Looks like they're whooping it up...not

HORRIBLE ..GREEDY PEOPLE

I dont know who would be honking in support. the bulk of the community that i deal with do not support this action.

Perhaps an education in learning to live with less. It seems like you can't advance more than a few feet in this state without a new tax, fee, infrastructure charge, etc. How about an itemized list of the spending bucket listed as miscellaneous? Enough is enough. So many have been out of work and facing home foreclosure. There isn't any money left and I don't even have kids! What value am I getting for my dollar when I see a Mathnasium nearby. Are the teachers really doing a good job?

A Strike Mediation Session is Scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday. School Remains Cancelled for the Day.

Jennifer,
I am talking about the teachers. poor babies had to take a pay freeze. Guess what? , so have the rest of us.Grow the hell up and knock off the entitlement union mentality.
If i needed an education, i wouldnt pick these goofs.

PapaJohns, a local business that gets it, brought dozens of pizzas to each picket line.

papa johns wow big spenders!!!! Gross sub par offerings fit them well.

i just called them as well. told them that it was unwise to appear to take the side of the teachers. many of them dont reside in grayslake, and those that do dont offset the community residents that will bear the weight of the teachers hostage demands.stay out of local politics unless you are willing to pay the price.

Reminder - 7pm at State Bank of the Lakes, 50 Commerce Dr, Grayslake.

Townhall meeting to discuss the strike. Hosted by For Our Children's Future.

It would be nice to know the names of other community businesses who choose to support this pathetic union action against the community and it's children.

This would allow members of the community to make a decision whether to support their businesses.

lennie is on a diet

Papa Johns. The corporation that won't give its employees full time hours in order to avoid paying benefits and insurance. BTW, I support the teachers. My kid's teachers are wonderful. I don't support the strike, or the union demanding more blood from us dried up stones.

I completely stand behind our rights as American citizens to have freedom of speech. But I have to wonder if we should add a couple of words "with respect" something Rich you will never understand or have from so many. If ever you were in need apparently you would be left to deal. Good luck with your lack of respect life! At least I'm teaching my children and students how to act with the utmost of respect towards themselves and others.

Who is buying the fact that the union agreed to a freeze? In name only, they did, then followed it with a nearly 5% increase the following year. They also agreed to forgo a step increase this year, but then demanded 2 of them next year. What, exactly, are they giving in on? Now the mediator has given harder choices, and the BOE needs to listen, and try to find a solution. However, I'm not sure where everyone gets the idea that the union was really giving any true concession - they were putting off the increase for a year, not forgoing them altogher. Does anyone believe our buget deficit will be gone next year?

I appreciate our teachers, I really do. However, I can promise that if I am able to sell my house, I will be leaving this town, because in the long run, paying the outrageous property taxes year in and year out is truly hurting my family financially. I can find a slightly smaller, but very nice home in a community not far from here, and the taxes I pay will save me $5,000 per year, in a better school district. I have to put 5 kids through college, and that extra money will help. So go ahead and tell us all how we just need to pay them what they want. Let's see where Grayslake is in 10 years. If property taxes rise over the next 10 years as much as they have over the past 10 years, then the taxes on my house will be $23,150 per year. That is not something I find desireable, regardless of how good the schools might be.

Just keep talking out of your whatever you want to call your mouth! You my fellow American are the ones we hope we can rise above. If you are that unhappy with the district, please feel free to leave, as our community really does not need to have disrespectful people like you. As for not understanding, instead of ranting all your negativity on the Patch about what you think are the issues, why don't you actually do some research to find the facts and perhaps think of someone else other than yourself. I'm sorry your children have had mediocre teachers but in who's eyes are you speaking? Most likely yours and not your child's. Your children were cared for, taught and loved each day by a teacher even if they were as you call it mediocre.

If any of you wish to share your feelings regarding Papa Johns decision provide free pizza to the striking teachers, you may contact the manager at: (847) 548-7272.

Thank you PapaJohns and all of the other wonderful businesses who supported our FABULOUS teachers!

Fabulous teachers?????? How low can you set your bar. For gods sake stop kidding yourself. Damn sheep.

