Anyone else get the idea that District 150 is just making things up as they go along?
Grading Policy
I didn’t get a chance to see last night’s school board meeting, but according to the Journal Star, the district’s administration defended their new grading scale:
“For students who have made an effort . . . the lowest grade we’re asking teachers to give students is 50, however, there are students who are not making an effort, they are not turning in complete assignments or not turning in assignments at all – certainly zeros or other grades below 50 are appropriate and can be entered into the grading system,” Chumbley said, adding the administration looked at ways students were “not always put in that hole of not being able to climb out.”
So, say you have two students, and each of them gets two questions out of ten correct on an assignment. According to Mr. Chumbley, the teacher could give one of those students a 20% and the other a 50%, depending on whether the teacher thought the student was putting forth sufficient effort. Thus, even though both students did the same work, one of them will get a higher score than he earned. At this point, grades cease to reflect what the student has actually learned, which was, I thought, the whole point of grading. And pity the poor student who tries real hard and gets only five out of ten questions correct; he doesn’t get any extra credit for effort. He gets a 50 just like the kid who tried real hard and only got two questions correct. The less you achieve, the more benefit you receive.
Hinton chimed in, too:
While backing the new grading procedures, Superintendent Ken Hinton also described it as “a work in progress.”
“Once you give many children a zero in regards to their work, it shuts them down. In other words, they know there’s no way to recover,” Hinton said. “And so what we’re doing, we’re trying to do, is reach a happy medium, keep expectations as such that you have the responsibility of doing your work to the best of your ability while at same time recognizing that if you don’t do your work, the zero is still there.”
Administrative procedures are not voted on by the School Board, but Hinton said alterations can be made to incorporate board concerns.
There’s no way to recover? Have extra-credit assignments been banned from District 150? How are expectations kept high when you’re giving extra credit to those doing substandard work for no other reason than “we don’t want to discourage them”? But best of all, this grading system which has already been implemented is a “work in progress,” and “alterations can be made.” So maybe halfway through the year, they’ll change the grading scale again.
Year-Round School?
Meanwhile, the district is now suggesting Lincoln Middle School switch to a year-round schedule. And this is a bit confusing: the Journal Star says it was presented that this would be “a pilot program for year-round schooling.” However, WMBD-TV reported: “Hinton says the school day will mimic the new Glen Oak and Harrison Schools when they open: 45 days of school, 15 days off and so on…” A “pilot” is “something that serves as a model or a basis for making copies.” But if the proposed Lincoln schedule is supposed to be mimicking the schedule at two other schools, it’s not a “pilot.”
Of course, “no costs of the pilot program were presented Monday night.” That’s just as well, since you can’t trust any cost estimates coming from the administration. Although no costs were presented for changing Lincoln, there were other costs presented:
One stumbling block administrators foresee in making more schools in the district year-round is air conditioning. Many buildings don’t have air. It could cost about $6 million to put air in each high school, for example.
So we have a plan to pilot year-round school, but we know that if we actually go to year-round school district-wide, it’s going to cost millions of dollars to put A/C in existing buildings. And the district is so financially-strapped, they’re closing schools. But they’re going to consider changing the schedule in such a way that they’ll have to spend millions of dollars to accommodate it.
Speaking of closing schools…
The district still doesn’t have a plan for closing Woodruff. They just know they’re going to close it. Who knows where the kids will go next year? Who knows how much it will actually save? What will happen to the Woodruff building?
One group is tired of the District’s “shoot first, ask questions later” policy. They’re going to file an injunction against closing the school unless D150 comes up with a plan by the next school board meeting.
Ah, the travails of the improvised school district.
our esteemed schizophrenic czar, Hinton needs to go. Not in 8 months, now!
Hinton says “work in progress,” and “alterations can be made.” I think the district as a whole is a work in progress, though it appears very little progress is being made. As far a “alterations can be made”. Shipping Hinton out early is the alteration that needs to be made.
Everyone has got to get in touch with the board members and demand that they put a stop to Mr. Hinton. He can’t handle what is before him. Let’s make an attempt to provide answers to all the unanswered questions before throwing out another poorly thought out proposal without a plan. Our board members have got to stop the “deer in the headlight” stares and address the problem.
