I’ve been looking at the Interactive Illinois Report Card for District 150. Here are the total expenditures of District 150 for a period of eleven years, 1997-2008; in the last column, I converted all the amounts into constant 2008 dollars to make it easier to compare apples to apples:
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Looking at the inflation-adjusted dollars, and acknowledging that it does appear to have started a downward trend, you’ll nevertheless notice that from 1997 to 2008, operational expense per student has increased over 17%. However, if you look at enrollment over roughly the same period (1998-2009), the trend is different:
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I wanted to include the 2008-2009 data so you could see that enrollment did go up slightly that year. Nevertheless, enrollment from 1998 through 2009 fell by 9.4%. As a result, operating expense per student has increased over 24% — from $9,184 in 1997 (in inflation-adjusted dollars) to $11,398 in 2008.
Questions: Why have operational expenses continued to climb while enrollment has been decreasing? Why are expenses $25.4 million more in 2008 than in 1997 (in inflation-adjusted dollars) when enrollment fell by over 1,400 students? Where is the money going?
As promised, here is a preview of the CAPtions show featuring an interview with Dr. Lathan. It is about 7-8 minutes long. The whole interview can be seen on CAPtions, Sunday, Oct. 3rd at 5 pm, Wednesday, Oct. 6 at 7 pm, and later that night at Midnight, on Comcast Cable 22.
Engin Blackstone is the guest on the 2nd segment, but not in this clip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H30Ko0jgiL0
Dennis: I watched the video and there were parts of it where it seemed to me she was excusing parents for not being involved in the schools. She mentions that so many parents work (and I know that I am going to get hammered for this comment) but many of the problem children in the schools don’t have working parents. That is not an insult, it is just reality.
I will admit that maybe I am wrong but it seems as if Lathan is going to hold everyone except the children and/ or their parents accountable for their actions.
PRS, I’m curious; on what issue did I support District 150 or make excuses for District 150?
Johnnie, I just listened to the excerpt of Dr. Lathan’s speech; I didn’t hear what you heard. I thought she said that to be good parents they should do certain things (get kids to school on time, help with homework, talk about school expectations, etc.) at home even if they can’t be active AT the school because of work schedules, etc.
I believe that the “at home” role is the most important. If all parents wanted to be involved “at school,” there would be considerable chaos. Yes, when possible, parents should be active in school P.T.Os, etc., but I don’t know that parents, on the whole, need to be involved during the school day although there are some roles parents can play, especially at the primary school level. Maybe we need to define what we and/or Dr. Lathan mean by the involvement of parents at school.
Johnny, I thought she made the distinction that parents who are not necessarily IN the schools (in the buildings, such as those who work) doesn’t mean they aren’t INVOLVED in the schools (helping students with homework, emailing teachers, etc.)
At the end of the clip, she clearly calls on parents to speak with their children to reinforce the expectations – respecting their teacher, principal, custodian, etc. She calls on parents to support the schools – to speak positively about their teachers, schools and district, and to hold their children accountable for being successful, and being a partner with the school.
“Sharon does seem to be a very nice person and my other post was just to illustrate a point. Blogs are a fascinating sociology tool.”
PRS… YOU are a fascinating Sociological tool. You, an outsider… that’s good.
Sharon, you do bring up a good point about parent involvement, and this would occur at ALL school districts, not just District 150.
While our daughters were growing up, my wife and I both worked full time day jobs. So we weren’t always able to be involved in daytime events. But we kept encouraging them to get homework done, get adequate sleep, help them if needed, and support any evening school events they were active in, especially band. If my wife worked the hours then that she works now, she would have missed a lot of the evening school events, but could be involved during the day.
So to me, parental involvement can be flexible if one or both parents work.
But, there are many parents all over that don’t work, or aren’t in school, and if they are not involved with their children’s education, they need to get involved.
Dennis, also, many parents are teachers–they certainly can’t be involved in their children’s day time activities. That does not make them bad parents. Frankly, I don’t see all that much need for parents to be “at the school.” Frankly, I think the term “parental involvement” is often very misleading. Involvement in what? It should be just what you explained with regard to your own children. What parents do at home should support what is expected of their children at school.
Dennis – Thanks for posting the video. Will the entire program be posted on youtube after it airs? I am going to hang in there with Dr. Lathan. I like what she has to say so far and I am really excited to see how things unfold under her leadership. She seems like she will practice “reality based” leadership which was lacking under the last administration.
