185 thoughts on “New principal assignments at D150”

1. Are we surprised by any of this???? The District 150 Central Administration and School Board never plan!!!! But they blame everything on the teachers. It is time to cut some heads off of the hydra. They(central administrators) are too expensive!!!!

2. An earlier post stated Mr. Thomas is at Thomas Jefferson. I think you mean Charles Ware. Thomas is still at Trewyn.

3. So when do we bring back those principal’s that are retiring as consultants?????

4. So, are Charles Ware and Eric both involved in the lawsuit?

5. I believe they are both named in the lawsuit.

6. According to PJStar the Knoxville Center IS being closed and moved to Woodruff:

   Greeley Alternative School, 919 NE Jefferson Ave., and Peoria Altnerative High School, 839 W. Moss Ave., will see those programs “restructured” and relocate to Woodruff High School, 1800 NE Perry Ave. The Knoxville Center for Student Success will do the same, pending federal approval. Woodruff will become a career and technical center.

7. The Knoxville Center for Student Success Program is destined to be moved to Woodruff but the building is not being closed. From PSD150 website FAQ page:

   WHAT ARE THE APPROVED CHANGES? – Knoxville Center will remain a respite program, however, the current middle school students will move to the Woodruff campus, and KCSS will house the high school respite program. Just like the middle school program, high school students will be eligible to return to their home school following successful completion of the program. That time frame may take weeks or months. In addition, the state-of-the-art kitchen at KCSS would serve students participating in a hospitality and culinary arts education program. During the 2011-2012 school year, Peoria High School students will be eligible to participate, taking classes at PHS for part of their day and participating in “lab” work at KCSS for the remainder of the day.

8. District Watch meeting at Monical’s on Knoxville and Lake this Sunday at 6 p.m.–all are welcome.

9. I am endorsing Martha Kelly and Charlie Thomas for President and Vice President of the PFT (Peoria Federation of Teachers). I am asking that all teachers come out and vote next week. We need leaders who will LEAD….not follow. The following is their platform. Please know how important this election is and due your duty by voting. Thanks.

   Teachers for Teachers

   Martha Kelly for PFT President
   I have been with the district since 1988, first as a substitute, then at Woodruff until its closure. I currently teach English (am also endorsed in economics, social studies, business and journalism) at Peoria High School.

   Charlie Thomas for PFT Vice-President
   I have been with the district since 1989. I taught physical education and coached basketball at Blaine Sumner, Peoria High, and Woodruff until its closure. I am currently teaching physical education classes and driver’s education (behind the wheel) at Richwoods.
   ………………………………………………………………….

   Together, Charlie and I see and experience first hand the issues you deal with in the classroom and hallways – class size issues due to vague contract language; escalating discipline and violence issues and lack of support; repeated dress code and cell phone violations. We know from listening to you the frustration with Wednesday professional development meetings; the “Antarctica” pay freeze, the change in insurance without a vote, and contracts settled seven and nine months late into the school year.

   What to expect:

   • We will not take positions at the administration building; our teaching hours will be anchored in our classrooms with our students
   • Regular open communication and dialogue from top to bottom
   • Watchdogs to ensure all positions are listed in the first round (for displaced teachers/program changes) and that placement is fair according to contract
   • School visits during release time to listen to your concerns
   • Collaboration with other district unions to strengthen our stance
   • A fresh perspective

   Charlie and I “get it.” We know teachers don’t just “show up.” We know that each and every one of us, as professionals, bring hours of specialized study, training, education, social skills and a game plan to our classrooms, and beyond, each day.

   We don’t pretend to know it all. But we do know that we teachers, in conjunction with the support staff, security, cafeteria and maintenance workers, are the backbone of this district. We will lead by listening and drawing from your collective strengths to solidify our members once again into a strong union of professionals.

   Come out to vote and come back to your union. Our strength lies in our numbers and our collective knowledge. Vote for Martha Kelly and Charlie Thomas on Tuesday, April 12, 2011.

10. I am endorsing Martha Kelly and Charlie Thomas for President and Vice President of the PFT (Peoria Federation of Teachers). I am asking that all teachers come out and vote next week. We need leaders who will LEAD….not follow. The following is their platform. Please know how important this election is and do your duty by voting. Thanks.