Now come on District 150 administration, what have you REALLY done here to help students? What have you done to ultimately help your own image?
Extra credit?? Are you crazy? We can’t ask these poor kids to EARN their grade. The sooner they learn to feel entitled the better. Why delay the inevitable?
All of this makes me SO glad I don’t teach in Disctict 150. What a mess! They ARE just improvising as they go along – and they’re not doing a very good job of it.
Both the grade policy and year-round school topics were cause enough for frustration. However, I made a speech about lower academic standards and discipline in 150–and I contended that both are the cause of families taking students out of 150 schools and the root cause of the decision to close a high school. A teacher who spoke after me–and, fortunately, was allowed to speak considerably beyond the time limit–spoke eloquently and with many examples about the serious discipline problems he experienced while a teacher at Loucks-Edison. I hope you all get a chance to hear his speech. Both of us made the point that administrators often–quite often–blame the teachers for the behavior of students and that teachers are told to overlook discipline problems because of the conditions of poverty, etc., with which students have to contend. I will eventually relisten to Hinton’s remarks to quote his exact words, but in his lengthy harangue on the subject of discipline, he definitely put the blame squarely on the shoulders of teachers and certainly, I believe, indicated that 150 would not be taking any measures to improve the discipline situation. Of all the meetings that I have attended over the last two years, this one beyond a doubt revealed how very, very out of touch this superintendent is. Jeff Adkins-Dutro spoke about the list that he and I compiled (as a union officer he requested the info from teachers) concerning the supplies that have not yet been given to teachers–and probably won’t be given. Usually by now teachers receive a $100 credit card with which to buy supplies. When that practice began, most of us used the money to buy items such as globes, etc., to enhance our teaching. Now teachers are forced to use it to buy ink for their school printers. For the most part, teachers are obligated to pay for most of the ink cartridges they use during the year. This year teachers have not yet received either the ink or the credit cards, which should, I have been told, have been issued by Mary Davis. But, alas, she is not available. I know that Manual teachers have been given 4 reams of computer paper that was supposed to last for the whole semester. That’s 2000 sheets of paper. Most high school teachers have well over 100 students (that would be only 20 per 5 classes); that means that the teacher has only 20 pieces of paper for assignments, tests, etc. per semester (from August through December). I certainly would like to know how much paper and ink is used on Wisconsin Avenue and how many employees there have to pay for their own ink cartridges. After the meeting Laura kindly told Jeff about the possibility of getting paper from some group of lawyers. I believe the district should indeed look for such sources of paper; however, I don’t believe the teachers should be responsible for scouting out these supplies. I know that at Whittier the 1st graders (maybe all grades) were asked to bring 1 ream of paper as part of their required supplies for the year.
Sharon I know that last year, the Von Steuben children were asked to each contribute a ream of paper in exchange for a “uniform free pass.” I would expect that same request to happen again at Von Steuben very shortly.
We have reached the point that even if Hinton came up a with a brilliant idea no one would pay attention. Why is this guy still babbling? His departure is long overdue.
if you can’t dazzle them with your brilliance, baffle them with your Bullsh*t!
A clever man wrote in another thread:
The trick to being in public service… ha!… is to LOOK BUSY. Look like you are doing stuff and you can always rationalize it later… or apologize. Doesn’t matter how stupid, pointless, wasteful or dangerous it is… just do stuff and then you can always say… “Well, we had faulty intelligence.”
Wouldn’t Lincoln Middle School be considered a “pilot” for year round schooling for middle schools?
How about using Lindbergh as the “pilot” school? why does every pilot happen to schools “below” the hill?
Lindbergh was the pilot school for fraud.
Peoriafan: thanks! that is the best laugh I have had in quite a while. Infact, I was recentltold that Md is still running the schoolthrough her trusty? library clerk…
Emerge asks: “Wouldn’t Lincoln Middle School be considered a ‘pilot’ for year round schooling for middle schools?”
I have to admit, that thought never entered my mind, since I see nothing more than a notional difference between primary and middle schools. But perhaps you’re right. In fact, maybe the distinction is even more acute. Perhaps this is a “pilot” of only sixth-through-eighth-grade, non-Edison middle schools located below the bluff. Next year, Lindbergh could be the “pilot” of fifth-through-eighth-grade, non-Edison schools located above the bluff.
