The Toxic Board Memeber

I’m able to speak freely here because the board member I would love to see resign knows who he is. This board member needs no resources, no tools and no advice on how to approach board service, he’s got it covered. Well at least he thinks he does, the reality is in fact very different.

The problem is that this board member is toxic. Harsh? Yes, but the truth often is. That’s also the word a lot of people in the community have been using – not just me.

I know you’re anxious for my “Easy steps that a board board member (or community member) can follow to fire a toxic board member.” I’m really sorry to disappoint you though because I don’t have any steps, but I do have some ideas.

Do you know how to fire a board member? If you do, please comment below because I’m dying to know your recipe.

So why am I bothering with this post? Because identifying the toxic Board Member goes a long way to helping them out the door.

HOW DO YOU KNOW THE BOARD MEMBER IS TOXIC?

You might be laughing. I don’t need a list, you’re thinking. Anyone can see that this board member is toxic.

Not so. In fact this particular board member still has a few followers, and supporters. People who fall into one of two categories. They either refuse to open their eyes to the facts and the truth, or they are helping to spread the lies and dishonesty that got this Toxic board member elected in the first place.

Here’s how to know if a toxic board member is bringing you down.

– The toxic board member rolls his eyes at least once at every meeting, (i.e. wildly disrespectful of other board members and staff) and often has outbursts.
– The toxic board member refuses to answer questions of any sort no matter how non-confrontational the questions might be.
– The toxic board member cares more about power than the mission, or in this case the loss of power.
– The toxic board member complains loudly about financial obligations and would make a motion or place a vote against any of those obligations if it furthered his cause.
– The toxic board member never has any questions about any of the items he almost always votes against.
– The toxic board member is MIA, and you often pray that the toxic board member will be.

OK, so you have now established that the toxic board member really is toxic. How do we make him go away?

HOW TO MAKE TOXIC BOARD MEMBER GO AWAY

So I’m sorry to report that you can’t actually fire a board member. There is policy in place, but it’s difficult to execute.

However, all hope is not lost, and there is a few options. First, you can secure The toxic board member’s resignation or second (the more common strategy) you can manage the toxic board member out.

SECURING A RESIGNATION

This happens only in the most egregious of situations. Egregious situations may include (but are certainly not limited to):

– Fraudulent activities.
– Revealing confidential information to the public. (Sounds like a subject that has come up a few times.)

In any of these situations, revealing the egregious action to the board would be an extreme embarrassment to the toxic board member and securing a resignation should be fairly straightforward.

I didn’t say easy. I said straightforward.

MANAGING THE TOXIC BOARD MEMBER OUT

Here’s how I think of it. Instead of dumping the whole bucket of water on the Wicked Witch of the West, just pour slowly.

In an intentional and strategic way, the Board Chair and the CEO must work steadily to reduce the toxic board member’s power, minimizing his influence step by step until he disappears (resigns).

How?

– Board Chair and CEO must be on exactly the same page. The toxic board member must go and they both agree that it will take longer than either will like. They also must agree that each of them will have an extra burden of work until the toxic board member is gone.
– Secure Other Allies. Board Chair and CEO go through the board list. Make sure everyone understands what is going on, and the impact it may have on the boards productivity. If they agree secure their commitment to speak up so that the Board Chair and the CEO are not the only bad guys when the toxic board member goes off. What’s happening here is that the Board Chair is building a support team. The Board as a group is also made stronger during this process.
– Board Meeting Agenda: Roles and Responsibilities. Now that the support/team has been built, the Board Chair can add some discussion to a board meeting either reminding folks of their roles and responsibilities or better yet, adding one or two that the toxic board member will completely disagrees with. This is in all actuality an attempt to gain better access into the toxic board members way of making decisions, and thought process. He will hopefully see that he is terribly out of step and no one is understanding him. The toxic board member has no allies, and will most likely respond with a few outbursts, but with no actual answers to the questions. The toxic board member melts, and will possibly storm out of the room.

In a perfect world The toxic board member would resign, but this is reality not a perfect world. He is a toxic board member not because of his care for what is the right course of action for his community, but because of his self serving activities.

THE SIDE BENEFITS

A few more board members have stepped up and assumed new responsibilities and roles. The Board Chair can feel enormous pride that she/he took real responsibility for the effectiveness of the board. Every board member will understand what happened and every single board member will be thankful for the outcome, and have grown as a group from carrying the same banner together under a new cause. It will bring them together as a team and allow them to work better as a cohesive group.
AND REMEMBER TO LEARN A VALUABLE LESSON

Board Chair and CEO can now dissect how The toxic board member got onto the board to begin with. Share the lessons learned and adjust to minimize the likelihood of it happening again.

