There will be a joint meeting of the Peoria City Council and the District 150 Board of Education tonight at 6:30 p.m. at the Gateway Building. The meeting is open to the public and will cover this agenda:
ITEM NO. 1 WELCOME – OPENING COMMENTS by MAYOR JIM ARDIS
ITEM NO. 2 WELCOME – OPENING COMMENTS by DISTRICT #150 SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT DEBBIE WOLFMEYER
ITEM NO. 3 PRESENTATION – PEORIA PROMISE
ITEM NO. 4 PRESENTATION – RACE TO THE TOP
ITEM NO. 5 PRESENTATION – DISTRICT #150 SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION – NEW and RENOVATIONS
ITEM NO. 6 PRESENTATION – SCHOOL/CITY IMPACT ZONES
ITEM NO. 7 PRESENTATION – PEORIA HIGH SCHOOL and READINESS to OPEN in AUGUST 2010
ITEM NO. 8 PRESENTATION – DISTRICT #150 ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE for 2010/11
ITEM NO. 9 PRESENTATION – MAYOR JIM ARDIS — MAYORAL INTERESTS in URBAN EDUCATION
ITEM NO. 10 ANNOUNCEMENTS and CLOSING COMMENTS by MAYOR JIM ARDIS and DISTRICT #150 SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT DEBBIE WOLFMEYER
Item No. 9 should be especially interesting, as it’s being reported that Mayor Ardis hopes to “put to rest” rumors that the City wants to take over the school district.
It also is not an easy thing to prove bullying. They may say something to you like do you have documentation that you did everything you could to get student X to pass. Why did you have 6 failures in your class. It would take a prideful teacher to not ask if there wasn’t some blame that they shared with the student. Next thing you know, you are second guesing your abilities to reach the kids and teach them anything. Why do you think there is such high turnover amongst us.
Nontenured teacher–I understand totally. I watched it happen to teachers at Manual before the current regime and believe it has happened even more recently. So much of what teachers do is in isolation–so it’s easy to make new teachers believe they are out of step and/or not doing everything expected of them. Even when I was a veteran teacher of over 35 years, administrators tried to intimidate me with regard to failing grades. The year I remember was when an administrator came to my room with a print out of 1st grading period grades–to tell me that the number of F’s was completely out of line. First of all, 1st grading period grades are generally lower as students get used to a teacher’s standards, way of teaching, etc. I did ask the administrator (and a non-tenured teacher would not have been able to get away with quetioning) if she had been to all the teachers whose students received all A’s. It was my contention that a teacher can grade too high as well as too low–but the legitimacy of high grades is never questioned. However, in the new era, I did learn to have way more documentation than anyone expected. It is the only way to survive in this era of “the teacher is always wrong.”
I have so many points to make and I’m afraid that if I make my post too long no one will read.
At Manual, once a month, teachers are REQUIRED to attend something called Progress Monitoring. At Progress Monitoring teachers must PROVE that 80% of their students are getting A’s, B’s, and C’s. If the students are not, teachers are asked what they can do to make the students successful and to get them to that point. A teacher CANNOT make a student do work when the administration says that they DO NOT have to.
Example…At Manual a student can come to class up to 10 minutes tardy, not in dress code, with no textbook, nothing to write with, and no paper and the teacher is expected to teach them for the next 75 minutes (85 minute classes)with engaging and exciting lessons and, most importantly, PASS them. Let’s not forget that when they finally do make it to class they just want to sleep. If you try to get administrations help, they will tell you that the student doesn’t have to look or even listen to you as a teacher. They just need to not be a discipline problem.
