It is time for a change in District 46. I am committed to four priorities to bring about needed change when I am elected to the District 46 Board of Education with your support.
First, it is critically important that District 46 return its focus to educating our children. For too long, the focus of the Board has been on buildings, not education. The Board has spent the past several years trying to assemble a majority of the voters in District 46 to build a new school, using the fear of the impact of hundreds of new homes and the hundreds of new students that never materialize, buying land at exorbitant prices, and purchasing mobile classrooms to instill the fear of overcrowded classrooms (…your child might go to school in a trailer!). It is time for a change. Lets work together to raise the education standards in District 46 to a level where the graduating eighth graders enter high school on a par with the other students – not a year behind.
Second, it is important that we change the environment of distrust between the residents and voters of District 46 and the Board of Education to one of trust. It is time for a change. The new Board must re-establish trust with the public if we are going to move the community forward. The majority of the current Board has taken one action after another to drive a wedge between itself and the public. I will list but a few of them:
1. The misguided collection of far more taxes that were approved in the 2002 referendum.
2. Two referenda to approve tax increases to build a new school in 2006 that were defeated by a resounding 2 to 1 margin each time.
3. Investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in new school planning after the failed referenda. Is this a new definition of arrogance?
4. Using education fund monies to finance political campaign propaganda in filed attempts to pass the 2006 referenda.
5. After losing the first 2006 referendum, spending thousands of education fund dollars to establish a committee and pay consultants to study the issue and agree on a new strategy to manage the influx of students. The committee was a sham, stacked with teachers, administrators, and YES voters. One of the reasons I am a candidate is the frustration I experienced listening to my Seasoned Citizen neighbor who changed from a YES voter to a NO voter while he was on the committee.
6. One month before the upcoming election, the majority of the Board of Education tore up the Superintendent’s contract with had one year remaining and wrote new contract. Now, the incumbent Board President will not reveal the contents of the new contract to the press or to the public. It is apparent that the Board sees the handwriting on the wall.
7. Paying an exorbitantly high price to purchase land for the new school that has been defeated in two referenda. While the real estate market has been declining in the past year, the Board of Education is paying a premium price for land that sits under high tension electrical lines.
It is time for a change.
The third necessary change is to establish fiscal transparency in the District. For too long, the finances of District 46 have been hidden behind the curtain; not unlike the curtain from behind which the Wizard of Oz operated. As cited above, the Board of Education collected far more taxes than were approved in the 2002 referendum, then when they were caught, they asked the taxpayers to approve a ballot question to get their own money back. Chutzpah. Paying for studies and consultants and propaganda in support of tax increase referenda that were soundly defeated to build classrooms for students that are going to live in houses that have not been built and may never be built. Do they believe that the voters will eventually tire of voting NO and their minority of supporters will eventually approve an unnecessary referendum? It is time for a change.
The fourth change that is necessary is to bring real public discourse into District 46. It is time to change the practice of overusing Executive Sessions without revealing the results afterwards. For example, there are many who believe that the current Superintendent is a divisive force in the District. The majority of the current Board approved a new contract for the Superintendent without allowing all Board members an opportunity to read it. There is a need to allow the public the opportunity to discuss issues that are important to the District and to provide real and open feedback and discussion to the Board of Education.
As a member of the Board of Education, I will promote an accountable Board for the citizens of District 46. It is time for a change and I urge you to vote for that change.
David Etling
District 46 Board Candidate
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30 comments:
You have my vote!
Mr. Etling - how have you been involved in school district 46 over the past years?
Do you have children who attend our school district?
If not, why not?
What makes you qualified for this position?
Are you neighbors to Charlotte Kremer? Don't you think we need more variety of where Board members live? All three candidates live in Prairie grove - What about the rest of the communities????
David you have my vote!
Anonymous why are you running?
Dear Anonymous said: I hope you are not implying that "being involved with school district 46 over the past years" is a requirement for this position. If you look at the actions taken by Domoto, Bowman, and the rest of the School Board, they should feel lucky at this point that D46 citizens are voting instead of a jury.
