If you are watching now, Donna Su is calling out the comment section to come in front of the board and explain why the project should be paused. You should seriously consider.
well , the last time parents & the community came out in defense of BRGS , they refused to hear the facts and complete dismissed our perspective , even through it was rooted in data and facts тАж
I agree, Aide. As someone who prepared carefully researched comments then appeared to deliver them at a D65 board meeting, I felt completely dismissed. I then sat through some word salad discussions among board members that translated as тАЬWeтАЩre going to do what weтАЩre going to do.тАЭ
My motivation is to keep commenting. It appears that media comment sections get their attention.
Board president: "as a reminder, it is not customary for the board to respond to public comment. Instead, email us."
Board member: "all the people from the comment section should come here to public comment to have a one-way conversation about why they think we should consider pausing something expensive during a time of financial crisis."
Its discouraging that this board vastly doesn't represent the community and then misleads the community as to how to best communicate with them.
I agree that board president Sergio has clearly given direction that they will not respond to public comment and then last night board member Donna is asking the public to come to the meetings (that are hastily put on the agenda) to comment.
I have been told by another superintendent for another school district that there are bylaws about the amount of time that boards of education must respond to requests in writing. There are legal difference between public comments at a meeting and comments in writing. I like Donna, so not trying to throw her under the bus here, but she's uninformed of the bylaws or the law in this regard.
FWIW, you can only provide public comment online in comments sections in a handful of places without coming under attack. The District 65 FB group is ground zero for being attacked. Even the Round Table grossly edits their comments section. The number of thought silos in this town is staggering.
All told, I wish the board & admin had put Foster School on the ballot, even again for the third time I've lived here. I don't care as much about public comment as I care that the board serves as representatives of the will of the community in regards to education. Democracy, right?
I have friends here in Evanston who moved from former USSR. Its fascinating to hear their points of view about the school's debts, mismanagement, and misdeeds and how authoritarianism of power held by the board and backed up by the same thirty people ready to fight on facebook. Just some lunch time thoughts.
Speaking of, in 2020-22, the Board responded to a lot of emails especially those critical of Foster School or of the financing mechanism, essentially calling them racist and/or incorrect. I have copies of about half a dozen people who emailed the board voicing very serious concerns about Foster School financing, and the board replies were usually very factually incorrect. You can probably FOIA those if you want.
Do you feel it's irrelevant for those receipts to be more widely publicized? For anyone seeking reelection, or currently serving as board president, it's highly relevant.
It actually might make good script for public comment to illustrate just how well-received such inquiries are.
Yeah, I might publish these at some point. I haven't really had time to think carefully about the newsworthiness + relevance of it today. Going to have to ponder that for a bit.
I have, years ago. In what was probably a 2,000 word response to me asking if Biz had visited Haven (she was the board rep for the campus) during the crisis year a few years ago, Sergio managed to simultaneously misunderstand my inquiry, thoroughly lecture me, and not answer my direct question.
When I repeated the simple yes/no question about Biz, I never got a reply. It was like emailing JD Vance.
I have received a few responses and then I have been ignored a few times. All the responses have been either been incorrect--- "we are working on reducing the transportation budget back in 2023" or "Horton is paid in full for breaking his contract" or a total word salad that avoided the real question. It's kinda a total waste of time. The board will do whatever they want in the end.
Yeah I wasn't being critical of Angela, I was being earnest because I think she's one of the smartest people in Evanston and understands some of the financial aspects better than most people here.
She was very clear that they donтАЩt really trust him or his report. They also donтАЩt all understand what got them there (deficit spending vs the reserve, etc.). I did not catch why he is recommending they pause it?
I'm pretty peeved at the talk about the board taking a vote to show where they currently stand, then saying well we won't actually be doing that. Would take 10 seconds to have everyone say Aye.
Better late than never
If you are watching now, Donna Su is calling out the comment section to come in front of the board and explain why the project should be paused. You should seriously consider.
well , the last time parents & the community came out in defense of BRGS , they refused to hear the facts and complete dismissed our perspective , even through it was rooted in data and facts тАж
I agree, Aide. As someone who prepared carefully researched comments then appeared to deliver them at a D65 board meeting, I felt completely dismissed. I then sat through some word salad discussions among board members that translated as тАЬWeтАЩre going to do what weтАЩre going to do.тАЭ
My motivation is to keep commenting. It appears that media comment sections get their attention.
