KLEPT, gripes about the Proviso Township High Schools newsletter [D209]

The District 209 newsletter arrived this week.

Why send a newsletter out with the top story being the dedication ceremony of a sign a week before the district hires a new superintendent? How does it not make sense for the district to hold the newsletter until after the new superintendent is hired?

I hope Stan Fields has the heft and courage to scrutinize the newsletter. First, Danielle Ashley should be replaced with a designer that is selected in a competitive bid process. The content of the newsletter should show that the district’s priority is education, not promoting the politicians and personalities of District 209 leadership. And the frequency should be scrutinized.

How often does District 209 need to mail to every household in the district? I can see mailing to households with students periodically with information that is necessary or useful. But why spend the taxpayers’ money on propaganda?

Let’s consider the most recent newsletter.

How is the piece on the digital sign at PMSA useful?
How is the summer school “triumph” piece useful? Summer school is done.
How is the piece on retirees useful?
It’s a little useful to give the dates school starts. But it’s mainly useful to households with students. With the information buried underneath the propaganda, I assume the newsletter isn’t the primary tool for notifying families.
And how is it useful to tell taxpayers “Superintendent Search Nearly Over”?

I noticed this is one of the few newsletters where Chris Welch’s picture and name don’t appear more frequently than anybody else’s. Guess who beat Welch this time? Bob Libka.

I guess using the newsletter to promote Libka’s candidacy for superintendent worked about as well as using it to promote Welch’s candidacy for state representative.