Joe Burdi alleged to have violated contracting rules in District 88

Someone sent a letter alleging that District 88 Transportation Director Joe Burdi and perhaps others engaged in malfeasance. See Proviso Herald (David Pollard). (Burdi is also a village trustee in Stone Park.)

The letter alleges that Burdi on numerous occasions last year had work done in the district costing more than $10,000 without obtaining quotes for the work or board approval. It also alleges the bills were paid without board approval, which violates school code and school board policy. He was interim director of building and grounds for the school district in 2006 and 2007, when the alleged violations took place.

Proviso Herald (David Pollard) had a second article giving Burdi's defense.

Joe Burdi said a letter sent to county and federal attorney offices alleging he steered School District 88 business to friends and political associates and authorized work without board approval is all political.

Robert Libka & Tommie Miller have a history of looking out for each other

Proviso Insider:

The Insider is hearing rumors that the former CEO of Proviso Township High Schools District 209, Robert "Bob" Libka, is about to be named the number two person in charge of Bellwood School District 88.

Proviso Insider has good sources at District 88 (Bellwood & Stone Park elementary schools).

Proviso Insider characterizes Libka as affable. But Libka is agreeable because he's an incompetent that lets the world happen around him. He genuinely tries to be nice to everybody, but he accomplishes little to nothing.

I pretty much avoided discussing the allegations against Tommy Miller, Proviso West boys basketball coach, and now president of the District 88 board of education. The allegations are rather sordid and will inflict substantial hurt on Miller's family.

But there were allegations made that Tommie Miller was a serial sexual predator against student athletes that he coached. Miller allegedly had sexual relations with numerous female student athletes he coached including his wife when she was in high school.

These allegations were reported to Libka when he was CEO of Proviso Township High Schools (District 209) and Libka declined to investigate. (However, when anonymous allegations were made against a board member who was a Welch opponent, Libka photocopied these allegations and sent them to the entire board. The allegations were that this board member had a homosexual encounter.)

Miller is a political ally of Emanuel Chris Welch, who was president of the District 209 education. Miller was a board member at District 88 where Welch was racking-up massive legal bills as the district's attorney. At one point Welch billed District 88 about $200,000 in a six-month period.

Libka declined to investigate, but Chicago Public Schools did investigate the same allegations against Miller. CPS found the allegations "not substantiated", but I am skeptical of these conclusions.

The most solid piece of evidence against Miller is that his wife had a child at 16 years old in October. If you go back nine months Miller's wife was a 15-year old finishing basketball season.

The allegations against Miller include the detail that he reached financial settlements with the families of the girls/young women involved.

My experience doing similar investigations for the Navy was that the bureaucracy will contort logic into a pretzel to find messy sexual allegations unsubstantiated. If CPS substantiated the allegations against Miller, not only would CPS have to explain to the media that it had a sexual predator in its schools, it would also have to explain why CPS continued to OK Miller being in CPS after his sexual relations with student athletes were first detected. And CPS would have to explain how the information about the initial investigations disappeared from CPS records. And this would lead to follow-up questions. How many sexual predators has CPS allowed to stay in the school system? How does a sexual predator get results of investigations purged from his records?

So, CPS had plenty of incentive to find the allegations against Miller "unsubstantiated".

Libka can't find a job in a real school district. So he's come back to Welch and Miller so he can get the big buck for looking the other way while the political bosses enrich and empower their cronies.

three principals leaving District 88

The Proviso Truth blogged about three principals leaving District 88 (Bellwood and Stone Park elementary schools).

What's the 411 on this situation?

new District 88 superintendent has a history

Northwest Indiana Times (Joan Carreon):

CALUMET CITY | Hoover-Schrum Elementary District 157's former superintendent [Rosemary Hendricks] has been hired by west suburban Bellwood Elementary District 88 as its interim superintendent, according to a published report.

Looks like D88's new superintendent is no stranger to controversy.

BTW, the article mentions Chris Welch, who also worked as attorney for D157. Small world, eh?

A07, defamatory flyer attacking John Wicks [D88]

To attack the Dorris, Smith and Wicks slate in District 88 (Bellwood & Stone Park elementary schools) there is an anonymous flyer attacking John Wicks (and to a lesser extent Toni Dorris). This photocopied flyer is being distributed with Neighbors in Action literature. Neighbors in Action is a committee affiliated with Bennie Mazzulla.