First and foremost if grades were in fact changed then that is wrong and the people involved should be held accountable. However, the purpose of progress monitoring once a month is so that a student does not “get lost” in the shuffle. If nearly all the students in your class are failing, then that is an instructional issue, not an issue with the students. Instead of making excuses about what the students are or are not doing, it is the teacher’s job to educate the children that are sitting in the classroom – not the children they wish they had in the classroom. Romeo…you must not be truly up on what is happening at Manual, as the teachers came to the administration with the concerns you highlighted above and were empowered to make changes. Any student coming to a class even 10 seconds late were not allowed to enter the classroom and disrupt the learning of the students who were there on time. Why don’t you ask someone who is actually at Manual about “Tardy Hall” and “Tardy Sweeps”? The teachers have brought several concerns such as this to the administration’s attention, and have been able to come up with what they thought was a good solution and implement it. And let’s just clarify…I am NOT part of MHS administration. I’m just tired of people who are not actually there stating rumors and gossip as the truth.
to setting the record straight–Are you a Manual teacher? Your comments seem to be those of someone whose idealism has not been challenged by the reality of the classroom–heavy on educational jargon that doesn’t translate to reality.
Your assessment of what goes on at Manual doesn’t seem to match what I’ve been hearing all year. Romeo is certainly stating information about Manual that I have been hearing all year from people who are there. I don’t believe that Romeo said anything about failing all the students in his/her classroom (and I certainly didn’t fail all the students in my classroom–although I trust that I never failed any student; I just recorded the grades students earned. 🙂 With regard to Manual, from all I’ve heard, the Johns Hopkins way is about rewards, not about fair and/or accurate assessments. I did hear that recently the teachers were allowed to bring some of these concerns to the attention of the administrators–but after how many months of not being able to do so? I haven’t heard about too many Manual teachers who have felt empowered to do anything. Admittedly, I am a bit jaded when it comes to statements about tardy sweeps, etc. How often did they take place? I do believe that the teachers have begged for a return of detentions, etc.–which have been deemed too negative for a Johns Hopkins school. I sincerely doubt that they occurred on a regular basis–and there are always holes in the proverbial net.
Yes, I am a teacher at Manual. I have over 15 years of experience in the classroom, so I am firmly grounded in reality. Did you also “hear” that detentions take place EVERY day after school? Did you also “hear” that tardy sweeps took place EVERY day EVERY class period? The expectation for teachers at Manual is a very high one. I assume that those you are “hearing” from are the ones that are still insisting on teaching the same way that has gotten Manual into this predicament. Interesting that the reason Manual has TDHS is because under the OLD Manual (which I believe you were part of, Sharon) you failed to meet AYP. Hmmmmm…I understand that insanity is doing the same things the same way and expecting a different result. Why don’t we go back to the “Old Manual” and the old way of doing things since you all got such great results back then! I refuse to banter back and forth with people who themselves are not grounded in reality and take the word of disgruntled employees as gospel.
Ohhhh!!! Sharon, are you going to take that?
Sorry…..I had to do it. 🙂
I have an idea, instead of grading teacher performance on their students, most of whom don’t want to learn anyway and what teacher can make them learn? Why don’t we start all administration people at $40,000 a year including our new super and if they turn the district around, reward them. While they may be bad teachers, there are a lot more bad students who just don’t give a damn unless it’s on PS2, iPhone, or the latest car. Get my drift here? Society as a whole needs to adjust it’s standards where education should be important and the stuff that comes in shiny plastic is the reward for your efforts. Until that happens, you can grade, watch, score, evaluate, all the teachers you want, nothing will change. It’s the clients stupid!
Listen honey(setting the record straight), I worked for Jenkins and I believe 100% of what Romeo is saying regarding what is going on at Manual. All of this went on at Roosevelt, while she was the head honcho. A tiger doesn’t change her stripes……
If you go back to my first post, I stated that if grades were changed, then those involved should be held accountable. My argument is with the broad generalizations made with little to no knowledge to back them up. There is a very large group of incredibly dedicated and talented teachers that are absolutely sick and tired of Sharon and her “dog with a bone” attitude. It must feel awful to be looked down upon by so many of your peers. Instead of making up dirt, why don’t you volunteer your time in one of the schools? Heck, spend retirement knitting a sweater, but please please don’t act like you speak for all the teachers in 150. Many of us are ashamed to have you in our midst.
1) I am at Manual.
2) I am not a “disgruntled” employee.
