Thursday night at the Civic Center, the Peoria Charter School Initiative brought in students, parents, and teachers from the Chicago Math & Science Academy to talk about the benefits of charter schools. Here’s a portion of the presentation:
[flashvideo filename=https://peoriachronicle.com/wp-content/uploads/Video/PCSI.flv /]
Sharon – the circle of friends my daughter hung out with at Washington was very diverse for Peoria, IL. Her best buddies were 2 white girls, 1 black girl, 1 Vietnamese, 2 Indians, and a few Chinese. I think that is a pretty good mix. Should there ideally be more black students represented at this school — most definitely, but that does not mean the school does not still fill an important need in the community.
Do you believe it is Washington Gifted’s “fault” there is not more black student enrolled in the school? Do you think the result is intentional on anyone’s part?
You speak of high school students with 5th grade reading levels. My guess is that most students that are tested (in 4th grade) and accepted at Washington test out at 10th or 11th grade reading level.
No, I don’t blame it on Washington Gifted–I’m not sure it’s anyone’s fault. The black teen-ager in my life just graduated from Washington Gifted–now in the IB program. She had a wonderful experience there with many friends, activities, and a great academic experience. I just don’t want anyone to feel that there isn’t more to be done to change the situation to include more black young people. I even share your feeling that “diverse” doesn’t mean just black. However, in a district that is 70% black, there should be more black young people at Washington. The school has a reputation as being for the elite, for the rich–some just don’t feel comfortable in that environment. In fact, I have discovered that social relationships there do end up being expensive–out of the league of many students who do not come from affluent families. In other words, to be accepted fully into the social circles at the school does require money–and many kids don’t have it. It isn’t a school for just the academically “elite.” I don’t understand your last sentence–why do the students reading at 5th grade level have anything to do with lack of diversity at Washington Gifted? There are young people who test out at 10th or 11th grade level at 4th or 5th grade that just aren’t interested in Washington Gifted.
The bottom line is that the district needs more choice schools that are held accountable and are successful. Washington and the IB program are not based on open enrollment – students are accepted based on ability. I don’t understand why it is so difficult to keep that in perspective.
I don’t understand why it is so difficult to understand that all schools and students need to be held accountable–for discipline first–and then we might be surprised at how academically accountable they could become. District 150 has done little to support teachers in an effort to hold students accountable so that the whole district could thrive–not just these special little places for special people who wish to escape the schools where accountability hasn’t even been tried. I don’t blame the parents who want these places of escape–it the district that I blame for trying so hard to make a few people happy so that the district doesn’t have to do the harder task of creating a safe, learning enviornment in all the schools. Maybe it can’t be done–but it certainly hasn’t been tried yet.
Sharon: You have just stated my feelings, 100% on this subject. ALL schools in D150 should be special places where ALL children will thrive, but first this district MUST get a hold on it’s very serious discipline issues. Case in point: I was called every and I mean every filthy words imaginable by a first grader when I asked him to keep his hands off of other children (he was not hugging them!). I sent him to the office and he returned, smiling, before my next lesson started==with a cookie! That is discipline at its finest.
Unbelievable!
help me out here,
A few questions:
Did you pull the six year old aside and explain to him his behavior was disruptive; or did you discipline him in front of the entire class before ejecting him?
Did you talk to the Principal; did you call the child’s parent; did you send a note home with the child; how will you treat the child going forward?
Come on teachers you need to begin to learn new mechanisms for dealing with classroom disruptions. This old method of demeaning a child and not expecting any push back does not work.
Teachers need to start developing teams with parents and school personnel to help in the classroom. Reaching out to this child’s parents now and making them a part of the team responsible for this child’s education is how we can end this cycle of discipline problems in District 150.