Mike , you voted them in, either with your vote or by omission . They are not the issue. They can't give what we don't have, now go back to Mario Brothers

@rich g--Why would I be embarrassed? That you have a small brain to match your moronic comments? That would come as no surprise. Lets not kid ourselves. Stupid is as stupid does.

Atomgirl, I'm relatively certain that Mathnasium is outside of D46 boundaries. (as is the bank that Lennie Jarret is holding his meeting at tonight) My understanding is that east of Atkinson Rd south of Brae Loch Rd is Woodland school district, although it's District 127 for high school. That said, there are kids who need extra help but squeak by on standardized tests and don't qualify for extra help at school.I'm guessing it also offers enrichment program to those children who are in the 99th percentile and need a challenge. I have children who fit in either category. I'm not going to push a kid who is in the 10th percentile reading our math out of extra help at school for my child who needs help too but not nearly as emergently as others, that's where places like Mathnasium and Sylvan come in. Some kids also don't want the stigma of being in a class at school where everyone else knows it's because you struggle to learn at the same pace. I also have a child who is bored out of his mind and could use an extra challenge, his teacher does a pretty good job, giving him work a grade level ahead when she can without staying outside curriculum guidelines.
A better question than why is there a Mathnasium if we have schools, would be how do we move that business or the next one like it into District 46 taxing district?

There are much better things in life to do than to sit a read, (like dealing with shingles), the condescending, self-centered garbage Rich keeps spouting off. I'm wondering if someone pushed your buttons as you had to start cursing. I'm really hoping he finds his own kind that might have an ounce of respect for him. Good luck in life and bless the people who have to live with or near you.
By the way, in your last response, make fun of others responses, but perhaps edit your responses also. Beloved in your statement is not the same as being loved.

I need to move.... I'm surrounded by a community of idiots!! These comments are exhausting... don't you people get tired of thinking your views are the only one that matters. Guess what everyone... internet wars are silly and no one is declared the "winner". You won't be able to change the point of view of someone else... go hug your kids, get off the internet, and spend time with your family.

This entire situation is extremely divisive and unproductive. I am reading these signs "I deserve a fair contract". Many believe the contract proposed by the BOE is fair considering the economic struggles we are in as a community, a county, a state, and a nation. As a parent of a D46 child, don't I deserve to have my child in school learning? I pay the extremely high property taxes and what am I getting for it? I support teachers and I truly wish we could pay them more, but I also support the BOE position of financial responsibility.

Although my youngest child will be out of D46 at the end of this school year, I will continue to be involved and "pay attention" as a member of this community. As taxpaying citizens we should be diligent in making sure that the BOE is making appropriate decisions and are financially responsible. This means attending board meetings and reviewing all public records.

I also beleive a teacher should be a member of the school board. The union and teachers will never trust the information provided by the board until such time as they are represented on the board as well. As a teenager, I saw this happen when my father was on the school board for my small school district. Once a teacher was on the board, the relationship between the union/teachers and the board was dramatically improved and real progress was made for the education of the students. The process of contract negotiations went much better as well.

Teachers have no idea how good they have it. They are seasonal workers who get better medical and retirement benefits than most full time workers in this country. The majority of workers in the US have had their pay frozen and benefits cut since the economy crashed. I know more than one person who is trying to get by on multiple part time jobs, being unable to find full time employment after being laid off at the beginning of the crash. There are a lot of unemployed, newly certified teachers out there who would love to get a job at any pay rate. How about bringing them in as replacements?

Our school district so called debt- or whatever you want to call it didn't happen overnight. This board has been in charge of the finances for awhile now. Couldn't they have figured out a way years ago on balancing this budget? You can not tell me that is all happened in just one school year!

Taxpayers I pay the taxes and every year that I have fought them my taxes have gone down. If you are unhappy with you taxes take the time to fight them. It is amazing how they can change, but you need to take the steps yourselves.

Ravana- you get what you pay for! That is all I can say about getting all new teachers throughout our school district. I know teachers that have experience are a lot better then a brand new teacher out of college. Obviously you only care about "money" not a quality education.

