McHenry County Blog

Door-to-door leafleting.

Pretty basic politics.

And some Special Education Moms were doing it this afternoon in neighborhoods around town.

With a photo of Superintendent John Burkey, taken by yours truly, the broadside’s headline was

Our Superintendent wants special ed money spent on filing cabinets to help our kids learn.

Bet your Superintendent doesn’t do that!

In the leaflet seen above (click to enlarge), the Moms talk of politely asking, pleading, literally begging, and almost groveling to get Burkey to listen.

“It’s gone from giving us the stone-ears treatment to where Supt. Burkey now wants our board to approve nonsense.”

Citing the approximately $100,000 being spent on filing cabinets, office supplies and equipment, plus an expensive reading program the Moms don’t want, they explain that still there is “no option B and option C alternatives.“

“We disagree with Supt. Burkey’s priorities and judgment about spending large sums of special ed money that won’t help special ed children learn. This is personal for us. It’s our children. But frankly in our opinion, many of his recommendations reflect terrible educational judgment and a callous insensitivity to our children’s learning needs.”

One is tempted to ask, “How do they really feel?”

The message asks for people to attend Thursday night’s meeting at 7 and gives email addresses:

• sgreen@district158.com
• kgentry@district158.com
• ddrzal@district158.com
• ptroy@district158.com
• aseedorf@district158.com

Despite the hopeful words from board member Kim Skaja, the Moms seem to write her and fellow veteran official Mike Skala off, referring to them as “rubber stamp board members,” who “want to give Supt. Burkey another long contract with lots more money.”

This is the fourth installment of the discussion last Thursday night at the Huntley School District 158 board meeting on spending Federal stimulus money under the IDEA grant program. Here are links to the prior stories: Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.

When we left off, newly-elected member Don Drzal was trying to find out what the special ed administrators would spend money now destined for Read 180, if the hoard decided to cut it back to a pilot program.

Assistant Special Education Director Karen Alward seemed to have already provided the answer in an interchange with board member Kevin Gentry.

Gentry was trying to find out how the special ed administrators had gotten down to the $800,000 in first year money that is available.

“We really didn’t have to say, ‘No,” to anything,” Alward told the board. (Alward is the one looking at the camera in this only shot that got all four special ed administrators’ faces.)

Later it was explained that some suggestions, like providing gift cards to students for accomplishing something, were made that just were not legal under the guidelines.

Board member Aileen Seedorf, who seems to be the patron saint of the Special Ed Moms waiting until last.

“I believe the parents would have expected something in this year,” she said.

“Is that correct?”

“Yes, “The Moms answered.

Seedorf asked about the classroom furniture. Board President Shawn Green had a similar concern.

Kevin Gentry took offense at what he thought was a Seedorf’s accusation that regular students were treated better than special ed students.

“If you’re right, we need to do something about it.”

Green agreed: “If you have specific concerns they need to be addressed?”

Seedorf repeated several times that the committee she has proposed could have investigated that line of though, but the board majority had decided not to allow it.

She burrowed in on Read 180 and took a jab at one of her fellow board members.

“I’m not interested in running for senate.”

“I’m not interested in running for senate either,” Gentry replied.

“Good for you,” Seedorf countered.

Seedorf wanted to know if the Read 180 pilot program “could be pared down to 15-20.

“How many do you need to buy to do a small study before you drop big bucks on this?”

Special Ed Director Cheryl Kalkirtz replied that they could also be used as part of an RIT initiative, that is, with at risk kids.

“Let’s get 30 licenses and see how the kids do,” board member Paul Troy added. He suggested that would be better than “buying 360 license today.”

“We need to give direction to the administration and move forward,” long-time board member Mike Skala said.

“We can’t just buy 360 licenses and go forward not caring whether they work or not,” Troy interjected.

“If the administration wants to change it and come back to us, I’m fine with that…but not the opposite,” Skala replied.

The board decided to ask for more detail on the Read 180 line item.

“We all trust you. You’re all professionals,” veteran board member Kim Skaja added.

More tomorrow.