What I am is a human being that is DEEPLY disturbed that there is an entire generation of people being taught that the best way to get what you want is to whine and complain until someone gives in and change the rules to make it where it fits your needs. The situation at Manual is a disgrace not only to the students who attend there, but their families, the south end, the people of Peoria, and most importantly society!
Last time I checked, this was a FREE country. Setting…if you don’t like what you read, don’t read it, and for God’s sake don’t tell Sharon that she is not entitled to free speech. She gave most of her life to the students and families of District 150 and how dare you insult her. There are many hundreds of fantastic teachers in this district, Sharon being a retired one. Please save your rants for another blog.
Romeo-
If you are at Manual then why the misinformation? Where are the comments about the faculty meetings and SIP days asking teachers for their input regarding tardies and detentions? Did you volunteer your time to serve on the committee to address those issues? Were you at the meeting just last week where teachers brought to the admins attention that they thought having demerits next year would be a good idea, and teachers got together and brainstormed how to make this work? And the bs about progress monitoring…you have totally missed the boat…
I think Sharon should run for the school board! I’d vote for her! Sharon and Terry! GO GO GO!
“Free Speech” EXACTLY
I was at the SIP day where it was brought up that there were something like 9,000 plus tardies the first semester and Dr. Kherat asked the teachers to ask the students why they didn’t like to come to class the next time they were tardy or skipped class.
I was also at graduation where people walked and received diplomas that they did not earn and Dr. Kherat told us at the end how wonderful things were at Manual since the “takeover”.
I also don’t understand why 2 people who make a quarter of a million dollars together have to have everyone else make decisions for them. My forty thousand dollars that I sweat for isn’t to make administrative decisions.
If I’ve missed the boat, I’m glad that it’s setting sail and going somewhere FAR FAR FAR away from me!
If I recall, what came out of the SIP day was a plan that the teachers put in place…not asking students why they didn’t like to come to class.
AGAIN…if someone passed students or graduated students that should not have been, then they should be held accountable. That is wrong and negates everything good and positive that is going on at Manual.
You aren’t being asked to make decisions for the admin…you are being asked for your input so that decisions aren’t forced upon you. If she stood up and said she was deciding what to do and ignored all input from teachers then I’m sure you’d be complaining about that as well.
You got me! I just sit around and see what I can complain about. Good thing I work at Manual and there’s PLENTY to complain about!
Setting–I am at a distinct disadvantage; you know me but I am not sure of your identity. At this point in my life, I need not either defend or apologize for my career. I will allow my former students and colleagues to judge me–their judgments have always been fair before, so I see no reason to waste my time discussing my successes and failures (and like all teachers I had both). My career was very peronally satisfying; I loved my students, I loved Manual and its teachers, and I could not have asked for a better life. I agree–the old way at Manual wasn’t working and for the last 10+ years of my career, I was very vocal about that–for instance, I personally begged for reading specialists, etc., to help with the literacy problem at Manual. The truth of the matter is that nothing has changed at Manual–I believe that all objective data proves that Manual is in worse shape today than it was three years ago. I know that Dr. Kherat keeps stating that all the current problems can be blamed on those that went before her. How many more years can that excuse be made–how long before the new record has to stand on its own. I dare say that AYP has not improved. However, I, also, have to state that I believe the whole NCLB way of assessing education is extremely flawed, so I would admire Dr. Kherat if she would say what we all know–the numbers aren’t a fair assessment of the efforts of the current teachers or of ours. Further, I believe that following this same Johns Hopkins path will drag Manual down even further. From all that I am hearing today, there is a good chance that Dr. Lathan is aware and may make some very needed changes (I hope and trust changes for the better). You, Setting, and Romeo and non-tenured teacher have very, very different views of Manual. I know that it is possible for such opposing opinions to come out of the same building. I guess it’s a matter of which ones have the most validity and/or the greatest number. Over the last two years, I have heard the complaints of both non-tenured and veterans–I have heard little that is positive. I very well could be listening to the wrong people–but they speak with such one accord that I find it difficult and unwise not to believe them–it is ultimately Manual about which I do care. Unlike many, I live in Manual’s attendance area, so its future is important to me. I have spoken to Manual grads from earlier eras who are very upset with what has happened to Manual history and tradition. You see when Kherat criticizes Manual’s past, she isn’t just offending teachers; she is offending former students.
