New principal assignments at D150

District 150 recently announced numerous reassignments of school principals. They are listed on the district’s website, but as a service to my readers, I’m reprinting them here:

Name Current School 2011-2012 Appointment
John Wetterauer Charter Oak Charter Oak
Jane Cushing Franklin Franklin
Kevin Curtin Garfield Irving
Annette Coleman Glen Oak Glen Oak
Veralee Smith Harrison Harrison
Jamie Brown Hines Hines
Michael Barber Irving Rolling Acres
Patsy Santen Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson
Ken Turner Kellar Kellar
Nicole Woods Northmoor Northmoor
Renee Andrews Whittier Whittier
Angela Stockman Woodrow Wilson Trewyn
Diann Duke Valeska Woodruff Career and Technical Center
Tom Blumer Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge
Cindy Janovetz Columbia Manual Chief Turnaround Officer
Ursula Brown Lincoln Lincoln
Michael Plunkett Lindbergh Lindbergh
Scott Montgomery Mark Bills Woodrow Wilson
Deloris Turner Rolling Acres Retiring
Noly Branscumb Roosevelt Roosevelt
James Jemilo Sterling Jamieson
Eric Thomas Trewyn Knoxville Center for Success
Dave Obergfel Von Steuben Retiring
Joan Wojcikewych Washington Director of Curriculum for Peoria High School
Sharon Kherat Manual Manual
Randy Simmons Peoria High School Von Steuben
Karen Orendorff Jamieson Retiring
Paul Monrad Peoria Alternative High School Director of Student Affairs
Brandon Caffey Greeley Assistant Principal at Richwoods High School
Donna O’Day Knoxville Center for Success Sterling
Additional Appointments
Name Current School 2011-2012 Appointment
Laura Rodgers Trewyn, Assistant Principal Principal, Mark Bills
Dave Poehls Richwoods, Assistant Principal Principal, Washington Gifted
Brett Elliott Richwoods, Assistant Principal Principal, Peoria High School
Cindy Clark Peoria High School, Assistant Principal Principal, Richwoods High School

185 thoughts on “New principal assignments at D150”

  1. Someone told me yesterday that Harry Whitaker used to move principals and administrators around all the time. According to this person, who has been with the district for many years, he did this intentionally to “shake them up and keep them on their toes”. I’m not saying whether that was a good strategy or not, but people generally respect and admire the work Harry Whittaker did as Superintendent, so maybe he was on to something.

  2. During the Whitaker era that may have happened at some schools–certainly not at the high schools. I was at Manual for 36 years. Ham Weldon for 1 year, then Eric Johnson, then Sandy Farkash, and then Bill Salzman. The other three high schools much the same.

  3. Of course, only one high school principal is really being moved here. Richwoods was a vacancy (technically).

  4. Em: My guess Jenkins will get another raise and moved to yet another scholl filled with people she will victimize

  5. So, teachers we can afford to lose. Schools we can afford to close. Administrators we hang on to life preservers in a squall. Makes perfect sense to me.

  6. John Lucia: Amen! Crazy isn’t it? Wait and see how bloated the Admin cabinet becomes if/when they get the federal grant for Peoria Central HS!

  7. Re: The lawsuit by Ungurait, she seriously didn’t realize that she should have a contract before she quit her job and moved half way across the country? If that is the case, which it must be because her attorney is saying it, then she has no business being partially in charge of 150.

  8. Administrative positions in education do not require contracts. Many districts in the state do not have contracts for admin except for the superintendent. It is possible she did not know she would have a contract and was then presented with one to sign after she moved here.

  9. “Smart districts” would have administrators sign their contracts before they start working for them.

  10. Here we go again…..I completely agree. When you are given a contract AFTER you have already started working, it’s a little to late to “back out” or move back….as is this case.

  11. Many teachers don’t sign their contracts until after they’ve started working also. Everything has to be board approved, and by then they have often already started teaching.

  12. Yes taxpayer that is true. However the teachers contract is negotiated by the union and available for anyone to read prior to taking a teaching position…..big difference….the district cant add anything “extra”

  13. Kind of surprised there hasn’t been an update in the McArdle/Davis case. I learned not to rush to judgment based on popularity in that case. So I think it best to reserve judgment in the M. Ungurait case. Regardless of the outcome, I can’t imagine any quality candidates beating down doors to get into D150 based on the results of the past 9 months.

