Thursday, January 30, 2014

Hypocrisy of Board President Turek Exposed!

http://homeimprovementbasics.com/the-pot-calling-the-kettle-black-wikipedia-the-free-encyclopedia.html

Yesterday, we received a comment that "shined a light" of transparency on the hypocrisy of Board President Marty Turek.  That comment, as well as those submitted by angry community members, are published below.  This morning, we were asked to convert the comment into a free standing post in order that it would not get lost in the coverage of the HMS mold crisis.  We agree that the information should be front and center for everyone to read.

As one comment stated:  "Mr. Turek is a hypocrite."

During the October 28, 2013 Board meeting, he publicly criticized community members who had filed Freedom of Information Act Requests in D181, and along with Member Nelson, chastised them and called them bullies. Both Turek and Nelson declared that they will be going to Representative Patti Bellock to seek FOIA reform and, in Mr. Turek's own words, "get us out of this business of FOIA...." (Click to open 10/28/13 meeting recap previously posted.)

Well, well, well.  Look who is calling the kettle black!

It seems that since Spring 2013, Mr. Turek has not just filed one FOIA request, but multiple, broad requests dealing with the technology infrastructure in District 86, District 90 and District 13.  (Who knows if he filed in more than 3 districts....) And he has done so on behalf of his technology business, Vision Solutions.  Some of the comments rightly pose the question: WHY is he doing this? For personal reasons? For commercial purposes? What is his motive?

Considering that he has been so critical of others who have filed FOIA requests in our school district, we demand an explanation and invite Mr. Turek to submit a comment of his own. And we caution Mr. Turek to carefully watch his words in the future, since the old adage is true that what goes around comes around.

COMMENTS FROM 1/29/13 on TUREK FOIA's:

Anonymous said...


FOIA Requests made by Marty Turek. The Parents and readers of The Blog can google for authenticity.

MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION HINSDALE TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT 86 May 20, 2013
D. Freedom of Information Request. Request of April 19, 2013. Mr. Marty Turek, Vision Solutions, requested copies of 1) List of District Wide Computer Servers with the number of physical, virtual, web and database servers detailing processors, cores, memory hardware maintenance cost and design models; 2) List of all application vendors with version number; 3) Upgrade schedule for servers; 4) List of data storage environment: Terabirts of NAS, SAN, Incremental Backup and Long-Term Archival Storage with manufacture and model; 5) Upgrade or expansion plan for data storage; 6) current disaster recover vendor contract or plan; 7) Main IT vendor with last three year spending for 2012, 2011, and 2010; and 8) annual yearly IT budget. Documents responsive to item #7 and item #8 were provided. Requests for Items 1-5 are exempt pursuant to Section 7(1)(o) of the Act, which exempts “Administrative or technical information associated with automated data processing operations, including but not limited to software, operating protocols, computer-program abstracts, file layouts, source listings, object modules, load modules, user guides, documentation pertaining to all logical and physical design of computerized systems, employee manuals, and any other information that, if disclosed, would jeopardize the security of the system or its data or the security of material exempt under this Section.

School District 13
Freedom of Information Act Request
Dr. Bartelt reported that three FOIA requests had been received since the last meeting. Marty Turek requested information regarding the District’s technology equipment and maintenance, i.e., list of computer servers, upgrade schedule, and annual budget.

Regular Meeting of the Board Of Education Of School District #90, Cook County, Illinois
Freedom of Information Act Request
A FOIA request was received from Marty Turek on April 15, 2013 regarding computer networking equipment. The response was emailed on April 18, 2013. 
Anonymous said...
Looks like we have Turek by the short hairs! Really, how can a BOE president makes such crude remarks during a public meeting (and children were present)? Moreover, why is he allowed to be a bully and file FOIAs be we cannot? Most importantly, what is his line of work and is he benefiting personally from his position as board president?
Mr. Everett said...
OMG!

