Some Grayslake residents are calling school board member Michael Carbone the taxpayer’s champion. Others say allegations that he tried to gain access to a password-protected district computer make him belligerent and unprofessional — an embarrassment.
Carbone remained defiant during an interview at his home on Thursday, the day after his formal censure by colleagues on the Community Consolidated School District 46 board of education.
He called the swirl of controversy surrounding him “political pandering,” and denied ever seeking a password to access a district computer system. The board accuses him of doing that to find out how many teachers were absent to attend pro-union rallies in Madison.
“I think it’s politically driven and it’s sad,” Carbone said.
He acknowledges asking how many teachers were absent on Feb. 22, the day of a rally in Madison as the legislature battled over the rights of public unions to bargain. A district resident had asked him about local absences that day, Carbone said.
Carbone said Superintendent Ellen Correll told him 18 teachers were absent – which Carbone called a relatively low number.
He denies any ulterior motive to undermine unions, saying they “have the right to assemble and organize,” and that “everyone is entitled to do whatever they want on their own time.”
But he thinks it’s valid for taxpayers to know about a high number of absences on any given day.
Diane Elfering, president of the Grayslake Federation of Teachers, said in an e-mail to the Tribune on Thursday that she was unaware of any teachers taking off to attend the Wisconsin rallies.
“I believe that if Mr. Carbone had come to me personally, I could have answered his questions and this matter would have not risen to the controversy it has become,” she added.
Board member Colleen Wade offered a harsher assessment during Wednesday’s meeting, calling Carbone’s alleged conduct “completely unethical.” She said that his actions violated district employees’ right to privacy.
But some community members at the meeting supported Carbone.
“You didn’t just censure Michael,” district resident Lisa Jarrett told the board. “You voted to censure the public tonight, too.”
Paul Mitchell said Carbone “has been the only champion of taxpayers on this board for a very, very long time.”
“The question of whether there was an unannounced union sick-out action on that day is a relevant question for this board to know,” said Mitchell, of Hainesville. “It’s a relevant thing for this board to act on, if it was existing.”
But district resident Kathy Idlas disagreed, calling Carbone’s alleged actions “belligerent and unconstructive.”
In response to Dilbert, obviously Carbone had no business trying to obtain the information in such a surreptitious manner. Carbone’s irresponsibility has no place on a board of ANYTHING, let alone, education. His “gotcha” style and false bravado does nothing to instill integrity in the board.
1. I’m not sure what business it is of a citizen or Board Member what a person does with their personal time. Why asked about a certain day if there was no ulterior motive. Maybe the political or issue-based pandering was initiated by Mr. Carbone. What’s next on the ‘unauthorized time-off’ list, religious holidays, taking one’s own child to a public college for a tour, or an extended weekend? How is a Board Member arbiter of authorized time off?
(Also, what happened to the right to free assembly? Is that not being taught in school by state mandate or is it a right to assemble except teachers…?)
2. What if Mr. Carbone was successful? Would the district not be on the losing end of a lawsuit? Does the Privacy Act of 1979 not protect teachers too? Are there not similar confidentiality statutes? Even if not, how about being prudent, focusing on fiscal and cirriculum-related matters and not trying to answer a ‘phantom citizen’s inquiry.’
3. I wonder what Mr. Carbone does when he’s on the clock, in public representing other organizations or companies. Is he always on his best behavior, avoiding political or perspective-based events, and never judging others? Obviously not.
Maybe the people chose the wrong REPRESENTATIVE.
As has been pointed out, Michael Carbone could have obtained the information he was seeking by less surreptitious means. Instead he displayed a complete lack of judgment by tying to hack into the District 46 computer system. He could have just requested the information and by law it would have been given to him. During the years that I have been living in Grayslake there has been a continuing parade of egotistical idiots on the District 46 Board. Michael Carbone is just the latest clown in the parade.
Carbone asked the right questions obviously. Otherwise the other board members wouldn’t be faking this “we’re so righteously upset” whining. Carbone is one of the good guys on the board. The rest are simply in the pocket of the teachers union. They just can’t believe anyone would dare question them about anything they do. As a board members, they should all be asking the question Carbone did. He simply responded to a taxpaying resident’s question. Imagine that. Trying to actually serve a taxpayer’s best interest.