First off, Julie Fleetwood and the other Oakton parents are some kind of wonderful. What great contributions they make. Our schools would be so much better if more parents would follow their example.
Second, that poster is gorgeous. It has great artistic merit and the reading Oakton cougar -- what a perfect tie-in with the school's mascot. Not only is it excellent on its own, but it stylistically echoes the wonderful Roland's song murals in the gym and the wonderful arts and crafts tiles that decorate the school.
You could turn this into a bas-relief tile, plug it in anywhere in the school's halls and it would fit right in. The school is a real artistic masterpiece and this poster is a wonderful complement!
No one is "opposed" to branch libraries. But the branch love folks paint the opposition as "library haters." Not true.
If we had plenty of money, I'd support a branch library in every ward. But then there is reality which others choose to ignore. I, for one, am opposed to tax increases. If the branches stay, something else (like police and fire response time) must be reduced to keep the branches open.
Attempts by the branch love brigade to argue for a new West Side library branch don't fool anyone. It's an attempt to make the "opposition" look like they hate libraries and people who live on the West Side. Now why do you suppose that they would want to frame the argument that way?
For the BL folks, keeping their branches is all about keeping what they've got. And, for them, it's to heck with the rest of us who cannot afford to keep paying for duplicative services, resulting in ridiculous property taxes.
Everyone, that is, except those who seem fundamentally opposed to the concept of branch libraries.
Some branch opponents speak with particular vitriol about the branches -- it seems to go well beyond a financial issue for them. It's as if they have some sort of personal issue of fairness and class resentment (particularly with regard to the north branch). You could take the money issue out of it entirely and they still wouldn't want any branch libraries in Evanston. Even if the branch supporters are successful in finding an independent way to keep the branch libraries open, they will still be gnashing their teeth.
Branch libraries cost money. So does the main library. So does everything else the city does. If we are looking at the question of how much the city should spend overall on library services, it is ridiculous to claim that the branches don't compete with the main library for "library" resources.
Whether the city should spend more or less overall on libraries than it does, and whether branch libraries should be part of the overall library package are different questions.
But in terms of how much the city spends on library services, the branches and the main library are definitely in competition for whatever resources the city chooses to spend.
If you want to argue that the city should spend more on libraries and that branch libraries should be part of that spending package, have at it. But don't try to claim that the branches and the main library aren't in competition for the same scarce tax dollars.
How does branch closure eliminate a financial drag when the branch funding itself is being eliminated? The main library and two branches work as a coordinated system. It's being dismantled.
Oakton is a great school! Evanston doesn't realize what a great school it has here on the south side. My 2 kids went to Oakton in the 70s/80s. One now teaches university level/advanced math at a small college in Washington State (has a Ph.D. from Champaign/Urbana, BS from the Univ. of the South). My other kid is Executive Director of the ITRC, a not-for-profit quasi governmental environmental education group based in Washington DC (has an MA from NU & a BS from Cornell). Both are highly scientific, highly successful. Oakton is a great school! Pls support it.
As a point of clarification, the branches don't siphon money from Main, and there is no 'financial drag'. This is one of the biggest misconceptions that seems to be perpetuated by those who are not properly informed. Once the branch budgets get cut, then Main stands alone with the budget that it currently has. No more, no less. Although, probably less actually. Since next year the city will need to cut again, and they won't be able to come to the branches like they've done every year.
Evanston Now has been a constant source of misinformation on the library issue because it lets anonymous posters say anything they like, whether it's substantiated or not. It's disappointing, but that's the fact of the matter.
I was one of the "over 300" who was there on February 23rd to register my children who are new to the district. I arrived at 6:45am and received number 79 as my place in line. That turned to be a number that when called got me another number, this time 88, for another line. I did not see registration personnel until 10:30am, so actually, if registration started at 7am they were seeing about 25 an hour. I guess it took a while to get going or maybe they didn't start on time.
The whole experience was unnecessarily stressful and unpleasant.