I knew Marty was not exactly dedicated to finding the most effective ways to improve classroom learning but this suggests that his interest in 'serving' on the BOE is more along the lines of the kind of insider profiteering that one would expect in Proviso or Cicero.

Appalling that anyone with any sense of ethics would so blatantly attempt to abuse their position.

I actually feel sorry for him as I believe he does have children in the schools as well as history of growing up nearby / family. Wow.
Anonymous said...
Shame on you, Mr. Turek! So, it is OK for YOU to file FOIAs to public schools, but the rest of us should not?

I would love to find out why you have been trying to find out information through FOIAs, at least since April of last year. Why were they filed under the name of your business? There certainly is no shame in trying to make a living, but I don't understand why you have publicly berated so many people, including parents and other board members for doing the same thing. Those people and others, were not even doing it for financial gain.
Yvonne Mayer said...
Turek is a hypocrite! How dare he call me out for filing FOIA requests in D181 when he is filing very broad requests in multiple districts? Who is the bully now?
Anonymous said...
Turek's hypocrisy now explains why he protects Schuster's incompetence at every turn. Both of them should resign, but they are too stubborn and full of themselves to do so.
Anonymous said...
Surprise, Surprise, he sell IT equipment...

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/marty-turek/1/474/a25

I need to take a shower. I get slimed just listening to him on the podcast.
jay_wick said...
I disagree that this is a smoking gun for anything other Mr. Turek's lack of ethics and his own shocking hypocrisy. Sort of like Blago getting arrested before he actually had any personal gain from selling Sen. Obama's vacant seat, Mr. Turek does not yet seem to have gotten any business for his employer's products or services...

There is similarly no evidence that this troubling but inconsequential discovery creates any special ties of incompetence or collusion between the superintendent and Mr. Turek.

The fact is that Mr. Turkek's lackadaisical approach to the tasks before the BOE have no special blind spot for the superintendent. Similarly the superintendent has exhibited classic behaviors of a staff member that has not been given clear policy direction by her Board -- Ineffective Governing Boards 

Between Mr. Clarin's reluctance to look at anything from other than about 99,000 feet, the literal non-presence of Mr. Nelson, the incompetence of Mr. Turek and the various lack of either effective subcommittees OR consensus of a majority of the BOE it is not surprising that the district is in disarray.

I would urge anyone that is concerned about reversing this slide to make less noise about whose heads need to be put on pikes and instead reach out to the few members of the BOE that seem to be capable of working in the best interests of students and the community.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Marty, Marty Marty. Did you get permission from your representative to abuse the system like this? I sure hope so?

I think someone should serve a foia on the school district and find out how much time was spent responding to Mr. Turek's foia. Then that can be the benchmark for how much time is considered reasonable for other folks FOIA requests.



Anonymous said...

DECEMBER 17, 2012 WILMETTE, IL REGULAR MEETING
FOIA received from Marty Turek, of Clarendon Hills, regarding technology data servers, storage, and recovery information.

Anonymous said...

Here at Oak School. Special BOE meeting poorly attended.

This is the "kick off" for contract negoitiations with the "collective bargaining unit" aka union represented employees aka the teachers.

No sign of Nelson or Turek.

Anonymous said...

DECEMBER 17, 2012 WILMETTE, IL REGULAR MEETING
FOIA received from Marty Turek, of Clarendon Hills, regarding technology data servers, storage, and recovery information.


ADDISON SCHOOL DISTRICT 4 REGULAR BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Indian Trail Junior High School Board Room 7:00 p.m.
8:07 FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) Request received from Marty Turek, requesting the following:
 List of District Wide Computer Servers  List of all application servers & application vendors with version number  List of data storage environment  Upgrade schedule for Servers  Upgrade or expansion plan for data storage  Current Disaster Recovery Vendor Contract of Plan  List of District Wide Networking Equipment, Routers, Switchers, Hubs, Controllers – model
or diagram, if available  Annual Yearly IT budget
This request was responded to in a timely manner with 14 pages of information which took one hour to prepare.