Sharon, I heard what you heard. Dr. Lathan seems very contemporary in her thinking about parent involvement and I hope she continues to stress the importance of this matter. My daughter has had a tremendous amount of homework of late. As a gesture of solidarity, I have sat at the table with her the last couple of evenings and done some work on the computer and just kept her company. Support REALLY can sometimes be offered in the simplest of ways.
I see the press (Channel 25) is finally picking up on the fights at Peoria High. Little was mentioned of the fights at last Friday’s Peoria High vs. Manual football game. Today, however, parents are “letting the cat out of the bag.” No mention was made of the fact that former Woodruff students wore blue and gold at school and at the game Friday–District 150 was so certain that the transition would be uneventful. I certainly am not blaming Peoria High personnel for the fights.
I do feel that anyone who tries to keep news of the fights under wraps makes a big mistake. This is District 150’s chance to show us all that they plan to take swift action to insure that students involved in fighting receive appropriate consequences that leave the students with no doubt that such behavior will not be tolerated. If these fights are not handled properly right at the beginning, the district will pay a heavy price.
The latest story on the PJS states that Jim Stowell is considering a run for the Peoria City Council for an at-large seat.
“I do feel that anyone who tries to keep news of the fights under wraps makes a big mistake.”
Implying that the District did. A press release was in order?
Sharon: You had to know that all of that “volunteer” work and becoming a school board member had some ultimate election goal. 🙂
It just seemed to me that Lathan could possibly be a subscriber to the collective salvation idea.
Way to go Sharon, sensationalizing what WEEK reported. They reported that the fights have been happening after school releases for the day and they have all occurred off of school grounds. The concern they were raising is who is responsible? I, myself, called 911 the other day for a fight in the old Cub parking lot. Should I have skipped PPD and called District 150? Since when is it the district’s job to police all fights in the city that happen between high school students? I say let the PPD step in and arrest their sorry punk a$$es!
http://www.centralillinoisnewscenter.com/news/local/Peorias-Central-High-School-Trying-To-Cont-103681679.html
What’s wrong with students wearing blue and gold and how does that mean there are transition problems?
FYI
The school that the Six Million Dollar heads is notorious for after school fights, always has been. As a matter of fact, if they only had four so far – this is an improvement.
Sharon said…
“Frankly, I don’t see all that much need for parents to be “at the school.” Frankly, I think the term “parental involvement” is often very misleading. Involvement in what? It should be just what you explained with regard to your own children. What parents do at home should support what is expected of their children at school.”
This is exactly the attitude that parents get from teachers when they show up at the school. This type of thinking on behalf of teachers needs to stop. Parents can tell that the teachers don’t want them there. Frankly, whenever I sense this type of attitude it makes me that much more determined to have a presence “in” that school and to encourage other parents to come along.
“Stowell, however, said he is gathering signatures for a run as an at-large member on the Peoria City Council.”
Johnnie, sorry, you just totally lost me with your Glenn Beck collective salvation comment–now I’ll have to look at all your criticisms of District 150 in the light of your Beck support. I am totally, absolutely against all that Beck stands for. Just my opinion. That “collective salvation,” nonsense upsets me whenever I hear it. Beck attributes it to Obama–I have never heard Obama say anything close to that or that he believes in Liberation Theology.
Emerge, there is nothing wrong with wearing blue and gold–except that they are Woodruff’s colors and students’ wearing them proves the merger is not yet a success. The district’s work didn’t end when they closed Woodruff’s doors.
Emerge, I didn’t mean that you shouldn’t go to school. You have to understand, however, that the schools would be very crowded if every parent came to school every day to check out what’s going on. I was simply saying that to be a good parent, parents don’t have to be at the school. That was my response to Johnnie, who was being critical of parents for not being at school–when he made the not-so-veiled criticism of parents who do not work.
I realize that there have been fights at Peoria High all along. Now that Woodruff has been closed, there is a chance that the “normal” will escalate. Sorry, but this is the new administrations’s test. If the fighters do not receive appropriate consequences, then all will be lost.
Mama, the Peoria Stadium is District 150 property. And there have been fights on school grounds at Peoria High. And I agree that the fighters should be arrested. That has been my opinion for a long time since my days of watching life-threatening fights at Manual (with kids being kicked in the head). If those fights happened on the streets, fighters would be arrested. The same should apply to schools–the police should be called. The fights are no longer those typical school yard fights of years gone by; they don’t involve just two people; they fall under the category of mob action. District 150 itself should be more than willing to report the fights–that would show that they are trying to do something, not just hiding the information from the public. I hope that Peoria High (and Manual) administrators and other personnel can come to understand that the fights are not their fault and that admitting that fights occur in no way indicates they are not doing their jobs. Not being allowed to mete out the ultimate consequences, of course, is a message that comes from Wisconsin Avenue.
