Republicans stop feuding and slate Ed Geeser for 14th ward alderman candidate

3 comments March 3rd, 2009

 The skirmish between GOP Party Chairwoman Jan Klaas and state Sen. Dave Syverson appears to be over, or at least papered over. The era of good feelings was evident when GOP precinct committeemen from Rockford regrouped Tuesday night and slated Ed Geeser, a 41-year old banker, as the party’s candidate in the 14th ward alderman race.

Geeser’s previous slating had been derailed by troops loyal to Syverson, who backs an independent candidate in the race, Mark Bonne. Klaas had gotten Bonne booted from the GOP ballot because he had voted in the 2008 Democratic primary. Bonne admitted to her he voted for Hillary Clinton, not exactly a Republican’s dream candidate.

Geeser said he was not recruited by anyone, rather, he sought out Klaas and told her he wanted to run when Bonne was taken off the GOP ballot.

Syverson complained in my Tuesday column that slating Geeser would split the Republican vote, which he hopes will go to Bonne.

However, the 19 committeemen gathered Tuesday night at the former Highland School, where the GOP has its headquarters, voted unanimously for Geeser.

I can’t tell you what went on in there, because reporters were kicked out — something a party caucus can do legally. However, no law required them to hold the meeting behind closed doors. Why they were so secretive is beyond me. Guess it’s like being in an exclusive club that has a secret handshake.

Repubican Geeser and independents Bonne and Bill Robertson face off in the April 7 general election for 14th ward alderman.

On a side note, Klaas told me she is no longer wishing that Machesney Park village president candidate removes his name from the April 7 ballot. Klaas had hoped to find a stronger candidate to go against Democrat Tom Srickland.

But Terrell said he won’t budge, and Klaas says she’s now supporting Terrell.

Sheffield could spur Rockford to be national lab for public school improvement

3 comments March 3rd, 2009

The Rockford School Board is truly a weird body in its present and soon-to-end makeup. I have heard the board announce several new school superintendents over the years, but I never heard the board announce “the finalist.”

But that’s what the board did Tuesday, when it put out a press release saying that LaVonne Sheffield, superintendent of Recovery School District outside Orleans Parish in Louisiana.

Sheffield, the board said, is the “finalist.” Now the board members will travel to places she has worked in the past and to Baton Rouge, where she works now, to check her out.

Um, excuse me but isn’t that kind of …. backward?

Nevermind, though, Sheffield is the candidate recommended by Paul Vallas, her boss in Louisiana. Vallas, you may remember, is the fromer Chicago school superintendent under Mayor Richard M Daley who carried out a wide range of reforms. He ran for governor in 2002. I was impressed with his interview at the Editorial Board and we endorsed him in the Democratic primary over Roland Burris and Rod Baloneyvich.

Vallas is close to the Obama administration, which has hired Arne Duncan away from the top Chicago school post to be education secretary. Vallas, Duncan and Obama all believe in shaking up the nation’s public schools to make them relevant to the 21st century and serve their customers, the nation’s school children.

So, assuming Sheffield is the pick, she’ll have  connections to Vallas, Duncan, and by extension, to Obama himself. The president, in his not-the-state-of-the-union speech, specifically mentioned charter schools as one way to improve the schools.

Just think. What if Rockford could become a national laboratory for public school improvement? It’s not far-fetched at all, and federal money would come with it.