Here are some news items from the Journal Star that caught my interest:
- Pat Nichting is going to give up his fifth district seat and run for treasurer. I found that surprising.
- Mayor Ardis is hoping to vote on the “wonderful development” (hotel) project before the end of the year. Interim city manager Henry Holling is trying to “[make] sure this thing is fast-tracked.”
- In less than three months, without making any changes to the budget, District 150 went from predicting a $200,000 surplus to a $2.8 million deficit. “Revenues will not come in like we originally anticipated,” Treasurer Guy Cahill explained.
Re: Dist. 150 recent announcment of budget deficit. Did you see a 4 day school week is under consideration?
I must have missed the 4-day school week reference at the meeting last night. Was that really brought up? I guess we shouldn’t have fussed over the Wacky Wednesdays. I know I didn’t hear any mention of administrative salaries or of reducing the number of “consultants.” But in fairness, a couple of meetings ago Jim Stowell did ask about the possibility of top-heavy administration at Manual since there are two extra “leaders” because of the 7th-8th and 9th grade academies.
Frustrated – Who brought up a 4 day week? I’ve read where some models have been adopted in other parts of the country (most with community-wide student “enrichment” days on day 5), but I have not heard it being discussed with the Board. Will I be hearing about this for the first time next tuesday? Do tell…….
Jim – Cahill mentions it as a possibility in the Dec 1st PJS article regarding the 2.8M deficit.
Have you seen Time Magazine, Dec 8 edition, with D.C. Schools Chief Michelle Rhee on the front? She is featured for her approach to reforming urban school systems. Although I don’t necessarily agree with all her tactics, I think it is a good read. She is fierce, maybe too much so. But . . . still food for thought for the District 150 Board and the tough decisions facing it. I think in these times you cannot “make nice” and expect a different result than what we currently have. If I were to find fault with Mr. Hinton and the Dist. 150 leadership during these turbulent times, I would say perhaps it has been too fair, too willing to balance the needs of all involved, when maybe unpopular decisions in the short run are needed to ensure long term success.
Maybe it is time to revisit closing a high school or other school consolidations to save costs, in order to direct what dwindling monies that are available to the students. Also, maybe now is the time to again consider outsourcing of services, such as building maintenance. Bloggers are happy to bash the District administration, but with 8 separate unions to negotiate and manage, it is little wonder administration ever gets around to considering matters of education.
Frustrated and Jim: I hope no one considers the outsourcing. Look where that got us with the food services. Also, now we’re having the “Wal-Mart” discussion–employees with lower wages, more part time, and fewer benefits. My church (on a much smaller scale than 150 would be) outsources janitorial services–you lose something in terms of loyalty to a “building,” etc. Custodians are crucial to the smooth operation of a building and they also have to interact with children–school needs more control of who is hired, etc. As for closing a high school–maybe so if it can be replaced with an alternative school.
Sharon: At my church — the members are the janitors for free — everyone takes a turn at keeping our building clean and tidy. I guess that makes our janitorial services insourced! 🙂
Sharon:
I agree that nothing has ever been right with the outsourcing of food services, which in my mind is technically not outsourced. The employees that man the food service are still District employees. This is a wacky setup that has caused many problems for the District and little cost savings. But that does not mean there are not efficiencies to be gained or cost savings to be had in outsourcing.
The other points you raise are exactly the “tough decisions” I was referring to in my previous post. You are correct, in outsourcing or consolidating schools the Board will have to decide to eliminate some jobs, but . . . the Bd of Ed is not responsible for guaranteeing community employment, nor is it their responsibility to shore up declining neighborhoods, it is simply to educate.
Like GM, the District is being held hostage by its own archaic infrastructure which makes it incapable of moving forward. For example, I agree with you that I have some concerns with the establishment of a Charter school, however, I also hate to see the life beat out of the idea before it is given a chance, like the Edison schools concept was. Every idea the District comes up with seems to be thwarted by one constituent group or the other, and thus nothing ever changes.
The District can no longer afford to simply remain status quo.
Jim: The newspaper article to which I linked in my post said, “Other possibilities may mean moving to a four-day school week, although Cahill said there may not be much savings there. And the School Board already is looking at a small tax rate increase with its proposed levy, expected to pass later this month.”
Four day of schools and 3 days of TV, Text-messsaging, YouTube, hanging out and free sex?