Sharon, if you can’t use paragraphs or indentations… just hit ENTER twice before beginning a new thought.
To Frustrated: yes, the entire CAPtions show (in 4 parts) will be uploaded to YouTube after it is aired. CAPtions (like everyone else)
also has a FaceBook page. Search “CAPtions Cable Show” if you have a FaceBook Account. The other TV show we produce, “JT’s Bourbon Street LIVE” (Friday nights/Saturday mornings 12:30 AM, Sundays 8:30 PM), also
has a FaceBook pae.
The campaign motto possibilities for Stowell are endless – “I’ve screwed up your school district, I can screw up your city too!”
A building operating under the authoritarian rule does not welcome parental involvement inside the school. This leadership style wants your money and your time, not your comments or observations. Under this style of management I have observed (at only one D150 school): a teacher openly complaining in the office about parents who call to discuss their child’s progress (confidentiality violation); the principal openly criticizing (during a volleyball game) a teacher who made a dr. appt. during ISAT testing; the principal instructing teachers (via e-mail) to discard all info on a fieldtrip because it was not approved by the district; false accusation of harassment the day after submitting a FOIA (that three months later the D150 FOIA officer still had no knowledge or record of); the principal verbally requesting information from a healthcare professional on my child during another student’s IEP meeting (privacy violation); etc., etc., etc….
Sharon said “District 150 itself should be more than willing to report the fights”.
To whom should they report them? How? Should they report fights that do not occur during school, that are not on district property, or do not occur at school events? Like nontimendum said, do you expect them to issue a press release? Really, what did you have in mind?
WCBU this morning said that CJ Summers was also getting signatures on petitions for city council – hope Tanya didn’t mistake Block the Bonds petitions for city council petitions.
How about “I know how to shape the message”?
Jon, I don’t think you understand. The fights should be reported to the police. I know that the PJS does check the police records–and did check to see if any arrests were made after the fights at the stadium. It’s up to the PJS whether or not to publish its findings.
A couple of years ago when Chief Stetisgard (sp?) came to a meeting at the West Peoria Residents’ Association, I asked him how often the police had been called to 150 high schools. He said that they hadn’t been called too often and that Hinton had told him things were improving considerably in the schools. There you have it.
Several years ago we were told at Manual that these mob fights would be reported to the police. On some occasions, the fighters were handcuffed, the police were called, and the fighters were arrested (the fight then went on their police records).
However, more often than not, the school administration chose to “cover-up” the fights so as not to hurt the school’s reputation. Frankly, on more than one but rare occasion, teachers called the police because they knew the administration would not. What you don’t understand is that these fights are often planned gang fights–kids choose to fight at school instead of on the streets because they know the penalty is not as severe.
Emerge, here is where I agree wholeheartedly with you. Parents should be around to witness what is actually going on in the school and on school grounds. In fact, we wouldn’t be talking about this issue today if Peoria High parents had not taken it upon themselves to report what they have been witnessing.
So, Jon, what is your solution? Do you think that parents should be notified when fights occur at the students’ school. Don’t you think that parents have a right to know when their children have to survive in a dangerous environment? Have you ever been in a school when you hear students in the hall scream, “Fight,” and almost all students run to the fight? I have–and it wasn’t a rare occurrence. And it is scary. Sometimes when I would be in the girls’ restroom between classes, I would hear the screams and would literally be afraid to open the door for fear of what would be right on the other side. You do know, also, don’t you that there is always a chance that a student has a weapon? (That’s how things differ from the good old days of school fights).
Jon, please, don’t skirt my question this time. Please give me your opinion about what should be done about these fights in schools and on school property.
Emerge, before you catch my earlier omission–I know that fights have occurred at Richwoods, too. I haven’t heard about any this year, but that doesn’t mean that there haven’t been some.
Charlie, “Help,” I know that I indented every one of these paragraphs. Why don’t they
hold”?
Sharon – thanks – until that posting, I didn’t realize you meant “reporting” to be to the police. I’ll have to investigate a little first about any powers the district “police” have (probably little), and compare that to, for example, Bradley U police – didn’t they arrest Van Auken 🙂
At first blush, though, I don’t think every single fight should be reported to the police. This may surprise you, but I got into some fist fights in school (certainly no gang brawls) so I try and relate, at least a little, to my own experiences. However, I think the question should be posed to the new Director of Security – just when does he think district police/security should report fights and other matters to the City police?
