38 thoughts on “District 150 disputes press release from Rev. Watson”

1. Did I read this correctly? Principals who have proven themselves in the district and were up for a new contract were offered a one-year contract. New principals in the district who have not yet proven themselves in this district were offered a multi-year contract. Is that correct?

2. maddy, no you did not. It reads ALL principals were given one year contracts EXCEPT the ones that were signed under Hinton. As soon as they run down, I am sure she will only grant them a one year contract.

3. Truth: So “New principals were offered multi-year contracts” does not mean that new principals were offered multi-year contracts. It means that new principals were offered one-year contracts. Thanks for clarifying my confusion.

4. You may be confused because you posted this under the wrong letter. This letter does not say what you are saying it does.

5. Truth: Please read the last sentence in point 1. That might explain my confusion.

6. I am wrong. That does seem unfair. I did not see that the first four times I read the letter. Sorry to be so snide as well.

7. Perhaps after those one year contracts, those principals who “cut the mustard” according to annual evaluations will also be offered multi-year contracts like the others that Dr. Lathan and her team selected. I don’t blame the new administration for wanting a chance to evaluate appointees of the old administration. Does not seem like an unusual practice.

8. Ramble On: I agree, but does part of the evaluative process involve how many suspension/explusions a principal’s building has? Because if it does, then principals will feel as though they are not allowed to discipline students without having their jobs in jeopardy. Teachers and students need to feel “safe” in their schools and parents should EXPECT that their children are safe. However, when there are students verbally and physically assaulting other students as well as teachers and staff, then all the “behavioral management techniques” in the world are not going to help. When should a student be removed? After their aggressive behavior has victimized HOW MANY? One more question: Whose mustard should the principal be able to cut because I have seen some absolute idiots run District 150 schools and NO ONE did anything about it…..so really, is Dr. Lathan going to truly clean up the past mess or is this just more rhetoric to appease the masses while she pads her resume?

9. You are reading the sentence wrong. “Any ongoing multi-year contracts prior to my arrival must be honored. New principals were offered multi-year contracts.”

   It says this: There were multi year contracts award before my arrival and those were to new Principals. Those multi contracts will be honored. It DOES NOT SAY she is offering multi year contracts to new Principals. In other words. BEFORE Lathan got there NEW Principals were offered multi year contracts which she isn’t going to offer anymore.

10. At least 2 newly hired principals (new to the district) were offered 3 year contracts.

    From the Aug 9 board meeting minutes:

    “PRINCIPAL’S CONTRACTS: Moved by Stowell, seconded by Petelle, that the Board of Education approve the employment contract, as amended, for a period of three (3) years for Ursula Brown and James Jemilo. Year one – 210 days, Years two and three – 260 days.
    On roll call, 7 ayes. Motion carried.”

    What is arguably more important is what the contracts say about early termination. Schau, for example, had a multi-year contract. The district had the right to terminate the contract early for any reason (and did so) by paying relatively small “liquidated damages”.

    I can understand how someone who leaves a job in another town/state and has to move here, can reasonably be expected to want, and receive, more job security (though not a fully guaranteed long term contract). Once you’re past that initial contract – then you go on a year to year contract (assuming that is the administrations intent). If, as your employer, I want you to do something different, you might again want more security and I might again decide to give it to you. (Think Sharon Kherat)

    As Ramble On said, it could also be just that there is a need/desire to evaluate ALL “inherited” principals before offering multi-year contracts. Personally, I’d prefer to see 1 year contracts for principals (after the initial multi-year contract) but if any multi-year contracts are offered, the liquidated damages (severance) is as small as possible (and non-existent, if the termination is for “cause” – as was in Schau’s contract, though not exercised, and understandably so)

11. http://www.pjstar.com/news/x46321479/Superintendent-in-talks-for-TV-show

    Heeeeeeerrrrrrres Grenita!!!! (cue Doc Severinsen)

12. This would be more interesting if the students were allowed to be involved. Don’t know if that would be possible under privacy laws. In addition to “fact or fiction”, how about “Did he/she really say that?”. Telling the good is okay, but being honest and telling it all would be a better sell to the public (IMO).

13. Don’t know how well the “Here’s Lathan” show will “play” in Peoria. I would rather her return the boe meetings to the airwaves and let the public come to their own conclussions. Royster also liked to “practice” her acting skills by having all comments screened prior to her answer. It was smoke and mirrors with little to no substance. I believe Dr. Lathan should use her time in Peoria to MAKE changes…..not talk about them. Just my opinion.

