There’s only one mainstream news source I could find that covered this, and it was WCBU News:
District 150’s Director of Human Resources resigned earlier this week. District spokeswoman Stacey Shangraw says Deb Dimke resigned for personal reasons.
Dimke started with the district in July 2009, replacing Thomas Broderick who had resigned. WCBU reports that her last day will be October 8.
Terry Knapp told the WCBU reporter about Dimke leaving when the rumor first started–can’t remember where he saw her. He told her to call Shangraw–obviously, she did. News comes rather slowly from District 150. I certainly hope that Terri Dunn gets the job until she retires–so that another high salaried administrator doesn’t have to be hired.
“I certainly hope that Terri Dunn gets the job until she retires–so that another high salaried administrator doesn’t have to be hired.”
Is Terri Dunn qualified to work as the Director Human Resources?
Dimke leaving the district is a posiive. Too bad she doesn’t take Stowell, Wolfmeyer, Darling and Devine with her. With all of them gone the district might have a chance. Her leaving is a good start!!!!
Thanks to Terry and Sharon for advocating for transparency in our district and our community.
Emerge- To answer your questtion, we need to allow Dunn to retire and thus trim some more of the fat off of our already top heavy admin payroll. We all know that is where we are losing alot of our money. Especially when these
administrators retire and then the board/admininistration rehires them to bleed us of money as consultants. Retire and then if you want to help volunteer your time and expertise that would help us balance the budget.
Mrs. Dunn has more than 30 years experience in this district. She is quite capable of handling the hr position. She is extremely professional.
Emerge, why wouldn’t a former high school principal be qualified to be the HR director? Wasn’t Dr. Lathan a principal? Also, Dunn is currently the assistant HR director.
A bench was permanently installed near the front entrance of Lindbergh Middle School on Friday Oct 1st 2010. There is a nameplate attached to the bench that reads, “Simply the Best, Ms. Davis”.
As Julie McArdle’s husband, I am disappointed that given the circumstances, “the powers that be” would allow this to happen.
skeptical1- r u advocating for ur Homer Simpson of a husband to lead the Union? Just come out and say it…..
Skeptical2: Why don’t you and your friend Mr. Darling start defending the people that pay his $20,000 a year UNION stipend instead of his NEW friends over on Wisconsin Ave.
Skeptical2–you have aroused my curiosity–whom are you calling Homer Simpson?
Did someone come in the dark of night to install the bench at Lindbergh? I was just told that parents at Washington Gifted had to get approval to install a bench in honor of a deceased parent. Would the BOE have to approve this “gift” that keeps on taking.
Sharon-
It is my understanding it was done before teachers left school yesterday.
Still kind of in disbelief…….
Who paid for it–the PTO? Who replenished their coffers? 🙂
Now that’s a good question Sharon. Any guesses?
The Director of HR should have experience in recruitment, employee relations, labor relations, and employment law. Does the District never learn? It is a specific skill set different than “school administrator.”
Frustrated, you might well be right. However, right now the district is on a budget. Dunn has a contract for the rest of this year (and I think the next–which was a last minute change), so with a salary of $135,000 she should be doing something more than responding to FOIAs. Certainly, the district cannot right now afford to hire yet another administrator. Also, although I don’t know the circumstances that led to Dimke’s departure, maybe the district could, also, learn a lesson as to the risks of hiring people with no loyalty to Peoria–the ones who can leave at the drop of a hat.
Regarding: BENCH Why in the world would the district allow this? It should be removed. Where is the Journal Star on this? Or any news station? Where is the photo op of the dedication ceremony??
no kidding – why doesn’t Keith just post his wife’s deposition. I hear that sheds a light on things…..
Sharon – I understand your thinking. You are correct, the District is on a tight “budget” and needs to keep administrative personnel numbers down. As such the occupants of each and every administrative job should be the most trained and talented (especially for the $$ the District pays). Incumbents of such positions should be capable of handling a heavy workload and a vast array of job responsibilities. That should be the litmus test when making internal transfers.
It’s near my folk’s house, I’ll steal it and dump it in the gully.
I think the bench should be left as a visible reminder of the corruption that must be exorcised from the district. To have a bench right outside a classroom of children, honoring a top administrator that discriminated against poor families, stole from parents and under multiple felony indictment – beautiful!