As far as the district reporting (to parents) fights when they occur, to me as a parent, I have to say, I really don’t care that much. It’s not going to affect what I teach my children to do. If/when fights are happening and it is affecting my child, either because he was there, saw it, heard about it, is scared, etc., I’m going to hear about it from him and work with him on how to handle it. That’s my responsibility as a parent – to know what’s going on with my child at school – rather than the district’s responsibility to constantly inform me.
Aren’t you concerned about teachers being instructed to hide admn’s mistake (letting children take a fieldtrip that hasn’t been approved by D150)?
Jon, you really do work so hard at finding ways to contradict what I’ve said that you don’t read what I’ve said. First of all, the truth of the matter is that you have just proven to me that you know nothing about the kind of fights of which I am speaking–if you did, you wouldn’t want your child anywhere near them. And what on earth makes you think these fights do not interrupt the learning process? Kids come back from these fights so hyped up that teaching is nearly impossible.
Your fights in high school have absolutely no relevance to this conversation.I made it very clear that I was not talking about ordinary fist fights between two people; however, those are the kinds of fights that you reference to argue what I have said. I do know the difference between a fight between two people and mob action fights. Frankly, in later years, I never saw a fight between just two people–a mob always gathered, more often than not egging the participants in the fight.
Mobs of kids standing around the fighters make it difficult for school personnel and security to get to the fighters to stop the fight. Also, more often than not a fight between two becomes a fight between many. Frankly, breaking up fights was not in my job description–I don’t think teachers should have to risk their own lives getting involved in fights today when weapons can so easily be involved. Also, teachers open themselves up to lawsuits if a student is hurt in the process of breaking up the kinds of fights about which I am writing.
I believe district security officers have the right to arrest, but I don’t believe that their arrests carry any legal authority–such as putting the offense on an individual’s record, etc., or ending an individual’s probation. And, believe me, many high school students are already on court probation and their fights at school should affect that probation.
TR64, I am concerned about any wrongdoing in District 150–especially cover-ups of any kind.
And, Jon, I have already had one discussion about these issues with the new security director. I believe him to be a very good person for the job. He has been on the job for only a few weeks–I’ll wait to see how he is going to handle fights in the schools before I pass any judgment on him, at all. I hope you understand that school and district administrators have much say on what is reported and what is not–I have known security officers who have been very upset because they risk their lives in these fights and then their credibility is destroyed when their actions are overridden by school personnel.
TR64 – that would certainly be a concern, so I would address it directly with the principal first to verify the allegation. If s/he can’t give a satisfactory explanation, I would probably tell the principal so. If the matter was important enough to me, I would probably go to central administration.
Of course, I could also understand why someone would want to be anonymous about this. Again, I’d want to be pretty darn sure it all happened the way you describe (it sounds like you are), and if so another route would be to simply send an FOIA about the specific field trip and ask if the trip was approved (maybe even investigate what approval is needed for such situations).
Again, though, I’d try and deal directly with the principal first, if possible.
Sharon – yes, I read what you wrote. And I wasn’t trying to contradict you – I asked you a question – and I replied with my thoughts to your question. By the way, you never made a distinction between types of fights. You kept saying “the fights should be reported”. Was I to assume you meant ONLY the “gang” fights?
And, sorry, but if two people get in a fight and 50 people watch (even egg them on), I don’t consider that a mob fight. And, yeah, I’ve been in those kinds of fights in school, and ones in which people get “kicked in the head” – as in another example of yours. I consider it a “mob” fight, when multiple people are throwing punches at each other.
So, what exactly are the “types” of fights you are referring to that should be reported and how? What are the “ordinary” fights, and do you think they should not be reported (and by reported, you have talked about both reporting to the police and to parents – so please clarify if you mean one or the other or both)
And lastly, you said “And what on earth makes you think these fights do not interrupt the learning process?” What on earth makes you think I ever said or think that?
Jon, frankly, what you consider to be a fight worth reporting to the police is of relatively little importance. I am, however, interested in the opinions of those who work at District 150 schools where fights take place regularly and from parents whose children attend those schools. For you, it is a hypothetical argument; for them, it is a reality of their daily lives.