I happen to know where Charlotte Kremer lives and I know the neighborhood well. None of the candidates live in Charlotte's subdivision. And why would it matter anyway?
David: Thank you for stating your position clearly. I think all your points makes sense and I believe you will look out for both taxpayers and the children. You have our support.
Well said, Mr. Etling. It seems like you will bring a more business-like approach to the board and focus on what's most important--education. With all the politics with development and the fights with the village of Prairie Grove, D46 has lost sight of its main priority--the children. It does not matter to me where you live or whether you have kids in the school, you have every right as a taxpayer to be part of the board. Thanks for running and you have my vote.
I don't understand why you want to a board member when you home school your own children.
I really don't care where you and the other members live, it's what you can get accomplished what matters.
For those that are not living in prairie Grove, You are NOT a neighbor to Charlotte Kramer
Anon- Did you ever think that maybe the school and they way it educates our children ,or lack of it, played a role in their choice to home school their children. You are again forgeting the 2/3 of the taxpaying community that does not send their kids to D46 but beleive in a strong, honest, transparent and accountable shool board and administration. Under those requirements David is qualified. I support you and your efforts to clean this mess up.
David: If you do home school your children, I have hope you’ll make a great addition to the board. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting home-schooled children along with their parents through MCC and was very impressed with their commitment to education. I walked away with some wonderful ways to supplement my own children’s education. D46 will most certainly benefit from open discussions regarding curricula and how to involve parents in the education of their children. You have my support.
I want to thank Anonymous I, III, V, VI, VIII, and IX for their support.
To Anonymous II: When my family moved to Prairie Grove five years ago, our children attended D46 schools for a portion of the year before our family decided that we wanted a different education for our children based on our religious beliefs. While attending the middle school, one of our sons was selected as "student of the month".
Prior to moving to Prairie Grove, I have been extensively involved in the field of education. Both my parents were life-long teachers and educators in public schools. I grew up in an environment where nearly all the adults I came in contact with and who came to our home were my parents' fellow teachers.
I myself am a life-long learner. I regularly pursue post-graduate programs and certifications, some of them for my profession. I have been employed by the Federal Government for 35 years and I relish the opportunities I have regularly to teach a class and share my knowledge.
My profession has provided me the opportunity to manage small and mid-size business units and multi-million dollar budgets, so I believe that I understand the challenges of providing service and meeting or exceeding stretch objectives or goals.
I am not a neighbor of Charlotte Kremer, there are at least four different Tamarack streets, trails, circles, and courts in Prairie Grove (my USPS delivery person can tell you all about it). One of my sons and one of her sons were on a sports team when we first moved to Prairie Grove. We met. I believe that I visited the Kremer home once; I do not recall Charlotte ever visiting my home.
Regarding the issue of community representation, I do not believe this to be a valid issue in D46. This is not District 300, which encompasses hundreds of square miles and 19,000 enrolled students - it is an issue there.
Thanks for the opportunity.
Mr. Etling - YOU MAKE IT APPEAR TO SEEM THAT YOU HARDLY KNOW CHARLOTTE KREMER, THEN WHY DID YOUR WIFE AND MRS. KREMER GO OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND GET THE SIGNATURE YOU NEEDED FOR FILING A PETITION FOR THE POSITION????? Why not yourself?
And why is it that you choose to home school? Let's get that out of the bag - It's not pretty.
Attack Dog:
Many people choose to home school their children and there is nothing ugly about the picture.
But perhaps some of the reasons people might need to home school their children aren't pretty - such as when their local school is considered to be sub-par. And some may choose to home school if their children are badgered and treated disrespectfully by teachers.
Before your judge, maybe you should respectfully inquire the reasons the Etlings felt that the school in Prairie Grove was not the right place for their children. You are a parent. If your children were treated in the same way and you did nothing, I would be surprised.