There was chaos and confusion. There were computer glitches. It was loud; few of the parents could be bothered to stop their conversations when workers asked so they were forced to shout information over the din. Some of the rules being given by the workers were arbitrary or incorrect or were not previously mentioned in any of the guidelines i.e. bills must be current but not younger than 3 months. The experience had the panicky feel of a crisis.
The final unsettling bit is that ultimately they couldn't tell me whether my children were going to be "in or out" of our local school. We won't know until May because there was no count being taken of students compared actual open spaces. All I have is a time stamp that puts my documents in a certain place on a list to be evaluated for the next 10 weeks. That was the strangest part.
Someone pointed out above how it would be disappointing (to say the least) if you paid a bucket of money in cost and taxes for a home to then find out you couldn't attend the school in your neighborhood. Maybe you sacrificed all your savings to get your kids into that local school. Maybe you put yourself into severe debt or worse. This is a serious issue and maybe D65 could be a little more professional in the future about how it handles these situations out of recognition of that fact.
Probably no one will object to the save the branch group taking over the two branches. The library board may even be willing to donate the existing books to the group. The group would then takeover the lease, pay the salaries, expenses, stock new books, etc.. They could then determine hours, who could enter/borrow, rental fees, as they see fit.
The merchants around the branches who say they attract business and depend on the branches would of course want to give a substantial subsidy to the branches and the branches could then let them advertise inside the library.
Then everyone should be happy.
it was board members against raising class sizes over 23. Don't think it has much to do with teachers union ... class size isn't in their contract that I know of.
I assume the brachLove.org collections will first of all go to cover the operating expenses of the two branches for the next six month 'experiment.' Since they are the ones that are forcing the Council to keep them open for six months, it is only proper that they pay for the 'experiment.'
More basic math for you: The answer here is easy. Simply put a few more tables and chairs into the kindergarten classroom and increase your class size. Oh, wait, the teacher's union won't like that.
Wait, who's the customer here? Imagine buying a $650,000 house in northwest Evanston and paying the $12,000 (or more?) tax bill only to find you cannot get your child into the local school.
And, is Evanston REALLY selling the school building it owns on Dempster and Hinman to Chiaravalle? When we are facing overcrowding in our schools?
It should also be noted that the Evanston Public Library had a friends group which (according to the EPL website) began in 1983 and used to sponsor annual family nights at the library. They recently disbanded.
I agree, making this about "saving the libraries" is disingenuous.
Unless parents have no children currently enrolled in d 65 and want to attend one of the overcrowded schools, there was was no reason to wait in the line Tuesday.
Registration could be completed easily during lunch hour or evening hours yesterday (took me well under an hour) and the same will probably be true today.
The sign displayed in the article seems to overstate the situation.
"We Have Six Months To Save Evanston's Libraries"
Is it now the position of branchLove.org - or Evanston Public Library Friends - that if the money isn't raised, that the Main Library will be forced to close? Why muddy the issue unnecessarily?
Also, is there any forthcoming endorsement of the "Evanston Public Library Friends" organization by the Evanston Public Library and/or it's Board of Trustees?
Markham says the district staff can only process about 45 registrations per hour, but managed to complete well over 300 during the course of the eight-hour registration period.
Here's some basic math:
45 registrations per hour
x 8 hours of taking registrations
_______
360 applications
Based on those numbers, District 65 should expect its employees to process 360 applications in a typical registration day.
So processing "well over 300" applications in an 8-hour day isn't setting any records.
And if you have never been to kindergarten registration, you are missing an enormous bureaucratic jumble. I could not believe the huge number of employees assigned to this process with station upon station of employees. Those unfortunate souls (like me) who needed to sign up for before and/or after school child care in the process really had a treat of waiting in various lines.
How about making most of the process online? Then a parent who submits all of the necessary information online could use that online system to select a date and time in which to present any needed paperwork in person.