I wrote this a number of years ago for a different issue, but I was surprised at how appropriatly it applies. I think when using it in this situation we can all very easily correctly pick the “Toxic Board Member” at the center of these ideas.

Hold David Stachura Accountable

President Jimmy Carter once said that his most challenging political endeavor was not orchestrating the Camp David accords, but rather serving on the Plains County Georgia School Board. Yes, being a good school board member is a hard job.

However, we all know that being a bad school board member is as easy as one, two, three:
1. Place your personal agenda and biases first and totally disregard the needs of the district.
2. Use board meetings as a pulpit to publicly express your misinformed and biased views.
3. Sit back and revel in all the negative media attention you get as a result.

The “American School Board Journal” recently published an article addressing the issue. The authors noted, “We are encountering with increasing and alarming frequency the rebel board member who chooses not to act for the public good, electing instead to promote private agendas and seek to advance the demands of special interests.”

This is David Stachura in a nut shell, and this trend offers a compelling case for the state to enact legislation that would hold board members accountable for their actions. A bill should be introduced that would simply make the current Code of Conduct legally binding and require all board members to sign it agreeing to comply with its tenants. Violations of the code would be cause for removal from the board.
If legislators consider the fact that a dysfunctional board impacts student achievement, they will see the urgency of this issue. I do not consider the Schiller Park school board as a dysfunctional board, but I would say it has a dysfunctional member or two. David Stachura fits all the examples I have ever found for a bad school board member. Common sense dictates that the negative climate created by his chaotic and turbulent board meeting actions is not confined to the District’s board room, but leaks into the entire district including the classrooms.

The Center for Social and Emotional Education, an organization endorsed by the National School Board Association, cites research over the past three decades that attests to the profound impact of school climate on student self-esteem and achievement. The findings are consistent that a negative learning climate is a destructive force working against student achievement. Thankfully School District 81 has a fantastic staff that does an amazing job of counter acting any negative effect on the education of its student body. It is a known fact that the environment has improved drastically since the community voted to remove Patricia Godziszewski from her position on the board, but there still remains a lingering stink of the previous environment that will not go away as long as Mr Stachura continues his path of self serving activities.
Ironically, David Stachura has missed a great opportunity. Had he and Patricia Godziszewski just been willing to respect the views of others while they were acting as the board’s President and Vice President. If they would have compromised and worked together with the rest of the board, the public might view them as a “team of rivals” ultimately doing what’s best for kids. Unfortunately, David’s behavior was and is being viewed as nothing more than a dysfunctional individual, who is working against the very district he was elected to serve. He swore an oath, and apparently that means nothing to Mr David C Stachura.

David Stachura needs to be held accountable for his actions not only at the last meeting, but at the majority of the meetings he has ever attended.

His actions during his time on the School Board of Schiller Park School District 81 have cost the children, and Taxpayers a great deal both in lost educational opportunities, and hard earned tax dollars. We as a community can and will hold Mr Stachura accountable.

One monkey down

Before I get back to the monthly shenanigans of Mr David Stachura, and his speechless pal Mr Kowalski I want to take a few minutes to talk about Schiller Park School District 81, and how I will be spending more time next year acknowledging all of the amazing things that go on as a result of the hard work and dedication of the teachers, staff, administrators, and volunteers of the School District.

The last few months have seen so much of my time spent on the bad things that were happening through the efforts of David Stachura, Patricia Godziszewski, Jonathan Kowalski, and Seahorse that I lost sight of how amazing all of the staff, and volunteers truly are.  I had failed to acknowledge how amazing this School District truly is, but as long as David Stachura, and his sole remaining colleague in the fight for evil remain on the board there will always be sad stories to tell. As the late great George Carlin once said “Just ’cause you got the monkey off your back doesn’t mean the circus has left town”. Being a child of the sixties I know full well he means a very different monkey, but it also applies to the situation that was, and to an extent still exists in School District 81.

Many great things happen at Schiller Park’s Schools on a daily basis. Administration and staff are continuously being recognized for exemplary service. Students are regularly being recognized for their service to the community, and to their fellow students. Parent organized groups being recognized for their efforts. There has been multiple amazing performances put on by the school’s band, and chorus. Don’t forget the outstanding performances by the cast and crew of Lincoln Middle School’s “Into the woods”. I honestly don’t have the finger stamina to recount all of the examples of excellence from this past year, but as usual I ask you not to take my word for it, and take some time next year to attend any of the wonderful events put on at any of the three schools. I promise you will not be disappointed.

