... I heard that too, Anonymous in Ptown, from a pretty reliable source (not Marvin).
The Peoria Federation of Teachers plan to picket/rally at Tuesday's Board of Education Meeting. The meeting will be held on May 29, 2012, at the Valeska Hinton Early Childhood Education Center, at 6:00 p.m. Teachers are expected to picket/rally from 5:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. The teachers do not plan on entering the meeting.
 |
| click image to enlarge |
68 comments:
Of course, the first poster must be from the esteemed board president's and Aunt lathan's inside snitch. Of course the teachers are going to rally and I hope it does make a difference. It is about time for the great teachers of District 150 to band together and say Hell no, we are not going to take it anymore. Of course, most children ARE A REFLECTION of their parents. Some parents need to admit that their children need a reality check and basically, children need manners and respect.
no respect - no aid
At this point, you're either for the children in this district, the parents in this district, the families in this district, or you're for Lathan. We'd like to think that the members of the Lathan administration - the administration in charge of the largest school district south of Chicago - possess latent redeeming qualities.
They don't.
At the rally, a cry against Lathan will be a cry in favor of our children . . . our families . . . our city.
Be there.
Jeff Adkins-Dutro
Hedy Elliott-Gardner
Hello Kitty
latent redeeming qualities? the union rejected your leadership, so what might be yours? divisiveness isn't what's needed. how about rallying AROUND adequate funding, instead of against everything.
Until most D150 teachers educate their children in D150, they lack credibility as a group. Rally around that!
Until proper punishment for hooligans in 150 is supported on Wisconsin Avenue, all decent parents including teachers will continue to flee the district.
I am hearing that Taunya Jenkins is moving to the adminstration building as Assistant HR Director. Any one else hearing this?
My children attended 150 and my grandchildren Attend 150. I did remove one of my children due to the other children's violent behavior. The teachers shouldn't be expected to be the police, a nurse, a bodyguard, glorified abused babysitter,therapist.and a
confident. Parents need to be held accountable for their children's behavior.
It is sad because remarkable could happen every day if children were held to a standard of behavior regardless of the school they attend. If bringing a bb gun to school is an expulsion at Kellar, it should be an expulsion at Harrison or Glen Oak. If you can't tell your teacher to f#%@ off at Northmoor, it shouldn't happen anywhere else either.
I bet a lot of the support signs will be for (D)Gov. Quinn and his call for pension reform.
Would the teachers support Michelle Rhee? She seems to have good ideas.
Tires were slashed on numerous Peoria School District 150 vehicles overnight Tuesday, causing an estimated $4,500 in damage.
Sixteen vehicles at the district's administration building at 3202 Wisconsin Ave. were vandalized, according to a police report. Nineteen tires were cut, resulting in $4,554 in damage.
Uhhhhh. We're rallying around our children, families, and city, dumbo.
Much love,
A-D
Uh oh what's next? Jack rocks.
Dr. Lathan has always been kind to me. But I'm not sticking up for myself. When I hear how others are being treated amid this bureaucratic leadership style that originated as a command structure for the military of the Roman Empire, I can't just sit by and let it happen.
The scenario I keep thinking about is the footage we've all seen of some poor sap getting the sh*t beat out of him on the subway and even though he's near death, no one bothers to help him. And the question that always begs to be answered is "What if that were you? Or your child?". Certainly, you'd want someone to help.
What's unique is that the union is unified and teachers are sticking up for principals against what is tearing this district down. We're not looking for an easy road or for a lack of accountability. We're facing tremendous odds and we want to work hard and want to be held accountable for overcoming those odds.
What we don't want or need is someone in charge who brutalizes people under the guise of accountability who thinks (from what i hear about the principals' meetings) what goes on in this district is a laughing matter. I never thought the position of superintendent could so negatively impact morale across a district . . . but wow . . . it sure can.
So Tuesday night is the night for our rallying cry - a cry for the kind of leadership and education - the kind of accountability, smart decision making, and hard work that can get this city turned around.
