Taxpayers this and taxpayers that. What about the children? Not once do I hear any mention of what is best for the children and their education. Why is it always about the taxpayer? I pay taxes, I do not like paying taxes any more than the next person, but I want the best education possible for my child and all the children in CCSD 46. I am not saying there was no wrongdoing on the part of the board, clearly there was. What I am saying is that for once can we please focus on the children? We are talking about the Board of Education. Isn't their primary focus the education of the children not the happiness of the taxpayer? The BOE issues need to get straightened out ASAP, but I sincerely hope that once issues are resolved we can get the Tea Party to back off. They are going to ruin CCSD 46. Yes, they will have more money in their pocket; unfortunately the children will be the ones who suffer in the end.

There are two sides to this story and the allegations. There are MANY residents of Grayslake that are awaiting the results of any investigations. This political group has been stirring up trouble in not only the school board but also across Grayslake. When the dust settles and they move on, the facts will come out. This political group is a very emotional, dishonest, trouble raising group. Seeing how they are not happy in Grayslake, they need to move on elsewhere. This group is FULL of theatrics that everyone has noticed. Two of the members of this political group have homes that are in foreclosure. That is pubic knowledge. One is a present board member and the other is one of the leaders of the tea party. They are full of anger at everyone but themselves for the loss of their homes. You don't see everyone hurting pointing fingers. They are not owning up to what they have done in their lives. They choose to pick on individuals and try to destroy them. It is time for this political group to move elsewhere. The only "corruption" is in their theatrical brains. Shame on you.

Also, I feel for the poor kids at the BOE meeting there to sing. Little did they know that they were going to be singing to an angry mob hell bent on destroying their education. By the way, I am not a supporter of any of the BOE members. I am a supporter of the children and their education. I hope once the BOE gets their act together that we can once again focus on the children. Not the taxpayer, not Lennie and his cronies, but the children.

And by the way, this political group has their own set of rules that they abide by. In the end, it is hoped that charges will be brought against this group and the monies put into the school district for the education of the children. What they are doing is corrupt and they need to be punished significantly. It is time for the residents of Grayslake to stand up strong and push this group out of Grayslake. Out of our country.

I do think it's interesting that these people seem to have a problem with politicking, but what would you call what they've been doing?

I was incorrectly quoted in this article. I said I was shocked and certain that these people do not represent the GOOD TEACHERS, STUDENTS or the taxpayers of our district. I said they were only looking out for their own interest and that of the union.
I stand by my call for the immediate resignation of Superintendent Ellen Correll, Sue Facklam, and any other board member who was in on this illegal activity. Resign, for the good of the children!

This is not a Tea Party issue..Facklam and Garcia violated laws. Correll has bent the rules since she took office. Look , the law says NO campaigning durring work hours using district resources, VIOLATION, The law says you cant buy votes, Gift cards count as buying..and Facklam stating that "Dont let them turn us in" indicates that she knew what she was doing. VIOLATION . And trying to find a way around disclosing campaign contributions is also a VIOLATION. Their own email from someone that they were courting as a campaign manager suggested that they lie about their relationship and pay him cash ,then he could claim he was a volunteer.again VIOLATION.
These folks have violated our trust and their duty. Their attitude that they are smarter than everyone else and that they can do what they want is wrong.Forget Tea Party involvemet...what if it was Andy Shaw and the Better Government Association that came up with these findings? What would be their defense then?

Rich G.

With all due respect, concerened citizens brought these issues to the forefront.The fact that they may or may not be affiliated with the Tea Party movement is even less the point.The Tea Party representitives had the media savy and connections to bring the topic to the forefront where true dialogue and change could be discussed and acted apon. Otherwise it would have been a side note and buried .What meaningful change hasnt been born of chaos and discontent? And I am certain that the Tea Party will use this exposure to their advantage.That is not suprising or wrong (unless the facts are blatantly distorted or that they abuse their power). They should benefit for being in the right place at the right time.It is the american political credo.To say that they do not care about education or the children is not fair. You do not know who "they" are . THEY are your neighbors, co-workers, Judges and more. I am not sure what money they are lining their pockets with.Most of the Tea Party affiliates are broke.The Democrats work against them and the Republicans have yet to fully embrace them. Their funding comes from the people of your community.

Rich G

i dont know any teacher who really busts their hump. I suppose they have alot of work to cram into 8 months a year.This is the job and life they chose. they arent doing me a favor educating my children. Last time I checked my 11k property tax bill they were getting paid.

Right. So let me get this straight. Just because a teacher works 8 months a year, that means they don't work hard at what they do? It means they do not do a good job? Last time I looked, teachers were not responsible for your property tax. It really is not the teachers or BOEs fault that Grayslake and surrounding areas do not have a lot of large businesses. Therefore taxpayers have to foot more of the bill via property tax. What would you suggest the BOE do? Pay teachers nothing so that all the good ones quit? Fire teachers and increase the class sizes and hope this method maintains a high quality of education?

At the end of the day, I realize I am not going to change your mind. It is a pity that so many people do not value teachers. Teachers should be embarrassed as important members of the community. Not as people whose only purpose is to suck taxpayers dry. I think they deserve more respect than that.

CE, what are your suggestions then? Leave it as status quo? Leave members on the board that blatanly disregarded laws and were unethical? "If it ain't broke, don't fix it?" And what kind of education does that give our kids? "See kids, you can break the law just as long as you still do the job you were elected for." You seem to be more afraid of the change that might occur if these members are asked to step down than you are of doing what is right and moral.

Both sides have political agendas. Everyone talks about what is best for the kids, well I feel sorry for those 6th grade Science students in D#30 whose teacher was spending most of her work time sending emails, solicitations and breaking laws during that 2 month timeframe because her priorities were with another school district. I would be pissed if I were their parents. If she could do that to students she is actually teaching, do you really think she has the best interest of our kids in mind? And that goes for all the other board members that supported her actions and played a part. And now they are all banding together just to oppose the new board members..do you really think anything can be accomplished now?

We need to get rid of this nasty black cloud over our district, so we can move on and be the great community that we were and can be again with some of the best schools in Lake County.

Garcia :“I think that all members of both Unions should be apprised of this information… There will be no collective bargaining with those 3 on the board. I am very afraid that Sue and I will not have the funds necessary to fight a ‘party’.”

Facklam:“Don’t let them turn us in; gifts to register to vote is probably illegal! I did offer Erika [Garcia’s 18-year-old daughter] more gift cards if she can gather up more friends!”(Wed., March 2nd, 10:14 AM to Mary Garcia at her D30 account.) It is a felony to offer remuneration to anyone for voting or registering to vote.

campaign manager for Garcia and Facklam:“Anything you spend counts towards the 1999.99 that you and Mary would be allowed to spend. The only way around it, would be to lie and pay me cash. Then I could claim that I am volunteering for you.” (Mon., March 7th, 3:55 PM, to Sue Facklam.)

Ellen Correll:“Mary Garcia is wondering how many signs or flyers you would take?” (Ellen Correll, on her D46 email account, to North Chicago D187 Superintendent Douglas Parks and to Mary Garcia on her D30 email account, Thurs., Mar. 10th, 3:24 PM.) As a custodian of federal and state education funds, Correll is prohibited by law from participating in political activity of any kind.

I wasn't attempting to put words in your mouth, however most of your replies back to other posters indicate that they are not coming up with any suggestions on how to improve our education. You comments lead us to believe that we already have a great school system and what? we leave it as it is? Status quo? The only solutions I read in your posts is to make sure the Tea Party doesn't take over.

From what I can see there are currently only two board members out of 7 that are supporters of the Tea Party. Doesn't seem like a take over to me.

And you are right, actions of some of the people attending the board meeting were out of hand and are not a good example of conduct. On the other hand, it shows the kids exactly what this country's basic right is and that is Freedom of Speech. Still can't be compared to the unlawful and unethical behavior of the board. It was these actions that caused the belligerent attendance.

Who is super excited to see massive cuts in education, sports, music, dance and any other service just to prove a point! ME! I *WANT* to make sure that all expenses are fully paid to big company lawyers to make sure these cheaters are found and justice is done. The school in this EPIC legal battle will spend every last dollar they have which will fulfill the lifelong mission of the new board (which is full of us very happy teabaggers)....

TO DESTROY THE SCHOOLS! This is the best day of my life!

You just don't understand Tim, government is bad, big biz is good, profits are good, taxes are bad, public education is bad! This is the most wonderful thing that could ever happen to a school! Time to wring every last dime out of the school in stupid ways! WOOO!

I think Mr. Froehlig is quite eloquent and thorough in expressing how anyone not scared to death of the reforms that the Tea Party or any instrument of change represents feels. Why does this continue to be an attack on the Tea Party? are the Liberals that scared? WOW

Since the 1950's, "In God We Trust" has been our National Motto, and has been inscribed on the front of all coins and the back of all paper currency. This new coin came out this month. The U.S. Mint hopes the redesigned $1 coin will win acceptance with consumers.It does not have "In God We Trust" on it. Here's another way of phasing God out of America.

God only matters.

I sense a sudden spike in the Tea Party ranks is approaching. If for no other reason than to simply not be associated with the mindset of "say nothing, do nothing and all is well".

There are better ways to deal with issues than stirring pot or acting like screaming hyaena's. If everyone who went to the meeting last night waving Tea Party press releases truly cared about the education of our children they would have this conversation in a calm and cool matter. Not by starting riots at a board meeting with children are present. The Tea Party - Shannon S., Kip E. and Michale C are not interested in helping our children or in saving our schools - quite the opposite. They are only interested in denying tax money to public education. To destroying that which a good community should be built on. I am shocked and sickened that at their agenda and what they want to do.

I am not a defender of Ellen Correll. I have had my run-ins with her. However, I have never doubted for a second that she or any other board member had anything other than the best interest of our children at heart. Was it smart to use a school district's email in an election or say things can look really really bad if taken out of context - No, but compared to the Tea Party, I just don't find it all that sinister. Is censure warranted - probably, but I would prefer that the board get down to the business of saving our schools not destroying. The Tea Party has goals that are revolting to me. They want to destroy the community that I love. Why?

who said anything about GOD? this is a man made issue that requires honest, pure and reasonable thought. Why would GOD object?

