Peoria Public Schools

Who’s running phone survey about District 150? (UPDATED)

108 Comments

One of my readers has informed me that a phone survey is being conducted, and the questions are most intriguing. Here’s part of the e-mail describing the questions he was asked:

Some paraphrased questions I recall-

Do you approve or disapprove of the following people
Ken Hinton
Jim Ardis
Paul Vallas

Do you approve or disapprove of a take over of the district by the city
Do you approve or disapprove of a take over of the district by the state
Do you approve or disapprove of raising taxes to support a charter school coming into the district
Biggest issue for the district- crime, scores, money
A question on the teachers union- they are doing the best they can, they are in it just for them
Do you approve of the direction the city is heading
Do you approve of the direction the district is heading
What is your opinion of Dunlap 323

I would love to see the results of this survey. But even more than that, I would love to know who is conducting it. Anyone want to ‘fess up?

Even if you don’t know who’s conducting it, what do you think of the questions? How would you answer them?

UPDATE: I’ve gotten confirmation from District 150 and the City of Peoria that they are not conducting this survey. The Heartland Partnership has indicated that they’re aware of the survey, but they can’t get me any more details until Monday. I’ll pass along any new information I receive.

108 thoughts on “Who’s running phone survey about District 150? (UPDATED)”

  1. fair lady,

    Since two weeks into my job I have not approved any waivers. Also, the waivers first need to be approved by the home school. When I first arrived I did not comprehend the consequences of approving boundary waivers. (I am going to break my rule about not speaking about direct PSD 150 issues here…)

    I am not comfortable being the person that makes decisions about who in the district gets to go to what school. I have not invested enough time in the issue to come to consistent, valid decisions. I spend my time and energies on RHS issues.

    I think that the only way to have a fair system is to set policy and apply it to every individual.

    The district has other options for students that need to be transferred from a school for extreme reasons. But these options are not used to get a student into a specific school; they are designed to remove a student from a situation and place them in a new environement. They might be placed at any other other high schools.

    Sharon,

    I AGREE WITH YOU ON THIS NCLB issue. I have been an admin (assistant and principal) in two other single-high school districts. In order for school choice to work the receiving district has to accept the students. In districts with one high school I have never seen students accepted. I don’t see Dunlap or Morton opening up their schools for students from any of the surrounding districts. This was how it was handled down south. Edwardsville and O’fallon weren’t eager to open their doors and I can see the argument from their taxpayers that they shouldn’t. If they accept I don’t think that they can choose which individual students.

    So school choice between districts, which was a selling point for NCLB, does not exist.

  2. Fair_Laidy1–This evening’s discussion keeps drawing me in. You were obviously a Manual student and I hope that you didn’t feel cheated of an education. First of all, I firmly believe that if District 150 had put or would put a strong disciplinary policy in place and follow it, that all four high schools could provide students with a good education–if the teachers could teach instead of controlling behavior. I believe another provision of NCLB states that it is the students who are not doing well who get first shot at moving to another school. So if all of Manual’s poorer students were allowed to go to Richwoods, it would probably become a failing school, also. I hope that makes sense to you. What would probably make more sense–to those who believe that teachers are the deciding factor: Instead of moving students around, just switch teachers. All the Richwoods teachers would go to Manual. Does anyone really believe that Manual would suddenly meet AYP and that Richwoods would be on the warning list? In reality, there is no easy solution to any of these problems. So many things need to be fixed. I am convinced that NCLB is just making a bad situation worse.

  3. Sharon -Jeff and his family are the very reason I want the best for all our children. They reflect the hope of all of our families (i.e.) – that a quality education provides for the best of life’s expectaions. They, and YOU, are involved, engaged, and expectant To have them as involved as they are is a blessing. For them to challenge the status quo is expected. I ask you to join me in challenging the “reading this but not commited to solving”; to mentor one of our own. We’ve both adopted the benefit of those beyond our own. I know you find it enriching, so do I. Let’s broaden the circle. I, as well as you, can be critical of the status quo. How do we get the least of us to embrace the mindset of becoming educated? Wouldn’t that be a good start?