I will also never stop watching the actions of the people who are hurting the education of the children of this district, but the many wonderful accomplishments have to be shared, and shared loudly.

P.S.

David C Stachura, and John Kowalski to the best of my knowledge attended zero of the events after the completion of the April 7th election. None of the graduations or concerts………I repeat… They couldn’t even find the time to attend one single graduation of any of the children they swore to support.

The game of truth continues

That is the most unfortunate part of all of the issues that surround Schiller Park School District 81. It’s all a game to David Stachura, Patricia Godziszewski, Roy F McCampbell, Mary Jane Goldthwaite, and simply by his silence and association John Kowalski. A sad game of lies, but to what end?

The lives and education of the students in School District 81 are a game to David, Patricia, Roy, and Mary Jane. The taxes paid, and respect of the residents of Schiller Park, and part of Franklin Park are also a game to David, Patricia, Roy, and Mary Jane. They play with the lives of children (some their own) for no other purpose then advancing their agenda, and more recently trying to exact some sort of revenge on the people who have done good things for the children of this town.

If this is a game to them then the school children of the district are the pawns. It is also a one sided game that the teachers refuse to participate in, and yet they keep on trying to teach despite the attempts of some to destroy all the efforts of the School District’s Staff.

Who are the players in their game of destruction? David C Stachura (School Board President for now, co-owner Schiller Park Blog), Patricia Godziszewski (School Board Vice President for now), Roy F McCampbell (Resident, lawyer, currently under indictment, and free man for now, co-owner Schiller Park Blog), Mary Jane Goldthwaite (wife of Roy McCampbell, co-owner Schiller Park Blog), John Kowalski (Silent partner), and Catherine Stachura (Wife of David Stachura, and Library Board President for now, co-owner/writer Schiller Park Blog). They also have a few minions, although the numbers are dwindling they do exist. Irene Moskal Delguidice being the most prominent, or should I say once prominent member of the McCampbell crew. She has been a board member at Triton (undoubtedly were she met the McCampbells), a past Schiller Park trustee, and past member of the board of School District 81. She is currently the president of the Polish American Congress – Illinois division, and she has been described by Roy McCampbell as being vintage Schiller Park. Let’s also not forget the most recent return to the Schiller Park destruction crew of Jana Santuchi-Stilphen. Past resident of Schiller Park who recently returned to social media on Election Day with ignorant accusations of events taken out of reality and twisted in an attempt to help the “crew” in their efforts to control, and stagnate the Schiller Park School District 81 School Board.

The tactics of the games they play with the education of children are the same as always. Lies, and miss guided half truths written in the attempt to spread fear amongst the voters. Now that the election is over they have shifted from sowing the seeds of fear in the voting population to targeting those who would support the district. By their own accounts, the last thing David Stachura, and Patricia Godziszewski ever wanted was parent participation at the School Board meetings, but why? That has always been the top question on my mind. For what purpose do they align themselves so closely with the one who seems to always be at the center of the storm.

No matter the situation, at the center or near the center of the turmoil you will find a McCampbell. It’s just a fact of life in School District 81. For every accusation made, or complaint filed there is a McCampbell involved. Why is that?

It is my opinion that people like him have a huge toolbox with which to manipulate people.  Shaming, snooping, lying, Gaslighting, rages, guilt trips and conspiracies that are carefully orchestrated are just a few. His self-regulating and controlling mechanics always involve pulling people into their lair and extracting information from them and in turn using this information for whatever gain he desires or to use against them. Sometimes the people he pulls into his lair become his servants or minions. His minions are also the ‘go to’ people when he needs back up because they are about to be exposed! People like him train their minions to be used as tools to fight alongside in their Smear Campaigns. 

His abuse is not only confined to a single person, but instead it is a complex network that includes his primary and secondary supply sources as well as his supportive adoring friends, and family members, all of which are basically seduced into their roles. He NEEDS this network to survive (supply) as well as enable him to escape exposure when he gets caught in yet another extortion of a person’s life. There is a huge trail of destruction that follows him, and He needs a network of people to support his ‘needs’. This is a full time job to control the world around him, but the key element is that he is always on the defensive and everybody is essentially an enemy or someone to use for support because his world is so full of lies and holes as it concerns the reality he presents to us. 

The “reality he presents us” says more about this situation then a lot of people care to admit. So many people have been hurt by the lies that it has become an epidemic. This can only be fixed with the spreading of the truth, and bringing the “minions” to a point that they realize what’s going on, or they simply no longer want to be pawns in his games of lies, and destruction. 

The game only stops when people stop playing it. 