    Teachers for Teachers

    Martha Kelly for PFT President
    I have been with the district since 1988, first as a substitute, then at Woodruff until its closure. I currently teach English (am also endorsed in economics, social studies, business and journalism) at Peoria High School.

    Charlie Thomas for PFT Vice-President
    I have been with the district since 1989. I taught physical education and coached basketball at Blaine Sumner, Peoria High, and Woodruff until its closure. I am currently teaching physical education classes and driver’s education (behind the wheel) at Richwoods.
    ………………………………………………………………….

    Together, Charlie and I see and experience first hand the issues you deal with in the classroom and hallways – class size issues due to vague contract language; escalating discipline and violence issues and lack of support; repeated dress code and cell phone violations. We know from listening to you the frustration with Wednesday professional development meetings; the “Antarctica” pay freeze, the change in insurance without a vote, and contracts settled seven and nine months late into the school year.

    What to expect:

    • We will not take positions at the administration building; our teaching hours will be anchored in our classrooms with our students
    • Regular open communication and dialogue from top to bottom
    • Watchdogs to ensure all positions are listed in the first round (for displaced teachers/program changes) and that placement is fair according to contract
    • School visits during release time to listen to your concerns
    • Collaboration with other district unions to strengthen our stance
    • A fresh perspective

    Charlie and I “get it.” We know teachers don’t just “show up.” We know that each and every one of us, as professionals, bring hours of specialized study, training, education, social skills and a game plan to our classrooms, and beyond, each day.

    We don’t pretend to know it all. But we do know that we teachers, in conjunction with the support staff, security, cafeteria and maintenance workers, are the backbone of this district. We will lead by listening and drawing from your collective strengths to solidify our members once again into a strong union of professionals.

    Come out to vote and come back to your union. Our strength lies in our numbers and our collective knowledge. Vote for Martha Kelly and Charlie Thomas on Tuesday, April 12, 2011.

11. Are you (they) for restoring the school day to the longer day we had before techers voted to accept a pay raise and shorter work day? Yesterday the Tribune reported our students get 2-3 YEARS less instructional time due to shortened school days. Our children deserve better and should expect more from their teachers. Aren’t all Principals going to 12 month contracts now anyway (for their same salary)? Why not teachers too?

12. “Yesterday the Tribune reported our students get 2-3 YEARS less instructional time due to shortened school days”

    Yes that applies to Chicago Schools only. Does not apply to Peoria. The Mayor elect of Chicago is asking that Chicago lengthen it’s school day.

13. I have relatives in various schools throughout the U.S. They go to school the same amount of hours and days that the ones in Peoria do. I don’t see anyone in those cities griping about lengthening the school day. You can only hold a students attention for so long. It is the quality not the quantity.

14. For the 17+ years I have taught in D150, the work day has been the SAME. We were never offered a “shorter work schedule with more pay”. BTW, during this “break”, I have seen more than half of the staff come into the building preparing for lesson to be taught AFTER break. It is always important to remind the public that teachers do not get paid vacations, or paid holidays. We are paid for 180 days a year. My husband, who works in the private sector gets 5 weeks paid vacation every year and unlimited “personal days”, besides sick days. His insurance is also better than mine and he pays LESS for it. He has had 3 raises in the past 6 years, where as, I have had ZERO, I was “given” a hard freeze (meaning we go nothing), then a soft freeze that meant I got my “step” (another word for cost of living raise). Yes, I realize that this country is in a recession and that the state of IL has NO MONEY, but truly, is it fair to blame everything from poor test scores to pension reform on teachers? Remember, that is like trying to blame the war in Iraq on the soldiers…….

15. I grew up in District 150 when there was a longer school day. In high school, this meant that we either had the opportunity to take a non-academic class such as cooking,sewing,woodshop, chorus,etc. or that students would have two study halls. Will these classes be brought back if the district adds an hour? I also remember that when I was in grade school, we had 45-minute lunch periods. Will the younger students have music and art every day if time is added? I have heard that the non-academic classes Also, don’t high schools offer some before school and after school courses in order to meet the academic needs of students? How would lengthening the school day affect businesses that offer after school programs/care?

16. Hey, Sharon. Jon hasn’t been on the blog insulting you lately. Maybe he has a new hobby like kicking puppies or stealing candy from babies. Insulting a 70 year old woman must have been too boring.