Emerge: I am no novice. I have taught on the southside of Peoria for more than a decade. Please don’t ask me silly questions. I have excellent classroom management and have high expectations for ALL my students The student was choking another students neck because she “looked at him funny”. By the way, yes, I did speak to the parent MANY times before I finally called in the Principal….the parent used more vulgar language than the child…..calling me a M-F B for even bothering calling her and getting her out of bed. You insult me by suggesting that I demean my students! Quit blaming the teachers and our lack of knowledge dealing with “today’s” children. QUIT MAKING EXCUSES…….
Parents need to step up to the plate and SUPPORT the teachers and schools too! By the way, when people continually make excuses for poor behavior by children, you are enabling them….all the way to prison.
It wasn’t my intention to INSULT you.
I am curuious as to how these things are handled. Thanks for answering my questions.
In your experience, what do you think should happen to this six year old at this point?
Emerge, the problem is that there was a time when only one or two children in a classroom displayed these extreme disruptive behaviors (when your suggestions were applicable), but today’s classrooms have considerably more students who need the kind of attention and interventions that are impossible to provide in a classroom that can explode at any moment while the teacher is devoting this one-on-one attention to a child that cannot control his/her behaviors. These behaviors are not normal–they are indicative of a need for serious intervention; just hugging the kid isn’t going to do it. I wish we could all answer your question as to what should be done about this six-year-old (and/or the sixteen-year-old that they grow into)–teachers probably don’t have that answer (and, sorry, to say, in this case, I don’t believe you do either). I know that the six-year-old in my life that goes to Whittier might talk too much (although, I believe, from all reports that he is quite well behaved) but I can’t imagine him choking another child or using the language that so many children do use. And, frankly, I don’t want him exposed to these behaviors. The teacher has an obligation to protect the other children from the destructive children. These are behaviors that simply can’t be allowed in a classroom of 25 to 30 children. I hope you understand that the “cookie” that the child received in the office (and the kind of discipline it symbolizes) actually reinforces the bad behaviors. That is the problem–not what happens in the classroom. The principals are setting teachers up for failure because they want to do the hugging–they have made the teachers into the bad guys. It’s much like a family where the father might discipline a child who then runs to the mother for sympathy–that sends the wrong message to the child.
When most parents hear stories about this 6-year-old, their first thought is that they don’t want their own children in that classroom–that is why parents are leaving 150–it isn’t because of bad teachers.
Actually, the first question should be, WHY is this child coming to school with this kind of language. I’ll be honest, I have many friends who send their children to parochial schools because they do not want their children around these poorly behaved children with filthy mouths. Do you? We have many parents that are excellent role models, but unfortunately there are a few that are very poor role models–up partying all night with stereos blasting (keeping their children from a good night sleep), smoking who knows what around children with asthyma, and essentially showing their children that this is an acceptable lifestyle—when it is not. These same parents then go to sleep as their children are waking up for school (if they slept at all), allowing their youngsters to get ready and leave for school on their own, yes, I have seen K, 1st, and 2nd graders do this daily. These are the children who come to school sick, hungry, dirty clothes(same clothes worn for more than a week), poor hygiene, yet it is MY fault they don’t do well. I believe social service agencies need to REMOVE the children from these environments. It is not the job of the school district to do this. That is not saying I have not bent over backward for these parents, from going to their home to buying clean clothing for their child, yet they have money for tatoos and cigarettes! Yes Emerge, I am deeply frustrated by the lack of support teachers receive from the administration, the parents, and social service agencies. The child in my class ended up going to a program within the district that could deal with his behaviors, but it took most of the year (all the while, educating children in the classroom with his filthy language). I truly am tired of jumping through hoop after hoop after hoop to get help for ALL of my students.
Emerge? Do you have anything to say to these people?
Scott:
We started with this scenario:
“I was called every and I mean every filthy words imaginable by a first grader when I asked him to keep his hands off of other children (he was not hugging them!). I sent him to the office and he returned, smiling, before my next lesson started==with a cookie!”
I asked questions about the process and found out about this scenario:
“The child in my class ended up going to a program within the district that could deal with his behaviors.”
My questions have been answered – what more would you have me say Scott?
It is amazing how teachers on this site are above reproach. How dare anybody question your activities, right? Such a high level of “passion” is coming off as being overly defensive.