15 Powerful Beliefs that Will Free You from Negativity

 

There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference.  The little difference is attitude.  The big difference is whether it is positive or negative. ―W. Clement Stone

When I was a teenager I was the primary target of an extremely persistent bully at my high school.  One day I came home in tears and wrote this on the whiteboard hanging on my bedroom wall:  “I hate bullies.  They make me feel like a loser.”

The next day, while I was at school, my grandmother erased what I wrote on the whiteboard and replaced it with this:  “An entire body of water the size of the Pacific Ocean can’t sink a ship unless it gets inside the ship.  Similarly, all the negativity in the world can’t bring you down unless you allow it to get inside your head.”

And from that day forward I felt better.  I made a conscious decision to stop letting the bully get inside my head.  I changed my beliefs about his level of importance in my life.

It isn’t easy to remain positive when negativity surrounds you, but remember that you have full control over what you choose to believe.  You can effectively defend yourself against all kinds of negativity by adopting simple, yet powerful, beliefs that support a positive outlook in the face of seemingly negative circumstances.

Below you will find 15 such beliefs that have helped free me from the grips of negativity.  I have these beliefs written down in my journal, and I review them on a regular basis, as needed, just to keep them fresh in my mind.  I hope you will join me by adopting them into your own belief system as well…

1.    What other people say about me is their problem, not mine. – Don’t take other people’s negativity personally.  Most negative people behave negatively not just to you, but to everyone they interact with.  What they say and do is a projection of their own reality.  Even when a situation seems personal – even if someone insults you directly – it oftentimes has nothing to do with you.  What others say and do, and the opinions they have, are based entirely on their own self-reflection.

2.    I am free to be ME. – Can you remember who you were before the world told you who you should be?  Happiness is found when you stop comparing yourself to everyone else and what they want.  Stop living for other people and their opinions.  Be true to yourself.  You are the only person in charge of your life.  The only question is: What do you want to do with the rest of it?

3.    Life isn’t perfect, but it sure is great. – Our goal shouldn’t be to create a perfect life, but to live an imperfect life in radical amazement.  To get up every morning and take and good look around in a way that takes nothing for granted.  Everything is extraordinary.  Every day is a gift.  Never treat life casually.  To be spiritual in any way is to be amazed in every way.

4.    It’s okay to have down days. – Expecting life to be wonderful all the time is wanting to swim in an ocean in which waves only rise up and never come crashing down.  However, when you recognize that the rising and crashing waves are part of the exact same ocean, you are able to let go and be at peace with the reality of these ups and downs.  It becomes clear that life’s ups require life’s downs.

5.    Even when I’m struggling, I have so much to be grateful for. – What if you awoke today with only the things you were thankful for yesterday?  We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but of appreciating everything we do have.  Stress thrives when your worry list is longer than your gratitude list.  Happiness thrives when your gratitude list is longer than your worry list.  So find something to be thankful for right now.

6.    Every experience is just another important lesson. – Disappointments and failure are two of the surest stepping-stones to success.  So don’t let a hard lesson harden your heart.  When things go wrong, learn what you can and then push the tragedies and mistakes aside.  Remember, life’s best lessons are often learned at the worst times and from the worst mistakes.  We must fail in order to know, and hurt in order to grow.  Good things often fall apart so better things can fall together in their place.

7.    Not everything is meant to stay. – Change can be terrifying, yet all positive growth and healing requires change.  Sometimes you have to find the good in goodbye.  Because the past is a place of reference, not a place of residence.  Be strong when everything seems to be going wrong, keep taking small steps, and eventually you will find what you’re looking for.  Learn to trust the journey, even when you do not understand it.

8.    Being wrong is the first step to being right. – Sometimes the wrong choices bring us to the right places.  To be creative and productive in life, you must first lose your fear of being wrong.  And remember, a fear like this can only survive inside you if you let it live there.

9.    I do not need to hold on to what’s holding me back. – You are not what has happened to you; you are what you choose to become.  It’s time to break the beliefs and routines that have been holding you back.  Respect yourself enough to walk away from anything that no longer grows you.  Listen to your intuition, not your ego.  When you stop chasing the wrong beliefs, you give the right ideas a chance to catch you.

10.  My happiness today is simply the result of my thinking. – Happiness starts with you – not with your relationships, not with your job, not with your money, but WITH YOU.  It is not always easy to find happiness in ourselves, but it is always impossible to find it elsewhere.  Regardless of the situation you face, your attitude is your choice.  Remember, you can’t have a positive life with a negative attitude.  When negativity controls your thoughts, it limits your behavior, actions, and opportunities.  If you realized how powerful your thoughts were, you would try your best to never think another negative thought again.

