Post by momof3 on Mar 22, 2006 11:54:04 GMT -6
Oh, and Cathy and Jim Peschke routinely give seminars on how to defeat school referendums. Here is a lovely article I found.
From The Northwest Herald
Tax group to oppose D-50 referendum
By GENEVA WHITE
gwhite@nwherald.com
HARVARD – XXXXXXXXX Peschke is only a month old, but her parents say they already know she likely will not attend District 50 schools.
"Unless Harvard schools improve, no, she won't," said Kathy Peschke, who with her husband, Jim, founded Citizens for Reasonable and Fair Taxes, an anti-referendum group that has lobbied against several recent referendums in McHenry County. "There's a lot of poor teachers at the schools, and they continue to be there year after year."
But ask District 50 officials about performance, and they say teachers are doing their best to provide quality education despite the district's uncertain financial outlook.
Many teachers bring in their own supplies and resources to compensate for outdated materials, said Assistant Superintendent Sue Smith, who is a principal at Central Elementary School.
"They make an effort to make sure students get all the materials they need," Smith said. "You won't find a teacher in this district who doesn't work really hard to provide the extra things that students need."
With the school board's decision Wednesday to place a 55-cent tax referendum on the November ballot still ringing in their ears, the Peschkes already are planning strategies to discourage voters from approving the tax increase.
If approved, the increase would cost the owner of a $200,000 home who takes the homestead exemption about $339.17 more a year in property taxes.
Officials say they think the additional revenue would allow 13.5 teachers who were cut over the last two years to return to their jobs and would help resurrect some activities, such as freshman football at Harvard High School.
The money also would be used to update technology in Harvard schools as well as textbooks.
"It takes dollars to provide education," school board President Ken Book said. "No matter what you're looking at in the business world, you've got to have dollars to spend in order to survive."
But instead of asking voters to approve another referendum, Jim Peschke said the district should cut costs, starting with teachers' salaries.
"I think their raises are too large," he said. "The pay scale doesn't pay for performance, it pays for the number of candles on the birthday cake."
etc.....etc.....etc.....
From The Northwest Herald
Tax group to oppose D-50 referendum
By GENEVA WHITE
gwhite@nwherald.com
HARVARD – XXXXXXXXX Peschke is only a month old, but her parents say they already know she likely will not attend District 50 schools.
"Unless Harvard schools improve, no, she won't," said Kathy Peschke, who with her husband, Jim, founded Citizens for Reasonable and Fair Taxes, an anti-referendum group that has lobbied against several recent referendums in McHenry County. "There's a lot of poor teachers at the schools, and they continue to be there year after year."
But ask District 50 officials about performance, and they say teachers are doing their best to provide quality education despite the district's uncertain financial outlook.
Many teachers bring in their own supplies and resources to compensate for outdated materials, said Assistant Superintendent Sue Smith, who is a principal at Central Elementary School.
"They make an effort to make sure students get all the materials they need," Smith said. "You won't find a teacher in this district who doesn't work really hard to provide the extra things that students need."
With the school board's decision Wednesday to place a 55-cent tax referendum on the November ballot still ringing in their ears, the Peschkes already are planning strategies to discourage voters from approving the tax increase.
If approved, the increase would cost the owner of a $200,000 home who takes the homestead exemption about $339.17 more a year in property taxes.
Officials say they think the additional revenue would allow 13.5 teachers who were cut over the last two years to return to their jobs and would help resurrect some activities, such as freshman football at Harvard High School.
The money also would be used to update technology in Harvard schools as well as textbooks.
"It takes dollars to provide education," school board President Ken Book said. "No matter what you're looking at in the business world, you've got to have dollars to spend in order to survive."
But instead of asking voters to approve another referendum, Jim Peschke said the district should cut costs, starting with teachers' salaries.
"I think their raises are too large," he said. "The pay scale doesn't pay for performance, it pays for the number of candles on the birthday cake."
etc.....etc.....etc.....
