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Dual School Board and State Rep Positions Legally Incompatible 

Posted in 220, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Deception, Dinky, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Education, Elections, Ethics, FOIA, His Master's Voice, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Illinois State Board of Elections, Look For The Union Label, New Normal?, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, RINO, Taxes, Transparency, Unions, Village Board, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on August 29, 2025| 5 Comments »

Following our recent posts Ding In Her Own Words – CONFLICTED! and D220 Abuses Taxpayer Funds in favor of Partisan Campaign we understand some believe Erin Chan Ding has the right to sit dually on both the D220 Board of Education (BOE) and as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives for the 52nd District. This is unequivocally false (and we didn’t need to consult any high paid lawyers on the taxpayer dime to figure that out).

While a person may be able to serve certain government positions dually, say Village of Barrington Hills Trustee simultaneously with Illinois State Senator for the 26th District, Illinois law recognizes that certain positions, including that of serving on a School Board and as a member of the House of Representatives, are deemed legally incompatible under Illinois law. Illinois law holds that the duties of those two offices conflict such that an individual cannot fully and faithfully perform the responsibilities of both. Illinois courts have applied this doctrine to prevent dual officeholding in cases where conflicts of interest or overlapping duties arise and have emphasized that incompatibility does not require an actual conflict but rather the potential for conflict between the duties of the two offices.

The duties of a school board member involve overseeing local education policies, budgets, and contracts, while a state representative is responsible for broader legislative functions, including education funding and policy at the state level. These overlapping responsibilities could create conflicts of interest, particularly in matters where state legislation impacts local school districts. Even if no actual conflict has arisen, the potential for conflict is sufficient to render dual officeholding incompatible.

One may look to the very partisan League of Women Voters who has previously provided context for this conflict, stating: “Recusal is not a sufficient remedy where two public offices have conflicting duties because public officials are elected to be the voice of the citizens and abstaining from a vote deprives the citizens of their voices. Also, public policy demands that an office holder must discharge his duties with the actuality of impartiality and undivided loyalty. Such conflicts of duty are public conflicts and cannot be cured by recusal. However, private conflicts of interests may be cured by recusal.”

To put this in perspective related to our prior posts about BOE Member Chan Ding,: She is currently violating her Oath of Office and the BOE Code of Conduct; BOE President Ficke-Bradford has effectively silenced Chan Ding, depriving the citizens of her voice, by removing her from the majority of her BOE committees; and, Chan Ding’s run for the 52nd has additionally raised the specter of partiality to the Democratic Party and divided loyalty between it and the BOE.

Related: “D220 Abuses Taxpayer Funds in favor of Partisan Campaign,” “Ding In Her Own Words – CONFLICTED!,” “District 220 Board of Education meets this evening (07.15.25)” “Ding Doubles Down,” “Ding’s D220 Deception,” “Chan Ding running in Democratic primary in 52nd,” “Three (3) Democratic candidates queued to run for the IL 52nd District House seat in 2026”

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D220 Abuses Taxpayer Funds in favor of Partisan Campaign

Posted in 220, Animal Welfare, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Education, Elections, FOIA, FUBAR, His Master's Voice, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Illinois State Board of Elections, Look For The Union Label, OP/Ed, Open Meetings Act, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, School Districts, Taxes, Unions, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on August 19, 2025| 6 Comments »

Following this morning‘s article on Erin Chan Ding confirming, in her own words, her conflict of dually serving on the D220 Board of Education (BOE) while simultaneously running for a partisan Democratic office for Illinois House Representative in the 52nd District, we have received information obtained by a resident pursuant to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to D220.

These records confirm that D220 Superintendent Winkelman and BOE President Ficke-Bradford have used D220 taxpayer funds to obtain attorney opinions on Ding‘s ability to run for the 52nd District while simultaneously serving on the BOE. (The Observer queried in a recent article why taxpayer funds would be utilized by the D220 School District to obtain attorney opinions in this regard.) They further confirm that the BOE is engaging in closed door sessions regarding Ding and her campaign for the 52nd District. We posit whether this is a violation of the Open Meetings Act.

Ding is raising her own campaign funds for her run for the 52nd. Isn’t it more appropriate that Ding’s Erin for Illinois Campaign pay for these attorney consultations rather than the D220 taxpayers? Additionally, why would D220 need taxpayer paid attorney consultations related to BOE Policy and Code of Conduct questions?