Imma be there. You should be there too.
A-D
Nah. Jack Boulders.
A-D
Looks like I picked the wrong day to take off from work. Otherwise, I'd be there cover it.
I felt it was time for a slight break from all the Dist. 150 bashing, and share this story from the PJS published 2 days ago. Not sure why there were no comments on it unless it's because it didn't involve a shooting, robbery or a homicide in the South End.
Proof that teachers do go above and beyond in teaching children.
http://www.pjstar.com/news/x1347548028/Harrison-learning-center-students-plant-teaching-garden
Sometimes we need to spread a little sunshine to brighten up the darkness some folks want to paint the world with. Thank you.
Regular division classrooms in some district 150 schools would be BD in other districts. Help from the "behavior specialists" consists of giving out stars for expected behavior-you don't throw a chair for 15 minutes you get a star. My latest favorite is the new directive to remove all academic visual aids from the walls. This will magically fix all behavior problems because the students will not be "distracted".
Until common sense is being used in District 150 to deal with discipline and lack of achievement my kids will be no where near any school there.
Someone please explain to me why D150 is now offering $$$$ and removal of "unsatisfactory" from their evaluations? If the district did NOTHING wrong in firing 23 tenured teacher, they shouldn't owe them anything, right? Me thinks I smell a RAT! The district is now back pedaling because they KNOW they are going to get sued 7 ways from Sunday! Wake up BOE, fire the idiot before the entire district goes up in flames...
Less than $50,000 in gifts to D150 this year. Seems low relative to past years. Did the chamber take all their generosity to quest or what?
I don't know if anything can be done about this but I have heard too many stories from different teachers at different schools about parents bringing in drama. Heard about an adult who was upset about a child being bullied standing in the middle of the street, stopping traffic in front of the school, screaming about how the school needs to stop a student from bullying this student. Yeah, that is really going to help. Seems the bullied student loves drama--wonder where she gets it? The counselor has been working on situation. Why couldn't this caring adult, schedule a meeting and discuss the problem? Why can't parents understand that the principals' hands are tied by so much red tape. All students are to be included. Sadly, bullies are experts at hiding their behavior so it is hard to document. Bullying, these days, is often a two-way street. Until parents teach by modeling civility, our society will continue to decline in treating each other with civility. We cannot continue to wait for others to show it to us in order to return it. We must all show it, whether it is deserved or not.
I was working in my classroom this past week, adding some reinforcements to my number line (more tape), when I fell off a big chair I was standing on. All of my students were finishing their seat work when this happened. Two of my students started laughing, while I am lying on the floor wondering if my ankle was broken. I literally could not move for a couple of minutes. One of my students started laughing at me (these are young elementary students) and the rest ran over to help me up. Guess who laughed? That's right, my class bully. She is incredibly sneaky with her behavior, making sure I never hear her say what these other children claim she says. She gets this "sadsack" look on her face, eyes fill with tears, and shakes her head in denial when her accusers tell me. I believed her for the first half of the year, not anymore. Funny, this is the same child whose mom wants to know why if she ever gets a conduct grade(daily) other than an A. I got tired of being berated and bullied by this mother (admin did nothing to help), so I just give her darling an A on her take home paper. Boy will she be surprised when she sees her daughter's report card....it's all I got!
Hope that is true about Jenkins. Need to get her and her assistants out before they destroy the school.
