* From the IEA…

ALGONQUIN – Community Unit School District 300 School Board Candidate Kristina Konstanty filed a fake police report against an LGBTQ+ District 300 teacher. The false claim was filed after the openly gay, District 300 teacher, Lisa Kopetsky, made comments at a school board meeting supporting LGBTQ+ students and the district’s LGBTQ+ club, known as SWANS club, an acronym for “students who are not silent.”

“I don’t want anyone else to go through what I’ve had to go through.That’s the only reason I’m sharing my story,” Kopetsky said. “I’m a product of District 300 schools. I graduated from Jacobs High School. My children go to school here. I teach here. I love our schools and our community. But if I can be singled out and harassed because of my sexual orientation, so can our students. This is absolutely unacceptable. We have to do better.” […]

“Konstanty didn’t just file a fake police report against me. She’s gone after me online, harassing me through posts on social media. My phone won’t stop ringing with spam phone calls. My email inbox is overflowing. She’s doxing me. I’m worried about my safety and my family’s safety” Kopetsky said. “We need to do more to protect our educators. I totally understand why people leave the teaching profession. We have to do more, so we can save others from going through this nightmare.”

Shortly after APD closed Konstanty’s false report, she announced her candidacy for school board. Then, at the Jan. 10 school board meeting, Konstanty was openly campaigning for her school board candidacy, which is against Illinois Election Code. The district noted her behavior was “confrontational, disrespectful and abusive” in a No Trespass Notification letter sent to Konstanty. The letter also noted Konstanty is no longer allowed on District 300 property. […]

“She can’t even enter district property without receiving prior approval, but she’s running for school board? It should be abundantly clear to anyone looking over this timeline of events to see that Kristina Konstanty is not someone who is remotely qualified to serve our public schools,” Williamson said.

…Adding… As noted in comments, Kristina Konstanty was endorsed by Awake Illinois yesterday.

* Last week…

A New York-based political action committee belatedly reported that it so far has spent more than $13,000 backing conservative candidates in next week’s local school board elections in Illinois.

Its reports were submitted beginning late Tuesday after the Tribune wrote that the group had not disclosed what it spent on mailers that began arriving in Chicago-area mailboxes last week within the time frame required under state law.

The 1776 Project PAC — which, according to its website, funds school board candidates who support teaching “patriotism and pride in American history” and oppose the teaching of critical race theory — is backing more than a dozen candidates in Illinois districts including Barrington and Oswego in the April 4 election.

1776 Project PAC mailer…

* On to these unusual doorhangers in the Elmhurst area, which Isabel told you about yesterday. Notice that they have no “Paid for by” notification on them…

“Vote for anyone except these people,” is a different way of doing things. They even have a website…

These people waste class time on curriculum fads; waste money on “equity” consultants and curriculum; and only listen to special interest groups, to the detriment of good learning outcomes.

Some folks sure are upset about equity. Also, note how they claim these liberals are somehow book burners…

And not a single “Paid for by” on the site that I can find.

Patch…

The hopefuls have no official alliances. But local progressives are backing incumbents Beth Hosler and Courtenae Trautmann and newcomers Kelly Asseff and Kelly Henry.

The most conservative candidate is seen as Tom Chavez, who has been speaking at board meetings for the last couple of years.

His supporters are also favoring Lan Li, Linda Nudera and Jammie Esker Schaer. […]

He argued local children were the subject of Marxist indoctrination.

…Adding… Tom Chavez, Lan Li, Linda Nudera and Jammie Esker Schaer were all endorsed by Awake Illinois yesterday.

* Isabel’s roundup…

* : In Illinois, this ideological battle is on full display in Tuesday’s elections as residents throughout the state vote in mayoral and school and library board elections. Local school and library board elections, nonpartisan by design, now are subject to credible threats from candidates intent on furthering exclusionary policies such as book bans and opposition to diversity, equity and inclusion policies. The Democratic Party of Illinois has made an unprecedented commitment of $300,000 to combat them.

* Pantagraph | Meet the District 87 school board candidates: The four candidates for the Bloomington District 87 school board spoke with The Pantagraph recently about their priorities and goals if elected during Tuesday’s election.

* Patch | 9 Candidates Up For 4 Seats On District 200 Board: Nine candidates are in the running for four seats on the Community Unit School District 200 Board of Education. Two candidates are facing off for one unexpired two-year term and seven are vying for three open seats with full four-year terms.

* Patch | 4 Vie For 3 Seats On Palos Dist. 118 School Board: Four candidates running for three open seats on the Palos Dist. 118 school board in the April 4 consolidated election. Two candidates out of four responded to the Patch candidate questionnaire.

* Patch | ETHS, D-65 Elections: Who Will Be Elected To Evanston School Boards?: With only two incumbents running for three open seats on each of Evanston’s public school boards, there are bound to be new faces elected on Tuesday in Evanston/Skokie School District 65 and Evanston Township High School District 202.

* Patch | Nothing Quiet About D86 Board Race: Three of the candidates, Kay Gallo, Catherine Greenspon and Andrew Catton, are outspoken critics of Superintendent Tammy Prentiss, who was promoted in 2019. Like the other three, candidate Asma Akhras criticized the way Prentiss handled a high-profile incident involving an anti-racist consultant. Still another, Deborah Willoughby, praised the superintendent in a Patch questionnaire.

* Patch | 4 Vie For 3 Seats On Plainfield D202 Board Of Education: The candidates are Savena Joiner, Elias Kalantis, Margarita Morelos and Heather Roach. The only incumbent is Roach, who was first elected to the position in 2015 and reelected in 2019. Kevin Kirberg, who currently serves as Board president, and Treasa Howard-Collins are not seeking reelection.

* Patch | Progressives Vs. Conservatives In Elmhurst D205: During the pandemic, Elmhurst school board meetings became battlegrounds over issues such as school shutdowns, masks and critical race theory. Public comments at times became heated. At one meeting, the board recessed for about five minutes when mask mandate backers shouted down a public commenter who refused to wear one.

* Patch | 6 Vie For 3 Seats On Mokena 159 Board Of Education: According to candidate questionnaires submitted to Patch, Tunney is the lone candidate with school governance experience and is the current President of the Mokena PTA. Coleman and Fryer did not respond to multiple requests from Patch to submit questionnaires.

* Patch | 8 Candidates Run For 3 LTHS Board Of Education Positions: Tylka-Shaw and Lewandowski are both incumbent board members. Tylka-Shaw serves as secretary of the board, and was elected in 2019. Lewandowski has served on the board since 1999. According to the District website, Lewandowski is an LTHS alumnus and “wants to provide a safe and secure environment to educate all LTHS students and to continue to work with the administration to establish goals for improving student achievement.”