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Post by jftb on May 29, 2008 14:49:47 GMT -6
I hate to sound jaded, but this is SOP in D204. Pit areas against each other to get what you want. Feed bits and pieces of information/slander to the right "groups" to acheive the goal. The ends always justify the means. Everyone remembers how Ashbury was hung out to dry in 2001 to get the freshman centers approved, right? It was pretty bad, but nothing like they are doing today. Actually got here in '02. What happened? Are you referring to the kindergartners going to Builta? |
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Post by slp on May 29, 2008 15:39:06 GMT -6
If I recall, shortly before spring break the path went: SB member(s) --> attorney --> PTSA people --> people assigned to collect signatures from neighborhoods (complete w/ word docs and excel spreadsheet of who is in charge of what neighborhood) also indicating a notary was standing by to notarize the completed forms. It also could have been just one too many Molson Ices and I imagined the whole thing...  sounds almost like the the organized groups who went out before the 06 referendum passing out fliers door to door ...with neighborhood captains and all. We even had excel spreadsheets too! |
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Post by d204mom on May 29, 2008 15:46:00 GMT -6
I hate to sound jaded, but this is SOP in D204. Pit areas against each other to get what you want. Feed bits and pieces of information/slander to the right "groups" to acheive the goal. The ends always justify the means. Everyone remembers how Ashbury was hung out to dry in 2001 to get the freshman centers approved, right? It was pretty bad, but nothing like they are doing today. Actually got here in '02. What happened? Are you referring to the kindergartners going to Builta? It started with that and then quickly devolved into a witch hunt.  Time for healing in District 204
Naperville Sun, The (IL) - March 4, 2001 The bitterly contested Indian Prairie School District 204 election is over, and the district's residents will have some new school buildings, some new teachers, and some higher taxes. Strangely enough, the district's tax increase proposals did not become bitterly contested until a scant few weeks before the election, when opposition coalesced around a group calling itself WE CARE 2. Then the fur began to fly, with each group accusing the other of misrepresenting the facts. We are not going to rehash the respective stands, or decree who is right and who is wrong. Though we believe there were more good reasons to vote for the referendum questions than against them, we also believe there were valid concerns, as well as some that were not valid, raised by the opponents. Moreover, for some people, supporting or not supporting a referendum question has to be viewed with the limits of their household income in mind, and increasing the tax rate in the education fund will raise taxes quite a bit. Unfortunately the debate became rancorous, and sometimes more heat than light was generated. It seems to us many of the people involved in this took it much too personally, and what should have been a discussion of the needs of the district and the merit of the referendum questions got bogged down in the questioning of character and motive. What we would like to see now is for everyone to join together and move forward for the good of the district. This referendum fight was sort of like a civil war without borders. Residents in both counties approved both issues, so it did not become a DuPage vs. Will, north vs. south contest. This is good, because the district needs cohesiveness. Rather, it was a neighbor vs. neighbor disagreement. In Ashbury subdivision, which had both strong proponents of both questions and the leadership of the opposition, one resident told the Sun of enforcing a "no referendum talking" rule when friends got together for dinner. But, as another Ashbury resident said, "Now we need to put this behind us and move forward." We agree. This issue is over, and it is time for residents to move on to other things, for the good of the district, the good of their children and the good of the neighborhood. |
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Post by fence on May 30, 2008 8:22:51 GMT -6
And then we have the NSFOCfrauders, orange shirt contingency and Dr. D's neighbors, for whom it is now so crystal clear that the referendum was never about the BB site. Let's be honest folks....the orange shirts voted no in 2006 because of the BB land location (but it is now about the children and overcrowding). For the District to engage those who obviously benefit the most from the AMES location to justify its conduct and actions is reprehensible.Unfortunately this is nothing new. Engaging those who obviously benefit the most from <fill in the blank> is the MO of our SB and I highly doubt this will be the last we see of that tactic. So where do we go from here? I will not say "heal the district" because honestly that seems a little sappy. Everyone just wants their own way - there's no interest in healing. And for that matter, who cares if we don't get along? I don't have to get along with people who live in other areas of the district and they don't have to get along with me. But let's just move on. Sign whatever position you want and say whatever you want about WE and TG being "punished" by being forced to attend your school - nice. In my opinion, those who clearly want out of WV or felt their own version of entitlement for a new school in their area - GOOD RIDDANCE. The new WV is coming to town - we'll wave to you on the way to the top of the bracket How's that for healing? Living well is the best revenge. That's my strategy. |
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Post by Arch on May 30, 2008 9:21:09 GMT -6
There are ways to achieve goals and make it a 'win' for all without putting neighbor against neighbor. It just takes more effort.