Setting – you need to speak for yourself, an anonymous person. If you don’t like Sharon’s ideas so be it, but don’t create a whole other fictitious group of “anonomi” to make you feel better about your point.
grades are changed on a regular basis in this district. Wrong, yes, but the fact is, it’s not going to be changed by a few teachers sacrificing their jobs, which is what we’re talking about. As was said, NOBODY is going to stand up for them. Name calling, yes, maybe I’m guilty, but I get angry when somebody comfortably ensconced behind a computer tells other people to take the bullet.
Mouse, it has always been my understanding that a teacher’s grade cannot be changed without the teacher’s permission (coerced though it may be). I know there is a good possibility that there are ways around this policy, but any time a grade is changed at the high school level, a change of grade form must be filled out and signed (signature). I assume in today’s computer age, that change would have to go through the central administration offices. My guess is that much of the “persuasion” takes place before a teacher turns in grades–making a change unnecessary. If rumors are true, however, Manual grades were changed for earlier years–and that, I would think, would take some doing–not sure how that could be accomplished. But where there is a will there might be a way. I don’t believe that an administrator can access the established grades to change them–I believe a change form would have to be filled out. I am assuming much.
Good discussion on issues regarding Manual here.
Consider this post an open invitation to appear on CAPtions
in the near future. We need a good debate on what’s happening
at Manual and at Dist. 150. We usually accentuate the positive
stuff, but also realize we need to acknowledge, discuss the problems that exist.
Sharon, Setting, and Romeo…are you game?
Dennis, I don’t know what CAPtions is. However, when it comes to Manual, I do throw out on the blogs unofficial information that I have heard and I do try to throw out only what I have heard from sources that I trust and info that they have given me permission to mention (I do have a desire to protect teachers who just aren’t on safe ground). I do think it’s important to make these issues public–too much, over the years, has been swept under the rug–which is why MHS has gotten into the situation it’s in today–I am more than willing to acknowledge that all of this isn’t the fault of the current administrtation. But I think more of the same is still occurring. Obviously, I do not spend any time at Manual, so any information I would provide would be secondhand. I think you would do well to try to find some teachers who are willing to participate–that might be hard to do. I know that there are a couple of Manual teachers–one or two who have spoken at a board meeting–who have been willing to speak out about Manual problems. I’m not big on doing anything televised. When I speak at board meetings about Manual, I usually present FOIAd information–fact rather than opinion. I guess I’m saying–I’m not sure; it all depends. Right now, I do believe that Dr. Lathan (from all I’ve heard) is trying to sort out fact from fiction at Manual and is trying to find a solution to some of the problems.
More likely than not, Dr. Lathan is figuring fact from fiction at several schools throughout the District. Where are the leaks/gossip on those investigations? It’s just more fun to slam Manual isnt it?
makes sense to me to start at Manual since it costs the district the most per child than any other school in the district. yes, even more than an Edison School. IIRC, the amount per student is approx $10,000
Romeo, I am one of the sole survivors of previous administrations at MHS and I have seen all sides. As I have told my students…”There are no locks on the doors. If you do not want to be here, leave!!!” Or is it, that with such a positive attitude you can’t get another job?
I am really curious now. I have, as Emerge states, been slamming Manual for some time (that’s not how I view my criticisms, but I understand). This is the first time someone from Manual has been on this blog to defend the Manual of the last two years. Certainly, I have no objection to hearing both sides of the story–it just hasn’t happened before. To “Really,” I evidently know you if you’ve survived previous administrations. I do believe students and teachers have taken you up on your offer. I was, indeed, chagrined to see the the #10 student of the top ten had a 2.38 GPA. That certainly indicates to me that many students in the 3 to 4 point range have already left Manual–and that is a shame. Emerge, the only leaks about Dr. Lathan’s investigations that I’ve heard are regarding Glen Oak, Manual, and Trewyn. Have you heard of others to the north or any place else? What schools do you want to be on the list for investigation? Also, to Romeo, I guess Really doesn’t understand that it is quite possible to have a positive attitude toward students while at the same time recognizing serious problems in how the school is run, etc. In fact, I believe we would be remiss if we didn’t bring to light some of what went on and now goes on at Manual–the students are the ones ultimately hurt.
