The web site www.preserve41.com has been updated with new campaign literature. Please download, print, and share with people in your neighborhood. On the site is a terrific 4 page fact sheet and a tri-fold brochure. You will see a lot of these in the next 3 weeks.

It is now 3 weeks before the results of our campaign are in. It is unprecedented to see the number of NO signs in this community. That's because, for the first time, a NO vote can't be viewed as anti-school. Even teachers don't like the referendum. Thanks to you and to the teachers for your courage to speak out.

But there is much more to do! Don't preach to the choir, complaining about the arrogance of the Board or the way your tax dollars are spent in a propaganda campaign. Go to your neighbors and tell them we like our kids in our neighborhood school. Our kids can grow up later.

Go vote early! We are your neighbors, and we want to help you out. If anyone needs a ride to the polls, have them contact us. If you would like to host a coffee, or help spread the word that we don't have to overhaul the entire curriculum to embrace our young families, we can use your help. Contact info@preserve41.com

A Bad Solution Is No Solutiion.

By now, you have seen the signs, received brochures, and joined us at various re-education sessions. Perhaps you have visited our site www.preserve41.com and sent us an email. We will be calling on you to volunteer your precinct work very soon.

We have now set up donations by credit card on the web site. Please help offset the costs of postage (yes, the mailer is coming), brochures, leaflets, and website costs. This campaign is funded by dedicated people, not the District or the PTA. With your help, we are heard.

Just did. Glad it's so convenient!

I actually sent him an e-mail last night about where to send a check. F that online stuff.

Clam...your friend and my neighbor...has a vote yes sign...What's up with dat? Hopefully it's just for appearances.

gave my "NO" donation last week and i'm now well signed...keep up the good work. tape a sign up in your car too!!!

quote:

Originally posted by Fish:
Clam...your friend and my neighbor...has a vote yes sign...What's up with dat? Hopefully it's just for appearances.

Which one...the candidate?

Oh...them. That's the Mrs. She is a PTAer.

Good job, Ron. The north end of Regent Street is chock full of "No" signs. I like that.

I hear that the PTA is marshalling its forces to get the foot soldiers lined up. Phone calls, e-mail with the "there's-no-other-choice, we've-been-debating-this-for-years" pleas, and the all predictable pressure to put the sign on the front lawn. Keep up that badgering, because it's turning people off left and right. Thanks, PTA, you've added more "no" votes. I think we are seeing what the schools say that we have zero tolerance for.

I am the kind of loser that mindlessly drives up and down the streets of GE for little good reason. Perhaps it is colorblindness on my part, but I see just as many green signs as white ones. Seems about 50/50 in all neighborhoods. Given that a lot of the Yes sign people might just vote no and a lot of the don't-have-a-sign people are Nos...I just don't see this as anything but a 55/45 victory for the Green Party.

I must admit that I was really surprised at the corridor of Yes signs on Hawthorne between the school and Newton. May be too many exhaust fumes on that block.

Clam that corridor is in the Churchill attendance area where a large majority of the overcrowding is. They feel they have no other choice but to aleviate the overcrowding at Churchill by sending the overflow to Hadley.

Clam, I think besides the bus fumes, the other answer might be the close proximity of these "yes" voters to Hadley. Afterall, their kids won't even have to cross the Western Avenue freeway to get to the super school. So, while most of the rest of the community will have to put their 10 year olds on a bus to send them to the super school, the Churchill parents have them just a short walk away. Which brings up an important question. Which will be more dangerous, trying to cross Western Avenue (for the rest of the kids) or crossing the bus barn parking lot?

Some of those homes have children who will not be in the Hadley Superschool but were likely asked to put signs up. I saw a school employee at church last night and she thanked me for my "No" sign. I told her I understood why she couldn't put one up and that there are a number of people being somewhat pressured to put up signs for visibility purposes. I believe a number of those signs by Hadley are for that reason and unfortunately, either the people have no backbone, are wishy-washy on the issue, or are truly intimidated to say no to having a sign. Obviously some people are in support of this ill-conceived project but I truly think most are not so sure.

Many of these Hawthorne families have had their children cross an actual highway - Geneva Road - since kindergarten. Thank you for noting the speed zone when chidren are present. Hawthorne's many signs are just because it's the street on the way to Hadley = visibility.

Well! I guess we struck a nerve with our postcards and brochures! Out of 6000 postcards and door to door contact, we received numerous converts to the pro-neighborhood side. Predictably, we also received a couple nastygrams from the GrowingD41 people.