  4. Sharon…

    We are on these forums having discussions about failing students because of NCLB. If the law didn’t exist we would live in a world where every school was excellent… at least thought they would all think so.’

    The gains still outweigh the errors.

  5. One “really” last thought. Peoria isn’t Chicago or any other big city. In Peoria there really isn’t that much difference among the high schools. Richwoods does probably have more affluent students–and research seems to indicate that economic status is a deciding factor for academic success. I believe there are teachers in Chicago who really do not have good teaching credentials. I believe all four Peoria high schools have teachers with comparable qualifications. The curriculum is relatively the same, etc. At one point in my career, I may have been opposed to ability grouping, but for the time being (because there are so many kids that are not grade level ready), I believe the schools should do more ability grouping so that all kids in a class are on a relatively equal footing. I believe schools as a whole would show improvement.
    Steve is right in that I don’t believe that principals should decide who is allowed in or out of a school. There has to be a very fair policy in place–not left to one person’s discretion.

  6. ok.. that was written and submitted to quickly…..

    I need to reread after I change some of my wording….lol

  7. Sharon…

    From my experiences in a wide range of schools, I agree completely with your faith in the teachers at what are listed as failing schools.

  8. And know I can’t stop replying…

    One thing that has bothered me this last year is the arguing and antagonistic responses between people that all want the same thing.

    I am honored to have met and entered into great discussions with Sharon, Jim, Dianne, PSD central office admins, Carl Cannon, Laura, Martha Ross, and the other “voices” that are concerned about the future of our kids. (Yes kcdad… that includes you..lol).

    I know that many issues are extremely emotional to many, but we all need to work together. There seem to be “sides” forming, but we all need to be on the side of our kids and their futures. Disagreement and discussion are key components to help build success.

  9. Jim, you’ll have to run that past me again–I’m not sure what you’re suggesting. I’ve had the perfect opportunity for doing what I think you’re asking me to do–and that, of course, is working with kids at Irving through my church. When I first retired, I really did need a break. If it hadn’t been for the Adkins-Dutro children, I wouldn’t feel comfortable with pre-school kids at all–never was around little kids before. Now I’m a bit more comfortable–but also a bit more tired. I guess I’d rather help Karen and Jeff out so that they (being younger than I am) are free to help with kids in addition to their own–which they are quite prone to doing. There is something to be said for youth. Mahliyah, who joined my church, just went on a mission trip to Dulac, Louisiana, where she helped with Bible school–and, undoubtedly, served as a role model to children there.

  10. Steve – thanks for the strong vote for public discussion. I agree. What we need most is a resounding echo for the voiceless.They need to show up for our children everyday. Our teachers are there. Driving higher expectations and performance is essential.

  11. Steve: Yes, don’t let the disagreements between Jim and me put you off–our history will win out. Hershel was my student–I always have a loyalty to my own students. Martha and I worked together for years at Urban-League, so I know her heart. I do feel badly about my disagreements with Sharon’s decisions at Manual. I definitely have learned to appreciate Kcdad. Unlike many on the blog, I even have a hard time criticizing Ken. I certainly don’t understand many of his decisions but I do believe he wants to make a difference in 150. His brother Adrian was one of my dearest friends–we were first year teachers together at Roosevelt in 1962. It’s good to have a newcomer like you to join us and to help us take a fresh look at things. Jim, I know doesn’t much like Terry, but Terry also has a good heart and has done much to help students in this district–long before he started to help teachers. Now I need to go to bed so that I can hear the sermon tomorrow–there may be something I really need to hear.

  12. Sharon – Adrian was my principal in 1968 at Whittier and gave me a swat for what was deserved. Terry is a strong advocate for teachers, and for that alone, I give him my respect. When you and others piece-meal phrases for your own interpretation, it only serves to reinforce my primary point.