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Read the whole series:

Huntley School District 158 Special Ed Moms Draw Blood, Board Divided – Part 1

Huntley School District 158 Special Ed Moms Draw Blood, Board Divided – Part 2

Huntley School District 158 Special Ed Moms Draw Blood, Board Divided – Part 3

Huntley School District 158 Special Ed Moms Draw Blood, Board Divided – Part 4

Huntley School District 158 Special Ed Moms Draw Blood, Board Divided – Part 5

We would like to think government employees wouldn’t take money away from special ed children and use it for regular education.

Especially when money is specifically designated for special ed use.

Even if the Federal law allows such a diversion (which it does—half can be diverted).

We’d also like to think elected officials wouldn’t allow such an abuse when brought to their attention.

Then there’s what is going on in Huntley District 158.

I wonder if it would be if school administrators or board members have a special needs child.

Board member Aileen Seedorf seems to understand the long standing law which says the district is required to provide an appropriate education to every child. At the July 14th town hall-style meeting, School Board member Shawn Green did express what I took to be sincere concern about how the Federal stimulus money on special education would be spent.

I have written about how the administrators have proposed how to spend the Federal Stimulus funds.

A lot of the money is still being recommended to expand a reading program used in regular ed which the special ed parents don’t want.

The moms and dads don’t want it because there is no vendor-independent research that shows it works with special ed children.

The attention spans required for the programmed instruction are about 20 to 30 minutes. That’s a long time for challenged kids.

It seems likely that the massive expenditure will be redeployed into regular student use when it becomes obvious that the program doesn’t provide much benefit tospecial ed students.

The special ed parents want programs that will work for their children.

From what I heard at the July 14th town hall-style meeting with administrators and school board members, those parents would give those decision-makers the old grade of “needs improvement.”

It would take quite a reporter to capture their disillusionment.  I surely am not skilled enough to convey it.

But, it is clear to me that administrators need to listen to the parents of special education children and not spend a huge sum on a reading program the parents don’t want and for which the parents can find no credible research that says will work.

I remember the education I received from a District 300 mother back in the 1970’s when special education laws were being crafted.  I remember her every time I drive past her Huntley Road home on the way to Spring Hill Mall.  She said to finance her son’s education at Summit School, they had subdivided their property and would sell of the lots.

Unfortunately, most of the parents with special ed kids in Huntley School District 158 don’t have similar resources.  If the Huntley School Board doesn’t provide for their children’s education, ones who might be able to cope in society will just “slip through the cracks,” as the trite cliche says.

It’s really much more serious than that.

Ask a parent.

On Friday, Daily Herald reporter Jameel Naqvi wrote a column titled

It ends with

He didn’t have to wait long for an answer.

On Monday, Naqvi punctuated the ending of his front page story with

“In a reflection of the district’s continuing budget concerns, Burkey said Friday he is still recommending the school board spend half of its federal stimulus money on existing expenses, as is permitted.”

In other words, Superintendent Burkey went through the motions of having meetings with special ed parents.

It’s legal to grab half of the Federal stimulus money earmarked for special education, so the top administrator continues to recommend doing so.

State government announced that the Huntley school district would get about $2 million of additional money that wasn’t in the budget.

But, the administration continues to recommend to divert half of the Federal stimulus money from special ed purposes continues unaltered.

The platitude of

was rightly omitted from the story.

That’s appropriate.

Burkey wants to take money away from the kids most in need and allocate it elsewhere.

Only time will tell if the board majority is willing to amend the usual platitude to

What the Daily Herald didn’t write was how Burkey didn’t inform the board of his “still recommending” when the news of the district getting $2 million more in state aid was noted at last Thursday’s board meeting.

Hard to find any middle ground or compromise in Burkey’s “still recommending.”

You have to wonder how many special ed parents are going to want Burkey retained as superintendent if he comes across as missing the listening qualities expected of someone in his position.

He exhibited a scarcity of listening skills at the meeting I attended of special needs parents. He let his new finance guy, Mark Altmayer, be the heavy.

Parent after parent spoke without Burkey’s interjecting,

Crystal Lake administrators and board members have managed to avoid one controversy after another? It doesn’t seem that their Huntley counterparts will wade through this issue with similar acceptance by community members.

When you have an administrator (Curriculum Director Mary Olson) tell a group of special needs parents at a public meeting

at best there’s a lack of sensitivity and at worst it’s contrary to the district’s mission statement.

