Riverwest parents turn their children in to police for looting

Would you turn your child in if you knew they were terrorizing the community? A parent who turned her children in after seeing them looting a gas station after a 4th of July celebration is being taken to taken to task by members of her community for turning her children over to "the man".

July 6, 2011, WITI-TV, MILWAUKEE—
At least four parents turned in their children to police after seeing surveillance video of teens looting a gas station in Milwaukee's Riverwest neighborhood. The teens stormed the gas station and began looting shortly after the lakefront fireworks show ended on Sunday, July 3rd. FOX6 spoke with one mom who saw her 15-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter on video.

A woman who asked only to be identified as Kizzy told FOX6 her story. "I was just watching the news and I seen a picture of my son. I kind of rewinded it a couple of times to make sure that was him. Then I went on the website, because there were more pictures and that's when I seen my daughter on there."

FOX6 repeatedly aired surveillance video of the looting incident at a BP gas station in Milwaukee's Riverwest community. Many teens in that video may have continued on to rob several people a few blocks away.

Stealing chips was enough for Kizzy. "It was kind of heartbreaking to see that, but I knew I would have to bring them to the police station in the morning," she said, "What kind of kids are being raised? I'm thinking that, I'm watching it and then I see my son. I'm like something's got to be done."

Kizzy said when her kids got back from Summerfest she confronted them about what she saw. At first her son denied it, but then confessed. "I slept on it then I woke up this morning and we talked about it and I said this is the decision I made."

Kizzy brought her two children to police district five and turned them in. "I have provided a stable loving home and it's disappointing to see my children on the television and I advise any parent, if you're raising you children to go into the right direction come forward, because it's going to continue to happen. I've seen it with other family members, they get away with it once they'll do it again."

Kizzy recognized another kid on the video and is trying to reach his parents. FOX6 posted still photos of the people involved in this looting incident.

Police release still photos of the looting asking for community help...

Is Peoria's Mayor developing a model?

I can just see it now, it's budget time in the City of Peoria, Il, the Mayor and Council are faced with the tough decision of laying off firemen, policemen, teachers and/or lunch ladies...

In the Monday, August 16, 2010, issue of the Wall Street Journal, Mayor Jim Ardis was quoted in an article about mayoral control of schools.

After reading the article, I found myself wondering; if Mayor Ardis controlled schools, what exactly would that mean? Would he conduct business for the schools along the lines of how he conducts business for the City?

The pjstar reposted this article from the WSJ. Since it sounds like Ardis is saying that they are in fact developing a "Peoria model", perhaps the pjstar should take it a step further and ask Ardis to clarify exactly what his intentions are.


Taking Schools Into Their Own Hands
More Mayors Seek Control as Washington Presses for Action on Failing Institutions; Setting an Example in Rochester

ROCHESTER, N.Y.—During the last weeks of the term, third graders at School 58-World of Inquiry School created an oil spill in a bowl. Under the guidance of teacher Alyson Ricci, they tried to clean it up. Cotton swabs worked.

The school last year won the national Excellence in Urban Education Award, with all students meeting state proficiency rates in science and social studies. It's an exception, though, in a Rochester system where fewer than half of the 32,000 public-school students graduate on time.

Rochester Mayor Robert Duffy wants to set up more schools that produce results like World of Inquiry's. But he says the superintendent's efforts to close failing schools and open new ones have been hobbled by a school board mired in minutia. He is pushing to dissolve the elected board in favor of one appointed by the mayor and city council for a five-year test period. New York's state legislature is considering the bid.

As cities come under increasing pressure to fix failing schools, more are, like Rochester, trying to take matters into their own hands—or at least those of their mayors.

"People are desperately seeking a model that can be duplicated and used in different communities," said Jim Ardis, the mayor of Peoria, Ill., who is considering such a move. He argues that a Peoria model—yet to be developed—is more likely to fit smaller cities across the Midwest than existing systems in larger urban areas.

Detroit and Milwaukee recently launched bids to assert mayoral control, although those have stalled amid opposition from lawmakers, unions and school boards. And in California, where a court has deemed mayoral control unconstitutional, Sacramento's mayor is figuring out unofficial ways to be involved.

Read the entire article here.

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Governor Quinn wants to explore having more influence in the City of Peoria
A new charter school - Peoria City Academy?
Oh, how wonderful