With 82 percent of District 65's expenses going to salaries and benefits, the District 65 Board needs to enter the 21st century and use technology to reduce staff costs as soon as possible. Creating an online system for most of the registration process is an easy step that would also reduce the time that parents need to stand in line.
The insertion of race and class into the library issue begs this question of our current and previous aldermen and mayors: Why was the last TIF created in Evanston, the West Side TIF? Why did our local politicians put the west side last, yet considered the old City yard, more blighted (quite a stretch), to put the recently closed Downtown II TIF in first?
Another thing missing from any of the comments or article above is "ownership" of how we ended up in such a budget crisis. The misguided anger over the library should be directed at our current politicians who allowed this forseeable fiscal disater to happen on their watch. We should be angry at ourselves as voters and citizens for letting them get away with it.
Our thin skinned aldermen do not get to decide what their bosses (ie: the taxpaying, voting citizens) think is a hot button issue. Speaking of citizenship:Where were the aldermen and citizens of these underserved neighborhoods before this current budget debate? Did the citizens not speak to their alderman? Did the alderman not listen? Did the previous mayor not recognize the issue? Nothing happens overnight, so it is curious that it would be a newly founded community group that somehow is at fault for any shortcomings.
One great quote on citizenship from the philosopher Hannah Arrendt: " It is citizenship that confers equality, not equality that creates a right to citizenship." The fact that citizens and elected officials choose to not get involved in their ward's problems and inequities is unfortunate, however we owe a debt of thanks to those who shone such a bright light on our library issue that our politicians and local media were forced to pay attention rather than be ostriches.
Finally, our City's misplaced priorities come shining sadly through if one considers a couple of economic facts: 1) the budget for last year included 500k for developers from the Economic Development Fund and 2) last year the Economic Development Committee voted in 40 minutes to give a 1 million dollar 10 year sales tax rebate to the forthcoming grocery store at Oakton & Asbury. Do we really wish to privatize profit and socialize risk for the fortunate few? How is that fair to the businesses that don't come hat in hand looking for a handout of taxpayer money. Do we have such low civic self esteem that we have to give the store away to have anyone invest here? It is no surprise that we are broke and our elected officials would have us believe that it isn't their fault. Shame on them and shame on us. As my buddy Seymour says: " I believe in equality. Some are more equal than others."
Vito said "D65 unions would require that teacher salaries would have to be raised to D202 levels -- an enormous cost. D202 per pupil costs are already rumored to be at the $20,000 per pupil level."
==================
Why should the unions beable to dictate that ? In a company merging of divisions does not mean you change salaries. The unions are pulling the wool over the situation. First thing get rid of the union [or at least their power].
$20,000 ! That is 1/2 NU tuition and look what we get. My understanding is that few schools go over $12,000 and even then no significant correlation between expenditure and results is found. New Trier has lower costs than Evanston even without the $20,000 figure being true.
My kids and I live in west evanston. I wish there was a library near to us for my family to use, but there isn't. Sometimes we will travel to the main library, and park in the lot or take a bus.
I don't get why people don't think that if there should be another branch, it should be west.
The main is easy to get to from north and south branches. but people that pay the big property taxes I guess can't be bothered to ride the el.
Walk-in registration is too much of a burden for working parents. It is especially ridiculous if you are enrolling your second child. I didn't hear about this announcement and it will be ridiculous if I can't get my kindergartner into the same school as my older child this year.
"Our district is extremely complex." Any more so than the City of Chicago?
"Many members of the current District 65 board have little grasp of all of the programs and needs of our schools let alone could they oversee District 202 as well." Sounds like you are making an argument FOR consolidating the school boards (into D202.)
"Accountability to a single parent or group of parents would be impossible." I expect/demand both Boards or a single Board to be accountable to all the stakeholders in the school system- students, parents and taxpayers.
D65 appears to respond to a small, vocal group of activists, many without children currently in the district. There is no accountability at D65. As someone with experience with both D202 and D65, I can tell you D202 is far more responsive and proactive than D65.
