Latest news with #Milewski
Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Climate
- Chicago Tribune
Waukegan District 60 officials preparing e-learning plan for days when school buildings can't be opened
Used only three times in the last three years when severe winter weather made it unsafe to open the buildings, Waukegan Community Unit School District 60's new e-learning plan is going through the necessary steps to ready it for the 2025-2026 school year and beyond. Since the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) allows remote schooling as an alternative to closing schools in heavy snow or subzero temperatures, Amanda Milewski, District 60's associate superintendent for strategy and accountability. said it is now the preferred method. 'There are no more snow days,' Milewski said in response to a question about the onetime practice of closing school due to a snowstorm. 'Snow days are now e-Learning days. We only use them in inclement weather. It means we don't have to extend the school year because of a snow day.' The District 60 Board of Education conducted a public hearing on its proposed e-Learning Plan on Tuesday at the Education Service Center in Waukegan to use remote schooling when weather forces the buildings to be closed. Among the elements of the plan, Milewski said teachers must engage students for at least five hours, exclusive of an hour offline for lunch. Attendance is taken by teachers remotely. If a student cannot attend due to illness, parents must contact the school so that it is an excused absence. 'It must be accessible for all students,' Milewski said. It ensures the specific needs of all students are met, including special education students and English learners. It must ensure all mandates are still met using the e-Learning program. Before the program is put into effect, the district needs to make sure all students have access from home or another appropriate place, including computers, access to the internet, and any other form of electronic communication needed. Students have a school-issued electronic device. Should the weather dictate an e-Learning day, Milewski said texts and emails will be sent and phone calls made as soon as the decision is rendered. Parents can get a copy of the lesson their child will be taught. If internet access is an issue for a particular student, assignments can be completed upon return to school with full credit, according to information contained on the district's website. Board member Christine Lensing said she has concerns about the timing of an announcement of an e-learning day. With middle school starting shortly after 7 a.m., she does not want students to arrive at a shuttered building. Milewski said it will be as early as possible. Aside from having an e-Learning plan in place for the last three years, rather than using snow days, District 60 teachers, staff and administrators oversaw more than a year of remote education during the coronavirus pandemic. Deputy Superintendent for Academic Supports and Programs Eduardo Cesario said everyone learned remote education together during the pandemic. Problems were discovered and changes were made. 'It was a work in progress,' Cesario said. 'We made corrections along the way. We have learned a lot in the last five years.' Board member Carolina Fabian asked about the plan in the event a teacher was unable to connect to the internet to instruct the class. Milewski said there are a number of safeguards in place, just as there are during a regular school day. 'There's always a backup plan in place,' Milewski said. 'A paraprofessional will (also) be there. There are always people ready to step in.' With the public hearing complete, the Board of Education will vote whether or not to approve the plan at 7 p.m. Aug. 26 at the Education Service Center in Waukegan. It will be effective from Sept. 1 through June 30, 2028.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Canadian carbon credit firm sues former executives for US$40M, alleging fraud and 'unjust enrichment'
A Canadian carbon credit firm is seeking more than US$40 million in damages in a lawsuit against its former CEO and several ex-directors and associates over alleged unjust enrichment, fraud, and breach of fiduciary duty. A statement of claim filed in the Ontario Superior Court by Carbon Streaming Corporation ( describes diverted six-figure advisory fees, as well as lavish ski trips, hunting excursions, and other retreats without a business purpose, over the span of multiple years. Toronto-based Carbon Streaming provides capital to carbon capture projects around the world via streaming or royalty agreements for carbon credits, which they sell to buyers looking to offset emissions, or other investors. The company went public on the NEO Exchange, now called Cboe Canada, in July 2021, amid a flurry of investor enthusiasm for clean energy at the time. According to BloombergNEF, the global market for carbon credits is expected to reach a value of US$1.1 trillion by 2050. Last week, Carbon Streaming filed a lawsuit with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice against founder, former CEO and company director Justin Cochrane, as well as several other past executives, directors, consultants, and affiliated entities. The lawsuit, dated April 14, seeks more than US$40 million in damages for alleged unjust enrichment, fraud, and breach of fiduciary duty. More than US$30 million of the total damages sought are focused on Cochrane. The allegations have not been tested in court. 'I fully deny the allegations,' Cochrane told Yahoo Finance Canada in a message last Friday. 'In the middle of a lawsuit, there is not a lot I can say. But I will be responding to the claim.' Other defendants named in Carbon Streaming's claim include Conor Kearns (former chief financial officer), Anthony Milewski, Michael Beck, Maurice Swan (a former director and board member), Andrew Scott Tester (former director), Jeanne Usonis (former director), The Oregon Group, Regent Advisors, Black Vulcan Resources, Carbon Advisors, and Angstrom Capital Limited. Yahoo Finance Canada has reached out to these parties for comment, but did not receive responses in time for publication. The April 14 court filing describes Carbon Streaming as founded by Cochrane, Kearns, Milewski and Beck 'as friends, business associates, and fellow board members in other ventures.' According to the statement of claim, the company incorporated under the name CSC in 2004, changing its name to Carbon Streaming Corporation in June 2020. The lawsuit alleges 'payments of millions of dollars in monthly retainers, 'advisory fees,' bonuses, finders fees, and fees for alleged 'past services' to consultants and advisors and entities controlled or affiliated with them' were diverted from the company by the defendants. In one cited example, Cochrane is said to have paid a US$900,000 fee to the Oregon Group, a firm he is alleged to have founded with Milewski. The lawsuit also claims Cochrane used company funds to treat select employees and board members to lavish ski trips in Utah, where they travelled by private snowcat to access the mountains. The trips involved inappropriate and unprofessional conductApril 14 court filing from Carbon Streaming 'The trips involved inappropriate and unprofessional conduct,' the court filing stated. 'In Mr. Milewski's email dated Jan. 6, 2023, to those invited, which included Mr. Cochrane, Mr. Kearns, and Mr. Swan, he wrote '… make sure and bring your insurance card and magic mushrooms,' had a nickname for Mr. Tester, 'The Liquor', and referred to Mr. Kearns getting 'sexy suits.'' Prior to their roles at Carbon Streaming, Cochrane and Kearns founded Toronto-headquartered nickel-cobalt miner Nickel 28 with Milewski in 2019. The trio were terminated from their executive roles at the company in May 2024, after the company claimed to have found 'evidence of serious misconduct.' None of these allegations have been proven in court. This prompted Carbon Streaming to form a special independent committee of its board to review those allegations, which also included 'breach of duties and obligations, repeated lack of judgment, care and diligence and non-compliance with various Nickel 28's policies and procedures.' Carbon Streaming did not respond to a request for comment on Monday. The company booked a US$67.4 million net loss in 2024, widening from a US$35.5 million loss in 2023. Last year, Carbon Streaming wrote down the value of four of its carbon credit streaming projects to zero. The company says it slashed its headcount from 24 at the start of last year to eight by year-end, while continuing to evaluate strategic alternatives. On the Cboe Canada exchange, Carbon Streaming shares are down about 97 per cent from their all-time closing peak in December 2021. Jeff Lagerquist is a senior reporter at Yahoo Finance Canada. Follow him on Twitter @jefflagerquist. Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android.
