Daily Herald Calls Skala a "Calm, Vocal Presence" on D 158 Board

Jameel’s weekly column in the Daily Herald was a breath of fresh air last Friday. He wrote about the upcoming school board contest between Mike Skala and Larry Snow; which guarantees to be the hottest ticket in town on Election Night 2009 in April. Jameel hit the nail on the head with his column about board personalities. Here is the text of his column:

I regret not having witnessed the 2005 race for the Huntley Unit District 158 school board.

If I had observed that race, I would have a better idea how the upcoming race will unfold.

Certainly the main event will be Larry Snow v. Mike Skala, pitting the two current board members against each other in the race for the sole two-year term.

Skala, as far as I have seen, has tried to stay above the fray since he got back on the board in 2007. When I spoke with him recently, the former board president said he has brought a positive attitude to the board that has helped board members cooperate instead of shouting at each other.

The board has spoken with a more unified voice during the past year. But whether this is a produce of Skala's influence or other factors is an open question.

The board tried to present a unified front during teacher contract negotiations. During a six-month stretch that overlapped with the meat of those discussions, board President Shawn Green was largely absent because of knee surgery and his work schedule.

Green's absence removed Snow's foil-in-chief and may have been a factor in reduced tension on the board. (In fairness, Snow's absence would probably have had a similar effect.)

Board Vice President Tony Quagliano's leadership during Green's absence reflected the more moderate approach Quagliano has taken since he was elected. The centrist approach may have been palatable to more board members and district officials than the way Green or Snow would approach the board presidency.

We should not forget that Skala himself was absent from these discussions because his wife is a teacher in the district. He surely could not have moderated board member disputes if he was not there to witness them.

Finally, the conclusion of contract negotiations and Green's return to the board seem to have led to more acrimony among board members.

Regardless, Skala has been a calm if not vocal presence on the board, and it will be interesting to see the contrast between his demeanor and Snow's outspoken, polemical public persona.

Bongo was impressed with Jameel’s use of the word “polemical,” and wonders if Jameel has the “word of the day” calendar on his desk at work. For those who don’t know what the word means, dictionary.com defines it as:

polemic: noun
1. a controversial argument, as one against some opinion, doctrine, etc.
2. a person who argues in opposition to another; controversialist.

polemical: adjective
3. Also, po⋅lem⋅i⋅cal. of or pertaining to a polemic; controversial.

Snow? Controversial and argumentative? BINGO!