The flyer claims Wicks was fired from Proviso Township High Schools for “transferring drugs” between the students and Wicks. I was able to confirm from a District 209 source that this allegation is completely without factual basis.

There are various allegations in the flyer, but they seem to be bogus for other reasons.

GOV, Blagojevich coming to Oak Park [D88]

Wednesday Journal (Terry Dean):

Gov. Rod Blagojevich is scheduled to attend Tuesday's public forum on his education and health care funding proposal.

"Health care, Schools, Taxes: What you need to know right now ... What you can do today" takes place Tuesday night at Beye Elementary School, 230 N. Cuyler, from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

What do you think of Gov. Rob Blagojevich's plan to tax the gross receipts of Illinois business grossing over $2 million per year?

What would you tell the governor about other issues?

Should Proviso round up a posse to ask for the state to intervene in District 88, seeing as how the district fired Dr. Nichelle Rivers in the 2006-07 school year and Dr. Willie Mack in the 2005-06 school year? BTW, was Dr. Montoya fired during the school year too? Montoya preceded Mack.

[UPDATE: Nichelle Rivers contends that she wasn't fired. At one point she resigned but subsequently rescinded the resignation. The board failed to fulfill its obligations under the resignation agreement. The lawyers are sorting out who owes whom how much money.]

A07, Eugene Moore asks polling judges to support his candidates [D209, D88, BW]

This is the letter from former Democratic Committeeman Eugene Moore to election judges. Here's the substance of it:

Of course I'd like you to help me spread the word prior to Election Day about these School Board Proviso First Party candidates for District 209: Robin Foreman, Carla D. Johnson, and Robert “Bob” Cox.

Help us also in District 88 elect Yvette Ramirez, Daphne Walker, and Re-elect Tommy Miller.

In the Village of Bellwood, we're supporting for Village Trustee Edward Lezza, Jr., Philistine Murphy [sic], and M.C. Robinson.

The committeemen, Democratic and Republican, are responsible for appointing election judges. So, Moore has no official responsibilities or official relationship with the judges.

But like a desperate gambler Moore is trying to gain an advantage--any advantage--by bluffing. This is similar to Moore buying an advertisement in the Proviso East football calendar claiming he was still the Democratic committeeman after Rep. Karen Yarbrough had already beat him.

What do you make of Moore not listing his picks for the Village of Maywood and District 89? Do you think he's got a separate network he's working for his candidates in those races?

ED, Proviso Herald endorsements [D88, D89]

For District 88 (Bellwood and Stone Park elementary schools) Proviso Herald endorses:
* Antonette Dorris
* Daphene Walker
* John Wicks

For District 89 (Maywood and Melrose Park elementary schools) Proviso Herald endorses:
* Jaime Anguiano (two-year term)
* Donna Miller
* Lequita Neely
* Arbdella Patterson
* Grady Rivers

If the voters elect the candidates picked by Proviso Herald the same factions will still rule the roost at District 88 and 89.

The endorsement in D88 ends with:

Though we are critical of the board's performance, and though Dorris and Wicks are part of the current board, we thinks they can be forces for stability, not disruption.

This seems like particularly muddled thinking.

Arnie Bryant has called the D88 board "dysfunctional" and the endorsement began with "There is so much bickering and infighting on the District 88 School Board...."

OK. The problem is a screwed-up board of education in the eyes of Proviso Herald. So what's the Proviso Herald solution? Continue the 4-3 split with six of the seven characters who are part of the current board.

The endorsement makes no sense to me. If the board's problem is the majority then Proviso Herald should get behind changing the majority. If the problem is the minority then they should be dumped. The wimpy but logically consistent position would be to dump all incumbents. (This was the Forest Park Review's approach to District 209.)

Proviso Herald's endorsement was worthless in District 88.

A07, Yarbrough/Flowers school board candidates have website [D88, D89, D209]

Citizens for Better Schools has a website. Citizens for Better Schools is the umbrella organization supporting the Yarbrough/Flowers candidates in District 88 (Bellwood & Stone Park elementary schools), District 89 (Maywood & Melrose Park elementary schools) and District 209 (Proviso Township High Schools).


Rep. Karen Yarbrough is also the Proviso Township Democratic Committeeman. Charles Flowers, EdD, is a member of the District 209 board of education and was elected as the Cook County Regional Superintendent of Education in November. He takes office in July.

The alliance between Yarbrough and Flowers grew from their opposition to Emanuel "Chris" Welch, the current president of the District 209 board of education.