The best thing about the rally is that this isn't about money. Normally when unions get together for a purpose its about the money. I think the PFT has shown over the past year that trying to work together has been the primary agenda. The problem is Lathan and CO. have no interest in that. The rally is about taking our district back and getting back to helping those children who want an education, be allowed to have it. Lathan's time will come, no matter how smug she acts. She is scared and her reactions show as much. Just as Hinton, Broderick, Royster, etc...Grenita be aware you can either CHANGE or be shown the same fate. It's inevitable...trust us
I've had maybe two of my 130 students at PHS be disrespectful to me this year. I hear a lot from my students about two parent homes and about what will happen to them if they don't bring home good grades on their report cards. Interestingly, often times the homes are made up of a biological parent and a "step" parent - but it's refreshing to hear students talk about their "step" parent as the "real" parent who stepped up to raise them. It seems there's a shift from single parenting to creating (in a round about but none the less effective kind of way) two parent families. (And there are a lot of families that are more Leave It To Beaver than my family will ever be.)
I've also seen an unprecedented amount of innocence in my students - they act their age instead of acting as though they've been through so much they've been compelled to grow up way too much way too fast.
There are still many, many students who have been dragged through enough trauma for ten people - but even they find the help they need and get on a pathway to healing.
I guess what I'm saying is that I think we're at a turning point in the district at which we as a city could really turn the corner and make some serious strides -- especially in some of the most "at risk" areas in our city. The city seems ripe for it. But it won't happen without a spirit of collaboration - all stakeholders working together - all building each other up and helping to support each other.
I'll be out fighting for that Tuesday night. And I'll be giving a special shout out to the District 150 teachers who do such an amazing job with my children. We get some haters out there bad mouthing District 150 teachers. Screw those people. You all do a fantastic job!
A-D
Maybe we'll make the rally about money. Take up a collection to buy Lathan out so we can get rid of the nonsense and get back to business.
Jenkins will be out at the administration building shaving pennies off of our checks so she can afford to get her horse face lifted and try to relive her Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader glory days.
That has to be a rumor about Jenkins as she wouldn't go out to Admin as Asst. HR, there wouldn't be anyone she can micromanage and there wouldn't be any money she could spend.
How is it that Jenkins keeps floating around the district untouched and Curtin, Cox, Smith, and Coleman get demoted?
She wouldn't take that position as it would be too big a cut in pay for her. Plus she wouldn't be #1 and she couldn't handle that. Again the saying goes, screw up real bad in the district and they keep you, do a great job, and you are gone.
Who are the "behavior specialists" in the district?
Some folks postin' here getting me sick of my stomach
In response to very 1st Anonymous poster here...NO WAY NO HOW am I connected to the Central office or working for Dist. 150. Hell, I've never even stepped foot in that building. I'm just an outsider tryin' to look in from a different view, alright? I'm older, almost time to retire, admit my kids never went to Dist. 150. But I got friends, relatives whose kids went there.
Seems that even when Royster 1st started, then Durflinger, and then Hinton, you all still had complaints and b**** no matter who the Super was. Folks got tired of local folks working there, being too 'inside' with teachers, administrators, not doin' their job. Folks wanted everyone at District held more, I think the word is, "accountable"
Well, now we got Lathan, she's doing just that, bringing some of her own folks in from outside the state...and you STILL ain't happy!!
Some of this holding the teachers and principals' feet to the fire comes from the State of Illinois, maybe even the District Board. Yeah, maybe her methods ain't exactly peaceful and gracious, but if grades get better in long run, money issues get better, what the sam hell is wrong with that?
Apparently most Peoria folks think everything's not that bad, because I don't see anyone trying to take out the folks that are sittin' up there on the board now. Otherwise, we'd have a real election, wouldn't we?
Finally, not a surprise that the issue of the vandalism has been mentioned here. Plus someone got shot over the night Friday in front of the Central High School. Guess you posters here gonna blame Lathan for that too, huh?
Thanks, I feel better now.
Ptown, do you really believe it is okay to begin a school year without textbooks, while they come dragging in a few at a time throughout the year? Bad administering. Lathan ordered the books from a friend of hers way too late, whose company made big bucks off of our district. Some of the "new" books weren't even necessary. The Science series the district had was only a couple of years old. We hardly broke them in, and they are replaced? Not a smart move.
She's going to open Irving and then close it? How smart is that?
Nobody blames her or her NC cronies for the tire slashings, but why were so many cars there?
