64 thoughts on “D150 transfer raises questions”

1. Geez…. it must cost a whole heck of a lot of money to go to California not to mention hiring back how many ex-employees as consultants!!

2. The only thing D150 should be spending our money on right now is security in the schools. No learning will be going on so long as kids are afraid for their safety. And note to some BOE members: I don’t have a degree in education and I can STILL figure that one out on my own.

3. You do not have a degree in education? I do. The problem is not security, it is the lack of relevance and disempowerment of the student. Our schools are neither relevant nor do they allow for any input into the education process from students or parents.  Putting (armed) guards into the schools only exacerbates the problems. The purpose for security in the schools is to protect the authoritarian, arbitrary, and incompetent teachers and administrators from the natural rebellion of their students.

   You apparently don’t have a degree in family or group counseling as well as not having one in education.  As any competent therapist will tell you, it i is the group member that is acting out that is the exhibiting appropriate and healthy behaviors… it is those supporting and enabling the real problems in the group to exist that need  therapy.

4. ImaSwede – Who went to California?  The only one I remember is Dave Ryon, director of capitol projects, who went there a few years ago to “earn” a degree to qualify for the job he had at the time, Director of Buildings and Grounds.  I think it took him a couple of weeks to complete the program.  The 6.3 million will probably has been used for custodial supplies (toilet paper), new equipment (staff and maintenance vehicles to take home), office remodeling and to pay the bills for cell phones which all maintenance people take home.  My guess is that even though that much money could provide a lot of security, a lot of library and technology and increase teacher salaries it will be used to cover poor budgeting for Builings and Grounds.  Who knows, maybe they will at least get a few new scoreboards!

5. The California trip–from the “rumors” that I have heard Ken Hinton, his wife, and Scott Schifeling (union president) went on the trip to study charter schools.  Terry Knapp brought it up at last night’s meeting and told the board that there would be fewer FOIA requests if the District would tell the public up front how their money is being spent.  He did add that we will possibly learn that someone else paid for the trip–and then asked the board what group is sponsoring the proposed charter school. 
   Two parents from Peoria High spoke last night about fights and other discipline problems (detailed, explicit reports–embarrassing to the board) and accused the District of covering up the fights.  Jeff Adkins-Dutro, now a Peoria High teacher (formerly Manual), had already contacted the board members earlier in the day on that same subject.  Jeff then spoke to the board last night and assured the two parents that the principal, the staff, and the students at Peoria High are also tired of the fights, etc., and he once again (as he had done at the last board meeting) pleaded with the board to make immediate plans for an alternative school.  His argument, of course, is that suspensions and expulsions–the only recourse for such behavior–are not working and that only a few students are responsible for these problems in 150 schools.   Martha Ross has been calling for such a school for a long time.
   The board accepted that challenge and I know that some board members had already been pushing for action on an alternative school.  If the board and administration follow through and if they plan a “real” alternative school–not just a dumping ground for these students who cannot or will not conform to a regular school setting–this could be the best decision District 150 has ever made.  The “IFs” are big ones.  My plea will be to provide “real” help to these young people who have serious emotional and academic problems–and that the alternative school not be considered a quick fix that would send students back to their home schools in a matter of weeks or months.  Getting these students the help they need–thus providing a safe learning environment for the majority of students at the four high schools–is District 150’s only hope in bringing families back to 150.
   There is one other problem that the board must consider.  The primary and especially the middle schools cannot be ignored–the discipline problems there are also severe.
   About the transfer of funds:  I can guarantee that at negotiation time teachers will be told that money cannot be transferred from one fund to another.  We have heard that argument for years when it came time to consider teachers’ salaries, etc.  Therefore, I also am curious to know about these “loopholes.”

6. kcdad — So all student behavioral problems are the teachers’ and administrators’ fault?  Students are incapable of behaving badly or from wrong motives?  Students are victims of “the system”?  Students have no personal responsibility for their actions or reactions?

   Sorry, I’m not buying that.

7. I’m definitely with C. J. on student accountability.

   BUT – Where’s the money going?