You seem determined to insert your own prejudices and unusual ideas where they don't fit. Maybe you are the one who has the problem.
Your agenda is showing. From your recent letter widely distributed in the community it's clear who you are and who your handlers are. The game is up.
One-Taxpayer wrote on April 12, 2007 7:40 AM:
"I think the attacks here prove out what Mr. Ettling is saying. Whether or not Ms. Rand is an acquaintance, neighbor, or friend of Mr. Breseman or whether Mr. Ettling knows Ms. Kremer, who cares? They are not "controlled" by Mr. Breseman, as this all implies. I don't see how Mr. Breseman and the PG village can control anything with the district. He/They are not the majority in the community. Each of these people running have put forth their own reasons for running on www.district46.org. They have published their positions. The fact they skipped a public forum attended by only 33 people, over half of which were adminstrators and staff--some of whom don't even live in the district--, is of little consequence. These candidates still are putting forth their views so voters can decide. They have invited people to communicate with them via the blog and have answered questions on the blog so all can see. It would be great is all six candidates were equally accessible on an ongoing basis, not just in one meeting run by the League of Women Voters. "
hubertus wrote on April 12, 2007 7:47 AM:
"Domoto and Bowman need to run on their record, not the attendance grade that the other candiates received for not attending a meeting that they felt put them into an unfair setting. By the way, the "cry" of not allowing the public a chance to answer questions is a hollow and bogus one. After deducting the school teachers, board members, YES supporters that are on the PTO, school employees, and a handful of people that opposed the last two referenda, there were less than 5 people in the "crowd" with an unknown position at the forum mentioned above. Domoto and Bowman: Is that all you have to run on after serving on the school board for so many years? The article failed to mention that the biased part of the crowd even booed when a letter from Ms. Rand was read...can you spell "hostility". What is very curious? The real important issues of this campaign... the school board's overt actions in defiance of taxpayers, is not being addressed by Bowman and Domoto.
Fox River Observer wrote on April 12, 2007 8:08 AM:
"Hubertus, you are dead on correct...the people that have interest in District 46 need to "smell the coffee". This is not a typical, run of the mill neighborhood election focused on popularity. Our district is faced with a critical situation, its school board is spending $$ millions in defiance of demonstrated tapayer/voter interest. The defiance and spending issues are not manufactured issues, they are a matter of public record. So, focuding on meeting attendance and potential friendships between candidates is most certainly trivial in this race, this school board has aggressively spent money in spite of overwhelming opposition from the community. By the way, this school board has done nothing to further academics at the school. No wonder Domoto and Bowman do not answer these questions. A corrupt school board needs to stay in power to keep the facts and underlying motives from being surfaced....and trying to focus the public on these trivial matters is about all they can do. Domoto and Bowman must be held accountable for what they do, and not there favorite statement "it is for the children". "
Lulu wrote on April 12, 2007 8:23 AM:
"Too bad there was no NWH reporter attending the candidates forum either; shows that even the paper did not consider this an event of importance. However, if the reporter would have been there, he/she surely would have included the hateful 'no's and 'boo's when Rand's statement was read in this article. Hard to write a story on hearsay."