KiKi, there are over 180 emails regarding campaigning during the school hours. And that was just about 2 months worth. That is proof. Look bad? Best interest of our kids? What about her students back in District 30? She had no regard for them during the school day. There were SEVERAL email chains where she was getting quotes and invoices for her campaign signs and ignoring the questions regarding the printing of her students science books. The vendor had to ask several times for clarification and all she cared about were her signs? Best interest of the children? If she can't give her actual students her best interest, I highly doubt she is doing it for my child. I don't want that kind of interest. Her unethical and criminal behavior is not who I want representing my child's best interest or education. And that goes for all her supporters and coherts on the board as well.

And why is it that everyone assumes the new candidates are with the Tea Party? Because they wanted to stand up and go against the current board? They can't just be concerned parents who want a change? I guess if you didn't agree with the school board you are automatically labeled as being part of the Tea Party.

This is about corruption. How many more teachers could have been hired without all the time spent campaigning? How many more teachers could have been hired by not hiring Garcia's husband and other the family members of other administration officials? How many teachers could have been hired instead of hiring and ex-board member to a part time job? The corruption, cronyism and nepotism just continues to be discovered here. It is a shame and it must be cleaned up so the children of Grasylake can get a good education once again. What is being taught by this board and administration is an absolute tragedy.

Mr. Jarratt, I just have to ask, which tax payers are you representing? I have seen that you dig up dirt in Gurnee, Grayslake, McHenry and the list goes on. You come in and stir the pot and get everyone in an uproar and then what? I would really like to see what you would like to happen in D46. What would be the ideal outcome? The district did not need to hire a teacher, rather a janitor was needed and I doubt you could pay a teacher's salary with his. More teachers were not needed in place of Mr. Linder, we needed to protect the assets of the district and hire an engineer. Are you claiming that Mr. Evans, Ms. Norris and Ms. Smigelski spent no time campaigning? I'm sure if you were able to FOIA their email boxes, you would find much more damning information than simply time/resources spent at D30 for the D46 election on Mary's end. She did not win, she is no longer on the board, she admitted that she should not have sent her email from D30 address, why do you still attack her? Do you really think it is worth going after her livelihood and possibly cost her her job? Our children continue to get a good education even though you continue to try to shift the focus of the board away from education. Can't you let the lawyers and district attorney sort out the allegations and let it go so we can get back to the business of educating our children? There are so many great things about our district that are completely overshadowed by the politics and antics that continue.

"To the teacher union blood suckers and their Superintendent, who use the "children" as their cover to get outrageous salaries and benefits, we know you do NOT care about our kids.... you only want to use them as a human shield in your efforts to soak the taxpayers. Taxpayers cannot raise their kids, when a dishonest district like this makes excuses for Union bosses campaigning on school time using school resources.
One of you union apologists.... please tell me... how does corruption benefit our children?
Bloodsuckers!!!!! Liars!!!!! Every dishonest school official needs to be fired."

One seriously disturbed misinformed individual. Perfect for the tea party.

Rich- they were all from the tea party. wake up and smell the agenda. The board members were most definitely in the wrong, but look past the elephant in the room.

Tim- Lennie Jarratt is the tea party. If you don't think this issue has been driven by him and HIS cronies, you are dead wrong.

And Rich- nobody is forcing you to send your kids to school in Grayslake. If you truly feel they are not receiving an adequate education, move or send them to private school. Or would you rather just complain and bad mouth every single teacher in the district? Maybe blaming them for some of your own parental inadequacies?

I am not denying the wrong-doing by school board members. I'm saying that yours and others criticism of teachers unions in general, and teachers specifically by you, are unwarranted and driven by ignorance of tea party members. Go ahead and join them. I couldn't care less. Just don't pretend the children's interests are at heart. Tea party members simply aren't interested in anything that doesn't benefit themselves.

I dont bad mouth all teachers..they do a fine job of that on their own. I should not be required to move to expect quality. I moved here from Glenview in 2000. My property taxes were half as much and education results were much better, What separated Glenview from here? Committment and dedication to the children , first and foremost. A culture of excellence that Grayslake had then.What changed? My parenting skills? nope ...the dedication and professionalism of our teachers and administrators. Their entitlement mindset .They lost themselves. I dont look to the school system to raise my children.
Iremember when Facklam worked as a greeter at Pats pizza. Once they started using their sign out front to make political statements I never went there again as has many folks I know. It was a vision of things to come with her.Why risk alienating 50% of the community to make a statement on a business sign..I worked hard for the property tax increases to fund the schools. Many hours in the library with the rest of the members of the group trying to convince others to pay more to get more...havent seen the "get more " part. I have every right to be pissed off and demand answers. you should be equally upset. Stop blaming Mr. Jarratt for bringing it up, you should be thanking him..Its like a rape victim being told to just hush up.. all will be ok..dont make waves..and to hell with the man who brought it to light.. he is destroying our community...NOT....how about punishing the rapists.

and before all the bleeding hearts start commenting on how I could never understand what its like to be raped and how could i use that example...there are multiple forms of rape. Physical , mental , financial ect. Viloated is violated.

Nope, I don't take your point as valid. Glenview has so much more material and non-material resources that it's not even funny. Don't dare say that all districts are equal because that is not the case. Teachers are teachers, Rich. They have the same good and bad everywhere. And what are these entitlements you speak of? North Shore salaries are higher, so what are you talking about? Insurance plans? No, sorry. Try again. What do the teachers of Grayslake ask for that is so outrageous? And Mr. Jarratt? How many other school districts is he going to be going after because he doesn't believe he should pay anything for the future? Nope, he shouldn't be asked to make any sacrifices for the good of others. Ask him about that, okay? But be sure to ask him that since he shouldn't have to pay a single cent for the benefit of anyone else, should he be accepting anything himself from the government? Like police and fire service, medicare, social security...emergency room services should he ever need them. I'd be very curious to hear his answer.

What I want to know is why we keep going through Business Managers like dirty diapers ? I will assume at this point that they hire a BM and eventually he/she uncovers "something", then they are suddenly shown the door because they won't play along. As an Educator myself and a former parent I saw the substandard teachers that are hiding behind building Principals lack of desire to flush out the crappy teachers. As a parent, my kids had to tollerate these same teachers. My protests to Administration was shrugged off as there hands were tied. BS, there are procedures to remove bad teachers if you want to spend the time and effort to do it. Other districts do it, we can't seem to find Principals capable of doing it. The D46 Union President is proud to protect these people just so she can get reelected by her peers, instead of helping improve the pool of educators, she allows it be continue to get diluted.
The solution to polution is dilution.

If George Ryan had gotten to choose his investigator he would not be in jail right now. If Blago got to choose his he wouldn't be headed to jail. Parents and taxpayers in D46 and in this state should not be forced to continue to pay a corruption tax for employees and board members who act like they are above the law. It is a disgrace and dishonors themselves and the people here who defend the corruption.

Allowing them to remain in office or in their taxpayer funded positions is acquiescing to corruption. This teaches all the children of the district that corruption pays.

He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

By the way, a friend was at an educators conference just before elections and Ms. Garica found out she was a D46 resident and proceeded to tell her that she "had" to tell all of her friends to vote for her. So she was looking for votes while on her own school's time clock at this conference. I have to assume that Ms. Garcia just didn't have any boundries.

Oh Lennie- stop pretending. Your schtick is old. You couldn't care less, nor could the lord Kochs nor lady Palin. You are simply an angry bitter man with nothing better to do than waste time complaining about having to contribute to the future of YOUR country. So spare us.

By the way, Lennie, as an educator, tell me... Earth- flat or round? And just how old would you say this world is? Dinosaurs in Eden, Lennie? Please, teach us.

PSS, GET OFF THE TEA PARTY RANT. They are residents that finally have had enough, and are calling out people for what they have done or not done in the interest of our district. We are ALL about the kids, but we can't get that job done if Admin and the BOE spend time doing things behind closed doors that are in thier interest and not the kids. I have a friend that was on the BOE many many years ago, I sure do miss her, she was all about the kids, but left the BOE after the politics got knee deep.

No, I will stay on the rant because the tea party represents the worst of what this country has to offer. The leaders are rich (and corrupt) financiers donating a ton of money to take rights away from the middles class while giving more and more power to corporations. Their followers are misled and taken advantage of by pandering to their fear. They are uninformed as to the reality of the true situation in this country. So no, I will not get off of the rant.

To me this is bigger than just D46. The tea party is a menace and will destroy from within.

Sullivan, you stated, "nothing better to do than waste time complaining about having to contribute to the future of YOUR country"

Is that the future hiring of more families that will help the country? How about the hiring of ex-board members? How about more taxpayer funded trips to resorts areas?

Don't try it Lennie. It won't work with me. You know you're after more than just this district. Poor self-esteem can lead one to over compensate. Think about it.

And for those who seem to disapprove of the politics involved in the school board election, it seems kind of hypocritical for Carbone and Evans to be so closely involved with the tea party.

As stated last night, turn the investigation over to the State's Atty and save the district money instead of using a hand picked investigator.

Tim, initially, before the election, you had my respect. I didn't agree with you, but nevertheless, you appeared more open-minded. How disappointing to learn you are no more than an easily-led sheep pretending to be an honest journalist. You don't see the forest through the trees.

I have not defended the board members. They were wrong. This has become two separate issues. And I insult as a response to the ludicrous postings and postulations of others because frankly, it p's me off to see a clear agenda passed off as concern. I've never read any article written by you, so I can offer no examples. I only go on what I see you write here. I have said nothing to slander you as a writer. You are quite naive however, to believe Lennie has the good intentions you attribute to him. The idiocy of the board has nothing to do with the quality of teaching in this district. The funding the district requires to compete both locally and nationally is a bigger issue in the long run, as these children are our future. I'd like to see them able to attend higher education in places other than the CLC. Nothing against community colleges, but a well-rounded education provided by some bigger universities/colleges should be attainable. If the kids can't get the skills they need because of lack of resources, we have done them a great injustice.