Holding teachers and principals to the fire is one thing, but the Manual principal has been moved several times because she's "not a good fit" when in fact, she also rules by fear and intimidation. But, you have principals even the parents love, and you demote them? Not only not smart, but a really dumb thing to do.
You keep hearing how great Trewyn is, when in fact the middle school classes cannot even transfer from room to room because behaviors are so out of control. The teachers had to begin moving from room to room instead. What happens next year when those kids go to Manual, and don't know how to conduct themselves in the hallways?
It goes on and on. Letting Royster go was proven to be the correct thing to do, considering her record since leaving D150. Durflinger wasn't in the district long, but he just literally fired all of the Special Education administrators because in Morton, where he is the Mayor, they don't have many kids in special ed, so he just didn't understand. Hinton didn't have the proper credentials to be a superintendent. It takes longer than 3 months of classes at Western to get a Superintendent certificate.
Sorry if this is opposite to your point of view, but those of us who have kids in D150 care about academic outcomes for our kids.
Gotta agree with you on the textbook issue, which someone would fess up on who dropped the ball there.
Trewyn's gotten better since my man Carl and his crew been down there talkin' to, encouragin' the kids. They don't bully either, they use good stuff, good ways to change kids. You not going to change every single kid in a school, some will be stubborn as a mule as far as acting up.
You right on my point of view, I know everyone's got one. As they say, we can agree to disagree.
Might have to try to get over to that Rally Tuesday, see what the PFT gonna say. If I don't, anyone here that is going got a home camera to tape it, put on youtube?
Regular TV news, newspaper don't always tell whole story.
A few years ago the district did something very wrong to my family. Back then I half-jokingly bought a pair of plastic toy duck lips that quack when you put them on and breathe through them. My thinking was "The next time I'm pulled into an administrative meeting, I will speak only in duck, since no one obviously understands my English." I'm tempted to show up Tuesday to give comments completely in "duck", with someone in a Donald Duck suit next to me at the mike to provide translation if necessary. Seeing that my family is being relocated back to Indiana in June after 14 years in Peoria, this may be my last chance to provide serious input and guidance at a BOE meeting. Hmmmmm.....
Ptown...this is the end of the year, and they are still on lockdown with the middle school. Your man Carl Cannon, whom we know means well, hasn't walked on water yet at Trewyn. We shall agree to disagree.
Thanks.
Carl Cannon and his group bullies the students at Trewyn.Anyone that has been there knows that. Andrews is just the puppet. Cannon is really running the school and she is needed because she has the certificate. Stockman was told she would only be the figure head and Cannon would really be the one running it that is why she refused to be the principal there when reassigned. He was just a former prison guard, wasn't he? I heard he gets all kinds of government money and money from Dist 150 for this Elite group. If this is true, where does it all come from and what is it spent on?
The figure I heard is $195,000 for the "program".
I am all for differing opinions, but honestly, get your facts straight! Trewyn's middle school is not still on "lock down." The ENTIRE building has been on lock down twice this year - both for incidents that were occurring in the neighborhood, NOT in the school building. Is Trewyn perfect? No Have things improved? Ask the students and parents. Those that I have spoken to all say that there are still problems and issues but that it is heads and tails better than it was last year. As someone that TEACHES in that building everyday, I am really getting tired of hearing rumors spoken as fact by people who obviously don't work in the building. Trewyn is a work in progress. You can bad mouth us all you want, but if you can't support us and the students, the best things you could do is GET OUT OF THE WAY so that those of us dedicated to serving the students of Trewyn can do our jobs.
When does Lathan get her evaluation?
According to the PJS article from July 25, 2011, ELITE wil receive $192,000 over 3 years to implement its youth program at Trewyn. That's about $64k a year.
http://www.pjstar.com/news/x633529287/ELITE-program-expands-to-Trewyn
It will be worth the money.
Anon asked: When does Lathan get her evaluation?