Are we seriously paying attorneys to opine on whether a BOE Member has violated Board Policy or Code of Conduct? Does our Superintendent and BOE President need an attorney to tell them if a BOE Member has “surrendered her responsibilities to special interest or partisan political groups”? Do they need an attorney to tell them whether a BOE member has engaged in the “appearance of impropriety” or that she has used her “Board of Education membership for personal gain or publicity”? This is beyond absurd.

Additionally, these records show that these policy discussions are taking place behind closed doors rather than in front of the public? Isn’t policy something that should be discussed and set with full BOE participation and public scrutiny? Since when is the policy of how our duly elected officials conduct themselves in their duly elected positions determined without the public’s participation?

Craig and Sandra, we urge you to get back to the business of running the D220 School District instead of using your D220 positions and the taxpayer’s resources to engage in the partisan politics of the Ding campaign for the 52nd District.

Related: “Ding In Her Own Words – CONFLICTED!,” “District 220 Board of Education meets this evening (07.15.25)” “Ding Doubles Down,” “Ding’s D220 Deception,” “Chan Ding running in Democratic primary in 52nd,” “Three (3) Democratic candidates queued to run for the IL 52nd District House seat in 2026”

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Ding In Her Own Words – CONFLICTED!

Posted in 220, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Conflict of interest, Daily Herald, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Illinois State Board of Elections, Look For The Union Label, New Normal?, OP/Ed, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, School Districts, South Barrington, The Chicago Way, Unions, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on August 19, 2025| 2 Comments »

In 2021 Erin Chan Ding first campaigned for a position on the Barrington 220 Board of Education (BOE). At that time she created a website “ERIN CHAN DING for 220.” Curiously, some might say suspiciously, the Website for Ding’s 220 campaign has been scrubbed from the internet and one must use a special search engine to attempt to find the deleted files. Ding, as we’ve previously reported, recently won re-election to the BOE and, shortly following that win, announced that she would be running in the Democratic Primary for the chance to be the Democratic candidate in the 2026 election for State Representative of the 52nd District ~ a partisan political position.

Ding’s scrubbed BOE website says several things about the conflict this run poses to her current position on the BOE and demands, in her own words, that she either immediately resign from her BOE position or forego her run for the 52nd District.

As some may recall, Ding set off a hot bed of controversy when, during the 2021 BOE campaign, she accepted the endorsement of the Barrington Education Association (BEA), 220 teacher’s union, and a donation from the BEA’s political action committee, IPACE. Ding, realizing the controversy in bringing partisan politics to what she took an oath to be a non-partisan position, explained why it was okay for her to accept the BEA endorsement and IPACE donation in 2021:

Each of us… candidates running for the … BOE are political candidates in a municipal election. What we are NOT supposed to be is partisan, affiliated with a particular political party. It is my commitment, if elected as a school board member, to maintain independence and making decisions and be free of influence from political parties and special interest groups. I will be accountable only to our community.

I have heard there’s been misinformation going around that has conflated the … BEA with a Political Action Committee, or PAC… The BEA is the union that represents more than 700 teachers and educational professionals in Barrington 220… this year, the BEA specifically stated it would endorse candidates with integrity, teamwork, a heart for racial and social equity and a sense of service over self… I am honored to have received one of four BEA endorsements.

The BEA is affiliated with a statewide organization called … IPACE, a nonpartisan, pro-education organization to which BEA members … can voluntarily contribute. IPACE regularly donates to pro-education, pro-public school candidates.

Because I was endorsed by the BEA, IPACE offered a contribution… to my campaign fund, Friends of Erin Chan Ding. Before accepting the donation, I researched IPACE to ensure it was strictly non-partisan and concluded that it is, as according to its website, recommendations for contributions… “are not determined by partisan politics.”

Our local BEA officers are also clear that I am not and will not be beholden to the teachers union or to any special interest groups.  I have not and would never accept partisan donations that will compromise my ability to offer excellent stewardship to our community.

(Click on any image above to enlarge)

Clearly, Ding recognized the import of being nonpartisan in her position on the BOE during her 2021 and 2025 campaigns for BOE. Yet, at the same time she was taking her oath of office to be a nonpartisan member of the BOE on April 22, 2025, pledging that she would:

…refuse to surrender (her) responsibilities to special interest or partisan political groups… avoid any conflict of interest or the appearance of impropriety which could result from (her) position, and shall not use (her) Board of Education membership for personal gain or publicity…,

Ding had already begun her quest for a partisan political position, using her BOE membership to bolster her candidacy (indeed her time on the BOE provides her only cited credentials on her social media and Erin for Illinois pages). Additionally, in a flagrant showing of impropriety, Ding posts D220 educators, whose discipline and contracts she votes on, as endorsers of her partisan run for the 52nd.

