Daily Archives: March 31, 2007

Peoria Journal Star

Gunshots? Aw, shucks, them things happen sometimes

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The Journal Star Editorial Board is no longer fazed by violence in the streets of Peoria. It’s so ho-hum, you know. Recently, two cars sped by each other on Wisconsin Avenue — the occupants of one shooting at the other — all the while children at Glen Oak school were outside for recess. The school was on lock-down the rest of the day, and thankfully, no one was hurt.

Normally, shooting in the streets, especially around children, would be occasion for outrage. It would be occasion for the editors of a newspaper to call for greater police protection and for neighborhoods to pull together. But that’s not what the Journal Star’s editors do. No, to them this violence in our streets is nothing more than fodder to snipe at neighbors — neighbors whose children were just put at risk by gunfire — for opposing the school district’s attempt to move Glen Oak School to a corner adjacent to Glen Oak Park.

The petty response here would be to adopt the tactics used by some of those opposed to building a new school adjacent to upper Glen Oak Park and say that this proves what a dangerous neighborhood the current facility is in, that the traffic there really is bad, and that these children deserve a safer environment – perhaps close to a park, where the primary threats come from squirrels dropping acorns from centuries-old oak trees. The more mature, measured, honest stance is to acknowledge that these things happen sometimes, that they can occur anywhere, that no one was hurt and that a singular incident should not be the basis for any long-term decisions.

That’s their response. “These things happen sometimes.” What things? Shooting in the street while children are present. School children being in harm’s way during recess. Car chases with gunfire next to a school. Those things. They happen sometimes. In fact, “they can occur anywhere.” Why, just the other day an executive was chasing a chiropractor through Germantown Hills in his Jaguar while shooting at him, right? Not.

When those parents hear their children were in harm’s way, they don’t think, “oh dear, those things happen sometimes.” They think, “why am I still living here? How can I get out?”

“No one was hurt,” they say. Really? No one? The city isn’t hurt by violence in the streets? The children aren’t hurt by seeing this kind of violence and becoming numb to it? The families aren’t hurt by heartless editorials like this one that berate them for being involved, for fighting for what they feel is best for their neighborhood and their children?

This was the most heartless, mean-spirited editorial I’ve ever seen printed on the pages of the Journal Star. No compassion, just rhetorical gamesmanship. Is this the kind of civil discourse that the Journal Star considers superior to blogs?

AmerenCILCO, Peoria Public Schools

For at-risk students, 0.87 acres will do

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Former SSA Building on Knoxville

UPDATED 3/31/07 10:45 p.m. Added info underlined, deleted items struck.

School District 150 officials met with parents residents on Monday night (3/26) to share information on their plans for the old Social Security Administration building at 2628 N. Knoxville Ave. While some parents residents were taken by surprise, this has been in the works for a couple of years.

District applied for building in 2005

On June 4, 2005, Clare Jellick reported in the Peoria Journal Star, “the Social Security Administration moved out of its Knoxville building in November to a new location in North Peoria. Once a building is vacated, the federal government offers it to the local government for certain uses and groups that serve the homeless, usually for free.” She added later in the article:

In order for the district to get the building for free, it would have to be used for educational purposes. This means it couldn’t be turned into offices.

Interim Superintendent Cindy Fischer hopes to move an alternative education program there so that it can expand.

The Transition to Success Academy, housed in White Middle School [it was later moved to the Manual High School building], provides specialized education and services for students with behavioral problems who aren’t succeeding in school.

This came out just a couple of months after I started blogging, so here’s my initial reaction to that story. Today, I feel the same way. The district’s Master Facilities Plan calls for a reduction in the number of buildings, not an expansion. Why not put these kids in the old Blaine-Sumner building? It’s in a better location and was designed to be a school. Yet the district has turned that building into offices, and they’ve acquired an office building to convert it to a school. As usual, there is no logic.

District acquired building in 2006 with strings attached

On June 24, 2006, the Jellick reported that District 150 had succeeded in “receiving the building for free through a federal program that offers surplus buildings to certain organizations.” Again, the planned purpose for the building was made clear at that time:

The district intends to use the 9,000-square-foot space next school year to house programs and services for at-risk students who aren’t succeeding in school. The building will likely serve kids in kindergarten through sixth grade, said district associate superintendent Cindy Fischer….

The federal government says District 150 must use the building for education purposes for the next 30 years and cannot sell it during that time. Once 30 years pass, the district can do whatever it wants with the building, [U.S. Dept. of Education realty specialist Mary] Huges said.