Have you ever heard: until you have walked a mile in MY shoes, Emerge?
Emerge – you spend a lot of enerergy defending the ones that are causing most of the problems in not just District 150 but the whole city of Peoria. Why not attack the people that are causing the problems instead of the people that are trying to find the solutions?
Emerge, please, no one is saying teachers are above reproach. Without knowing the whole story, you told the above teacher, “Come on teachers…” You immediately set yourself up as an authority–but that can’t be because you are not responsible for maintaining a safe, learning environment for these children. The problem is that you are not the first person to blame teachers–they hear it every day from their principals (many of whom could not survive in today’s classrooms). I once was able to use your approach to discipline–it worked very, very well because the deans and principals supported me. One of many examples: A young man (one whom I truly loved named Ernie Taylor–one of the first of my students whose life was lost to gang activity as far as I know). One day Ernie was angry with me and called me an ugly bitch. In that era I knew that if I reported Ernie to the dean, he would probably be suspended. It was my prerogative to try to protect Ernie, so I said, “Ernie, take another look at me and see if there’s any improvement.” He said, “Miss Crews, you’re getting better looking every minute.” Ernie didn’t want to go to the dean–that is just no longer the case; the deans pose very little threat. Teachers, including me, tend to get defensive when we are told we don’t care for kids enough, that we don’t go the extra mile, etc. I cherish my whole career and all the young people whom I loved and who loved me in return. Emerge, I know that you have your own list of stories about teachers whom you feel have treated students unfairly, etc. None of us can claim “perfect” records. Since I taught high school students, when I made a mistake and overreacted, etc., I got the chance (which I took often) to apologize to my students–an action that almost always brought the same response from my students. We all could tell you wonderful stories about our successes, but the public really needs to know that things aren’t working in 150–and that much of the blame does not go to teachers. A few weeks ago a teacher told the BOE some horror stories about the time he spent at Loucks Edison (and also mentioned how great things were at Columbia where he now is). Martha Ross made a long speech stating that she never wanted to hear people come to the podium to say bad things about “our” children. I just heard the same sentiment coming from you. Please, Emerge, be honest; you didn’t ask a question without first making a negative assumption–yes, teachers will get defensive and why not? If the stories aren’t told, there is no hope of change. It has to change–and it is these conditions that cause Frustrated, etc., to call for charter schools and special program to which their children can escape. And I don’t blame them.
I left teaching because it is a waste of time. Most children will role model their parents, family, friends so in a district like 150 in neighborhoods like the south end most of those kids will just mimic what they see everyday so really the school is about the same as a day care for big kids. After a few years they will drop out or just do exactly what everyone around them does, gangs, petty crime, drugs whatever. It keeps them off the streets for 6 hours a day or so.
There is always the exception but most kids that do well in school do so because they have a drive and desire to do so not because some teacher mentors or pushes them into it.
Also even kids that dont really care about getting an actual education, if they are at least from the right socio economic situation, will play the game well enough to get to college so they can either wash out there or get some degree that says they are smart enough to at least slide through.
Im sure every teacher on here can give me a whole list of exceptions where they changed a childs life but across the board thats the sad fact.
Emerge–And there you have the other extreme. 🙂 Unfortunately, there is truth in what Stephen says. I would never be able to take credit for being the one influence that turned a child’s life around, but I do think I was a part of a “team” effort at Roosevelt Jr. High and then at Manual that did just that–and made it all worthwhile. And, I believe, that is still happening and that teachers are still giving of themselves to an effort that pays off.
Scott F. said:
“… you spend a lot of enerergy defending the ones that are causing most of the problems in not just District 150 but the whole city of Peoria”
Really? Exactly who are “the ones” that you think I spend so much “enerergy” defending Scott?