One question that came up was our claim in our brochure that the majority of 5678 schools in the State of Illinois were populated with less than 500 students. Where on earth could we get such information? We got our figures from the ISBE interactive report card for each of those schools. See this chart which we prepared using ISBE figures. http://www.preserve41.com/pdf/5-8-Schools-2006.pdf

Another question came up. We say this concept requires a curriculum overhaul. They question where we could possibly get this idea. We get this from the District's own words.

"http://www.d41.org/facilities/news.htm#6
District 41 facilities recommendation set for Nov. 14(posted 10/28/05)
The recommendation comes after a two-year planning process during which the district has held numerous public meetings, collected data from staff, students and community and studied various options. The recommendation will outline a building concept at one of two locations, either on the open space at the Hadley Junior High campus on Hawthorne Blvd. between Kenilworth and Glencoe, or the vacant Spalding site north of St. Charles Rd. on Park Blvd. between First and Second streets. Consistent with the Facilities Task Force of last year, the recommendation will include a curricular plan for a new program structure: four K-4 elementary schools, one 5-6 intermediate school, and one 7-8 junior high. Currently, the district has four K-5 elementary schools and one 6-8 junior high school. The recommendation will also address the neighborhood, community and district-wide impact as well as financial considerations. As part of the background work for the recommendation, traffic studies have been conducted at both the Hadley and Spalding sites and the 2004 comprehensive demographic study is being updated to provide the most accurate enrollment projections possible."

Preserve41 deals in facts, not pressure or emotional blackmail. If you need any more clarification on any other statements we make, please feel free to ask.

Ron, you are my hero!

Slogging to the train in this horrendous weather, my mood was significantly brightened by the sight of a lovely young lass braving the storm to hand out Preserve41 literature at the train station.

Thanks so much to everyone who is making this effort, which will be to the benefit of everyone.

Datapoint - the guy I was waiting with commented, "There's no way this thing is going to pass. Every person I've heard talk about it has been against it."

We can only hope, and continue putting up the good fight!

Thought I'd share an email that came across my computer today....have fun.

Hello- Thanks for your time!

Twelve and a half years ago, I based my decision to move to Glen Ellyn to raise my family on an understanding that this community values education. I believe for the most part this still holds true, but I am concerned about changes in the quality of education that can be delivered as we have outgrown our facilities. Looking at the schools and seeing 26 mobile classrooms with more kids coming I start to wonder. There is a big problem here.



Almost 600 kids are being educated in trailers. More kids are coming. Hadley has only 15 or 16 teachers that have permanent classrooms. The others store resources on carts in a storage area. This limits what learning experiences the teachers can plan and the students experience. On rainy days students going in and out of the trailers get wet. On windy days with sustained 35mph winds, teachers and almost 600 students must leave the portables and find another place to learn. Sometimes, only public spaces such as libraries and lunch rooms are available, which lack classroom resources but offer many distractions. Special services that we are now required to offer have consumed space and teaching has spilled over into the hallways, closets, stages and workrooms. Increasing class size is not the answer to the demands that growth has put on District 41.



In-depth research has been done by the community members, educators, board and administrators for over the last 4 years. The District 41 plan is an excellent plan for our community. It is educationally and fiscally responsible to the people and students of District 41. Please support the hard work that has been done by people wanting the best for our community by joining me and voting yes on April 17 for District 41's referendum.

quote:

Originally posted by Fish:
Thought I'd share an email that came across my computer today....have fun.

Hello- Thanks for your time!

Twelve and a half years ago, I based my decision to move to Glen Ellyn to raise my family on an understanding that this community values education. I believe for the most part this still holds true, but I am concerned about changes in the quality of education that can be delivered as we have outgrown our facilities. Looking at the schools and seeing 26 mobile classrooms with more kids coming I start to wonder. There is a big problem here.



Almost 600 kids are being educated in trailers. More kids are coming. Hadley has only 15 or 16 teachers that have permanent classrooms. The others store resources on carts in a storage area. This limits what learning experiences the teachers can plan and the students experience. On rainy days students going in and out of the trailers get wet. On windy days with sustained 35mph winds, teachers and almost 600 students must leave the portables and find another place to learn. Sometimes, only public spaces such as libraries and lunch rooms are available, which lack classroom resources but offer many distractions. Special services that we are now required to offer have consumed space and teaching has spilled over into the hallways, closets, stages and workrooms. Increasing class size is not the answer to the demands that growth has put on District 41.



In-depth research has been done by the community members, educators, board and administrators for over the last 4 years. The District 41 plan is an excellent plan for our community. It is educationally and fiscally responsible to the people and students of District 41. Please support the hard work that has been done by people wanting the best for our community by joining me and voting yes on April 17 for District 41's referendum.

Well? Did you respond to this person? You might want to send them the link to PreserveD41 so they can read all about how the dreaded portables will NOT be gone if the ref passes.