After speaking to many of the Glen Oak teachers in the past few days, I am overwhelmed with joy for them. One said she truly felt worthless after two years of the past regime. She said she didn’t know she deserved to be talked kindly to by her boss. All overwhelmingly stated that Roz Swain and Doug Atkins are truly angels on earth, compassionate and caring…..something that has been sorely lacking dearly for the past two school years. My hat is off to the teachers who “endured” the past two years and survived AND to the Interim Principal and Assistant Principal, the teachers all hope you will stay.
Thank you “setting” and “really” and “emerge” It’s about time someone stood up to Sharon and her minions, and their revolting half truths and lies. I too AM a teacher and have first hand knowledge of Manual – both old and new. Maybe more of us should rally together so that the bloggers on this wonderful site can see that their opinion is NOT the majority.
And pray tell, Sharon – what was the GPAs of the top ten at the other #150 high schools??? According to what I am looking at Manual should not be singled out. Oh…but then that would end all of your fun, now wouldn’t it? My advice to the Manual teachers – RISE ABOVE AND DON’T EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE SUCH CRAP!!
Ok–I’m listening. I assume all of you (Setting, Really, and Three Cheers) have kept track of any of my comments about Manual. Emerge thinks I complain about Manual too much–but I don’t think she claims to have any inside information about what happens at Manual. Now is the time for you to refute any claims of mine that you believe are false. How do you account for the number of teachers who have walked off the job at Manual in the last two years? How many teachers would you say have been physically attacked by students (truly unheard of during my tenure at Manual–teachers might have been caught in the crossfire, but not attacked personally)? How do the current adminstrators handle chronic discipline problems? Do you feel that students are appropriately disciplined at Manual? Is it true that Dr. Kherat stated that there were 9,000 tardies 1st semester? If there were that many tardies or even close to that number, aren’t there some district policies that were not followed–the same goes for attendance policies? I have info–but no numbers to pull up right now. But I did do a FOIAd study of the number of faculty who left last year and this year of their own accord, not because they were pinkslipped but because they found other employment. At least, two left in the middle of the year–that is just highly irregular. I remember very few teachers who just walked off the job in the middle of the year. There is absolutely no reason why the three of you or more should not have your say on this blog, at board meetings, etc. I’m just wondering why you haven’t spoken up before. I think Dennis of Peoria is right–it is time for a decent dialogue about Manual with people who are currently at Manual or were there last year. My only reason for speaking out about Manual is that I felt that teachers were afraid to speak out, so I was willing to raise issues publicly in hopes that the powers that be would address those issues. If all of you begin to talk, my voice will become irrelevant and that’s fine with me. I would like those of you who have just come forward–Setting, Really, and Three Cheers–to reveal one thing about your identities. Are you teachers or do you work in some other capacity at Manual? There is every possibility that not everyone at Manual has the same experiences or sees everything from the same point of view. I know, Setting, I did questions the validity of your opinions earlier–I was out of line. I hope we can make this a positive by bringing forth some honest yet civil dialogue about what is really going on at Manual. We all know that my knowledge is not first-hand–there are at least 40 people who have first-hand knowledge–right now we have heard from about 6 whose experiences at Manual are definitely not the same.
My comment about the GPA was not a slam at the students (might seem that way)–it is the fact that over time (and it began before Kherat)so many students have left Manual. And you are right–the GPA at Peoria High and Woodruff might not have been much better–but my concern is for Manual. I have been decrying the drop in enrollment for years–in the hopes that someone would try to find out why families no longer wanted to send their high schoolers to Manual. Our previous principal’s response was “We don’t need them any way.” The problems that caused families to look for other options should have been addressed long ago–my biggest complaint is that the new regime is still not addressing the issue. Nothing would make me happier than if Manual would once again be the school that it was before the late 1990s. Some of you have no idea what a great school Manual was in those days–it was truly underestimated by most people in this city. And, no, my speaking out is not the cause of loss of enrollment–I am just not that influential.