Then, sometime following the several posts that the Observer has put out regarding Ding’s blatant conflict of interest in remaining as a BOE member at the same time she is actively campaigning and raising funds for a partisan political position (see “Ding’s D220 Deception” and “Ding Doubles Down”), Ding scrubbed the internet of her very own acknowledgment of the impropriety of her serving on the BOE under these circumstances.

BOE President Ficke-Bradford has similarly acknowledged the impropriety of Ding remaining on the BOE under these circumstances where she unceremoniously, without Ding’s presence and without a public vote of the BOE, removed Ding from all of her BOE committee assignments.

Since pushing forward with her campaign for a partisan political position, Ding has

  • Affiliated with a particular political party;
  • Accepted partisan donations*, compromising her ability to offer excellent stewardship to our community;
  • Failed to maintain independence; and
  • Failed to remain free of influence from political parties and special interest groups.

In further affront to her BOE oath, Ding has also partnered with Barrington Area Dems (BAD) to promote her run for the 52nd District. BAD has posted a fundraiser being thrown by them for Ding and other local Democratic candidates, commenting on Ding as a “current School Board member” and “a dual-elected District 220 Board of Education member” with a “commitment to equity and inclusive school communities.” Ding even ‘liked’ the post from her personal “luvpiggies” instagram account:

The next regular meeting of the BOE is scheduled for this evening. This is a good opportunity for the public to remind Ding, Superintendent Winkelman, and the Members of the BOE, that the oath of office taken by each is not to be taken lightly. It is our belief that Ding is unfit to serve any longer on our Board of Education and it’s time for the Regional and D220 Superintendents and the BOE to take action in removing her.

D220 Superintendent: cwinkelman@barrington220.org

D220 Board of Education: stwang@barrington220.org, dclopton@barrington220.org, baltshuler@barrington220.org, sbradford@barrington220.org, lcollisterlazzari@barrington220.org, echanding@barrington220.org, hsrivastava@barrington220.org

Dr. Michael Karner Lake County Regional Superintendent of Schools: Mkarner@lake.k12.il.us

*Ding’s Erin for Illinois disclosures show $3,000.00 in donations from Friends of Josina Morita, the Democratic Committee formed to support Democratic Candidate Josina Morita for Office of Cook County Commissioner for the Democratic Party. These contributions were not made by Morita in her personal capacity, but specifically made from her Democratic Committee. https://www.elections.il.gov/CampaignDisclosure/CommitteeDetail.aspx?ID=NC181bT0yRx6vp8tMkKtSg%3d%3d

Related: “District 220 Board of Education meets this evening (07.15.25)” “Ding Doubles Down,” “Ding’s D220 Deception,” “Chan Ding running in Democratic primary in 52nd,” “Three (3) Democratic candidates queued to run for the IL 52nd District House seat in 2026”

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Ding’s conflicted status confirmed

Posted in 220, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Conflict of interest, Daily Herald, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Education, Elections, Ethics, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Illinois State Board of Elections, Look For The Union Label, New Normal?, OP/Ed, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, School Districts, South Barrington, Topics Of Interest, Unions, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on July 22, 2025| 9 Comments »

Recently reelected District 220 Board of Education member and now candidate Erin Chan Ding poses with 220 Board of Education Vice President Barry Altshuler (giving thumbs up) for a photo at her June 18th launch of her Illinois State Rep campaign.

The District 220 Board of Education (BOE) met last Tuesday, and BOE President Sandra Ficke-Bradford began her presentation by addressing the elephant in the room (the elephant wasn’t actually in the room, as Member Erin Chan Ding was absent from the July 15 BOE Meeting) stating:

“As many are aware, District 220 Board Member Erin Chan Ding has declared her intent to run for State Representative of the 52nd District, and it’s within Erin’s right to do so, and Erin is aware of the Board policies and the laws that are in place.

We have consulted with our counsel, um, to confirm that merely running for an office, um, for political office, while refraining from engaging in any prohibited political activity while acting as a Board member or on School District property does not constitute a violation of the Board’s Code of Conduct. Erin and all Board Members are aware of the policies the Board does have in place.

Um, that being said, the goal of this Board is to focus on Framework 220 and the daily work of the School Board. Therefore, I will be working with you guys, the Board, um, in the coming weeks prior to our next Board meeting in August to assign other Board Members to the following committee assignments that Erin holds currently. Um, Policy Committee, ED-RED Representative and Legislative Committee. So, if you’re interested in those, please let me know. Um, but we will be making those changes before the next, before those meetings.”

