Until the voters in Evanston make changes at the voting booth, the district will continue down this path of reckless spending, sketchy ethics, and dwindling academic achievement for all but the children of involved and likely affluent white parents. Who are also the voters in town. People in Evanston like to bandy about DEI terms in order to signal progressive/liberal virtue but clearly it is just all signal. The facts is that they don’t see the district as harming the academic prospects for *their* kids. Their kids’ teachers are probably great. So there is limited impetus for them to demand change. Their kids aren’t going to be stuck at some behemoth k-8 school full of underachievers and economically-challenged classmates and won’t potentially be exposed to any area criminal danger. So they think it is great for the maligned community that doesn’t have a neighborhood school. It’s like gun violence. Until Republican lawmakers start having their kids mowed down in school shootings or other public mass shootings, there will never be a reason for them to enact legislation to make it stop. Same with this school board and their seemingly hell-bent goal to ruin the district- they won’t get voted out until the people who cast most of the ballots in town are impacted enough to remember to vote before their flight to vacation departs. You get what you vote for, and this city has voted for this.
Ha! Truth. Mainstream America actually thinks a lot of the progressive agenda is shite, but just like here in Evanston, they don’t want to be called racist, so they don’t speak out. The voting booth is private, though. So outside of our bubble, you will see those actions speak louder than words. This city has turned me from liberal Democrat to moderate Republican. I can’t see voting for a Republican President, but I’d vote for Haggerty in a millisecond if given the chance.
That’s not what I wrote nor implied. Quite the opposite. Which is why I said watch what happens in upcoming elections outside our bubble of delusion in Evanston. Here, like perhaps on social media or via influencing media, extreme left policies and ideas get traction and the majority of people do not agree with them. In Evanston, it is risky to stand up and say so. In the rest of the world, it’s how pent up frustration leads the crazies to attack mannequins in Target. There will inevitably be a swing in the pendulum- and ruefully I suspect that swing will take substantive progress we have made with it. We are already seeing this nationwide with book bans, healthcare rights, etc. So I say beware to those who think everything is peachy keen here in Evanston: it’s not and eventually the voters will get to the booth and demonstrate that.
I would love to connect about what is happening at Lincoln Elementary School. Handful of tenured, exceptional rated teachers leaving this year for surrounding districts
Wait. Horton essentially recruited a D65 staff member to a job out of town? I would think that his contract should have a non-solicit clause in it (I'm waiting for a FOIA on his contract)
He was at the Oswego board meeting in May. Yes, that's after he told DeKalb that he wanted to start work for them while he was still working for D65. So he was theoretically working for three districts simultaneously. Who knows how much time he was spending on his real estate empire as well?!??
I'm on this story. What a massive lapse of ethics to get paid by D65 while also getting paid by another firm to *steal D65 superintendent candidates* - like, if this was a corporate environment, you'd get sued into oblivion.
Horton was on the committee since the start of the Oswego's supt search. I can't image this would be ethical...bordering on illegal? Not sure though...
Probably not illegal but I would think/hope that his employment contract has a non-solicitation agreement in it, which would make this type of thing problematic. At the very least, it's a massive ethical failure.
Did all of these top positions go to former AUSL people at once due to just one school board hiring spree, or was this spread out over time as they hired former colleagues they knew and trusted? It's shocking to see so many hires from a program with very little success to justify their draconian methods.
Until the voters in Evanston make changes at the voting booth, the district will continue down this path of reckless spending, sketchy ethics, and dwindling academic achievement for all but the children of involved and likely affluent white parents. Who are also the voters in town. People in Evanston like to bandy about DEI terms in order to signal progressive/liberal virtue but clearly it is just all signal. The facts is that they don’t see the district as harming the academic prospects for *their* kids. Their kids’ teachers are probably great. So there is limited impetus for them to demand change. Their kids aren’t going to be stuck at some behemoth k-8 school full of underachievers and economically-challenged classmates and won’t potentially be exposed to any area criminal danger. So they think it is great for the maligned community that doesn’t have a neighborhood school. It’s like gun violence. Until Republican lawmakers start having their kids mowed down in school shootings or other public mass shootings, there will never be a reason for them to enact legislation to make it stop. Same with this school board and their seemingly hell-bent goal to ruin the district- they won’t get voted out until the people who cast most of the ballots in town are impacted enough to remember to vote before their flight to vacation departs. You get what you vote for, and this city has voted for this.