Scott F.–The truth is that I have seldom read anything that has led me to believe that Emerge defends bad behavior on the part of students. I gave her a harder time than usual because of the last series of posts. I probably tend to believe that Emerge puts more burden on teachers than they can bear–however, she isn’t alone–it’s the conventional wisdom that teachers can solve all these problems–maybe a backhanded compliment. I wish we could, but I think reality proves otherwise. A 150 BOE member (David Gorenz) wrote to me that these are societal problems–the implication being that they can’t be resolved. That might be so–but 150 certainly expects teachers to put up with problems that evidently can’t be resolved.
Emerge: what would you do if you were the teacher in a classroom of 1st graders and a 6 year old called you a filthy name because he had been asked not to choke another child? I don’t know about you, but I am only ONE person in a room full of children. My contract is for imparting knowledge not making snap psychological examinations on my students. Tell me, how do I garner the support of a parent who would rather call me a M-F B, than come to the school and have a conference with me and her child? This is not an isolated case. These situations are DAILY occurances in many classrooms in this district. You are quick to criticize me, but WHAT WOULD YOU DO that hasn’t already been done?
It pays off maybe for the teacher on a personal level maybe for the small handful of students that you really make a difference to, but most districts like 150 that largely are made up of students in poverty and high crime neighborhoods its really just a crap shoot who is going to come out with any sort of education.
Thats the reason why district 150 is failing on so many levels. Why move to a place with a terrible school district, Im not blaming teachers but the schools are not competitive, when you can move to Farmington or Brimfield or Elmwood or Dunlap or a private school and not deal with the garbage of 150.
Stephen–I should stop responding to this series of posts, but when someone talks about the “garbage” of 150, I have to let everyone know that–if you are referring to humanbeings–I must object. The drug trade, I believe, is very much an important factor in the problems facing the inner city public school. The irony, of course, is that the sellers live in these neighborhoods–for the most part–but their buyers live in some of the best neighborhoods and in areas surrounding Peoria (in locations to which many have “escaped.” Therefore, I believe this societal problem belongs to everyone. You might not have a next door neighbor who sells drugs, but you might very well live next door to someone who buys them from the sellers whose children go to 150 schools–or buys them from 150 students themselves. There has to be some logical explanation as to why so many of these problems have surfaced in the last 30 years–the answer I believe is the lucrative drug trade.
Sharon I live a neighborhood that is struggling with both buyers and sellers of drugs. I live in a neighborhood where crime is a real problem. When I say garbage I mean the drugs, alcohol, violance the politics of the school board all the issues that you rant about on this blog. Why waste my childs time sending them to an underperforming school that has very little to offer. I know you have problems in any school but the concentration of it appears to be in 150.
There is an easy answer: why work at the gas station when I can sell pot and make six times the return in a week.
Yerly–Thanks for clarifying–just wanted to be sure. I think if the truth be known many of us live in neighborhoods with both buyers and sellers. Also, I agree that parents definitely should find the best place for their children–and 150 should be working much, much harder to make its schools better than they are–I don’t think they are trying. My focus will continue to be a thorn in 150’s side–and hopefully someone will listen. The alternative school has to be first on the agenda. I know that Martha Ross wants something–not sure what she envisions–but I think she sees a place where kids can quickly become rehabilitated and sent back to regular school. I don’t think the solution will be that easy. For some kids, the non-traditional or alternative school will have to be a final destination until of if they prepare themselves for junior college. This country offers many second chances–the public school should be the first (not the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th).
Oh my gosh Sharon! You say you don’t want the little 6 year old in your life to be in with kids like Help Me Out Here (HMOH) has to deal with, but according to your protests against choice schools, I guess you must believe it is o.k. for other students with promise to sit and suffer in HMOH’s class. I am sure HMOH is a fine teacher but I am betting the child she described is just but one of many in her classroom that comes to school, ill prepared to learn. My heart aches for the students/parents in HMOH’s school that try to do the right thing and want more for their children and are trapped in such a learning environment.