“Lindbergh could be the “pilot” of fifth-through-eighth-grade, non-Edison schools located above the bluff…” beginning with the letter “L”.
Scruff says (sarcastically): “We can’t ask these poor kids to EARN their grade.”
How is completing an extra credit assignment not earning one’s grade? You have to do extra work to bring up your grade with extra credit assignments. Under the current grading policy, you don’t have to do any extra work to raise your average; extra points are simply given to you for free.
With regard to the grade policy. I just reread the FOIAd “Summary Report on Grading Committee” One sentence states, “The discussions were intense because individual teachers have very strong opinions about their personal grading practices. Consensus was very difficult on several specific key issues, i.e., the use of grades, percentages, or total points to determine grades; the use of zeros; grading suspended students; grading late work; and grading students with unexcused absences. There was consensus on other key issues, however. Following are the recomendations that the committee reached consensus:” (Note that phrase is as it was written–I don’t believe it expresses a complete thought). There is nothing on this “document” that indicates when it was written since the last meeting of the teacher committee was on March 19, 2008 (over a year ago)–I was given all the agendas of all the meetings. Let me say right now that I have much difficullty accepting any decision made by consensus–I remember how “consensus” was achieved at Manual. Anyway, of the 7 items that were supposedly agreed on by consensus, there is absolutely no mention of or any hint of 40 or 50 (or any other number) becoming the new zero. That was the one point that Laura argued about last night, and Chumbley, who was doing the presenting, made statements to the effect that this policy was the result of the decisions of a committee of teachers–I don’t think so! I definitely believe that final decision to make 50 a zero (and it was originally communicated to teachers-[-after school started this year–as 40) was made by a group of administrators who may have been led to believe that it was a “teacher” decision.
I have a VCR tape of the meeting if anyone wants to borrow it. With a lot of effort I could make a DVD of it, but it would take all day to study the manual on my digital VCR/DVD recorder to figure out how to do it.
I also have a VCR tape of the Sept. 21 meeting, a classic with 90 minutes of community comments asking the board not to close Woodruff. (So much for what the public wants!)
It would be terrific if someone would put one or both on a website for all to see.
Elaine Hopkins
ehopkins7@prodigy.net
Teacher supplies: As you know, the district appears very reluctant to provide printer ink and copy paper (and more importantly toner for copy machines in the offices); some teachers have been told to use overhead projectors (as I was told to do in my last few years of teaching). Now some teachers are being told that the district will not “be able” to buy lightbulbs for the overhead projectors–that’s makes them unusable–now what???
SO TRUE Sharon: I know for a fact that some teachers were told that there were no light bulbs for overheads prior to ISAT last year. So, not only were teachers buying cartridges, and paper, they were also expected to buy their own overhead light bulbs. Some classrooms in the district have no printers. Teachers use borrowed computers that are at least 10 years old, no overheads, and certainly no smartboards. And this is all occurring at the “better school”. But yet consultants are still hired, people are put on endless paid administrative leave, and fantastic additions are constructed at the superior schools. Makes sense!
Hey Peoria Fan: I think that pilot school for fraud is still flying high and New Pilot is in training, but I am not sure for what.
I know that I personally contributed two old printers to Manual–they probably died long ago. I am almost to the point where I believe that all teachers should not spend one more nickle on supplies for at least a year and that they should take home all supplies and extras bought with their own money–including bulletin boards materials. I know that I would have had trouble doing that–because teaching is very difficult without all these extras. I bought boxes of paper–but couldn’t use them any way because we weren’t allowed more copies because the the toner for the office copy machines was too expensive. I’m anxious to see what furniture and equipment will be placed in the new Glen Oak and Harrison. It would certainly be a jolt to walk into a beautiful new building with all the old furniture inside–would defeat the whole idea that the beauty will enhance learning. 150 can’t afford the new technology–back to the old ditto machines. 🙂 I think at school board meetings the agendas should be put on the overhead projectors instead of being run off on expensive paper with ink–I hate to see 150 administrators having to pay for their own ink and paper–same with all the volumes of information on paper they pass out to board members and to teachers, etc
“back to the old ditto machines”
great idea. oh, what i’d pay to get a smell of those old handouts. i can still feel the wetness of the paper.