Ficke-Bradford did not ask the other BOE Members if they had any questions or comments relative to the removal of Ding from her committee assignments. Following Public Comment, where a member of the community spoke about the conflicts presented by Ding’s decision to run for a partisan political position, Ficke-Bradford chose to reiterate some of her prior statements adding:

“I just want to touch on, I just want to repeat what I had said earlier, that um, regarding Erin Chan Ding running for um State Representative, um, we did consult with our counsel, and um, we did confirm that merely running for political office, again, while refraining from engaging in any prohibited political activity while acting as a Board Member or on School District property does not constitute a violation of the Board’s Code of Conduct. Um, but I would like to remind the Board, right, that we do have policies that are in place and we should be very careful to make sure that we do not violate the Open Meetings Act. So, thank you for that.”

In watching the video from the July 15th meeting, at 37:52, one can see Ficke-Bradford pointedly look towards Members Altshuler and Srivastava while she reminds the BOE Members of their obligations under the Illinois Open Meetings Act (OMA). As reported on by The Observer in Ding’s D220 Deception, both Altshuler and Srivastava were present at Ding’s launch party for her run for the 52nd. The Observer further pointed out the potential for an OMA violation in that article, as three Members of the BOE constitute a quorum and Ding’s platform for the 52nd District mostly surrounds her activities on the BOE. So, now Ficke-Bradford has put the entire BOE on notice due to Ding’s decision.

For nearly a month, The Observer has written about the conflict of interest Erin Chan Ding created when she announced her political ambitions weeks after being reelected to the BOE (see “Ding’s D220 Deception” and “Ding Doubles Down”).This past Tuesday evening, apparently without discussion or vote, Ficke-Bradford decided Ding’s position on 3 BOE committees would be eliminated, and not one Member of the BOE or the Superintendent voiced an objection to this decision.

It should be noted that the BOE had a lengthy Closed Session prior to the regular meeting of the BOE, with one of the Closed Session Agenda items being “Self Evaluation.”  School boards can hold closed-session meetings to discuss specific topics legally permitted under the OMA. These sessions are not open to the public, and the topics discussed are specifically limited by the OMA. It’s certainly possible that the BOE and Superintendent Winkelman determined to discuss Ding’s run for the 52nd in Closed Session, as Ficke-Bradford’s statement appeared to be prepared written comments. The Observer, however, cannot identify a legally recognized exception to the OMA and the premise that BOE actions should take place in front of the public which would have allowed for such discussions in Closed Session.

Ficke-Bradford’s choice clearly confirms her belief that Ding’s decision to run for a partisan political position makes her conflicted if she remains on the Board of Education. Further, so long as Ding remains on the BOE, every Board vote will require scrutiny for objectivity and everything Ding says or posts in her Democratic campaign for the 52nd District must also be scrutinized before it’s determined whether or not she should abstain from BOE activities.

The baggage Ding has now burdened our Board of Education with is one taxpayers were not bargaining on when they voted in April. And, if Ding chooses to keep her BOE seat, it will only serve to increase the burden of responsibility on her peers.

We believe that Ficke-Bradford, without calling for Ding to step down, has opened the door for Ding to do the right thing by taking that action on her own and step down before further action must me taken. The removal of Ding from committee assignments is a clear admission that her run for the 52nd District, including her website and social pages that actively advertise her BOE activities as support for her run, constitute violations of BOE policies.

Additionally, we’d like to point out from Ficke-Bradford’s comments, it appears that our BOE believes that the burden should be on the D220 taxpayers, as opposed to the Erin for Illinois Democratic political committee organized and raising funds on behalf of Ding’s run for the 52nd District, for the responsibility for obtaining legal opinions as to whether Ding is conflicted from serving the dual functions of partisan and non-partisan. We suggest to Ficke-Bradford, the BOE, Superintendent Winkelman and the D220 attorneys that this is an irresponsible use of taxpayer money and this burden should be on the Erin for Illinois campaign, not the taxpayer.