Board president: "as a reminder, it is not customary for the board to respond to public comment. Instead, email us."
Board member: "all the people from the comment section should come here to public comment to have a one-way conversation about why they think we should consider pausing something expensive during a time of financial crisis."
Its discouraging that this board vastly doesn't represent the community and then misleads the community as to how to best communicate with them.
I agree that board president Sergio has clearly given direction that they will not respond to public comment and then last night board member Donna is asking the public to come to the meetings (that are hastily put on the agenda) to comment.
I have been told by another superintendent for another school district that there are bylaws about the amount of time that boards of education must respond to requests in writing. There are legal difference between public comments at a meeting and comments in writing. I like Donna, so not trying to throw her under the bus here, but she's uninformed of the bylaws or the law in this regard.
FWIW, you can only provide public comment online in comments sections in a handful of places without coming under attack. The District 65 FB group is ground zero for being attacked. Even the Round Table grossly edits their comments section. The number of thought silos in this town is staggering.
All told, I wish the board & admin had put Foster School on the ballot, even again for the third time I've lived here. I don't care as much about public comment as I care that the board serves as representatives of the will of the community in regards to education. Democracy, right?
I have friends here in Evanston who moved from former USSR. Its fascinating to hear their points of view about the school's debts, mismanagement, and misdeeds and how authoritarianism of power held by the board and backed up by the same thirty people ready to fight on facebook. Just some lunch time thoughts.
Honest question. Has any reader of this blog ever received a response to an email sent to this board?
I've gotten responses but I am me.
I know other people have gotten responses.
Speaking of, in 2020-22, the Board responded to a lot of emails especially those critical of Foster School or of the financing mechanism, essentially calling them racist and/or incorrect. I have copies of about half a dozen people who emailed the board voicing very serious concerns about Foster School financing, and the board replies were usually very factually incorrect. You can probably FOIA those if you want.
Do you feel it's irrelevant for those receipts to be more widely publicized? For anyone seeking reelection, or currently serving as board president, it's highly relevant.
It actually might make good script for public comment to illustrate just how well-received such inquiries are.
Yeah, I might publish these at some point. I haven't really had time to think carefully about the newsworthiness + relevance of it today. Going to have to ponder that for a bit.
I have, years ago. In what was probably a 2,000 word response to me asking if Biz had visited Haven (she was the board rep for the campus) during the crisis year a few years ago, Sergio managed to simultaneously misunderstand my inquiry, thoroughly lecture me, and not answer my direct question.
When I repeated the simple yes/no question about Biz, I never got a reply. It was like emailing JD Vance.
I have received a few responses and then I have been ignored a few times. All the responses have been either been incorrect--- "we are working on reducing the transportation budget back in 2023" or "Horton is paid in full for breaking his contract" or a total word salad that avoided the real question. It's kinda a total waste of time. The board will do whatever they want in the end.
Just a "thank you for your email"
thank you for your comment
IsnтАЩt their paid advisor explaining it enough for her?
Yeah I wasn't being critical of Angela, I was being earnest because I think she's one of the smartest people in Evanston and understands some of the financial aspects better than most people here.
Oh for sure. I didnтАЩt take it as criticism of Angela. I mean тАЬisnt Dr Grossi explaining it to Su enough for SuтАЭ
Oh yeah, that poor guy
She was very clear that they donтАЩt really trust him or his report. They also donтАЩt all understand what got them there (deficit spending vs the reserve, etc.). I did not catch why he is recommending they pause it?
Stay tuned, I am FOIAing his memo now
But but but CONSULTANTS!
Since we pay them they have to tell us what we want to hear, RIGHT?
/s
1) pay consultant to help you find solutions
2) consultant suggests doing something rational.
3) donтАЩt like the idea bc you are emotionally tied to it
4) keep spiraling into financial abyss
5) pay consultant to hтАж.
I'm pretty peeved at the talk about the board taking a vote to show where they currently stand, then saying well we won't actually be doing that. Would take 10 seconds to have everyone say Aye.
Yeah it is getting a little theatrical