Tim, kind of thin-skinned for a journalist, don't you think? Get over yourself. This isn't about you.

By the way Tim, i would like to read some of your stuff. Where can i find it? I'm serious now- not being sarcastic. I'd like to see what you've written.

Lisa & GoD46: You bet I sent out an email asking folks to call the State's Atty. to make sure they investigate the allegations made. 1). An impartial 3rd party who is already paid by our state taxes can come in and decide what/when/if violations occured. This saves the district the $250+/hour currently being spent on an investigator not hired by the Board. 2). Once an investigation is done, this district can deal with their findings and move toward healing and get back to business. 3). Without an impartial and proper investigation, there will continue to be limited credibility& suspicion ascribed to the Board.
4). The tea party links in my email are, to the best of my knowledge, the only place that one can download the FOIA'd information (emails) and review. The purpose is for people to have the opportunity to review so that they are not making opinions on information that they have heard second/third, etc. hand. Had the links been on a different site, I would have listed it.

You may find a Board Member unprofessional for asking folks to educate themselves and for due diligence to be done so that this can be put behind us; that's ok. While I realize I can't please everyone and my actions will be scrutinized, I am comfortable with my intentions and position.

No, I'm waiting Sullivan. You accused me, specifically, of "pretending to be an honest journalist." Which implies that I am writing stories that have false or inaccurate information in them.

So again, I am asking you to be specific. What have I written that is untrue or inaccurate? Don't make accusations about me if you can't offer proof of them. Because that IS SLANDERING MY NAME and my reputation and defaming my character. It has nothing to do with thin skin. It has to do with you deliberitely trying to damage my credibility, which I will not let you do!

You even admit above you have NEVER read an article written my me. Then how can you accuse me of "pretending to be an honest journalist?" So I would strongly suggest you retract or remove your above statement and accusation, sir.

Shannon, I don't know much of anything about you, but I hope you have the integrity you projected during the campaign. This dog and pony show is doing nothing to help the students of the district, and the publicity generated by the tea party is going to kill any hopes of moving on in a positive manner. Do whatever has to be done to get this district back on the right track, but have the sense to know Lennie's headlining grandiosity is not healthy and should not be tolerated. His intentions are dangerous and self-serving. Stop giving him the attention he so desperately seeks. He has other districts in his sights, so let him grandstand somewhere else. The facts will come out regardless.

Fine Tim... you got me on semantics. So sorry to have sullied your reputation in front of the massive readership of these patch posts. I couldn't help noticing that the majority of your news stories when I looked them up involve high school sports. Not quite what I expected.

Tim, I don't know you. If you help kids, that's great. If your intentions are honest, that's great too. My "many" offensive posts are in response to what i regard as foolishness. The ideas are naive and misguided. I really don't care what you do for a living or why. If your wish is to expose corruption, fine. Then my wish would be to present other sides to the real issue (which has become quite convoluted in all this now). The main issue is not the board - they will be forgotten soon enough. The issue is the direction this district goes in. If those who want to take money and resources away from the district succeed, the students pay.

I have no disagreements with you there. Again, a different issue though.

Tim and others-

Thank you for having the courage to speak out and to post your thoughts regarding this issue. As you know I ran on the platform of transparency and accountability during this campaign and I agree with you wholeheartedly. The moment that I began asking for transparency, I was labeled as a "tea party member" and blasted in the press and these message boards. I am not a member of the tea party, as a matter of fact until my campaign....like many people I was afraid of members of the tea party because without questioning I believed all of the rhetoric and name calling I had heard.

At the March 16th board meeting I was blasted as disrespectful to the board because I would not "be quiet" when asked to sit during my turn to speak during public comment when i pleaded with the then current President (Mary Garcia) and VP (Sue Facklam) to please run a clean race. Noone listened when I pointed out

- Our campaign signs were being stolen and Ms. Garcia was caught on video stealing them
- Local businesses were being called and there businesses threatened if they displayed our signs and strong armed to place Garcia/Facklam signs in their place.
- School kids were being solicited on school grounds during school hours

CONTINUED ON NEXT POST

I recognize that I only had word of mouth at that time and it may have appeared that I was trying to be mean or negative about my opponents however now that this information...these emails have come out that prove how unethical these people were it is imperative that we as a community have the courage to stand up and say

"No More, Our Children Deserve Better"

Tim, when is that plane leaving with you and the others. You say you are for the children, however, your actions speak louder. There are many other countries where you can live. Grayslake doesn't need nor want you. Get that straight. Your articles are poorly written and poorly stated. Period. You are the only one who thinks you are worth reading. The minute your name is mentioned for anything, a laugh comes forth. HIM? Please. We NEED good people in our community and you, SIR, are not one. God has a place for you and the others in mind. Norris, you are an embarrassment to the community. Be sure to be on that plane. There are enough seats on the plane for your party. No, no need to leave a forwarding address. We will move ahead with quality education for our children. We are a close knit community.

Grayslake Vet- I am not tucktailing and running because as I said at the time and continue to say...The allegations ARE NOT TRUE.

I recognize that it is easier to ignore the facts, that:

1- It has now been proven that these people are corrupt and lied to advance their campaign
2- ALL requests from my attorney's office to substantiate ANY of the claims were IGNORED by the district.

This was a very effective political move to tarnish my name before an election.....now that the election is over and in light of everything that has been learned about the other side I am asking anyone interested in the truth to PLEASE INVESTIGATE these claims.

If you sir/ma'am are in fact a vet of this nation, you have a responsibility to uphold truth and honor without regard for what is uncovered. When I have my day in court and it is shown that this was in fact a lie and a political agenda my only ask would be for an apology for believing and promoting a lie with no proof.

Norris, you are delusional. YOU are corrupt. YOU need to be investigated fully. YOU need to be prosecuted. And we all hope you are. Your party goes to different communities and you inflame anything you can and then jump up and clap for yourselves. It is a fact that you and your party are unhappy in the US. Please, so us all a favor and leave. Do you need us to help you with the plane schedule. No problem. You are an embarrassment to our community. You have NO concern for our children in any respect. NOTHING has been PROVEN, lady. YOU are not the judge nor the jury. Get that straight. You are just a mouth that keeps flapping. Flip a coin and buy that ticket. You don't even deserve to be here.

You might want to get that arm looked at Tim. All that patting yourself on the back. Guess that is what it takes to keep your ego stoked. Anyone can win a press award. Bet you put them on your dash so everyone can see them. Thought you were going to leave the board here. Couldn't resist? Keep on talking Tim. Yadda yadda yadda.

Ah, now the REAL Tim comes out. Didn't take much now did it. Did you need one soapbox or two. You misspelled "because". Oops. Bet now, we all are supposed to spell it that way just because you did and you say it is the way it is supposed to be spelled. Tim, my son is a REAL reporter in Washington. He wins awards that you will never even dream of. He writes about REAL news. You are grasping at air. If you can't turn things into negatives, you wouldn't have a job, would you.

There really is no changing the mind of people affiliated with the Tea Party. The fact is that people who are affiliated with the Tea Party will not even own up to it. What does that tell you? What they want is clear. They come in and dig up as much dirt as possible. They then say they are the champion of the taxpayer. Look at all the corruption we are finding. They pull people away from the true topics at hand. If they can successfully rip the board apart, they can try and get Tea Party sympathizers in place on the BOE. Great then what? I would postulate that they will cut programs, fire teachers, increase class sizes and the quality of education will steadily decrease until no one wants to send their child to a CCSD 46 school. Awesome. Rich G and Tim and if Grayslake is so bad, leave. I actually think that Grayslake and Hainesville are fine communities and I think the quality of education and teachers is pretty damn good.

One great thing about our country is that we are allowed to have and express our opinions. Let's remember to be respectful of the opinions of others, it is ok to agree to disagree. I truly wish that we could let the district/state's attorney handle the allegations and remove the politics from the school board meetings and get down to the business of educating our children. Shameful behavior that shows no respect for your fellow community members (whether you agree with them or not) is not acceptable from either side. Personal attacks are not effective, just spiteful. Let's move forward and unite as a community to provide quality education to our children.

CE-

you stated: Not once have I heard a Tea Party member say anything about what they would do to increase the level of education. They talk about corruption, taxpayers and money.

you do realize that if our tax dollars are not diverted to illegal purposes there is more money and resources to educate our children. If we give a superintendent a $27,000 raise in one year and then two weeks later announce a shortfall of $20,000 in funding to support sports programs in our schools this raises questions.

There is a direct relationship between rooting out corruption and helping our children get a better education.

this has nothing to do with keeping money in anyones pockets..we are all resolved that taxes are taxes..the Tea Party is increasing the level of education. By eliminating the corruption . if the leaders of the decision making board are unethical that does not benefit the education system. You cant builld a castle on a bad foundation..fix the foundation and then build.

Sorry Grayslake Vet, but you left yourself open for this one when you have to point out a "typo" as a mispelling. You obviously have nothing better to say. Hopefully your REAL reporter son did not get your grammar or punctuation talent.

"YOU are not the judge nor the jury", and you missed a few question marks in your discussions.

Sorry, your comments are just getting too laughable.

I am done here. No one is going to change anyone else's mind and that is fine. Differences are what make the world go round. I will leave with these parting thoughts. I am not anti-corruption. What Garcia, Facklam and Correll did was clearly wrong. Not arguing that point one bit. I am simply looking at a different issue. I personally am more afraid of what Lennie and others that share his beliefs true intentions are. If they are honorable than great, but I do not believe that to be the case. I simply do not believe they value education and I feel that they are anti-educators. That is my own personal opinion, which I am entitled to. Maybe they will prove me wrong. (Cont.)