Flowers leads the minority block on the District 209 board. If his candidates sweep the election (three seats) he will be able to form a majority and replace Welch as president of the school board.

Welch ran against Yarbrough in the Democratic Primary for state representative in March, 2006. The coalition that coalesced to support Yarbrough included many people who had grievances against Welch. Welch had been the school district attorney at District 88. So, various people who opposed his actions at District 88 and 209 joined Yarbrough's organization.

GOV, District 88 board meeting tonight [D88]

District 88 has a board meeting tonight. There will probably be conflict that carries over from the Friday meeting.

If you know what to expect (I didn't see an agenda on the District 88 website) post it in the comments.

ED, Proviso Insider blames elemtary schools for high school's shortcomings [D88, D89, D209]

Proviso Insider regurgitates Proviso Township High Schools' all purpose excuse that its failures are really the failures of the elementary school districts.

The Insider has learned that the feeder schools to Proviso Township High Schools, District 209, are sending students to high school reading way below grade level. Out of a possible 1600 students preparing to enter the high school in August 2007, 1400 students are reading at 3rd, 4th or 5th grade level. The worst prepared students are coming out of school districts 88 and 89. Sources say a report detailing the inept performance of the feeder school districts will be released next week.

What do you notice about the districts that are the "worst prepared"?

District 88 and 89 are the ones that "the mayors" are complaining about Rep. Karen Yarbrough trying to "take over the world".

The usual suspects (Chuck Baxter, Anthony Bruno, Bennie Mazzulla, Eugene Moore, Emanuel "Chris" Welch, Frank Pasquale, Ron Serpico and perhaps Claude Porter) have a bunch of patronage, contracts, legal bills, land deals, etc. from two school districts, District 88 and District 89.

And these school districts, the most political school districts in Proviso Township are the weak sisters feeding into Proviso Township High Schools, District 209.

Proviso Insider--who many suspect is District 209 board president Chris Welch--blames two elementary school districts for the shortcomings at the district he has run for years. Proviso Insider neglects to mention that Welch's allies control Districts 88 and 89. And Proviso Insider neglects to mention that s/he's opposed to changing control of the weak school districts.

So Proviso Insider wants to blame District 88 and 89. But Proviso Insider doesn't want to change the status quo at either district.

Proviso Insider wants the elementary schools to keep failing so Welch can keep pointing his finger at the elementary schools and shirking responsibility while the politically connected continue to milk the system for jobs and contracts.

A07, Italian mayor says Yarbrough trying to take over the world [D88, D89, D209]

Proviso Insider is trying to portray Democratic Committeeman Karen Yarbrough's involvement in school district races (District 88, District 89 and District 209) in a negative light. Proviso Insider quotes one of the Italian mayors as accusing Yarbrough of trying to "take over the world".

First, claiming that fielding candidates for three school district races is an attempt to take over the world shows how parochial the speaker is. If three school districts is the entirety of your world you need to take a ride on the "L" and visit a couple museums, Mr. Mayor.

But the statement also conveys a sense of entitlement. A few Italian-American mayors and other politicians have been pulling the political strings for years. They have allowed a few Blacks and Latinos to hold office but the decisions about how the big money was spent have largely been left to the Italians.

And Black and Latino children have gotten poor quality educations in District 88 (Bellwood and Stone Park), District 89 (Maywood and Melrose Park) and District 209 (Proviso Township High Schools). A reasonable inference is that political bosses concerned about making themselves and their cronies rich have neglected the education of the students. It's not like Black and Latino students should be expected to amount to much anyways, right?

The mayors and other Italian politicians kept their power by being organized and exploiting interpersonal differences and feuds in the community.

And now the communities are getting organized. Mayors Ron Serpico, Frank Pasquale and Bennie Mazzulla are getting nervous. They want to divide the Black community as much as possible by exploiting whatever negative feelings there are about Yarbrough.

But the education reform movement isn't about Karen Yarbrough. It's a bunch of people that want to improve education and they've rallied around Yarbrough.

This happened largely because Chris Welch, the president of the District 209 school board, antagonized so many people and then challenged Yarbrough for state rep in 2006. Welch motivated many people to change the system because he's so arrogant, obnoxious and really pretty cruel, vindictive and sadistic in how he practices politics.

When Welch challenged Yarbrough the reformers networked through Yarbrough's campaign, but they aren't "her people". They are involved because they want to improve our communities and Yarbrough is savvy enough to work with these citizen activists.