14. School Daze. PJStar. Take the quiz.

15. What is “offical action”?

16. CJ – can I please ask if you could open the question of how we should best develop PHS and the surrounding feeder system/neighborhoods – what collaborations we should explore, etc. Thx! In light of the recent funding grant, there exists tremendous opportunity. I am optimistic about the East Bluff residential TIF, but I also have reservations. The Dist. will no doubt be convening meetings, but the discussion needs to begin now. Thanks for providing a forum.

17. Jim: I know you would like input regarding how to spend all this money, but the teachers/staff at Glen Oak would like some security personnel presence. Many times, I feel threatened not only by students (whom I can handle), but the PARENTS. Really, get Campus security a permanent position at Glen Oak. The whole staff would be grateful.

18. and don’t forget to arm the teachers and train the ones who already brings guns to school in the use of firearms.

    Jim… you have a prison system and might as well start treating it as such.

19. Charlie, I don’t think you are aware of some of the problems at Glen Oak. A new building didn’t solve all the problems. Part of the problem, of course, is cramming 800+ students into a building designed for maybe 650. When the district creates a problem, it should be asked to fix it. Closing schools created problems all over the district.

20. My message is a day late–so is District 150. I forgot to send my usual Friday reminder of the District Watch meeting at Monical’s on Lake and Knoxville at 6 p.m. on Sunday, October 24. District 150 has a brand new website format–but I couldn’t find the board agenda which usually goes up on Friday at 4 p.m. It might be hidden somewhere on the new format–if someone else finds it, please let me know.

21. Sharon – when you move your cursor to “Board of Education”, rather than clicking on it, keep rolling (down) until you roll over “Meeting Schedule” and then click.

22. Thanks, Jon, I figured I was missing something.

23. “A new building didn’t solve all the problems.”

    What a surprise! I am shocked by that news.

    You know my feelings about the entire system being dysfunctional.

24. Charlie, yes, I do–but I am so happy that the 4, 5, 7, and 15 year-old in my life don’t know that the system is dysfunctional. I know that I am more than prone to pointing out the problems in District 150, but wonderful things happen with the interactions between children and their teachers–in spite of the system. I was reminded again of that last weekend when I went to the Manual Class of 1990 reunion–so many of those relationships enriched my life and keep on doing so.

25. Yes, Sharon… some children do seem to find a connection with some teachers. But the premise of universal public education is “all the children of all the people”.

    Some people even survived the concentration camps of Dachau and Auschwitz.

26. Charlie, I just never have gotten a handle on exactly how you would change public education. We’ve probably been down that road before. 🙂

27. C.J. – Mr. Stowell requested the following “CJ – can I please ask if you could open the question of how we should best develop PHS and the surrounding feeder system/neighborhoods – what collaborations we should explore, etc.”

    I would like to offer suggestions but am wondering if you plan to set up a separate topic site for it on your blog?

    I think it is an important issue for the future of District 150 schools and the community.

28. Eliminate the grading, the curriculum and get rid of the bureaucracy.

    Instead, hire teachers who want to nurture a child’s nature abilities and curiosities and allow that child to develop what ever interests and skills they desire.

    Take away the financial incentive to control and ultimately ruin children’s lives.

29. Charlie,

    Unfortunately, many of us that want to teach for the love of learning have been blocked from entering those hallowed halls. Why? you may ask. Well, it’s because we waited until our children were grown to return to to school. We still have that desire to instill lifelong learning, but we haven’t been teaching long enough to warrant even an interview in “traditional” schools. I know, I’ve been there.

    As a matter of fact, one principal wanted to hire me, but my children had friends in the school, therefore I wasn’t hired. That wasn’t the reason given, of course. The reason was that the teacher they did hire was better for the job because her student teaching gig was at MHS!!!! Mine was at PekinCHS, and I didn’t understand how to really discipline students. So, what I came away with was it was more important what my discipline style was than my teaching style. I have found, at my current school, that I don’t need to eek out lots of discipline because of the activities going on in my classes. There is no time to be bored and causing problems.

    With all of that being said, I L-O-V-E my current job. I can’t imagine working for a principal that doesn’t trust me to discipline within my classroom. I definitely handle things internally WAY before they go to the office. That is what I’m teaching, lifelong learning. Learning to respect authority, learning to respect him/herself, learning to respect differences in opinions, cultures, socioeconomic statuses, and, finally, learning to enjoy learning. This doesn’t mean that everyone is gung-ho in my classes every single day, but at the end of an assignment/unit, when I ask them to put what we learned into real-world, they have succeeded, because they can see the connection.

    We are currently working on materialism/greed, based on Tolstoy (before/after his religious conversion), persuasive arguing (began when students wanted to try something different & admin wanted pros/cons–students won!), event planning (working on planning the awards day for our school: includes invitations (for parents, admin, media), decorations, thank you notes, and an agenda so speech class can emcee), and morality (via Canterbury Tales). All of this while they’re learning, OMG, what is this world coming too? A teacher that teaches life lessons!

