53 thoughts on “Peoria Charter School Initiative with some observations”

1. CJ, you seem surprised that D150 is running the show. That is how the charter school regs in IL are set up. As for all the “workforce” references, remember that the entity holding the proposed charter is PeoriaNext – a business group. I also found it annoying that only Mary Spangler and Carrie Wahlfeld are listed as “parents”. I know at least one other person listed there, and would hope that there are others, is also a parent. Instead, PCSI chose to hi-lite the individual’s business affiliations. There are so many people listed on the advisory committee, I really don’t see them doing that much (but it does pad the resume for their future job aspirations or political aspirations).

   I do share your fears that this will be a “vocational school”, albeit one that intends for its students to get a secondary education – rightly or wrongly I often think of a vo-tech high school as one that doesn’t expect its students to “go to college” for a degree program other than a technical certificate program, like welding, for example. The curriculum that is to be offered will tell us more (will there be ANY music or fine arts offered?)

   Also, at an earlier D150 committee of the whole meeting regarding the charter school, it was acknowledged that a charter school operator (like Edison, but not necessarily them) would likely be hired to run the school if it were to be opened by Fall 2010.

2. I am a parent who volunteers for the District regularly. Not that that qualifies me personally, but one would think they would want inner city parents representented on this Board as well.

3. Taking the vision and elements of design as a whole, I do not think it reads as a vocational school. I think the elements of design attempt to get across that the school will, in part, be drawing upon real world professionals for some of the classroom instruction. I think it sounds exciting.

   I agree with Emerge that it would be nice to see a greater mix of parents and “key” professionals involved. It seems the same old names and faces always pop up. There are individuals, not associated with the Chamber, that are able to think big thoughts and have a vision for Peoria and its’ schools.

4. Emerge: Don Jackson certainly made that point last night–that this group is not inclusive and neither will the student body be.

5. If you go to the PCSI site (CJ gave the link above), you are greeted with an invitation to become involved. Emerge, I would encourage you to do so, as from having your read blog the past few months, you would clearly be an asset to this initiative. Hopefully, the invitation isn’t lip service (but did PCSI really issue a press release on Monday for an invitation at 10 am THE NEXT DAY?)

6. Steve writes

   I thinks sounds a load of bull, if think about it all the companies in the area talk to the community college tell them what they like to teach for the students to be hired

   So this really not that much different

   Remember illinois is kind a joke some time and to real life professionial teaching it may be like terry plickenbaughm at isu java class discusing his underwear in a lecture, things don’t turn out the way expect, and also the student though isu computer science dept a joke too

   Isn’t it true it just the school district trying to pull a fast one

7. While Frustrated said “I do not think it reads as a vocational school…”, DeWayne Bartels reports in the online version of the Times-Observer that at today’s PCSI meeting “Barton and Bragg said the students emerging from the proposed 5-8 school would be prepared for the technological jobs that need to be filled at employes (sic) like caterpillar and the hospitals. Bragg said by 2015-2020 there will be a major shortage of skilled workers in Peoria if the need is not met.”

   Seems to be quacking more like a duck all the time.

8. If this takes the best and brightest students from the other schools, those students left behind will be the losers. And the charter school kids also will lose contact with a more diverse group of kids, rich and poor, smart and not so smart — in short the public they’re supposed to work with as adults in an “ethical” manner — i.e. not rip off, deprive of pay and pensions, etc.

   Not a good idea and not in the tradition of democracy. The oligarchy wants to select its own to run things.

9. “Bragg said by 2015-2020 there will be a major shortage of skilled workers in Peoria if the need is not met”.

   LOL – the timing of such statements is ironic at best, with Peoria’s unemployment rate at 10% and climbing. Businessmen trying to sell the charter school for its alleged economic opportunities when most parents presumably just want their children to get a good education in a safe environment.

