As my sources indicated last week, Norm Durflinger was approved as interim Superintendent starting December 1, when current Superintendent Ken Hinton retires. Additionally, Durflinger was hired as a part-time Deputy Superintendent between October 19 and December 1. This addition prompted a “no” vote from Board of Education member Laura Petelle.
I agree. Hinton is still supposed to be on the job until December, and if he’s going to take his remaining vacation or sick time between now and then, we also have an Associate Superintendent (Hershel Hannah) on the payroll. Why the need to hire Durflinger as a Deputy Superintendent during this time? How many Superintendents does one district need?
I think people started asking for a plan several months ago, or longer. Now Hinton is gone, he doesn’t have to worry about it. But, why hasn’t the board been asking for a plan? Maybe they have one and just haven’t shared it. (Yes, I am being facetious!) (sorry, Jim, but honesty, why hasn’t the public seen one?)
Frustrated…
Also remember that I am equal advocate for expanding our AP programs.
Steve, are you an advocate for expanding Richwoods’ AP programs to students outside of the school boundaries, as is currently done with the IB program?
I think it is laughable that the gifted statute was adopted about the same time that State funding was halted. Does anyone know if the State is currently providing any funds to schools for gifted education?
I might have my dates off a little, but I believe there was no funding in 06/07, there was funding in 07/08 and 08/09, but this past summer, funding was again cut out completely for the 09/10 year.
The statute applies if the district is to take the money (I believe they did in 07/08 and 08/09). I obviously believe that if they keep their program the way it is, as was stated in the letter CJ showed, then they will be ineligible for any state gifted school funds – if and when they become available. Maybe some years ago, the district didn’t care if some students left – they still got their property tax revenues. Now, the district is much more dependent on federal and state revenues based on enrollment. Couple that with the fact that they have lost so many students over the years, and yet maintain the infrastructure, I can’t see why they would want to continue this policy of requiring enrollment in D150 for entrance into Washington Gifted.
I believe Steve is working on the problem of the District not having weighted grades. He is a busy guy.
Though it may be a deterrent to some, I would think the overwhelming majority of students interested in pursuing AP or IB level work “get” that it the end it is the knowledge they gain from study and hard work that will truly set them apart for college consideration and life success.
I think high school rank is critical, but not a deal breaker in getting into choice colleges. Especially, if an admission director sees that there is a disconnect between the class rank and a student’s performance on the ACT or SAT. As I have posted here before, subject matter test results, AP tests, IB exams, ACT/SAT scores, because they are all external standardized tests, are found to be more reliable predictors of student success in college than high school grades and thus are relied on by colleges to make admission decisions.
Jon – the Washington Gifted letter that C.J. shared has much more “legalese” in it than I recall recieving. I had a child admitted into the 5th grade class of 06/07 and the letter did not appear like that. In fact, I don’t recall receiving a general letter at all. Only a letter indicating my child has been referred for testing and that I needed to send back a form acknowledging that I was interested in pursuing this opportunity for my child.
In reading the statute and comparing that to the language of the letter, it would appear they are ticking off the requirements, with the exception of the one that you pointed out. Interesting.
I don’t know all the details because I didn’t teach AP classes (late 1990s or early 2000s, but I thought it was a sad day when Manual’s administration decided to drop AP classes. Especially, the AP English teacher had great results–and I think the end of AP, also, meant that students of that calibre found other places to go to school.
Steve – Glad to hear you are an advocate of AP. Me too! I think it is probably a better fit for my oldest. I just feel compelled to spread the good news about IB because families/students are less familiar with this program. What is really special and unique about Richwoods is that it offers both, which is something Central Illinois should HEAR more about so that they can factor it into their decision making as to where they live.
For the record, I never said that there was a whole lot of violence at RHS. I said there was much more four years ago(Which was actually a mistype, because I meant Fall 2006, but was trying to type fast, because I had to leave for work) and last year than there seems to be this year. In addition, it is my opinion that the overall climate of the school is improving at Richwoods. I do understand that Richwoods has always been a top notch school, and that we have far less violence than other schools. The students know that they are held to high expectations and that the staff expects them to meet them. We are all trying to ensure that all the students at RHS recieve a top notch education and not just the IB kids. IB is just a tool to provide our top students a challenging education. It won’t save the district if we don’t couple that with a quality education for the other 90%.
Thornton said it’s not up to the PBC what District 150 does with its schools, but rather the PBC has an obligation to look at the proposals they bring for funding and determine the bonds, supported by taxpayers, are “used in a manner that affects the education of students.”
