From Local 1211.

Hello Candidates,

I hope you found some time this past week spending time with family and friends while staying warm.  For those who celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah, I hope the holiday season was filled with joy.  It is hard to believe that a new year is just a few days away.

My name is Steve Elza and I am the president of the Northwest Suburban Teachers Union, Local 1211.  Local 1211 is the umbrella organization that includes over 2,700 members from District 211, District 214, Itasca, District 15 Therapists, and retirees.  The reason for my letter is to invite you to our School Board Candidates Forum.  The main purpose of the forum is to allow our members to get to meet the people who are running for election.  We believe that a strong Board of Education not only has a healthy relationship with the community of residents, but also with the people who work in the very buildings in the district.  Your attendance, either in person or virtually, would be greatly appreciated.

The Forums for District 211 and District 214 will occur on two separate days.   Our goal is to give each candidate 10-15 minutes (depending on the number of candidates who attend) to talk with our members.  The forum for District 214’s candidates will occur on Tuesday, January 10th from 4-6 pm and the forum for District 211’s candidates will be on Thursday, January 12th from 4-6 pm.  We would prefer that you attend in person at our office located at 2010 E. Algonquin Road, Suite 214 in Schaumburg, but we respect your desire and/or need to zoom into the event at your designated time.  Prior to the forum, we ask that you return the enclosed questionnaire before January 5th so that we may be efficient with the limited time that we have with you.

Once you let us know that you will attend, preferably by January 5th, we will let you know of your time slot.  Out of respect to other candidates, we ask that you arrive no earlier than 15 minutes to your designated time.

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at (630) 605-6771 or at selza@local1211.org.  I am excited to meet each of you.

I hope the next few days will be restful and your New Year’s is filled with happiness.

Sincerely,
Steve Elza
President - Northwest Suburban Teachers Union, Local 1211
IFT Vice President
2010 E. Algonquin Road, Suite 214
Schaumburg, IL 60173

Email: selza@local1211.org
Office Phone: 847-303-1211
Office Fax: 847-303-1282
Cell Phone: 630-605-6771
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I provided the following responses and attended the forum.

I was caught off guard at this forum when there was a couple of Palatine Democrats attending. I make an effort to avoid partisan politics and would have most likely declined if I knew that this would be a closed forum for more than just union members.