From a press release:
Community Leaders Form
Peoria Charter School InitiativePEORIA, IL…July 6, 2009…
Please join us Tuesday, July 7th at 10am at the Peoria NEXT Innovation Center at 801 Main Street, Peoria as we announce details on the formation of the Peoria Charter School Initiative (PCSI).
This combined group of business leaders, educators and citizens, led by former Caterpillar Inc. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Glen Barton, hopes to establish the first charter public school in Peoria.
PCSI, a not-for-profit organization, recently submitted its Letter of Intent to the Peoria District 150 Board of Education for consideration as the local entity that will be awarded the charter for the Peoria Math, Science & Technology Charter School (PMST).
Tuesday morning you will be meeting the members of the PCSI and hear more on their plans for PMST.
About PCSI
The Peoria Charter School Initiative is a not-for-profit 501c3 organization established to become the charter public school entity for Peoria Public School District 150. For more information, please visit www.peoriacharterschools.com.
I took a look at the website — here’s a list of people who are on the advisory and steering committees of the proposed charter school:
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
- Ken Hinton – Peoria Public Schools
- Dr. David Gorenz – Peoria Board of Ed/OSF
- Mary Spangler – Peoria Board of Ed/Parent
- Glen Barton – Caterpillar (retired)
- Dr. John Erwin – Illinois Central College
- Dr. Jeff Nelson – Regional Office of Education
- Dr. John Avendano – Illinois Central College
- Barbara VanAuken – City of Peoria Councilwoman/Renaissance Park
- Mike Dugard – Renaissance Park Commissioner/OLLI, Retired Teacher
- Sue Wozniak – Methodist Medical Center
- Dr. Cindy Fischer – Peoria Public Schools/Renaissance Park Commissioner
- James Richmond – E-Serve
- Alice Price – Methodist Medical Center
- Dr. Sarah Rush – UNICOMP
- Dr. John Halverson – UNICOMP
- Jeff Bennington – CGN
- Elizabeth Shultz – Caterpillar
- Carry Wahlfeld – Parent
- Jeff McCombs – Farnsworth Group
- Mac Pogue – Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Bradley University; IBM, retired
- Dr. Bob Bolla – Bradley University
- Dr. Joan Sattler – Bradley University
- McFarland Bragg – PCCEO
- Jim Montelongo – Advanced CAD/CAM, City of Peoria – Councilman
- Laraine Bryson – Tri-County Urban League
- Ginger Johnson – PALM/TRICON
- Patrick Roesler – G&D Integrated and Chamber of Commerce Ed. Comm.
- Marty Clinch – IBEW and Chamber Education Committee
- Rob Parks – Chamber of Commerce
- Dr. Vicky Stewart – ICC/Chamber Education Committee
- David Henebry – LZT
- Ray Lees – PSA Dewberry
- Paul Kouri – PSA Dewberry
- Ed Berry – Farnsworth Group
STEERING COMMITTEE
- Glen Barton – CEO Caterpillar, retired
- Dr. Vicky Stewart – Vice President, Illinois Central College
- McFarland Bragg – CEO, PCCEO
- Mac Pogue – Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Bradley University; IBM, retired
- Jeff McCombs – Marketing and Public Relations Director, Farnsworth Group
- Roberta Parks – COO, Chamber of Commerce
- Cindy Fischer – Former Associate Superintendent, Peoria Public Schools; Renaissance Park Commissioner
Hinton, Gorenz, Spangler, and Fischer are all current or former District 150 staff or board members. Roesler, Clinch, Parks, and Stewart are all part of the Chamber of Commerce. Architects are surprisingly heavily represented with five members: McCombs, Henebry, Lees, Kouri, and Berry. Caterpillar, Bradley, ICC, and Methodist each have two to three members on the advisory committee.
Here is the vision for this new charter school:
Peoria Public Schools is seeking an MST Charter School that will provide students with an innovative, world-class education rich in math, science and technology, focused on preparing students to become bold inquirers, problem solvers and ethical leaders, skill-ready for post-secondary education to meet the challenges of a competitive global workforce.
Note the first three words: Peoria Public Schools. This charter school is getting its vision from District 150, and District 150 appears to be in the driver’s seat, despite its long list of advisory committee members.
And here are the “elements of the school design”:
The MST Charter, unique to the Peoria community, should:
- Prepare students for a demanding workforce and competitive world by offering an innovative, world class education with a strong academic foundation infused with math, science and technology.
- Provide a challenging, engaging and integrated environment that utilizes creativity, inquiry, discovery, problem solving, critical thinking, project-based learning and best practice.
- Focus on student learning that consistently makes connections between the school world and the dynamic real world job opportunities in the Peoria community and beyond.
- Establish and maintain a culture of excellence and accountability, where student success is defined through academic progress, relationship building and strong character.
- Graduate students with a strong sense of civic responsibility, a passion for learning and an eagerness to assume leadership positions in an increasingly scientific and technology based society.
- Demand a research-driven, highly qualified, energized leader and faculty with deep pedagogical knowledge and extensive field experience, total commitment to the guiding principles of the school and a desire to serve as daily role models and mentors to students.
- Be a research-based, innovative model school, including a Professional Development Center that becomes a beacon of teaching excellence and professional development for the District and beyond.
- Engage partners in the local community that will support the mission and design of the school.
In short, this will be a vocational school, with the goal being to produce workers for companies like Caterpillar and Methodist. Note all the references to the “workforce” and “job opportunities.” The purpose of education at this school appears to be, in the words of the late Neil Postman, “economic utility” (i.e., the ultimate reward of education is a well-paying job).