Lulu wrote on April 12, 2007 8:27 AM:
"By the way, it does not seem to bother anyone that Linda Rokosik, running with the incumbents, did not attend the NWH's candidates interview. Where can we find out what she stands for? "
hubertus wrote on April 12, 2007 8:33 AM:
"The music of this blog goes silent when the incumbent candidates' track records are the focus of conversation. Domoto and Bowman are accountable for their actions as board members. The have defiantly acted against the wishes of taxpayers in this community. The school performance in educating our children is abysmal. What can they really say?...they did not really mean to vote to over-levy tax payers and bilk them of millions? They really didn't mean it when the saluted the public with a large middle finger and purchased the over-priced land 2 months after two failed referenda clearly said no? This is not a controversial election at all...everyone needs to vote. The only people that rant for Domoto and Bowman either do not understand what they have really done, or have a vested interest in what they have done. We need change...we need Rand, Etling and Rogowski. It really is a simple situation "
Fox River Observer wrote on April 12, 2007 9:05 AM:
"Hubertus, again, your point rings true. The RTA, and Margaret Ponga's RTA style letter, the arguments on this blog about meeting attendance, friendships, coflicts of interest, and "for the children" slogans....are all missing the point. Domoto and Bowman are accountable for their actions, and their scorecard is a matter of public record. Have they voted to over-tax the public and conceal this action...YES. Have they defied the publics direction via referenda NOT to purchase over-priced land... YES. Here is another finger that points to the corrupted nature of this school board...the company that issued the debt certificates made a lot of money. Did the school board require them to provide a competitive bid? Did the the school board ask for other competitive bids to ensure the community got the best price? NO. In fact, the company that issues the debt certificates made well in excess of $10,000, the level of expenditure that requires competitive bids. Domoto and Bowman should answer this question. "
Fox River Observer wrote on April 12, 2007 9:07 AM:
"Domoto and Bowman need to answer the question...why did they award the opportunity to issue debt certificates to a company that was not required to sbubmit a competitive bid???? Can you spell CORRUPTION?"
hubertus wrote on April 12, 2007 9:18 AM:
"Corruption, not "meeting attendance", is the real issue of this school board election. No competitive bid??? Is Al Capone still vacationing in Crystal Lake?"
Fox River Observer wrote on April 12, 2007 9:27 AM:
"Laura Domoto brags about her dedication to school board training as a reason to re-elect her...I wonder if here training taught her to cover up graft and corruption...I am sure the training taught her about how to use the ole "my basement flooded" trick when trying to stall the public's questions on Mary Fasbender's illegal contract extension. "
hubertus wrote on April 12, 2007 9:31 AM:
"Fox: Domoto and Bowman will act as if this question about competitive bids was never asked...just like they ignore the questions on land purchases, court reporters hired by the school to tape village meetings, and using educational funds to apply the Delphi technique on citizens. We need to elect David Etling, Tara M. Rand, and Sharon Rogowski "
Fox River Observer wrote on April 12, 2007 10:07 AM:
"It was interesting to see how sensitive the Domoto and Bowman contingent on this site were when RTA was mentioned. It is said that this campaign, just like the RTA, tries to manufacture controversy to keep the public distracted from the real issues surrounding Domoto and Bowman, corruption and graft. When one steps back, it is actually kind of sad and stupid that we cannot have a real debate on the facts of this election. QUESTION: How many RTA members does it take to eat a 'possum'? ANSWER: Two. One to eat, and one to watch out for traffic. "
AND THAT ABOUT SAYS IT ALL!!
hubertus wrote on April 12, 2007 9:31 AM:
"Fox: Domoto and Bowman will act as if this question about competitive bids was never asked...just like they ignore the questions on land purchases, court reporters hired by the school to tape village meetings, and using educational funds to apply the Delphi technique on citizens. We need to elect David Etling, Tara M. Rand, and Sharon Rogowski "
Fox River Observer wrote on April 12, 2007 10:07 AM:
"It was interesting to see how sensitive the Domoto and Bowman contingent on this site were when RTA was mentioned. It is said that this campaign, just like the RTA, tries to manufacture controversy to keep the public distracted from the real issues surrounding Domoto and Bowman, corruption and graft. When one steps back, it is actually kind of sad and stupid that we cannot have a real debate on the facts of this election. QUESTION: How many RTA members does it take to eat a 'possum'? ANSWER: Two. One to eat, and one to watch out for traffic. "
AND THAT ABOUT SAYS IT ALL!!