10. Pondering all the successes from the thinkers ….

    Ball stadium
    Riverplex
    One Technology
    Gateway Building
    Cub Foods
    Annexation (Richwoods and other)
    and so on ……

    Future Success Stories in the wings….
    Non-adherance to LDC
    Zoo expansion
    Marriott Hotel deal
    Museum Project
    Bel-wood Project
    and yet to be revealed ….

    I agree with Don Jackson —- not diverse.

    Jon — it would be amazing to see if Emerge would get a ‘high level’ participation position — if I were a betting person and I am not —- the odds would be low that that would happen based on many many many past situations.

    Regrettably, I agree with Spikeless ……. regrettably ….. quack quack!

11. Pretty much the same old establishment group. Don’t look for anything worthwhile to come out of it. Peoriafan will defend them, of course, but nobody is going to open a window, let alone a door.

12. It appears that Elaine wants an election every 3 or 4 weeks to give guidance to the powers that be in Dist 150.

    Maybe we can fill al lthe High school auditoriums with the parents who want to be include in the decision making process and send any overflow to the Civic center and pipe in Audio and Video to a central stage were the discussion will be brought up and tossed about by the remote sites.
    Then at some point a vote is taken. If the resolution is not favorably considered then you move on to the next issue.

    You better bring your lunch and a change of clothes because that will be an all day/ night affair.

    Then 3-4 weeks later start the process again with a new issue/issues.

    Isn’t democracy grand?

13. …to give guidance to the powers that be…

    Is that the purpose of a democracy?

14. Quack, quack, quack…maybe this will be good, maybe not, but at least let’s see it for what it seems to be headed toward being-

    Per Dave Haney in PJS:

    “The reason we’re so interested in a math, science and technology school is to provide our community with a flow of students from Peoria that will help staff Caterpillars . . . will help staff the other institutions in Peoria, like the three hospitals, with the people with the technology background they need,” Barton said.

    Skilled trade unions have expressed support for the school, Barton added, “because they are not receiving the types of students they need for their apprentice programs.”

    “We are convinced we can provide a better education in our community . . .”

    Added PCCEO president and CEO McFarland Bragg: “We cannot continue to operate our educational system the way we’ve been doing it. We simply are not producing the students we need to fill the positions.”

    Also, as Haney further points out:

    “And charter schools are no silver bullet, as pointed out in a recent study by Stanford University’s Center for Research on Education Outcomes.

    The study, which looked at more than 70 percent of charter schools throughout the country, showed that only 17 percent of charter schools provided a better education than the traditional public schools, half were no different, and 37 percent of charters offered a worse education than their traditional counterparts.”

15. Incidentally, the full materials concerning the Stanford study by the Center for Research on Educational Outcomes can be located at:

    http://credo.stanford.edu/

16. Where are the educators on this committee? One parent (Wahlfeld)? At last night’s board meeting I heard one comment after another about parents and teachers who “want to be part of the process.” The composition of this group illustrates their concerns perfectly. Lots of “influential citizens,” but not many who are directly affected by this decision. Typical …

17. As a D150 parent, I must say at this point that I would not send my sons to this charter school as high school students. I might consider it at the 4-8 level, but the high school experience is about so much more than what goes on in the classroom.

    Most higher-achieving students at the high school level are also interested in extracurricular activities, from sports to band to drama to student council to…. In fact, college admission deciders look more and more closely at ACT/SAT scores and extracurriculars when deciding what students to admit. Less so at grade-point averages and classes taken.

    Since it seems that this charter school will not offer competition-level (MS6) sports and other activities, the 9-12 students will lose out. No matter the classes offered, my sons would not go there without an inclusive overall experience.

    I also agree about the diversity issue, including academic diversity. That is another area where extracurriculars are important. You can be on a team with a student in gen ed classes and become friends.

    And for the record, my sons’ high school records include 3 in the Top Ten, one HS valedictorian and all 5 in the top 10 percent of their classes, in all enriched classes. All of them competed and received letters in multiple sports at the varsity level as well as participating in Student Council and many other extracurriculars. So I am speaking from experience.