Put that with spread the wealth. What a great country said “esteemed” Professor William Ayers upon his aquittal of all terrorist charges. Just what O.J. and the idle kids are saying.
A small tax increase? Just what we need are more yearly numbers of “small” tax increases that never go away.
I think the four days of school have been tried in smaller communities. If I recall the idea took hold to save on gas in communities where students had to be bused in from rural areas–the idea would be a disaster in an urban area.
Merle, read your post. “Professor Ayers” He is a teacher! If you think not going to school is bad, how about going to school with teachers like him? He wants to turn our schools into indoctronation centers.
What the economy in the drink, what are parents to do if there is a 4 day school week? How are they going to pay and extra whole day in babysitting fees for children too young to be at home on their own on that 5th day? There has to be a better way to fix this budget problem than dumping it on already overburdened parents. Babysitting is no longer 50 cents an hour and hasn’t been for 30 years. It appears to me that this is a perfect set up for children to be neglected and left home alone.
The first thing District 150 should do is close Peoria High. The second thing they should do is get rid of their buses, require parents of students grades 1-4 to take there kids to school and issue City Link, or whatever they are calling themselves these days, passes to students in grades 5-12. Let getting to school by themselves be part of their education. The schools should be segregated by sex and by what the student has shown herself to be capable of studying for in the future. If she can do college work, let her continue with an academic curriculum. If she can’t, let her learn the basics of what it means to be a citizen in the 21st century and engage in work/study programs with local employers. Finally, since 150 will never initiate any change that will help either the kids or their parents, the taxpayers, start a voucher program that will let some of the kids escape without forcing their parents to move out of Peoria.
Why are bringing up Ayers (University of Michigan grad, Professor at U of Illinois)? He is interested in un-indoctrinating students. He is interested in a critical pedagogy that teaches are students to think for themselves and not swallow the baloney handed down by the media, the press and other vested interests.
Ayers said that he had never been responsible for violence against other people and was acting to end a war in Vietnam in which “thousands of people were being killed every week.” He also stated, “While we did claim several extreme acts, they were acts of extreme radicalism against property,” and “We killed no one and hurt no one. Three of our people killed themselves.”
“We weren’t terrorists,” Ayers told an interviewer for the Chicago Tribune in 2001. “The reason we weren’t terrorists is because we did not commit random acts of terror against people. Terrorism was what was being practiced in the countryside of Vietnam by the United States.”
He actively protested what EVERYONE now (except people like John McCain) considered an immoral and illegal war.
Merle says: “Four day of schools and 3 days of TV, Text-messsaging, YouTube, hanging out and free sex?”
Hmmmm… maybe that’s why Utah is looking at 4-day workweeks. Heck, I wouldn’t complain about a week that included: “…3 days of TV, Text-messaging, YouTube, hanging out and free sex?” That last item is much better than the non-free kind. 🙂
“Put that with spread the wealth”.
Wow….amazing how much Obama is responsible for in your eyes, and he hasn’t even been sworn in.
BTW, how are those “moving out of Peoria” plans coming along?
Frustrated: I understand your concerns and thoughts. I’m probably much too idealistic in that I want the District to concentrate on ways to draw more students back into 150 instead of figuring out ways to survive with low enrollment, etc. I do remember a time when the district survived without all the consultants and so many administrators sitting at desks justifying their existence by coming up with one new program after another–none of which solve the real problems. They just can’t acknowledge that the teaching experts are actually in the classroom–not on Wisconsin Avenue. Therefore, Wisconsin Avenue produces ideas that look good on paper, but are completely unworkable for the students that are presently in Peoria schools. Then they ask the teachers to do the impossible to make the programs work–the “new” Manual is certainly a perfect example. If the District really believes that teachers aren’t properly trained for the job, they should be complaining to the colleges that train teachers. Finally, the district seems to be listening to the teachers’ and principal’s cries for help with discipline. I finally found the district’s newer discipline policy on the 150 website. They don’t even have to write a new one–just follow it. Of course, they would have to have an alternative school, etc., to handle students who do not follow the rules. Monday night Terry Knapp presented them with an idea–the one in place in Pekin where disruptive high school students can finish with computer programs (away from other students) or can return if they can return to their home school if they can get their act together.
