PeoriaStory

Beehive exhibit

PEORIA, IL -- From a news release:

 

Beehive Design Collective to Exhibit “The True Cost of Coal” Artwork

Innovative and detailed graphic is a visual exploration of the life cycle of coal as an energy source; artists will tie artwork to local energy issues in Central Illinois

 

WHERE: Sunbeam Building; 935 N. Sheridan Rd., Peoria


WHEN: Friday, February 28th, 7-9pm

 

WHAT: One night exhibit of Beehive Design Collective work entitled “The True Cost of Coal,” including an artist-led discussion of the exhibition.

Two years in the making, “The True Cost of Coal” is an elaborate narrative illustration that explores the complex story of mountaintop removal coal mining and the broader impacts of coal in Appalachia and beyond.

In their interactive picture-lectures, the artists – known as the Bees -will lead the Peoria audience through an engaging, larger-than-life banner version of the graphic, interweaving anecdotes, statistics and history. With help from local Peoria-area groups currently focused on energy and coal issues, the Collective will then discuss how the same issues portrayed in the piece are playing out right here in Central Illinois.

This exhibit is part of a nation-wide tour, of which Peoria is one of only two towns in Illinois where the Beehive Design Collective will be stopping. For more information on the Collective or to view the graphics, visit www.beehivecollective.org.


WHO:Beehive Design Collective – Otherwise known as the Bees – are a volunteer-driven artist collective that uses graphical media as educational tools to communicate stories of complex political and social issues. The collective is from Machias Valley, Maine and has been in operation since 2000.

Central Illinois Healthy Community Alliance – a coalition of individuals and organizations committed to creating a sustainable and healthy community for Central Illinois. For more information, visit bit.ly/cihcaweb

Canton Area Citizens for Environmental Issues – a grassroots organization working to preserve and protect natural resources in the Canton area. For more information, visit www.savecantonlake.com

 
Heartland Coalfield Alliance -- movement of community groups, students and nonprofits in Illinois, Indiana and western Kentucky advocating for communities who bear the burden of our reliance on coal. For more information, visit /heartlandcoalfieldalliance.org/

Keeping score at the school board meeting

PEORIA, IL -- The score at the Feb. 24 meeting of the Peoria District 150 School Board was 6-4, with 1 neutral.

Six people spoke against Supt. Grenita Lathan, during the public comment section of the meeting.  Four spoke for her. One was apparently neutral, though he has been critical of her in the past.

Here is a recording of the comments.

 Dist 150 Feb. 24

The speakers supporting Lathan seemed unaware of some of the facts surrounding the recent suspension and transfer of Charter Oak principal John Wetterauer. Parents supporting his reinstatement have joined forces with another group that has formed, Change150. 

One Lathan supporter, Nedra Tate, said the state investigated the testing irregularies at Charter Oak, which is not accurate.  District 150's own attorneys investigated.

Another Lathan supporter, Morris Jackson,  complained about a book distributed by the Look! It's My Book group, saying it was offensive and inappropriate. These books are chosen based on recommendations by experts, and the students are allowed to select which free book they receive from several presented to them.

Jackson also complained about the lack of discipline at Charter Oak. "The students were "acting like animals in a zoo," he said, of a visit to the school.

Board president Rick Cloyd surprised everyone by apologising to one speaker, Brenda Wilson, for telling her to sit down while speaking at a meeting at Von Steuben school.

She accepted the apology, then said Wetterauer had been singled out, when principals with more serious transgressions were not treated the way he was treated. ""How can we not think it's a personal vendetta.  It feels like you are failing our children. Bring our teachers and principal back," she said.

Parents have complained about revolving substitutes in their children's special education classrooms at the school, with their children upset by the changes.

Teacher union officials have filed grievances, since the union contract reportedly says transfers cannot be used as discipline.

Activist Terry Knapp presented the board with a petition containing more than 1,000 signatures stating a lack of confidence in the administration.  He also mentioned the two instances of testing irregularities, reported below, when teachers and principals were not disciplined as Wetterauer and the teachers were at Charter Oak.

Activist Sharon Crews said she and Knapp were unfairly linked as a group when they filed Freedom of Information Act requests, and unfairly deemed recurrent requesters which allows the district to delay fulfilling their requests to 21 days.

Her report is published below.  

The board's lawyer later responded that was because their letters contained multiple requests for information.

Mini McDonald complained that school resource officers cannnot carry guns, jeopardizing school safety.

Later, board member Debbie Wolfmeyer said that was not a board decision, and instead blamed the Illinois State Police Training Board, that "told us we can't do that.  We are not the ones that did not want them to carry guns," she said. 

 -- Elaine Hopkins

Here are the comments of Sharon Crews:

 

Four months ago Dr. Lathan hatched a plan to limit the number of FOIAs Terry and I can submit.

First, she declared us to be a group, thus cutting in half the number of FOIAs we could do as two individuals. 

Then she made our group status retroactive to January, 2013.

Then she declared us to be recurrent requesters based on numbers totally unrelated to the truth.

Our additional punishment is a 21-day waiting period instead of the 5 to 10 days for a FOIA response.