Tim, you just can't leave, can you. Actually, I posted what I did on purpose. How did it feel, Tim, to be treated as you did here? How did it feel to be dissected? How did it feel to be harshly criticized in your own field? How did it feel to be torn apart? You went on the offensive from the get-go. You defended yourself. You put forth all your accomplishments. You were angry. You wanted us to see you from your side. Let this be a life lesson. Things are not in black and white. You, of all people should know that. The political party has stormed the school board and want to destroy our children's education, and they have to destroy the school board first. Have you sat down with any of the members to get their side? No. Of course not. You jumped right aboard the political party train headed for destruction. That makes news. And you need news for your job. There ARE two sides to any story. Dare you to sit down with the people you are trying to destroy. We can all bet you won't even go near one of them. You would rather be on that political train. Let's see what you are really made of Tim. And sorry to have made you an example here. You are in a position to make a difference for the children of this district. Sit down with "the enemies". Spend time with them.

And be open minded Tim. Don't go in like a defense attorney. Go in like a real reporter would. They are real human beings, like you.

Rich G-

i would agree with you if I believed this was intentional on his part, however I doubt that is the case. He speaks out of both sides of his mouth. On the one hand he says that Garcia Facklam and Correll deserve to have their side heard. However if you read the earlier posts he attacks Norris and tells her to get out of Grayslake.

Garcia, Facklam and Correll have 300+ pages of emails in their own words showing corrupt activity and yes they still deserve due process. Yet Norris, where there was not one email, not one recorded phone call, not one person from any company or otherwise able to step forward and confirm the allegations made against her by her competitors in a political race she is attacked by him and told to leave Grayslake. She is not offered the same respect of due process....why?

I withhold judgment however I dont believe the posts were about trying to get Tim to see how it felt to be attacked. It was more punt and change directions now that his true motives were being called out.

Be careful of "facts". Let the process be completed. Watch the political party closely. Very closely. Yes, there are "facts" about Norris. She doesn't cover her trail well at all. There is much more to the iceberg as someone called it. And it isn't at all on just the part of the school board. Just like anything, you have to look at EVERYTHING. The tea party as they call themselves, have alot of smoke bombs. They have alot of money to back them in any direction they want. Get out in the community. Talk with as many people as you can. There are many Grayslake residents who have done just that for months. You are going to be very surprised at what you are going to find in the end. Sit down with with the accused board members. How many of you have done that? Exactly. I am for the children of Grayslake. Period. It is up to you Tim. Do the right thing. ONE ON ONE to each of the accused. And yes, I have and will continue to talk to each of the accused. I have been at the school board meetings also.

Hey Tim! How great to be receiving some kind of honor from the tea party newsletter or whatever it is. Congrats, Bro! Maybe you'd like to submit your stuff to Palin or Michelle Bachmann. Fox would probably love it too.

That's real mature. Insult me for a professional accomplishment I am receiving for something I wrote that benefitted kids. That's classy.

The tea parties are nothing more than loose-knit grassroots groups of citizens who, like many people, are fed up with corrupt big-government officials at every level colluding wth the powerful, well-funded public sector labor unions that they are supposed to negotiate with in collective bargaining negotiations. The system is broken when the public sector labor uions control elections of the state/local government officials and legislators who are supposed to represent the interests of the people.

Citizen D- any idea who's behind the tea party? I mean who really runs it? Somehow I doubt it.

Here ya go, D.-

http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tea_Party

On May 17th, a black-tie audience at the Metropolitan Opera House applauded as a tall, jovial-looking billionaire took the stage. It was the seventieth annual spring gala of American Ballet Theatre, and David H. Koch was being celebrated for his generosity as a member of the board of trustees; he had recently donated $2.5 million toward the company’s upcoming season, and had given many millions before that.

One dignitary was conspicuously absent from the gala: the event’s third honorary co-chair, Michelle Obama. Her office said that a scheduling conflict had prevented her from attending. Yet had the First Lady shared the stage with Koch it might have created an awkward tableau. In Washington, Koch is best known as part of a family that has repeatedly funded stealth attacks on the federal government, and on the Obama Administration in particular.

The Kochs are longtime libertarians who believe in drastically lower personal and corporate taxes, minimal social services for the needy, and much less oversight of industry

And on this occasion the audience was roused not by a dance performance but by a series of speakers denouncing President Barack Obama. Peggy Venable, the organizer of the summit, warned that Administration officials “have a socialist vision for this country.”

Read more http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/30/100830fa_fact_mayer#ixzz1LW6Qfdah

For a moment, imagine a future where you are not able to drive a car, get on a plane, get on a train, vote, enter a federal building, open a bank account or get a job without a national ID card. You don't think that could ever happen in America? Well, you might want to brush up on the Real ID Act because it is going to go into effect on May 11, 2011 unless something is done to stop it. When I first learned this, I was absolutely stunned. After all, wasn't the Real ID Act supposed to be "dead"? A few years ago state legislatures across the nation were in an uproar over this law. The Department of Homeland Security was forced to delay implementation of it several times. But now it is back.

Isn't that great?

Now security goons will be able to ask us for our "papers" just like they used to do in Nazi Germany and the USSR.

Back in 2008, former U.S. Representative Bob Barr wrote the following about how not having one of these new national ID cards will automatically strip us of some of our most fundamental rights....

http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/a-national-id-card-for-american-citizens-get-ready-the-real-id-act-goes-into-effect-on-may-11

The above two articles are posted to ask 3 questions:

- if the concern from Tea Party members is that American society is becoming "too socialist" and therefore attention needs to raised to the issue isnt this their right as free Americans?

- Is implementing a national ID card an example of a policy that not just Tea Party members but most Americans would rally against?

just curious, why is it any time someone asks questions about democracy they are labeled as extremist yet when basic freedoms are taken away from Americans it is labeled as advancing national security?

Voter I.D. requirements are simply for the purpose of surpressing the vote. The republicans for years and years have pushed the myth of mass voting fraud even though there has never been evidence to support these claims. Requiring I.D. will disenfranchise the poor, the black, and the elderly who don't drive and don't want to take the time to go wait in line for hours at the DMV or whatever office they're forced to go to to get identification. It will also hurt college students who have out of state licenses. And who do these groups typically vote for? You guessed it. Democrats

Oh, and Rob- the Kochs have done some things that appear altruistic. I have no problem with that. Look at some of their other endeavors, however.

The message is not the point any longer. The reason for making a public spectacle of it is the problem. NO ONE is advocating corruption. No one is saying these board members didn't do anything wrong. The tea party and Lennie Jarratt are 1) looking for any attention they can get (the ambulance chaser) and 2) don't want to pay or do anything that could benefit the community. It's pretty simple, Rob. They want theirs and to hell with everyone else no matter how much damage is caused. In this case, it's our future. But they don't care about that because their future is right now. No reason to think ahead.

Anyone on here who attacks the messengers instead of the corruption is passively allowing the corruption to continue. If not, then stand up and ask the corrupt people to resign now.

Hey Lennie, in case you didn't notice, Garcia is gone. Spout all you want, big guy. You're a fraud and not even bright enough to know it. Having fun chasing the "bad guys" in District 50 and 127? And Gurnee, and any other district that tries to educate? I hate to say it, but just because you missed out on a quality education somehow, that does not mean others should be deprived as well. So what will be your next witch hunt once this dust settles?

Oh, and Lennie, since you're all about seeking justice and are just a well-meaning messenger, I wonder... how has your protesting of Bradley Manning's treatment gone? You know him, don't you? He's just a messenger too, so having something in common with him, I'm sure you're fighting hard for his release.

While I do not condone the behavior that is alleged, I wonder what Mr. Jarratt's true agenda is. I have heard that his wish is to dismantle public education--and all public school districts--as we know it, in an effort to put "school choice" in place.

It causes me to wonder if his plan is to discredit every board member and administrator whose ideologies are not in line with his own, and then seek to replace them with his own people--people who have jumped on his bandwagon after he has fueled the flames of tax anger and pointed the heat in the direction of the schools.

Once again, if the allegations are true, there are some people who clearly behaved unethically and perhaps illegally. No doubt: wrong is wrong. But as a thinking, rational taxpayer and resident of Grayslake, I have to wonder about Mr. Jarratt's motivations. It seems like a witch hunt to me--and I have to wonder why, and at what cost.

Perhaps he will comment on his goals; is his wish to dismantle public schools, funded by taxpayers? A simple 'yes' or 'no' will do. I think it's important to understand his motivation when contemplating his level of involvement in this district, regardless of the alleged actions of some school officials.

Oh, but Parent... he is just the messenger, don't ya know?

Oh no, Lennie- more corruption for you to get to the bottom of!

http://www.dumpbachmann.com/2011/04/daily-beast-reports-on-vennes.html

And tea partiers too. Why, I'm shocked! Well not to worry- I'm sure you'll be on the case!

D46...if the allegations are true? Did you not read the emails? All there in black and white.

Here read this McHenry County blog, they did a nice job pulling out the emails that were really illegal and corrupt. No alleged here. So many, they had to post them in a 2 part series:
Part 1:
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2011/05/03/the-grayslake-school-board-incumbents-campaign-email-trail/
Part 2:
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2011/05/04/the-grayslake-school-board-incumbents-campaign-email-trail-part-2/

Oh, by the way, you are way off on the yearly income of that janitor husband of the ex-board president. As usual. Check your facts. Janitorial positions do NOT pay $70,000. That is the funniest thing we have heard. CHECK YOUR FACTS. Try ten to twelve dollars an hour. Lennie, latest word out is that you were nominated to be shot out of the Tea Party cannon for the latest circus trick. Walking over Grayslake on a tightrope was supposed to follow. Lennie, you stated that the corrupt people need to resign. Who are you handing your resignation to? Next board meeting?

Lennie, Lennie, Lennie....you are now the "worried parent". Ha!