18. Teachpia: No one asks teachers to be involved until the “implementation” stage–then teachers are expected to be exited enough to carry out plans that are quite often good only on paper. The “old” fashioned classrooms worked–when there were few administrators and no “programs.” All the teacher had was textbooks and a chalk board. The teachers were the innovators–they came up with their own individual ideas to meet the needs of the students sitting in front of them. Last night the Bradley professor that was hired to evaluate Wacky Wednesdays stressed over and over again that teachers will not buy into any initiative if they are not involved in the process at the planning stage–and that, for the most part, that didn’t happen with Wacky Wednesdays. Also, he stated that the 25 question questionnaire that was to be used for teacher evaluation of WW was not printed in time–so only 28 teachers filled out the form. Talk about planning–Hinton couldn’t even get the form printed in time for the end of school. Or maybe that was his plan–probably knew how the teachers would have evaluated WW.

19. What we need is someone who is independently wealthy, who doesn’t have to kiss any political ass in Peoria because his or her career, income, family, etc, depends on keeping the Peoria elite happy, who can truly be an advocate for…’everyman.’

    You will all pool your resources together to make ME financially, politically, etc untouchable! You will do this now! Then I will be YOUR advocate! I have no problems with swearing in public or mooning the local do-gooder society.

20. # Jon wrote,

    “Businessmen [are] trying to sell the charter school for its alleged economic opportunities when most parents presumably just want their children to get a good education in a safe environment.”

    – Jon. I am sorry to have to tell you this, but that is what business men do [in Peoria]. For a minute I thought you were talking about the Regional Museum…you know…trying to “sell” something for its alleged economic opportunities?

21. Rod Mckiminson writes

    I looking at plans

    This is just another bad decision for more debt to be forced against the realestate property tax holders because what which employers are going to hire these students.

    How about telling because a lot of people want to apply for jobs, let them get a good job then their is something in their pocket to get besides lint to tax

    District 150 decision making ability what a joke

    Why don’t they forget this idea, the local community college already teaches the stuff, save their money to pay for existing boondoggles, rotten past decisions

    They could get a lot money if the teacher of district 150 got involved in prostitution

22. Spikeless, thx for the link. There is also a report specific to Illinois entitled “Charter Schools in Illinois Perform Significantly Better Than Their Traditional Public School Peers”. I’ll say that again – in IL the charter schools perform BETTER.

    In earlier comments on this site, or more likely, as reported in the PJS, with the earlier D150 board agreement to continue investigating a MST school, board member Stowell said something to the effect of…in addition to the MST charter school, he would like to see another charter school such as a vocational school. Maybe he’ll be getting the MST and vocational school all in one.

    Hot in the city – I understand your concerns about high school extracurriculars, but I don’t necessarily think those won’t be part of the master plan. This school will start out 5-8 and grow in to a high school. Those first students will be pioneers of sorts, but I would believe that those extracurriculars will be formed with them as they progress to graduation.

    Speaking of “master plan”, I couldn’t attend the D150 board meeting last night, but wanted to ask if anyone could explain what the Master Facility Plan was – wishful thinking again on my part?

    I am actually in favor of a charter school that offers an alternative to one’s neighborhood school, though I am fearful that this current one will become more of a vocational school. (I do think there is room for a vocational school as well, but that isn’t going to stop the flight out of Peoria schools – something that a MST academic school could potentially do.) Oh, and the flight out of PSD150 is one of the major contributors to the district’s current and future financial woes – less students means less state and federal funding, which in D150’s case, if memory serves, is something like $6k per student.

    Teachpia/Sharon – I don’t think teachers will, at least initially, be given much of a real chance to participate in the charter school. The current leaders probably see them not as partners, but as employees who should do as they are told. Further, the charter school operator can hire from scratch. Recently a local high school just outside Peoria posted an opening for a social studies teacher and within two weeks had over 150 applicants. Think of number of applicants if one didn’t have to be certified – just a bachelor’s degree and passage of the basic skills tests.

