Larry Snow
Unit D158 Trustee
Party: Republican
Date of Birth:
Incumbent: Yes
Occupation: Management Consulting to high tech clients. Held executive,
officer and managerial positions at software and high tech companies.
Address: 3380 Banford Circle
Lake in the Hills, IL 60156
Birthplace: MA
Family: 3 Daughters
Stacy, 28 Wellesley College graduate Economics, Masters, M.B.A. University
of Texas, C.M.A.
Trina, 26 Georgetown graduate in Economics and Art
Kerry, 23 Dartmouth College graduate
Religion: Catholic
Education/Degrees: M.B.A. Fairleigh Dickenson University, magna cum
laude
B.S. Chemical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute with honors.
Civic Involvement: Various volunteer services for example, passing
out food at Grafton Township.
Endorsements: By various residents
Offices Held: Board of Education, Consolidated School District 158,
2005 to present.
Other Government Services:
Key Issue 1: Standing Up to Unrealistic Demands of the Teachers Union.
As lead (or chief) negotiator, I was instrumental in successfully uniting
and keeping united a Board team, naysayers called dysfunctional during negotiations.
I provided the necessary leadership and specific professional negotiation
skills to deal with the relentlessly irresponsible union demands.(7.6% each
year was the union's last written offer weeks before striking). The vast majority
of residents supported the approach the Board took, which was my initiative.
I stand for fair and realistic employee wages. As one of two board negotiators,
I successfully negotiated a contract with our service workers union (HESPA),
in two four-hour sessions. In 2007, I made sure union negotiators were treated
professionally and with respect, a dramatic improvement over Mike Skala's
appointed negotiators in 2005.
In 2008, I asked my opponent, Mr. Skala, to publicly come out and support
the Board's position in negotiations with the teachers union. He refused,
refusing even when the teachers went on strike, refusing to publicly describe
the Board's offer as fair or reasonable and refusing to describe the union's
demands for 10% raises as unreasonable. The contrast is sharp. I stand up
to the teacher union's unrealistic demands. Skala supports their unrealistic
demands openly and behind the scenes, consistent with his wife working as
a union official and District 158 teacher. In 2002, Skala brazenly voted for
a four-year contract which ended up giving his wife a 50% plus increase. An
obvious conflict of interest was business as usual.
Key Issue 2: Management Direction, Taxes, and Honesty with Residents.
Many of my initiatives have lowered taxes (e.g. bond interest) and saved millions
of dollars. Some savings came from eliminating unnecessary and boondoggle
positions Mike Skala put in place, and replacing too expensive contracts that
Skala praised. I convinced the Board to eliminate positions Skala was wasting
millions on (over years), for example "Wing Leaders". I have been
a valuable voice of oversight with initiatives and solutions for how our money
can be spent wisely.
It's public record I have always voted for responsible budgets while Skala
has voted for irresponsible budgets and deficit spending.
I am a proven tax fighter. Skala is a proven tax hiker who refused to accept
how residents rejected a large property tax increase. I presented a positive
outlook, positive facts and positive financial projections while as Board
President he led a campaign for a large property tax increase (two thousand
dollars in additional taxes on modestly assessed homes) that caused millions
lost in state aid.
My honest forthrightness sharply contrasts with how Skala misleads residents
even today. Typical of how he misled voters and orchestrated an incredible
public deception to get his tax hike approved, today Skala describes himself
in writing as having "been an advocate for District 158's taxpayers".
Skala is your typical tax hiking politician who believes he and his tax hiking
friends can get away with reinventing the truth and recreating his voting
record upside down to get reelected.
Key Issue 3: High Educational Standards Versus Low or No Standards.
When I joined the Board, D-158 didn't have specific measurable ACT and other
test score goals. I proposed and pressed for them. Now we have them, in spite
of Mike Skala arguing against them. In the past he played word games with
residents, saying we had specific goals when in fact his "specific"
goals were ambiguous and immeasurable. Superintendent Burkey described our
ACT test scores the same as I did: unacceptable. For years Skala told parents
every student was receiving an excellent education. In fact ACT scores came
in below State averages. I believe excellent should mean excellent. ACT test
scores are up significantly because I focused management on the attention
they deserve.
I set high standards because research shows board members in top performing
districts set high standards, expect fast results and don't accept excuses.
Skala created a culture of low expectations. How low? He praised Superintendent
Swanson as a "visionary educator" and CFO Halverson as a "financial
guru". "Academic excellence" needs to be taken seriously. I
believe we should have some measurable goal, for the percentage of our students
who go on to a four year college. Skala opposes setting any such goal, regardless
of what the goal or percentage would be.
I stood up for hiring qualified, experienced administrators while Skala got
his friend hired as a top administrator who literally didn't meet the written
job description qualifications. Skala's friend cost taxpayers about $250,000
and resigned.
Name the three most important goals or objectives this board should tackle in the coming term. Prioritize them, and briefly discuss why you believe each to be critical, and how the board should go about addressing them.
