Book challenge decides him against Pinney

Much has been and will be written about the upcoming District 214 election and this paper's endorsement of the incumbents, and Leslie Pinney in particular. School board membership often requires members to consider policy on a grander scale, but occasionally it can serve the public interest for a member to get his or her hands dirty and look at, and question the nitty-gritty details of specific district expenditures.

I have no problem with a board member ensuring that public funds are expensed for appropriate items in an appropriate way, and if Pinney asked questions of the administration for legitimate purposes, kudos to her for doing so. I also have no problem with her being the lone vote on issues and I really do not care if other board members like her or not.

Ultimately though, I want to thank Pinney for her board service, and in particular her outrageous conduct in 2006 where her public advocacy of her "Christian values" and her request that certain books be banned brought the District 214 community together like no other board member could do. I think if the superintendent offered $20 per person to attend a board meeting, he would have received in attendance fewer community members than what appeared that spring night.

Never have I been more proud of our young adults (including my two high school aged students at the time) who attended the board meeting in droves to tell Pinney then to get lost. Our community (and the other six board members) overwhelmingly and rightly denounced her narrow-minded views. In my view, Pinney's conduct then disqualifies her from serving on the board again.

I know nothing of the challenger and am concerned that he reportedly knew little of the specifics of the No Child Left Behind Act. But for me the decision is simple: anyone but Pinney.

Norman Rifkind

Arlington Heights