Posted in 220, Barrington Education Association, Barrington High School, Board of Education, District 220 referendum, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Ethics, His Master's Voice, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, School Districts, Unions, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on March 31, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Please take 3 minutes to hear some perspectives from a Barrington resident regarding CUSD 220 schools by clicking here. It reflects some of what we share early this morning in our post, “Literacy epidemic hits Illinois as fewer than 1 in 3 students read well.”
Thank you.
Posted in Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Ethics, His Master's Voice, Illinois Policy Institute, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Saint Anne Parish School, Saint Viator High School, Springfield, Unions on March 20, 2025| 2 Comments »
Illinoisans over 90,000 times said they opposed a bill regulating homeschools and private schools, but an Illinois House committee passed it anyway. Now the full Illinois House must face constitutional issues and fierce opposition to the bill.
By Dylan Sharkey | Illinois Policy Institute
A measure regulating homeschool and private schools in Illinois saw a record 90,000-plus public declarations of opposition, but an Illinois House committee ignored them March 19 and advanced the bill for a full House floor vote.
The Illinois House of Representatives’ Education Policy Committee voted 8-4 in favor of House Bill 2827, with one voting “present.” The vote was along party lines.
HB 2827, the “Homeschool Act,” requires all elementary and secondary private schools to register annually with the state and report sensitive information on all enrolled students. It also requires homeschooled children’s information be registered annually and that a curriculum portfolio of their school work be produced on demand.
Illinois Policy staff attorney and director of labor policy Mailee Smith testified before the committee, urging members to vote “no.”
“Nothing in HB 2827 is about what’s best for kids or somehow improves education for those students who are struggling. Instead, it’s about tracking and regulating every single family and school that is not a government public school,” Smith stated in written testimony.
By making private schools disclose the names, addresses and other information about their students, the state government is essentially requiring families’ religions to be disclosed.
HB 2827 would empower the state to ask for an annual “homeschool declaration form” and an “educational portfolio” any time for any reason among other requirements. The portfolio must include a log of curricular materials used and samples of writing, worksheets or other materials written by the child. Public schools are not required to share that same information with the families of enrolled students.
Read more here.
Posted in 220, Agendas, Animal Welfare, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Deception, District 220 referendum, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Education, Elections, Ethics, Fat Bastard, His Master's Voice, Illinois State Board of Elections, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Real Estate, School Districts, Unions, Video Streaming, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on March 18, 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:
A copy of the agenda can be viewed here. The meeting will be live-streamed on the district YouTube channel.
Posted in 220, Agendas, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Capitol News Illinois, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Ethics, His Master's Voice, Open Meetings Act, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, School Districts, Springfield, Taxes, Unions, What the Ficke (Bradford)?, Wirepoints on March 12, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Illinois Democrats backing candidates in new (not really) strategy to get involved in all elections
By Ben Szalinski and Bridgette Fox | Capitol News Illinois
SPRINGFIELD — It’s been just four months since the last election concluded, but another election is on the horizon in Illinois: the April 1 elections for school boards and municipal offices.
Though municipal and school board races in Illinois are nonpartisan, voters may see many of the same political themes that were hallmarks of races during the 2024 presidential election cycle. The Democratic Party of Illinois is applying many of the same tactics it uses in partisan elections to this year’s local races.
“We as the Democratic Party of Illinois should be defending Democratic values in every single election in nonpartisan and partisan elections alike, because all of these local offices have jurisdiction over super critical controls and we think our party has the best platform for governance,” Democratic Party of Illinois Executive Director Ben Hardin said.
The 2025 local elections are the second time that Illinois Democrats are getting involved in nonpartisan races. After recruiting more than 1,000 prospective candidates last year, the state party is supporting 270 candidates for a variety of local offices in all areas of the state.
(Click on image to enlarge)
The party trained the candidates and attached them to “coaches” experienced in running Democratic campaigns. Candidates will also be supported by a six-figure advertising campaign by DPI in the coming weeks.
“I think our voters welcome the information,” Hardin said. “They want to know, and they need to know, who the aligned candidates are.”
It’s also part of the party’s strategy to be more active year-round.
“This is how the party operates now,” Hardin said. “We are not going back to closing up shop after an even-year midterm or presidential election, lying dormant for 18 months and then coming alive again for the next even-year general election.”
Read more here.
Editorial note: This publication strongly endorses incumbent candidates Steve Wang and Katie Karam, as well as that of candidate Deanna Stern, for election to the District 220 Board of Education in the April 1st Election.
Posted in 220, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Countryside Elementary School, District 220 referendum, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, His Master's Voice, League of Women Voters, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, School Districts, Springfield, Unions, What the Ficke (Bradford)?, Wirepoints, WTF on March 10, 2025| 2 Comments »
By Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner | Wirepoints
Take a good look at the book recently read by a teacher to her 4th-grade students at my neighborhood public school in Wilmette. You’ll quickly understand why DEI, and trans-activism in particular, have become so objectionable and divisive, particularly in school settings. And why the backlash at the national level to remove such content from our schools, even among Democrats, has become so powerful.
The book that the Wilmette Central School teacher read out loud is called “It Feels Good to be Yourself.” The teacher begins by describing Ruthie, who at five years old determined that she was a he. Her younger brother was just three-and-a-half years old when he announced he was a he. Both kids inform their parents of the gender decisions they’ve made. The decisions are accepted without question.