Parents have asked over and over again fro D65 to align its standards with the high school, citing unbiased evidence that the state ISAT standard goals to which D65 aspires are way too low. D65 chooses to ignore those parents and evidence. At least three current board members have lauded the superintendent, praising him for what really are mediocre results.
Stuart Opdyke raises a good point and it shows why the system is busted.
The Teacher's Unions are running the show not school administrators. A sensible and fiscally sound solution to consolidate the school districts won't work because THE TEACHER'S UNIONS will demand the same pay as District 202 teachers.
In other words, district administrators back then did not want that battle and obviously thought at the time the unions would have their way thus the consolidation issue was not cost effective.
Anyone wonder why even after three years deep into a recession D65 and 202 teachers still get their annual pay increases? Anyone question why D202 spends $20,000 per student?
Anyone wonder why Evanstonians now have to wait with baited breath to see if the city union employees will agree to Wally B's. concessions in his current budget proposal such as a pay increase freeze, increase employee insurance contributions and unpaid holidays?
If the city union employees balk on these concessions then there would be $3 million more in Wally's budget proposal, which is now $9 million in the hole.
Again, city union employees have been getting annual pay raises years deep into a recession and until this month NONE have lost their jobs. Meanwhile, out in the real world, millions in Illinois have lost their jobs in the private sector over the past three years as their property taxes rise and property values decline.
Why is that? because the public unions, including teacher unions, have a solid voice, influencing the decisions made by government officials, many of whom the unions helped elect.
Perhaps someone should ask the president of the Evanston city union employees if the union will agree to the budget concessions. He's not hard to find. He happens to be sitting on the Evanston Budget Task Force, appointed there by the mayor who received campaign contributions from...wait for it...the unions!
There are only two ways to circumvent the union's power and influence in our government. 1)demand our elected officials run the government like a business and not back down to unsustainable and unreasonable union demands 2) VOTE OUT ALL DEMOCRATS
First off, Julie Fleetwood and the other Oakton parents are some kind of wonderful. What great contributions they make. Our schools would be so much better if more parents would follow their example.
Second, that poster is gorgeous. It has great artistic merit and the reading Oakton cougar -- what a perfect tie-in with the school's mascot. Not only is it excellent on its own, but it stylistically echoes the wonderful Roland's song murals in the gym and the wonderful arts and crafts tiles that decorate the school.
You could turn this into a bas-relief tile, plug it in anywhere in the school's halls and it would fit right in. The school is a real artistic masterpiece and this poster is a wonderful complement!
No one is "opposed" to branch libraries. But the branch love folks paint the opposition as "library haters." Not true.
If we had plenty of money, I'd support a branch library in every ward. But then there is reality which others choose to ignore. I, for one, am opposed to tax increases. If the branches stay, something else (like police and fire response time) must be reduced to keep the branches open.
Attempts by the branch love brigade to argue for a new West Side library branch don't fool anyone. It's an attempt to make the "opposition" look like they hate libraries and people who live on the West Side. Now why do you suppose that they would want to frame the argument that way?
For the BL folks, keeping their branches is all about keeping what they've got. And, for them, it's to heck with the rest of us who cannot afford to keep paying for duplicative services, resulting in ridiculous property taxes.
Everyone, that is, except those who seem fundamentally opposed to the concept of branch libraries.
Some branch opponents speak with particular vitriol about the branches -- it seems to go well beyond a financial issue for them. It's as if they have some sort of personal issue of fairness and class resentment (particularly with regard to the north branch). You could take the money issue out of it entirely and they still wouldn't want any branch libraries in Evanston. Even if the branch supporters are successful in finding an independent way to keep the branch libraries open, they will still be gnashing their teeth.
Hi Lori,
Branch libraries cost money. So does the main library. So does everything else the city does. If we are looking at the question of how much the city should spend overall on library services, it is ridiculous to claim that the branches don't compete with the main library for "library" resources.
Whether the city should spend more or less overall on libraries than it does, and whether branch libraries should be part of the overall library package are different questions.