“think at school board meetings the agendas should be put on the overhead projectors”
this too is a good idea.
my so took a job at a school this school year. some of you may remember me from my griping last spring. i still believe that d150 is the most poorly managed corporation in illinois or anywhere i’ve ever encountered, that’s its criminal and evil what is occurring, and that the problems go beyond what anyone can be expected to correct.
in the last few weeks at manual, a pregnant teenager has been in a classroom fight, a mother went into the lunch room and beat up her son, and a student slapped/pushed a biology/chemistry teacher.
the latter incident will likely go before the board, where mama ross will roll her eyes at those silly admins and state matter of factly ‘they know not what they do…’
Ed said: and the problems go beyond what anyone can be expected to correct.
So are we all just pi$$ing in the wind here, Ed? What are your suggestions?
“What are your suggestions?”
give up. move. as long as there is no vision held by those in power to effect it, the insanity will continue.
I have a friend at Manual. I have heard that there have been teachers that have walked out in the past 3 weeks and not returned. The fights have been unbelievable. ed it is sad to say, but you are so right. “As long as there is no vision held by those in power, the insanity will continue.”
I just heard Hinton saying that “research shows” giving a student a zero makes them give up… I contend any student who gets a zero already has given up, AND any teacher that gives a student a zero, who is trying, is no teacher.
Re: air-conditioning the schools. I think that would be an excellent use of the districts funds. It’s difficult for both students and teachers to concentrate in a hot, stifling classroom. I believe Pekin District 108 has now finished air conditioning all their grade schools, and it will allow for fewer days on the “heat” schedule at the beginning of the year. It also increases the district’s options for summer activities. Like closing a high school, air conditioning all the schools in the district is something that should have been done ages ago.
It’s also not exactly fair to compare the cost of air conditioning the schools to the savings from closing a high school. Putting in air conditioning is mostly a one-time capital expenditure, although certainly there would be ongoing maintenance and usage costs.
kcdad: Manual signed an MOU with the union, so they can hire some (not sure about the subject areas) can hire non-certified teachers. I think it’s time for you to go to Manual and prove us all wrong. 🙂 You know that you and I part company when you blame teachers and label them as failures when students do not do their work. How do you propose teaching students who cannot read at grade level–that is one of the main problems at Manual–probably one of the causes of the discipline problems–but not an excuse for the discipline problems. However, you did give the teachers an out–I would probably agree that teachers will not give a student who is trying a zero–but maybe not an automatic 50.
Matthew, you are right, of course. Teaching suffers during the first and last months of the school year. The heat zaps everyone’s energy and teachers can’t talk over the fans (but students can say all sorts of things that can’t be heard over the fans). I just heard a rumor–that Sharon Kherat, Manual’s principal, might apply for the job of superintendent. I don’t know if she has the right credentials. But Taunya Jenkins, Manual’s assistant principal, has been working on those credentials–she may have them.
Ed says “its criminal and evil what is occurring, and that the problems go beyond what anyone can be expected to correct”
I could not agree with you more. They need to clean house starting with Hinton.
Sharon,
I’m not sure the district would survive with Taunya Jenkins at the helm. Remember, she is the one that had to account for all of that money for the RMS field trip to Virginia? I’m not sure how that ever turned out. It does fall into the district way of keeping people employed (that shouldn’t be) without fear of lawsuits and such. Think MD.
As far as your comments to kcdad, I would LOVE to teach at Manual. I absolutely believe that I can make difference there. I chose to be a teacher specifically, so that I can work in the inner city, public schools. They must have all the teachers they need because there are no job postings and the ones that they did have did not even warrant a call for an interview from me. Guess they really don’t want teachers that might actually give a damn about the students and their success in high school.
That is my rant, for now.
BAM–No, it wouldn’t survive–just didn’t want to be the first to say it. Whatever you would plan to do at Manual right now, you most likely wouldn’t be allowed to do it.