8. C.J. – Thanks for your response.  Kcdad, I have a difficult time digesting your indictments of teachers, etc.  There must be some deep-seated reason for your tirades against the system, etc.  I know the system is flawed (as all institutions comprised of humanbeings are)–but not that flawed.  I spent my lifetime caring about some of the young people about whom you speak.  I also know that some of them live in circumstances that are not conducive to adapting to a regular learning environment–and that those circumstances cannot be blamed on the schools or the teachers.  However, the schools are expected to deal with these young people who simply cannot adjust.  Also, the biggest losers are the young people whose education is definitely disrupted daily by the outbursts of the students who desperately need help that is beyond the capability of the regular classroom and teachers. 

9. It is now my understanding that the funds for the trip to California came from an organization called Consortium for Educational Change. I have no proof of this, however. Geez, do we have to foia everything!!! Why can’t they just be upfront?

   http://www.cecillinois.org/

10. kcdad, since when is fighting after school and during school considered healthy?  District 150 has competent teachers!!   Their job is to teach, not break up fights every day in the hallways and on the streets.  Manual has been begging for more security because they have more students to contend with and only two security guards, so when fights break out teachers have no choice but to intervene because the guards can’t always be there.  

    The district wants to make teachers responsible for student academic improvement but admin doesn’t seem to want to address the discipline problems so the teachers can do their job.  And, btw, I do have an education degree.

11. “The purpose for security …is to protect the authoritarian, arbitrary, and incompetent teachers and administrators from the natural rebellion of their students”???  Kcdad, you must be off your medication today.  That’s way over the line.  The vast majority of teachers do their best, despite ridiculous state mandates; many unsupportive administrators; many unsupportive parents; many students contaminated by “popular [degenerate] culture”, drugs, etc.; an inability to discipline created by our mushy-brained, hand-wringing society; a blame-the-teacher-first public; and a general lack of common sense.   We need to start by changing some basic assumptions.  Number 1, the teacher is not an entertainer, and world is not here for the personal enjoyment of your child.  Number 2, the school is not here to right all of the real or perceived wrongs of society.    Number 3, your child does NOT have a right to an education – he/she has a right to an opportunity to get an education, which he/she can take advantage of, or not, but the result is their choice, not the responsibility of the teacher, the school, or anybody else. 
    The world is not always a warm and fuzzy place.  Tornardos and hurricances and other disasters kill innocent people all the time.  If you want a perfect world, go find another planet.     

12. … and what is wrong with Security in schools protecting teachers? Perhaps if the teachers felt safe they could do a better job concentrating on their jobs and, uh, teaching. Perhaps if the teachers felt safe it would be easier to recruit teachers to teach in those schools. 

    And one more thing, as a parent, I’ll fight for my childrens education and the health of the school district of the town I love, but once we feel our Kids are in danger – we’re outta there. No loving parent would send their kids to an unsafe school if they didn’t have to to prove a point.

    That is why you are seeing our district scores plummet. Until D150 does whatever is necessary to address the issue of safety in the schools responsible parents will continue to flee, until D150 is nothing more than a group of paper pushing admins.

    A good first step might be for Admin and Board to have a summit with Law enforcement. Maybe they already did. Settingsgard has some pretty good ideas in that regard. Let’s go for some results.

13. This is why an alternative school is the answer.  There are laws that limit school’s from “eliminating” students from school permanently, etc.  All the blame really cannot be placed on the district–there are limitations to their power in solving the problem.  That said, the district has not addressed the issue of discipline sufficiently.   However, right now the district is limited because it doesn’t have any place to send the students who disrupt the education of other students.

14. PS–There were very few times in my 43 years of teaching when I felt my safety was threatened.  I always was afraid of fights–I just didn’t have what it takes to get in the middle of a fight.  Knowing that, my students more often than not helped break up fights in my own classroom–while we were waiting for help (security, principals, deans, other teachers) to arrive.  That’s where the danger for staff, etc., comes in–when they intervene to break up fights.  If I recall correctly, maybe two years before I retired there were a couple of brief moments when I had any reason to be concerned about my own safety.  My greatest fear was trying to find ways to keep my students safe from the fighting students (and them from each other).   My other greatest challenge was to calm angry students down so that a fight didn’t insue or to get the student out of the room as quickly as possible–which isn’t always easy.  That is training that we didn’t receive in college education courses.  Most fights take place in hallways–and the gathering crowd creates the danger–and students regularly run to, not from, a fight.