The irony of funding a new fishing club for thousands of dollars was not missed by these special ed parents. Perhaps the real message in Monday’s Daily Herald article was,

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The top photo is of Huntley School District Superintendent John Burkey addressing to special education parents at the first listening session.

Below you see School Board President Shawn Green talking about his admiration for President George W. Bush and his No Child Left Behind policy.

In mid-May, the Huntley School Board was approached by some disappointed and frustrated parents.

At both the Finance and the board meeting, the moms of kids with special needs felt empowered to speak about the education their kids are or are NOT getting.

You see, two key special education employees jumped ship.

The parents seemed to think there no longer was light at the end of the tunnel.
How Federal economic stimulus money will be spent is at stake, too.

The Huntley School District is getting $1.5 million. The money has to be spent over a two year period.

A loophole, however, allows half of it to be drained to other than new or additional special education uses.

The administration wants to spend a rather large amount of money on a reading software that they have not piloted or know if it will be effective with special ed students.

The reading software is being used for regular students now. This makes it look like the software the district will be buying is software that would normally be bought this year to expand its use with more regular ed students.

The reasoning for diverting the money is that Federal mandates for so many years have been unfunded. Maybe “underfunded” would be a better word.

During comments the parents made a lot of interesting points. One became emotional at the board meeting and pretty much ignored Board President Shawn Green’s attempt to shut her down after a certain amount of time.

Board member Aileen Seedorf was aggressive in the discussion, even pulling out a hat and put ting it on mid-discussion, using it as a prop to make a point.

Seedorf pushed for a standing Special Ed Board committee, but the the board majority would not allow it.

In any event, signatures are being sought on the following petition:

119 had signed when I looked at it mid-day Thursday.

You need a quorum for a board meeting.

Right now the Huntley school board has only one board member as a carryover for its Finance Committee.

That would be Kevin Gentry.

Hard to have a quorum with one committee member.

Finance Committee members Tony Quagliano and Larry Snow are no longer on the board.

Replacement members to the Finance Committee have not yet been appointed and approved by the Board. Board approval is required by the board’s policy. Such a vote of approval can only occur at a scheduled board meeting and that hasn’t happened yet.

Will the new board members pretend it doesn’t matter if the new board follows board policy or the Open Meetings Act?

Board member Aileen Seedorf alerted the board to a similar situation at the last Committee of the Whole meeting.

She pointed out the Legislative Committee could not convene because Snow, the chairman, and Quagliano were no longer on that committee. The board agreed to not officially have the Legislative Committee that evening.

For those at home hoping to follow your school district’s finances, well, you can’t. At least not for now. Neither the Building nor Finance Committee board packets are posted online.

Shawn Green was elected Board President again, but he missed his first Committee of the Whole meeting.

Last night a contract negotiation meeting was held between Huntley’s teachers union and the negotiating committee for the Board. Absent was the administration. Apparently the Superintendent, Controller and Human Resources Director all had other more important things to do.

Board President Shawn Green was very vocal that the union should discuss their proposals in public.

Good for him!

Illinois should follow Florida’s example and conduct all union negotiations in public.

Apparently the union wants to bring its proposal for early retirement benefits to the board in secret session.

If the teachers union’s proposal has merit, then why wouldn’t the teachers want to present it in public?

Is the answer a bit obvious?

The agreement between the Board and union says that on consensus the proposal will be brought to the board.

Has there been a consensus?

The agreement also calls for consideration of an alternate salary schedule plan. (For information about past salary hikes, go here.)

With what they won after their strike, why would the Huntley Education Association want to change anything in the salary schedule?

The teachers obviously want their retirement benefits sweetened, but they don’t seem to want to talk about the current really sweet deal they have on automatic salary increases.

The union is refusing to talk about changing salary schedule.

The current longevity step increase is 3 1/2%–quite high when compared to other schools. That means starting salaries for teachers might have to be lower than surrounding districts to compensate for the later huge automatic step increases.

Of course, starting salaries are easier for reporters to understand than step increases.

And how much sense does it make to pay extra money for double masters’ degrees?

That’s in the salary schedule.

Unless increased performance can be linked to a second master’s degree, does it make sense to pay extra for it?

Just asking.

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The photo of the teachers in HEA shirts was taken the night they confronted the board.

I’m trying to catch up with stories that deserve coverage. (I never will, but I’m trying.)

Here’s an email from Shawn Green, President of Huntley School District 158’s School Board.