Well, I didn’t deal with outsourcing did I. I think taxpayers should ask for a very detailed accounting of how much money is spent on administrators, consultants, etc., who come up with these unworkable ideas. The real work is done in the classrooms by the classroom teachers.
I agree that nothing has ever been right with the outsourcing of food services, which in my mind is technically not outsourced. The employees that man the food service are still District employees. This is a wacky setup that has caused many problems for the District and little cost savings. But that does not mean there are not efficiencies to be gained or cost savings to be had in outsourcing.
The other points you raise are exactly the “tough decisions” I was referring to in my previous post. You are correct, in outsourcing or consolidating schools the Board will have to decide to eliminate some jobs, but . . . the Bd of Ed is not responsible for guaranteeing community employment, nor is it their responsibility to shore up declining neighborhoods, it is simply to educate.
Like GM, the District is being held hostage by its own archaic infrastructure which makes it incapable of moving forward. For example, I agree with you that I have some concerns with the establishment of a Charter school, however, I also hate to see the life beat out of the idea before it is given a chance, like the Edison schools concept was. Every idea the District comes up with seems to be thwarted by one constituent group or the other, and thus nothing ever changes.
The District can no longer afford to simply remain status quo.
Left by Frustrated on December 3rd, 2008
Sorry–I should stick to putting up Christmas decorations. Frustrated: I copied your post so that I wouldn’t have to keep going back up to read it–then I forgot to erase it.
Sharon:
I agree there are savings to be gained by trimming Wisconsin. Again, a “tough decision” that the Board should be demanding, given the budget deficit it is facing. My impression is that they need so many consultants, because there are some in administration who are not capable. The Board should insist that the top level administration that remains take a 20% cut in pay until some time when the budget is righted.
Jim Stowell and I have a bit of a disagreement about the teachers’ work day–he think teachers should be obligated to an 8-hour working day. I, of course, maintain that most teachers (certainly not all) work many, many hours of “volunteer” time–take work home at night, on weekends, and in summer when they plan, etc. I have mentioned to Jim that a study should be done to find out how many hours a day central administrators actually work. At least, teachers are tied to their classrooms for their full school day. I’ve been at the board rooms and have seen administrators walking around visiting, etc. They probably aren’t aware of how much time they waste interacting, etc.–probably typical in many office settings. I just can’t imagine that some of these Wisconsin Avenue jobs require work from 9 to 5 five days a week. I am just guessing, but I think the number of employees on Wisconsin has increased over time (at least, they now complain of being overcrowded) even though district enrollment is decreasing.
Did I really say “he think”–back to the Christmas decorations.
The very first thing District 150 should do is release all the consultants. First of all, bringing the retired folks back only brings back old ways of thinking. Secondly, alot of money is being spent on these consultants. It is truly out of control.
Has anyone ever FOIAed how much they are spending on consultants? How many consultants are there?
Cahill has got to go. Hinton has got to go… what am I thinking?
District 150 Administration Building needs to be shut down and locked up tight. Give everyone else a year off WITH PAY (teachers, staff and students) and start all over from scratch. How could things be any worse?
Wonder if the BOE will blindly pat Cahill and Hinton on the back for having a $200K surplus this last year? Ohhhh, I hope not because in her presentation the auditor from Clifton Gunderson, Helen Barrick, clearly stated that a conscientious decision was made to defer a $1 million dollar purchase of new buses. Do the math – In other words they blew the overall budget by $800k, but covered it up by not replacing some of their aging fleet. Timing wise it would also appear that as a result of the recent audit Cahill and Hinton were advised their FY 08-09 was a bust so now it’s being amended downward to a $2.8 million loss.
Today on WMBD radio I heard the latest Edison proposal for District 150. I’m not sure of the details, but Edison (whose contract is up at the end of the year) wants 150 to pilot a computer learning program. Students will do all (?not sure about all) their learning on the computer with teachers hanging around to help if they are needed. Hinton declared that it would be a wonderful way to involve parents with the students’ homework–to see to it that the kids are doing the work). I don’t know what grade levels will be involved in the pilot. I guess the teachers will be needed just in case there are discipline problems or to give students permission to use the restroom, etc.
WHAT?! There has to be more to that story.
Here it is: Sounds like it is intended only for high school.