Related: “Ding Doubles Down,” “Ding’s D220 Deception,” “Chan Ding running in Democratic primary in 52nd,” “Three (3) Democratic candidates queued to run for the IL 52nd District House seat in 2026”

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District 220 Board of Education meets this evening

Posted in 220, Agendas, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Deception, District 220 referendum, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Education, Elections, His Master's Voice, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Illinois State Board of Elections, Look For The Union Label, Open Meetings Act, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, School Districts, Taxes, Unions, Video Streaming, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on July 15, 2025| Leave a Comment »

The District 220 Board of Education meets this evening at 6:00 PM at the District Administration Center, 515 W. Main Street. Items on their agenda include:

  • FOIA Reports
  • Personnel Report
  • Declare Property Surplus and Authorize its Sale or Disposal
  • Consideration to Approve Second Reading of Board Policy
  • Consideration to Approve the Sunny Hill Elementary School Improvement Plan
  • Instructional Minutes/Calendar Update

A copy of the agenda can be viewed here. The meeting will be live-streamed on the district YouTube channel.

We believe each of the identified Agenda items allows for reflection on two recent articles posted by The Observer (see related posts below) relative to Board of Education member Erin Chan Ding and her violations of her oath of office as a nonpartisan member of the D220 Board of Education.

As a reminder, Ding has announced she is running in the Democratic primary for State Rep for the 52nd District. In doing so, she has promoted her candidacy publicly on social media and at meet and greets using her position as a Board of Education member. This is a violation of Ding’s oath of office as a nonpartisan member of the D220 Board of Education:

2:80-E Exhibit – Board Member Code of Conduct

Each member of the Community Unit School District 220 Board of Education ascribes to the following code of conduct:

  1. I will represent all school district constituents honestly and equally and refuse to surrender my responsibilities to special interest or partisan political groups.
  2. I will avoid any conflict of interest or the appearance of impropriety which could result from my position, and shall not use my Board of Education membership for personal gain or publicity.

We encourage our readers to remind the Board of Education, Superintendent Winkleman and Lake County Regional Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Michael Karner, either by email or in Public Comment of the importance of Board of Education members upholding their oath to the public they serve.

D220 Superintendent: cwinkelman@barrington220.org

D220 Board of Education: stwang@barrington220.org, dclopton@barrington220.org, baltshuler@barrington220.org, sbradford@barrington220.org, lcollisterlazzari@barrington220.org, echanding@barrington220.org, hsrivastava@barrington220.org

Regional Office of Education: ROEISC@isbe.net

Dr. Michael Karner Lake County Regional Superintendent of Schools: Mkarner@lake.k12.il.us

Related: “Ding Doubles Down,” “Ding’s D220 Deception,” “Chan Ding running in Democratic primary in 52nd,” “Three (3) Democratic candidates queued to run for the IL 52nd District House seat in 2026”

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Ding Doubles Down

Posted in 220, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Daily Herald, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Education, Elections, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Illinois State Board of Elections, Look For The Union Label, New Normal?, OP/Ed, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, School Districts, South Barrington, Topics Of Interest, Unions, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on July 8, 2025| 5 Comments »

Last month we shared with you “Ding’s D220 Deception,” highlighting the several D220 Board of Education (BOE) policies that current school board member, Erin Chan Ding, is violating in her run in the Democratic primary in the 52nd House District.

In announcing her candidacy for State Rep for the 52nd District, Ding has violated her oath of office as a nonpartisan member of the D220 Board of Education. With each campaign post, speech, appearance, and political handshake for her bid for the 52nd, she is in direct violation of the very school board code of conduct she has pledged multiple times to uphold:

2:80-E Exhibit – Board Member Code of Conduct

Each member of the Community Unit School District 220 Board of Education ascribes to the following code of conduct:

  1. I will represent all school district constituents honestly and equally and refuse to surrender my responsibilities to special interest or partisan political groups.
  2. I will avoid any conflict of interest or the appearance of impropriety which could result from my position, and shall not use my Board of Education membership for personal gain or publicity.

Since announcing her candidacy, Ding has doubled down on her D220 deception, attending several events in her capacity as a Democrat candidate for State Rep, including Democratic House Majority Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch’s “Equality & Pride 365” celebration in Chicago on June 24.

Ding is endorsed by, and hobnobbing with, progressive Democrat darling. Theresa Mah. Both have used Ding’s Board of Education position as publicity in support of her run for the 52nd District.

It is apparent from her Erin for Illinois webpage that Ding is widely publicizing her Board of Education position, the achievements of the D220 Board of Education, whether hers or not, to support her run for the 52nd. Indeed, she is widely publicizing her decidedly Democratic talking point of having voted 3 times as a D220 BOE member to “keep educator-approved LGBTQ+ authored books on high school library’s shelves.”