No, you didn’t state that fights don’t interrupt the learning process because your vision of a fight is just two people fighting and everyone else going about his/her business. I would like to hear a police definition of mob action. First of all, students should not be allowed to “follow the fight.” Little is done in 150 to those students who are late for class, etc., because they follow the fight. Of course, most students use the excuse (although sometimes it is a real reason) that they couldn’t get through the mob to get to class.
When a crowd is gathered, there is always a danger of more fights breaking out. That certainly has happened. So, Jon, if two people are fighting, and one pulls the other to the ground and starts kicking him/her in the head–should the police be called? Or is that still just a fight between two people and nothing to be concerned about enough to inform police?
I usually walked home from school with a large group of friends. At a particular point, some of us would turn one way, while the others would continue walking on. One day, after that turn, the group I was not with ran into some trouble.
Earlier that day during lunch, “Joe” had stepped in between an argument between “Dwayne” and “Dean”, who had a caste on from a broken arm. No punches, just a few words. Didn’t seem like a big deal – Dwayne just walked away.
Well, Joe was in that group that turned towards his house on the walk home, along with “Mike” and “Rodney”. A couple blocks past that turn, a car squealed around the corner, stopping in front of the three boys. Dwayne got out…so did his older brother….so did his MOTHER….while his father stayed in the car. The brother chased off Mike and Rodney while the mother grabbed Joe, holding him in a full Nelson, while Dwayne, with a long slender piece of wood (kinda like a skinny “fungo” bat) strapped to his arm, proceeded to beat Joe with it.
After a few minutes, Dwayne, his brother and mother got back in the car with Dad and drove away. Yea…that incident was reported to the police. We were all in the 5th grade.
Sharon, don’t tell me my experiences have no relevance to this discussion, or what you think my definition of a fight is. Don’t ask me for my opinion, tell me you don’t care what it is after I give it to you, then, in the same comment, turn around and ask me again. Good chat.
Jon, you have done nothing to offer a solution for the problems in District 150. Your trip down memory lane is just that, nothing more. At absolutely no time have I discussed what District 150 should do about fights when students are on the way home from school off of district property. The district has plenty to do with just controlling what happens on school property.
And the stadium is school property. You all have read what the city of Peoria (with the help of Carl Cannon) has done to reduce fighting, etc., at Steamboat Days, etc. Why can’t District 150 institute some of these same safeguards. Jon, did you think that those efforts were “over the top”? I do believe that the fights at the stadium quite possibly were instigated by outsiders–gang members who are not 150 students. The district should be able to do, at least, as much as the city has done to make events safe for fans, etc.
Sharon Crews for president 2012
The instructions to discard everything regarding the fieldtrip because it was unapproved (Spring ’09) are clearly stated in the e-mail to the teachers from the principal. The e-mail was provided by central administration through FOIA. Many continue to state they have a problem when policies aren’t followed (or better yet, claim policies ARE followed when they’re not).
There have been other times schools have gone on trips that were in violation of school Board policy. I believe a middle school went to Six Flags in Spring 2008. At another school that year a principal told the PTO that their school would not be going to Six Flags because it violated the policy.
It has also been stated that because of the union, principals don’t decide whom to hire or interview. I hope that is totally true and on the up-and-up; however, I know that a teacher wanted to interview for a position and that principal complained to admn that the teacher had previously yelled at (the principal). Next thing you know, there was an “emergency” and the interview was cancelled/postponed. I’m sure it was all a coincidence.
I would vote for Sharon because I think she knows when she’s being lied to, and that is a rare but invaluable quality (IMO).
Sharon: I’m not a Beck supporter nor do I slam him because the idea of loving your country & having Christian morals & values are the same things that I believe in. He is not the inventor of the idea of collective salvation it does preceed him.
I’m not sure how you think that he is someone you need to dislike though. What is he really saying that you don’t agree with?
People like Lathan sure do promote the idea that the problems with the way kids behave in school is the fault of todays society and it isn’t. PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY IS MISSING LINK!
Dave Haney has an interesting story (D150 Wedding Crashers) on the PJStar blog, School Daze.
Johnnie, first of all, I object to Beck passing himself off as a member of the religious right, most of whom have a strong objection to Mormonism. I don’t object to his being a Mormon; I object to his deception. I object to his stating that Obama believes in collective salvation (another term for Liberation theology). I’m not sure where Beck came up with that idea. This morning I listened to Beck for the usual 15 minutes that I “give” him. He spent the whole time making fun of his own wife.
Also, I believe in Christ–not sure about Christian values because apart from being a Christian, there is no such thing. I don’t believe the words “morals” or “values” or Christian “culture” appear anywhere in the Bible–so I find those right-wing buzz words to be counter to what I believe about being a Christian.