https://twitter.com/antoniogm/status/1586208736120487936
Ha! Truth. Mainstream America actually thinks a lot of the progressive agenda is shite, but just like here in Evanston, they don’t want to be called racist, so they don’t speak out. The voting booth is private, though. So outside of our bubble, you will see those actions speak louder than words. This city has turned me from liberal Democrat to moderate Republican. I can’t see voting for a Republican President, but I’d vote for Haggerty in a millisecond if given the chance.
100% agree
So now liberal democrats think they are the silent majority? Rofl
That’s not what I wrote nor implied. Quite the opposite. Which is why I said watch what happens in upcoming elections outside our bubble of delusion in Evanston. Here, like perhaps on social media or via influencing media, extreme left policies and ideas get traction and the majority of people do not agree with them. In Evanston, it is risky to stand up and say so. In the rest of the world, it’s how pent up frustration leads the crazies to attack mannequins in Target. There will inevitably be a swing in the pendulum- and ruefully I suspect that swing will take substantive progress we have made with it. We are already seeing this nationwide with book bans, healthcare rights, etc. So I say beware to those who think everything is peachy keen here in Evanston: it’s not and eventually the voters will get to the booth and demonstrate that.
Ignore the trolls!
I would love to connect about what is happening at Lincoln Elementary School. Handful of tenured, exceptional rated teachers leaving this year for surrounding districts
My son is at Lincoln! I know of a few. Feel free to email me: tom@foiagras.com!
Just saw that Oswego hired D65 Assistant Super Andalib Khelghati to be their superintendent.
Not surprisingly, Horton was hired by Oswego to conduct the search.
Not sure if he was an AUSL guy, but it is interesting to see Horton recruit D65 people to work for another district.
https://www.shawlocal.com/kendall-county-now/news/education/2023/06/15/evanstonskokie-school-district-administrator-picked-as-new-oswego-sd308-superintendent/
Wait. Horton essentially recruited a D65 staff member to a job out of town? I would think that his contract should have a non-solicit clause in it (I'm waiting for a FOIA on his contract)
https://www.wspynews.com/news/local/process-outlined-for-new-308-superintendent-search/article_5033644c-b76b-11ed-84fa-83c76b154f3b.html
This article was written in February confirming Horton's involvment.
He was at the Oswego board meeting in May. Yes, that's after he told DeKalb that he wanted to start work for them while he was still working for D65. So he was theoretically working for three districts simultaneously. Who knows how much time he was spending on his real estate empire as well?!??
https://www.shawlocal.com/kendall-county-now/2023/05/10/consultants-profile-details-qualities-oswego-sd308-community-is-seeking-in-new-school-superintendent/
I'm on this story. What a massive lapse of ethics to get paid by D65 while also getting paid by another firm to *steal D65 superintendent candidates* - like, if this was a corporate environment, you'd get sued into oblivion.
I found his Oswego board slides:
https://go.boarddocs.com/il/oswego308/Board.nsf/files/CRMLZ95891AC/$file/Oswego%20308%20New%20Superintendent%20Profile%20Report%5B2%5D.pptx.pdf
Story on this coming soon. Need to get comments from stakeholders
Horton was on the committee since the start of the Oswego's supt search. I can't image this would be ethical...bordering on illegal? Not sure though...
Probably not illegal but I would think/hope that his employment contract has a non-solicitation agreement in it, which would make this type of thing problematic. At the very least, it's a massive ethical failure.
Did all of these top positions go to former AUSL people at once due to just one school board hiring spree, or was this spread out over time as they hired former colleagues they knew and trusted? It's shocking to see so many hires from a program with very little success to justify their draconian methods.
Hired mostly over time, as most things like this go, people tend to hire their friends.
I know of 5 more administrators who were former AUSL members at CPS.
oh boy - can you email me that list tom@foiagras.com - will keep your email anonymous.
I may have to mail it to you...
You can if you like or just google “anonymous email service” and fire off an anon email to me