Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Today’s assignment

Posted in:

Illinois

* Gov. Rauner was asked yesterday about administration officials using personal e-mail to discuss governmental business…

“We have a very firm policy. We say: no personal email if you’re serving in the administration,” Rauner said. “Don’t use personal email for any government business whatsoever.”

There’s been a recent uproar over that very issue involving the outgoing U of I chancellor.

* It turns out, though, there was a reason behind that question…

Yet Rauner’s hand-picked, $250,000-a-year education secretary Beth Purvis has used private email to communicate with outside consultants about education policy in Illinois — and the governor’s administration for months refused to make the exchanges public.

In fact, the governor’s office initially denied a May Freedom of Information request by the Chicago Sun-Times. When the paper appealed, Rauner’s office then advocated extensively in a seven-page argument to the Illinois Attorney General’s office against the release of such emails. Attorneys further argued that employees’ private emails are not subject to freedom of information laws.

Oops.

* Not long after the Sun-Times asked the governor about the issue, top staff intervened with legal staff and had the documents released. You can click here to see them.

The first e-mail on the list is Purvis requesting that somebody use her government account. Another is a congratulatory e-mail and a third is about hiring a young prospect.

But there’s also a confidential document…

In December meetings on plans for education, Purvis relied on the assistance of private consultants from Bain & Co. and the Civic Consulting Alliance, according to documents obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times.

The discussions were to remain strictly confidential and any inquiries about the meetings were to be directed to the governor’s press office. That team helped formulate education goals, which have largely remained private under the new governor.

* So, your assignment: Have a look at that document and tell us if you find anything interesting.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Aug 11, 15 @ 9:40 am

Comments

Does p. 25 rank expertise?

If so Purvis’ document seems to not think highly of Stand for the Children.

Comment by Ipso Facto Tuesday, Aug 11, 15 @ 9:48 am
Same policy as the Pres. Good.

Comment by Formerly Known As... Tuesday, Aug 11, 15 @ 9:48 am
Bain

Comment by Just Observing Tuesday, Aug 11, 15 @ 10:00 am
How much do you want to bet that Bain and the Civic Consulting Alliance advocate policies that create work for themselves? You have to wonder if the folks at Bain and the CCA bothered to register as lobbyists? Seems like they may have drifted into some pretty gray procurement areas if they or their clients have benefited financially before and after Rauner took office. the same thing happened with transitions at City Hall and Cook County as well. Does anyone else smell a racket?

Comment by Frank Zappa Foundation Tuesday, Aug 11, 15 @ 10:03 am
At the top of first page bdpl@sbeglobal.net a google search takes you strange places?

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Aug 11, 15 @ 10:04 am
The Broad Foundation makes its usual appearance. How they dodged being linked in the press to the SUPES Academy is beyond me.

Comment by Ipso Facto Tuesday, Aug 11, 15 @ 10:04 am
Why does her personal email have a folder labeled “IL Ed Policy”?

Comment by Confused Tuesday, Aug 11, 15 @ 10:07 am
Frank Zappa Foundation - you do realize that the Civic Consulting Alliance is a non-profit, through which the business community donates it services to governments? In that context, ‘creating work for themselves’ may not mean what you think it means.

Comment by Rasselas Tuesday, Aug 11, 15 @ 10:13 am
Phyllis Wise was one of the committee members.

Comment by Tournaround Agenda Tuesday, Aug 11, 15 @ 10:16 am
This is why Speaker Madigan has never used email.

Comment by Anon Tuesday, Aug 11, 15 @ 10:17 am
missing a couple pages if you follow the numbering

Comment by oops Tuesday, Aug 11, 15 @ 10:18 am
is phyllis wise still on this education committee?

Comment by hisgirlfriday Tuesday, Aug 11, 15 @ 10:18 am
/mcDouble
maybe depends on the missing pages, and considering the Bruce’s schedule is not available, God knows where these rabbit holes lead

Comment by oops Tuesday, Aug 11, 15 @ 10:24 am
Rasselas - do you really believe that “the business community donates it services to governments?”

Comment by Frank Zappa Foundation Tuesday, Aug 11, 15 @ 10:26 am
What I find interesting is that virtually everything in these emails could, arguably, be withheld under the state Freedom of Information Act.

