The comments posted on this message board represent the individual opinions of their respective posters only and are not to be construed as statements of proven or alleged fact.
I'd like to reply to D87parent's questions related to D41 board members posting on the GEBB:
"I was wondering about the questions that were raised about you posting on this site. If another school board member posts now, does that mean there is a violation of some meetings law? That was mentioned in the notes from last meeting but I was not sure what that meant. I would like to hear from Mr. Kahler and Mr. Ellis, especially since they both posted on here when they were campaigning. Are you limited to only two school board members posting at one time? Please clarify as this does not seem right."
There has been much discussion among BOE members related to our participation on this board. Those conversations seem to have boiled down to two questions: (1) Compliance with the Illinois Open Meetings Act, and (2) the appropriateness of this forum for BOE communications with the public.
The Open Meeting Act ensures that the public has sufficient notice, access and records of our "deliberations and actions" related to district business. The Act applies to any meeting of three or more BOE members, regardless of the forum, for the purpose of discussing public business. However, the Act does not apply to conversations between BOE members and the public, but only those among the BOE members themselves. The Act also excludes gatherings of BOE members where district business is not discussed. To my knowledge, the Act is silent on whether BOE members can "listen" to conversations between another BOE member and the public. Based on these criteria, some have questioned whether three or more BOE members posting to the GEBB constitutes a violation of the Act.
My assumption, at least until I'm indicted, is that three or more BOE members can post on this board without violating the Act as long as we don't have conversations among ourselves regarding D41 business. I'll continue to use this board for communicating exclusively with the public, I'll respond to questions unless they are from other BOE members, and I won't comment on any other BOE member's posts. If possible, I'll start a new thread to keep my posts isolated from other BOE members, and I'll try to wait a day or two to avoid "contemporaneous" discusion of any issue.
Beyond compliance with prevailing laws, I'm unaware of any BOE policy regarding our participation on this or any other board, perhaps in deference to our first ammendment rights.
Jack Kahler
Posts: 32 | Location: United States | Registered: January 08, 2009
I onced had a Sergeant-Major tell me not to ask permission, but to "do it, and apologize later"...
I thank him to this day for that advice, and thank you for your candor. Sometimes the official nature of board communications leads to the impression of opacity. I'm glad you are willing to communicate...and apologize later...
I'm glad I cast my vote for you...
Posts: 249 | Location: United States | Registered: March 26, 2009
Nika, you send your kids all the way to University of Chicago Lab School every day. Audi's, BMWs, Mercedes, and Escalades are the vehicles one sees in their teachers' parking lot.
A few years back when we were buying a house in Cincinnati, we were looking at a house directly across the street from the towns elementary school and parking lot. I mentioned how I wasn't sure about that. The realtor said,"Don't worry about that. The teachers drive really nice cars." She was right.