11.  Who I spend quality time with matters. – Surround yourself with people who lift you higher – those who see the great potential in you, even when you don’t see it in yourself.

12.  Drama and judgments are a waste of perfect happiness. – Make a promise to yourself.  Promise to stop the drama before it begins, to breathe deeply and peacefully, and to love others and yourself without conditions.  Promise to laugh at your own mistakes, and to realize that no one is perfect; we are all human.  Feelings of self-worth can flourish only in an atmosphere where individual differences are appreciated, mistakes are tolerated, communication is open, and rules are flexible.

13.  Most people are judging me far less than it seems. – The truth is, while you’re busy worrying about what others think of you, they’re busy worrying about what you think of them.  Crazy?  Yes, but true.  The good news is this knowledge instantly frees you to let loose and do more of what YOU want.  And while doing so, you’ll also liberate others to do the same.

14.  I can make the world a happier place. – Do your best to help one person every day in some small way.  By becoming the answer to someone’s prayer, we often find the answers to our own.  When the people around us are happier, it’s a lot easier to smile.

15.  The work is worth it. – Lose the expectation that everything in life should be easy.  It rarely is.  In fact, there are no shortcuts to any place worth going.  Enjoy the challenge of your achievements.  See the value in your efforts and be patient with yourself.  And realize that patience is not about waiting; it’s the ability to keep a good attitude while working hard on your dreams.  It’s knowing deep down that the work is well worth it in the end. 

Original article found here

Miss-Guided promises

Team 81 has no idea what is best for the performance, health, and safety of a school district. All they are concerned with is pandering to the tax paying voter with the promise of returning money that would put the education of every child in School District 81 at risk. Team 81’s promises would also put the tax payers of School District 81 at risk do to the increase in problems the School District would face do to its lack funds available.

Team 81 Opposes Any Further Tax Increases and Advocates the Return of $9,000,000 in surplus funds to the Schiller Park School District 81 Taxpayer

The above quote was taken from another local blog that has re-emerged recently speaking for Team 81, and those same candidates have made the promise of Tax relief in their own recent mailer.

This means Team 81 Does not want to have a Safe, Stable, environment were education can thrive, and prosper. Team 81 does not support a school system with the least possible tax burden on its stakeholders.

Building and maintaining an adequate fund Balance is a prudent fiscal policy with increasingly critical benefits for any governmental body. These include the ability of the body to:

• Stabilize year over year educational performance
• Minimize educational service disruptions
• Maintain cash on hand to counter unanticipated cash flow shortfalls
• Address emergency situations, particularly those that threaten health and life safety
• Fund educational growth and change opportunities
• Enhance credit rating strength and increase access to debt markets at lower interest costs
• Increase long-term fiscal performance
• Allow the government body to manage unforeseen expenditure demands and revenue shortfalls
• Highest possible Financial Profile from ISBE

The Government Finance Officers Association recommends a minimum fund balance of two months of either revenues or expenditures. It should be stressed that this is a minimum recommendation only and other local factors must be considered, including the timing and dependability of significant revenue sources (i.e. state, federal and county tax distribution and program funding).

ISBE gives only those districts with three months (25%) fund balance to expenditures its highest Financial Profile sub score. This is a minimum expectation to be qualified to receive a high score and does not take into consideration particular elements of local funding or educational/operational planning.

ISBE also requires any district budgeting a deficit to have three times the deficit in fund balance to avoid filing a deficit reduction plan.

Fund Balances are an overly simplistic and inconsistent lens through which to measure a district’s financial strength. To be useful, a measure should mean the same thing from district to district and year to year. Fund balances are neither, as they are determined by a variety of accounting practices. Cash flow across districts varies due to the timing of liabilities, such as how summer payroll practices are implemented and due to how tax receipts are received and budgeted. The accounting of “early taxes” across school districts varies depending on the accounting practice used and the county resided in, and can have a very big impact on how fund balances are determined at the end of any given fiscal year. Cash on hand does not equate to fund balance in a full accrual accounting methodology.

Fund Balances are affected by when a county distributes taxes. Counties do not distribute taxes at the same times; therefore fund balances are not comparable from district to district. Should a county be late in distributing taxes, a district’s fund balance can be much less than expected, should a county distribute taxes early a district’s fund balance can appear inflated and distort cash flow reality.

Some counties do not distribute taxes at the same time from year to year; therefore fund balance comparisons year to year are inconsistent. Not only can fund balance and cash flow be affected by inconsistent tax distribution, a district may find themselves in a position of having to issue tax anticipation warrants to meet obligations should their fund balances decline based on a requirement to use fund balance in lieu of state contributions.