I am not Lennie. I am a single mother trying to raise my kids in Grayslake. I moved here 8 years ago before my kids were even in school because Grayslake had a good school reputation. I have a child who is actually being left behind. It took the school 4 years to finally determine she should have an IEP for additional help, even though she was behind on all the state mandated test and was struggling. That is 4 years with Garcia and Facklam on the board more worried about their political careers then the best interst of MY children.
At this point who cares why Lennie or the Tea Party did what they did. Doesn't stop the fact that corruption and illegal actions occurred. I really wish that Correll and Facklam would just do the honorable thing and step down, so all this nonsense and name calling and VERY LONG board meetings would stop and get to work on the real issues of improving our reputation and schools.

Gosh, Tim, you turned tail and ran after the comment about you meeting one to one with the school board members in the above post. We have learned ALOT about you today. And it isn't all nice. Your true colors came out strong. I think you have alot to learn. Sincerely. The veteran is a wise man. He saw you for what you are. And now we know you for what you are. My son has a bunch of those awards in his toy box that he got for soccer. Want them?

Forgot to mention...guess who went to all the surrounding newspapers and did his circus act? You got it. Lennie. We heard you don't work and collect government funding. Real nice Lennie. Real nice.

Worried Parent, you better put your kids in another school that is safe from the tea party then. Things are going to get alot worse for your child. Lennie is the chairman of the tea party. If you live in Grayslake, then you know that. And you need to blame yourself for not being more proactive in getting the services that your alleged child didn't get. Next you will be blaming them for your dishwasher not working. This story stinks of being a fake. Sorry. I have kids in the school district and they get services, so I know what is what. Get real here. Lennie, got a wig on as you type this story?

Pete, I know who Lennie is. And as far as I can tell, he has never hidden and as you seem to be ranting about, he seems to be out there in front of everyone causing trouble.

How dare you state that I am to blame for not getting my child services. I made every attempt, met with teachers, special services, I even emailed our dear Superintendent Correll begging for testing. I was told all in good time, they wanted my child to go through the "steps" of the Early Intervention program....or I could pay to get her tested myself. I also blame the No Child Left Behind laws for this.

You are an arrogant, nasty man who likes nothing better than to post your rantings that are not even on point to this posting. You spew your hatred hoping that some person will actually take you serious. In my opinion, I think you stink and are a fake.

WorriedParent, you should also make sure you know your rights and the rights of your child, mandated by the state. You can request a Educational Rights and Responsibilities: Understanding Special Education in Illinois book from the Illinois State Board of Education, Special Education and Support Services division. It will explain what your child deserves from the district and what she is entitled to under her IEP in relation to her test scores, assessments and report cards. Know the laws and mandates of the state for the benefit of your child.

Thank you Lisa. I am by no means a Tea Party supporter, however, as a parent I found it exhausting and frustrating to try to make our "system" work. I do blame the board members to an extent even though they do not have direct contact with kids or their scores. I see how they place higher importance on the politics, this past election was a fiasco and embarrassement. And with this black cloud hanging over us all, where is the best interest of the children? They are the ones that are directly involved in RIFs and program cuts. They say we have to make cuts, but why a 14% increase in the Superintendents salary when I was told to pay for my own testing? Isn't that why I pay my taxes? Quite honestly, it wasn't until I started having to fight for help that my child deserved that I started paying more attention to what the board and community have been saying.

And these emails...this just adds more fuel to the fire. I WANT this to be resolved one way or the other, fault or no fault so this community can move past this. It just doesn't seem to stop. One hopeful outcome to this is that the board has realized their stupidity on how they spend their time and the district's resources. Hopefully they won't make this mistake again.

Nice try. You scream about your child and then upheld Lennie. Sorry, don't buy it.

And secondly, you don't sound like you have done your homework on your child's needs since the initial issue, if you are really who you say you are. You HAVE to be on top of your children's IEP. Educate yourself fully. Don't expect anyone at any school to hold your hand. It is your responsibility to make sure your child's educational needs are being met. Just like when you start a job. If you expect to have success, you know what you have to do. I don't buy this. The superintendent is the target of a witch hunt and you suddenly appear. How convenient.

WorriedParent, I understand your pain. I too had to fight for services for my son. It took several years and a child advocacy attorney to get what he was entitled to. Since then, I have become much more involved in the district and my children's specific schools. I decided that rather than rant and rave and play the "poor me" card, I would get involved and do what I could to make positive change. I felt that I owed it to my children to know what was going in at the board meetings, what the laws were and what could be changed to make things better in our district. In my mission, I also discovered that part of the reason I had to fight so hard and it took so long to get him the services he needed was because of the fantastic teachers he had had. Confused? Let me explain. The teachers he had in his early grades were so wonderful that they would make accommodations to the curriculum and their lessons to help him succeed. This enabled him to figure out ways to make good marks on his standardized test scores and report cards. He is hyper intelligent and until the curriculum was too much, he would simply memorize the information without actually learning the material. It was a fight to say the least to get him the services he needs, but I have learned a lot from the experience and he is soaring now with another wonderful teacher and a new modified 504 plan in place to keep everything moving in the right direction.

If you read my post accurately, I had to fight to get the IEP. I am educated on the IEP NOW that she has been entitled to receive it. You try getting an IEP for your kid before the school feels it necessary. I can run statistics up your back-side on how important it is that kids should be at their reading level by 3rd grade, yet it wasn't until the Winter testing of 3rd grade that they decided to finally test her.

And talk about suddenly appearing. You seem to have only slinked on this evening to spout you nastiness and insult people, and succeeded to pull me into it as well. I posted my opinion and frustrations at the current conditions of our schools and community based on THIS article. You just post vile comments that relate to nothing but your own agenda apparently.

(continued)
I completely agree that the past election was a fiasco. I am so tired of the mud slinging and the finger pointing. The allegations are what they are and if found true should be dealt with swiftly so that we can all move on. I worry about the intentions of the Tea party supporters as I have asked over and over for their solutions and reasons behind their dirt digging. I have asked for their suggestions to change the board and what they would like to see done differently with no result. I understand that if the allegations are true, there need to be consequences, however, I also feel that the election is over now and in order to focus on the business the board faces, we need to put all of this behind us. The board meetings have turned into a circus act. No one can concentrate on what needs to be done when out community members are actually heckling the board and superintendent at the meetings. It is sick that adults and parents can actually act like this and expect to get positive results. We are a laughing stock as a district and I would love to see this perception changed. We do have a lot of positive things in our district that could be in the press, but we are under this black cloud of politics and nothing can shine through. I hope that you will do what you are able to do to help change the focus.

Lisa, to move on those involved in the corruption must resign. Then the district can work on healing and getting back focused. As I have offered multiple times if you want a debate on education reform let's set one up. That way it can be done in a civil manner without the vitriol of all the anonymous posters here.

Ahhh, we knew he was here. Spewing venom. Lisa is a very nice person who tries to help out any one in need. The problem is that you want one thing and the tea party wants another. Like you said the tea party via Lennie has big designs on IL. He feels he is in the position that he is in personally, due to everyone else but himself. Lennism. He is an old resentful man who is sinking into the septic system. The good people of Grayslake are taking donations so that you can get on that airplane mentioned this morning. Heck, I will donate twenty.

Mr. Jarratt,
Perhaps I would feel less uncomfortable about the suggestion of a debate if I knew what your intentions were and which community you represented. I have asked numerous times with no result. I am curious to know what made you FOIA the emails in the first place, not only in our district, but the others you have done this to as well. Is it public education as a whole that angers you? Is it the taxes alone? Are you opposed to having tax dollars go towards education at all? What is it specifically that you stand for. Please don't answer if you are going to use generalizations about cronyism and corruption. I do not support either and you know that is not my question.

Lisa, are you really that naive about the intentions of all the anonymous posters on here. Read their comments, they are a disgrace and there will be no civil debate on here. I applaud you for being yourself on here, just as I post as myself. I am easy to find and have provided you the list before.

Let's get moving forward, call for the corrupt to resign and let's get this behind us. The emails are their own words: http://triblocal.com/grayslake/2011/05/05/states-atty-probes-dist-46-campaign-complaints/

so to bring the conversation back to the issue at hand, the facts are:

- District 46 pays the superintendent over $200,000 per year
- it is illegal for a superintendent to be involved in a school board campaign due to the obvious conflict of interest.
- there are over 300+ emails which seem to show that the superintendent in district 46 was campaigning AND during school hours while we were paying her.

I have to believe it possible to find a superintendent that is good, that will focus all of their time on our children and enhance our schools for $200K+ per year?

why are we so afraid to let this superintendent go without renewing her contract? Do we really believe she is the only option for our district/

My problem is not letting go of Ellen, but rather, who will this particular board hire in her place? If the tea party influences the decision (and with Carbone and Evans, you know it will), this district could go down hill real fast.

Lennis, you are truly a troubled individual. With all sincerity. The more you rant on, the more people shake their head. You think that yelling louder and louder will get the people to notice you. Sorry man, it just isn't happening. Tell us Lennie about your personal life. You have alot going on there that shows that you are not on the right track financially. Your personal life is what is so dysfunctional and you want to lash out at everyone. Perhaps that is where you need to start. Get help Lennie. For the sake of your family.

Lisa, you are a very kind person. Don't waste your time on the Lennies on this board. Truly, they are not worth it. The community HAS moved ahead to bring forth quality to our children in the district. Alot is going on. Only the negative is reaching the newspapers. They need the news in order to have print. Business is business.

I maintain that it is critically important to understand the motives behind the attacks on District 46.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ForOurChildrensFuture/message/3129

The original poster writes: "One of my dreams has been to take over even ONE school board and move forward with a global competitiveness and mastery program to serve as a model for others..."

Then note these phrases, in a direct reply from Mr. Jarratt:

"...I am trying to find school board members in Grayslake for next spring. We need to replace 2...candidates at a minimum, but 3 would be better..."

"guerilla tactics are definitely needed..."

"...A formalized group would give school board members cover to speak out more freely than if an individual district resident made a request..."

"...to truly confuse the education establishment..."

"...campaign training will need to also take place..."

"...recruiting good school board candidates and candidates for other offices..."

"...recruit new members increasing effectiveness in elections and in mobilization of activists..."

What is really behind Mr. Jarratt's involvement in the district?