  13. Steve, I’ve brought this issue up on Laura Petelle’s blog at great length, so I’ll try and paraphrase here (though brevity is not one of my strengths).

    One of the key arguments for closing a high school is that inefficient class scheduling can be improved with only 3 campuses. I believe Hinton said 80% of the savings would come from staff reductions. The idea is pretty simple to understand. By trying to offer a wide variety of classes (AP, remedial, various foreign langauges, etc.) you’re likely to end up with relatively small classes (15 or less) at separate schools of ever decreasing enrollments. The PJS reported the district scorecard showing a 12.1 average class size for D150 high schools.

    Initially I made the argument that with average class sizes THAT low, why not just cut some teachers (no offense to the teachers, just trying to keep it simple), perhaps some programs if necessary, BEFORE having to eliminate a high school WHEN THERE IS NO CLEAR ST OR LT PLAN IN PLACE.

    However, I also looked at the pupil to certified teacher ratio in the district per the report card and it is 19.8 to 1. Therein lies the problem. The relation of those two ratios (average class size vs. pupil to teacher ratio) makes no sense.

    Sure, I understand that more spec ed classes has a huge impact at reducing overall class size, but not 40% less than the number of students per teacher. One would assume that if you have to add more spec ed classes that have smaller enrollments, you also have to ADD certified teachers for each class, thus reducing the pupil to teacher ratio in the same manner.

    Granted, those ratios (class size and pupil to teacher ratio) aren’t going to be the exact same, but you would expect them to be close, or at least average class size to be a little higher (every teacher needs a prep/break, while you assume most students go to school all day).

    So, how does the state and similar districts compare as to these two ratios? As expected, the ratios are about the same.

    Statewide ave: 19.6 (class size) vs 18.0 (pupil to teacher ratios)
    Rockford: 21.0 vs 20.6
    Springfield: 21.2 vs 21.3
    Galesburg: 21.9 vs 18.8
    Peoria: 12.1 vs 19.8

    Again, look at how far off D150 is (not to mention claiming lower class sizes than there are students per teacher)

    Why do I bring this up? There is a huge difference between 12 and 20, be it class size or pupil to teacher ratio. If there is a problem with the data, and class sizes are currently closer to 20 (consistent with the supposed pupil to teacher ratio), then closing a school and eliminating some 30 teacher positions (as well as additional staff positions), would have a large impact on the ratios – by my estimate it would be around 23 assuming the same number of students. As you can see, that ratio would be much higher than the state average and what I consider some of D150’s peers. It would indicate that high school staffing is not nearly so much of the problem as we currently believe.

    If one the other hand, the average class size and pupil to teacher ratio really is closer to 12, then as I initially stated, that would mean there is a lot of fat to cut before amputating the whole limb.

    Maybe Eric Bush will appear again on this blog – I gotta believe he likes these kind of numbers issues. I just do not see at all how you can have AVERAGE class sizes that are 12 when the district only has 1 certified teacher for every 20 students at the high school level and one would assume nearly every class is taught by a certified teacher. On Laura’s blog, I came up with a few possible scenarios, but when the class size is 60% of the expected number, that is simply too great of a difference to understand.

  14. For decision-making purposes, the numbers game could be cleared up if the district showed class sizes in four categories: K-8 regular, K-8 special ed, high school basic classes, high school special ed and enriched (because they are likely to have lower enrollment). This method would allow the district to look at where teachers are needed and where they can be eliminated, etc. Of course, all would be lumped together for state statistics, but the district needs a more honest look at enrollment before they make these major decisions to close schools and eliminate teachers.

  15. Sharon said: “Jim, you promised to be nice. What happened?”

    Turrets?

    Reading Jim Stowells remarks as he interacts with voters helps me understand why the district is in the crapper.

  16. I think that we should return to the task at hand (helping D150 get a handle on how to fix things without disrupting the student’s education) without bashing each other.

    I will be the first to apologize to Jim for my comments.

  17. Terry Knapp was my biology teacher back in high school He was a great teacher, one of the best I ever had. And yes, he’s a tireless advocate for teachers. Sometimes, he needs to compromise more, even when he’s right. Just sayin.’