Other timing factors, such as receipt of State payments or disbursement schedules, make fund balance comparisons inconsistent from district to district and year to year. Late reimbursements for districts on an accrual or modified accrual basis are impacted differently than districts that use a cash based accounting method. Fund balance calculations can be misleading in such situations.

Fund balances can be temporarily affected by a district’s need to meet its obligations, such as by using interfund loans, abolishment of the Working Cash Fund, or by issuing Tax Anticipation Warrants or Working Cash Bonds. Such legitimate actions cause further inconsistency.

Fund balances are affected by the method of accounting (i.e. cash, accrual, or modified accrual) for funds on a given date each year.

Through Local Board of Education control, an appropriate level of Fund Balance is determined based on multi-year analysis of the district’s finances and with an expectation of consistent funding by the State. A change as described circumvents a Board of Education’s planning process and at the very least deserves both full public hearing and sufficient forewarning to allow a local Board time to review and adjust its determination.

Using Fund Balance to justify lower State payments to school districts decreases anticipated Fund Balance. Lower Fund Balance decreases interest income earnings and may cost the district more by having to break investments before maturity to meet obligations. Lesser Fund Balance may increase the need to issue more debt, thus increasing the amount of interest paid on that debt. This downward spiral has no impact on the State, but certainly impacts taxpayers and the local district.

Sad Desperation

I think some people might be getting nervous about the upcoming election.

In early September of 2014 The Stachuras, and the McCampbells took down their hate filled defamatory blog, and the community rejoiced.

Today Schiller Park took a step back into the stone ages with the return of “the blog”.

Only three days before an important School Board election one group of candidates Paul Ohm, Alex Giangrande, and Patricia Godziszewski have nothing but lies and bad promises of tax relief to back them up. Then you have Richard Flanagan, Jeremy Hargus, and Mary Ann Desecki with endorsements from the SPEA (Schiller Park Education Association), IEA (Illinois Education Association), the Mayor of Franklin Park, and countless residents, among them Kara Blomquist, and Robin Fiala.

The “blogs” opening day’s events included the targeted attacks of an award winning parents group, and two of it’s founders Kara Blomquist, and Robin Fiala. They targeted the SPEA, and the IEA by default connection to the accusations against the SPEA. They restarted attacks against two current board members Richard Flanagan, and Mary Ann Desecki, who are regular community volunteers. They again trained their miss-guided crosshairs on a board member candidate Jeremy Hargus who is also a constant volunteer, and an outspoken defender of education, and honest government. They targeted the police chief and again Kara Blomquist, one of the kindest members of this community I have ever witnessed (did I mention Kara Blomquist has been feeding the homless in Schiller Park for years?). Oh and with all that hate filled attacking The blog found its way clear to endorse School Board candidates Paul Ohm, Alex Giangrande, and Patricia Godziszewski of Team 81.

The blog’s grand re-opening screams of political motivation and bad moral compasses. It stinks of sad desperation, and a last ditch effort to win votes through lies.

On April 7th 2015 let your votes be your voice and tell the world you stand for truth, and honesty.

Complainers

  

You find them at staff meetings, in the classroom, and even on the school bus. They are the ever-pessimistic people whose outlook can drain everyone’s energy. Finding ways to recognize and counteract their negativity is essential for maintaining an upbeat work environment.

Types of complainers

• The “helpful complainer” has a specific gripe about an issue, but offers constructive feedback that could resolve the problem. 
  
• A “therapeutic complainer” is experiencing a temporary setback and draws out a confidante to vent frustrations, rather than liberally spreading doom and gloom. 
  
• The “malcontent complainer” is the one to watch out for. “They have ongoing, persistent problems with many issues, but offer no constructive suggestions. They are energy drainers, “

We all complain. Complaining is at its core not always a bad thing, and positive change can sometimes come from a “helpfull complaint”. In some cases we have to complain to someone or our heads will explode, but what happens when the person complaining has the constant ear of someone in a position to do something about those complaints. What happens when a “malcontent complainer” has the ear of a School Board President or Vice President?

Sadly the answer to that question is long and complicated. I have tried very hard to show what I have found during my research into the subject, and to show the influence one “malcontent complainer” has had on this School District. Although I have found item after item that clearly shows extreme favoritism by the School Board President David Stachura, and Vice President Patricia Godziszewski, trying to put it all together into an organized understandable timeline is all but impossible. Try adding in the facts I have found to back up the examples, and it makes my attempts that much more difficult. 