LOL!!!! So I want parents in charge of THEIR child's education. Keep reading, like I've said many times, I have been very public about my intentions to improve education for ALL children. EVERY child deserves access to a good education, an education that is not filled with corrupt leaders.

It appears you'd rather keep the status quo of a school district that colludes to disenfranchise the voters of the district. Corruption must be cleaned up, it is the right thing to do.

so to bring the conversation back to the issue at hand, the facts are:

- District 46 pays the superintendent over $200,000 per year
- it is illegal for a superintendent to be involved in a school board campaign due to the obvious conflict of interest.
- there are over 300+ emails which seem to show that the superintendent in district 46 was campaigning AND during school hours while we were paying her.

I have to believe it possible to find a superintendent that is good, that will focus all of their time on our children and enhance our schools for $200K+ per year?

There are 7 board members on the school board today. They are responsible for hiring a new superintendent. I propose that:

- The community get involved
- We be allowed to review the work history and accomplishments of candidates for superintendent
- If Ms. Correll is found guilty by the States Attorney's office of illegal activity that she be replaced and we as the public make known who we want to represent our children, so that no one group be it the Tea Party or the Unions have too much undue influence on the selection process.

Nonetheless, if Facklam and Correll are guilty of illegal activities we should not allow them to continue to be associated with our schools, they both need to step down and we need to have the courage as a community to say that

It's easy to cloak your motives in reader-friendly language such as "parents in charge of their child's education," but readers can easily see what you're really after, and the tactics you're willing to use to get what you want.

You've not yet answered the question, Mr. Jarratt: do you want to eliminate tax-funded schools in Illinois? Is that what is behind your involvement in the district?

As a person who was born and raised in Grayslake and has always taken pride in being from Grayslake, I would like to say that I am saddened that a town that has so much to be proud of is being dragged through the mud in such a way. The name-calling, accusations and bickering back and forth does not do the children of that town one bit of good. I am not here to accuse, name-call or blame anyone or anything. IF (and I say "if" because I would be the first one to admit that I do not have all of the facts) what they are accused of is true, then I am also saddened by what those school officials and board members have done.
I, however, am most saddened by the attack on teachers. Why are they to blame? I find it extremely disheartening that any time an issue about education arises, immediately people come out of nowhere to, once again, paint teachers with those "lazy", "money-hungry", "uncaring", "they get too much time off" brushes that many people like to paint them with. As a 15 year "veteren" of teaching, I can honestly say that MOST teachers are extremely hard-working, loyal, caring people who do their best to educate children. Because, as many of you may not realize, we are not just educators anymore. To the one hundred-plus students that we come in contact with every year, we are counselors; we are parents to children who may not have any; we are financial providers to students who cannot afford books, lunch, gym uniforms, or coats in the winter; and we are

Those passages are the conversation of Grayslake residents on a regular basis, D46 Parent. Lennie thinks he is using his invisibility cloak so no one will be able to see what is really behind his tactics. Not for one minute does ANYONE in Grayslake think Lennie is playing with a full deck. Sometime ago, I attended meetings where Jarret was. He caused people to actually leave as they were concerned for their safety. He was out of control. He was referred to as a "rabid dog" at that meeting. And that was some time ago. By people in his own party. His own party. The same people were concerned about his motives. He has had financial losses and he was going to make someone pay. Anyone but himself. He made that very clear. What Lennie does need in all honesty, is a good shrink. Help him see that he is responsible for his own failure. No one else.

friends to students who, sadly, may not have any.
Is the system perfect? Not by a long shot. Is every teacher great? No. Do we get time off? Abolutely. I find it strange, however, that nobody seems to care how much time firemen, also pulic employees, get off. They get just as much as teachers, and they deserve every second of it. At the risk of sounding melodramatic, I've saved a few lives in my days as an educator. Why don't we get the same respect afforded employees like firemen and policemen? You can spout off all you want about teachers I suppose....that's one right afforded to you by this great country we all live in. However, none of you that I've read comments from, bashing teachers, has walked in my shoes. I challenge you to come to my class for one week...heck, one day...and do what I do. One week and then tell me what a lazy, overpaid, underworked bunch of "leeches" we are. Go ahead and contact me any time and we'll get you a spot as a guest speaker in my class and you can experience for yourself what education is all about. At least then you can have an educated opinion on what you are talking about. Otherwise, than the good teachers out there and give them a pat on the back for enriching the lives of your children...something I know I, for one, don't get a whole lot of.
To all the teachers out there who work hard and care...Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! Ironic. I salute you because you deserve it!
Corey Knigge

Rob-

I also have family members and friends who are firemen and policemen, and I respect VERY much the job that they all do. I was not saying that I risk MY life, but that all teachers have a profound impact in the lives of the young people that they interact with on a daily basis. Although, I would sometimes question the "safety" of being a teacher in our society. All I'm saying is that when I have a student, like I had recently, who says, "I was considering killing myself the other day, and if it wasn't for you I probably would have done it", that is also saving lives and deserves respect. My purpose in comparing those professions was only in the capacity of being public employees, and the fact that they all deserve respect. That is all. I in no way intended to minimize the efforts of those men and women who protect and serve us on a daily basis, and if I did, I apologize.

so to bring the conversation back to the issue at hand, the facts are:

- District 46 pays the superintendent over $200,000 per year
- it is illegal for a superintendent to be involved in a school board campaign due to the obvious conflict of interest.
- there are over 300+ emails which seem to show that the superintendent in district 46 was campaigning AND during school hours while we were paying her.

I have to believe it possible to find a superintendent that is good, that will focus all of their time on our children and enhance our schools for $200K+ per year?

why are we so afraid to let this superintendent go without renewing her contract? Do we really believe she is the only option for our district?

Lennie, you are the one who is burning rubber to the newspaper offices. Are you aware of that or is that deck of yours getting thinner and thinner. Carbone seems to have you running like that rabid dog every day. How does it feel to be a minion, Lennie. You really need to look over your shoulder while you are at the tea party meetings. Do you really think that they 100% back your insanity? Think again. I am off to volunteer at the local school. You see, they are for the present and future of the children of the district. Ever been there Lennie...for the present and future of our children?

so to bring the conversation back to the issue at hand, the facts are:

- We have emails showing a teacher working on her campaign during school hours
- We have emails showing board members agreeing to steal literature and signs
- We have emails showing board members trying to control the direction of a public forum for voters
- We have a superintendent campaigning while we are paying her to work to set the course of direction for our schools

For everyone interested in killing the messenger can you please provide your comments on the details that have been brought forward in these 300+ pages of emails and the best way to address them.

Thanks

Hey we finally have a school board member (although ex) actually answering questions. Vague as those answer are.

http://grayslake.patch.com/articles/qa-garcia-speaks-out

You stop being the judge and jury. Stop being the judge and jury. Stop being the judge and jury. Are YOU listening?

Rob- there are two issues here. You are correct. Lennie has made himself the center of attention along with the tea party. There is no question that what Garcia et.al. did was wrong. What Lennie continues to do is assess blame and call the whole district corrupt. Every union member, every administrator, every staff member involved in the public education district of Grayslake 46. His goal? To end public education as we know it.

And Rob, when you got to the house with the intent of helping save whoever is inside, you would find Lennie running around the house, blowing on the fire to help the house burn down.

Mr. Smith, in your repeated attempt to "bring the conversation back to the issue at hand," you are ignoring the fact that others have opinions and perspectives that are different from your own, including opinions on what the issues are in the first place. While you may view the issues as being solely about the emails revealed as a result of a FOIA request, others take a broader perspective--one that includes Mr. Jarratt's motivation, and does not discount personal responsibility on the the part of those named in the allegation.

For further food for thought, consider Mr. Jarratt's comment:

"...we can start to make people think filter (sic) everything through the lens of corruption, over spending and poor education. This makes the cumulative effect much larger..."

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ForOurChildrensFuture/message/3029

The thinking people of Grayslake--particularly those who care about our schools--won't be fooled by his political tactics.

I maintain that consideration of Mr. Jarratt's perceived agenda of dismantling tax-funded schools--indeed, public education as we know it--is not only relevant, but critical to the discussion.

I have not failed to recognize this at all. I openly admit that he may have an agenda, what i am saying is that his agenda does not affect my children unless I let it.

Whereas, the actions of elected officials and individuals that I pay DO AFFECT my children and CAN AFFECT my children every day in a number of ways that I may not even be aware of.

Therefore, it is incumbent upon me as a parent to want to support a fair an impartial investigation of these emails to ensure that they are not the tip of the icebeg. By that I mean if liberties were taken here that appear to be grossly negligent how can I as a parent be sure that other liberties surrounding what my child is taught are not also being taken?

So he is a nutcase, but I can keep my children protected from him and his agenda but without know what is going on I cannot protect my child from what appears to be a rogue school board.

so what. this needs to be about investigating the people we put in place and entrust our children to every day. Period

While I agree with you on the need for further investigation into the allegations at hand, I'll respectfully disagree with you that you can keep your children protected from Mr. Jarratt's perceived agenda without understanding his motivations.

You said that "his agenda does not affect my children unless I let it." I contend that unless you understand the agenda--the organized, politically savvy approach to dismantling public education as we know it, using "guerilla tactics", in his words--then you cannot protect your children from it. Understanding his motives, in my opinion, is crucial for all parents of this district. Understanding the motives behind what I perceive to be a witch hunt--regardless of whether or not the allegations are true--is the only way that parents can take a stand against it.

I would like to be clear: if there was wrongdoing on the part of any board member or administrator, then it needs to handled appropriately. There is no doubt about that.

Lisa Bako-

Not sure we can trust your motives either...you are in these emails.

No actually I cannot admit that. There seem to be other emails with her name on them that seem to implicate involvement beyond just being a PTO president.

Nonetheless, even if we only focus on her role as PTO PRESIDENT. she had a responsibility to stand up for what was right and tell the candidates, her candidates who she is pictured with at their election night party, that trying to steer the direction of questions from the crowd would be unacceptable.....I dont see any emails where she did this.