Skeptical1 I appreciate how you seem to strive to have answers for anything I question. Perhaps you could now direct your attention to this repsonse from Frustrated, with which I agree 100%:
“The Director of HR should have experience in recruitment, employee relations, labor relations, and employment law. It is a specific skill set different than “school administrator.””
Sharon: Are you seriously saying that just because a person was a Principal of a school, that they are qualified to head the Human Resources Department of a school district?
So Ms. Dunn’s experience as a high school Principal qualifies/prepares her on this level?:
•Guides and manages the overall provision of Human Resources services, policies, and programs for the entire District.
•Overall talent management strategy including workforce planning; recruiting; hiring; training and development; performance planning, management, and improvement; and succession planning.
•Organization development, change management initiatives, and district-wide environment for employees.
•Oversee employment law compliance and compliance to regulatory concerns.
•Demonstrated proficiency in policy development, documentation, and implementation.
•Oversees employee safety, welfare, wellness and health.
•Managing external employment agencies, recruiters, and temporary staffing agencies.
•Analysis of the effectiveness of all human resources efforts.
I would think that if a person with Ms. Dunn’s qualifications is “given” this job the District Watch Group would be up in arms. Or is there some type of leeway we should give Ms. Dunn because she used to be a principal at Woodruff.
Emerge: IF “The Director of HR should have experience in recruitment, employee relations, labor relations, and employment law. It is a specific skill set different than “school administrator.” THEN why did the boe hire Hinton and now Lathan(never hired to be “in-charge of a district before)? Neither had been a superintendent before, in fact Hinton had ZERO experience….see where that got the district. But understand, I am not disagreeing. Mrs. Dunn had to be “put” somewhere since the high school she was the administrator at was closed. She could have been put in one of the middle schools that were needing principals, as I believe she is an excellent principal, but no one asked for my input:). The powers that be decided she was a better fit in HR, so, there you have it.
And you guys complain about how we act! Take a good look in the mirror.
I probably should not have commented, because I really know very little about Ms. Dunn. I am just tempted to play the devil’s advocate because of the double standard that appears to be applied here in relation to her qualifications.
Regarding the Dimke situation: there are actual COLLEGE DEGREES IN HUMAN RESOURCES, people go to school and specialize in this, just as people go to college to get their Bachelors of Science in Education… Master in Administration. Teachers and principals are REQUIRED to have their degrees in the field they are employeed. But the way it seems, it doesn’t really matter once someone gets to administration level, they just do whatever they want. Thank God Dimke’s gone! Too bad all the other corrupts at the top weren’t going with her. She “placed” several teachers in places that she had never stepped foot into and had no idea about. She and some building principals had “favors” to do for one another. That seems to be how alot of placements where made, not on teachers’ experience or qualifications. It is all a popularity contest, and those that are honest and truly try to “make a difference” are not necessarily the ones that are most popular. Hopefully, Mrs. Dunn, if placed in Ms. Dimke’s position, has the “work” experience to do the job. It is doubtful she has a degree in HR; then again, did Dimke? These degrees are not something new; they’ve been offered for years (at least 20 that I know of.) But 150 definitely doesn’t need to hire someone else in at $120,000 or more a year. That’s THREEE teachers with about 6 years experience salary.
Colleges of Education will offer degrees in just about anything to lure students to get a master’s degree. So much of what is taught is like teaching bedside manner to doctors. I would be curious to look at the credentials held by HR directors throughout District 150’s history. I doubt if very many of them had such “specialized” courses.
Emerge, it’s OK to play the Devil’s Advocate–as I have jokingly (stress jokingly) said, anyone who defends District 150 is playing the Devil’s Advocate–again I am truly just joking.
My guess is that Terri Dunn, as a high school principal has conducted enough interviews, etc., to be able to do the job for District 150 for one or two years without causing great harm–any more than has already been done. How much hiring does anyone think will be going on for the rest of this year?
Someone just e-mailed me a picture of “the bench” and the very visible plaque. I assume that if the district OK’d this gift that it will be on next Monday’s agenda with the cost and the donor. Count on District 150 to maintain some level of drama.
Does the district have to accept all gifts given to them? The fact that this bench is actually at that school is a slap in the face to all taxpayers of Peoria.