I am not sure why you chose to label Dr. Lathan as a believer in collective salvation or what that has to do with any stance she might have with regard to her ideas about parental responsibility. Dr. Lathan might end up being another administrator who makes excuses for children; however, I have not heard anything yet that leads me to believe that she will not hold parents responsible, etc. Specifically, what statement of hers gives you that impression? Several board members have, also, blamed the problems on society–and, therefore, implied that District 150 cannot do anything about the problems.
I am glad Haney chose to follow up on and write this story–it certainly contradicts what District 150 has been telling us–that they had not reserved the Civic Center yet.
TR64, what have you done or what do you plan to do with the unapproved field trip information? I’m not sure I understand your comments about hiring and the union’s role–I’ve never heard of the union having the power to thwart a hiring, etc.
No, I don’t think the union would or could thwart a hiring…I do suspect some in the hiring process have learned ways of avoiding interviewing or hiring someone they don’t want. At least, in this case, it seemed coincidental that the interview was cancelled at the last minute because of an emergency, and just days after the principal claimed (in an e-mail) this teacher had previously yelled at (the principal). Hopefully, teachers and union reps keep close tabs on this process. Regarding the covering of the unapproved fieldtrip, I’m still waiting for the district to do the right thing–prove that student safety is a priority. A handful of students were selected to go to a downtown, Peoria radio station (March) to record commercials that ran on the radio to advertise the Clean Water Celebration at the Civic Center (May ’09). So there were two outings that relate to the “water clean up”, as stated in the e-mail.
TR64, my own opinion–this year when there was so much mass movement of teachers from Woodruff, there was plenty of opportunity to thwart the transfer rules provided in the contract. I have heard of a few situations myself. Some were finally resolved by those who became the “squeaky wheel.”
As to the field trip, the most important thing, I suppose, is whether or not parents signed forms giving permission for their children to go on a field trip. Was that the problem in the cases to which you refer?
District Watch will be meeting at Monical’s (Lake and Knoxville) at 6 p.m. on Sunday, September 26.
Remember that the board meeting on Monday night will be at the new Harrison school.
Here is a story of District 150’s little white lie: (I have provided the link to the story mentioned earlier).
http://blogs.pjstar.com/schooldaze/2010/09/21/district-150-wedding-crashers/
what’s the “white lie” and is that different than a black lie Sharon? Is a little lie different than a big lie? Just what do you mean?
Just asking–Just being nice when nice isn’t deserved, I guess.
Item #11 on Monday night’s agenda is a yet another MOU for Manual (an agreement which the union has to OK). I have heard that Manual has an extra $100,000 from their grant money for which they cannot find any other use; therefore, they want to use it for merit pay.
I’ve heard they want to give $900 to each reading and math teacher–the ones who helped the juniors at Manual to get a 4.8 increase in AYP (that they tried to pass off as a 17.1 increase, thanks to the 8th grade AYP).
There is something wrong with a district that will allow this kind of inequity. First of all, the idea that one teacher is responsible for a school’s AYP is absolutely wrong. NCLB tests evaluate accumulative knowledge (accumulated for all 11 years of a student’s education). Every teacher who ever taught a student has played a role in getting the student to the junior year of high school. Then on a smaller scale–if the district wants wrongfully to give only junior teachers credit–then every 11th grade teacher has influenced the learning of his/her students.
Secondly, extra money notwithstanding, other schools raised their AYP as much or more than Manual did–Peoria High’s reading AYP was up 10 points. I’m not arguing merit pay for anyone because I don’t believe in it (and neither should District 150’s union leadership–most of whom are now administrators, which explains much of the problem). However, if it were to be Okd for one school, then it should be available to all schools.
So 150 might be getting three new board members. It’s interesting that three members of this board choose to cut and run before all their chickens come home to roost. They have made many decisions that could turn out very badly. I guess I have to make the assumption that some could turn out well.
Sharon – You say “here is a story about D150’s little white lie” and it’s about some scheduling conflict, then you start some “inequity” rant about an MOU @ Manual. What’s the “lie” in the link you reference? Another rant against Manual wasn’t referenced, but also not surprising.
Can someone please render an opinion as to why Martha Ross would be having a long,quiet dinner at a Mexican restaurant in Peoria with Sharon Kherat and Taunya Jenkins especially after reading Sharon Crews’ post about the MOU with Manual? makes me wonder what she was “discussing”……hmmmmmm, nothing like transparency!