Huntley residents share their thoughts on District 158 strike

What's up with Huntley's school district? A lot of folks wondered this week when local teachers went on strike, shutting down schools and sending working parents scrambling to find child care.

"I was very dissatisfied with the way that they notified us," said Lori Nichols, mom of Kylee, a second-grader at Leggee. "We got a call at 5:30 a.m. that there wouldn't be school on Monday."

"I don't even know what the truth is, there's been so much back and forth. It just seemed like nobody was putting out the truth of what was actually going on."

My husband and I don't have children in school, we don't work for the school district, and we don't have relatives who do, so we never get the "inside scoop" on these things. Like most taxpayers, we just watch from a distance as these standoffs play out in the newspapers, then ante up and pay the bill - in our case, about $2300 a year.

"In times like these, we've all got to pull together," said Rich Gawlik of Sun City. " Just because (teachers) are in the union, they should get raises every year? Most people don't get pensions."

"To hear what's been going on - so many other people out of work, and the economy getting so bad. People are losing their pensions, and retired people like myself are struggling. If (teachers) get more money, we'll pay more taxes."

When I called Wednesday morning, a District 158 staffer told me an agreement had been reached, but what it was - and how much it would cost - he couldn't say yet. By press time, he still hadn't called, so this is all that I can report.

Going into negotiations, the teachers union was demanding higher pay raises, better pension benefits, and fewer workdays per year. By the end, they appear to have won all, or at least most, of those despite the school board's insistence that this year's budget is tight.

Good communication, they say, is key to successful relations. Both sides are now back at work, the kids are in school, and we probably won't hear any more about it - until the next time.

While the strike was on, I noticed a few things that I'd like to share with no editorial comment.

After reading Tuesday's headlines about economic crisis, high unemployment, the collapse of financial giants hitting 401Ks and pension funds, I drove down Square Barn Road and saw a parade of smiling, waving teachers picketing the campus, with a large SUV and colorful coolers stacked nearby.

I thought of a friend, a talented middle-aged woman with a college degree and a history of heart disease, whose office recently closed, leaving her no income and no health insurance after 10 years of service.

In my mailbox was the District 158 September newsletter, with its glowing cover story of an administrator's "Excellent Adventure to the Republic of China," touring temples, museums, and parks, eating exotic meals, and taking "brief classes" to enhance Mandarin language training in our schools. There was no mention of teacher contracts. If you have questions, I guess you could call the board members and administrators listed on the back, next to a photo of empty boardroom chairs.

Library "elects" new reading program: With a school closure looming, the Huntley library this week began "Elect to Read," a six-week reading marathon to keep students engaged and learning. The program, which lets children up to grade five read to win prizes, will end on Nov. 4, Election Day. Now that they're back in class, youngsters can still sign up.

The library also keeps copies of District 158 textbooks for use by students who "forget" their homework, and free wireless Internet access is available for all patrons. Call (847) 669-5386 or visit www.huntleylibrary.org.

Breast cancer walk: Sun City's Breast Cancer Support Hour's "You're Not Alone VI Walk" starts at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 27 at the Fountainview Pavilion. The 5K route runs along paved streets in the subdivision and the public is invited to take part. Last year, volunteer walkers from throughout the county raised $8,600 for local groups who help those struggling with the disease. To sign up, call Audrey Munger at (847) 669-3598.