Therefore again my objection stands, that until her involvement is better understood, her commentary of the "facts" is of no consequence to me.

Geez, I was under the impression that serving on the PTO was a voluntary proposition. Does that mean anybody who volunteers to help out at a school isn't permitted to endorse a Board candidate? I mean, I once served time at the Middle School concession stand while I had a Hal Berger sign in my yard. Guess that makes me a Communist.

Oh Nightcrawler! I'm gonna have to take you in.

So let me get this straight. If she were a parent not associated with the PTO, she'd be allowed to support a particular candidate, but being on the PTO means she loses her rights?

Oh, before I forget. I'm just wondering Lennie, and the conveniently named LMJ- When do you start your demand for the corruption in the recent election in Wisconsin (the judge- that one) to be investigated? If a school board election has you this outraged, the election in Wisconsin must have you furious.

Oh wait. That election benefits the tea party. never mind.

Hey State's Attorney's office....anyone want to investigate why people are talking in these e-mails about seeing if people in Springfield can "lower the price" of a list they were trying to obtain? Seems this alleged corruption may go a lot further that just District 46. I also find it interesting that, while not making any accusations, Suzi Schmidt was in some of these e-mails. Given her tyrannical reign on the Lake County Board, it always seemed to me she was a tad power hungry, too.

There's WAY more going on here than meets the eye, I just know it I know it I know it!!! Hopefully, there are some members of the federal government keeping an eye on this too....hmmm...

Crawler, you do know that socialists have infiltrated all levels of the Brownies, don't you?

Or was that the girl scouts?

I'm not sure. I'll have to check with Glen Beck.

I'm afraid I'm going to have to see the long form.

Lisa, I am in no way implying anything with my following question. It is because you are on the PTO that I ask, and you may not know the answer....in the 300+ pages, there was issue with a PTO email blast to all parents of schools regarding the Garcia/Facklam Meet and Greet. I was a recipient of this email, and although it did say "This is not an endorsement" it is hard to not see it for what it was...an backhanded endorsement. Or at least that is how I took it. The emails went on to indicate that the other candidates approached the PTO for an all candidate forum but it was shot down. Why did the PTO feel it fair to send out the Meet and Greet email? Whether it was an endorsement or not, wasn't that using District resources to the Garcia/Facklam campaigns advantage?

I was taken aback by the email as I thought the PTO stood for Parent Teacher Organization and in no way should be affiliated with politics and campaigning.

Ok, here is what really happened....
Sue and Mary sent out invitations to their "meet and greet" at Pat's Pizza. They sent it to their "friends" and "acquaintances" that reside in the district. One of their supporters (NOT ME) thought she would be helpful and pass along the email invitation to others in the district. She happens to be be on one of the PTO boards (NOT THE SAME ONES AS ME) and sent the email to a list she has stored as (School name here) PTO Parents. The email was clearly documented with "this is not an endorsement" nor did it say anywhere that it was a PTO sponsored event. At the same time, some other PTO members from a different school were trying to set up a true "candidate forum", however, some of us other PTO members were concerned about hosting a PTO sponsored event and showing bias. We requested that the location be changed to a neutral location (like State Bank of the Lakes) instead of one of the grade schools. We wanted to make sure there was an unbiased "mediator" and that is was run with "rules" but did not hear back from the League of Women Voters who have assisted in holding this type of forum in the past.

(continued)

Unfortunately, we could not find an evening when all 5 candidates were available to attend. Several of us did not want to sign on to something that could be later perceived as "favored" in one way or another by the PTO's. The PTO as a group did not send out any emails or endorsements. An individual made a misstep in judgment and forwarded the email invitation, not an endorsement, to her contact list. There is no actual law that prohibits the PTO from endorsing a candidate. Even Shannon's email quotes the bylaw that allows it. We (the PTO's I am a part of) just decided it was not in the best interest of our group to do so.

Nightcrawler, thank you for the humor!! Much needed here. A+ on that one man! Obviously you are not afraid the raving maniac on here. Share more.

Lisa, you can talk until you are blue in the face, however, the tea party is convinced you are Bin Laden. They are not even nice to each other much less to a D46 Parent. Beware of the bloggers on here called Worried Parent and the other one. They are sucking you in...little by little. Wear the garlic necklace. Carry the cross everywhere with you. My brother has infiltrated the tea party. You would be totally shocked to hear what really goes on there. They think they can peel people like bananas.

Paranoid much IL Vet? I can only assume that you all are grown men, but you are acting like juveniles. And what the heck did I do or say that makes you think I am with the Tea Party? I completely think this matter (of this article) should be reviewed and dealt with swiftly. If you can read, I completely agreed with Rob Smith's earlier post: "..I openly admit that he may have an agenda"....but the topic of this article is the School Board and the allegations against them.

285 comments later, and the majority of them are accusations totally unrelated to the topic of the article or asinine remarks that are only proving that you seem to be the one with the agenda. I only posted on this topic, becuase of the topic. I am quite honestly fed up with the administration.

I bet if we printed this out it would be around 300 pages, watch out or Lennie will FOI it!

Nah, not paranoid at all. Been in wars. THAT is the real stuff. A raving lunatic is running around school districts, making trouble. The main issue here will be investigated as EVERYONE has said a MILLION times on the boards. Us men are wise enough to see past the smoke bombs being tossed around Grayslake and beyond. I saw a game for kids in the store the other day. You take a rubber hammer and you bop the ground hogs on the heads as they pop up. I bet the tea party owns a bunch of these games. It is part of their "war strategy". If they win two out of three games, they pass the test.

The statement above by Ms Bako is incorrect when she stated "There is no actual law that prohibits the PTO from endorsing a candidate."

Section 501(c)(3) Organizations

Tax-exempt organizations under IRC Section 501(c)(3) are absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in or intervening in any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective office. This prohibition would extend to candidate endorsements. Therefore, any PTO that is tax-exempt under 501(c)(3) may not endorse candidates for school board.

By engaging in activities that extend beyond the scope of the 501(c)3 charter which makes the PTO tax exempt (even if by accident), the PTO risks losing its 501(c)3 status under the internal revenue code. Thereby burdening our community, our students and our school with a PTO that would have to work twice as hard for less benefit because monies that could otherwise be utilized for programs that benefit the school would now be redirected towards federal taxes because the PTO participated in political activity.

As I stated earlier, Ms. Bako's name is riddled throughout these emails and until a full investigation is completed. Her attempts to communicate any "facts" about the situation in my mind will be tainted until her involvement is fully understood, therefore anyone reading her posts should take the time to check the "facts" for yourself.

Long story short, there is a law that limits PTOs actions.

Now some people will respond and cite the section of internal revenue code that pertains to section 501(c)4 and the co-mingling of funds and disbursements of funds.

Let me save you some time and share that OUR PTO in Grayslake is a 501(c)3 therefore this section does not apply.

Making the LAWS around the activities that were expressly prohibited very clear, and yet at the same time very violated

Nightcrawler, how could you??? You swore you'd never tell! Now I'm going to have to take my illegal pimpimg business somewhere else! I thought once I got away from Breitbart I'd be safe. Well, time to start over.

Today, District 46, tomorrow one of the others. There are plenty that the tea party have chosen. They will hit them all. There is only one judge and jury in this issue. All the rest are just spectators who are running a muck like the tea party. The tea party is trying to dismantle Grayslake as well. Some of the tea partiers are losing their homes and they are out of control on blaming others for their own demise. We didn't create their financial mess. They did. We all need to circle around our community and drive out the tea partiers.

LMJ- Pot, this is the kettle calling.

"They also seek to attack anyone who gets on here so that you will know your place and walk away." You have been on a personal attack of me, for what? Because I have an opinion that differs from yours? Because I spend most of my time volunteering for D46? Because I feel that we do have a lot of things our district can be proud of? Because I feel we do have excellent teachers in our district? Please tell me.
You talk about lack of accountability of posters, yet you yourself post annoymously?! I have been upfront, posting as myself and without attack of others yet you seek me out to attack me and try to get the others that read this to question MY motives and imply that I am somehow involved in the "corruption". I have had enough. I beg everyone to do a search of the FOI'd emails for my name to see the truth. I seek nothing but positive change and growth for our district. I am open minded and willing to see all sides I do not cliam anyone is without fault. How about you reveal your identity and motives?

Hey Nightcrawler- How can we both be Sullivan?

Lisa- getting the community more involved would be a huge task. Look at how low the percentage was of voters in the election. People have so much to do other than follow politics or school issues that they rarely bother (not a criticism- just a statement). That's too bad because informed citizens are so important. The tea party folks are a small, but very vocal group, and therefore make it seem like they are the majority. They are not.

Ms. Bako-

you stated above regarding the emails:

I don't feel that it shows destruction of this district.

How does offering teenagers gift cards for votes constructive? Please help me to understand your perspective?

What I was saying is that I think our district is strong enough to over come this obstacle I dont think this ugly campaign and election will ultimately take down or destroy what we have accomplished over the last several years. I think we will all learn from our mistakes and grow, I hope united by common goals for improvement.

Rob, you are not a man to be trusted. You speak all over the place. You have to fight to keep yourself from jumping out there and exposing what you really are. Lisa, you are the latest target in case you haven't noticed. See how it works, the witch hunt jumps to anyone at any time.

I've Noticed, I just don't understand why.

Why on earth would anyone want to come on the Patch for FACTS. It is a newspaper. A local newspaper. Papers sell news. Not facts. Whatever gets people to react. Just like this article. Look at the story on Bin Laden. The "facts" keep changing. The facts? Only the people there at the time know the "facts". When I came on here, I came on to see the actors and what they were talking about. No way did I come here for facts.

As I have stated and continue to state.

1- I support an independent investigation of all of the facts of this issue by the States' Attorneys office
2- I support the right of every American to due process under the law

I have no motive but to understand what happened, and how my school district ended up with 300+ pages of emails splashed across national headlines that seem to show very unethical, unAmerican behaviour.

