Cambridge Lakes dispute far from over

The labor dispute at the Cambridge Lakes Charter School will not be resolved anytime soon.

The latest appeal will not be decided until at least the end this school year, according to the state appellate court handling the case.

Northern Kane Educational Corp., the organization that runs the Pingree Grove school, has appealed last year's ruling by a state panel in favor of teachers' move to form a union at the charter school.

The court that will decide the matter has not received briefs from either side of the dispute, although it has been about two months since Northern Kane filed its appeal.

That means the original time frame for the case, originally slated to be submitted for a decision or go to oral arguments in May, will probably be pushed back to at least June.

Consider it brung: I regret not having witnessed the 2005 race for the Huntley Unit District 158 school board.

If I had observed that race, I would have a better idea how the upcoming race will unfold.

Certainly the main event will be Larry Snow v. Mike Skala, pitting the two current board members against each other in the race for the sole two-year term.

Skala, as far as I have seen, has tried to stay above the fray since he got back on the board in 2007. When I spoke with him recently, the former board president said he has brought a positive attitude to the board the has helped board members cooperate instead of shouting at each other.

The board has spoken with a more unified voice during the past year. But whether this is a produce of Skala's influence or other factors is an open question.

The board tried to present a unified front during teacher contract negotiations. During a six-month stretch that overlapped with the meat of those discussions, board President Shawn Green was largely absent because of knee surgery and his work schedule.

Green's absence removed Snow's foil-in-chief and may have been a factor in reduced tension on the board. (In fairness, Snow's absence would probably have had a similar effect.)

Board Vice President Tony Quagliano's leadership during Green's absence reflected the more moderate approach Quagliano has taken since he was elected. The centrist approach may have been palatable to more board members and district officials than the way Green or Snow would approach the board presidency.

We should not forget that Skala himself was absent from these discussions because his wife is a teacher in the district. He surely could not have moderated board member disputes if he was not there to witness them.

Finally, the conclusion of contract negotiations and Green's return to the board seem to have led to more acrimony among board members.

Regardless, Skala has been a calm if not vocal presence on the board, and it will be interesting to see the contrast between his demeanor and Snow's outspoken, polemical public persona.