Edison Schools is promoting a cyber school concept to Peoria Public Schools. It’s a program that allows students to take classes online. There are daily lessons and tests — right down to being able to download or print the textbook. Representatives of Edison Schools met with the District 150 school board meeting as a Committee of the Whole Wednesday night. A pilot program, possibly during summer school, is suggested. Eventually full high school offerings could come later once District 150 teachers are trained through the system. There were many questions from board members including how can a teachers tell a student is actually doing the work. David Zieler with Edison Schools told the board, “We have a Provost pulse in the background that tracks every click a student makes.” District 150 Superintendent Ken Hinton says the system would also provide for greater parental responsibility. “What we’re saying is here it is Mom…Dad. No more excuses as to the levels not being addressed or the resources not being provided,” said Hinton. “We’re showing you how to use this, how to access it, how to make your son or daughter successful.” The timing with Edison’s presentation coincides with the school board beginning to review it’s contract with Edison which expires the end of this school year.
What I truly find interesting about the Edison proposal is that this appears to be a high school program. 150 doesn’t have an Edison High School–yet.
Just remember Hinton worked for Edison. He is in thick with them.
Wow! It is one flavor of the month after another. It is like the Admin. is ADD. First one direction, than another, never really achieving anything. Really does not give a person very much confidence that things will improve. Is there no strategic plan that they are following??? How does computer learning at the HS level fit into improving student performance? I can see how a computer learning program might work for a self-motivated student but the students that Sharon speaks of have reading and math challenges that would seem to be best addressed in a intimate classroom setting which allows the teacher to work on all issues that help make a student successful.
Frustrated: I guess you have some experience in this area, also–or a heavy dose of common sense. It is amazing to me that–out of one side of their mouths–150 decision-makers talk about the importance of building relationships (Manual restructuring plan, but never defined what kind of relationship) and then they get excited about sitting students in front of computers all day with no interaction with teachers or their peers. THE KIDS WILL INTERACT–but not resulting in any academic learning.
Terry Knapp–as I mentioned earlier–did suggest this kind of setup for disruptive students as a way to get students out of the classroom( as available at Pekin)–but not as a program for all students. Anybody care to guess how much Edison would be charging for this innovation?
Tommy Simpson is the “consultant” for the strategic plan. Hmmmmm.
Just what is the strategy???? That implies planning doesn’t it?
Maybe the Board should ask Dr. Simpson for his plan. How long has he been a consultant?
Would this plan somehow lower the costs for teachers and their benefits?
Would teachers still need to be certified at the same level(s) for computer vs. ‘regular’ classroom teaching?
What about the families of students who do not have a computer at home?
Would these families sue D150 for an unequal education if a computer was not furnished by D150?
Would Internet access be required for students to complete this computer based curriculum? If yes, how would families fit that into an already tight budget?
How would homework assignments be handled?
Who would be responsible for the cost of printing off a textbook if at school? Last we heard, D150 was having financial challenges and new buses were not in the budget…. now a zillion reams of paper and ink cost (well maybe not a zillion).
Where has Edison tried this model and what were the results?
And, and, and …..
First of all, the District already purchased such a program with a rather steep price tag–it’s called PLATO. Students who fail a class–instead of being forced to go to summer school or night school as it was in the “old” days of accountability–just go to the PLATO lab and do something on the computer for a couple of months and then they pass the class. I can’t say for sure–but I think it was just a place to spend time and whether or not the material was mastered, the student passed the class (not the teacher’s choice). I had a student who had failed probably every English class he ever took–but he went to PLATO second semester and was able to graduate in May. It is a joke and kids know it–not much incentive for then to try hard in their regular classes.
As for certification, etc.,–this is uncharted water. A certified teacher is required for the PLATO lab. The teacher at Manual was a fairly new very qualified teacher–they dumped her into the PLATO lab where none of her subject matter knowledge was needed. Fortunately, with restructuring she was transferred to Washington Gifted, where she is really teaching.
It would be interesting to find out who would provide the computers–150 or Edison–since this is a “pilot.” Will 150 pay them or vice-versa? I believe this is a new area that Edison is trying out–since it isn’t exactly succeeding with the old program. 150 is one of the few schools still hanging in with Edison (I think). So now 150 will be the guinea pig for the cyber experiment. Edison is in it to make money, so–this looks like a sneaky way to break into 150 high schools by piloting the program in the summer. Strings attached maybe for piloting the program.