This is an interesting statement. How many district officials told us that a condition of receiving PBC bonds was that we HAD to close a school. In fact, we were told our bond rating would be downgraded if we did not close a school. I doubted that publicly and in writing numerous times. Now lo and behold, here is the PBC saying they don’t give diddly squat whether we close a school or not. Board members, have you been duped? Or are you duping us?
diane said:
“Now lo and behold, here is the PBC saying they don’t give diddly squat whether we close a school or not”
I think the statement from Thornton can be interpreted much differently.
“it’s not up to the PBC what District 150 does with its schools” – that’s correct – the PBC doesn’t actually decide. The told the district what they wanted to see, but the board had to make that decision (and almost didn’t) – not the PBC.
Diane–That’s the way I’m reading it, too. This is the question I asked at Monday’s board meeting:
I know that the PBC has $30 million dollars hanging over your heads—that threat seems to be the reason for closing a high school.
Does the PBC want District 150 to prove that X number of dollars can be saved by closing schools and/or programs or are they demanding that the closure must be a high school? That seems like a strange demand—why would they care which schools are closed as long as money is saved? Have you board members heard an answer to that question—if so please tell the public in words that we can understand—if not, please ask the question for yourselves.
If you do go through with the plan to close Woodruff, what is the plan—it’s not on the agenda? Do any of you have the right to ask Jeannie Williamson for weekly updates on the plan or will you also be kept in the dark until March? Or is it true that Williamson communicates only with Hinton, not the board?
The PBC is the conduit through which we issue bonds. Many discussions were held with bond counsel, rating agencies, and the PBC over our structural DEFICIT and how we were bringing costs in line with diminishing revenues and lower enrollment. Out of those discussions and the guidance received from lenders (potential buyers of our debt) came the understanding that, to receive any further funding, cost savings through closing a HS must occur. Closing more middle and primary schools alone would not be enough. More insight would entail discussing the teachers contract and its rigid structure, and that I can’t do readily as we are in negotiations. Those who would like to discuss, call me.
I do understand that the IB Diploma program’s coursework is actually during the Junior and Senior years. There is also the Pre-IB stuff that Richwoods does which I feel and agree is important to proceed with. Applying Freshman year is not a good solution. I don’t want to dink around with switching schools more than necessary. Wherever my kid goes Freshman year, that’s where he is staying. To spend a year somewhere else just so he can apply (and not necessarily get in) Freshmen year is unacceptable.
I hold a similar criticism about the Illinois Math & Science academy in Aurora, which is a 3 year program.
Mahkno….
Let me clarify… we accept students as freshmen. The vast majority of our IB students are at RHS 4 years.
Jon, AP can be offered at each school. The IB diploma program is a large undertaking for a school and is an expense for the district. That is why the IB program needs to be at one location.
The contract’s “rigid” structure–Jim, please be more specific–oh, no, you can’t because you would be negotiating on the blog. I do need further information about the PBC–is it interested in how much 150 spends on buildings or on how much it spends on salaries? I honestly don’t understand its role in dictating 150 spending.
On another subject, what if Julie McArdle wins a $200 million settlement. From where does that money come? From wherever it would come, that’s the equivalent of the savings to close Woodruff. Should she actually win such a settlement, I hope the district learns that failing to listen to an employee’s complaints and/or whistleblowing is actually carelessness (a flippant attitude) that the district cannot afford.
I don’t believe she will win anything.
Some of you may recall a day or two ago when I went off on Jim Stowell because he wrote the following, “Sharon – look at your respone to “hot” on the post above “I heard…….”. I try to disspell inaccuracies as best as I can – but it would be a full time job on this blog alone. You seem to relish the role of town crier.” I had said that I heard that 250 students were going to be moved–that it was a rumor and I was trying to find out if anyone had heard it. Jim, please disspell this rumor if you believe it to be false. I don’t think it’s a rumor–I called it a rumor because I didn’t know if I had permission to give details. It seems that, as you all know, Kingman and Tyng were closed “without a plan.” Then when the “plan” was thrown together at the last minute, it seems that the district forgot to plug in numbers for incoming kindergartners. So these children came as a surprise to the “receiving” schools, who now have double the number of kindergartners–because they weren’t “expected.” It is my understanding that–now nine weeks into the semester–these students have to be redistributed. Also, I believe the union will be meeting with the teachers who are complaining about overcrowded classrooms. The number of students might be rumor–not sure what the count is.
Does anyone doubt that something similar might happen next year when displaced Woodruff students show up in places where they are not expected?