He tells of the district’s opposition to House Bill 2354, the pro-abortion bill that had so much bad content that it even attracted the attention of the Huntley School district.

Read why below:

“You and I obviously have different views on the positive vs. negative impact some of my fellow board members have had.

“Putting that aside, I want to extend my gratitude for your efforts in shedding light on HB 2354.

“Because of the provisions in the bill that attempt to radically alter the School Code, I drafted a resolution for our BOE to take a public stance against it. It passed the committee level without objection and is up for formal approval on this month’s consent agenda. Here’s the resolution:

“The Board of Education for Consolidated School District #158 opposes HB 2354.

“We believe the provisions in this bill amending the School Code by removing the teaching of ’sexual abstinence until marriage,’ and adding the requirement for school districts to provide ‘comprehensive sexual health education’ are wholly inappropriate.

“These requirements take critical local control authority away from school districts, and the District 158 Board of Education strongly encourages our legislators to vote against passage of this bill.”

Thankfully HB2354 is shelved for now, but we all know the liberals will try and bring it back as soon as they can.

Thanks again for the position you’ve taken on this and don’t hesitate to contact me regarding this or any other issue.

= = = = =
The photo of Huntley School Board President Shawn Green was taken at the Crystal Lake TEA Party on April 15th, of which he wrote in a comment to the Northwest Herald story that he counted over 300 in attendance at 12:30.

Stories of possible interest:

3-28-9 Demonstration in Front of Jack Franks’ Woodstock Office

3-31-9 The Cardinal Weighs In On House Bill 2354

3-31-9
HB 2354 Video Shows Disappointment, Pleas for Changing of Mind and Promises of Opposition

4-4-9
Who Signed the NW Herald Ad Urging State Reps. Jack Franks and Mark Beaubien to Vote Against House Bill 2354?

4-4-9 Illinois FOCA Aborted

4-7-9 Franks, Beaubien Retreat

4-14-9 Rockford Bishop Thomas Doran’s Role in the Defeat of House Bill 2354

The margin was overwhelming on election day.

65% to 35%.

Before adding in absentee and early votes, Skala led the two-county school district by about 3,700 to 1,300.

Almost 2-1.

A landslide.

Mike Skala, who lost a campaign two years ago while Huntley School District 158 Board President to Aileen Seedorf, Kevin Gentry and Jim Carlin, trounced elected incumbent Larry Snow.

Skala can again refer to himself as an “elected school board member,” rather than an “appointed school board member.”

Skala’s was a well-run campaign.

Snow’s was handicapped by an automobile accident that left him incapable of mounting a door-to-door campaign.

Skala’s campaign consisted of at least three mailings, including a post card of endorsement from State Representative and McHenry County Republican Party Chairman Mike Tryon, one of the recipients of a generous Skala company contribution, and Pam Althoff, similarly, a recipient of a generous contribution.

He had two at least other mailings, neither of which I got a copy of.

There was a phone call the last weekend and plenty of signs, none of which could I find a mere one hour after the polls closed. Skala’s efficient organization had taken them all down. Virtually all seem to have been illegally put on the public right of way.

I especially like the homemade-looking ones (maybe they were homemade) saying, “Vote Today.”

That’s an innovation worth copying.

My guess is that Skala’s was a classic voter identification and get out the vote campaign built upon the base of approximately 1,000 teachers and family members who live within the District 158 boundaries.

More than teachers and their families voted for Skala, of course.

He got almost 2,000 votes in McHenry County and 317 in the Kane County part of Sun City. Still incomplete, but let’s say 2,300-plus.

Two years ago, in his close loss, Skala received 1,570 votes in McHenry County and 301 in Kane County. That’s almost 1,900.

Four years ago, Snow got 1,877 in McHenry County and 1,191 in Kane County for 2,978, more than Skala received this time around.

Snow got 833 in McHenry this year and 462 in Kane, totally about 1,300. A 1,600 vote drop off.

So Skala’s vote increased 400 from two years ago and Snow’s decreased 1,600 from four years ago.

Of course, people aren’t as angry today about the deceptive tax hike Skala spoke for way back then. Political memories are short.

Politicians who hike taxes count on that.

And, lots of the Sun City folks probably have not yet returned from their snowbird homes, since Easter is next weekend.

