State takes over 2 Illinois school boards
The Illinois State Board of Education has ousted the elected school boards in the East St. Louis and North Chicago districts.
The state board took the action Thursday in Springfield, citing nagging academic under performance. Under Illinois law, state education chief Christopher Koch will direct the regional superintendents over the affected districts to replace the locally elected board members. Koch then will appoint a five-person independent panel to take their place.
The East St. Louis district has more than 7,000 students, while the North Chicago system has nearly 4,000.
Messages left with Garrett Hoerner, the general counsel for East St. Louis schools, and North Chicago schools superintendent Milton Thompson were not immediately returned.Source
11 comments:
like the state has a clue......wrong battle. Parental accountability and engagement - that's the right fight to pick.
Great move... the corruption and abuse of money by the East Saint Louis school board has been horrendous for decades. That board has been full of members elected for personal power and personal gain. Peoria can not even begin to compare to the horrible behavior of the East St. Louis school board.
Didn't Governor Quinn just try to take away the positions of regional superintendents of schools--now they are told to select new board members for these two school systems? If so few people want to run for District 150 school board, where would the state find people willing to be appointed? The current District 150 school board members are not responsive to public opinion--would state appointed members be more responsive?
When NCLB first started, teachers at Manual were constantly reminded that if we didn't shape up, the state would come in and take over. I often wondered who would replace the teachers and if the replacements could solve all the problems. I guess we'll find out if East St. Louis and Chicago suddenly become towers of academic success.
I know that Dist 150 employees can't run for the school board, what about substitute teachers, can they? If everyone truly believes that all graduating seniors were qualified to graduate or that they are truly going to college, I will sell you the London Bridge. The figures are so inflated. The tardies and absences data is manipulated to make it look good.
If the current school board Keeps trying to reonvent the bureaucracy, it will be time not for a state takeover, but a mayoral takeover. I would like to see the Peoria Federation of Teachers lead the charge. From what I understand, in cities with population figures similar to ours, mayoral takeovers can be quite effective.
I remember Mayor Ardis saying that he was giving 150 three years to get it together. We have one more to go.
I'd like to think our current board could get beyond the bureaucracy - get lutsode of the box - and I think a few of them are capable - but - then again - a few probably aren't.
I don't know.
A-D
Wow. My autocorrect knows words I don't know.
A-D...
What about a Mayoral takeover would insure that you would get a better board?
Apparently the staff and administrations of the rumored 4 schools who met AYP should take over. It is obvious that the only good teachers in 150 were somehow placed at these schools. This would easily solve all of the problems. That is, until it doesn't and we are faced with the ugly truth that anyone with common sense already realizes, this is not a problem of teachers, leadership or curriculum, it is a social issue that NO ONE knows how to solve.
Agreed, but you won't get parental accountability and engagement by talking down to parents.
Engaging parents is not easy for teachers. As a matter of fact, it's a very fine line a teacher has to walk in dealing with a parent.
What teacher among those who read this blog have a formula for parent engagement?
If you do, perhaps you should make sure you share that information with the parents and teachers in attendance at the Summit.
I would like for the Summit to possibly include some kind of information or training sessions for parents and teachers to learn how their relationships can work best.
What four(4) schools meet AYP
There wouldn't be a board. That albatross gets eliminated. Could be frightening, placing more power with fewer; however, it would be more efficient. Plus, a vote for mayor would be an education vote as well. Vote for one instead of seven. A-D
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