At last night's School Board meeting, District 150 Superintendent Ken Hinton recommended to the BOE they consider using Lincoln Middle School as a pilot program for year-round schooling (like the Valeska Hinton Center).
Year round education has many pros and cons. However, I believe that the immediate need to increase reading retention alone far out weigh any cons.
Lincoln has wonderful facilities and because of it's position in the Valley, year round schooling would benefit the surrounding neighborhoods greatly.
Oh sure, the ghetto quick shops (i.e., small businesses) are going to miss the kiddies coming in to spend money they got from Lord knows where, but the kids really should be in school.I would hope that the Board approves Hinton's recommendation.
11 comments:
That was a funny clip!
I don't think year-round schooling is a bad idea, but I wouldn't want to see it implemented by Hinton. Besides the fact that he's inept, he's leaving in a few months. This is not the time to start a bunch of pilot projects -- right before a new superintendent takes over the helm.
Hinton's ramblings are very disconcerting. He looks and sounds like he NEEDS to make the break sooner rather than later.
Agreed on all counts; I think the 45-15 plan is already a proven good idea--but it should be all schools and it should happen after Hinton--and with a plan and the money to pay for it.
I have lived in countries that have year round school and everyone adapted and everyone liked it. I have not checked out the stats, but I admit I am pro-year-round schools. Funny clip!
I agree with C.J. that the Board should rein Mr. Hinton in. I think his job is to manage any eruptions that might occur as he finishes out his employment contract, not create them.
I am against a "one size fits all" programming strategy for the District. While year-round school may make sense for some students and their families, it may not be the best fit for others.
The Board needs to be conscious through all the coming changes to offer CHOICE.
I see the District customizing it programs for one demographic group which in turns cause others to turn away.
Frustrated, I see the District customizing it programs for the majority of children it services and it is past time they do that.
Then what about the rest?
remember one thing folks, year round school is a program change and any teacher who prefers not to teach in a year round facility will be given a transfer per the union contract with the district.
With regard to the discussion that Frustrated and I so often have--regarding the services offered and to whom they are offered. It is my contention that if the right problems are attacked (and I will keep saying that they are discipline and literacy)then everyone can be happy with the services offered. In my opinion, the district now has itself in one big mess because they didn't put out the fires in the inner city schools. Now the district has created a "haven" north of War Memorial where some can flee (if they aren't already there). Frustrated, you want more opportunities for this "fleeing." And I hope we can all be honest about the racial role in this fleeing. There is, of course, a large degree of white flight, but there is also black flight involved. I believe Northmoor as a choice school did provide some opportunity for black flight. The black freshman in my life has fled to Richwoods. All of this happened because District 150 didn't solve the problems in the southend and in the inner city schools. Manual was a wonderful school up until about 1990--Jeff Adkins-Dutro graduated that year. There were many students (black and white) of his calibre then and before 1990. A large percentage of West Peoria students went to and were happy and successful at Manual and in college. Almost all are gone now because the problems of discipline and literacy were not solved. Richwoods was not always the only Peoria high school with a large number of high-achieving students. Like it or not, the numbers at the other high schools are dwindling because so many find a way to escape to Richwoods--if not there to the private schools. I will continute to maintain that 150 will continue to be judges by its lowest performing schools--and something has to be done to raise their level of performance. Frustrates thinks 150 spends too much money trying to do that. My opinion--that's true because the money is wasted on programs that aren't solving the problem. Johns Hopkins at Manual is the most recent. If that program were offered at Richwoods, I guarantee you that the parents would be pulling their kids out immediately. It is an inferior education and solves none of the problems.
Your post was great Sharon. I do disagree, however, with how you characterized my thoughts. I don't begrudge the District spending $$ on its struggling students, they should and they must. I just think it must pay attention to all it constiuency.
Diversity is good thing, right? The District of yesterday that you describe was much more racially and economically diverse than it is today. I don't see the Board, and particularly the Administration giving much thought on how to correct that imbalance.
Sharon - you can tell the above comment is mine, right? I just pushed the wrong button.
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