It is interesting to note that most of Snow’s supporters did not vote for the four unopposed candidates for the four-year seats. Those spots will be filled by incumbents Shawn Green and Kim Skaja, plus newcomers Paul Troy and Donald Drzal.

Typically, lots of people are turned off by the type of smear campaign mounted by Skala’s allies.

Voters decide just not to participate.

That is exactly the reaction that those mounting the smear campaign usually hope for.

I wonder if this was a deliberately thought out strategy by the Skala campaign manager.

In any event, Skala’s campaign was obviously professionally managed and adequately financed.

I can hear the cheers of the teachers for the husband of their former co-president.

No more pesky questions on behalf of the taxpayers from Larry Snow.

No more forensic audits being pushed to look at illegally approved payments to administrators, which were never recovered by the board majority.

No more questions from Snow about why sexual harassment settlements are not discussed at public board meetings.

No more from Snow questions about why cronies are being pushed for high paid district positions for which they are unqualified.

And, most importantly, no more Larry Snow as chief salary negotiator.

The question remains whether this “lesson” will keep future taxpayer-oriented citizens from daring to invade the teacher-controlled school board majority citadel.

Back to the old way of doing things.

I wonder when the next tax hike referendum will be held.

On Saturday morning Sun City hosted a candidates’ forum for Huntley school board candidates.

There is only one contested race. Larry Snow, who is running for re-election, versus Mike Skala, who as board president was voted out of office in the last election. Aileen Seedorf was the top vote getter and Skala didn’t make the top “vote for 3” list.

The event turned out to be a tag team match with the three incumbent board majority board members – Skala, Kim Skaja and Shawn Green – one team and Snow on the other.

Rather than have a one-on-one debate between Snow and Skala, the organizers of the forum gave Skala a huge advantage. They included all of the uncontested candidates for the four-year terms.

In her opening remarks, Kim Skaja said Snow spun everything.

She attacked Snow for having helped Seedorf win election to the Board in the last election.

Seedorf did best in Sun City, so it seemed a strange venue for such an attack.

Next up was Snow opponent Skala. He advised the audience not to listen to what Snow said at the forum because he is always “spinning” everything.

Strangely enough, that, in itself, sounds like “a spin.”

Green, who genuinely dislikes Snow, savaged him in an attack which had nothing to do with his District 158 performance.

Snow was seated by the forum committee so he would give the last opening remarks.

His first sentence was,

“My proposals as a board member are saving our district millions of dollars.”

After making a few more comments, Snow said,

“I describe my accomplishments in detail at my web site VoteForLarrySnow.com.”

Referring to his opponent Skala, Snow got off one of the best lines of the day:

Moderator Shelly Appleton seemed less than fair minded in how he conducted the forum.

After both Skala and Skaja were allowed to speak for a combined 10 minutes (answers were supposed to be kept to one minute) for a question they were asked to answer, Snow asked if he could comment.

The reply was “No.”

But when a question was only asked for Snow to answer, Green asked to speak and offer his comment as a police officer.

Yes, that’s right, not as candidate Green but as “Officer” Green.

The audience started saying and yelling, “No, No!” It was obvious it was going to be a personal attack.

The moderator let Green speak. He launched a personal attack on Snow.

As Green went on audience members continued to say, “No, No, No.”

Continuing, Green ignored the audience.

What Officer Green tried to pin on Snow was “spousal abuse.” Green knows Snow hasn’t been married for well over 13 years, yet tried to tag him with the political smear.

Snow response at the forum was simple:

“You can see what I have to deal with and what the challenges are of being on this board.”

Virtually all of Skala’s campaign against Snow consists of personal smears.

It’s as if Skala tried campaigning on the issues two years ago, lost his seat and doesn’t want to risk a similar outcome this time around.

One might sense there is something a bit unsettling when a police officer specifically references his status as a police officer in a political campaign to imply a candidate, who he is not even running against him, committed a crime 15 years ago.

Green didn’t say,

“Can I comment?”

or

“Can I speak to that?”

He said something like,

“Would you like to hear how a police officer sees this?”

The original question was about Snow’s auto accident. Moderator Appleton let Green first attack Snow on this and then go on to other personal attacks.

Maybe Green and his buddies on the force will be sitting around having beers and laughing about how he implied a citizen committed a crime.

