By: Diane Benjamin I’ve spent hours re-reading a FOIA I received from Unit 5 in early April. Ask your kids how many time EQUITY is mentioned in school. Nobody is entitled to equity, they are entitled to EQUAL however. Equity means making everyone the same. That philosophy is socialist/marxist, not American where we strive for […]
By: Diane Benjamin I do know at least one classroom at a local school had the kids read this book: Ask your kids if their class read it. I’m more interested in where the discussion went after reading it. Also, what age was the class? More later . . . .
By: Diane Benjamin I filed a FOIA request with Unit 5 for information they decided to redact. Transparency at Unit 5 rates close to zero. One gem was included and not redacted. I hope more teacher’s are choosing to leave the union. I redacted the name, notice this person asked for direction because the union […]
By: Diane Benjamin From the PAC website: https://www.responsiblecities.com/ Gee, it sounds like this group wants the best candidates for the entire community. They don’t. Chris Koos and Kevin McCarthy have recently stated they were elected by the citizens of Normal and they don’t care about Bloomington. They want to run water pipes on top of […]
By: Diane Benjamin A friend sent me this video, Normal was #9. Shockingly, the narrator stated Normal schools rated an F! I emailed the video creator to ask where her information came from and she referred me to this site: https://www.areavibes.com/normal-il/schools/ She included this disclaimer: Source: The Normal, IL education data displayed above is derived […]
See who was endorsed in the last local election: https://web.archive.org/web/20190710062621/http:/www.bntrades.org/?zone=/unionactive/view_article.cfm&HomeID=736543 Hint: Jenn Carrillo, Jeff Crabill, Kathleen Lorenz, RC McBride, . . . . By: Diane Benjamin The picks below were made by Bloomington-Normal Trades and Labor. Some of their picks make ALL of their candidates suspect: To that end we ask our members and the […]
(Does Lawler know the Democrats screwed Bernie twice because they know he isn’t electable?) Typos immaterial as well as facts?
By: Diane Benjamin I received a tip for an impeccable source that the Assistant Principal below removed a profile file a student had on his Unit 5 computer because it contained a “thin blue line”. I’m sure you know that represents support for law enforcement. I emailed Mr. Caffey about the incident and got this […]
Flying around I’m hearing unsettling information about an Assistant Principal. Details needed! blnnews@yahoo.com
I’m going to add emailed comments at the bottom instead of posting them as a comment. By: Diane Benjamin Kids are suffering from closed schools. Parents are suffering and watching their kids fall behind. Meanwhile, Tri-Valley is holding in-person classes while Unit 5 and District 87 are closed. The Unit 5 school board had the […]
By: Diane Benjamin I was contacted by a citizen pertaining to the treatment of a student. The student has an IEP – Individualized Education Program. Since schools are required by law to provide an education, IEP’s are legal documents that provide rights and protections for parents and students needing special education so they can thrive […]
By: Diane Benjamin Proving yet again government doesn’t care how high property taxes go, Unit 5 will tax next year far above the inflation rate. According to the Board website, the owner of a $175,000 house will be paying $160 more. https://meetings.boardbook.org/Public/Agenda/1482?meeting=431457 Wasn’t it just a year or two ago taxes were raised $400 on […]
By: Diane Benjamin The second installment of your property taxes are due on 9/17. The check you will be writing is higher because of many things, but a BIG one is Tax Increment Financing. TIF’s The Uptown TIF is Normal’s huge one. The 2020 comprehensive report isn’t available yet, so I have to use the […]
By: Diane Benjamin http://normal.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=2134 School Board elections are next April, how about running? How about voting? h/t a reader Since teachers refuse to go back to work in a classroom and Unit 5 is allowing them to make the rules, the Town of Normal wants to make some money: I can’t say it any better […]
By: Diane Benjamin h/t a reader Social Justice Warrior Lawler is on the Jenn train! Unless you want your kids indoctrinated by teachers like this one, look into forming ‘pods”. Lot of resources are available – you can deprive Unit 5 of funding by NOT sending your kids to their camps. This guy obviously won’t […]
By: Diane Benjamin Please share this story! I’ve been asking for this discussion for years, the next local election will FORCE it to happen. Why does local government exist and what powers should it have and NOT have? Obviously Bloomington screwed up big time when the Coliseum was built against the wishes of the citizens. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Another election year, more racists. It is nothing more than a deflection of real issues. We know Black Lives only Matter as a talking point. Black Lives obviously don’t Matter in Chicago. They also don’t matter if you don’t vote Democrat, Biden told us. Thinking about running for local office as a […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you read John Kass’s column from yesterday’s story, he reported all the suburban women with “white privilege” signs in the yards are arming themselves because the looting didn’t stay in Chicago. https://blnnews.com/2020/06/03/you-are-being-deceived/ Want to know why your kids think socialism is great? Meet Nikki Mauer: https://www.unit5.org/Page/1850 NCHS: Nikki used her Copy […]
By: Diane Benjamin District 87 has a statement on their website expecting kids to E-Learn: https://www.district87.org/Covid 19 Update Unit 5 has this statement: https://www.unit5.org/cms/lib/IL01905100/Centricity/Domain/4/parent_letter.pdf Act of God? Evidently God isn’t banned in schools when he can be used as an excuse! District 87 uses the same terminology but they are still E-Learning anyway. I […]
By: Diane Benjamin Yesterday I received one more document from Unit 5. This one calls the program Standards Based Learning and Grading. PDF page 5 shows the courses for implementation. SBG Task Force 2019-2020 I have to refrain from commenting on the content, I’d rather hear from parents and teachers. Please let me know […]