  14. Mary Davis is biding her time with continuence after continuence, I presume, “hoping” memories fade…..NOT!

  15. 2 cents: it is my understanding judges will grant continuences until there are no cases “older” than this one. In other words, when all cases prior to the MD case are resolved, her case will have to be tried if she does not take a plea agreement. New trial is set for June 20th. Anyone can call the circuit clerk’s office and ask for scheduled dates of trials…it is public information. Also, it is on the circuit clerk’s web page 14 days before the scheduled hearing. Two good ways to keep up on local cases.

  16. Elaine Hopkins on her blog http://peoriastory.typepad.com/ had some interesting observations about the recent reassignment of 150 principals and administrators:
    “Insiders say the March 29 move to reshuffle Peoria School District 150 principals and administrators is unprecedented, and may have violated the Illinois school code and other laws and rules.”
    “The openings were not posted, so others had no opportunity to apply for them, which files in the face of affirmative action rules. Those who lose pay or have other working conditions affected by these changes may have lawsuits against the District.”

  17. Wow, Sharon ! Elaine had a few great articles on her blog. Everyone should check them out!

  18. Illinois school code states that all principals MUST be evaluated by March 1st and reclassified by April 1st if administration so chooses. There does not have to be a connection between an evaluation and a move, the principal must only be evaluated by March 1st to be reclassified. Administrators (specifically the superintendent) have the right to move principals as they choose. All principal positions are considered lateral moves. The only place they may be in trouble is moving assistant principals to principal positions. However, they did have Principal positions posted for the last few months which covers Elaine’s claim.

    In other words, Elaine’s claims are pure conjecture as usual!

  19. So Colleen, was an opening for PHS’s principal posted for the last several months? I don’t know Illinois law, so I’m asking a sincere questions. If the jobs were posted and if there were applicants, is District 150 legally obligated to interview and consider all applicants?

  20. Sharon, Principal positions were posted, albeit not specific schools (most districts only post “principal” in case they want to make some internal moves). No one can say how many applicants you must interview or even if you have to interview any of them…you just have to post the job.

    I know folks are not terribly happy about the superintendent’s moving of principals, but from my standpoint, I believe it is all legal. (However, just because you can, doesn’t mean you should!)

  21. Colleen–agreed. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. I guess we don’t know whether or not all evaluations were done by March 1. Also, are there any negotiated guidelines for posting jobs, etc., in the contract (rules over and above the Illinois code)?

  22. I’m too late to check what was posted earlier. However, I just looked at the job vacancy notices on the District 150 website. The only administrative position listed is the Turn Around Officer (whatever on earth that is) and Manual is listed as the location of the job (I believe it was filled last week). It appears that the format followed lists the location of the position.

  23. Sharon, why are you so upset about this? I believe the very same thing was done in 1992. Didn’t it involve 17 principals or 17 positions at that time? The library should have an article on this. Sometimes administrators get to comfortable in their position and tend to let some students slide by with offenses and others not. And they also need to learn various positions. I think these changes are good!

  24. Wow, maybe so but I truly don’t remember that number. I don’t know about the other schools, but I believe Eric Johnson retired and Sandy Farkash became principal, following a somewhat usual “changing of the guard.” However, as this excerpt from the PJS shows, “John M. Strand – 1988-1994
    Teachers vented frustration with a no-confidence vote in Strand in March 1992. Funding problems plaguing the schools added to the problems of operating the district, and test scores declined. He started the early childhood school.”

    Dr. Strand, whom I liked but as a definite minority, was another “outsider” who, in hindsight, I now see made some mistakes that still plague the district. He started the high school academies that allowed students to choose high school programs out of their normal attendance area boundaries. They played havoc with the system by getting rid of many courses that once were taught at all schools. Also, he put an end to all home ec and industrial arts courses–a move that had started when the high schools went to a 6-hour day. However, Strand gets the blame for ending the programs completely.

    I realize that Peoria has a tendency to dislike leaders from the outside; however, it is true that they do not have to live with their mistakes as they leave the city after their “assigned” tasks are completed. There always does seem to be an agenda of unpleasant tasks that the board deems necessary–and they need an outsider to carry out the deeds.

  25. Sharon, Not sure, but I believe the “Principal” position was either posted on the IASA web site or on K12 Job Spot both of which are major sites for finding education positions within the state of Illinois. If memory serves me correctly, the closing date was March 14 which coincided with the original date to “shake” things up. (I am purely speculating on this coincidental date.) Nonetheless, since there is no contract for principals (similar to the contract between PFT and D150) there are no stipulations regarding time frames, etc…

    In a nut shell, we may not agree with the moves, but they do appear to be following school code.