30. Way to go mama. Keep up the good work.

31. Mama, I don’t understand why the fact that your children had friends at the school had anything to do with not hiring you. I have never known that to be a reason for not hiring someone–I’m sure it happens all the time. It’s fairly hard to be from Peoria and to be in the education field without you or your family having friends in District 150 schools.

32. There was some concern that I would be either too soft or too hard on those specific students. You have definitely been out of the “new teacher trying to get a job” realm for a while. Sometimes knowing too many people can be bad for you when trying to get a job. It looks like you won’t be able to maintain fairness. And, if you notice, that wasn’t the reason given why I wasn’t hired.

33. Mama–I understand; I was just saying that shouldn’t be a consideration at all. There are a significant number of teachers whose children go to the same school where they teach. You’re right–I was hired when there was a teacher shortage in the 1960s.

    I do sympathize with teachers trying to get into the field today when teaching positions are being cut in so many public schools. And, at the same time, of course, I don’t advocate ending tenure–but those teachers will eventually retire. Up until recently, there were always enough teachers retiring to allow a significant number of new teachers to come in. That continuous cycle has been slowed by an unfortunate decline in enrollment in public schools.

34. Sharon, most of the time those teachers have already established their teaching reputation by the time their children get their. I’m not like them, I was a SAHM for 20 years before I went back to school. Those years don’t count in the teaching world.

    In regards to tenure, I wish they would do away with it. All it allows for is the incompetent teachers to remain far after they should have left. They have lost their desire to teach and are only looking to pad their retirements. The union has spoiled what could have been a good thing by protecting teachers that should not be protected. I’ve seen in firsthand and have been told firsthand that it’s not worth the effort to write up a tenured teacher because the union will take months, if not years, to solve the problem and by that time the teacher has retired and it’s a mute point.

    The union does not protect me. I protect me by doing my job to the best of my ability. End of story! I teach so that my students will learn something, anything, about life and how learning never ends, it just takes different paths. It is my job to teach them to think outside the box, and, when needed, conform to what the boss says.

35. Mama, maybe it does allow a few incompetent teachers to stay, but it, also, allows some very competent teachers the protection they deserve. It is not the end of the story–you’ve just started your career–many experiences await you. I was young when I started teaching. To this day, I remember with great respect those veteran teachers at Roosevelt Jr. High who taught me so very much. I started teaching in 1962 and wasn’t a member of or protected by any union until the 1980’s. Frankly, I was a critic of unions until the 1980’s when I saw some very unfair treatment of teachers–then I joined the union. Just because you are a great teacher doesn’t mean you will always have good evaluators. I was never personally treated unfairly; I did have complaints about administrative procedures, etc., but none of my complaints then or now were ever personal.

36. Nationally, public school enrollment (K-12) has steadily increased, and at a rate that is faster than private school enrollment (such that 12.4% of students were enrolled in private schools in 1985 compared to 10.5% in 2009).

    http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d09/

    Earlier this year, with much talk of teacher layoffs across the nation due to a continued poor economy and low tax revenues (and, at the time, no more stimulus funds), Education Week magazine suggested the following:

    “An increase in teacher hiring in recent years is leading some observers to posit a link to the waves of pink slips that districts are sending across the country.

    Thus far, hiring patterns have not been widely studied as part of the current discussion about layoffs. But national data from the U.S. Department of Education and from the National Education Association’s annual “Ranking & Estimates” report show that between the 1999-2000 and the 2007-08 school years, the teacher force has increased at more than double the rate of K-12 student enrollments.”

    http://www.edweek.org/login.html?source=http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2010/05/13/32layoffs.h29.html&destination=http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2010/05/13/32layoffs.h29.html&levelId=2100

37. “maybe it does allow a few incompetent teachers to stay”

    Is there anything that can follow this other than ‘the system must be changed’???

    I know that I certainly had several incompetent teachers at Richwoods. Mary Greener, Kathy Knezovich, Sandy Gordon and Peter Probst stand out as exceptions.

38. Charlie–“beauty” and good teaching are in the eye of the beholder. I didn’t know most of those teachers but over the years I heard many good reports about Mary Greener. I had some teachers at Woodruff that I regarded as less than stellar, also. However, I don’t think any of them really impeded my progress in life. In my own experience, I found that a teacher loved by many students might be hated by some or even many–students, also, have varying measuring sticks as do parents, administrators, etc. Again, I still believe that without tenure there would still be incompetent teachers because the administrators who evaluate them might not be using the same “measuring stick” that you might use–their objectivity is often clouded by very subjective considerations. Certainly, without tenure there would be no teacher critics of the system writing on blogs–which makes the end of tenure especially appealing to administrators and the district.

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