The teacher reads on:
“You might feel like a boy. You might feel like a girl. You might feel like both a boy and a girl – or like neither. You might feel like your gender changes from day to day or from year to year. Your feelings about gender are real. Listen to your heart.”
Really? Day to day? To ten-year-olds?
As if that wasn’t enough, the book adds this: Doctors and your parents looked at your “body” and just guessed at your gender when you were born. “Maybe they got it right, maybe they got it wrong.”
It’s hard to reach any conclusion other than this one: This book is being read to 4th-graders only to create gender confusion among impressionable young minds.
Here is a link to a Youtube reading of the book. I encourage you to stick with the six minutes it takes to get through the video.
By any measure, the book’s views are extreme to an overwhelming share of Americans. Normalizing these ideas to little kids in a public school setting – that gender can change day to day and year to year, and that little kids have self-determination – is an extreme proposition. Such ideas don’t belong in our schools.
Read more here, and please vote wisely on April 1st for District 220 Board of Education.
Posted in 220, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Daily Herald, District 220 referendum, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, His Master's Voice, Illinois State Board of Elections, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, School Districts, Taxes, Unions, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on March 4, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Steve Wang, Katie Karam and Deanna Stern are three of six candidates up for four four-year seats in the Barrington Area Unit District 220 Board of Education April 2025 election.
Report by Steve Zalusky | Daily Herald
Candidates for the Barrington Area Unit District 220 school board were asked what they would change about the district at a candidate forum held by the League of Women Voters Sunday at the Barrington Area Library.
Incumbent Steve Wang said he would like to see the district continue being a voice for the parents and taxpayers. Wang praised the district’s leadership, programs, students and educators. He pointed to the district’s AAA bond rating, contract agreements with teachers and support staff and its successful addition of two superintendents.
Incumbent Katie Karam, noting that 220 is a unit district encompassing both the elementary and high school levels, suggested a mentorship program. High schoolers would mentor middle schoolers, while middle schoolers would do the same for elementary students.
Challenger Deanna Stern said she would like to promote less device usage in all of the schools and focus more on old-fashioned communication and even going back to actual textbooks. She also said students need to improve typing skills.
Read more here.
Related: “Barrington District 220 School Board candidate forum recordings released”
Posted in 220, Agendas, Aunt Blabby, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Economy, Education, Elections, Ethics, His Master's Voice, Hoffman Estates, Immigration, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Look For The Union Label, Open Meetings Act, Organizations, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, School Districts, South Barrington, Taxes, Transparency, Unions, Video Streaming, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on March 4, 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:
A copy of the agenda can be viewed here. The meeting will be live-streamed on the district YouTube channel.
Posted in 220, Agendas, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, District 220 referendum, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Ethics, His Master's Voice, Illinois State Board of Elections, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), League of Women Voters, Look For The Union Label, Open Meetings Act, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, School Districts, Taxes, Unions, Video Recordings, Video Streaming, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on February 18, 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:
A copy of the agenda can be viewed here. The meeting will be live-streamed on the district YouTube channel.
Posted in 220, Agendas, BACOG, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Deception, District 220 referendum, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Education, EJ&E/Canadian National, Elections, Ethics, His Master's Voice, Illinois State Board of Elections, Look For The Union Label, Organizations, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Real Estate, School Districts, Unions, Video Streaming, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on February 4, 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:
A copy of the agenda can be viewed here. The meeting will be live-streamed on the district YouTube channel.
Posted in 220, Barbarian Migrants in Busses at the Gate, Board of Education, Crime, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Economy, His Master's Voice, Immigration, One Barrington Hills, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, School Districts, Taxes, What the Ficke (Bradford)?, Wirepoints on January 25, 2025| Leave a Comment »
By Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner | Wirepoints
“Chaos and confusion.” That’s what Gov. J.B. Pritzker claims President Trump is creating as he plans to deport from America illegal immigrants with criminal records. Some 530,000 illegal immigrants reside in Illinois, the nation’s fifth-most according to the Center for Immigration Studies. Pritzker says Trump might initially target as many as 2,000 immigrants in Illinois for deportation.
Many Illinoisans will be surprised by Pritzker’s claim given the chaos he’s created with his own staunch support of open borders and Illinois’ sanctuary status. It’s been nearly three years of daily disorder in Illinois, largely in Chicago. Streams of incoming buses, full of illegal immigrants. Overrun police stations. Immigrant camps. Disenfranchised residents. Public confrontations between the mayor and the governor. Even more crime. It’s been ugly.
Then there are the costs of Pritzker and his Democratic supermajorities’ support for sanctuary policies. It will be some time before we can properly account for all the spending, but it, too, contributes heavily to the chaos. Billions are being siphoned away from Illinois’ actual residents and directed toward migrants. That’s money that could have gone to more services for Illinois’ most vulnerable citizens, or to lower taxes, or to smaller budget deficits.
Take spending on immigrant healthcare alone. A Wirepoints review of IDHFS’ most recent reports shows the state has spent a cumulative $1.5 billion since 2022 on the approximately 42,000 illegal immigrants who’ve enrolled in state-funded programs called Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors (HBIS) and Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults (HBIA). Those programs don’t qualify for a federal Medicaid match, so the full cost is borne by Illinois taxpayers.
That’s on top of the healthcare spending on “asylum seekers” who are separately eligible for Medicaid. Wirepoints was not able to obtain those costs.
(Click on image to enlarge)
There’s also spending on housing, transportation, legal services and more for the asylum seekers. We estimated those costs earlier last year and they add up to hundreds of millions more.
Read more here.
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