Via the Journal Star:
Beginning next month, the school district is no longer televising its board meetings live on public television. Instead, the sometimes three-hour engagement will be taped and played a week later…. [Board president Debbie] Wolfmeyer said the district would eliminate about $4,200 in annual hourly wages for the technology staff members needed during the meetings as well as $8,000 for a new video board and some $10,000 for two new video cameras, which she said would be needed to continue live broadcasts.
What’s more, only the business portion of the meeting will be shown. Public comments would not be part of the recorded broadcast, Wolfmeyer said Monday.
This hardly needs any comment. The video board and cameras are capital expenditures, and small ones at that compared to the district’s budget. Furthermore, if they need new cameras, it makes no difference whether they’re broadcasting live or tape-delayed; that expense will need to be made anyway. The only operating cost appears to be the $4,200 annually for technology staff members (and wouldn’t they still need them, too, if they’re continuing to tape the meetings?). In other words, this move has little to do with cost savings. It’s simply a further manifestation of the district’s desire to minimize, if not eliminate, public input and public access to the school board meetings.
What cost savings come from editing out the public comment period? What cost savings come from broadcasting a tape of the meeting a week later instead of the next day — i.e., as soon after the meeting as possible? Why is this tiny expense being eliminated while the school continues to ignore significant opportunities for savings, such as eliminating the $800,000 paid to for-profit Edison Schools?
On WCBU news (89.9 FM) this morning, interim superintendent Norm Durflinger was saying that District 150 will defend itself against any suggestions that the City take over the school district at next week’s education symposium with Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Mayor Jim Ardis, et. al. I wonder what his defense will be. More transparency? Nope. More accountability to the voters? Hardly. Successful policies leading to higher student achievement? Don’t make me laugh. The way the school board acts, I sometimes wonder if they’re not trying to get taken over by the City or State.
It never ceases to amaze me how the District can do something that ever so slightly gives hope that they’re turning a corner and rebuilding trust with the public (e.g., investigating allegations against the technology department), then turn around and do something to completely destroy any and all trust they’ve built up. It’s no surprise that this plan was outlined by Ms. Wolfmeyer, who doesn’t believe it’s her job to meet with her constituents.
Get rid of Wolfmeyer. Remember this voters when it comes time for elections. She is a total control freak and is getting off on her power. I guess more of us will have to go to Board meetings and blog about them.
played a week later?
What is the point of that? Editing?
Isn’t news supposed to be … NEW?
This entire board needs to be… wait a minute… if the city takes over the district, that means the county takes over the district under UNI-GOV. That puts Baietto and his friends in charge of Richwoods again!!! YEA!!!!!
At an earlier meeting, it was Jim Stowell who suggested that the public comment period be eliminated from the taping–to tape only the business part of the meeting. He stated something to the effect that the public comment time was just an opportunity for people to grandstand. I find it interesting, Jim, that you expressed your chagrin that board members were not given an invitation to participate in next week’s Vallas-Duncan event while you yourself had just participated in this effort to stifle the public voice. I find it even more interesting that the board has chosen this week delay at a time when they are just about to introduce a new superintendent to the public. Are they trying to shield her from public criticism (at least, a week delayed) or trying to give her the opportunity to operate in a less transparent arena? Certainly, they are doing Dr. Lathan a disservice by choosing this moment to alienate those who regularly watch board meetings–people who might find it difficult to come to meetings. Peaceman, I hope that others follow your lead to come to meetings and to speak.
When will the madness stop? I wish Wolfmeyer would tell it like it is and admit it has nothing to do with the financial problems of the district. She could say “The Board is tired of having to be under the microscope of the camera. You know, we sometimes say things that are stupid and we don’t want the public to hear these things. By delaying the broadcast one week we can have our wonderful attorney help edit the tapes before the public can view the meeting.” The Board should look at theses broadcasts as an opportunity for Dr. Lathan to connect with the public. Instead, this idiotic move will just cast a cloud of mistrust over her before she starts.
CJ–you took the words right out of my mouth. The board expressed a desire to win back the trust of the community. This is a step in the wrong direction. I, too, fail to see the claimed cost savings. Also, last I checked, DVD copies of meetings are $10. FOIAs on CDROM are 15 cents. Maybe Lisa Madigan will expand the secrecy laws. I got a chuckle out of the Hard to Handle People seminar anyway.
There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t “thank-god I live in a democracy!” I just really think that being as transparent as possible for the BOE is critical at this point. PSD150 is a public school system and they really need to go above and beyond in keeping the tax-payers in this town informed on what is going on……..no matter what the issue at hand is.
This is just another stunt by the D150 Board to try and limit public participation in the affairs of Peoria Public Schools. Bill Knight suggested, in his Community Word column, that most of the sitting Board members should resign, in order that the incoming superintendent has a fresh board to work with. I think that is a great idea.
“thank-god I live in a democracy!”
Vermont?
This is shocking! What are they thinking?
why don’t they quit fooling around and just bar the public from the meetings? Open Meetings Act? Nah, they know there’s no teeth in that Act.
I wonder how much effect Comcast’s elimination of Public Access funding and personnel had on this.
Well COMCAST step up to plate! My bill will increase in October by $ 12-$14.00 a month when INSIGHT codes will switch to Comcast codes. Multiply that by 1 million households they got from Insight = $12,000,000. a month for same programing or less.
As a public service they could provide cameras etc for free! As matter of Info their so called 10.0 download speed is an average of only 5.0 ! A local business paying for 15.M + was actually getting just 1.0 M . We have no chance of getting Verizon FIOS or ATT&T here.
so we are at their mercy.
Come on, Popijw, back off Comcast. They are God. They make nothing, they produce nothing, they sell other people’s stuff and they just bought NBC. What suckers we all are!
About like district 150 school board ?
So can I or anyone else take my FLIP camcorder ,record and post on YouTube?
The school code, I believe, allows anyone to tape board meetings as long as they are not disruptive.
Don’t all D150 buildings have a sign posted on the front entrance warning/stating that surveillance cameras are in use? I don’t think it’s okay to tape students and parents unless it’s okay to tape employees and board members. But maybe I’m wrong.
Illinois Open Meetings Act
(5 ILCS 120/2.05) (from Ch. 102, par. 42.05)
Sec. 2.05. Recording meetings. Subject to the provisions of Section 8?701 of the Code of Civil Procedure, any person may record the proceedings at meetings required to be open by this Act by tape, film or other means. The authority holding the meeting shall prescribe reasonable rules to govern the right to make such recordings.
If a witness at any meeting required to be open by this Act which is conducted by a commission, administrative agency or other tribunal, refuses to testify on the grounds that he may not be compelled to testify if any portion of his testimony is to be broadcast or televised or if motion pictures are to be taken of him while he is testifying, the authority holding the meeting shall prohibit such recording during the testimony of the witness. Nothing in this Section shall be construed to extend the right to refuse to testify at any meeting not subject to the provisions of Section 8?701 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
(Source: P.A. 94?1058, eff. 1?1?07.)
Sharon you would think will all the public relations problems that District 150 has that they would strive to do and show the public that they are trying to do the right thing. But no they take the We’ll do as we please and you’ll take it stand.