  18. This morning (Sunday) NPR’s This American Life (http://www.thislife.org/) had an interesting story “Whatever It Takes” about how to solve the problems low income kids have with school and learning. It was a long view kind of thing, but perhaps worth investigating here in Peoria where the problems seem to come without answers.

  19. JIM TO SHARON: (A financial expert to a teacher)

    “You at least got paid”
    “I thought I wasn’t the the only one sleeping in your class ”
    “Do you think I was challenged? ”

    No, Jim, I don’t you have ever been challenged. Challenge come within, and you seem unwilling or unable to meet that opportunity face to face.

    Your snarky comments reveal your true self interest and in no way improve, address or inform the issue of the problems we face in our school system. YOU, sir, are a part of the problem.
    “I, as well as you, can be critical of the status quo. ” Really? I have yet to see it.

  21. Used to be reading here sparked thought and some debate and even some discourse now and then but when kcdad accused someone of being “snarky” well, all here is lost. You need to control the trolls or the trolls control you.

  22. Emtronics–

    I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…kcdad is NOT a troll. Unless, of course, you consider a troll someone who strongly encourages you to think about your own beliefs, values, and opinions. If he makes you uncomfortable, then he has achieved a great deal. It is only in our discomfort that we can achieve a new level of comfort.

    Similar to setting goals that take us out of our comfort zone. Anything worth achieving is worth taking a risk for.

    Unfortunately, when it comes to the education of our students, there are risks being taken on the backs of the students with little regards to the consequences. This is why the school board should be demanding a plan of action before any vote is EVER taken. A promised plan is not worth the risk.

  23. bamcdaniel: Never said kcdad was a troll. YOU read it into my post. My statement was merely this: “You need to control the trolls or the trolls control you.” YOU are the one that connected kcdad to troll. Not me. I just made a statement. Did I make YOU feel uncomfortable?

  24. Emtronics wrote:

    “Used to be reading here sparked thought and some debate and even some discourse now and then but when kcdad accused someone of being “snarky” well, all here is lost. You need to control the trolls or the trolls control you.”

    Sorry that I misinterpreted your comments. I made a connection that apparently wasn’t meant to be there.

  25. You know, just once, I’d love to have a conversation that doesn’t devolve into an argument over kcdad’s lack of social graces. The topic of this blog post is a District 150 opinion poll, but you’d never know it from all the comments about kcdad and Jim Stowell.

    Let’s all review rule number 5 under the Terms of Use:

    Be kind and respectful of others. Your argument is more persuasive when you debate the issue instead of engaging in personal attacks. The goal here is civil discourse.

    I understand some of you don’t like Jim Stowell. That’s between you and Jim. Please don’t use this forum to hurl daggers at him from behind your cloak of anonymity. We’re presumably all adults here; let’s argue about issues instead of sticking our cybernetic tongues out at each other.

  26. CJ–

    I know that we should play nice. Sometimes his responses to us are viewed as antagonistic and we forget about your rule to play nice.

    I will try to remember my manners from now on.

  28. ……………….but……………what does any of this have to do with the museum?

  29. Steve, et. al. — I’ve installed a new plugin that should allow you to edit your comments. If you’re not a registered user, there’s a time limit — five minutes. If you’re a registered user and logged in, you can edit your comments indefinitely. Let me know how it works, and if it’s helpful to you. And yes, I know this comment is off topic, so no smart-alec remarks!! 🙂

  30. I really appreciate this!

    It works!!! Although I am logged in, it only giving me 5 minutes to make changes. Not really logged in I lied.

  31. I have a feeling that some names involved with SuperMuseum2010 will probably have their fingers in this pie as well.

  34. I love my google tool bar. It has a spell checker built right into it. Just click the spell bar on the task bar and it checks for mis-spellings on your current page!