Sharon, CAPtions is a TV talk show that airs on Comcast Public Access Cable 22 on Sundays at 5 pm and Wednesday at 7 pm in Peoria. It targets issues affecting low-income, minorities & women. Of course, quality of education is a big issue for those groups.
I do agree that if folks come on to our TV talk show to discuss problems, they have to be based on fact, not hearsay or rumors.
The other problem I face is that PCCEO has a good working relationship with Manual with our Shwari Chengo program based there. And I have known Dr. Kherat for many years, going back to her Urban League days. We have also videoed the Manual Graduation the last 2 years for distribution to those that want one. So we have been airing segments about positive
achievements going on at Manual.
However, because we want to show balance on issues, if any teachers
want to speak out about Manual on the show without being identified, we have the technical means to obscure their face and voice.
CJ, I hope you don’t mind this shameless plug. There will be
2 Open Houses to celebrate CAPtions’s 35th Anniversary of Broadcasting:
Sunday, June 13th 4-6 pm, and Wednesday, June 16th 6-8 pm, at the PCCEO
Admin. building, 711 W. McBean. We will have displays of classic shows, the current CAPtions set, and how technology has changed for the show. It is open to the public, but please RSVP which one you want to come to. RSVP by calling 999-3826 or email at deggemeyer@pcceo.org
Dennis, at some point our paths must have crossed. I, also, have known Sharon since her arrival at Urban League and can honestly say I enjoyed a very good relationship with her (and I truly miss that)–and there is no question that I am the one who ripped that apart. Selfishly, for that reason, I wish that she had never taken the job at Manual. The truth is that I should not be a part of your program–that should be the current Manual teachers. You solved one mystery for me–I have wondered what Shwari Chengo was. And I did know about CAPtions–it’s that fading memory thing–I just didn’t recognize the name. I even watched the Manual segments.
As I stated previously, I am a teacher at Manual. I will be glad to give you exact numbers that you asked for (I truly believe that 9,000 was totally inaccurate) and have the data that was handed out to all staff to back up what I am saying. I will gather the paperwork tomorrow and report back to you. As far as teachers walking off the job, I will not “slam” fellow educators that I worked with, but will say that teaching in the block (which means actually doing something other than lecture and seat work) is simply not some teachers forte. 85 minutes of boredom leads to discipline problems. Sometimes it is easier to blame the students, their parents, and the administration than to take a look at one’s classroom practices and make adjustments. This was a HUGE adjustment for me, I know it’s not easy. Teaching at Manual is not for everyone, and that’s okay. It would be nice if those that decided it was not for them would not justify walking away by spreading mistruths. As far as teacher’s being attacked, I know of one incident in the 9th grade academy. You have to admit, you have only heard one side of that story. (Not that any teacher should ever have to endure such treatment – only that you have not heard the flip side of how the situation was in fact handled.) Is everything perfect at Manual? NO Are there alot of wonderful things going on at Manual that are overlooked? YES
Sharon said:
“You see when Kherat criticizes Manual’s past, she isn’t just offending teachers; she is offending former students.”
Do you not see the irony of you making that statement?
As far as declining enrollments, we’ve had this discussion before. Manual bottomed out enrollment-wise in its final year before re-org at 588 students for the 2007/8 year. It increased to 640 (high school only) the first year after re-org in 2008/9 AND another 146 students chose to go there for the 7th and 8th grades.
I am a parent of Manual students. Thank you to those that have stood up against the Manual bad press. Dr. Kherat and her staff should be thanked again and again for everything they do for our kids.