Saying No to Unrealistic Teachers Union Demands. The teachers union
wants the Board to add to the existing contract provisions to give teachers
early retirement benefits after 17 years on the job along with free healthcare
benefits in retirement. The enormous eventual cost of doing so should not
jeopardize favorable class sizes or increase property taxes. We will have
too many advocates for the teachers union on the board if Mike Skala is elected.
Higher Academic Standards. Are many students being helped by being
promoted if they are reading and doing math three or more grade levels behind,
year after year? I advocated we establish academic standards higher than the
State standards or state averages. Skala has had a corrosively detrimental
influence for years by taking the teachers union position, saying we as a
suburban district should not have curriculum and learning standards higher
than the State standards. Higher standards like a higher tide, lifts all boats
in the water. "Top 50" schools should be a specific Board goal.
Preserve Independent Oversight by Individual Board Members. Educational
resources and money were poorly used when Skala had total control of the board.
Better management and better test scores resulted because of my management
solutions and oversight. While a Finance Committee board member I had to file
Freedom of Information requests (and obtain an opinion letter from Illinois
Attorney General's office) in order to obtain documents Skala directed administrators
to not provide. The Board should affirm and encourage independent oversight.
What is the greatest challenge faced by your district? Please explain your
position on how to address it.
To continue the remarkable progress we have made while I have been on the
board. We now have measureable goals, accountability, improving ACT scores
and at least two board members willing to stand up and say no to the teachers
union's unrealistic demands. These gains have not come easy. They have been
argued and worked against by Mike Skala.
Skala now wants to take our community backwards to when his secret financial
deals, contracts and practices led to one headline scandal after another.
It's bad enough Kim Skaja will be on the board. Typical of the scheming and
poor judgment that Skala adds to Skaja is their leading the Board and wanting
to start school in early August. I stood alone saying listen to the teachers
and parents. They took it to the max and only resident and teacher uproar
(with a 500 person petition) got the start date changed to a week later and
not the week earlier Skala and Skaja schemed together on. This is one of many
examples. It shows how important having my dependable good judgment on the
Board is for those "What are you possibly thinking of?" bonehead
ideas they insist are "wonderful".
As lead or "chief" negotiator I used my abilities/skills to positively
unite the Board during teacher contract negotiations. In contrast, so many
residents will never vote for a referendum because of the negative tactics
Skala used. Calling people "anti-education" who didn't want unnecessary
higher taxes was despicable.
Share your philosophy on how to approach teacher contract negotiations.
Do you think they should be done in public?
The difference is tremendous between my negotiating for the District as a
whole, and Mike Skala's working for the teachers union. I introduced into
last year's negotiations our District negotiating how it best serves all residents.
Previously Skala made sure the Board negotiated how the teachers union wanted
negotiations conducted: making a long series of costly concessions and not
negotiating salary increases until the union gets the costly concessions it
wants. I led the Board to negotiate a total cost package. Previously, including
2006, Skala made sure costly concessions were tentatively agreed to without
costing out how expensive they were.
As much as possible should be publicly disclosed. Realistically, the union
won't allow their negotiation behavior to be seen by the public and uses the
mediation process to selectively avoid direct discussions with the District.
In 2006 Skala took an incredible, secretive, non-disclosure approach to get
away with giving the teachers union the money from the referendum property
tax increase. He refused to give me any copies of any written proposals the
district made to the union, so ridiculously costly concessions couldn't be
questioned or better solutions proposed. That is until he had expensive concessions
the union wanted tentatively agreed to. Skala's "for the kids" became
"for the teachers union".
While I led the board in 2008 to publicly disclose the District's and union's
key proposals, Skala as Board President, in 2006, refused to publicly disclose
even the tentative agreement until after it was formally approved.
What are your ideas for improving compliance with the No Child Left Behind
standards? What is your view of the federal No Child Left Behind standards
in general?
Spending money wisely and putting it where it helps students with learning
in the classroom is essential. It was sad how Mike Skala voted to keep boondoggle
(and expensive) "Wing Leader" positions while he voted to cut classroom
teacher jobs and raise class sizes. Improving compliance comes down to not
going backwards when a Skala rubber stamp board set low standards and made
more excuses than pharma companies have pills. We can rival school districts
like Barrington if we have board members who will insist on having "top
fifty" schools. Skala's "whatever-happens-say-its-wonderful"
approach didn't work. There is no good excuse why some segments in our district
don't meet standards. This is something Skala has done nothing about, because
the teachers union opposes NCLB. We are spending plenty of money and we have
an intelligent student population.
Special needs students deserve management's focus to meet their educational
learning needs. When there was an important meeting with Special needs administrators
and parents, only two board members showed up to advocate for improving upon
what we were doing: myself and Mrs. Seedorf.
NCLB was written primarily for this country's worst failing schools. Special
needs and minority students benefit because it's more difficult for administrators
and teachers to dismiss and blow off an entire segment of students because
test scoring is mandated. The teachers unions oppose the inherent accountability.
Like any broad law it can be improved but its good has to be accepted with
its limitations.