  35. Yes, Kcdad is one of us. Not only that I just learned he lives right around the corner from me. We all enjoyed getting acquainted. What a small world. Now the anonymous bloggers are dwindling. Now how do I get this plug in that will save me from all embarrassment?

  37. 86 comments, and how many are about the poll, and how many are about kcdad and Jim Stowell?

    Mayor Ardis told me he knows nothing about this poll and would like to find out who is doing it.

    And to those who laugh at the city running the schools, consider that if the city were to take over the school’s — it’s possible because the STATE could write legislation doing it in an instant — the city is likely to hire Vallas’ organization to run it. And that’s my two cents, not the mayor’s.

  38. And to think that I had students who couldn’t stay on topic in an assigned essay! There wasn’t much to write about the poll–no one knows anything about it. I hope the city does what I did. I went to the archives of the Philadelphia newspapers and the Chicago papers to find out the truth about Paul Vallas. He was fired in Philadelphia for establishing too many very expensive charter schools run by Edison. Mayor Daley had many disagreements with him and planned to fire him if he hadn’t left on his own–sort of. Daley was upset that the literacy problem in Chicago had not been resolved as promised by Vallas.

  39. Sharon and kcdad: Wow — a youthful ‘troll’! Hats off! Fine sense of humor! 🙂

  40. Sharon et al—

    Can you fill me in on what was discussed at the meeting last night? I had a prior commitment.

  42. BAM–Mostly, we discussed what occurred at the committee of the whole meeting–and how to address the topics at the BOE meeting tonight. I’m hearing all these spots on the radio this morning from Wolfmeyer and Butler–that meetings are for them to conduct public business–the implication is that they want to conduct business without the pesky public putting their 2 cents’ worth in. I hope we can find a way to convince them that ignoring the public is not a smart move for elected officials. Also, my own opinion is that these meetings should provide an opportunity for the public to let the media and the general public know if and why they disagree with the way the public business is being conducted in District 150.

  44. Maybe we should ask the FORMER District 2 Councilperson (or any former elected official, for that matter) what happened when she failed to listen to her constituents!

    Maybe we should remind the school board that they were elected to their seat because they listened to the public and the public listened to them. If they choose to discontinue listening because it interrupts their PUBLIC meeting, then we will have no choice but to take our public comments, concerns, and suggestions to another media outlet. I’m sure the TV stations, newspaper (well, maybe not, who knows), blogs such as this one (many elected officials read these, even if they don’t post), and city council would love to know what the public thinks of our lovely school district and its antics.

  45. Sorry for getting off topic but it does play into trusting the way the district is being run. Has anyone heard where the students from Kingman and Tyng will be in the fall? I believe that parents have to register kids in person at each school this week so do the parents know where to go to do so?

  46. The reason so many people feel compelled to “spill their guts” at board meetings is because FEW if any letters, e-mails and phone calls get returned. Of those that are returned it is usually a smart -alecky response from you-know-who or a cursory “thanks for the input”. Additionally, when we request facts and statistics to substantiate claims we are told “At this time I don’t have that information but we will get it to you….” Ring a bell? Of course, that information is ultimately never provided.

  47. #
    # dianeon 17 Aug 2009

    The reason so many people feel compelled to “spill their guts” at board meetings is because FEW if any letters, e-mails and phone calls get returned. Of those that are returned it is usually a smart -alecky response from you-know-who or a cursory “thanks for the input”. Additionally, when we request facts and statistics to substantiate claims we are told “At this time I don’t have that information but we will get it to you….” Ring a bell? Of course, that information is ultimately never provided.

    DING DING DING!!!!!

    The public does NOT trust the school board to respond to written communications because past history shows that there is none. This was part of my complaint earlier. If they won’t listen to us speak or read our written communiques and offer a response that indicates and acknowledges our concerns, then we will have to find another outlet and that may not be what the board wants either. I think what they want is a way for us to be quiet so they can go about their business without any public input.

    If they had listened to public input when the Edison contract came up for renewal we, quite possibly, may not be paying for a private company to run a public school. That is how well the board listens to public input.

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