Sad to guess -- When the board gives her another bonus?
I thought the teachers were evaluating her!
It was done online. We had to do it by last Friday. I don't imagine it will change anything.
ust to add... Local.#6099, which is support staff for the district including paraprofessionals (nurses, library managers, teacher aides and others), clerical staff and cafeteria workers, will also be represented at the rally. They will be there to support the teachers and to represent for their own positions. All D150 workers who labor daily in our schools deserve to be treated equitably and with respect.
I too work at Trewyn and would like to ask those that say that kids are being "bullied" by ELITE if they've ever spent a single minute in the classrooms at Trewyn. When a student curses out a teacher or threatens to harm another student should the ELITE staff ask them to stop pretty please with sugar on top?!?!? It's not called bullying it's called protecting those students that come to school each and every day and want to learn. (and yes, there are many of them!) The teaching staff and the majority of the student body should not have to put up with the few students who consistently insist on being disruptive to the point that learning can't take place in the classroom. The ELITE team has helped teachers be able to teach (novel idea!) without the fear of being verbally and/or physically assaulted by some students. I know that I am not alone in saying that if ELITE were not in place at Trewyn, this would be my last year working there. Instead, I see hope for the future. There is still a long way to go, but with teachers getting the support they need, they will no longer flee from teaching on the south side of Peoria.
I also work in that building. "Lockdown" on the 2nd floor does not mean whole school lockdown. It means the middle school kids confined to one room all day, while the teachers move from class to class. The ELITE group could not keep that from happening.
Neither could the teachers or administration. It was due to poor student behavior and the need to maximize instructional time. It was a solution to a problem. You might want to choose your words a bit wiser, but I guess "lockdown" gets the negative attention you desire. Guess the alternative could have been to keep doing what had been done before and try not to improve things. Yes, that would have been a stellar idea!
Why are teachers and students continually subjected to this horrific behavior demonstrated by a collectively small group of students? Isnt that why woodruff reopened? Why arent these chronic problems sent there Dr. lathan?
To clarify the survey teachers received was based on Dr. Lathan's leadership skills, not her evaluation. I am sure that is coming soon. Hope the public gets to see it!
To the Anonymous who said, "Some of this holding the teachers and principals' feet to the fire comes from the State of Illinois, maybe even the District Board."
Perhaps you didn't hear that those people from the state of Illinois came to Peoria--to a meeting at ICC--to tell us all that they weren't happy with Dr. Lathan's interpretation of their directives.
Sharon, wasn't this where the District's attorney was also put into his place for interrupting or something? I remember various people talking about this meeting. Why hasn't steps been taken with starting a petition to get rid of board members. I rthought there was a link on this site to one.
The fact of the matter is this; d150 can hold all the seminars to educate the teachers about SB7 and the new evaluation tool being used. Problem is, there is nothing in stone....only D150 is putting the cart before the horse, that is why these meetings are a waste of time. Not one school district in the state of IL knows what the new evaluation is going to look like, so WHY is d150 making crap up? Also, why are they offering "settlements" to the tenured teachers who were dismissed? If what they did to them was legit, then why offer settlements? This district is going to get sued, big time. More money out the door to Stan.....
All-
This is one of the many Lathan has hurt. Do me a favor- before or even In the open minutes- email or text someone who will have record later such as Kinney, a board member, your lawyer, Bobby- a non relative that you are attending this meeting as part of the Illinois whistleblower act. If you receive any retaliation for attending, you plan on invoking the rights outlined. In the text, you are attending simply to direct attention that the superintendent is in need of direct supervision. Kinney takes the whistleblower act very seriously.
Cover your ass people. Please believe me- she's incredibly vindictive.
Has anyone noticed Lathans new hair looks like Michelle's? Maybe she's trying to trick them...I'm the person you already fired- no need to do it again.
Who is Kinney?
Dr. Kinney is the interim comptroller.
Dr. Kinney is the interim comptroller.