Ms. Bako had a responsibility as PTO president to which, in my opinion she failed, but only the facts and time will tell. Therefore as I have said several times now, until such an investigation happens anything that she has to say about the situation outside of the independent investigation that will have all of the facts, laws, etc in front of them is really pointless.

Her comments appear to be nothing more than an attempt to justify very bad decisions by herself, Ms. Facklam, Ms. Correll and others. Not a witch hunt, but as they say. "save it for the judge"
Reply

Well obviously Lisa, there's the problem- you seem to be trying to better the schools rather than tearing them down. That's your mistake!

Rob, your cloak of supposed objectivity is really wearing thin...

Because Rob Smith is not Rob Smith. He is one of the school board members who was censured and doesn't have what it takes to come on as himself. He has no conscience. Period.

Happy Mother's Day to ALL of the women of Grayslake. Including those on the school board. Lisa, I hope your day is a great one. Your family must be really proud to have a mom and wife like you. Keep up the good work.

By the way, we did a little checking on WHO went to ALL of the school districts and ALL of the newspapers in Lake County and then some. GUESS WHO?? Yep. HE is the one who took upon himself to disgrace Grayslake. SHAME ON YOU! You don't want to live in this county or state. So why stay we all ask? NO ONE is stopping you from leaving. I hear you don't even pay your mortgage. THAT is public knowledge. People need to know your personal story. It is a doosie. ALOT of errors there. It would take more than 300 emails to put it all on. By the way, how about sharing all of YOUR emails. The tea party members that feel you are an embarrassment have sent around your emails. Interesting info there. I would be worried about what is in them. Your village called. They don't want their village humiliation back. Sorry.

The corrupt disgraced themselves by their actions. Exposing the corruption was the right thing to do so the district can bring in people who will focus on education and not how to help themselves.

Mr. Jarratt, you are absolutely correct, the shame is their own. I would still like to satisfy my curiosity and understand what causes you to make the FOIA requests in so many districts in the first place?

You are a disgrace Lennie. Period. Grayslake's issues should be just that. You need to leave Grayslake and take up residence in some desert town where evil people go. As soon as possible. Leave with your evil tail tucked between your legs. You are losing people in your own party. That is pretty bad. We were in a suburb south of here and they mentioned your name and laughed. They said that you are a very sick man. And that if you had done that in their suburb, you would have been chased out of town by the residents. No one sees you as being a man who is doing good. No one. Unless it is one of your programmed minions. Lennie, you are a disgrace and you need to move far away. Hey, how about a foreign country!

Looks like LMJ has pretty much missed the boat too. Even I'm beginning to tire in trying to explain reality to these people.

Good then go away because it's your own twisted reality. Even before this scandal was uncovered, the majority of voters already agreed they wanted Garcia out.

And suddenly you think after a corruption scandal even more people are going to turn to this woman's side?

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! That is the funniest thing I have read on here all day. Woman loses election, gets caught in corruption scandal afterward, and this genius Sullivan thinks suddenly the majority of people are on her side...

After she lost an election...

And then got caught up in this.....

OMG this is too much.....this guy's posts are starting to become to funny to read.

You want reality? It's smacking you in the face.....it's called the State's Attorney's office doesn't think your reality paints a very bright picture, Sullivan. Otherwise they wouldn't be investigating, would they.

But hey, whatever helps you feel better clown.

Getting popcorn, preparing for Sullivan's next genius/racist/foolish/Tea Party hating/fantasy land/corruption supporting comment.....

You're really funny Andrea. That and you have really poor reading comprehension skills. Let me say it again ONE MORE TIME and I'll try to go R E A L S L O W. . . No one, including myself, is defending Garcia D o y o u u n d e r s t a n d ? I'm not sure where you got the idea I was defending Garcia.
D o y o u u n d e r s t a n d ? Lennie's motives are far from pure, but I KNOW you don't understand that, so I won't bother asking. You just don't get it Andrea. Some people have IQs just a little too low to truly comprehend. Sorry.

Oh Andrea- did you look up the voting improprieties going on in Wisconsin? That really ought to make you burn seeing as you're such a fine upstanding citizen.

Lisa. I'd like to commend you on your patience. You have much more than I.

Ms. Bako, you are asking Mr. Jarratt what caused him to perform the FOIA? It could have been all of the poor decisions of the board over the past few months that raised questions, doubts and concerns.

How do we as a community:

1- Justify a 27,000 raise in one year for a superintendent while stating that sports activity fund has a 20K shortfall??

2- Purchase 1,100 MacBooks for teachers to do lesson plans instead of Dells at $400 while our our libraries and media center are unfunded?

These are some examples, but I could give more. Since this fiasco has started I have been looking more and more and the issues are overwhelming.

This is not about Tea Party or any other party in my mind. This is about supporting whatever it takes to get the money I pay into schools where it belongs, back into programs that support educating children.

If that is what caused him to do so, then he can answer for himself. Sounds like you yourself don't know for sure. I would rather if you would just refrain from addressing me in the future. I will get the answers I seek elsewhere. Thank you.

Lennie,... objective? Surely you jest! Now in case you've missed it somehow, there is an investigation underway. It's not being swept under the rug. It may be hard for you, but try to remember that.

I've been reading this over the past weekend, and the big picture is being blurred considerably. I guess at this point, I really don't care about the motivation of Lennie Jarrett. The facts are the facts, not only about the corruption of a few board members and the superintendent, but also about the partisanship of Mr. Jarrett. Whether you agree with his motives or not, they do not change the facts. In light of all of this, and in looking at our district's finaces, how is a $27K raise justified? How is the remaining BOE member to be trusted? This situation leaves me with more questions than answers, and continuing to harp on the motivations of the person who found these facts really has nothing to do with the facts themselves. We need to be forward thinking, as a community and district, not backward-looking. Our taxes keep going up exponentially - I am personally paying nearly $900 more PER YEAR for this circus show, and I'm beginning to get a little angry about it. It is time for all involved to start behaving like responsible adults. Know that we, the residents of Grayslake are watching, and that we expect you to be fiscally and morally and ethically responsible, not just with our tax dollars, but with our children as well. The leadership of this district is sending a terrible message to our kids.

I don't know what you want from me. I have said from the beginning that I do not condone that type of behavior and think that the personal attacks are way out of line. I am not some public official or leader, I am a community member. No one I know has participated in the type of behavior you describe. No one is jumping in telling people to stop attacking me, calling my home, emailing me or heckling my children. It works both ways, LMJ. I do wish the heckling and attacks would stop. I wish that everyone would start acting like respectful adults. What more do you want me to do? I too have been threatened and attacked for my position of "let the authorities handle the allegations and let the punishment fit the crime and move on".

Lisa, I am sorry that you have had to endure these types of attacks, in person and online. That is just not right people! Everyone is entitled to their opinion or to support the candidate they FELT was the right one (whether at that time or still does.) This is a democracy and we all have the right to the freedom of speech and the right to vote.

We do as members of this community also have the right to be angry about what has been transpiring.

I have gotten from Lisa's posts that she does not agree, nor condone the actions of all that are involved. She wants due course to happen (although I would give it a rest on geting Lennie to answer your questions on motive..it does not appear that it is going to happen.) She may be involved with a PTO, but each school has their own PTO and she was not on the one that sent the emails. She acknowledged that there was a mistake.

I think in the end we all agree like HM posted above: "Know that we, the residents of Grayslake are watching, and that we expect you to be fiscally and morally and ethically responsible, not just with our tax dollars, but with our children as well. The leadership of this district is sending a terrible message to our kids."

Wow, first you get beaten up and then you are to apologize. I don't think so. Everyone is entitled to make mistakes. MANY on this board have made serious mistakes. Serious. Not just the school board. Lisa, you are letting certain party members on this board wear you down. Your family needs you. The PTO needs you. The more you let them interrogate you, the more you will be forced to agree with them. Give yourself a break from the boards and stay far away from the witch hunt. When they get bored, they WILL go after you. You have told them all they needed in order to get the fires going. Get in R&R, Lisa. You deserve it.

Lisa, I agree that the community members also need to act with a level of civility. Thank you for pointing that out.

Don't sweat it, Lisa. This is just one tiny point in time in one tiny little school district. The importance of these people is miniscule. It's frustrating as all hell, but this will pass. Soon enough the tea party will have others to go after and you'll be a distant memory. Don't let it get to you!

Have to post this here as well. Again, this is Lennie's real goal-

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_05/targeting_the_very_existence_o029452.php

The editor should print out the information on these sites Sullivan. In all fairness. Everyone needs to see what is going on. They are trying to blindsight this community with the school board garbage. The bigger picture is alot more serious. What say you editor? We all need to read these articles. And yes, Sullivan, unions are important. Been there, done that. If it wasn't for the union, things would have been different for me. They saved my job and livelyhood. I am in a higher up position now as a result. Being treated like a human is important.

Rob- you are one pathetic human being. WTF is your problem? Some Elliot Ness wannabe? You came on here originally pretending to be some bipartisan bystander with an open mind. You are anything but. I wonder who you really are and what you are trying to achieve. Probably some self-important little man with a Napoleon complex the size of Texas. Once again, making a mountain out of a molehill, as the saying goes.

We totally agree Sullivan. It didn't take much to figure out that Rob Smith was the fox in the chicken coup. He slipped up too many times early on. Someone even said he was not to be trusted. And here he is. You couldn't have said it better Sullivan. His time will come. Truly.

Really, LMJ? Still? You must've been awfully P.O'd last night after the board meeting. Nobody was taken away in chains.

Carl- no insults please. Canines are our friends and should be treated with respect.

It was great to see a board meeting that was civilized. Enough of being the brunt of all the jokes near and far. How shameful that certain people have taken it upon themselves to destory Grayslake. Shame on them for what they have done. This is a matter that should have never left our community. You made a laughing stock of Grayslake. Makes you wonder what else they are doing.

Those who defend corruption in the local schools are teaching their children that bullying works.

No one is defending the alleged corruption, but you Lennie are being a bully. Carbone is one too...