I think it would be a horrible mistake for District 150 to promote from within for superintendent. With good reason, many parents in the district would be deeply suspicious of anyone connected with the current administration. D150 needs a highly qualified, bright, talented and – most importantly – energetic new superintendent to replace Hinton. I don’t someone from within can provide that spark, even someone with the reputation of Sharon Kherat. I think she’s where she needs to be at Manual. They need her there.
Choosing a new superintendent is probably the most important decision that the school board will be making this year. Yes, I include the decision to close Woodruff in that statement. I believe that this is a critical tipping point for D150. With Hinton’s upcoming retirement, there’s an opportunity to begin forging a new direction for the district. If the school board chooses the right person for the job, D150 could start on the road to recovery.
Did anyone else see this from the 9/21/09 Board mtng minutes?
“Mr. Stowell stated that he would like to know what is being done, what steps, if any, legally can be done to possibly get the city government more oversight into the school district?”
Is Mr Stowell admitting the district and Board needs help? Is he hinting that he believes Hinton can’t effectively oversee the operations of the district without outside help?
Any thoughts?
Jim, would you like to elaborate?
SavePeoria – I was told Sunday night by a group of teachers that Manual teachers regularly answer to “Hey Bitch”. Past Principals have told them to overlook it because it is a “cultural” thing. You could have knocked me over with a feather. Hmmm, wonder how that would go over at a job interview? How is this insanity allowed to continue?
Keith, I saw it live – it was right at the end of the board meeting after the vote to close Woodruff. “Needs help” is putting it mildly. I think Jim was ticked at the fact Ross and Parker made it clear they were not going to vote for any school despite what he and others saw as a necessity to do something to address the financial woes and that Hinton made a pretty poor argument for Woodruff and didn’t consider much of anything else. The blind leading the blind, to some degree. I think he sees it as 1. The administration is inept and 2. As such, the board needs to be more proactive but many members can’t, so 3. City, please, come take control of this mess. The comment might have been borne out of a moment of frustration, but should be considered nonetheless. Lastly, and this is total conjecture, but I think there might be discussions about terminating Hinton now, going with an interim like Durflinger or Butts, but that again, the board and administration can’t seem to make anything happen.
Diane: Present principals at Manual are following in the footsteps of previous Manual administrators–actually, they are taking it one step farther to total destruction.
first of all, the board needs to grow some coconuts. hinton works for them, not the other way around. Next, accept that the current administration is corrupt because, it IS! clean house now and immediately look for replacements and I mean only needed replacements.
We can only hope that the new super will be some sort of magical wizard, however, we know that is highly unlikely. I can only hope and pray that this person will come in and thoroughly clean house and start with a new slate. They are at the bottom of the barrel up there on Wisconsin Avenue. The only way to begin climbing out from the bottom of the barrel is to start with a fresh regime. I have repeatedly asked the question over and over and over, “Where in the world are the city leaders, business owners, and community leaders?” I don’t think anything from closing a school to implementing a new grading scale, or starting a pilot program with Lincoln as a year round school, should even be proposed let alone voted on until the new super is hired. I know the board members read these blogs. Please don’t accept any further proposals from administration fellow board members. The madness has got to stop PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sharon, I had to chuckle when I read one of your earlier posts about Mary Davis being incharge of the teachers yearly credit cards. Maybe there is another reason why they havent been distributed to the teachers. hmmmmm
I thought I would share this message to me from David Gorenz:
“Please do not exaggerate the proposal. No where does it state that 50 is the new 0. Rather it states that if students do not turn in an assignment on time or miss tests because of a suspension they have the opportunity to make up the work and possibly receieve a 50 or less rather than a 0
Discipline is a very complicated issue. We expel and suspend many students on a monthly basis. It will take multiple strategies. One of the most absurb comments I heard was that the discipline problems were because of the Board and Administration. Everyone is quick to judge, criticize and comment publically without all the facts. Societal changes and the breakdown of the family have results in this problem throughout the country. Maybe those of you that are so quick to criticize everything should look at how you can volunteer your time to establish after school programs and mentoring programs to try and reverse this trend throughout the country.”
Obviously, until we all volunteer for after-school programs, we cannot expect any improvement in discipline in the schools–otherwise, you certainly have no right to raise your voices to complain about 150 policies.