17. Maddy, I went to school in the 60’s and 70’s. From Kindergarten through 6th grade the school day was from 9 a.m. till 3:30 p.m. Exactly what it is today.
    Making a school day longer will not….let me make this clear….WILL NOT raise test scores or make your children smarter. However, if you are looking for more free babysitting (at the tax payer’s expense), then by all means, make the day longer. I good teacher teaches a quality education in the amount of time allowed. As it is, I spend many hours each day teaching children things that parents should be teaching….such as, it is poor manners to repeatedly belch and “blow” it in another child’s face. Or, yelling obsenities is unacceptable behavior. Not to mention, checking children for pink eye and ringworm, or feverish children sent to school, only to throw up all over my classroom floor. It is the quality of the education your child receives each day……not the quanitity.

18. Dear Parent/Teacher,

    The point that I was trying to make was that I attended high school when there was a seven period day but usually at least two of the periods were dedicated to non-academics (and one also for the required P.E.). I think that people are pointing to the previous time without remembering that the extra period was for a study hall or a second study hall or a second elective. Did that make sense? I am agreeing with you that the students are actually receiving the same quantity and quality they are just missing out on a study hall. I don’t know about Peoria but relatives who live out of town have shared that their schools offer after school study clubs for students who want extra time to study. If District 150 does not already offer study clubs, perhaps this is a concept worth investigating.

19. Maddy–

    Good suggestion. We offer study tables before and after school at Peoria High. Maybe 5 – 10 students attend in the morning and we might get 15 attening in the PM, hoewever, most are trying to work off demerits and most of the students that are attending are not expressing interest in trying to improve academically. We need help from home. Disconnected cell phone numbers and absent parenting is not helping our kids. We do have quite a few that are making it despite the obstacles. That is who we are fighting for every day in hopes that more will put forth the effort.

20. Mortified, Jon, does most of his harassing on Emerge’s blog. He seems to have let up on me for a while after I proved to him that some Whittier parents had complained about large class sizes–but he will be back. On Emerge’s blog, one Whittier parent had said that Whittier parents had never complained about class sizes. Jon became excited about that bit of unverified news and declared the findings of my article (on PeoriaStory.com to be just another example of my negativity.

21. Speaking of study halls, did I hear correctly that MHS will be giving high school credit for a study skills class? MHS students already get 4 credits (one per year) the the equivalent of homeroom. The BOE recommended raising require credits for MHS to 28. That is a meaningless jump if study skills will earn credits along with the homeroom credits.

22. Can someone direct me to the agenda for Monday’s meeting? Thanks.

23. 2Cents, they appear to playing games again–the agenda isn’t in either place where it’s supposed to be; all we get is some message saying we’re looking in the wrong place. I guess we’re supposed to look under a rock. This new website stinks. Most of the sites haven’t been developed. I still don’t like the way the faculties of each schools are listed. The old website listed teachers by grade and/or by subject taught. To get that information, you have to know the teachers’ names to find out what they teach. The last time I looked the District Dashboard hadn’t been put on–I was told at Christmas time that they were working on it.

24. I should change my handle to “not surprised”. Anyway–surely someone will label me “negative” for noticing the error or lack of info. LOL!

25. Sharon said “Jon became excited about that bit of unverified news and declared the findings of my article (on PeoriaStory.com to be just another example of my negativity.”

    You have a vivid imagination – or at least hear only what you want to hear. As I explained on Emerge’s blog, I made no such accusation and my quoted words prove me out.

    http://emergepeoria.blogspot.com/2011/04/and-rabble-rousing-continues.html

26. Mortified – why do you point out Sharon’s age and gender? Why do you seemingly liken “insulting a 70 year old woman” to kicking puppies or stealing candy from babies? Even I find those analogies, and the references to Sharon’s age and gender, to be insulting.

27. Mortified, it’s amazing–I knew Jon would be here in no time. Jon, she isn’t insulting me. Jon, you know how to frame your words so that they can be refuted with little words like “if,” but the suggestion of criticism is always stronger than the “ifs.” If you hadn’t meant to criticize, you wouldn’t have done so–with or without the “if.” However, it’s OK. It’s the willing price I pay for blogging.

28. Jon- A perfect job for you would be a cheerleader at the morgue.

29. Jon-I’m sure you light up a room when you leave.

30. Mortified, you initiate a discussion about my comments, and that’s how you respond to my questions? More personal insults with no relevance to the questions? How sad.