Sharon, I am a teacher at MHS. I teach in every possible capacity, the halls, the lunchroom, the foyer, at sporting events,etc., not just in the classroom. Today is the first that I had heard of this sight. Out of curiosity I had to see for myself. I am absolutly appauled at your writings. As you single out Manual, I know as many others, what you have written about has happened or is happening at the other schools and not just in Peoria. Most is nothing new. It was happening then and is still happening now. I believe that one of the teachers that you write about had been removed from PHS because she could not handle her students there. Many are not cut out to be teachers in the public school system. As I have said before, “There is no book that teaches a person to be a good teacher. You have it or you don’t.” It was unfortunate that we had to restructure because of not making AYP, but let me remind you, you and your “side kick” were in the English Dept. for years prior to that. HMMM.
Yes, MHS lost quite a few good teachers got rid of some poor teachers but we also gained some great teachers!!! To bad we couldn’t have combined staff. We would have had a superior team. Today, several tears were shed as teachers left the building knowing that they would not be returning because of that thing we call tenure. Again, we will start all over.
When you were at MHS, I don’t beleive that you were happy. As I remember, you always had something or someone to complain about. It seems that not much has changed. I would love to respond to all of your points, but I don’t feel that your writings are worth my time! You are taking the words of people who probably were not worthy of being at MHS or who have never stepped foot in the building. Manual is a great school and it does have alot of positives. Try looking at something good. It will most likely make you a happier person!!!! Sharon, get a life and give it a rest. Take time to travel and spend some more time with your “sidekick’s” kids… Because most of what you are writing and saying is B.S. I hear the National Enquirer is hiring. You’d be GREAT!!!
Really, so you hate Jeff–that narrows down your identity considerably.
Trying not to name names. I have no hate or dislike to Jeff at all!!! I always worked well with him. It saddens me to hear him bash MHS also.
Really, don’t you think it is rather unfair to throw out so many vindictive comments without revealing your own identity? We have never tried to protect our identities. I did misunderstand your attitude toward Jeff–glad you cleared that up because Jeff always worked well with his colleagues at Manual. I guess we should define what we mean by “Manual.” Neither Jeff nor I have ever bashed Manual students. Neither Jeff nor I have ever bashed Manual teachers, either. Neither of us has ever blamed Manual teachers for failure to meet AYP. Manual, to me, encompasses all my students and colleagues. When we complain about discipline problems at Manual, we aren’t bashing students. I truly believe that giving students the impression that their actions have no consequences is a terrible disservice to them and a very poor preparation for surviving in the world. Anyway venting at me or trying to discredit me isn’t going to solve or eliminate the problems at Manual. Also, I am sure that many were saddened to leave Manual today, knowing they wouldn’t be back. You say that’s because of tenure-I assume that you are on tenure–so what statement are you making? I, by no means, believe that you have all been miserable. My goodness, I know that you have all formed relationships with students and with each other–just as we did. When you close your doors, the real work of the school takes place–and what happens in your classroom can be good inspite of how the school is run, etc. I still believe that you could do even better in your classrooms if given the support that should be given teachers. I think it’s probably time for me to end this particular round of conversations. Next year is another year–and the great thing about teaching is that every year everyone gets a chance to start anew. I loved that about teaching–a blank slate every year. Also, I do have to add that students like Jeff before 1990 would have seen to it that Manual made AYP. Are you really willing to take the blame for Manual’s current failure to make AYP and do you really believe Manual has a prayer of making AYP any time soon? I am not sure that anyone should take the blame–NCLB is flawed. Peace–I’m ready to take a few steps back.
you should know it is site – not sight, and appalled, not appauled. Do you think tenure protects weak teachers? Where is the union forum or site that facilitates that discussion? That would be a conversation worth monitoring.
So, getting back to what happend with Jenkins and the counselor… What is happening with that situation?
To Really???–“Sharon, get a life…” “…most of what you are writing and saying is B.S. I hear the National Enquirer is hiring. You’d be GREAT!!!” Foul! Everyone has a right to say what they want on this site without being bashed. You’ve obviously never blogged the Chronicle before or you’d know that what takes place here is 98% civilized dialogue of the issue at hand, not personal attacks on people with whom you have a bone to pick; save the personal criticism for a face-to-face discussion. I believe the issue at hand is the fate of the administrators at MHS.