The difficulty, and complication of this situation Is something that David Stachura, Patricia Godziszewski, and Roy F McCampbell are well aware of. They use it to their advantage at every turn. Dave Stachura just used that fact in the creation of his last post yesterday morning.  

  

The post I shared above was a clear example of taking advantage of the situation. By posting a letter written by a frustrated School Board member, and not including all the supporting documentation he took advantage of the people’s trust. He is twisting the reality of the situation, and trying to paint a false image of the person who wrote an email with absolute honesty and sincerity at its core. He took advantage of the publics trust in him for the advancement of some unseen agenda. 

From the beginning of this blog 101 posts ago I have presented all the facts as I have found them. I have presented the situation for what it truly is. I do not twist reality to advance my cause, or present half truths in the attemp to miss-guide the readers. I also have yet to come to a conclusion as to why Dave Stachura and Pat Godziszewski have decided to fight so diligently in favor of only two people of this community. Why they have chosen to forsake every other student and parent in School Dostrict 81 to further their own disturbing cause. 

What I do feel I have a solid handle on is what or who is at the root of all these difficulties. It boils down to one thing, one description. A “malcontent complainer” a person who’s continuous complaints against almost all aspects of public government have all but shut the system down. 

Change in School District 81 is inevitable. It will come no matter what happens on April 7th. The question is do we want that change to happen because we voted for it, do we want to be part of the positive change that we need to save the School District from further degradation? Or do we want to just sit back and do nothing? If we don’t vote Patricia Godziszewski out of her position on the School Board the change we will see is the continued destruction of all the amazing things that have happened in this School District. 

To vote Patricia Godziszewski back into office is to spit in the face of education in Schiller Park. To vote for Patricia Godziszewski is to vote in favor of the continued loss of staff, and services. It would be a vote for continued waisting of incredibly valuable tax dallors, and a vote for one sided support of a set of “malcontent complainers” 

Vote Flanagan, Hargus, Desecki on April 7th and vote for positive growth in School District 81. Voting Flanagan, Hargus, Desecki is voting for quality education, and honest taxpayer representation. 

No Questions Asked

Among the items voted at the March 18th meeting of the School Board for Schiller Park School District 81 there was two that interested me.

1. Approval of Memorandum of Understanding with DLA Architects regarding Securing the Entrances at Kennedy and Washington Schools.  Superintendent’s Recommendation: The Superintendent recommends approval of Memorandum or Understanding with DLA Architects regarding Securing the Entrances at Kennedy and Washington Schools. 
2. Approval of Memorandum of Understanding with DLA Architects regarding Updating the Fire Alarm Systems at Kennedy and Washington Schools. Superintendent’s Recommendation: The Superintendent recommends the Approval of Memorandum of Understanding with DLA Architects regarding Updating the Fire Alarm Systems at Kennedy and Washington Schools. 

Both of these appear to be the start of projects that are in my opinion vital to the safety of the students and staff of both Kennedy, and Washington schools. The approval of these items will bring both schools to the same level of safety and security as Lincoln school, and as expected all seven board members voted yes without hesitation.

What peaked my interest was the silence of the two most publicly outspoken members of the Board on the subject of reducing costs in the district. Let me start by adding the disclaimer that I am very glad that all seven members voted unanimously to approve these items. The part i was interested in was the lack of discussion or question of cost by Dave Stachura, or Patricia Godziszewski. I accepted the fact that this just meant they asked their questions outside of the meeting, and in the spirit of open and transparent government I submitted a F.O.I.A. for the email conversations with the subject matter of the upgrades at both buildings.

• “emails sent by Mr. David C. Stachura or Mrs. Patricia Godziszewski that contain questions or comments pertaining to the Entrance Upgrades, and Fire Alarm upgrades at the Kennedy and Washington Schools. voted on during the March 18th 2015 Board meeting. Please check from January 1st 2015 to March 18th 2015.”

Original request, and response FOIA_Response_Tompson.3.20.15

My reason for the request was to see what David Stachura, and Patricia Godziszewski had to say about the costs, and scope of the work being proposed. I believe that Dave Stachura, and Patricia Godziszewski voted yes on such an important matter despite their questions because it was the right thing to do. With that being said I could only assume that the two would have questions since David Stachura has in the past spoken at length about miss-spent tax money, and Patricia Godziszewski is currently taking the position “that tax-payers are under-represented by the Board” and she wants “to encourage and support cost-cutting measures without negatively impacting the educational experience for students”. Out of simple curiosity, and again transparency I was interested in seeing those discussions. My response from the School District was simple. 

Response:  The District has no responsive documents to your request.

There was “no responsive documents”. No discussions about possible costs. No questions representing the tax payers of the community?

