West Cook News

Oak Park High School District to pause "dismantling inequitable course structure" until fall 2022

By W.J. Kennedy | Mar 10, 2020

The implementation of a controversial plan to detrack the freshman class in Oak Park and River Forest High School (OPRF) in an effort to narrow academic achievements gaps between white, and black and brown students is being pushed back a year, from the fall of 2021 to fall of 2022.

From Prairie State Wire

Senate GOP Leader Bill Brady said to have voiced private support for abortion funding, gun control legislation

By W.J. Kennedy | 3 months ago

Former high-level aides to Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner has revealed that Senate Republican Leader Bill Brady (R-Bloomington) told the then governor he was right for signing HB 40 in September 2017, the law requiring Medicaid funding of abortions. At a separate meeting, Brady also recommended that the governor sign gun control bills should they reach his desk.

Punishment doesn’t fit crime in vicious student assault at OPRF; parents say equity push behind increase in fights

By W.J. Kennedy | Nov 15, 2019

Two weeks ago, a female student at Oak Park and River Forest High School was caught on video viciously assaulting another female student while she sat in the school cafeteria.

Oak Park’s Buchanan no stranger to the limelight, or to white privilege

By W.J. Kennedy | Oct 17, 2019

Susan Buchanan’s shouting down her white male colleagues on the Oak Park board during a discussion about amending the village’s diversity statement fits with her radical past but is at odds with her own upbringing of white privilege.

Cicero has extensive records of Sandoval’s work for the town, but public restricted from viewing them all

By W.J. Kennedy | Oct 11, 2019

After a week’s delay, the Town of Cicero told West Cook News that it has 476 pages of records of payments and other records of work that state Sen. Martin Sandoval (D-Chicago) has done for the community. But Cicero’s Freedom of Information (FOIA) Officer said that “certain responsive records were withheld in their entirety and certain language was redacted as it is privileged information pertaining to attorney client communications.”

Former District 200 board president cautions Oak Park River Forest High against ending honors curriculum

By W.J. Kennedy | Oct 9, 2019

A plan by Oak Park and River Forest High School (OPRF) to detrack its freshman class in the hopes of narrowing gaps in test scores between white, black and brown students is eliciting warnings from some, who cite flat, or even negative results, in other schools that have done the same.

Municipalities that retained Sandoval for side work having trouble finding payment records

By W.J. Kennedy | Oct 8, 2019

Municipalities in the legislative district represented by state Sen. Martin Sandoval (D-Chicago) have paid him on the side for translation and public relations works, but trying to get them to release details of just what he did for them and how much he was paid has been futile.

Friday’s FBI raids in Sandoval’s district just the beginning of 'sh*t-storm,' source says

By W.J. Kennedy | Oct 1, 2019

A contractor who works with many of the municipalities in Martin Sandoval’s (D-Chicago) state senate district predicts that additional raids by federal agents are in the offing after Friday’s raids on the suburban villages of Lyons, McCook and Summit.

Oak Park and River Forest in information lockdown mode over report of teacher misconduct

By W.J. Kennedy | Sep 26, 2019

Oak Park River and Forest High School (OPRF) has instructed its staff not to discuss an investigation into allegations of inappropriate conduct by a teacher, WGN News reported on Wednesday.

Secret Service “aware” of mock Trump assassination at Sandoval fundraiser

By W.J. Kennedy | Aug 26, 2019

The Secret Service told Chicago City Wire that it was “aware” of the mock assassination of President Donald Trump at state Senator Martin Sandoval’s (D-Chicago) Aug. 16 political fundraiser.

From Prairie State Wire

Pritzker’s claims of paying down pension debt “simply dishonest,” fiscal watchdog says

By W.J. Kennedy | 10 months ago

The recently approved state budget hardly makes Illinois the beacon of fiscal prudence that Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker and legislative leaders claim it is, budgetary analysts at Wirepoints say.

From Prairie State Wire

Madigan 'bullying' income tax increase through legislative process

By W.J. Kennedy | 11 months ago

House Speaker Michael Madigan used his absolute power over the legislative process to move legislation to the floor on Friday that exchanges Illinois’ constitutionally mandated flat income tax with a progressive tax.

School board candidate Lefko wary of lower-rated math curriculum adopted by D90

By W.J. Kennedy | Mar 22, 2019

Steve Lefko, candidate for the River Forest D90 school board, says that he respects the all-inclusive sentiment behind the “Investigations” math instituted last year in the district, but as a scientist he wants to see evidence that it works.

"People need to know who he is"-- OPRF voters warned about school board hopeful Ralph Martire

By W.J. Kennedy | Mar 20, 2019

Public school boards are elected to negotiate on behalf of local taxpayers with public employee unions. Teacher's unions in Oak Park and River Forest will have representatives on both sides of the table if Ralph Martire is elected April 2 to the OPRF High School District 200 board.

River Forest school board candidate Steve Lefko 'thrilled' with board's decision to reconsider block scheduling

By W.J. Kennedy | Mar 6, 2019

Steve Lefko, candidate for River Forest D90 school board, commended the board’s decision last night to re-think block scheduling of classes at Roosevelt Middle School.

Some wealthier school districts, OPRF included, receiving tax relief grants under new education funding formula

By W.J. Kennedy | Mar 1, 2019

The recent news that some of the state’s wealthier school districts are eligible for property tax relief reveals not just the flaws in the General Assembly’s 2017 evidence-based funding formula that initiated the relief program, but the entire K-12 funding system itself, says former State Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton).

Maywood teacher and union officer running for OPFR school board

By W.J. Kennedy | Jan 25, 2019

Maywood elementary teacher Gina Harris is a hopeful player in what education and taxpayer policy experts say is an alarming trend of union members and sympathizers sitting on both sides of the table in teacher contract negotiations.

Mottl: Hinsdale BoE using 'scare tactics'

By W.J. Kennedy | Dec 14, 2018

The leader of the opposition to Hinsdale 86’s proposed $166 million referendum that the voters rejected in November says the Board of Education has resorted to scare tactics to keep hopes of a referendum alive.

Straub: Fallout from referendum didn't influence resignation

By W.J. Kennedy | Nov 20, 2018

Burr Ridge Mayor Michael “Mickey” Straub said that his effort to defeat Hinsdale D86’s $166 million referendum had nothing to do with his Nov. 12 announcement that he was stepping down from office. A Nov. 14 Chicago Tribune article cited Straub’s being “under fire from supporters” of the referendum as at least a partial factor in his resignation with two and a half years still left in his term.

"Its time to fight fire with fire:" Opponents of Hinsdale tax hike referendum ask police to investigate threatening social media posts

By W.J. Kennedy | Nov 13, 2018

Opponents of a $166 million Hinsdale District 86 ballot initiative have asked police to investigate social media posts threatening them.