If this isn’t an example of bureaucratic inefficiency, I don’t know what is:
Over two years in both special education and Title I, District 150 is set to receive some $8.5 million, more than most of the area school districts’ funds combined.
District officials are still studying what it will be used for, but Mary O’Brian, the district’s special education director, said they are looking to upgrade a number of areas – not surprising given nearly one in four students at District 150 has been identified as having some special education need.
The district is looking at “assistive technologies,” which could range from special keyboards or listening devices for students with disabilities to software and training to run the new equipment. In fact, the district has hired an outside consulting firm to help direct the best use of the money. [emphasis added] There’s also talk about being able to use some of the money to pay for teacher’s aides.
So, we pay Mary O’Brian $93,840 a year as special education director, and she doesn’t know how best to spend the money earmarked for special education? They have to hire an outside consultant (at additional expense) to tell them how to spend the money? Are they just out there looking for ways to waste money? I suppose the next thing they’ll do is hire a consultant to help them choose the consultant that will tell them how to spend their money.
Hopeless.
yeah… bureau-rats.
I love this:
“DISTRICT 150 VENDOR CONTRACTS OVER $25,000”
A+ TUTORING SERVICE, LTD 114,609.03
AMERICAN FED OF STATE-COUNTY MUNICI 54,372.06
FIDELITY INVESTMENTS TAX- EXEMPT SE 116,150.00
GUARDIAN LIFE INSURANCE CO 589,231.03
HEALTH SERVICES CONSULTANTS, INC 100,018.50
IL MUNICIPAL RETIREMENT FUND 265,909.24
ILLINOIS CENTRAL COLLEGE 44,034.43
ILLINOIS STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION 285,632.00
ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY 201,951.58
KAVANAGH, SCULLY, SUDOW, WHITE & FR 2,308,289.46
METHODIST MEDICAL CENTER OF IL 329,600.00
PAETEC ACCT#52843 & 8604331 488,537.56
PEKIN DIST #108 56,591.75
PEORIA CITIZENS COMMITTEE FOR ECONO 87,504.00
PEORIA FED OF SUPPORT STAFF 148,919.19
PEORIA FED OF TEACHERS 652,346.97
PEORIA PARK DISTRICT 141,339.90
REDBRAND CREDIT UNION 1,679,911.08
SAM’S CLUB DIRECT ACCT# 0402 280465 37,145.74
SPRINGFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS 76,640.40
STANDARD INSURANCE, THE 186,116.40
STATE DISBURSEMENT UNIT 279,373.82
STS CONSULTANTS LTD 75,602.72
SYLVAN LEARNING CENTER 111,978.11
TRI COUNTY URBAN LEAGUE, INC 44,859.00
US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 44,172.56
VOYAGER EXPANDED LEARNING 87,136.40
Notice how much is spent on OTHER EDUCATION ENTITIES… ICC, Bradley, ISU, other school districts, Tutors, Sylvan, other districts… notice the political groups like Urban League and Citizen’s Committee for WHATEVER, 2 million for a law firm, etc etc
The principel at Hines is retiring and being replaced by one of the principels from the schools that are closing.
The principal is always your “pal” – princiPAL.
Not always, Diane! double 🙂 Note to all: anyone interested in any District 150 issues is welcome to come to Godfather’s tonight at 6 p.m.
Heard from a couple of the Tyng teachers that are being reassigned to Harrison—they have a job this fall but are expected to re-apply as 1st year teachers when the new school opens. These teachers have been teaching for +15 years.
I, also, heard the news about Hannah leaving but can’t confirm it. Things (in D150) that make you go hmmmmmm…..
Maybe King Ken is cleaning house….in order to appease McArdle he has to let others go. If that is true, Yeah!!! I still think the first one should have been O’Brien.
KCDAD–I have looked over those lists of contracts and am always amazed at how much we spend on other educational groups to educate our students. As for the law firm, Martha Ross has been asking for years for an itemized statement as to WHY we pay the law firm that much. To my knowledge, she has never received one. Maybe we should FOIA it.
Former Manual teachers had to go through that same procedure of re-applying for jobs, etc. Were it not for the union and tenure, teachers who were teaching at a school to be closed would be without a job completely–and would start at the bottom of the pay scale if they did get a new job, even in the district.
Kcdad: Great list! I’m thinking that some of those like Sylvan Learning Center are contracted to meet the demands for tutors created by NCLB. The really big secret that we should expose is how much NCLB is costing taxpayers. Just the cost of printing, administering, and grading the tests is monumental. If Hannah is leaving, he is just getting a head start on the inevitable–a new superintendent will choose his/her own assistants.
When you make bonehead personnel decisions like they do at D150, you are bound to be buried under legal fees.
bamcdaniel: I agree O’Brian needs to go. I think she is capable of putting on a big show for the right people, such as the board but they are not getting even a quarter of what this woman is really made of. She announced she has had 5 or 6 traumatic brain injuries. Afterwards, everyone was saying maybe that is what is wrong with her. She is ineffective at her job. But Hinton has chosen people to help sink his ship and he is doing a fine job of it.
I’m hoping that you are all retired or looking for jobs outside of 150. It seems as though all of you are extremely good influences on your children if you do work in 150!