The Teachers' Union Funds School Board Election

The CHS District 230 employee contract is a contentious battle, one would think. The teachers, represented by their union, want the biggest raises they can get. The school board, representing the community, wants reasonable salaries. After all, the school board are comprised of elected officials, representing the voters. Except that the voters don't care too much. They don't know much about the issues at stake, and they don't know the candidates. It just takes a little bit of name recognition to get elected to the school board. And name recognition can be bought with just a bit of money.

If you heard anything about the school board election, you heard about the "230 United" candidates. In recent history, only 230 United candidates win election to the schoolboard. The chairman of 230 United is Rick Nogal, who also happens to be the former president of the school board.

230 United is a Political Action Committee, and as such is obliged to reveal their sources of funding. The #1 source of funding for 230 United is District 230 Teacher's Association IPACE. That's the teacher's union. They have a program where they take revenue from the teacher's dues and give it to political candidates that suit their needs. The teachers union is able to do so well in contract negotiations because they're sitting on both sides of the negotiating table. It may not be illegal yet for the teachers union to bankroll their own puppet schoolboard, but it is definitely unethical. I would tell you to complain to the schoolboard but ha, they're definitely not sorry.