Are we to believe that Ding didn’t talk about her votes while waiving her rainbow fan with her friends at Speaker Welch’s “Equality & Pride 365” celebration? Given the fact that the vast majority of her listed qualifications to run for State Rep center around her work as a Board of Ed member, it would be impossible for Ding to promote herself as a candidate without mentioning her service on the BOE.

Are we also to believe that in seeking political favors and endorsements from various democrats, such as Welch and Mah, throughout the State she is not beholden to follow the Democratic party line when voting as a BOE member? This is the very definition of surrendering her responsibilities to special interest and partisan political groups.

One also wonders if the “educators” who “approved” the LGBTQ+ books Ding voted in favor of include the D220 educators who have publicly endorsed Ding on her political web and social pages? That certainly raises the question of impropriety. Ding knows what a conflict of interest is. She’s just apparently arbitrary in her self-enforcement of them.

The question you may have is, with the partisan history of this decidedly Democrat leaning Board of Education, what can be done? We suggest you start by emailing the Board of Education members and Superintendent Winkelman asking them how they plan to address Ding’s violation of her School Board oath of office. Will they hold Ding, and themselves, to the very polices they all voted to adopt? Will they at least attempt to give the appearance of nonpartisanship and represent the entire community, not just the faction that leans the same way they do?

We know from past issues like ignored survey responses, COVID school closures, student masking & sexually explicit books in D220 libraries, an email may feel like a fruitless waste of your time. That is why we also suggest copying the Regional Office of Education, the entity responsible for ensuring Illinois School Boards follow policy, and ask they hold the D220 Board of Education accountable to the standards set for all Boards of Education throughout Illinois.

D220 Superintendent: cwinkelman@barrington220.org

D220 Board of Education: stwang@barrington220.org, dclopton@barrington220.org, baltshuler@barrington220.org, sbradford@barrington220.org, lcollisterlazzari@barrington220.org, echanding@barrington220.org, hsrivastava@barrington220.org

Regional Office of Education: ROEISC@isbe.net

Dr. Michael Karner Lake County Regional Superintendent of Schools: Mkarner@lake.k12.il.us

The reality is Ding has every right to run as a Democrat for State Rep, but she does not have the right to use her current position on the Board of Education for personal gain or publicity in her capacity as a candidate. If Ding chooses to continue her run for State Rep she has no choice but to step down from her position on the BOE.

This is not the time for complacency. The next meeting of the D220 Board of Education is July 15th. Send the email, make your voice heard, speak up during public comment, share this information with friends and neighbors, and hold the D220 Board of Education accountable to the policies they set. Make it clear to the D220 Board of Ed that you consider the BOE a vital elected position that impacts your children and your tax dollars; a position you believe should be more than just a stepping stone for their present and future political ambitions.

Related: “Ding’s D220 Deception,” “Chan Ding running in Democratic primary in 52nd,” “Three (3) Democratic candidates queued to run for the IL 52nd District House seat in 2026”

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JB Pritzker officially announces re-election campaign for Illinois governor

Posted in Clown Car, ComEd Four, Commodius Maximus, Deception, Dinky, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Ethics, Fat Bastard, Fat Man Walking, Fox News, Girlie man, Illinois State Board of Elections, Immigration, Look For The Union Label, Overhead, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Springfield, Taxes, Unions on June 26, 2025| 1 Comment »

By FOX 32 Digital Staff

The Brief

  • Gov. JB Pritzker announced Thursday he’s running for a third term, highlighting gains in fiscal stability, abortion access, and worker protections.
  • He launched his campaign with a statewide tour and a video contrasting Illinois’ progress with Washington’s dysfunction.
  • Pritzker, seen as a possible 2028 presidential candidate, may need a new running mate as Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton runs for U.S. Senate.

CHICAGO – Gov. JB Pritzker announced Thursday that he will run for a third term, pledging to build on the economic and social progress his administration has made since taking office in 2019.

Pritzker, 60, launched his campaign with a video titled “Keep Illinois Moving Forward,” positioning the state’s gains under his leadership — from balanced budgets to abortion access — as a stark contrast to what he called “chaos in Washington.”

“These days, Illinois is standing at the center of the fight: the fight to make life more affordable, the fight to protect our freedoms, the fight for common sense,” Pritzker said in a statement. “We don’t just talk about problems. In Illinois, we solve them. Because we know government ought to stand up for working families and be a force for good, not a weapon of revenge.

Pritzker begins his re-election push with a two-day tour across the state that includes stops in Rockford, Peoria, Springfield, Belleville, and West Frankfort.