15. I think it [might] be safe to say that anyone who blogs on this site, and has children does their bit as parents to instill discipline, etc.  I would LOVE to see a way to make PARENTS MORE accountable for their children’s performance/behavior in school. 

16. I didn’t say it was the teachers’ or administrations’ fault. (Interesting that you would see it as the logical alternative)
    It is  a systemic problem. Schools do not carry out any useful function in society except to corral underage citizens into a rigid militaristic gulag for 6 hours a day and provide jobs for the myriad of support poeple who make up the education economy.  Why SHOULDN’T students rebel at this? I am surprised more students don’t rebel and cause disturbances.
    Why aren’t the teachers and administrators demanding the right to educate their students?  Why, instead, are they arguing about pay and benefits? Why, instead, are they arguing about buildings, testing standards, and bond issues?
    Have any of you looked into what the teacher training (not education, training) programs at ISU and other schools are actually doing to certify teacehrs?

17. kc, asking for more security is demanding the right to educate and not discipline all day. Calling teachers incompetent, which you did in your post, implies you are blaming them.

    Read what you write… or at least write what you mean.

18. kcdad says:

    I didn’t say it was the teachers’ or administrations’ fault. (Interesting that you would see it as the logical alternative)

    Let’s see if that’s a reasonable conclusion based on what you wrote:

    The purpose for security in the schools is to protect the authoritarian, arbitrary, and incompetent teachers and administrators from the natural rebellion of their students. […] As any competent therapist will tell you, it i is the group member that is acting out that is the exhibiting appropriate and healthy behaviors… it is those supporting and enabling the real problems in the group to exist that need therapy.

    If “natural rebellion of their students” equals “the group member that is acting out,” then “authoritarian, arbitrary, and incompetent teachers and administrators” equals what?  I think it’s reasonable, based on the context of your quote, to assume it equals “those supporting and enabling the real problems in the group to exist.”  Hence, it’s the teachers and administrators who need therapy, and the violent students who are “exhibiting healthy and appropriate behaviors.”

    But now you say that isn’t so.  No, it’s “a systemic problem.”  It’s that schools themselves are oppressive and irrelevant.  So, I guess the teachers and administrators are also victims, yes?  No, wait, you say they should be “demanding their right to educate their students” instead of “arguing about pay and benefits, […]buildings, testing standards, and bond issues.”  This behavior is inexcusable to you, but children fighting in the halls is excusable, and is in fact the inevitable and natural outcome under “the system.” 

    Your logic is truly dizzying.

19. Diane Vespa sez: “The only thing D150 should be spending our money on right now is security in the schools. No learning will be going on so long as kids are afraid for their safety.”

    I say:  I agree.

20. EMTRONICS AGREES WITH DIANE!!!!  I need to sit down!

21. Ok.. here is a different angle.  

    Let’s say a school was made totally safe cause it had a couple dozen security guards, check points, metal detectors to get in and out, routine searching of lockers, etc…. sorry but I don’t want my kid going to school there.  What are we teaching are children when the school is itself a veritable police state?  This is not the civics lesson our children need to learn, even the troubled ones.

22. Switzerland is a police state… People love it there!

23. To add to that…. making these schools into little prisons isn’t going to bring people back.

24. imaswede:  Stand back up!  You even agreed with me over on that blog that shall remain nameless….   🙂

    Diane is right about security but there is more than that in our schools that is the problem.  One being lack of parent responsiblty.

25. mahkno, what do you suggest to solve the problem? Are you going to go to every home in Peoria and tell those parents to get involved? It seems to me, if you read Emtronic’s blog, some parents are even blaming the lunch ladies! Dear God!