About the Anon comment, "Has anyone noticed Lathans new hair looks like Michelle's?"
You know, if Lathan was a guy, and not a lady, you folks wouldn't be makin' what I call badass comments like that. Who cares what she does with her hair? Don't ALL women change-up their hair once in a while? As some folks like to say, Get a Life!
I agree Anonymous in Ptown.
IMO, it's unfortunate that so many of the commenters are so bitter and mean spirited.
Picking fun of the way a person looks or dresses really shouldn't be a part of the dialogue. Especially when there really are some valid issues that need to be addressed.
Many days I cringe to see what the conversation may be; and sometimes I delete the most heinous comments. However, there is a story in all of the negative commentary, that can't be ignored. Why are we seeing adults - teachers - hero's of our community reacting in this way?
From what I can gather, there are a lot of people that have been negatively impacted on a personal level by the current Administration. Perhaps that is the reason why so many have come here to vent Anonymously; perhaps that is why the comments are often of a personal nature.
Whatever, it's all quite sad to witness.
Well said! You said it so much better than I did a few weeks ago. I was told I didn't have a sense of humor. As far as I'm concerned making fun of individuals for the way they look makes us no better than what Latham and her crew are accused of doing. Would we accept this if our students were making fun of someone-- I really don't think so. Would we accept it in public, I wouldn't. I wish we could stick to the issues without the sophomoric humor. I am mad at the way people are being treated by dr. Latham, but I'm not about to stoop to their level of humor, and I DO have a good sense of humor. I must remain an anonymous teacher as the climate for openness does not exist in 150 and I fear retribution.
I truly appreciate your take on this, Emerge. Personally, I am never tempted to attack people based on their appearance, etc.--too afraid someone will return the favor, I guess. Ha! I like your explanation of how people who have been hurt on a personal level may react at the personal level. That is understandable. I was used to students who attacked at the personal level because they realized that there is power in personal attacks--I even understood it when they did so. Frankly, I cannot think of any other era when a superintendent has done so much of this sort of bullying. "Bully" just seems to be the way many teachers label Lathan. How sad! Surely, that is not the way a superintendent wants to be viewed. Or maybe it is the "Michelle Rhee" influence--that bullying behavior (labeled, also as "cleaning house.")is a badge of courage of some sort. I don't see any proof that Lathan's judgment calls are ridding the District of the right people--I think she is getting rid of people whom she views as a threat to her personally. It's all personal--maybe that is why others are attacking at the personal level. I think she is leaving many victims in her wake. I certainly didn't hear any objective reasons at the Cox and Curtin hearings--all is subjective.
I am, also, tired of how the board seems to believe that all change is good--no matter how much or how costly. I still have no idea why anyone would believe that playing musical chairs with principals was a good idea--I think the results this year have been disastrous.
I agree with Sharon. Playing musical chairs with principals was a disaster, if you have to demote, replace or fire principals who have long been very successful.
It is too big of a "strategy" that went wrong. Somebody needs to be held accountable for it, and it was Lathan's doing.
Has it been decided where Annette Coleman is being placed? What about Curtin and Cox? It is still so very sad that these three lovely people who were thought about by so many of the parents and other employees and did a great job are eliminated from their current positions. Does anyone know for sure, other than rumor, is it true about Jenkins going to Admin as assistant HR? If so, who will be Principal at Manual?
I think the issue with Grenita's hair is a real one- if you are continually changing yourself and your appearance, weekly- it means you don't like what you see. And, if you don't like what you see and you don't really like what is inside well then it leads to demeaning others to make yourself feel better.
Peoria has a leader who's insecurity of her own self worth is shocking in how many other adults and children it has hurt.
Hence, people come here to make fun of her hair- keeps them from crying.
What are class sizes at trewyn? Number of administrators and interventionists? Number of personnel employed by elite?
I'm more bothered that Latham mocked someone having a heart . A hairdo? Get over it
Post a Comment