    However, I remain hopeful that a charter school will do much as Sharon said used to be done – teachers ran their classrooms without the administration and programs. Part of the charter school concept is to create an INDEPENDENT school – hopefully this will trickle down to more independent classrooms. Will a charter school “cherry pick” the best and brightest? No, but if the school is structured correctly, hopefully the “best and brightest” as well as anyone in the district who is looking for an alternative to what is currently presented will “cherry pick” the charter school.

    Incidentally, I did sign up on the PCSI website to “become involved”. We’ll see what happens.

23. “Dr. John Avendano – Illinois Central College”

    He is no longer affiliated with ICC. He is in Galesburg or Galena or Granite City or someplace with a G in it.
    I wonder how many other names are falsely on this list?

    So get fired from 150 and get a “non-profit” job with its little bastard stepson… interesting… will Mary Davis be there soon?

24. “Think of number of applicants if one didn’t have to be certified – just a bachelor’s degree and passage of the basic skills tests.”

    – How about we go along the lines of a ‘college-prep’ type school? Hire those with a minimum MA-MS degree or better yet, a PhD. We have PhDs serving on the board and in admin positions….

    Besides, what does being ‘teacher certified’ in the state of Illinois really mean? Maybe we could get the guy we hired to coach basketball teach a couple of social studies, philosophy, etc, classes. You know…just to earn his keep…?

25. Jon writes …. but wanted to ask if anyone could explain what the Master Facility Plan was – wishful thinking again on my part?

    The MFP would be the plan that is written and not followed — akin to other plans in various Peoria bureaucracies. Projections of savings to be realized do not materialize because the plan is not followed or is followed with extra train tracks added so cost savings are not actualized.

    Recommendation: Close Blaine —too expensive to rehab and retrofit with a/c for students.

    Reality: Closed Blaine for students. Rehab and retro with a/c and make it into administrative offices. I recall that Diane wrote a great investigative blog about this situation.

    And so it goes …. any wonder why taxpayers are cynical.

26. NV: And yes — the economic opportunities for the museum —- well we both think that will be a large negative number.

    Nevertheless, the CAT Experience on the museum block has an entire section about the jobs available at CAT for the children to view — so it does sound like these two projects — charter school and museum – CAT Exp. are quite similar.

27. Personally, I can’t wait to see how many Bradley professors (and others from the business community) want to teach 5th through 8th graders. It will be a while before the charter school expands to become a high school–even then I’m not sure about Bradley professors teaching high school. They chose college for a reason. However, these economic times–unemployment, etc.–might bring out some who need a job or need to moonlight enough to give it a try. How many well-qualified unemployed potential charter school teachers are superior to certified teachers? Also, remember that 70% of the teachers have to be certified–they just don’t have to be unionized. I doubt that anyone who already has a job (with any kind of job security) is going to quit to take a chance on this charter school.

28. Mission statement – Boilerplate. Advantages of Charter Schools? Free from unions grasp. Look up the number of unfit teachers fired last year in the entire state of Illinois. Some successful charter schools fire more teachers in one year than do public schools in the entire state of Illinois. I still haven’t read how the schools are going to be funded and who will pick the principals. Also, where skilled people without degrees in education will be allowed to pass on their skills to others.

    Charter schools have more control over discipline. Teachers will line up to work at a real charter school out from under the “thumbs” of #150. See my blog site.

    Yes, there are dozens of success stories on charter schools and numerous studies showing many types of gains in kids attending Charter Schools other than the one negative Stanford Study.

    Privately run charter schools are competition to the public sector. Competition SHOULD cause improvement in the public sector. Competition ususally improves the private sector but in the public sector…..?

    Charter schools are easier to close down than a public school. It’s also easier to remove some of the “founders”. Unless they are major funders of the charter.

    Visit my blog site on more of the story. I have been following success and failures of charters and vouchers for 15 years. I have quite a collection of information and have written numerous blogs on the subject.