District meets with parents residents to share plans in 2007

District 150 parent and nearby resident Karen Carter attended Monday’s meeting on the district’s current plans and had this to report:

The plan is to put an alternative school that will host grades 5-8 and possibly even 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders…. They are currently at Manual High School in an unused wing. They currently have 43 students with 8 staff members. In the new facility they will “hopefully” have 100 students with 1-2 staff members per every 10-12 students….

They plan to bus most of the kids in and the bus location is horrible. They have no consideration for traffic and other cars that park on the street. They want the kids to be picked up and dropped off on Gift next to the building and then enter the building on Knoxville. The street is not wide enough to accommodate their plans and everyone is saying so.

Most surprising to me is that the lot is only 300 ft. by 127 ft., or 38,100 ft.², or 0.87 acres. I thought grade schools had to have at least 10 acres, plus one acre for every 100 students. I thought kids had to have green space immediately adjacent to the school building for it to be an adequate learning environment. I thought our kids deserved “the best” and not merely “good enough.” Isn’t that the basis upon which the school board decided to reject all proposals to keep Glen Oak School in its current location? How are kids ever going to be able to observe a bee so they can draw it correctly?

Once again, the school board exhibits bald-faced hypocrisy. For the Glen Oak replacement school, they need 15 acres of green space or we’re practically abusing the students. For the alternative school students — students who are most at-risk — an 0.87-acre site with no green space on one of the busiest arterial roadways in Peoria is perfectly acceptable:

Old SSA Building on Knoxville

It appears from federal regulations that the school district is committed to using this building for educational purposes for 30 years. So while the district has all kinds of money to convert classrooms to offices and offices to classrooms, there’s no money to upgrade classrooms at Glen Oak School. Just more of the same lunacy we’ve come to expect from District 150.

Bradley University, Peoria Journal Star

Did Bradley violate the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act?

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From my research, it appears that Bradley did not violate Alicia Butler’s privacy by disclosing that she did not receive any degrees at the school. However, Butler is doing the right thing by getting a lawyer anyway. A lawyer will make sure all of Bradley’s t’s were crossed and their i’s dotted.

The U.S. Department of Education has some pretty strict privacy policies on school records. According to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA):

A school MAY disclose education records without consent when:

  • The disclosure is to school officials who have been determined to have legitimate educational interests as set forth in the institution’s annual notification of rights to students;
  • The student is seeking or intending to enroll in another school;
  • The disclosure is to state or local educational authorities auditing or enforcing Federal or State supported education programs or enforcing Federal laws which relate to those programs;
  • The disclosure is to the parents of a student who is a dependent for income tax purposes;
  • The disclosure is in connection with determining eligibility, amounts, and terms for financial aid or enforcing the terms and conditions of financial aid;
  • The disclosure is pursuant to a lawfully issued court order or subpoena; or
  • The information disclosed has been appropriately designated as directory information by the school.

The only possible category under which Bradley could have disclosed info about Alicia Butler to the press is the last bullet point, “directory information.” What is that? The FERPA FAQ answers that (emphasis mine):

FERPA defines “directory information” as information contained in the education records of a student that would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. Typically, “directory information” includes information such as name, address, telephone listing, date and place of birth, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, and dates of attendance. A school may disclose “directory information” to third parties without consent if it has given public notice of the types of information which it has designated as “directory information,” the parent’s or eligible student’s right to restrict the disclosure of such information, and the period of time within which a parent or eligible student has to notify the school in writing that he or she does not want any or all of those types of information designated as “directory information.” The means of notification could include publication in various sources, including a newsletter, in a local newspaper, or in the student handbook. The school could also include the “directory information” notification as part of the general notification of rights under FERPA. The school does not have to notify a parent or eligible student individually. (34 CFR § 99.37.)

So, Bradley gets to choose what information will be designated “directory information.” And they have. According to Bradley’s website, they consider the following information “directory information,” and thus, able to be disseminated without the consent of the student (emphasis mine):

  • Name and address, including telephone listing, local, permanent, and e-mail.
  • Parent name and address, (for news releases only).
  • Major field of study.
  • Dates of attendence.
  • Class and full-time/part-time status.
  • Approved candidacy for graduation.
  • Degrees and awards received.
  • Most recent institution attended by student.
  • Participation in officially recognized activities and sports.
  • Weight and height of athletic team members.
  • Birthdate will be validated only when furnished by the person making inquiry, for positive identification of the student.

Students can sign a “Stop of Release” form to prevent this information from being disclosed without their consent, but according to the Journal Star, Butler did not sign one.