  26. The small class sizes are mandated by a class reduction program?…but there isn’t such a program in place?

  27. 2cents, I guess you gather from my article that I believe that Dr. Lathan was in error (as proven by the FOIA data that I had to try twice to get) when she used this program as a reason for small class sizes at Harrison vs. large class sizes at Whittier. However, she had several occasions when it would have been appropriate for her to admit her error, but she didn’t. That bothers me.

  28. I see Eric Thomas is being re-assigned from Trewyn to the Knoxville Center for Success. Perhaps I misunderstood but I thought that was being closed and consolidated with Greeley and the Alternative High School. Can someone educate me?

  29. Leslie Smith–I would bet that Eric Thomas is asking the same question because the Knoxville Center is on the list for closure–nobody said when, but the position doesn’t sound too secure. Someone earlier mentioned that a similar situation happened during Dr. Strand’s regime–that 17 principals were appointed. I don’t remember the number, but I know that the decisions were not made overnight. Also, I believe that Dr. Strand had interviews with applicants and/or people he himself wanted as principals. How many of the current shuffled appointees do you think were called in to Dr. Lathan’s office to be asked how they felt about her choices for them?

  30. Sharon – another thought, isn’t Mr. Thomas named as a defendant in the lawsuit by the white teachers from Trewyn that were told that they weren’t qualified to teach black students?

  31. Knoxville School isn’t closing, it’s being re-located to Woodruff Career & Technical Center. The school where they will house all students who have a hard time in a traditional school setting.

  32. Mama, yes, you are right; however, will it still have its own principal (Thomas) or will the closing of Greeley, Knoxville, etc., turn into a new program with new leadership–I believe already chosen?

  33. Eric Thomas as been at TJ for the last year as an asst. principal. And yes, I do believe he is part of the lawsuit. Now they are rewarding him with a promotion?

  34. Supposedly, they are supposed to be three separate entities housed within the same building. Each school will have its own principal/secretary. They only thing they will share will be security.

  35. Knoxville Center for Success builing is destined to be a suspension respite holding location for high school students – and (yippee!) possibly high school age kids being returned from the Department of Corrections. The 150 website suggests that it will have the same programming that was there for the middle school students (middle schoo program is being moved to Woodruff campus) but I doubt it – Knoxville Center program offered horse back riding and art, etc. – doubt that horses will be available to high school kids riding out a suspension. PSD150 apparently needs to get some kind of approval – maybe from fed gov’t, I’m not sure – for using the social security building for this new purpose. At any rate, I don’t think being sent there as principal is any kind of reward.

  36. Maybe it is time for Christmas in April.

    “BUSINESS? Mankind was my business! Their common welfare was my business!” ~Jacob Marley

  37. So Mama, . . anyone, – if Woodruff is going to be the school for those “students who have a hard time in a traditional school setting.” than WHY will the Vocational Education be housed there as well?

    What family/student is going to see vocational education as a viable option with a rich potential when it is also a “suspension respite” facility and a receiving center for those exiting the Dept. of Corrections??? My gosh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  38. Frustrated, I whole-heartedly agree with you. The vocational options should not be treated as “punishment.” So many students could benefit from the vocational avenues to careers that a straight academic curriculum does not offer. I see nothing in the recommendations to indicate how or if students in the regular high school settings will be allowed to take advantage of these courses. Also, mixing the two groups of students (those sent to Woodruff because of discipline issues and those who just want the courses) truly defeats the purpose of an alternative school.

    I am under the impression that all of these programs are to be offered next fall–as usual the district is absolutely not prepared to implement viable programs in such a short time. What vocational programs are to be offered; what equipment is needed (and the money to buy it); and from where will the teachers come? MHS has had a hard time finding faculty for the Johns Hopkins trade-related courses–regular teachers who do not have the proper background are teaching the courses.

    The same goes for offering the middle school equivalent of an IB program at Trewyn, etc. How does the district plan to evaluate which students are eligible for such a program? Certainly, qualifications must be ascertained. Also, if teachers aren’t trained (and that doesn’t happen overnight either), how can the program be offered?

  39. Suspension respite for H.S. is not to be included at Woodruff – it’s supposed to be at building on Knoxville. However that building may also have culinary classes – for Peoria High students initially. So similar question – what family is going to see that as a viable option when the suspension respite and Dept. of Corrections students are in the same – relatively small – building?

  40. Thanks, I didn’t catch that distinction. So the alternative school will be for students placed there on a more permanent basis (not just for 3 to 10 day suspensions). Will expelled students also be placed at Knoxville?

    That still leaves the problem mentioned by Frustrated? Will alternative school students and students from regular schools be in vocational classes together? If so, that doesn’t seem like a good idea.

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