If you don’t think Green was “implying,” then you have to ask why Green started quoting statistics on the number of women who don’t report spousal abuse, not sexual harassment, about which the school district presumably has actually dealt, considering settlement checks were written last July.

Green made no objection as to how Snow performed his job as a school board member.

The third unopposed candidate, newcomer PaulTroy, spoke before Snow and gave a lengthy commentary about his visit to Ellis Island. He did not engage in personal attacks.

I wrote about how a measure of inflation, a cost of living index in the form of the Consumer Price Index, has been only 1.1% for the last 12 months.

In that article Friday, I suggested tax district officials would be saying,

So would have Huntley School District 158 teachers had not three school board members more friendly to the teachers than the taxpayers made a last minute change in the salary offer.

When District 158 made its “Last, Best and Final” Offer to the Huntley’s teachers union, the salary offer was for indexing the 2nd and 3rd year using the Consumer Price Index.

Specifically the increase would be the CPI, plus 0.65%.

Chief Negotiator Larry Snow had full support of the Board for this.

The Board negotiating committee was six members–

Snow, Aileen Seedorf, Board President Shawn Green, plus the two C.P.A.’s, Tony Quagliano and Kevin Gentry, and Kim Skaja, who had voted for huge increases for the teachers in past contracts.

It should come as no surprise to anyone that Snow and Seedorf were the backbone of the “financially responsible” part of this Board.

Normally it would take a 4-2 vote to reverse a six board member decision.

I said, “normally.”

Because Board President Sean Green showed up for only five hours or so during the last 150 hours of contract negotiations, Green was “Absent” literally and for all practical purposes.

This made it possible for a 3-2 vote to get the CPI index removed from the Board’s final negotiating position.

It was a given that Kim Skaja would go along with most anything that favored the teachers’ union.

So when Quagliano insisted on removing the CPI and going to fixed percentages for years two and three, and sidekick Gentry agreed, the die was cast.

When the two Certified Public Accountant’s caved, Skaja’s quickly agreed and the concession was made.

Caving in will turn out to be financially costly.

How bad?

The fixed percent raises were 5.25% for most teachers.

If you are optimistic about December’s CPI number then the total for the year may be 1.1%.

That would have meant the Board’s formula would have generated 1.75% raises. But there was a floor of 2% in the language.

So, there’s basically a difference of 3 and a quarter percentage points.

Under what the “Last, Best and Final” offer, next year’s raise would have turned out to be 2%. More than what it appears the cost of living will increase, but not the 5.25% Quagliano, Gentry and Skaja inserted at the last moment.

This translates into about $1 million a year in extra concessions than what was in the “Last, Best and Final” offer.

Ouch.

In simple terms, to balance the budget next year this means a million dollars of other spending (for additional class room teachers, for example) can’t happen.

Not just for one twelve month period, but again and again as the extra million dollars becomes a baseline for extra teacher salary expense year after year.

Word is that Huntley District 158 wants to hire a Certified Public Accountant for its next a chief financial officer.

Protecting the interests of taxpayers is not automatic just because one has passed that exam. Think Arthur Anderson and Enron for an extreme example of that.

The auditor who got the District 158’s audit numbers wrong in 2007 was a C.P.A..

The previous auditor was a C.P.A. and he got the numbers wrong in previous years as well.

Quagliano’s, Gentry’s and Skaja’s cave in, in this instance, will cause an automatic financial cave in for next year’s budget and the one after that.

Making this concession didn’t even prevent a strike.

The CPI is not in formula and wasn’t in the last weekend’s proposals to the HEA and they called the strike anyway.

That tells you how little good the C.P.A.s’ concession actually did at the time.

It wasn’t used to “make a deal;” it was a giveaway.

Both Snow and Seedorf were outvoted in caucus.

The “Last Best and Final” offer made sense as a financial structure.

Maybe if Green had bothered to show up he could have made it a 3-3 vote and the original proposal would be in the contract.

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Huntley School District 158 Board members Larry Snow and Aileen Seedorf are seen top right. To the left and slightly below is School Board President Shawn Green. Below right is Kim Skaja. Below left are Kevin Gentry and Tony Quagliano. The picketers were found outside the western entrance to the Red Barn Road campus on the first day of the Huntley Education Association’s strike.