More empty campaign promises, and more pre-written political bullet points with no commitment to back them up. Patricia Godziszewski, and team 81 are not your I.M.P.A.C.T. candidates for School District 81.

 

 

What’s the deal?

Whats the deal with the Stachuras and the McCampbells?

That might seem like an odd question, but what is the deal really? We are all very aware of Roy F McCampbell, and his “alleged” past less then honest activities. A grand jury indictment accuses him of stealing more than $500,000 from the west suburban village of Bellwood, in part by manipulating his employment contracts and deceiving the Village Board about them. But the question that has been on many people’s minds is why do people openly align themselves with him? Why does Dave Stachura so directly and openly defend him?

True friends stick together, no matter what. Even during the situations that they may completely disagree it wouldn’t be inappropriate to stand by a friends side in support of them and their family. Through thick and thin and all that,  but is that the case here? Do people stick to that with such a clear inability to separate themselves, when it so clearly affects ones ability to do their job?

David C Stachura, a volunteer fireman for 17 years, and veteran of the Air National Gaurd after 20 years. A father, grandfather, and a past Cub Scout leader. He is a current member of American legion post #974, and a lifetime member of VFW Post #2149. Looking at that little snapshot he seems to be an upstanding citizen. He was also on the Schiller Park Library Board for 11 years with 6 as its President, and now serving his second term on the Schiller Park School District 81 School Board, and is currently that Board’s President. With no blairing criminal accusations outstanding, calling him an upstanding citizen doesn’t appear to be a stretch. It’s also obvious that civic duty is high on his list of priorities, so why such devotion to someone so obviously clouded in judgment as Roy F McCampbell? This devotion to one family in the district has shown itself so regularly during his time on School District 81’s Board that many have questioned his ability to be impartial on any subject dealing with that same family. When every vote and comment made by Mr Stachura is in exact contradiction to three or four other board members each and every time, and when he is so consistently in favor of the McCampbell family I can’t find fault in the communities conclusions. In fact it is and has always been my opinion that David C Stachura is by no means capable of separating his friendship from Mr McCampbell, and School Board Buisness. This is one of the most repeated comments to me, with Patricia Godziszewski’s inability to do her job in a very close second. 

Does the incredible support of the McCampbell family carry over to David Stachura’s wife, Catherine Stachura and her position as Schiller Park Library Board President? How deep does that connection go? Does Roy F McCampbell have influence over her also, and if so to what end? It’s not a stretch to think that two people that have been together for so long would have the same feelings on such subjects as the McCampbells, but what would the Library Board have to offer Roy McCampbell? Preferenctial treatment at events? A safe haven to carry on his behind the scenes deals in an environment with fewer eyes watching his every move?

David Stachura was one of the driving forces behind the hiring of the law firm that represented Schiller Park School District  81 before the current one.  A law firm that has had some bad press as far as the representation of other school boards, and has had questionable connections to Mr McCampbell from the beginning. Even with all the questions to that subject being asked of David Stachura, and Patricia Godziszewski by their fellow board members the law firm was voted in. As it turns out that was the begging of what became one of the most costly eras in the School District’s history. With legal fees skyrocketing, and what one could only refer to as bad legal advice David Stachura, and Patricia Godziszewski cost the tax payers of this community 100s of thousands of dollars. The law firm resigned on the eve of their removal by the School Board members who now had a majority vote on the topic, and that same resignation letter was released by Mr McCampbell shortly before that Board meeting ever took place. When it was released by Mr McCampbell, to the best of my knowledge it was not yet public information. More information on the resignation of that law firm can be found here. 

That very same law firm made a presentation to the Library board at Its Februrary 27, 2014 meeting. (http://schillerparklibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Meeting-Minutes-February-2014.pdf). The firms representative Keri-Lyn Krafthefer offered advice on changing laws, insurance direction, and employee policy. Is this a coincidence? Or was this a possible attempt by that firm at becoming the library boards legal representation? It only begs the question who was the guiding force behind this presentation, and possible switch of Library Board representation? Does School Board President David C Stachura, and Library Board President Catherine Stachura have a similar agenda? Or just a similar person guiding their activities behind the scenes, but for what reason?

The one thing I do know for sure is that Mr David C Stachura has gone to such great lengths to defend Roy F McCampbell that he has made it more clear then ever that he should separate himself from any future involvement with the McCampbell Family and their interactions with School District 81. His judgment is clouded by his friendship, and out of respect for the other 1300+ children of SchillerPark School District 81 he needs to step back. 

This is about education and not friendship. We need people that can be objective, and honest in their decisions.