Sharon he truly wrote “you certainly have no right to raise your voices to complain about 150 policies?” Excuse me while I pick my tax-paying chin up off of my desk! Wow!
dib: No, Gorenz didn’t write the last sentence–not in quotes–that was my interpretation of what he said.
Jon-
It looks like your were right on the money regarding Hinton retiring early. What else is your crystal ball telling you about D150?
Upon what previous behavior would you base any assertion that any majority group in District 150 or Peoria for that matter, would in fact do the right thing ?
The most rational and capable people moved from the districts boundaries a long time ago and what you have left is for the most part dysfunctional people, dysfunctional families and dysfunctional groups that cannot with any civility or lack of absurdity, manage themselves.
Apologies for the bluntness, but collectively the population within the District has proved itself to be unworthy of democratic self governance and is in need of a dictatorial governance, not unlike the severe alcoholic or addict who requires court ordered institutionalization and complete loss of control over their personal affairs.
Wow! Chase, I guess I thought you were a bit of a misunderstood maverick yourself–and I have always (without knowing you personally) listened to what you have had to say, etc. I believe you have just made some rather broad and sweeping remarks leveled at many people whom you do not know–people who have as much worth as you and I do. However, I do believe that District 150 has made little effort to convince families that their children do have to conform to societal rules, etc. One board member just wrote to me–blaming the BOE’s inaction on the societal changes that he claims make change impossible or so slow as to be imperceptible. I guess that’s what you just said–so I’m trying to figure out why he felt that being on the board was a productive way to spend his time. Before I give up on so many people, I would like 150 to make an all out effort to convince young people that they have to behave or else (and the “or else” should be an alternative school as their last chance at public education). If things were as bad as you state, all 150 schools would be in mass chaos every day–with all the police in town needed at several locations in town. So far, I believe, the problem is more managable than you state–with a relatively few young people causing most of the problems. If the hard-core kids could be pulled out, I believe there is a real chance of turning things around in 150. So far the administration and board cannot muster up the fortitude to do what it will take.
Sharon:
I think the statistics would bear me out. Over the last 20 years, individuals that would be described as “functional” along with their more “functional” families moved outside the Dist 150 boundaries specifically to be a part of higher “functioning” school districts and other local governments.
Meanwhile the District, other units of local government, in addition to social service organizations, churches, and these organizations participating members and beneficiaries, behaved in certain ways and promoted certain programs that directly attracted dysfunctional populations.
Birds of a feather flock together and in this case it is the dysfunctionals and their enablers that have found each other in Peoria.
I sit here in Ann Arbor and I don’t know weather to laugh or cry at the difference between Peoria and Ann Arbor or the similarities I see between Peoria and Detroit.
Chase–I agree that almost all the efforts by Peoria and 150 have inadvertently promoted the continuance of dysfunctional behavior in our schools. There is one program that I do believe has been exceptionally effective and that is the partnership between First United Methodist Church and Irving School (at no cost to taxpayers). That said, I believe you are right that all the programs in 150 on which considerable money has been spent have been a waste of taxpayer money. Discipline is the problem that must be solved first. The District has followed a misguided path–believing that if children are loved enough, if teachers are exciting enough, etc., then children will behave. I’m all for children being loved and all for teachers being as exciting as possible, but–by themselves–those are not solutions. I taught at Roosevelt and Manual in the years when I didn’t have to fight to get the attention of students–there was a respect for authority and for the rules because kids knew there would be consequences for their actions. I witnessed the eroding of all consequences. I believe it would be a hard fight to prove to kids and their parents that there are behaviors that simply are not tolerated in school. The school administrators and the principals they choose and the board would have to be totally committed to this one major effort. I don’t think teachers would have to be convinced.
One major place to start–no young person on probation with the legal system should be placed in regular schools. They are the first that should be automatically placed in an alternative school. The legal system has certainly played a role in the problems in 150. I believe the public would be amazed at how many of these kids go to school only because that is the only way they can stay out of prison–and the terms of their probation are compromised to no end.
Sharon:
Interesting how the schools have gotten worse with “secularization” and the one that you mention doing better, you attribute the direct participation of “…the salt and light…”