29. Elaine – Most of the “best and the brightest students” have already left District 150. It is worth trying something different. You act as though those that are academically inclined don’t deserve an education that better fits their needs.

    The vision of the new charter school is to prepare students for “post-secondary” education. In my mind, that SHOULD mean study at a college or university leading to, at minimum, a 4-year degree. To others it appears to mean something else. It seems important that the “vision” be clarified in order to ensure that it attracts the student base the school is seeking.

30. It seems that it just doesn’t matter what direction D150 heads, it’s not right. Business people are invited to participate in the process (after all, we should apply a business model to running schools) and it’s wrong. “Schools” aren’t teaching any valuable skills so lets establish a charter with the goal of teaching a functional skill set and THAT’S wrong.

    I was part of the planning committee for the Charter School in my former community. I also served as a member of the board of Directors once the program was established. There were SEVERAL groups of people who had input into the direction of the program. But it won’t matter in Peoria, the dissatisfied will continue to question every step along the way.

31. Rix,

    Obviously you have not lived in Peoria long enough to understand how things are done in these here parts. Or…. you are another one of those elitist snobs who believes EVERYONE should shut-the-hell-up and let the select few have their way…?

    YOUR attitude IS why we HAVE so many problems in Peoria. To be fair, not ENOUGH of the “dissatisfied” have spoken up in the past.

    And who the hell wants to apply a business model to running schools?!?

32. I’ve heard many who feel public schools aren’t run properly assert that a traditional business model should be applied to running a school district. There’s a reason why schools aren’t run that way…it’s been tried and it doesn’t work.

    And, again, change presents itself and all I see is any number of reasons why this isn’t going to work, either.

33. Whatever the charter school is going to do, District 150 should be able to do. Please, please don’t say that it is the teachers who are holding 150 back. Teachers have no choice but to do what the district tells them to do–curriculum, discipline, grading–all of the standards, etc., are decided for the teachers, not by the teachers. I keep hearing that teachers aren’t willing to change. What changes have they been asked to make? How did they get away with refusing to change? When was change (in District 150) allowed to begin in an individual classroom? For example, considerable change in curriculum, etc., has taken place at Manual High School–there were no teachers involved in the planning stages for that change. They came in at the implementation stage–when all those new teachers stepped foot into Manual classrooms for the first time; everything had already been decided for them. The financial side of a district should be run by a business model. The problems arise when the business model determines academic decisions.

34. I do not think that the charter school should be run and administered by D150. It did not work when D150 did it with the Greeley concept.

35. “Whatever the charter school is going to do, District 150 should be able to do.”

    Of course. However, Charter Schools operate outside some of the parameters that tie the hands of administrators in existing schools.

    “I keep hearing that teachers aren’t willing to change.”

    I would say that it is educators who are (for the most part) agents of change within any instructional setting. A Charter School will invite change…new ways of doing things…and a structure for demonstrating success/failure of innovative strategies.

    “When was change (in District 150) allowed to begin in an individual classroom?”

    As a classroom teacher whose worked across several classrooms, disciplines and districts, I know first hand that individual classrooms are where change occurs. Despite what happens in administrative offices, classroom teachers and parents are working hard to bring innovation into classrooms everyday. Teachers do what they do despite the constraints. I’ve rarely met a teacher who was not able to implement change even within a reluctant district.

    “The financial side of a district should be run by a business model. The problems arise when the business model determines academic decisions.”

    This might be true if funding for education worked the same way that is does for every other business. It does not. There has been a significant push to privatize public education. Public education in America has a long and illustrious history. The basis for public education has always been to see a free and appropriate public education as the great equalizer. Given an education, every American should be able to achieve at the same level. That was the goal.

    Unfortunately, the public school system is funded, largely, by property taxes. And this, in turn, give some schools and advantage.