Illinois does not impose term limits on governors. The last governor to serve three terms was Republican Jim Thompson, who held office from 1977 to 1991.

More here.

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Maria Peterson announces run for IL State Representative, District 52

Posted in Barrington Education Association, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Ethics, Fat Man Walking, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Illinois State Board of Elections, Immigration, Look For The Union Label, Open Meetings Act, Perjury, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Springfield, Taxes, Unions on June 23, 2025| Leave a Comment »

NORTH BARRINGTON, Ill. – Today Maria Peterson is launching her campaign for State Representative, District 52, joined by dozens of supporters and Former Gov. Pat Quinn as keynote speaker. Peterson ran for this seat in 2024, and lost by just 47 votes.

Peterson stated, “Last election, we came within just 47 votes of winning – we were so close to bringing much-needed change to this district. When I knocked on more than 10,000 doors over the past 18 months, I heard that conversation over and over. Families spending more than 1/3 of their paychecks just on housing. Parents paying $16,000 a year for childcare. Neighbors worried they can’t afford healthcare or their property taxes in the future. This isn’t abstract policy – this is real life in District 52.”

“Since the last election, I have committed countless hours to electing Democrats locally, and worked with Barrington Giving Day, the Rotary Club, and others to help families who are drowning in property taxes, paying more for childcare than their mortgage, and skipping doctor visits due to costs. I am ready to take this and years of fighting for our community to Springfield.”

Peterson has received the endorsements of over two dozen federal, state, and local elected officials. She faces IL Veterans for Change Founder Jesse Rojo and Barrington District 220 School Board Member Erin Chan Ding in the Democratic primary on March 17, 2026.

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Related: “Ding’s D220 Deception,” “Chan Ding running in Democratic primary in 52nd,” “Three (3) Democratic candidates queued to run for the IL 52nd District House seat in 2026”

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Ding’s D220 Deception

Posted in 220, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Daily Herald, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Education, Elections, Ethics, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Illinois State Board of Elections, New Normal?, News Media, OP/Ed, Open Meetings Act, Politics, Property Taxes, School Districts, South Barrington, Taxes, Topics Of Interest, Transparency, Unions, Wirepoints on June 20, 2025| 4 Comments »

On April 22, 2025, the Barrington School District 220 election results were certified. Among the successful candidates was incumbent Erin Chan Ding.

The new members were installed at the May 6, 2025, School Board meeting. Ding previously won election in 2021 and had served as a School Board member for 4 years before winning reelection. During those years of service from May 4, 2021, through her reelection and installation on May 6, 2025, Barrington 220 School District policies, including the Code of Conduct, were discussed, revised and voted upon. Ding vowed to uphold these policies when she took her oath of office, the most recent being her swearing in on May 6, 2025. Among these policies are:

2:80-E Exhibit – Board Member Code of Conduct

Each member of the Community Unit School District 220 Board of Education ascribes to the following code of conduct:

  1. I will represent all school district constituents honestly and equally and refuse to surrender my responsibilities to special interest or partisan political groups.

  2. I will avoid any conflict of interest or the appearance of impropriety which could result from my position, and shall not use my Board of Education membership for personal gain or publicity.

Board records show that the Board discussed and voted to reaffirm the Code of Conduct on September 5, 2023, where Ding seconded the motion. Ding further serves on the Board’s Policy Committee that once again reviewed and recommended this Code of Conduct on August 24, 2024.

As seen in recent publications, on June 18th, Ding officially launched her candidacy in the Democratic primary in the 52nd House District. In doing so, Ding has squarely violated the Board Member Code of Conduct. In Sec. 2:80-E(1), Ding swore to:

“refuse to surrender (her) responsibilities to special interest or partisan political groups…”

Yet, on June 18 she launched a decidedly partisan campaign for a Democratic position. In Sec. 2:80-E(2), Ding swore to “not use (her) Board of Education membership for personal gain or publicity.” Yet, as seen on her social media pages and in media releases, Ding has published and been quoted using her Board of Education position as a boon for her Democratic campaign:

“As a twice-elected school board member, I care deeply about ensuring all children and people feel valued and seen — and confident that their local representatives will work for them.” (Daily Herald article)

Ding has violated her oath of office and her commitment to non-partisan representation of the Community Unit School District 220 Board of Education. One of the Illinois Democratic Party’s largest funding comes from Illinois Teachers Unions.