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Post by slp on May 30, 2008 9:29:48 GMT -6
And then we have the NSFOCfrauders, orange shirt contingency and Dr. D's neighbors, for whom it is now so crystal clear that the referendum was never about the BB site. Let's be honest folks....the orange shirts voted no in 2006 because of the BB land location (but it is now about the children and overcrowding). For the District to engage those who obviously benefit the most from the AMES location to justify its conduct and actions is reprehensible.Unfortunately this is nothing new. Engaging those who obviously benefit the most from <fill in the blank> is the MO of our SB and I highly doubt this will be the last we see of that tactic. So where do we go from here? I will not say "heal the district" because honestly that seems a little sappy. Everyone just wants their own way - there's no interest in healing. And for that matter, who cares if we don't get along? I don't have to get along with people who live in other areas of the district and they don't have to get along with me. But let's just move on. Sign whatever position you want and say whatever you want about WE and TG being "punished" by being forced to attend your school - nice. In my opinion, those who clearly want out of WV or felt their own version of entitlement for a new school in their area - GOOD RIDDANCE. The new WV is coming to town - we'll wave to you on the way to the top of the bracket How's that for healing? Living well is the best revenge. That's my strategy. Great post! And add to that ...those that wanted out of WVHS so badly are not allowed to come back! Be careful what you wish for! Go Warriors! |
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Post by Arch on May 30, 2008 9:31:50 GMT -6
I'd just hope that some who want back in can be, and send closer areas north to the shiny new school.
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Post by fence on May 30, 2008 9:38:55 GMT -6
That is very true, it's unfortunate that this has been done in the first place. There was absolutely a better, more diplomatic way to have handled this entire situation. It just doesn't seem that our SB has that communication style, or the objective for us all to get along, or to be generous, the basic talent of diplomacy. It seems though in this case that we simply all need to agree to disagree. The district "healing" to people means that we all agree that one group is right and the other is wrong. When you have one group suing the district, and another group villifying subdivisions through the local paper and petition, and a SB that seems to have the puppet strings on all of it, we're a little too far past concensus. There are ways to achieve goals and make it a 'win' for all without putting neighbor against neighbor. It just takes more effort. |
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Post by fence on May 30, 2008 9:42:28 GMT -6
I believe that some of this will happen before the school opens. If Watts is put back into WV (fingers crossed) as it should be, we will be unstoppable  I'd just hope that some who want back in can be, and send closer areas north to the shiny new school. |
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Post by slp on May 30, 2008 9:45:18 GMT -6
I believe that some of this will happen before the school opens. If Watts is put back into WV (fingers crossed) as it should be, we will be unstoppable I'd just hope that some who want back in can be, and send closer areas north to the shiny new school. I would love to see Watts back into WVHS. |
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Post by Arch on May 30, 2008 10:11:42 GMT -6
I believe that some of this will happen before the school opens. If Watts is put back into WV (fingers crossed) as it should be, we will be unstoppable I would love to see Watts back into WVHS. Even if that happens, I am turning over every stone I can in various governmental departments to see what can be done to help 'beef up' the safety of the lines through the property. Even if that includes 'suggestions' to company legal and PR departments. |
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Post by JB on May 30, 2008 13:39:51 GMT -6
I believe that some of this will happen before the school opens. If Watts is put back into WV (fingers crossed) as it should be, we will be unstoppable I would love to see Watts back into WVHS. Long time, no post - Mom always told me if I didn't have anything nice to say, don't say it. However, Fence and SLP, letting us back into WV would be a dream come true - thanks for your thoughts! I'd love to be with there with you guys. Doesn't really change the issues with the Metea site - safety, operational expenses... Wait, Mom's calling me... |
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Post by doctorwho on May 30, 2008 16:51:37 GMT -6