I understand that stricter discipline measures (not cookies) are needed in the schools, but it is not going to cure the child that HMOH described, particularly given his parentage. It is deep rooted social problems that have created much of the trouble that exists in District 150 classrooms and the eradication of those problems will take time. Those students present and accounted for and ready to learn should not have to hurry up and wait for the system to right itself. These students deserve the choice to move to a different school environment NOW.
I was reading the post on Franklin vs. Glen Oak regarding test scores, and it is rumored that the old principal at Franklin would ‘adjust’ ISAT scores. It is also well known that the teachers prep the students before taking benchmarks. This way they are familiar with the questions/answers prior to taking the test…I am assuming this is done to ‘prove’ that the students are showing progress. Take a look at what happens in the Edison schools, behind closed doors, before throwing out data because it isn’t always the most honest data.
Frustrated: Haven’t I always be conflicted on this subject? I disagree with you only when you want the one thing to happen but not the other. I have no objection to Washington Gifted or the IB program, but they shouldn’t replace efforts to improve the other schools. I don’t want the charter school–and don’t bother to argue about that because it’s wasted effort; there will be a charter school. I think I have always said that I don’t blame parents for seeking safer learning environments–that would include the parents of the children in my life–that’s why the oldest daughter went to Washington and is now in the IB program. So far the 6-year-old has a very good situation at Whittier–he is thriving there. I just continue to say that 150 should concentrate on discipline in all the schools because I continue to believe that having the “escape” routes can only last so long–the bad practices will infiltrate even the best schools. Change will require a new mindset–I hope that’s still possible. There will soon be just three high schools–all three should have enriched classes. Maybe not AP, but, at least, enriched. Manual is just about to chase away many of its better students (and most have already gone). 150 will have to move quickly to save Manual or it will be better off closed. Certainly, in its present condition, no Woodruff students should be forced into the Johns Hopkins curriculum.
Boo Hoo…wow. I’m not even sure where to start. “Adjusting” ISAT scores. That’s quite the allegation. Prove it. You might not like my data, but it’s more trustworthy than your suppositions.
By the way…have you ever heard of No Child Left Behind? It’s that cruddy piece of educational legislation that has most teachers in most schools teaching toward their state test. Every 3rd grader in every school takes practice tests for ISAT. That’s (unfortunately) the nature of the beast these days.
FYI, there’s no way that Edison teachers are using benchmarks to somehow familiarize students with ISAT test questions. ISAT tests are state generated, benchmarks aren’t. Do a bit of research before letting your conspiracy theories wreak havoc with your reasoning. Benchmarks help find out where students need support. They have nothing directly to do with the test and results from these aren’t reported to the public to demonstrate anything. Benchmarks exist to help teachers inform instructional decisions on an individual basis for their students.
You say it’s “rumored” that ISAT scores were adjusted. I don’t believe it. I have more respect for the past and present Edison principals to even conceive of that as anything but an uninformed smear put forth in an effort to harm reputations. I AM in at least one of the Edison schools most days and I’ve found that they don’t do anything behind closed doors. They’re happy to share their successes with anyone that is interested in being part of an educational model that’s doing great things in D150.
Much of this reminds me of a Stephen Colbert quote:
“I’m not a fan of facts. You see, the facts can change, but my opinion will never change, no matter what are the facts.” 🙂
JC and Jon–I agree–I don’t believe that manipulating these scores is a believable assumption. However, I do believe there is a possibility that the schools find some way to keep certain students from taking the test–transferring them at the right moment could be a “workable” solution. That allegation would require some proof which shouldn’t be too hard to come by. Jon, facts aren’t as easily identified. Recently, I have heard way too many statistics presented as facts–how those statistics are obtained can easily taint the truth of the numbers. Graduation rates and class size average come to mind.
Speech Contest: We attended state speech contest last Friday night for the sixth consecutive year. We encourage our girls to participate in this event, but in the end, it is their choice. Friday was the first time in six years we have experienced such disregard for other participants (and their parents) by allowing late arrivers to enter the room during a session…while my daughter and her partner were in the middle of their speech. Not only did the judge and coach allow it, parents encouraged it by frantically waving in the child and his family. Our grade school principal once spoke to the parents about teaching kids to be a good audience. What is going on with these rude people who are training their children to be rude? By the way, the offenders were NOT D150 parents or any other local public school. I just wanted to get this off my chest and since behavior has been a hot topic on this blog, it seemed relevant. Should we send a letter of concern to the school who offended? Or to the state speech person? What would you do?