But in terms of how much the city spends on library services, the branches and the main library are definitely in competition for whatever resources the city chooses to spend.
If you want to argue that the city should spend more on libraries and that branch libraries should be part of that spending package, have at it. But don't try to claim that the branches and the main library aren't in competition for the same scarce tax dollars.
-- Bill
How does branch closure eliminate a financial drag when the branch funding itself is being eliminated? The main library and two branches work as a coordinated system. It's being dismantled.
Oakton is a great school! Evanston doesn't realize what a great school it has here on the south side. My 2 kids went to Oakton in the 70s/80s. One now teaches university level/advanced math at a small college in Washington State (has a Ph.D. from Champaign/Urbana, BS from the Univ. of the South). My other kid is Executive Director of the ITRC, a not-for-profit quasi governmental environmental education group based in Washington DC (has an MA from NU & a BS from Cornell). Both are highly scientific, highly successful. Oakton is a great school! Pls support it.
As a point of clarification, the branches don't siphon money from Main, and there is no 'financial drag'. This is one of the biggest misconceptions that seems to be perpetuated by those who are not properly informed. Once the branch budgets get cut, then Main stands alone with the budget that it currently has. No more, no less. Although, probably less actually. Since next year the city will need to cut again, and they won't be able to come to the branches like they've done every year.
Evanston Now has been a constant source of misinformation on the library issue because it lets anonymous posters say anything they like, whether it's substantiated or not. It's disappointing, but that's the fact of the matter.
Hello
I was one of the "over 300" who was there on February 23rd to register my children who are new to the district. I arrived at 6:45am and received number 79 as my place in line. That turned to be a number that when called got me another number, this time 88, for another line. I did not see registration personnel until 10:30am, so actually, if registration started at 7am they were seeing about 25 an hour. I guess it took a while to get going or maybe they didn't start on time.
The whole experience was unnecessarily stressful and unpleasant.
There was chaos and confusion. There were computer glitches. It was loud; few of the parents could be bothered to stop their conversations when workers asked so they were forced to shout information over the din. Some of the rules being given by the workers were arbitrary or incorrect or were not previously mentioned in any of the guidelines i.e. bills must be current but not younger than 3 months. The experience had the panicky feel of a crisis.
The final unsettling bit is that ultimately they couldn't tell me whether my children were going to be "in or out" of our local school. We won't know until May because there was no count being taken of students compared actual open spaces. All I have is a time stamp that puts my documents in a certain place on a list to be evaluated for the next 10 weeks. That was the strangest part.
Someone pointed out above how it would be disappointing (to say the least) if you paid a bucket of money in cost and taxes for a home to then find out you couldn't attend the school in your neighborhood. Maybe you sacrificed all your savings to get your kids into that local school. Maybe you put yourself into severe debt or worse. This is a serious issue and maybe D65 could be a little more professional in the future about how it handles these situations out of recognition of that fact.
Regards
Steve
Probably no one will object to the save the branch group taking over the two branches. The library board may even be willing to donate the existing books to the group. The group would then takeover the lease, pay the salaries, expenses, stock new books, etc.. They could then determine hours, who could enter/borrow, rental fees, as they see fit.
The merchants around the branches who say they attract business and depend on the branches would of course want to give a substantial subsidy to the branches and the branches could then let them advertise inside the library.
Then everyone should be happy.
it was board members against raising class sizes over 23. Don't think it has much to do with teachers union ... class size isn't in their contract that I know of.
I assume the brachLove.org collections will first of all go to cover the operating expenses of the two branches for the next six month 'experiment.' Since they are the ones that are forcing the Council to keep them open for six months, it is only proper that they pay for the 'experiment.'
Our library will be in great shape once we eliminate the financial drag of maintaing the branches.
More basic math for you: The answer here is easy. Simply put a few more tables and chairs into the kindergarten classroom and increase your class size. Oh, wait, the teacher's union won't like that.