    If we want to run schools fiscally as we run private businesses, then each and every student in this state should have their education funded equally. A child in Lincolnshire should get just as much funding (per pupil) as a child in the same grade in Effingham. Put all the money in a pot an divvy it up equally.

    That’s not going to happen.

    In the meantime…good luck to District 150 as the MST Charter School advances. I wonder if the school will have open enrollment for students outside D150. I know that I would be very happy if my children were afforded an opportunity to attend a charter school.

36. Rix, I used to think that funding public schools mostly by property taxes was a large part of the problem, too, until I discovered that many schools, including Peoria, get more funding from state and federal sources than they do property taxes. (for 2007/8, property taxes represented only 43.5% of psd150 revenue) Put another way, based on the average per pupil cost of $11,383 in Peoria, 56.5%, or $6,431 is subsidized by the state and feds.

    Using your Lincolnshire as an example, just $2,261 is subsidized there and $4,303 in Effingham. Also, it just simply costs more to run a school (higher salaries, land costs, etc.) in Lincolnshire than it does Effingham, so you can’t fund them equally.

    And for what it’s worth, the average per pupil expense is $7,487 in Dunlap, $9,311 in Morton and $11,383 in Peoria. So if you want to fund them equally, you’ll end up taking from Peoria to give to Dunlap and Morton.

    I think the real question is how Peoria compares to similar cities, such as Rockford, Bloomington/Normal, Springfield, etc, both in financial performance as well as academic performance. Quite simply, it comes in last, spending at least 15% more for academic performance that is arguably the same at best.

    Check out http://iirc.niu.edu/ and run your own comparisons.

37. RIX: ““Schools” aren’t teaching any valuable skills”

    Where did you come up with this model? Schools are supposed to be teaching “valuable skills”?

    I thought that was the job of the workplace. Schools are supposed to prepare children to learn how to think, communicate and interact in a social environment.. When did schools become responsible for job preparation?

38. “Public education in America has a long and illustrious history … The basis for public education has always been to see a free and appropriate public education as the great equalizer”

    There is a big difference between the first statement and the last.

    I am ready and willing to argue that neither statement is true nor supportable by evidence.

39. Regarding the PJS’s story today–“Review Backs Wacky Wednesdays”–I did write this response: First of all, kudos to the PJS headline writers for using the ‘Wacky Wednesdays’ moniker actually coined in a speech to the board by the PJS’s retired journalist, Elaine Hopkins. I’m wondering if Dave Haney actually listened to Risen’s assessment of Wacky Wednesdays–I’ve listened to his speech three times (I taped it). Risen clearly states several times that teachers need to be part of the process (the planning) before they will buy into any initiatives. After listening to the comments from the audience at the beginning of the BOE meeting, Risen stated that he believed the speeches bore out his own findings–that teachers don’t feel that they are a part of the process. Risen also interrupted Hinton, who was stating that he had heard from teachers that they really wanted more time than was allowed by just the nine days of Wacky Wednesdays. Risen stated that that was only part of the story–that teachers thought more time was needed because of poor planning. Poor planning (or poor planning by design) was certainly evident in the fact that the questionnaires were not printed in a timely manner, so only 28 out of 200+ teachers had time to record their reactions to Wacky Wednesdays–how convenient because I believe many would echo Hedy’s observations.

40. I don’t understand where the statement/belief that teachers are against change comes from. I know many teachers and they have made many changes throughout their years of teaching. I know some who rarely use a textbook. I know others who are continually taking classes to learn new and innovative teaching methods. Some are involved in co-teaching and are having very postive experiences. I know some who have been at this a long time and went through the change from k-8 to primary/middle schools. I could go on but you get the idea. I also remember my own teachers. The majority of my teachers were very good and I have positive thoughts about teachers. I did have some who were not good and I learned where to go to get help so that I could learn. I do not make generalizations about all teachers because of the few bad ones that I encountered along the way. I have also heard some horror stories from friends about some bad experiences with their children’s teachers. Some bad ones are still out there but I bet that the majority of teachers are very good. I also have to agree with kcdad in that education needs to teach students how to think. I think what the issue is with the charter school is a lack of trust. I believe that 150 administration has lost trust and hasn’t worked to regain it. The Charter School idea might be a really great idea but people are skeptical because of the lack of trust. It would be a welcomed breath of fresh air to see the administration work to encourage and uplift its teaching staff instead of trying to tear them down. This would be a start to rebuilding trust. If teachers, no matter how hard they work and how innovative they are continue to be brow beaten and blamed for low scores and administrators claim all the glory for successes, then trust will continue to be an issue.

