Lake County Roe

ROE seat remains vacant

WOODSTOCK – McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler couldn’t help but laugh when he told board members about the latest setback in filling the vacant regional superintendent of schools office.

It’s not that Koehler, R-Crystal Lake, finds the situation funny – he told the County Board on Tuesday evening that the problem is “driving me absolutely crazy.” But of 11 volunteers for the office position – which is unpaid until further notice because Gov. Pat Quinn defunded all 44 of them statewide – only one met all of the legal requirements, he told the County Board on Tuesday evening.

The one who did backed out when he learned he was unable to hold down his paid education position at the same time, Koehler said. State law forbids regional superintendents from holding any other job. The county had hoped the state would interpret the law differently, given that the candidate worked outside the regional office’s jurisdiction.

Koehler told the board that he is approaching a 12th candidate, whom he would only describe as a “retired official.”

Such an official with the proper background almost certainly would be drawing a pension, and therefore would be able to pay the bills until the mess surrounding the funding situation gets sorted out.

Koehler could not be reached Wednesday for comment.

The state’s regional offices are tasked with supervising and controlling their school districts. Their duties include renewing teacher certificates, reviewing budgets, disbursing state and federal funds to districts, and truancy enforcement.

Quinn eliminated the $11.3 million for the state’s regional school superintendents from the state’s 2012 budget that took effect July 1. His earlier decision to cut their May pay not only prompted outgoing county regional superintendent Gene Goeglein to retire a month early, but also prompted elected successor Joseph Williams to decline the post and take another job.

June 24: MTV Networks offer Waukegan casting call for new TV show ...

If you are age 17-20 and dropped out of high school, MTV Networks would like to interview you at a casting event to be held from noon to 4 p.m. on June 24 at the Waukegan Public Library, 128 County St. in downtown Waukegan.

The network is seeking participants for a new TV program that will feature 20 students interested in the chance to become excited about school again. MTV is seeking students who are outgoing, open for new challenges and comfortable sharing their story on camera. Positive in approach, the show focuses on the students not as drop-outs but as people who are motivated to change their lives.

Co-sponsored by PASS (Positive Alternative Student Services) of the Lake County Regional Office of Education and the College of Lake County (CLC), the June 24 event will include a mini-resource fair in addition to the MTV casting call. Before or after participating in a 10-minute interview with MTV staff, attendees will have the opportunity to speak with staff and alumni from organizations such as CLC, YouthBuild, Youth Conservation Corps and Family Literacy to learn about options for completing high school and entering the work force.

The young adults participating in the MTV interviews will be asked to explain why they left school and what hopes and dreams they have for their future. Some of the attendees will also be interviewed for a local Lake County show “A Time for Change,” which airs on Comcast Cable and will soon air on Lake County TV.

The Lake County groups are participating in the MTV event as part of their work to reduce the school drop-out rate, according to Michele Vaughn, CLC associate dean of community education.

In May, the Regional Office of Education, the North Chicago Community Chapter of SAVE (Students Against Violence Everywhere) and YouthBuild held one of the nation’s 100 White House Young American Roundtables, which included a discussion of the drop-out problem. PASS and the Lake County ROE are also coordinating the 23rd Annual National Dropout Prevention Conference, to be held Oct. 9-12, 2011 in Schaumburg, Ill.

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