This is from the Peoria Journal Star:
Mary Davis, a District 150 administrator, was fired Monday at a special board meeting.
The board voted 5-0 to dismiss Davis, who has been on paid leave since September from her position as District 150 academic officer. Board members David Gorenz and Jim Stowell were not present for the vote.
The action came four days after Davis, 51, pleaded not guilty in Peoria County court to 16 felony counts of official misconduct and theft.
While principal at Charles Lindbergh Middle School, Davis is alleged to have taken money from the school two times in 2005, four times in 2006 and two times in 2007.
Davis served as Lindbergh principal five years before becoming District 150 academic officer in 2008.
And now “someone” believes she deserves to be “honored”…
I forgot to mention that police tape (the kind used at a crime scene) is wrapped around the bench. I’m wondering if the tape is a prank. Of course, the bench’s presence there is, also, a prank.
… I wonder what the “simply the best” is referring to. The best at stealing money from parents? The best at firing whistle blowers? The best at being a future prisoner? The best at falsifying records? The possibilities are endless. I love a mystery!
I just saw the photos. The bench does indeed have crime tape wrapped around it. Golly that’s funny.
Is the bench cemented into the ground? Who were the parents that attended the board meeting when Julie McArdle was released? Aaron Schock’s sister was one of them I believe. Was it them who paid for this disgrace?
Sharon, you say the bench is a prank. What do you mean by this?
I received the photos from someone and sent them to Emerge. She has posted them at http://emergepeoria.blogspot.com/
I didn’t mean anything by calling the bench a prank–just meant “they can’t be serious.”
When is this soap opera going to end?! This should give Dave Haney some good material for his blog. It wouldn’t surprise me if some of the Davis supporters are worried that she’s going to blow the whistle on THEM! Remember the finger pointing Mr. Lyons alluded to?
Lord, it is a bench! Jesus. Let it alone.
OK. And let’s build a new school and name it after Blago. After all, he was found to be “not guilty”.
Dave Haney is out of town, I think.
District 150 Observer, sometimes a bench is just a bench–sometimes it isn’t. If the bench was approved by the BOE (and I am beginning to doubt it–at least, hope not), then that approval puts them in a very strange legal position since they are being sued for protecting the person to whom the bench is dedicated. They will “own” the dedication because they will have to approve it.
A bench has zero effect–zero–on any “legal position”.
Well, I guess we know where Dist. 150 observer stands. Let’s see, Mary Davis has been charged with 16 felony counts of official misconduct and theft, and “observer” says it’s just a bench. I’d say it is a slap in the face to every taxpayer in Peoria and every child, as well. When law abiding citizens are rebuked and “alleged” thieves are honored, there is a problem. What does this teach our children? Shame on the BOE, Administration and anyone else who was a party to this embarrassment!
District 150 observor: How about we put benches outside every school in District 150 where a principal has been fired for theft….I can think of 3 off the top of my head. Hey, why not honor principals who look at pornography during the school day or hit kids with their purse handles. Let’s just “HONOR” everyone who is unscrupulous, unethical, immoral, and lawbreakers…..after all, isn’t that what the administration wants to convey!
For God’s sake, get a grip people. Only here could a “bench” elicit such a discussion. Sometimes this place confounds me.
My “position” is that it is a freakin bench. There are so many problems in this world and we focus on a bench that somebody donated to District 150. Wow.
Dist, it is the principal (a little play on words there, folks) of the thing and you very well know it. Stop being condescending!
Well, let’s focus on some real problems and not on a bench.
Now you want to focus on REAL problems. Where have you been hiding for the last 15 years, D150 observer? Do you not believe theft is a problem in this district? Do you really believe she is the ONLY one?
District 150 observer, on what problem would you like to focus? I guess we’ll have to wait to see if this bench is a problem to the BOE.
IDK, would not following policies be a real problem? I can’t decide. Sometimes they’re followed and sometimes they’re not. Mostly, I sense a general “don’t tell me what I don’t want to know” attitude from those in charge of enforcing policies (i.e. unapproved fieldtrips, cancelled interviews, claims of non-existent letters filed with the state,…….).
Trick or treat posters. District 150 is right….It’s just a bench. “Simply the best” could be said of any crook.
Em, not if it’s signed “Ms. Davis”