41. You’d think 150 would be embarrassed about having to resort to a charter school to provide services the district should have been providing for years. What are the schools in 150 for, if not largely to prepare students to earn a healthy living? We union members have been asking for these kinds of educational opportunities for years. Now, suddenly, providing relevant education to the students of Peoria is a novel idea?

    I think it would be classic if the charter school’s board would work with the teachers’ union while separating itself from 150’s bloated bureaucracy. Real progress would be made.

    District 150’s idea of a World Class Academy = Manual High School. Yikes! As I’ve said before, Manual fails on two fronts: 1.) the needs of the students in the Manual community are not being met 2.) new students are not being drawn to the school. If a charter school is going to be successful, they’ll need the unionized teachers in and the bloat out.

42. I don’t know anyone who is against education. While the Charter School concept sounded good to me last year, I now have my doubts. While I have no objections to special schools augmenting the neighborhood school, the neighborhood school is- and of a right ought to be- the primary means of providing education in D150. National studies have repeatedly shown the effectiveness of well-run neighborhood schools on the overall success of public school students. While I am a big fan of VHECC, I am getting the impression that the Charter School, and other “choice” alternatives, are being rolled out as a way to avoid stepping up and making sure the neighborhood schools are being properly run. While I support Charter Schools and other special schools fulfilling special functions, they should augment the primacy of the neighborhood school and not seek to replace it. By the way, my hat is off to all the dedicated, hard-working teachers who are in D150. The administration ought to be committed to giving you what you need to do the job right.

43. To second Jeff’s comments: I hope all who tend to believe that unions are the root cause of the problems in education would consider the concept that it is truly the board of education and administrators (both central and in-building), not the teachers, who determine what happens in the schools and in the classrooms. Then please realize that these “non-unionized” administrators run the schools. So please explain why unions are the culprits. Please consider, also, how many administrators get their jobs–will anyone deny that it is more often “who they know” than “what they know”? Some very, very subjective criteria go into the choice of building principals–and no principal that disagrees with the administrators at the top will have a job for very long. (Recent case in point–Lindbergh). At the last board meeting I pointed out that students with very high absenteeism at Manual were being passed (and if I had the “official” records, I believe I could prove that many passed with high grades). Undoubtedly, some will believe that teachers are at fault for such lax standards. I say, “not so.” First of all, I would bet that teachers are expected to use letter grades (A – 4, B – 3, C -2, D – 1) as their grading method instead of number grades from 0 to 100. When I left Manual, teachers had a choice as to which system to use, but administrators definitely preferred letter grades. I did a study once of my own grades–tried with both methods. I discovered that it is very difficult to fail a student by using letter grades. Example: 4 Ds and 3Fs (even 0 F’s) will give the student a D average. Also, at Manual, 70% of the teachers were new–non-tenured with no union protection–and few “tenured” teachers to help them out. I am sure they were under pressure to see to it that Manual “look good” this year–to justify the restructuring plans. Hence, all the bragging I heard from the principal about how the graduation rate was much improved–better than what was accomplished by the previous staff. Also, many students became enriched by one stroke of the principal’s pen. I believe I figured that 37% of Manual’s student body are now enrolled in enriched English classes.