    Em, that was a great blog I have to tell you! There are some people who have been telling this district for years they need to do something about discipline, but admin didn’t listen nor did they want to hear it. Your suggestion that Administration eat lunch at PHS for a week was priceless!!

    Still, back to the original question… Where is this money being spent???

26. Emtronics,
    It was my idea to ‘GET’ the parents first.  I WANT the cookie for first place.

    ImaSwede,
    Be careful.  You are starting to sound like KCDAD.  Blaming the Administration? 
    There has been alot of KC-Bashing going on.  The guy is a Communist-Socialist, etc.  Doesn’t he have enough problems?  His point is that it is a “systemic problem.”  He is absolutely correct.  We all know there are great teachers.  We all know there are teachers who should never have been allowed in the classroom.  Tenure…good or bad?  

    I agree with KCDAD.  The way we train ‘teachers’ leaves alot to be desired.   The entire Teacher Cert Program is a sham [not just in Illinois].  Let the comments roll.

    In the end?  Texas offers the best solution…arm the teachers!!!  

27. New Voice…. Get a clue! I do blame administration for ignoring the problem for years!!! Admin has been told by teachers and lower administration alike, that something needs to be done. Teachers have been asking for an alternative school for years and have been ignored. Now they are discussing it after they were humiliated at the last board meeting. And I agree with Emtronics, let them eat lunch in these high schools with these children for a week! This administration, along with the school board, has had its head in the ground!

28. ImaSwede,
    Don’t get your panties in a bunch!  I was agreeing with you.  Did my sarcasm go over your head?

29. Diane, about security in the schools.  I agree that Settingsgard could and should have an  input in that department. I am sure he would have some good ideas. Especially, since the Chief of D150  has taken on another police job in Chilli, he is spread thin.  I really can not  see how he would have time to meet with the city police Chief but maybe someone would.
    I really don’t understand why he is allowed to use D150 squad car while working for Chilli’s police department.  Does the school district have an agreemnet with Chilli’s police or is the Chief  just double dipping at the tax payers expense?  There was a wreck in Chili a week or so ago on a Friday night and low and behold the Chief of D150 was working for Chili and had the D 150 squad car blocking off traffic. Are we paying for the gas he uses to police Chili? Getting back to Settingsgard, I believe he could and should shed some light on security at the schools.

30. New Voice….. LMAO…. apparently!! duh!

31. I am not sure getting some Dist. 150 parents more involved is the solution.  I have witnessed expulsion hearings in the past and have seen students (soon to be expelled) trying to calm belligerent, out of control parents in attendance at hearings.  It is a sad thing to witness — a young person who understands the gravity and consequences of a proceeding better than his or her parent and is embarrassed by their conduct. 
     
    I agree with Kcdad, in part (just a little part, mind you), that public education as it currently exists does not work.  It fails to cure the ills of those that are challenged by learning and life, and does not address the educational needs of many that have been blessed with average to above average intellect, good parentage, and economic stability.  This, however, is not the fault of teachers.
     
    Sharon Crew is right on the money, as usual.  District 150 desperately needs alternative schools, both at the high school and middle school level.  Many students are so “flawed” in their thinking, behavior, and ability to learn, that they require special intervention beyond that which a regular classroom teacher is able or should be required to provide.  Sharon is also correct that there are many laws that handicap the District when it comes to discipline and many students manipulate the system so as to be identified as “special ed” and this furthers limits the District’s ability to take action against students.
     
    Just think, if a newcomer was reading this blog to learn more about the Peoria community and its schools.  Little wonder any family who wants a good education for their children would head to the neighboring towns.  It is not that District 150 does not have dedicated teachers, it is just that all this other “stuff” gets in the way.
     