31. What is relevant is your refusal to be rational in almost any discussion. You get your mind set on an idea and no amount of reason, fact or reality will interfere with your mindset.
    There is no way to frame an argument about classroom size in any way other than “too many students per class” without stretching the truth to the breaking point. There is no way to frame a discussion of the shifting of principals around the district any other than ILLEGAL. There is no way to frame the discussion of District 150’s Superintendents repeated policies of unilateral decision making except as arbitrary, self serving and against the best interests of the public, the community and the especially the students.

32. Thanks, Charlie–well stated.
    The 150 webmaster (Coplan) just sent me the agenda–said they had been updating the website and ran into some problems. This is the consent agenda (briefly):
    CONSENT AGENDA
    2. PAYMENT OF BILLS – Kinney
    3. HUMAN RESOURCES REPORT – Dunn
    Proposed Action: Appointment, employment, compensation, performance, resignation, retirement or discharge of an employee.
    4. TRAVEL REQUESTS – Lathan
    5. IHSA MEMBERSHIP
    6. BUDGET RESOLUTION
    8. RELEASE OF STAFF MEMBERS FOR PERSONS OTHER THAN REDUCTION IN FORCE
    Proposed Action: That the Board of Education authorizes the Administration to non-reemploy said probationary teachers for the 2011-2012 school term for reasons other than reduction-in-force, pursuant to Section 24-11 of the School Code (105/LCS 5/24-
    11).
    9. NON-RENEWAL – HOURLY CERTIFIED CONTRACTORS
    10. NON-REEMPLOYMENT OF PART-TIME TEACHERS
    11. NON-REEMPLOYMENT OF FIRST YEAR PROBATIONARY TEACHERS
    12. NON-REEMPLOYMENT OF THIRD YEAR PROBATIONARY TEACHERS
    13. CONTRACT WITH MIDWEST ENGINEERING – LIFE SAFETY SURVEY ENGINEERING SERVICES
    14. CONTRACT WITH FARNSWORTH – LIFE SAFETY SURVEY ENGINEERING SERVICES
    15. CONTRACT WITH PCM+D – LIFE SAFETY SURVEY ENGINEERING SERVICES
    16. CORRECTION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION FOR MAIN STREET CORRIDOR ENTERPRISE ZONE AGREEMENT
    17. CONSORTIUM FOR EDUCATIONAL CHANGE CONTRACT
    Proposed Action: That the Board of Education approve the contract for Consortium for Educational Change (CEC) to
    provide support for the school transformation effort at Manual High School in two areas: 1) establishing and maintaining a Restructuring Advisory Council, and 2) planning and implementing a new teacher evaluation system that includes consideration of both teacher practice and student growth.
    18. AMERICAN INSTITUTES FOR RESEARCH CONTRACT
    Proposed Action: That the Board of Education approve the contract for the American Institutes for Research to provide the Peoria Study of Manual Middle/High School Turnaround.
    19. ADMINISTRATIVE TRANSFERS OF PRINCIPALS FOR THE 2011-2012 SCHOOL YEAR

33. District 150 Retired teachers–it isn’t too late to pay your dues and vote in tomorrow’s election. I certainly hope that Martha Kelly and Charlie Thomas have the votes–sorry to say, change is much needed. I am hearing rumblings that all might not be well with Dr. Lathan’s choices for principals. I am absolutely amazed to hear that many, maybe most, of these decisions were made without asking appointees for new jobs if they actually wanted the jobs. That takes “moving people out of their comfort level” to a whole new level. I was, also, amazed that these appointments were made public before the board actually voted (since their votes are the ones that count). And, of course, when appointees were told two weeks before the board vote, the choices were bound to become public officially or unofficially.

    I wonder if the board will just vote “yes” or “no” on the whole list, or will they ask for separate votes.

34. I am just hit or miss on the blogs so I am not sure about who is insulting whom on a regular basis. However, I find it disturbing that someone might make a hobby out of trolling blogs in order to insult/harrass a 70-year-old woman. Now, if it is a 70-year-old man, that might be understandable if he was trying to flirt. My parents raised us to respect our elders–whether we agreed with them or not. Hopefully, this person does not have impressionable children at home. If so, I would encourage the person to spend more time with the kids and less time on the blogs. I don’t think that I have ever heard a child declare that their parent loves them so much that they troll the blogs and insult others. How about tossing a baseball or go for a family walk? Sounds good. Think I will walk the dog.

