancy” sent out by Huntley School District 158.  I noticed that it did not seem to mesh with school board policy.

Now the district has sent out a revised version of its original notice, which is below.

The difference seems to be that three reference letters are now not required, but may still be submitted with one’s resume.

Maybe you can find other differences.  The original requirements are found here.

Notice of Board Member Vacancy – revised
03.05.10 p.m.

At the Committee of the Whole March 4, 2010 meeting, the Board of Education of Consolidated School District 158 of McHenry and Kane Counties, Illinois received the resignation of Mr. Shawn Green, Board President. Mr. Green has served the District as a Board Member since April 2005.

Interested parties in becoming a board member and applying for the vacancy, please submit your information as follows:

• A letter of interest
• Resume and up to three references

Submit to: Naomi Fettes, Executive Assistant and Board Operations, Consolidated School District 158, 650 Academic Drive, Algonquin, Illinois 60102.

Applicants are also required to provide proof of the following:

• A United States Citizen
• At least 18 years of age
• A resident of the State of Illinois and CSD158 and Illinois for at least one year
• A registered voter in the State of Illinois and McHenry or Kane Counties, Illinois

Deadline for submission by close of business day before 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 18, 2010

Contact the Superintendent’s office at (847) 659-6103 or via email at nfettes@district158.org for further information.
The Board will review the resumes, that will be made public, and discuss the next step at the March 18, 2010 regular Board meeting.
Policy 2:40

A Board of Education member must be, on the date of election or appointment, a United States citizen at least 18 years of age, a resident of Illinois and the District for at least one year immediately preceding the election, and a registered voter.

Reasons making an individual ineligible for Board of Education membership include holding an incompatible office and certain types of State or federal employment. A child sex offender, as defined in State law, is ineligible for School Board membership.

LEGAL REF.: Ill. Constitution, Art. 2, ¶ 1; Art 4, ¶ 2(e); Art 6, ¶ 13(b).
105 ILCS 5/10-3 and 5/10-10.

With the resignation of Huntley School District 158 Board President Shawn Green, the remaining members are seeking applicants to replace him.Applications are due by March 18th.  Below is the notice that has been distributed:

Notice of Board Member Vacancy

03.05.10

Shawn Green chairing a board meeting.

At the Committee of the Whole March 4, 2010 meeting, the Board of Education of Consolidated School District 158 of McHenry and Kane Counties, Illinois received the resignation of Mr. Shawn Green, Board President. Mr. Green has served the District as a Board Member since April 2005.

Interested parties of becoming a board member, should submit their resume and letter of interest to: Naomi Fettes, Executive Assistant and Board Operations, Consolidated School District 158, 650 Academic Drive, Algonquin, Illinois 60102.

Deadline for submission by close of business day before 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 18, 2010 Requirements (as per Policy 2:40) in the volunteer position are listed below:

• Letter of Interest addressed to: Naomi Fettes, Executive Assistant and Board Operations
• Proof of Citizenship
• Proof of Residency as resident of CSD158 and Illinois for at least a year
• Proof of Voter’s Registration, for either McHenry or Kane Counties, Illinois
• Resume and three Letters of Reference
• Verification of at least 18 years of age

Contact the Superintendent’s office at (847) 659-6103 or via email at nfettes@district158.org for further information.

The Board will review the resumes, that will be made public, and discuss the next step at the March 18, 2010 regular Board meeting.

Policy 2:40

A Board of Education member must be, on the date of election or appointment, a United States citizen at least 18 years of age, a resident of Illinois and the District for at least one year immediately preceding the election, and a registered voter.

Reasons making an individual ineligible for Board of Education membership include holding an incompatible office and certain types of State or federal employment. A child sex offender, as defined in State law, is ineligible for School Board membership.

LEGAL REF.: Ill. Constitution, Art. 2, ¶ 1; Art 4, ¶ 2(e); Art 6, ¶ 13(b).
105 ILCS 5/10-3 and 5/10-10.

Strangely enough, the board policy, seen below, does not require letters of recommendations:

Consolidated School District 158 2:70
Page 1 of 1

Board of Education
Vacancies on Board of Education – Filling Vacancies
Vacancy

Elective office of a Board of Education member becomes vacant before the term’s expiration when any of the following occurs:

1. Death of the incumbent;
2. Resignation in writing filed with the Secretary of the Board of Education;
3. Legal disability of the incumbent;
4. Conviction of a felony, bribery, perjury, or other infamous crime or of any offense involving a violation of official oath or of a violent crime against a child;
5. Removal from office;
6. The decision of a competent tribunal declaring his or her election void;
7. Ceasing to meet the residential requirements contained in The School Code;
8. An illegal conflict of interest; or
9. Acceptance of a second public office that is incompatible with Board of Education membership.