Isn’t this just an admission that teachers can’t teach anymore? 45 years ago we had those self paced SRT (?) reading programs… the teachers weren’t necessary for those programs to work. All that was necessary was I had to be able to read already. Well duh. There wasn’t any teaching going on, just evaluating. Perhaps computers are more sophisticated… but have any of you ever tried to take a computer taught program? (Like how to troubleshoot your device drivers on your PC?)
Computers can not teach. Full Stop. People teach. Computers lead you through formulaic ritualized routines… they train.
Maybe teachers aren’t perfect, etc., but who or what has a better chance of motivating students–teachers or machines? Does anyone really believe that the students who are turned off (or are too far behind) from learning, etc., will come alive when sitting in front of a computer? You’re right–all computer learning will just be ritualized routines–I would think mostly limited to rote learning.
Yes. Rote “training”. I even had the chair of my department tell me that as far she was concerned, “learning is Skinner and Watson”. (in other words, conditioning) She thinks that and socially or critically based learning theories are worthless. Students shouldn’t learn to think, they should learn to give the “right answers”.
Kcdad: I realize that you and I might not have the same ideologies, but I certainly think we can agree that students should be taught to think. I guess that is the reason why I cringe when I think of education becoming too practical–too utilitarian. That is one of the reasons why I hate the idea of Manual’s new academy concept–with paths to specific careers. I do not like education geared only to how to make a living without any concern with their inner beings–their souls, if you will. I am afraid that utilitarian education will ignore the arts–literature, etc. I believe that literature–more than any other subject matter–can lead young people to understand others different from themselves, to work out some of the moral dilemmas of our world, etc. I do not want great literature and great writers to be ignored in the educational process.
District 150 can’t make Jan 3rd payday
http://www.pjstar.com/news/x1775422357/District-150-cant-meet-Jan-3-payday
My understanding of that meeting was that we will be issuing our tax anticipation warrants earlier this year than last. It is a cash flow issue that is being addressed. The realities of a weakening economy are evident. The discussion, while direct, was never heated nor confrontational. Student achievement and financial responsibility are at the core, yet external factors deteriorate variables for all.
I wasn’t able to link my post to the pjstar story. Can someone please help. Long day. Thank you1
Jim, the PJS, I believe, is very fussy about which e-mails they accept. I know that hotmail users can’t respond. You have to have a Comcast account–maybe something else.
When this happened before Hinton told principals that the next time he just would not pay people so they get the message how bad things were financially. I hope this includes himself and all of his “consultants”.
Maybe Hinton should sell the Prospect properties, you know the ones he bought without public knowledge.
Of course, I don’t understand the whole “separation of accounts” situation–but then neither does the general public. Therefore–when District 150 talks about all these grand building plans, money to John Hopkins and Edison for special programs, etc–people find it hard to believe that the district is broke. The district needs to acknowledge perception as well as reality. Consultant and administrative salaries should be high on list of cuts.
http://www.pjstar.com/news/x1775422357/District-150-cant-meet-Jan-3-payday
Good.
Close it down, TODAY. (IMMEDIATELY) Fire everyone in charge of that financially and ethically bankrupt organization. File criminal charges against the “public servants” that run it and have fattened their purses at the expense of their employers, the public, and their responsibilities, the students.
Next in line: The School Board. What the hell have they done to oversee and supervise the operation of that mess on Wisconsin?
OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!
Serenity: the strategic plan that Simpson supposedly is working with is the plan that was developed by the district, with wide community input, around 2003. It is interesting to note that the district has rarely mentioned this plan for quite a while yet it requires the services of retired principal/administrator Simpson (at a very generous per diem) to administer this plan. Is it my imagination or does something seem a little off here? You could probably FOIA the strategic planning document and see just what the district releases. It could be quite interesting . . .
PrairieCelt,
hmmmmm, 2003 – gosh that is the plan put in place under the Royster administration, but the way 150 has smeared Royster and tried to distance themselves from her isn’t it funny that it has been kept alive? Besides that I believe it was C Sanfilip who maintained that, but now they have passed it to consultant Simpson, let alone split Sanfilip’s schools of responsibilities by bringing in yet another top administrator, Mary Davis, to 3202 N Wisconsin. Yup, this administration sure knows how to tighten it’s belt!
My question is why the Board is not demanding these consultants be let go? Why are they not publicly asking the dollar amout going towards paying them?