The introduction of an intern/job prospect? Arguably exempt under 7(1)(f)–it’s preliminary, as opposed to a final decision, and opinions are expressed. Under FOIA, records containing opinions can be withheld. Similarly, we have the Transition Team Recommended Strategies. They’re recommended, not final, and so this could, arguably, be labeled a draft and thus exempt from disclosure, also under 7(1) (f). Trying to pin down a date for a meeting? Curious that this was released given that the governor has refused to disclose his appointment calendar on the grounds that it is exempt under FOIA.

Besides underscoring inherent weaknesses in FOIA–you can, arguably, withhold darn near anything except pay stubs and other financial records–the release of this stuff seems at odds with Rauner’s fight to keep other things secret. The BGA is suing him for wholesale withholding of emails sent and received by his staff. The AG is considering whether he can legally withhold his appointment calendar. Exactly, in short, the type of thing that is disclosed here.

Seems odd, if not downright inconsistent.

Comment by Bruce Rushton Tuesday, Aug 11, 15 @ 10:31 am
== There’s been a recent uproar over that very issue involving the outgoing U of I president. ==

Rich, I think you meant to write chancellor. The president is not outgoing (from his office, as opposed to his personality) as far as I know.

Comment by X-prof Tuesday, Aug 11, 15 @ 11:10 am
Bain & Co was led by Romney for awhile. Did a cursory look-see at the proposal, and saw that they recommend giving charter schools more access to public school facilities. They also want to study what’s worked with privatizing in New Orleans, Tennessee and Chicago.

Here’s the answer: very little.

Sick of seeing our education tax dollars get siphoned into the pockets of hedge fund managers & Wall Street types.

The nerve of the Rauner administration to have major education policy discussed secretly! They just don’t want the public at large to know about their plans to empty out the public school bank accounts and dump it into their pockets via charter and online schools.

Comment by See the forest Tuesday, Aug 11, 15 @ 11:15 am
Lots of those committee members and co-chairs have ended up with appointments and positions in the last few months, Meeks and Smith most notably but lots of others as well.

Interesting comments about determining the “best way to structure multiple governing boards that oversee higher education.”

The comments about interviewing current appointees were also interesting.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Aug 11, 15 @ 11:17 am
Anonymous @ 11:17

Oh my! You mean that some of the top people from Rauner’s transition committee on education ended up in the administrations education shop?! Boy do I smell a conspiracy!

Comment by White Denim Tuesday, Aug 11, 15 @ 11:25 am
Not too many years ago, a prominent state government inspector general was a regular sender from his government email of the latest dirty jokes and goofy memes.

A buddy of mine used to print them out and share them at the train station bar. I don’t know if he does it any more.

Comment by Wordslinger Tuesday, Aug 11, 15 @ 12:55 pm
They discuss using ISU as a model for other colleges to graduate more students but they don’t acknowledge that ISU achieved this by raising admissions requirements. Many students who attend CSU, NEIU, EIU and WIU would not be admitted to ISU now.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Aug 11, 15 @ 2:26 pm
“Suruchi recently completed an extership with Green Dot.” Green Dot???

Comment by Mama Tuesday, Aug 11, 15 @ 2:51 pm
Beth Purvis, CEO, Chicago International Charter School ?
Tony Smith, Executive Director, W. Clement Stone and Jessie V Stone Foundation?
Don Wilson, Founder and CEO, DRW Trading Group?

Comment by Mama Tuesday, Aug 11, 15 @ 2:52 pm
Interesting changes:
1) Make sure organizational capacity (agency) & funding are in place for district takeover (Page 2)Potential legal hurdles exist in executing on district takeovers (Page 2)
3)Enact legislation to fund school choice

Comment by Mama Tuesday, Aug 11, 15 @ 2:54 pm
Is that why the only Rauner with a published state e-mail address is named Diana? Now what would Hillary say?

Comment by UNION MAN Tuesday, Aug 11, 15 @ 3:54 pm
How long until a federal investigation is underway? Probably never, as Rauner seems to have “leverage” everywhere, but I believe tomorrow would not be soon enough.

Comment by Property of IDOC Tuesday, Aug 11, 15 @ 10:48 pm
Good god, death by powerpoint. Will try to come back to this tomorrow; I’m too tired tonight.

Comment by Lynn S, Wednesday, Aug 12, 15 @ 12:56 am