By: Diane Benjamin Standards Based Grading is causing an upheaval within Unit 5. Previous stories: https://blnnews.com/2019/12/24/unit-5-forced-my-hand/ https://blnnews.com/2020/01/07/unit-5-does-comedy/ I found this article, please take time to read it. It attempts to promote Standards Based Grading, but read the whole thing. The writer likely doesn’t realize it, but eventually it will make you wonder why any sane […]
By: Diane Benjamin On December 5th I FOIA’d Unit 5 for emails referring to Standards Based Grading. I was told it was way to many emails and they requested I narrow the request. I did narrow the request to emails between Dan Lamboley and the consultant Unit 5 hired – Garnet Hillman. I also requested […]
By: Diane Benjamin I filed this FOIA request on December 5th: I was then told the request is too voluminous, so it was narrowed to just emails between the two people mentioned. On December 21st I received this request: No, I’m not waiting a month for emails. I then received this response: Guess what! I […]
I’ve lost track of every source that has wished to remain anonymous. If you want to be another one, have no fear! I need information on this: Is District 87 doing the same them? Any other area schools? Email me: blnnews@yahoo.com
By: Diane Benjamin I haven’t FOIA’d other school districts yet, but I’m betting this is widespread. I was contacted weeks ago by a person who’s grandson was unable to study during STUDY HALL because the teacher always had CNN10 on instead of allowing quiet time. This was at Kingsley Junior High. This person has watched […]
By: Diane Benjamin Just a rumor going around until it is confirmed. I’m hearing an entire department is moving or the department is being outsourced. What have you heard? I assume you heard Unti 5 claimed their property tax base is down this year. It should be for every government taxing body if a lot […]
By: Diane Benjamin Followup to this story: https://blnnews.com/2019/07/11/question-for-parents-of-high-school-kids-or-recent-grads/ The Federal deficit is closing in on $22.5 Trillion. That debt is unsustainable and will destroy future generations. With that in mind, besides providing funding for empty buses, here’s another questionable program from the Feds. The Unit 5 FOIA officer told me the Feds reimburse expenses for […]
By: Diane Benjamin This pic is everything I received from Unit 5 – except the MarK Daniel charges I posted earlier today. The short stack in front are statements I found nothing interesting on. (Not many of them!) The large stack on the back left is 5 months of charges not included below. I have […]
By: Diane Benjamin I made the agenda for the July 10th Unit 5 Board meeting, if Unit 5 lists FOIA requests for every meeting they must not get many: https://v3.boardbook.org/Public/PublicAgenda.aspx?ak=1000890&mk=50335525 The person with the most receipts charging Sales Tax was Mark Daniel, Superintendent. Many of the receipts are at LOCAL restaurants. Most are not […]
By: Diane Benjamin See a pic of the massive stack of papers I received in response to a FOIA request here: https://blnnews.com/2019/07/05/guess-what-this-is/ My original FOIA was for 18 months of all credit card/ PC card statements and receipts. I narrowed the request to 12 months and only administrators to reduce the volume. It’s still a […]
Open The Books has a new interactive map for Illinois which allows users to see Illinois Educators either receiving a salary or pension in excess of $100,000. Click below to see it. Keep in mind the pensions go up 3% every year, Pritzker refuses to put a Constitutional Amendment on the ballot to change it. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Elections for Wards 2, 4, 6, and 8 are on the ballot. Note: Ward 8 does have two candidates even though Travis Wilson was disqualified. Crabill can’t get any farther left, so you could vote for Wilson. Tari would then have to appoint his replacement. If he appoints the loser Crabill, it […]
By: Diane Benjamin I’m hearing rumors that Unit 5 wants a property tax increase next year. I have to start following what they do even though I don’t have time to do it right. I’m starting here because it’s going to be fascinating to see what union members do after the Janus Supreme Court decision. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Update to this story: https://blnnews.com/2018/05/17/what-about-dale/ Dale Nelson was riding his bike with two friends when he was hit by a drunk driver. August 21st is the first anniversary of his death. Dale’s eyes were donated to a blind boy in Michigan. Dale’s kidneys were donated to two people, a true gift of […]
I spoke to Dale’s mom. Dale was registered at Normal West but he was killed in August 21st and never got to attend. No one from West contacted her. Many people are talking about ways to make sure he isn’t forgotten. His mom suggested a memorial bench at Miller Park or at the Cornbelters field […]
By: Diane Benjamin I need to correct this story: https://blnnews.com/2018/03/28/why-is-fazzini-signing-contracts/ Rob Fazzini signed a contract for the City of Bloomington dated 3/10/16. He was not an alderman when he signed it. He was also not authorized by the City Council to sign anything on behalf of the City of Bloomington. All other contracts were signed by […]
By: Diane Benjamin Some public bodies still ask you to state your address before speaking during Public Comment. You are not required to according to the law. See this 2014 opinion from the Illinois Attorney General’s office: http://foia.ilattorneygeneral.net/pdf/opinions/2014/14-009.pdf This paragraph sums up the decision: The Town of Normal and the Unit 5 School Board need […]
By: Diane Benjamin I filed this FOIA request: Copies of all complaints filed in any form against all coaches employed or volunteering in the Unit 5 school district for the last three years – 2015, 2016, 2017. Copies of all responses to the above complaints. I’m only going to post what is applicable to the […]
By: Diane Benjamin We are expected to believe a dedicated 15 year football coach suddenly decided he needed to spend more time with his family. It’s a great idea, but it’s difficult to believe he wouldn’t have planned his departure and made sure a great coach was in place so the program wouldn’t suffer. That […]
The below is a comment left on a previous Unit 5 story. It states clearly what questions need to be answered. A reader posted the picture in a comment yesterday. I have been following this story in the media for the past almost month now, and have been reading the many stories and comments that […]