1.) Ask the former union president about the allegations against the former principal. Three teachers caught her in the act-yet nothing was done.
2.) Benchmarks are aligned the the state standards-as is ISAT
3.) It may not be something Franklin teachers like to brag about,however during my few years there, I was told to prep the kids for benchmarks by going over the questions before giving the test so the scores would go up and it would look like they were making progress
4.) I find it hard to believe anything from a person who has respect for a principal that allows guns and knives to be brought into the building, and parents to assault their teachers.
You may be at Franklin frequently, but unless you are there everyday and see first-hand what goes on in that building you have nothing to say.
BooHoo–I’m not sure I understand (that doesn’t mean doubt because I know sometimes strange things happen at schools seeking to look good) how the NCLB scores could be changed. Just asking–only because I would hope that safeguards are in place to avoid test tampering. I suppose tests could be pulled out. However, I thought the test booklets and tests are numbered to prevent even getting rid of tests.
I don’t think teaching to the test the week or days before is illegal–I’m sure it was done at Manual.
What was tonight’s board meeting about:
1. SELF-EVALUATION 2(c) 16 – Self-evaluation, practices and procedures of professional ethics, when meeting with a representative of a statewide association of which the public body is a member.
What does that mean?
BooHoo,
By former union president you mean the guy that stands up at every board meeting telling everyone how bad Edison is, the guy who has sued the school district, the guy who browbeat the district into signing the union contract that has put it in its current financial crisis? A credible source I’m sure….
“Teaching to the test” is the biggest gripe about the whole No Child Left Behind fiasco! Everyone does it in every public school nationwide because those test scores determine if the school is making adequate progress. Teachers are forced by administrations to “teach to the test” at the expense of all of those other things that make for a rounded education like music, PE, foreign language, etc. If the school doesn’t make that progress then you get reorganization and all that. So yes, everyone teaches to the test, even Edison. Edison however, has obviously found a way to do it better AND include stuff like the foreign language, music, computers, etc.
I really don’t know how someone would adjust ISAT scores when they are graded at the state level. Do you know how ridiculous that sounds? So you adjust scores for 400 kids or something, every year? Look at the data, its a pretty consistent rise over time. There’s a conspiracy theory for you. Of course, with our former governor running things, I must admit the possibility might have existed!
I’ve been in Franklin very infrequently, and I don’t know about Sharon or JC, or Jon, but I have a lot to say! I thought that was the whole point of blogs, to voice uninformed opinions!
Edison schools are working, and have been for the past 10 years. They’ve convinced me. And the price? Cheap. In this District, I’d pay twice as much for something that works half as well for those kids. How can you argue with the results? I think Edison should be expanded drastically. Surely there would be even more efficiency (reduced cost per student) with more Edison schools? I say we go whole hog behind a program that actually works. Reinforce success.
Peace.
Boo Hoo…you say that if I’m not at Franklin daily I don’t know what happens there, and thus, my opinions are meaningless. What a pile of bologna. I never said that I was at Franklin everyday. I worked there for 1 year. I am at Northmoor everyday of the school week as a parent… I’ve worked at non-Edison schools full time. I’ve served the District in many different capacities. All in all, I have a very comprehensive D150 point of view, regardless of your feelings on the matter. The fact that my experiences at Franklin are different than yours doesn’t make my opinion less valid.
