QUINCY PUBLIC SCHOOLS: RANDOM THOUGHTS BEFORE A ROAD TRIP
Does anybody believe that District 172's Safety/Risk Management Plan is the same now as it was in 2003? These are not stupid people. You may have some beef with them or think they're not responsive to you as a citizen, but they're not stupid?
Supt. Scheiter said it best when he noted this was the result of an imprecise law. Illinois has five appellate districts. The second district has ruled on this concept. 172's appeal would go to the fourth. Assuming the Legislature is not going to act (that's pretty safe given the electric bill caper and the state budget), the only way people around the state are going to know what the heck the law is would be for an appellate case to work its way to the Illinois Supreme Court. Now that we're in this soup, it's almost like the entire downstate public education system needs this case decided by the higher court so they know how to conduct their affairs. If the fourth differs in any material way from the second, it's likely the third and fifth would get similar cases and, eventually, the Supreme Court would take one of them. No matter how one feels about the outcome of this local case, it's difficult to see how not appealing is a responsible option.
I have no information about whether this has happened already but I can see this line of cases developing a cottage industry for "School Security Consultants"--cue the Mighty Mouse theme music "Here I am to write your Risk Prevention plan....."
Be patient with me on comment moderation. In the words of Scarlet O'Hara, I'll be relying on the "kindness of strangers" for web access for the next few days.
posted by UMRBlog @ 20:08
18 comments
18 Comments:
Looking at this situation from the outside, I can't see how the board could not appeal. There's too much money at stake.
These days you can keep going back to court until you get the answer you want. Isn't that nice?
Courts of appeal where built into the legal system. There is no such thing as going back to court until you get the decision you want. I could see this case going to the Illinois Supreme Court though - am I wrong UMR?
Hmm...Or, you could so who can last the longest in a war of attritions.
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6039991.html
Fact or fiction?
Each case is completely unique - trying to compare the two is a waste of time. I guess I am supposed to research and find a case that was adjudicated quickly - as if that would make my point.
There's a lot of truth to that. But my statement was clear, along with the story supporting it.
I think that there is a real chance that the Illinois Supreme Court will decide this case and I doubt that it will go back to a lower court. I am sure that the District does not want to pay so they will delay - I agree there.
Don't hold your breath for the 4th appellate-bunch of gadflys and yahoos.
Unfortunatly,this baby was birthed by a legislature that didn't provide either enough financial authority or state funds, a community unwilling to raise it's level of support, a school board unable/unwilling to break the back of the entrenched administative good old boy network, a small group of self appointed watchdogs inviting a mercenary solicitor to our community, 1000 greedy individuals signing on to a lawsuit. Jeez, that appears to indict all of us in the community. That's one ugly baby but we are stuck raising it.
Give me your thoughts on Utility agreement.
1735,
On the 4th, depends upon the panel. Some pretty good legal minds and mostly folks done running for office.
The rest of your piece is, on one hand, cynical but, on the other hand, hard to argue with.
TYFCB
umr AND 535-
Didn't the majority of the new money collected go to pay salaries? Did test scores, or grad rates or anything improve? You two left out the primary beneficiary of the money grab, that would be the Teachers Union.
0943,
Boy, you caught me there. That back story is certainly central to whether or not there is an appeal. Can't fool a keen observer like you, can I?
TYFCB
About as central as 535's opinion that we are:
"a community unwilling to raise it's level of support, a school board unable/unwilling to break the back of the entrenched administative good old boy network, a small group of self appointed watchdogs inviting a mercenary solicitor to our community, 1000 greedy individuals signing on to a lawsuit."
Now make sure you give him a good heavy dose of your keen observer smartassedness genius.
How is the back story of who brought the suit central to whether or not there is an appeal? And, you can't find a way to argue against these taxpayers being "greedy"?
That back story may not be central but it's relevant. A traveling salvation show coming through town to pick up subscription clients getting the last word on important litigation
would be pretty hard for any local board to swallow.
At least 535 spread the blame around liberally.
TYFCB
How is the back story that Quincy as a community is unwilling to raise it's level of support,central to whether or not there is an appeal?
How is the back story of a school board unable/unwilling to break the back of the entrenched administative good old boy network central to whether or not there is an appeal?
See where we're going here?
There is a certain symmetry to your questions.
TYFCB
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