Wait, who's the customer here? Imagine buying a $650,000 house in northwest Evanston and paying the $12,000 (or more?) tax bill only to find you cannot get your child into the local school.
And, is Evanston REALLY selling the school building it owns on Dempster and Hinman to Chiaravalle? When we are facing overcrowding in our schools?
It should also be noted that the Evanston Public Library had a friends group which (according to the EPL website) began in 1983 and used to sponsor annual family nights at the library. They recently disbanded.
I agree, making this about "saving the libraries" is disingenuous.
Unless parents have no children currently enrolled in d 65 and want to attend one of the overcrowded schools, there was was no reason to wait in the line Tuesday.
Registration could be completed easily during lunch hour or evening hours yesterday (took me well under an hour) and the same will probably be true today.
The sign displayed in the article seems to overstate the situation.
"We Have Six Months To Save Evanston's Libraries"
Is it now the position of branchLove.org - or Evanston Public Library Friends - that if the money isn't raised, that the Main Library will be forced to close? Why muddy the issue unnecessarily?
Also, is there any forthcoming endorsement of the "Evanston Public Library Friends" organization by the Evanston Public Library and/or it's Board of Trustees?
Here's an administrator from District 65 talking:
Markham says the district staff can only process about 45 registrations per hour, but managed to complete well over 300 during the course of the eight-hour registration period.
Here's some basic math:
45 registrations per hour
x 8 hours of taking registrations
_______
360 applications
Based on those numbers, District 65 should expect its employees to process 360 applications in a typical registration day.
So processing "well over 300" applications in an 8-hour day isn't setting any records.
And if you have never been to kindergarten registration, you are missing an enormous bureaucratic jumble. I could not believe the huge number of employees assigned to this process with station upon station of employees. Those unfortunate souls (like me) who needed to sign up for before and/or after school child care in the process really had a treat of waiting in various lines.
How about making most of the process online? Then a parent who submits all of the necessary information online could use that online system to select a date and time in which to present any needed paperwork in person.
With 82 percent of District 65's expenses going to salaries and benefits, the District 65 Board needs to enter the 21st century and use technology to reduce staff costs as soon as possible. Creating an online system for most of the registration process is an easy step that would also reduce the time that parents need to stand in line.
The insertion of race and class into the library issue begs this question of our current and previous aldermen and mayors: Why was the last TIF created in Evanston, the West Side TIF? Why did our local politicians put the west side last, yet considered the old City yard, more blighted (quite a stretch), to put the recently closed Downtown II TIF in first?
Another thing missing from any of the comments or article above is "ownership" of how we ended up in such a budget crisis. The misguided anger over the library should be directed at our current politicians who allowed this forseeable fiscal disater to happen on their watch. We should be angry at ourselves as voters and citizens for letting them get away with it.
Our thin skinned aldermen do not get to decide what their bosses (ie: the taxpaying, voting citizens) think is a hot button issue. Speaking of citizenship:Where were the aldermen and citizens of these underserved neighborhoods before this current budget debate? Did the citizens not speak to their alderman? Did the alderman not listen? Did the previous mayor not recognize the issue? Nothing happens overnight, so it is curious that it would be a newly founded community group that somehow is at fault for any shortcomings.
One great quote on citizenship from the philosopher Hannah Arrendt: " It is citizenship that confers equality, not equality that creates a right to citizenship." The fact that citizens and elected officials choose to not get involved in their ward's problems and inequities is unfortunate, however we owe a debt of thanks to those who shone such a bright light on our library issue that our politicians and local media were forced to pay attention rather than be ostriches.
Finally, our City's misplaced priorities come shining sadly through if one considers a couple of economic facts: 1) the budget for last year included 500k for developers from the Economic Development Fund and 2) last year the Economic Development Committee voted in 40 minutes to give a 1 million dollar 10 year sales tax rebate to the forthcoming grocery store at Oakton & Asbury. Do we really wish to privatize profit and socialize risk for the fortunate few? How is that fair to the businesses that don't come hat in hand looking for a handout of taxpayer money. Do we have such low civic self esteem that we have to give the store away to have anyone invest here? It is no surprise that we are broke and our elected officials would have us believe that it isn't their fault. Shame on them and shame on us. As my buddy Seymour says: " I believe in equality. Some are more equal than others."