Teachers demanding more than realistically possible and holding the kids hostage until they receive it. It must be very nice to be a public employee AND in a union that doesnt care about anyone or anything but more money. How was it ever possible for public employees to be a union. Just another great lesson for our future. You realize that on the rest of the planet, Job security and pay is decided by an open market. If someone can do better than you, for less, they will. You seem to have your own little world where everyone pays and suffers the lot of you, and it will never be enough. Every couple of years you will threaten us as a large government contracted, unreplaceable group. Demanding more from all around you, while never needing face any true competition or even an open and free market.
Oh well, at least youve got yours...

Jennifer- I agree surrounded by idiots is an under statement. There are individuals on the patch that spend the majority of their time expressing their opinions. Parents that truly love their children should be enjoying this time with them and should want what is best for their children. BOE needs to agree with the mediators proposal (the teachers already did.) this could have been over already! The Board is the problem they are prolonging the strike and our children's education. Us taxpayers paid for our children's education and the BOE is taking it away from them!

Ron- the teachers agreed to the mediators proposal... It is the board that rejected it! The teachers are not holding the kids hostage at this point! The board is holding the kids education hostage! There is no cure for crazy!

The answer to this is public negotiations. The Union has decided to negotiate via the media, so it is time for both sides to step out from behind locked doors and let everyone see what it really happening.

Lennie- no the union was willing to meet face to face with the board, the board rejected that too! The Grayslake public needs to know the teachers are trying hard to settle this, but they are dealing with a CRAZY board. We need to make sure when elections come, to find people that care about our children and are intelligent enough to balance the budget. This board knew about our finances for years and this is the mess they created not the teachers!!

I hope everyone realizes that teachers do not create their contract by themselves, the board of education has just as much say. The board should have thought about our finances awhile ago. Also as residents if you have been living outside your means and have no savings, and can't pay your taxes again that's your issue not the teachers. It is amazing to me that taxpayers blame only the teachers for the high taxes. The teachers pay these taxes too! (At least the ones that live in Grayslake, and yes teachers live in Grayslake.)
Ravana- As for a mediocre education you do realize that parents also play a huge role in a child's education. If parents value education their children will also value their education. A parent is the number 1 teacher in a child's life, I hope it's not you that are making your child mediocre.

I know there are fabulous teachers in Grayslake that our considering leaving the district. Tenure does not hold back great teachers. Great teachers will look for a job were they are appreciated, and Grayslake will have the old teachers that are about to retire and brand new teachers that will stay for a couple of years to get their experience and then leave.

Grayslake can be great! It just takes a community that can stick together. The teachers can not trust the board and parents I wouldn't trust the board either!

Lennie- The BOE was contacted by the media, but they choose to make no comment. Really what would they say? They messed up the finances, that they are going to say "no" to everything unless it is what they proposed which is nothing. BOE can't even get along with themselves it is ridiculous that they are making these important decisions for our town in the first place.
Don't get upset with the teachers because of the media, the BOE had the same opportunity as the teachers to tell the public their side of the story.
I just hope the BOE settles soon since we paid( those that pay their taxes) for our children's education.
On another note: rumor has it you don't pay your taxes, and you have no children in the district, why don't you find something else to do with your time. It seems the majority of your posts are negative and you just want to stir the pot. It also seems like you are not liked by many... who are you to lead the change among the teachers? What is your background in education? Are you a prior teacher? What is your agenda anyway? Is it really to do what is best for the children? I am guessing NOT!!!

So many people here don't have a clue, don't bother attending board meetings and are clueless about the facts. Love the teachers, but there is NO money to be giving the teachers the kinds of raises the union is demanding. The fund balance is low compared to what the state recommends, and that's the only place the money could possibly come from!! Do we all want to bankrupt the district and be taken over by the state? because that's the road were headed down if the board keeps giving into the union's demands. What about the senior citizens facing foreclosure because their taxes keep going up and they are on a limited income because of this? and that they've lived in for decades? What about veternans whose pensions are small, which the district is FULL of? There are tons of people in this district, good people, who cannot afford things like this ANY MORE, and its not because all of us out here are overspending. Good for the board for taking a stand, NOT because they dislike the teachers but because they RESPECT what private taxpaying citizens ARE REALLY going through, and it's a hell of a lot worse than what the teachers are complaining about.
I think its unfair they are denying the kids an education that yes parents pay for, as retaliation for no raises. Sorry but so many people in so many different careers are working with no raises and less than expected benefits, for more than a year. If you are truly unhappy, go find new jobs! Be thankful if you are employed at all!