     
     

32. There are lots of good points being made here some of which I agree.  Can a child get a good, no, great education through District 150?  Of course they can!  Not to toot my horn, but I had two children go through District 150 and both are very successful college graduates making a good living.  (OK one is a high school teacher. He deserves to be paid more IMO)  My kids went to some of the District’s most harden schools.  Garfield, Trewyn, and Manual.  The parents that showed up both to meetings and in school functions, the parents that showed interest in their child’s education saw their kids succeed also. Mine weren’t the only ones to grow, get an education, and become productive adults.  I saw it many times through the years with all kinds of students because their parent or parents cared enough to get involved.  Children do get a quality education but in this District you don’t hear too much about those kids.  What we seem to hear about is the bottom 10% (or less) that require our schools to have armed security guards.  If we want an alternative school for these hard to handle kids, then great, it should be tried but I also believe that this District needs to turn it’s attention to the absent parents. I am not talking about the parent that may work 2 jobs to support their family and can’t get the time needed to be at every meeting.  I am talking about the parent who is on the public dole, the one with the free lunch and med card.  Those parents as part of their qualifications for these benefits should have to work X amount of hours in the schools and be made to account for their child’s education and behavior or risk losing benefits.  Harsh? Yes but it is these kids that cause 99% of the problems in the schools and it’s hard to tell how many other kids they influence and bring down with them.  Our schools are not baby sitting services where you can drop you kid off and get them fed, clothed, and watched for 8 hours a day.  Unfortunately some parents think this is what exactly our schools are for.  Nothing is free in life and we should demand more from these absent parents whose raise thugs.

33. Yes Em we should demand more.   As Mouse stated it is the opportunity for an education that is guaranteed.  Opportunity.  Opportunities can be blown and lost.   It should be made clear from day 1 of their freshmen year that if they blow it, they are are out.  It needs to be clear that the ultimate responsibility for their success rest with they the students.  Not the teachers.  Not the parents.  But the students.   The school knows some of them have a harder road to travel.  Fine.  They understand that.   They even have some resources to help with some of those problems.   BUT if you bring a gun, drugs, start fights, etc… you done.  GONE from that school.   No other school should be obligated to take you in.   You had your chance and you blew it.   Maybe an alternative school for the most troubled is a good idea but even there, you blow it, you are gone.  

    If you have to have the police present on a regular basis when school is in session or just after school…. there is a BIG problem.

34. mahkno, I graduated from PHS in the early 70’s. When I started high school, there were no police in the halls, but by the time I graduated Stenson was walking the halls on a regular basis, yet I was not afraid to go to school. There were riots after every game and almost every school function that took place at night. I still attended those events. There have been police in the hallways of District 150 schools for over thirty years now. The police are not the problem…. get over it!

35. “mahkno” must have attended Easton High School.  Or maybe Toulon High.

36. Do the teachers and administrations need therapy? Duh… absolutely. It is their fault. Absolutely not. The problem is systemic. Teachers are trying to do what they are taught to do, administrators are trying to do what they are taught to do…. neither of which is educate children. EDUCARE… not behavioral classic conditioning

37. I meant: is it the teachers’ and administrations’ fault? Absolutely not.

38. emtronincs: Can a child get a good, no, great education through District 150?

    Sure, if they get it some place else. The ones who succeed in District 150 would succeed if they never stepped day one in to the classroom.