Vito said "D65 unions would require that teacher salaries would have to be raised to D202 levels -- an enormous cost. D202 per pupil costs are already rumored to be at the $20,000 per pupil level."
==================
Why should the unions beable to dictate that ? In a company merging of divisions does not mean you change salaries. The unions are pulling the wool over the situation. First thing get rid of the union [or at least their power].
$20,000 ! That is 1/2 NU tuition and look what we get. My understanding is that few schools go over $12,000 and even then no significant correlation between expenditure and results is found. New Trier has lower costs than Evanston even without the $20,000 figure being true.
Nice to hear the City Manager using an idea from the budget workshop!
My kids and I live in west evanston. I wish there was a library near to us for my family to use, but there isn't. Sometimes we will travel to the main library, and park in the lot or take a bus.
I don't get why people don't think that if there should be another branch, it should be west.
The main is easy to get to from north and south branches. but people that pay the big property taxes I guess can't be bothered to ride the el.
Walk-in registration is too much of a burden for working parents. It is especially ridiculous if you are enrolling your second child. I didn't hear about this announcement and it will be ridiculous if I can't get my kindergartner into the same school as my older child this year.
"Our district is extremely complex." Any more so than the City of Chicago?
"Many members of the current District 65 board have little grasp of all of the programs and needs of our schools let alone could they oversee District 202 as well." Sounds like you are making an argument FOR consolidating the school boards (into D202.)
"Accountability to a single parent or group of parents would be impossible." I expect/demand both Boards or a single Board to be accountable to all the stakeholders in the school system- students, parents and taxpayers.
D65 appears to respond to a small, vocal group of activists, many without children currently in the district. There is no accountability at D65. As someone with experience with both D202 and D65, I can tell you D202 is far more responsive and proactive than D65.
Parents have asked over and over again fro D65 to align its standards with the high school, citing unbiased evidence that the state ISAT standard goals to which D65 aspires are way too low. D65 chooses to ignore those parents and evidence. At least three current board members have lauded the superintendent, praising him for what really are mediocre results.
Stuart Opdyke raises a good point and it shows why the system is busted.
The Teacher's Unions are running the show not school administrators. A sensible and fiscally sound solution to consolidate the school districts won't work because THE TEACHER'S UNIONS will demand the same pay as District 202 teachers.
In other words, district administrators back then did not want that battle and obviously thought at the time the unions would have their way thus the consolidation issue was not cost effective.
Anyone wonder why even after three years deep into a recession D65 and 202 teachers still get their annual pay increases? Anyone question why D202 spends $20,000 per student?
Anyone wonder why Evanstonians now have to wait with baited breath to see if the city union employees will agree to Wally B's. concessions in his current budget proposal such as a pay increase freeze, increase employee insurance contributions and unpaid holidays?
If the city union employees balk on these concessions then there would be $3 million more in Wally's budget proposal, which is now $9 million in the hole.
Again, city union employees have been getting annual pay raises years deep into a recession and until this month NONE have lost their jobs. Meanwhile, out in the real world, millions in Illinois have lost their jobs in the private sector over the past three years as their property taxes rise and property values decline.
Why is that? because the public unions, including teacher unions, have a solid voice, influencing the decisions made by government officials, many of whom the unions helped elect.
Perhaps someone should ask the president of the Evanston city union employees if the union will agree to the budget concessions. He's not hard to find. He happens to be sitting on the Evanston Budget Task Force, appointed there by the mayor who received campaign contributions from...wait for it...the unions!
There are only two ways to circumvent the union's power and influence in our government. 1)demand our elected officials run the government like a business and not back down to unsustainable and unreasonable union demands 2) VOTE OUT ALL DEMOCRATS