P.S. He who angers you conquers you.
“Last time I checked, this was a FREE country.”
Check again.
And anyone who calls them self “setting the record straight” obviously wants us to think so… It is sort of like prefacing a statement with “Believe me”… or “Trust me” which everyone knows if Hollywood for F^@k you.
I am a teacher at Manual. I am sad by some of the comments in the blog. The teachers work really hard as well as administration. Progress monitoring is a good thing because we do focus on our kids that are struggling and devise INTERVENTIONS to help struggling students to succeed. The progress monitoring is not for the teachers but rather for the students. If a teacher has several failing students it is best practice for that teacher to reexamine the situation and focus on a different course of action to reach the struggling students. Many students are not auditory learners and this requires teachers to think “out of the box” and look at different ways to address a variety of learning modalities. Brainstorming ways to help students is a good practice. Teachers must be willing to spend time and energy planning engaging lessons. Teachers are not forced to give certain grades. If you want to know the real story about Manual….talk to several of the teachers not just a few or a couple. What good does it do to complain if you have inaccurate information….roll your sleeves up and volunteer to spend some time at our school. If you our a teacher at Manual and you are complaining…..why is your energy not directed at solving the problems we have and spending time with our students????
Manual Teacher: Is it also best practice to change students’ failing grades to passing grades so they can “graduate” with the rest of their class? If it is, please direct me to that chapter. Having been a teacher under your current administration, I can tell you FIRST hand that teachers were “nudged” to change grades at Roosevelt(You did as you were told, especially if you were not tenured). Understand, Royster and Hinton should have dealt with this behavior way back when, but sadly, left it for Dr. Lathan to clean up (Hinton was missing some manparts, for sure). This behavior is not new, just resurfacing. EVERYONE in Peoria knows how hard the teachers in this district work and I can assure you that Dr. Lathan is now holding administrators accountable for their actions as well. Hopefully, she will weed out the dead weight and assign Principals that will encourage not only the teachers and students, but the families as well. Please let her do her job.
Jon, yes, I do see the irony in my statement in that current students and teachers might well consider criticisms of Manual as criticism of them. I stand corrected and wish to clarify. I believe I have always made it clear that my criticisms have always been directed at Manual’s administration (past and present)and the central administration that either paid no attention or condoned what was/is happening at Manual. I don’t know whom Kherat is blaming when she has so frequently makes statements such as “It is no longer business as usual at Manual” or has made comments about having to overcome what was done for the last 20 years. Also, I want to address “Teacher” who just posted. I appreciate your concerns. I have never, never questioned how hard those of you on the current faculty have worked. Frankly, I do envy (in retrospect) many of the “helps” you have received that the “old” faculty didn’t have. We were given no materials, no NWEA tests, etc. In fact, we were not given the reading scores of our students and did not have at our disposal any progress monitoring or ways to evaluate where our students needed help. We did ask for help but there was no money available for that kind of help. The old faculty simply did not have a fraction of the resources that you now have at your disposal. No one can say that we wouldn’t have used the resources if they had been available to us. Someone on the blog with the handle “Really” just told me to get a life. I had to laugh at that one because Manual for 36 years and Roosevelt earlier for 7 years were happily my life. Any time I leave my house to go out and about, I always run into former students–they are still very, very much a part of my life. The three-year- old in my life (Jeff’s child) recently asked some young ladies at a restaurant in the mall, “Are you from Manual?” He has already realized that wherever we go, we run into our former students. Please, please don’t assume that those that went before you didn’t work just as hard or just as many hours as you do or didn’t care as much–that would be extremely unfair of you. There is no doubt; we didn’t have the resources that you have. The sad part is that the current faculty (and administration) will still be judged as we were by the AYP scores–and from everything we’ve seen so far, those scores at Manual continue to decline. I see that as the fault of NCLB–not yours or ours. Nobody is going to care at all about any increases in the NWEA scores–all they will care about is AYP.