Tonight was the last District 150 Board of Education meeting that will be televised live on Comcast’s education public access channel 17. From now on the meeting will be broadcast a week delayed — and with the public comment period excised. It’s increasingly easy to see why the district would not want this portion of the meeting on television. They want to be able to control the image of the district, the board, and the administration. But during the public comment time, a more unflattering image is often presented. And sometimes it exposes things the administration wants to keep hush-hush.
Like tonight.
Rumors of unapproved clerical raises were substantiated at tonight’s school board meeting, the Journal Star reports:
The union representing clerical workers at Peoria School District 150 is filing a grievance after learning 10 of its members in the central administration building were arbitrarily given raises in November now totaling more than an estimated $80,000, officials said Monday.
The raises were rescinded Monday, effective immediately.
Debbie Chavez, former president of Local 6099 Peoria Federation of Support Staff, which represents some 650 clerical, cafeteria and paraprofessional workers, told School Board members during public comments [emphasis added] on Monday that both the union and the School Board had been left in the dark about the raises approved by the administration, which she said boosted the pay of some by more than 50 percent.
Interim Superintendent Norm Durflinger defended the raises and said they didn’t violate the collective bargaining agreement … even though they were kept a secret from the union and the school board … even though he rescinded them effective immediately. He’s going to sit down and talk to the union about the raises … now that they know about them. Whoops.
I have to admit, I was skeptical about this scandal when the rumors first started flying on my blog. It sounded too ridiculous to be true. Imagine giving just a few clerical workers humongous raises — an $8/hour raise in one case — at the same time the district is pleading poverty, laying off teachers, closing schools, and cutting out live broadcast of the school board meetings. Nobody would be that stupid.
And yet….
If the school district were trying to destroy every last ounce of trust the public might have for them, I don’t know what more they could do than what they’re doing now.
My suggestion: Now that they’ve rescinded the raises, they should have enough money to broadcast the meetings live and in their entirety. After all, finances were the reason cited for going to a one-week-delayed, censored broadcast. Now that they can save $80,000 in five months, they should have plenty of money to restore the live feed and let the public see their representatives in action on Monday nights, right?
Peaceman you need a bachelors and a certificate. I may not be totally correct but I think you only need a degree in education not even in the subject you are teaching? That may be for k-8 though and not high school level. With my college experience I found the saying “those who cant do; teach” to pretty much fit the bill.
How am I defending Rush? I just asked why you felt the need to engage in petty name calling to attempt to prove a point, you self absorbed, pseudo intellectual ass.
See I can do it too.
Stephen, where did you get the idea that subject-matter teachers at the 6th through high school level do not need certification (a set number of hours) to teach a specific subject? In fact, teachers are certified in specified areas of their general subject matter. For instance, my teaching certificate stated that I had the specificed number of hours as an English major and a journalism major and was certified to teach British literature, grammar and usage (I think) journalism–frankly, I have forgotten what else was listed. In addition, I had to have a certain number of hours in education courses (not nearly as valuable, in my opinion, as the subject-matter requirement) which included student teaching. However, the most qualified teachers, of course, have more than the required number of hours in a particular subject–often at the master’s degree level. I am not certain what the subject-matter requirements are for 1st through 5th grade–and I would agree that, at that level, more subject content would be more worthwhile than the emphasis on “how” to teach. Also, I would agree that the latest “professional development” push concentrates more on how to teach instead of on what to teach–and I believe that emphasis is misplaced. Teachers of 6th through high school take liberal arts courses that are not controlled by the education departments of a university. I believe primary grade teachers spend much more time in the education departments of universities.
Stephen, you are correct regarding substitute teachers.
“Many people felt that after the Royster debacle that Hinton would be D150’s savior. ”
Yeah, I got your thought.
Show me Prior to the term being used to describe Obama where it was used to describe Hinton. Specifically “The Anointed One”.
