School board president sticks to his stances
Huntley's school board President Shawn Green says he is not opposed to recycling or promoting diversity.
He is, however, against using tax dollars to support such programs in public schools.
Other educators say such groups enrich students' lives and teach students to be responsible citizens.
At Thursday's school board meeting, Green voted to block stipends for extra-curricular positions such as a recycling coordinator and diversity club leader.
"I want to be careful allocating public funds to things that have the potential of pushing political agendas that are not reflective of the district," Green said Friday.
After Green attempted to amend the proposal to exclude the recycling and diversity stipends Thursday, the school board voted 5-2 to approve the funding.
Recycling coordinators at the district's five middle schools will earn a $338 stipend. The supervisor of the American Diversity Club at Huntley High School will receive a $750 stipend.
In his dissention, Green called global warming "one of the biggest propaganda campaigns" in American history and diversity efforts "a slippery slope."
School board members Larry Snow also voted against the stipends, though Snow said it was solely a financial decision.
Green said he takes particular exception to the description of the recycling coordinator's role.
A synopsis of the position provided to the school board reads: "The recycling coordinator could be an instrumental person for much of the student and staff-related 'green movement' activities."
The coordinator, not a club, would organize programs to recycle items such as plastic, cell phones, shoes, paper and ink cartridges.
"Green movement activities like recycling have been related to the big-picture global warming, global climate change discussion," Green said. "I am in favor of recycling, but I do not subscribe to the belief that human beings and our activities affect the climate of the Earth."
As far as diversity goes, Green said public schools should not force-feed students ideas about tolerance.
"We run into situations where there might be beliefs and behaviors that you and your family find acceptable but me and my family might feel is wrong to believe," said Green, a Schaumburg police officer. "You have to draw a line somewhere and the question is where do we draw that line?"
But Deb Perryman, a science teacher at Elgin High School, says public schools should support the programs Green sought to deny.
"In these groups and clubs, kids learn socialization skills and how to solve community problems," said Perryman, who was awarded Illinois Teacher of the Year in 2004.
"We're moving away from purposeful education and are not offering kids a real opportunity to act as responsible citizens," Perryman said.