Filling Vacancies

Whenever a vacancy occurs, the remaining members shall notify the Regional Superintendent of Schools of that vacancy within 5 days after its occurrence and shall fill the vacancy until the next regular Board of Education election, at which election a successor shall be elected to serve the remainder of the unexpired term. However, if the vacancy occurs with less than 868 days remaining in the term, the person so appointed shall serve the remainder of the unexpired term, and no election to fill the vacancy shall be held. Members appointed by the remaining members of the Board to fill vacancies shall meet any residential requirements as specified in The School Code. The Board shall fill the vacancy within 45 days after it occurred by a public vote at a meeting of the Board.

Immediately following a vacancy on the Board of Education, the Board will publicize it and accept résumés from District residents who are interested in filling the vacancy. After reviewing the applications, the Board may invite the prospective candidates for personal interviews (emphasis added).

LEGAL REF.: 105 ILCS 5/10-10 and 5/10-11.
CROSS REF.: 2:40 (Board Member Qualifications), 2:60 (Board Member Removal From Office)
ADOPTED: May 17, 2001

Tonight was Huntley School Board President Shawn Green’s last meeting. He resigned to pursue policy concerns in a different arena, perhaps even another elective office. (He was elected a Republican Precinct Committeeman February 2nd.)

Green warns against using the schools for “social indoctrination” and decries the possibility of any future education fund tax increase.

Below are his remarks:

School District 158 has made tremendous strides in the last five years, and no rational argument could be made against that statement. By no means do I take personal credit for our achievements; it has been a real collaborative effort between the Board of Education, administration, staff members, the students, and the community as a whole. Still, we should never let our success get in the way of continuous improvement. As the saying goes, “good enough is the enemy of great.”

We still have many hills to climb and many things we need to do better, but there is no denying the fact that in terms of academic achievement, fiscal accountability, transparency, and overall district effectiveness, we are much better off now than we were five years ago. It has been truly rewarding to have played a part, however small, in making that happen.

There are a few personal accomplishments that I am most proud of, such as authoring a resolution in opposition to HB2354, and another calling for a legislative ban on public school employee strikes. Both resolutions received unanimous support from my fellow board members.

I am also proud to have been instrumental in exposing the destructive agendas of certain self-proclaimed “community watchdogs”. (Watchdogs serve a vital purpose, and their efforts are usually worthy of praise. But when the watchdog destroys the furniture, ruins the carpeting, and bites your kids, it becomes a liability rather than an asset.)

Perhaps the most gratifying aspect of my tenure on the Board is the knowledge that I never played politics in my role as a board member. One of my reasons for stepping down is to devote more time to local political issues, and it is not out of the realm of possibility that I will seek another elected office in the near future. But every decision I made as a board member was based on my belief that it was the right thing for the district, not because I was looking to score points with one group or another.

I encourage the Board and administration to remain on the current path, and continuously look for ways to improve.

I urge you to always be mindful that leadership and authority are not automatically synonymous. I also ask the community to be involved.

This is OUR school district-it doesn’t belong to the Department of Education, or bureaucrats in Springfield, or the IEA–it belongs to us; as residents of the community we have a duty to be informed and hold our decision-makers accountable. The same is true for all levels of government.

There’s an essay, commonly attributed to 18th century British professor Alexander Tyler, which outlines the stages of democracy: from Bondage to Spiritual Faith, to Great Courage, to Liberty, to Abundance, to Complacency, to Apathy, to Dependence, and back into Bondage.

I’m afraid our society currently rests somewhere between Apathy and Dependence, and it’s time we get our acts together before it’s too late.

I will personally remain involved, albeit in a much different capacity now, in school district affairs.

I expect the district to spend within its means, never find itself in a situation where another Education Fund referendum is necessary, and refrain from the social indoctrination practices so common in many school districts across the country. Keep moving forward, and I will be a vocal advocate; start moving backward, and I will become a determined adversary. I am confident the Board, administration, and staff will continue to do the right things for District 158, and it has been an honor to work with you and serve the community these last five years.

I officially tender my resignation from the Consolidated School District Board of Education, effective immediately.

Respectfully,

Shawn Green