Wirepoints recently reported: “In the last four years alone, Illinois lawmakers and political candidates have taken nearly $30 million in contributions from teachers unions and their national affiliates. Nearly $26 million, or 94%, of those contributions have been accepted by Democrats… Since 2020, 19 of the top 20 recipients of teacher union political contributions were Democrats or Democratic Party-supported initiatives.” (https://wirepoints.org/teacher-unions-have-spent-nearly-30-million-on-elections-in-four-years-wirepoints/)

In fact, Illinois Federation of Teachers endorsed the Democratic challenger, Maria Peterson, in the last election for the 52nd House District. (https://www.ift-aft.org/candidates).

You’ll be hard pressed to find a Republican among these endorsements, although there are a few. And, Peterson’s D-2’s for her run for the 52nd exhibits over $37,000.00 in donations from Illinois Federation of Teachers and Lake County Federation of Teachers.

(Click on images to enlarge)

It is implausible to believe that Ding will not be beholden to the teachers’ unions or disavow endorsements and donations from their lobbyists. Similarly, JB Pritzker’s $50,000.00 will be in play,

(Click on image to enlarge)

not to mention the other hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Democratic Party that built up Peterson’s $2,821,571.28 war chest. Ding simply cannot avoid the “appearance of impropriety” while she panders to these partisan special interest groups in order to build her own war chest.

And, of course, she votes on the union contract for the D220 teachers as well as on any disciplinary actions to be taken against a teacher. Yet, she lists among her endorsements multiple “public educators” in Barrington 220. How does this not present a “conflict of interest” and an “appearance of impropriety”?

Beyond these clear violations of the Code of Conduct, in seeking these endorsements Ding has also violated Sec. 2:105 Ethics & Gift Ban, which prohibits acceptance of political favors.

It is also implausible to believe that Ding did not conceive of running for the 52nd at the same time she was running for 220 School Board. Ding deceived the voters in running for her current position on the Community Unit School District 220 Board of Education. In fact, she has commingled her Erin for Illinois social media page with that of her Erin for 220 page as if there’s no distinction.

“Friends of Erin Chan Ding” is listed as being responsible for her “Erin for Illinois” Facebook page in her run for the 52nd District and is the committee that ran Ding’s School Board election. This is another clear violation of her oath and the Code of Conduct. She boldly states: “And yes, I’ll continue to serve on the Barrington 220 school board with my whole heart during this campaign,” as though she has the unfettered right to defy the rules that govern her School Board conduct.

We call upon and urge all voters to demand Ding’s immediate resignation from Community Unit School District 220 Board of Education as she has violated the Board Code and demonstrated her clear partisan representation of the public in this position.

Editorial note: We’d be remiss in failing to point out that two other Community Unit School District 220 Board of Education members have participated in Ding’s announcement that she’s running for higher office, with both Barry Altshuler and Harathi Srivistava appearing at Ding’s announcement party (both pictured in the photo above).

While this may not rise to the level of an OMA violation, it certainly evidences the very partisan (Democratic) nature of your current District 220 Board of Education. Indeed, Srivistava was widely endorsed and largely funded by the Illinois Democratic Party.

Related: “Chan Ding running in Democratic primary in 52nd,” “Three (3) Democratic candidates queued to run for the IL 52nd District House seat in 2026”

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Three (3) Democratic candidates queued to run for the IL 52nd District House seat in 2026

Posted in 220, Animal Welfare, Board of Education, Clown Car, Daily Herald, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Economy, Elections, Ethics, Illinois State Board of Elections, Immigration, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Taxes, Unions on June 14, 2025| 3 Comments »

Jesse Rojo, Erin Chan Ding and Maria Peterson

Three Democratic candidates have declared, or will declare shortly, their candidacies for the Illinois 52nd District House seat currently held by Representative Martin McLaughlin. McLaughlin has held this seat for four and a half years now having won election three times.

On Tuesday, the Daily Herald posted, “Former Barrington village board candidate running for State house seat,” namely Jesse Rojo. Records indicate Rojo, 29, moved to Barrington in March of 2023 from Des Plaines. His social media pages indicates he will be active this Flag Day at “No Kings” events, so look him there today.

Recently reelected CUSD 220 Board of Education member Erin Chan Ding is hosting a “Launch Party” event this coming Wednesday in Barrington to officially announce her candidacy.

And last, Maria Peterson, who ran in the November 2024 52nd District election against Martin McLaughlin, has announced her campaign kickoff event will be held June 23rd in Barrington. Peterson also ran for office in 2022 against former Senate Senator Dan McConchie in the 26th District.

The General Primary Election is on Saint Patrick’s Day, March 17, 2026.

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