I do have to say that I find it curious that when a school with a majority of low income, high-minority student enrollment does well and succeeds beyond expectations, allegations such as yours emerge. It happened with Harrison in the 90s, Whittier, and now Franklin. I wonder why its so inconceivable that kids that have struggled in the past could exceed expectations? There are AMPLE protections in place to prevent ISAT test tampering. Due to the ramifications for funding if schools are caught engaged in such practices, I would have to strongly believe that no evidence was found at Franklin if no disciplinary action was taken. Again…you show me proof and we’ll talk. Otherwise…your words are suppositions only and harmful ones at that.
As for benchmarks, I think you’re off base. Benchmarks are “in house” tools to chart student learning in order to individualize instruction. The idea is to find out the skill level of individual students in different curricular areas to support learning. Results from these benchmarks exist to help teachers and chart student progress, but they aren’t reported anywhere for measuring AYP at the state level. “Prepping” students for success on benchmarks would be a meaningless task…and would sabotage the efforts of teachers as they seek to fill in skills that students are missing. And who would schools be making students look good for, potentially? Their own teachers? What good would it do to inflate benchmark results if ISAT scores didn’t go up as well? What you’re saying doesn’t make sense to me at all…
FYI for any of you that care: it is quite possible to ERASE wrong answers and bubble in the correct answers(thus, burning the midnight oil). Besides that, imagine walking into a classroom unexpectedly and finding a teacher (reg. division) READING the reading portion of the ISAT test to a Special Education student(only two people in the room)…..TOTALLY ILLEGAL! These actions happened……and they are STILL happening in D150 and no doubt other districts too. Sadly, by trying to make your school/scores look better, you end up making others look bad (who are not cheating). Until all school administrators and politicians understand that the NCLB Act doesn’t work, these games(!) will continue.
Qui… I don’t think Boo Hoo was referring to Terry Knapp; I believe she was probably speaking about Scott Schiefling, the previous union president. Remember that Northmoor was a success before Edison and that Loucks Edison failed miserably and that Rolling Acres Edison must not be that great because no one ever even mentions it. I am not at all convinced that anyone is tampering with NCLB scores in 150–however, standardized test tampering has been known to happen, so don’t try to make it out to be that farfetched. Where there’s a will, there’s a way–there’s always a way to work the system. As to Terry Knapp’s lawsuit–do you even know what it was about? I hope Manual principals heed the warning given at the last BOE meeting (not by Terry) because they are coming very close to finding themselves in a similar position of violating their teachers’ freedom of speech. I am hearing repeated “rumors” from various people that the principals are telling teachers that they are to speak only positively about Manual and the Johns Hopkins program. The negatives are becoming too great to be ignored.
JC, your “I would have to strongly believe that no evidence was found at Franklin if no disciplinary action was taken.” That’s a bit naive–this is District 150 about which you speak.
data/research and Boo Hoo–I stand corrected as to my disbelief that it couldn’t happen in 150–of course, it could.
Sharon: Do you know what tonight’s board meeting was regarding ?
Strong: No, only what was on agenda. The state or some other organization does occasionally come to evaluate 150 and, I suppose, the board. Maybe the BOE was getting their ducks in a row. 🙂
So, let me get this straight – 10 years of “correcting” ISAT scores by administrators and teachers, presumably working at night, writing with their left hands to make the answers look childlike, madly erasing and filling in bubbles…. For each of the 10 years that the school has shown progress? Seriously? You don’t think that sounds a little ridiculous??
Using Occams razor here, maybe, just maybe – bear with me here, maybe EDISON IS WORKING!
Nah, much easier to believe in teachers dressed in ninja suits skulking through the halls with piles of Dixon Ticonderoga #2s up their sleeves.
Edison is working–no, teachers are working–and they could do just as well without Edison.
That’s not what the test scores are saying. Quiz: Which school in District #150 won the national blue ribbon school award in 2008 (one of only 7 in the state – look it up on ed.gov). Answer: Northmoor Edison.
Hey, I know there are lots of excellent teachers in District #150, working against terrible odds. I’m not minimizing that at all. I’m saying Edison works. You can spin it any way you want, but the Edison schools are performing better than the rest.
That’s the basic fact: Edison is working.