44. Conrad: Thank you for your thoughtful comments–you are so right that charter schools should not replace neighborhood schools. From a study of Philadelphia newspapers, I discovered that that was exactly what Paul Vallas did to that city’s schools. He brought Edison in to run many new charter schools–which then had some degree of success, but the rest of the Philadelphia schools were still failing. I believe Vallas did the same thing in Chicago. He and the mayor had many disagreements because reading scores were not improving in the “non-charter” schools. District 150 seems to be trying its best to have a few shining stars for PR purposes and then hoping that no one will notice the rest of the schools. I still can’t figure out why 150 thinks it will get credit for the success of the proposed charter school. It will, however, be blamed if it fails.

45. Starting back in the late 80’s, statistics show that Peoria elite (think C of C, pushed by Roberta Parks) wanted to get away from “neighborhood” schools. Acadamies were launched with Superintendent John Strand and increased busing can be attributed to Dr. Strand. Acadamies were never a success and finally closed by Ken Hinton.

    Go back to community based schools and sell off 2/3 rds of the buses. When the schools, if well built like Glen Oak was, are KEPT UP, by renovations, etc., they wiill still be in use like Congerville, Illinois, that school after 100 years is still in active use as a school.

    What are Dunlap, Morton, Washington, Metamora, Eureka and Pekin? Community schools less costly and successful.

    Your “leaders” in this community?? Look around at the empty buildings and houses for sale. And all the public entities that are cash strapped, debt laden and in more or less degrees of trouble.

    Hmmmmm.

46. Merle: All true! Bad decisions were made before Strand, too. Two of the worst: moving from K-8 to primary and middle schools, and the worst for the high schools, going from a 7-hour to a 6-hour day–a move that eventually eliminated home ec and industrial arts classes and many electives. The bare-bones “back to basics” curricula did untold harm to District 150 and its high schools. All the plans now–charter schools, Manual’s Johns Hopkins–are feeble attempts to undo the damage that was done by that move.

47. The C of C and Parks are completely out of touch. They even promoted expanding the PDC landfill.

48. OMG Jeff… “What are the schools in 150 for, if not largely to prepare students to earn a healthy living?”

    Are we such devotees of capitalism and consumerism and materialism that we want to spend millions of dollars preparing our children to be wage slaves? Do you understand that we are working more than twice as much as our fathers did for less than 1/3 of the same real income and value? Our economy is a total mess BECAUSE we are preparing our children to be good employees devoted (addicted) to their paycheck.

49. Kcdad, Jeff–more than any teacher that I know–definitely teaches students to think. Actually, I believe that any of us who teach literature automatically teach students to think–those who have written great literature always intended for their audience to think. Please get off this kick that schools can’t do both things at the same time–teach kids to think and to earn a living. However, I will give you this–the new Johns Hopkins program at Manual and the charter school goals do seem more geared to preparing students just for a job.

50. From Spikeless”While Frustrated said “I do not think it reads as a vocational school…”, DeWayne Bartels reports in the online version of the Times-Observer that at today’s PCSI meeting “Barton and Bragg said the students emerging from the proposed 5-8 school would be prepared for the technological jobs that need to be filled at employes (sic) like caterpillar and the hospitals. Bragg said by 2015-2020 there will be a major shortage of skilled workers in Peoria if the need is not met.”

    Seems to be quacking more like a duck all the time.” That’s a joke!
    most kids 5-8 do not have a Clue about much of anything! And if they lack the skills to read write and do math how can hey take on more advanced studies? This group reminds me of a prior one conjured up by a previous Mayor. All hot Air!yes go back to neighbor hood schools,teach some shop to all,I stilll have things from wood shop at Franklin & Peoria High .They had all the shops including auto mechanics .Pekin has Industrial classes now. Not every one can or wants to go to college. The planning thing for teachers is basically crap!I remember the “brown planner” on every teachers desk filled out in advance and that was part of THE JOB.Just tell them and enforce it!What ever happened to Accountability? Look at how the teachers dress for “work” and remember what the Professional teachers did wear back then when “learning” was the key to success.
    And they make a lot more money now!

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