35. I guess since I am the 70+ year old woman I think everyone can rest assured that the person who used the expression was not insulting me–I know that for a fact. Jon, however, doesn’t disagree with me because of my gender or age–it is just his sport. I believe Jon has made it a habit of having, at least, one such target on the blogs–I have been that target for quite a while now. I assume Jon legitimately disagrees with me with regard to all things District 150, which he usually supports wholeheartedly. I would prefer disagreement without vitriol, but I’ve come to expect it from Jon and take no real offense. Sorry to insert such a trivial matter onto a blog where we do have serious issues to discuss.

36. There certainly are technical difficulties over at the D150 website. The headlines also state that the principal transfers/recommendations were already approved at last night’s board meeting.

37. 2cents–that is really funny. I guess that comes from a superintendent that is very sure that the board will rubber stamp all her decisions–however, it would probably would have been better to keep us in suspense by waiting to put the headlines up tomorrow after the board actually does vote.

38. P.S.–Even if the headline was meant to follow the March 14 meeting, the article leaves us with the impression that personnel decisions are final before the board votes on them. Someday the board may want the power that they so willing give up.

39. I truly hope that any District 150 teachers that read this blog will PLEASE go vote tomorrow at the AFL-CIO building for a NEW union president and vice president. It is time that we have a president and vice president that are actually working in schools as TEACHERS, not(kwasi-administrators at the administration building(way too close for comfort). Please vote for Martha Kelly and Charlie Thomas, two hard-working teachers who will work hard for YOU.

40. I hope all teachers vote tomorrow. There sure has not been a big push by the union to encourage voting. One can only speculate why. Hmmm. Something to think about.If you don’t vote tomorrow, don’t complain if things don’t turn out the way you think things should.

41. what do teachers think of the new “evaluation tool”?

42. Maddy-Jon can’t help himself he is just an egomaniac…but lately his head is getting too big for his toupee.

43. there is no evaluative tool in place YET.

44. After listening to the news tonight I guess there is a new evaluative tool in place. Teachers will be evaluated multiple times by multiple people during the school year. I think its a great idea. A good educator has nothing to fear…

45. True evaluation is a good thing, but if you have an evaluator that isn’t a good administrator to begin with how can they evaluate. I don’t think the cuts went deep enough on administrators. There are some really poor ones still in place.

46. Multiple evaluators will just lead to confusion. How will they keep track of whose turn it is to bring the coffee???

47. Now that most principals are out of their comfort zones, it will take them a while to get to know their teachers. There is something to be said for objectivity, but throwing principals into a situation where they do not know any of their teachers doesn’t guarantee objectivity. Evaluation is subjective most of the time–and these principals, out of their comfort zones, will be even more subjective–they are trying just as hard to be accepted by their teachers and vice versa. I can’t see any of this as a good thing.

    Also, how many principals were actually let go; other than those who retired or leaving the district? Weren’t most just shuffled to new positions?

    Did you all hear how Dr. Lathan responded to the Peoria High speakers who were really rough on her? She said she inherited a dysfunctional school district. I guess shuffling principals will fix that. 🙂

48. Talk about a slap in the face. when Lathan stated that she inherited a dysfunctional school district, she totally insulted the school board…….(deer in the headlight look would be appropriate now) hehehe

49. I heard that the reason for the shuffling of principals was that Randy Simmons refused to stay at Peoria High, and with the loss of Ptascek at Richwoods this was a seen as a face saving move for the Great Peoria High mistake. How else does Wisconsin Ave explain BOTH of the Simmons demanding to leave Peoria High? How do they explain reopening Woodruff after HAVING to close it for 14,000,000 reasons?

50. I am stunned… I was just looking at the Peoria High Website… they have 18 teachers in Special Ed. and 9 teaching assistants… only 58 other teachers… so out of a teaching staff of 85, 1/3 of them are “special needs” staff, and that doesn’t include the “Interventionists” and “Credit Recovery” and “Graduation Coach” or the Social Worker and Home School Coordinator… 5 guidance counselors, 4 security guards, 1 nurse, 1 speech therapist, 1 psychologist, 1 librarian…
    look for yourself…

    This isn’t a school, it is a institutional INTERVENTION.
    http://peoria.k12.il.us/centralhs/phs_staff.htm

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