hubertus wrote on April 12, 2007 9:31 AM:
"Fox: Domoto and Bowman will act as if this question about competitive bids was never asked...just like they ignore the questions on land purchases, court reporters hired by the school to tape village meetings, and using educational funds to apply the Delphi technique on citizens. We need to elect David Etling, Tara M. Rand, and Sharon Rogowski "
Fox River Observer wrote on April 12, 2007 10:07 AM:
"It was interesting to see how sensitive the Domoto and Bowman contingent on this site were when RTA was mentioned. It is said that this campaign, just like the RTA, tries to manufacture controversy to keep the public distracted from the real issues surrounding Domoto and Bowman, corruption and graft. When one steps back, it is actually kind of sad and stupid that we cannot have a real debate on the facts of this election. QUESTION: How many RTA members does it take to eat a 'possum'? ANSWER: Two. One to eat, and one to watch out for traffic. "
AND THAT ABOUT SAYS IT ALL!!
It's for the Children! wrote on April 12, 2007 6:19 AM:
"Watch out D-46!!! Big red flag here! Any candidate unwilling to testify before such a noble inquisition that has gone so far out of its way to "appear" neutral MUST be A) an Anti-Tax-and-Spend-Addict and, B) Budget Conscious. Time to throw those bums off the ballot. Seek an Emergency Injunction. Do whatever it takes! Learn from us over here in D-200, we handpick each candidate to both the City Council and the School Board. Unless you are a proven a Tax-'em-till-they-cry candidate and pre-approved by our comrades in the State Teachers Union, you are NOT permitted to run. Period. No exceptions. Note how 100% of our City Council and 100% of our School Board backed the largest school tax hike in McHenry County history last year!! Zero dissention was permitted. None. Everyone on the City Council and on the School Board got in line and did as they were told by the Union (even though our "projections" of school growth/funds-needed (ha ha) made even Tony Soprano blush! - until he heard his competition got a fat, juicy no-bid contract related to our Taj Mahal new high school and the other grandiose new and wonderfully expensive schools, then he got green with envy!) So, D-46 comrades, learn from us masters over here in D-200: You're either "in la famiglia," or you're off the ballot! C'mon, its For the Children!"
hubertus wrote on April 12, 2007 7:37 AM:
"More unanswered candidate questions: I am curious to understand why Mary Fasbenders contract extension was not properly disclosed on the public meeting agenda? Further, what has Mary done specifically to improve the educational results for our children? How well has she performed on uniting the community to support D46 schools?" "
One-Taxpayer wrote on April 12, 2007 7:40 AM:
"I think the attacks here prove out what Mr. Ettling is saying. Whether or not Ms. Rand is an acquaintance, neighbor, or friend of Mr. Breseman or whether Mr. Ettling knows Ms. Kremer, who cares? They are not "controlled" by Mr. Breseman, as this all implies. I don't see how Mr. Breseman and the PG village can control anything with the district. He/They are not the majority in the community. Each of these people running have put forth their own reasons for running on www.district46.org. They have published their positions. The fact they skipped a public forum attended by only 33 people, over half of which were adminstrators and staff--some of whom don't even live in the district--, is of little consequence. These candidates still are putting forth their views so voters can decide. They have invited people to communicate with them via the blog and have answered questions on the blog so all can see. It would be great is all six candidates were equally accessible on an ongoing basis, not just in one meeting run by the League of Women Voters. "
EDUCATION FUNDS FOR EDUCATION ONLY
Not too many people mention this issue, though many cite monies misspent.
Each misspent education fund dollar means one less dollar in classrooms.
Less dollars in classrooms means just a bit less education for each child. For some children, this is a critical loss.
Children attend D-46 schools for only a short time.
Shortchanging them just a little every year adds up to quite a big of shortchange over the years they attend D-46.
Maybe that's why the "raised" test scores really average only a high D.
Maybe that is why the incumbents and their supporters don't want a change.
Maybe if there's a change, he truth will come out.
Think about it.
April 13, 2007 6:00 AM
I know you David, and your letter is very disturbing since you have fallen prey to propaganda and misinformation regarding several issues, including the way school funds have been spent and your perception of the 2002 tax collections. You have failed in your community posts before and you are not qualified to be in this one either.
THE VOTERS HAVE SPOKEN!
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