39. District 150 seems to take away responsibility from parents rather than sending the message that parents are accountable for their children.  For example, with regard to the new uniform policy, the news media picked up on a comment by one of the board members that the schools would have washers and dryers to insure that children have clean uniforms.  Just who will be hired to do the laundry at all the schools?  Will the kids sit around in their underwear waiting for the uniforms to be laundered?
    Another example at Manual (often at the end of the semester) parents complained that they had never seen a report card. so they didn’t know their children were failing.  Of course, at the high school level, students quite often get to the mail before their parents do.  Parents had been informed by the district when report cards would be issued–if they didn’t get one they should have called the school to find out why, etc.  Instead Manual started inviting parents to come to the school to pick up report cards (sometimes food was offered as an incentive).  Parents didn’t come (not even to Open House).  The last resort was that Manual asked the teachers to hand deliver report cards door to door.  Parents should be told–in no uncertain terms–that they should open up lines of communication with their children so that they know about grades, etc.  More and more the administration began to put pressure on teachers to call parents.  That sounds like a great idea and I even enjoyed calling parents because many were my former students.  However, there is a time constraint.  First of all, teachers do not have easy access to phones at school, so most calling has to be done at home (especially, to parents that work).  The typical high school teacher has over 100 students per day, The school started to expect teachers to call parents whenever their students were failing–with the academic standing of many of our students that meant spending much time on the phone.  Two or three phone calls could take well over an hour–and I had to grade papers at night (eat and sleep, too).  I somewhat solved the problem by sending grade sheets home once a week with my phone number and a message to parents that they were free to call me any time.  Of course, students didn’t always take the grade sheet home–especially, if the grade was bad. I think teachers should be willing to talk to parents–I was always willing to have them call me at home.  I just didn’t have time to initiate so many calls.
    At least once when I sent a student with a referral to the dean, the dean sent me a message that the student would not be able to return to my class until I called the parent.  I had difficulty getting in touch with the parent–the kid sat in study hall for several days.  Of course, that is a bit of an exception.  Instead of putting the onus on the teachers, I believe that parents should be asked to come to the school for a conference with the teacher, etc., when the dean believes that communication with the teacher is necessary.  Parents should be inconvenienced when their children are misbehaving–in order to send the message that the parents do have the responsibility to insure that their children are behaving.

40. ImaSwede,
    Duh?

    Are you challenging me to a duel?

41. New Voice, I need more coffee before I am up for a duel! The “duh” was referring to moi! LOL

42. Oh for the good old days. When I went to school if you got in trouble in school your parents knew it before you got home and you got in trouble again at home. The same happened when my children went to school. I knew what was going on with each of my children in each of their classes. I made it a point to meet with each teacher at the beginning of the year, every year. And the chidlren were not always the ones to blame. If I ran across a personality conflict between my child and the teacher I had the child moved to another class. But guards were never heard of in our schools. We were terrified of the principal and that was enough. The principal had ultimate authority and we knew it and we respected it. But all of us succeeded in our schooling and our lives. That was the ultimate result. In my opinion the entire story starts at home from the cradle. But of course that is the old fashioned way. Oh for the good old days.

43. HAH!  Duelling?  Good.  No coffee?  Very, very bad.

44. Getting back to Settingsgard, I believe he could and should shed some light on security at the schools.

    Red, the problem is is that we have a superintendant who is threatened by any outside input. Remember, this is a man who rejected assistance from the worlds most reknowned school reformer – Paul Vallas. This Administration and parts of the Board of Ed. feel that the sun rises and sets on their opinions, and their opinions alone. Personally, I don’t see any significant changes happening under the current admin. Many who have tried hard in the past to affect positive change in our schools have recognized the futility of it all and simply given up.

    Hopefully, Hinton’s replacement will be less ego-centric and encourage a community-wide effort, including input from industry experts, parents, teachers, leaders, the City of Peoria and Law Enforcement. It is our only hope. (isn’t that a line from Star Wars?)

45. Just checking–I wasn’t allowed on the site because of some space constraints–what’s the deal?

46. Have none of you noticed that children are naturally hungry to learn… until they enter school? Some are able top maintain that curiosity DESPITE the system, whereas others have the curiosity and desire to learn driven from them. What do you suppose the difference between these students is (besides income and social status)?
    Albert Einstein said: I believe that one could even deprive a healthy beast of prey of its voraciousness if one could force it with a whip to eat continuously whether it was hungry or not…

47. Well, let’s see–Jeff & Karen Adkins-Dutro’s daughter goes to Washington Gifted.  She loves school–can’t wait to get back to school shortly after summer vacation begins.  I had many students who loved to go to school and even to learn.  Kcdad, I am curious about the children on whom you base your opinions.  Are you speaking from very specific experience?

48. Jim Stowell just wrote to tell me I was kicked off for longwindness and being off subject–I’m sorry for all those hall passes I gave him to wander the halls.

49. and errors–longwindedness

50. Sharon – ROFLMAO. Jim was on a roll today.. called me and told me I’m off base as well. I’ll try to review my comments for accuracy and will get back later. Love you, Jim.

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