Qui….no matter what, in the eyes of a union die-hard, Edison never has worked in Peoria and it never will. That is okay in my book. Competition is healthy and Edison continues to give families in the district an option.
I also agree that we have great teachers all across District 150, but my lingering question for the past number of years still remains…….if District 150 can do Edison without Edison – why isn’t it? Why hasn’t the PFT, for example, designed and implemented a pilot program in a school with similar demographics to any of the current Edison schools? If that school can deliver comparable outcomes to one of the Edison schools, while being under constant scrutiny and judgment from taxpayers as the Edison schools have had to endure from their own union representation, I will agree that the district can do Edison without Edison.
Qui–And one year since NCLB Whittier (a non-Edison school with a large % of poverty) won the same award. Why would I have to look it up–do you think I just came on the scene? 🙂 You say the Edison schools (plural) are working well. Did Franklin win a blue ribbon–no, but scores are good. You still haven’t answered me about Rolling Acres. Check out the 2008 scores–there are several schools doing as well or better than Edison. Columbia and Woodrow Wilson are competitive with Franklin Edison. Charter Oak outdid Northmoor Edison and other schools are competitive (Thomas Jefferson, Lindbergh). It appears that Edison is working–but is it working $800,000 better than Charter Oak–no! The union represents Edison teachers, also–it was the union that negotiated the contract that allows Edison to be paid more for working longer days. Do you think the Edison teachers would be as happy working at Edison without the extra pay?
Carrie, Wow! When did the BOE ever indicate that they would allow the teachers’ union to pilot a program in District 150–or to run a school? I don’t think you know much about chain of command and who has the authority to administer and run programs and schools. Of course, the reason that 150 isn’t operating without Edison is that the BOE won’t vote Edison out. Jim Stowell is continually challenging the administration and BOE to go it alone without Edison. And, while I haven’t joined in the suggestion before, there is also that former Edison employee who is now the superintendent of schools–perhaps his influence has something to do with keeping Edison. All of you forget how many families 150 lost when Edison came in–that did cause an exodus out of 150. Edison has cost 150 more than just the $800,000 a year (x 10 years). Now the district has chosen another company (Johns Hopkins) to do its work and to put out more than $200,000 a year. District 150 can’t afford to contract out any more programs and/or schools. Those are “luxuries” that the district can’t continue to provide.
Also, Whittier and Northmoor had the same reading score in 2008: 83.6. Where is the $800,000 difference? Please be honest; that amount of money should show more of a competitive edge.
Sharon, here’s the $800,000 difference. It’s in the trend over time, not the one shot view that you’ve presented.
From 2000-08, Whittier has increased their ISAT scores by a respectable 10%. Great for them, indeed. BUT, in that same time frame, Franklin’s scores have gone up by 24% and Northmoor’s by 20%. No other D150 schools have made those same gains. You might see that Northmoor and Whittier have ended up in the same place, but the Edison program and the teachers there that are strongly behind it’s methods and curriculum have helped students at the Edison primary schools make more than double the progress in the same time.
Look, I know I’m not going to change your mind. You don’t like Edison. But, I will continue to strongly argue that the program is very effective for Peoria and data backs me up. It’s not enough to say that you don’t like it. You’ve asked for proof, and I’ve been able to provide it over and over again from different sources. You just don’t like my numbers, but it doesn’t make them wrong!
What in the world is wrong with allowing choice schools in Peoria? What exactly is the threat? Parents love them (lower mobility in Edison schools than others of comparable demographics) and are very involved. Why couldn’t a charter school work the same way? Why shouldn’t Peoria give it a try. Doing the same thing for every student in the same way is NOT effective. Period.
JCF: plain and simple- NO MONEY! We have been hearing since 2002 that D150 is going to replicate the Edison program….do you have any idea how much money they have spent, yet we still do not see it? Example: You need a car but you only have X dollars to spend, so, do you buy a used Honda or a brand spanking new 2010 fully loaded Cadillac? This district is overextending, outspending, and downright fiscally irresponsible to this community, children included.