Being called savior, or deliverer is one thing…I am referring to Rush’s specific “Messiah” complex about a black man.
You may somehow think you can find the words “anointed one” under M in the dictionary, but you “caught” the meme from Rush or Sean or one of the other Roger Ailes sock puppets.
And as for you, Stephen, and your offense at name calling:”redneck, Rush Limbaugh ignorant parroting”… is that inaccurate? Do you hear Blacks and Hispanics or Asians commonly imitating Rush, and claiming they found their words in the dictionary? Would you say that Rush is informed and educated in a way that actually looks like scholarship, or is he just an entertainer as he claims?
Substitutes do not need a teaching certificate. They only need to show up.
I am insulted by your obvious ignorance of the english language, Charlie. I do not need to explain my use of verbage to you. Oh, substitutes in D150 need a Bachelor’s Degree in SOMETHING, fyi. BTW, why do YOU feel the need to defend the African-American race?
Holy Moly–Your question to Charlie: Why do you feel the need to defend the African-American race? My question to you, Why not? I frequently feel the need to defend African-Americans against the bigotry that exists in our society. I was taught to “bear one another’s burdens” and I believe bigotry to be one of the greatest of burdens to bear.
My answer to that: DEFEND EVERYONE. You are slighting the African-American community by believing that they what, cannot defend themselves? Remember Sharon, give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime. Transfer that knowledge. Sharon: Charlie was trying to say that I used the term “anointed one” when referring to Hinton was “stolen” from Rush Limbaugh using it to describe Obama……….does Rush have custody of that term?
Is there a point to this argument? It seems a bit off-topic, don’t you think?
I’m debating whether or not it is off topic or much too close to the point. Holy Moly, I am quite tired of the “fish” story excuse that I’ve heard far too often in my lifetime–I hope you didn’t think you were attacking my opinions with some fresh new argument. Also, I don’t make up the “bear one another’s burdens” commandment–it comes from a source that never grows old. Sorry, C.J., I just couldn’t let that one go.
“Teach a man to fish and you ruin a good business opportunity” (not original)
Are we teaching our children how to fish, or how to buy fish from a vendor?
http://www.pjstar.com/news/x1195010274/Challenges-await-new-District-150-superintendent
Among those to be notified of the “reduction in force,” or pink-slipped, are 125 teacher’s aides, nearly 20 part-time clerical workers and 11 home-school facilitators, which would wipe out that position districtwide.
Another 150 jobs to be eliminated and they are handing out pay raises. ::bangingheadoncomputer::
They thought that almost doubling their salaries, receiving bonuses, and being told to keep it to themselves during a time when others are losing their jobs was a fair deal? They’re joking right? Anyone with any brains had to know that sooner or later this was going to come out, whether through their own undoing or from the teller at the bank. What’s that saying? You’re only as sick as your secrets…
http://www.pjstar.com/news/x1195010230/Luciano-They-didnt-do-anything-wrong
Maybe they need their union rep to give them a little collective bargaining 101 instruction. When your boss specifically tells you not to tell anyone that you are getting a 61% raise, there is the first red flag. They didn’t do anything wrong? Spitting in the face of your union brothers and sisters! How would they have felt had the shoe been on the other foot. Seems like a lot of people in District 150 don’t do anything wrong…..yet money continues to DISAPPEAR
It’s all about the kids.
“It’s all about the kids.” Ah, one of MD’s favorite lines. I am sure that is how she feels sitting at home collecting her $110,000 salary for doing nothing. To date she has received almost $72,000.
Unearned wages = $72,000
Alleged theft from district = $4,000
Attorney fees for district due to Davis’ actions = ????????
When will this Soap Opera end?
Sources report that on Friday two D150 students, ages 6 and 8, were picked up alongside the Highway by Police. Allegedly a school Administrator told them to “hit the pavement”, and gave them directions to their Gramma’s house – in Pekin. Should be an interesting police report.