Strike Information Townhall

Where State Bank of the Lakes 50 Commerce Dr, Grayslake, IL 60030
When January 19, 2013
Time 2:00 pm–5:00 pm

To all of you who are pointing fingers, please understand that this situation we find ourselves in did not just happen. It should not be a surprise. It has been a long time coming, and like watching a train wreck in slow motion. If any of you paid attention when Brad Goldstein was still here, he painted this very picture about 3.5 years ago. He went over the budget at his last BOE meeting, and openly discussed the fact that state funding was decreasing, and the state would very likely not be paying what they owed us. He noted the tax base was not increasing enough to cover expenses for more than a few years, and warned that we would find ourselves with a dwindling fund balance in about 5 years. Well, here we are, and if you look at the numbers, in about a year or two, if we give the increases the teachers want, along with other increased expenses, coupled with lower revenue from the state of Illinois and property taxes, we will deplete the fund balance and have to resort to short term borrowing. The fund balance this year will drop to 1.9 Million at it's low point, and I am not sure if that accounts for the $1.2 million deficit. Either way, the deficit for next year will eat into that fund balance even further, and if we owe teachers upwards of $500,000 more, we could be out of money. Then we resort to borrowing. That opens to door to the state poking their nose in....no one wants that. THIS WAS SPELLED OUT YEARS AGO - WAS ANYONE PAYING ATTENTION OR PREPARING!!??

tony...you mean aka Michael Carbone?

And Jose Cuervo is Shannon Smigielski apparently. The BOE make me sick

If I'm Shannon Smigielski someone should let my son know his Dad is a woman.
I know her. Like her. Not her.

It is always best practice to use your real name in commenting. Using your real name has 2 main effects. It lessons the vitriol and name calling and it fosters a more honest debate on the issues. That it why townhalls meetings are so beneficial. everyone is talking face to face. A good discussion can take place in those environments.

It would be beneficial for the negotiation to actually take place in public. That way the spin will be lessened as well fostering a more open and honest accounting of the data and bringing a quicker resolution. The hyper public posturing in the media would be eliminated.

Then DO NOT make it look like your meetings have any actual impact or helpfulness to the current strike.

You have made it seem all this time that your meetings are about the information relating to this strike and they ARE NOT.

IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT YOU AND YOUR MEETINGS HAVE NO INSIGHT OR INFORMATION ON THE CURRENT CLOSED DOOR NEGOTIATIONS.

Don't mislead people to get them to go to your meeting.

AND STOP TAKING PICTURES OF TEACHERS.

Michael Carbone is already going by an assumed name. His real name is Michael Jorudd. An excerpt from the Sun Times: http://www.suntimes.com/news/elections/15966816-505/lake-county-candidate-has-other-name-in-his-past-as-well-as-a-handful.html
For most of his life — including at Antioch High School, where he graduated — he was known as Michael Jorudd. Under that name, he racked up criminal arrests and charges that include driving on a suspended license, criminal trespass to property, assault and two DUI charges. In an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times, Carbone insisted that the fact he’s now using a different name doesn’t mean he’s trying to hide anything. “We went through the process, and I came up victorious every time,” he said of his bouts with the law. “I was young, a different age. People aren’t perfect. I never said I was perfect. I am not a perfect person.”

Yeah. No kidding.

350 people showed up Sunday in the freezing cold to support the teachers of their district. That’s:
• 10 times the number that showed up for either of the For Our Children’s Future town halls.
• 10 times the number, on average, that shows up to BOE meetings.
• 5 times the number that have ever shown up for a BOE meeting (in recent history).
30 local business showed their support for the teachers by supplying food, providing parking, providing warming shelters, allowing access to their bathrooms, and donating cash to help teachers that might need it in a prolonged strike. Residual benefits went to local food banks through excess donations. That’s:
• 10 times the number of local business’s that spoke at any levy hearing.
• Equal to the number of attendants at any For Our Children’s Future town Hall.
• Equal to or greater than the average attendance at a BOE meeting.
Actions speak louder than words. I applaud the board for listening to the public. I only wish the silent majority had been more vocal at the levy hearings. It’s too late to do what the public really wanted.