Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Cary Grade School District 26 Board Ends “Pay to Play”
9/20/6 - Here’s something I have not seen before.
At the initiation of Cary Grade School Board member Chris Jenner, the board passed a resolution last night saying it will not do business with any company that “has contributed to political campaigns that directly affect the district.”
If you don’t think that is a problem, please take a look at Carpentersville District 300 here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here.
Here’s information on Woodstock District 200 and here’s a school superintendent-consultant’s advice and here and here and here.
Here’s a small look at vendor money in District 200 and other districts with tax hike referendums.
Here’s what the Cary School Board passed on Monday:
Neither the teachers union nor district employees are covered by the language.
At the initiation of Cary Grade School Board member Chris Jenner, the board passed a resolution last night saying it will not do business with any company that “has contributed to political campaigns that directly affect the district.”
If you don’t think that is a problem, please take a look at Carpentersville District 300 here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here.
Here’s information on Woodstock District 200 and here’s a school superintendent-consultant’s advice and here and here and here.
Here’s a small look at vendor money in District 200 and other districts with tax hike referendums.
Here’s what the Cary School Board passed on Monday:
Vendor/Contractor Conflict of InterestThe vote was 6-0 with one member absent.
Any company or individual doing $10,000 or more in business with the District within a fiscal year shall not contribute to any political campaign that directly affects the District while doing business for the District or for a period of two years after completion of business with the District. Further, the District will not enter into significant business with a company or individual that has contributed to a political campaign that directly affects the District within two years prior to commencing business.
Political campaigns that directly affect the district
shall be defined as:· School board election
· Tax or bond referendum
Neither the teachers union nor district employees are covered by the language.
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I read this twice.
Then I read it again.
Thank you Chris Jenner and other board members who passed this resolution.
Then I read it again.
Thank you Chris Jenner and other board members who passed this resolution.
This resolution has enough vague wording to drive a truck through it. Also, who enforces board policy? The board does. So while the public may call on the board to enforce its own policy some boards routinely throw policy out the window and do what they want anyway.
This is a RESOLUTION, it means nothing in a few months when a new board is seated. If a board really wants to take on this issue you make a POLICY change and not simply a resolution.
But even then board policy governs how the board conducts itself but most of the time it governs how the administration conducts itself on behalf of the board. Esentially, unless you have a majority of the board that is going to hold itself accountable to its own policy it can be ignored.
This is a RESOLUTION, it means nothing in a few months when a new board is seated. If a board really wants to take on this issue you make a POLICY change and not simply a resolution.
But even then board policy governs how the board conducts itself but most of the time it governs how the administration conducts itself on behalf of the board. Esentially, unless you have a majority of the board that is going to hold itself accountable to its own policy it can be ignored.
The business and political "miracle" that happened with this 6-0 vote speaks loudly to the fact there ARE people who want common sense instead of "manipulation by money".
While it's understood that this resolution does not bind a new board to follow it, the public will be exposed to the games that have been taking place for decades.
If this board or a future board fails to enforce the resolution - the residents have every right to be furious. It would be another reason for an awakening public to question more, to view the school industry as the self-protecting bloated BUSINESS that it is, etc.
When the public/parents finally "get" the fact they've been mentally conditioned to NOT question, to not think, to feel intimidated by people with education, etc. - and to accept the golden salary and benefit baskets doled out with no concern of the public's ability to pay, I imagine there will be an incredible backlash. It is not hard to imagine a room full of school circle folks - finally recognizing that they had it pretty darned good and they blew it by wanting it all.......and performing less.
The Internet, word-of-mouth, and the separation into rich and poor, with few middle in between - are part of the solution to apathy and fear.
Our kids and our country need "better".
While it's understood that this resolution does not bind a new board to follow it, the public will be exposed to the games that have been taking place for decades.
If this board or a future board fails to enforce the resolution - the residents have every right to be furious. It would be another reason for an awakening public to question more, to view the school industry as the self-protecting bloated BUSINESS that it is, etc.
When the public/parents finally "get" the fact they've been mentally conditioned to NOT question, to not think, to feel intimidated by people with education, etc. - and to accept the golden salary and benefit baskets doled out with no concern of the public's ability to pay, I imagine there will be an incredible backlash. It is not hard to imagine a room full of school circle folks - finally recognizing that they had it pretty darned good and they blew it by wanting it all.......and performing less.
The Internet, word-of-mouth, and the separation into rich and poor, with few middle in between - are part of the solution to apathy and fear.
Our kids and our country need "better".
This was a policy change, *not* a resolution -- see item 9.2 at http://mail.cary26.k12.il.us/documents/Agenda09-18-06.pdf. It's effective as of September 18, the day it was approved by the board, and it will be updated in our policy manual.
I would agree that policy is only as effective as enforced by the board. The current D-26 board majority was elected in 2005, and will not be going away in a few months. The current board majority governs through policy.
I would agree that policy is only as effective as enforced by the board. The current D-26 board majority was elected in 2005, and will not be going away in a few months. The current board majority governs through policy.
If this was a policy change for you guys that is definitely the route to go with doing something meaningful in this regard.
I still don't know how I feel about limiting, in fact prohibiting, free speech. It's a tough issue and I see where you're coming from and have seen first hand how certain entities try to work on a referendum. Basically a few calls to vendors and money can be raised. At the same time, when one sees that the majority of referenda have been failing for several years now I don't know how big of a problem this is.
Basically, I think that people give the voters too little credit sometimes. If it's out there who's backing a referendum or a candidate they take notice. If the board fails to make a convincing plan to the voters people take notice. Finally, building bonds always have a lot better chance of passing than fund rate increases, hence the number of districts who have built new buildings, didn't adequate plan and now come back crying for an ed fund increase. Grayslake is the best example I can think of this here in Lake County.
Oh, and about board majorities Chris, they change and can change quickly. You have to have at least 3 members coming up for election (we're going to have SIX here in Round Lake because of some resignations) and voting blocks can change as relationships change on the board.
My point, never think your job of building consensus on issues with board members stops or that anyone's support is certain.
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I still don't know how I feel about limiting, in fact prohibiting, free speech. It's a tough issue and I see where you're coming from and have seen first hand how certain entities try to work on a referendum. Basically a few calls to vendors and money can be raised. At the same time, when one sees that the majority of referenda have been failing for several years now I don't know how big of a problem this is.
Basically, I think that people give the voters too little credit sometimes. If it's out there who's backing a referendum or a candidate they take notice. If the board fails to make a convincing plan to the voters people take notice. Finally, building bonds always have a lot better chance of passing than fund rate increases, hence the number of districts who have built new buildings, didn't adequate plan and now come back crying for an ed fund increase. Grayslake is the best example I can think of this here in Lake County.
Oh, and about board majorities Chris, they change and can change quickly. You have to have at least 3 members coming up for election (we're going to have SIX here in Round Lake because of some resignations) and voting blocks can change as relationships change on the board.
My point, never think your job of building consensus on issues with board members stops or that anyone's support is certain.
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