Not sure what is perplexing - the vote totals by voting precinct are pretty clear. Also did you not see the orange shirt march before hand and listen to that rhetoric ? p.s. - is either HS the furthest from your home as it is for me ? Is either well oer 30 minute commute in rush hour ? Do you have 2 middle schools closer to your home than the one your area attends ? Welcome to my world. I know exactly what I worked for and voted for also. You feel it's the right way to go for the kids - what about the kids in the 4 areas that have similar circumstances as mine - is it right for them also ? I don't Doctor Who, You are correct. I still can't figure out why some of those areas are directed to the schools they are. My kid has friends that live in the Watts area. They walk for about a mile to go past NC to get downtown all of the time. I honestly thought that area would have been 203. I guess the point I am making is that I think a lot of folks went on rants during the whole boundary snafu but when push came to shove most (as evidenced by the majority vote) felt that a third high school was the best thing for the district. I think it sucks that some kids will be on buses longer but some will be on shorter bus rides. Ultimately, I do think the benefits and opportunities of smaller HS's outweigh the cons for everyone. I drive my kid about 5-6 miles now for school sports etc. and honestly would continue to do so if allowed to keep my younger kids at WV . Ironically, my younger one may want to go to Benet  as we gave the private school option to each kid . I do realize that some would prefer closer, very packed schools as opposed to further smaller schools. But it also appears that we may have similar preferences since you chose a further, smaller school yourself when you sent your kid(s) to Benet? -- a little bit closer than NV - over a mile closer than WV and MV btw is 7.3 miles from my home - the shortest route of the many I have takeen. ( I am next to Hobson Ponds for reference) - So Benet saves 6 miles a day from my home -- 1056 miles per year - over 4000 miles over 4 years--- that's quite a lot. the other problem with MV is not only extra distance compared to WV - it's the time. I can get to WVHS in less than 10 minutes when need be -- rickert to 75th to ogden - 5 stoplights. I have driven MV 3 times in the last few weeks at rush hour to check one last time - and the shortest time was 28 minutes -- that was Eola to McCoy - cutting behind the Mall to 59 - left on Ogden - then enter Watts - of which I am at the SE end. btw: Wheaton Warrenville South is 1.2 miles closer to my home than MV @ AME. And people wonder why we are pissed off. |
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Post by doctorwho on May 30, 2008 16:56:27 GMT -6
I believe that some of this will happen before the school opens. If Watts is put back into WV (fingers crossed) as it should be, we will be unstoppable I'd just hope that some who want back in can be, and send closer areas north to the shiny new school. It's too late for me - but for my friends and neighbors -- I so wish this should happen. We got totally screwed in this deal - and then totally ignored by the people we helped elect-- this is the part that upsets me the most. Many of which won't even acknowledge e-mails any more. We never got the option to stay at WVHS like some others did - we just got the boot- then the silent treatement ( followed by take one for the team, and sit down and shut up) |
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Post by macy on May 30, 2008 17:29:07 GMT -6
Unfortunately this is nothing new. Engaging those who obviously benefit the most from <fill in the blank> is the MO of our SB and I highly doubt this will be the last we see of that tactic. So where do we go from here? I will not say "heal the district" because honestly that seems a little sappy. Everyone just wants their own way - there's no interest in healing. And for that matter, who cares if we don't get along? I don't have to get along with people who live in other areas of the district and they don't have to get along with me. But let's just move on. Sign whatever position you want and say whatever you want about WE and TG being "punished" by being forced to attend your school - nice. In my opinion, those who clearly want out of WV or felt their own version of entitlement for a new school in their area - GOOD RIDDANCE. The new WV is coming to town - we'll wave to you on the way to the top of the bracket How's that for healing? Living well is the best revenge. That's my strategy. Great post! And add to that ...those that wanted out of WVHS so badly are not allowed to come back! Be careful what you wish for! Go Warriors! Fence and Slp, Great thoughts!!! Go Warriors! ETA: My new goal is to get the Watts area assigned to WVHS as they were totally shafted and ignored during the boundary decision. The other goal I have (and it's not new) is to OUST the incumbents on the school board. Sayonara suckers!!!! |
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as we gave the private school option to each kid . 