Are there significant needs for the district's physical plant? How would
you address them? Please account for financial ramifications.
There's been a premature attempt to get parents agitated about the need for
a second high school when the outlook is sufficient high school capacity for
the next ten years with ten percent of the classrooms empty throughout the
day. Mike Skala prefers the most expensive path with the least educational
benefit: two additional schools, an isolated 9th grade school and a second
high school. I favor carefully adding, if it is required, a sensible amount
of capacity, 300 to 500 students, so students can benefit from greater course
offering at one high school.
Skala unwisely insisted on two 750 student grade schools on Square Barn instead
of one 1500 student K-5 school. This cost over 12 million dollars more to
date. This money could have gone for the Marlowe expansion. This year we had
to spend 1.5 million dollars from our surplus to pay for bond and interest
payments because we didn't have impact fees to pay for the Marlowe school
expansion.
From 2004 to today, I have carefully studied enrollment and growth. I predicted
enrollment growth would decrease markedly. It has. I challenged the wild projections
Skala gladly accepted from administrators in order to panic parents into accepting
his financial crisis deception. When it comes to telling the truth about numbers,
(enrollment or financial numbers) I have been consistently right and Skala
has been woefully misleading. History has shown I have proven to be a valuable
watchdog, noting large discrepancies even our auditors restate.
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Larry Snow
3 Daughters
Stacy, 28 - Wellesley College graduate Economics, Masters, M.B.A. University
of Texas, C.M.A.
Trina, 26 - Georgetown graduate in Economics and Art
Kerry, 23 - Dartmouth College graduate
May 15, 1950 Date of birth.
3380 Banford Circle Lake in the Hills IL 60156
Cell 815 - 690 - 7768 (best overall phone no.)
Board of Education member, two year term vacancy.
LSnow@mc.net
No convictions of felony or misdemeanor.
Occupation: Management Consulting to high tech clients.
Held executive, officer and managerial positions at software and high tech
companies.
Board of Education District 158 for four years.
Board Representative to Special Education District of McHenry County.
Various volunteer services for example, passing out food at Grafton Township.
Attends St. Mary's Catholic Church in Huntley.
With a college age daughter my spare time has been largely devoted to college
related activities and
Chief wedding planner of my daughter's wedding at West Point.
M.B.A. Fairleigh Dickenson University, magna cum laude
B.S. Chemical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute with honors.
1. What are your top priorities?
Saying No to Unrealistic Teachers Union Demands. The teachers union wants
to add to existing contract, early retirement benefits after 17 years with
free healthcare benefits. Enormous future costs will jeopardize class sizes
or increase property taxes.
Higher Academic Standards. "Top 50" schools should be a specific
Board goal. I have advocated higher than State standards for curriculum and
a goal for the percent of students going to a four year college. Skala opposes
higher curriculum standards and any four year college goal.
Preserve Independent Board Member Oversight. Skala's rubber stamp board produced
unacceptable ACT scores and financial scandals.
2. District 158 endured a strike last year. How did the school board perform
in dealing with the teacher's union?
As lead (or chief) negotiator, I successfully united and kept united a Board, naysayers called dysfunctional. I led the Board to negotiate a total cost package, providing the necessary leadership and professional negotiation skills to deal with relentlessly irresponsible union demands. In 2006, Skala made sure costly concessions were tentatively agreed to without costing out how expensive they were. I stand up to the teachers union's unrealistic demands. Skala supports their unrealistic demands (his wife being a union official and D-158 teacher). In 2002 Skala ignored conflict of interest, brazenly voting his wife a 50% plus increase.
3. What are your thoughts on a possible high school expansion or addition?
There's been a premature attempt to get parents agitated about the need for a second high school when the outlook is sufficient high school capacity for the next ten years with ten percent of the classrooms empty throughout the day. Mike Skala prefers the most expensive path with the least educational benefit: two additional schools, an isolated 9th grade school and a second high school . I favor carefully adding, if it is required, a sensible amount of capacity, 300 to 500 students, so students can benefit from greater course offering at one high school.
4. Why are you seeking public office?
To keep and build on the hard won gains we have made since I have been on the board. I have gotten approved important measureable standards of accountability for educating our children and being fiscally responsible. They have made a tremendous positive impact in terms of providing specific management direction and producing positive results. This is a dramatic improvement over the praise-whatever-happens approach Mike Skala took when his direction as Board President was anything goes and covering up failures became common practice. My being on the board has provided a healthy balance and professional management direction.
5. Why are you the best person for the office that you are seeking?
I brought higher educational standards, producing positive educational results
for our students. I am a tax fighter who has saved our District millions of
dollars. Mike Skala is a proven tax hiker who supports the teachers union's
unrealistic demands. Before I got on this board Skala influenced every board
member to keep their mouth shut about what is truthfully really going on both
education wise and financially. Skala corrupted our school district. Administrators
got large secret taxpayer cash payments he made sure weren't in their employment
contracts. My election will prevent his bringing back his corruption as usual.
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