In January, 2014, I wrote a FOIA pushing Lathan into admitting that she had no proof.  The FOIA response states that the law does not require a public body to answer questions, so Lathan believes she is not obligated to answer questions that begin with “How many?”

Since questions cannot be answered, the FOIA response was to return to me all our FOIAs (with some duplicates thrown in).  However, Lathan was unable to produce more FOIAS than we had written.  Any of you who are interested in proving the truth can count the number of our FOIAs the District has on file.  These are the answers to the “how many” questions:

As a group, our quota is 7 requests in a 7-day period.  Together we never submitted more than 3 in a 7-day period.

Our quota is 15 in a month—we never submitted more than 7 a month.

The quota for a year is 50—and the District’s letter stated we submitted over 50.

The truth--I submitted 27 and Terry submitted 12 for a total of 39—11 fewer than the quota.

Now tell me how was Dr. Lathan able to call us Recurrent Requesters when the District, according to the FOIA response, has no record of our totals?  This duplicity makes it easier for me to believe duplicity where reports of testing irregularities are concerned.

Board members, whose numbers do you believe?  I do appreciate the two of you who responded to my e-mail—Mr. Cloyd and Mr. Crawford.

 

 

 

 

The Deep State -- it's here

PEORIA, IL -- Here's a fascinating piece by author Mike Lofgren, which tells us all we need to know about national and international politics. 

While democracy still exists at local levels, it's dead nationally, replaced by the Deep State, a confluence of ruling elites who determine our collective fates.

This is a must read!

 -- Elaine Hopkins

 

 

 

 

Change150 rally successful

PEORIA, IL -- An incredible number of people -- perhaps 200! --  showed up for the Change150 rally on Feb. 18. It occurred before the Peoria City Council meeting held at the Contemporary Art Center.

They filled the lobby of the building, spilled over outside, marched and chanted, then went to the City Council meeting to speak during the public comment.

The Charter Oak School advocates have morphed into the Change150 organization, a political style group with buttons, signs, and articulate spokespeople.

They presented a petition with more than 1,000 signatures calling for a vote of no confidence in Supt. Grenita Lathan, and her top administrators.

They reiterated the many comments already reported on this blog (see below).

Print and broadcast media were there, and it will be interesting to see how they cover this groundswell of middle class people and taxpayers calling for change.

 -- Elaine Hopkins

Retired educators/administrators speak out

PEORIA, IL -- Here is a letter written by retired Peoria School District 150 administrators, which beautifully sums up the situation in District 150. It will be presented tonight at the rally and Peoria City Council meeting:

February 18, 2014

 

Dear City Leaders:

The retired administrators of District 150 support the removal of Superintendent Grenita Lathan, the three Instructional Improvement Officers, and the Chief Curriculum and Instructional Officer as soon as possible.  During her tenure of more than three and a half years, she has failed to positively impact the academic achievement of students or the culture of the district.  Rather, she has negatively impacted the morale of staff by creating a culture of fear and intimidation and has alienated the parents, staff, and community who have challenged her actions. 

Shortly after Dr. Lathan became superintendent, she indicated publicly that the district had been dysfunctional and guilty of educational malpractice, which was insulting and disrespectful to those who had dedicated their careers educating the students of District 150.  Because of her disregard for what those who preceded her have done, we are presenting our concerns to the City Council rather than the Board of Education. 

Dr. Lathan’s efforts quickly became directed at making people “accountable.”  In making people, particularly administrators, accountable, she began reassigning, dismissing, demoting, and intimidating administrators in an effort to submit to her authority and practices.  This culture of fear and intimidation began to permeate the whole district with these administrative changes.  The infiltration of administrators and staff from North Carolina and the change in the teacher evaluation process only further contributed to the perpetuation of this culture of fear and intimidation. 

The Journal Star recently reported that “since 2011 leadership has changed hands at 24 of the district’s 27 schools (not counting a few that have since closed).”  Because of Dr. Lathan:

 

• 6 central office administrators resigned or were demoted,
• 5 principals resigned,
• 1 principal was fired,
• 7 principals were demoted,
• 1 principal was reassigned,
• 2 principals retired early, and
• 3 assistant principals were demoted.

 

If the purpose of these leadership changes was to improve student achievement and create a more positive school culture, it has not happened.  The primary reason the administrative changes have not been effective is that the people she has replaced the above administrators with have either been ill prepared or their skill sets miss-matched for the position to which they were assigned.  It appears she has put in people who she can easily control or intimidate into doing what she wants done.  Many of the administrative positions have been filled by her colleagues from North Carolina who have no commitment to Peoria or the district.

 An example of her administrative changes has been the recent removal of Principal John Wetterauer from Charter Oak Primary School as a result of her accusation of testing irregularities.  This has created a firestorm that has incensed parents, tarnished the reputation of one of the district’s top performing schools and its staff, and detrimentally impacted special education students whose teachers have been assigned to other schools.  

The actions of the Board of Education and Superintendent over these past few months have brought to the attention and awareness of the entire community that her leadership style, based upon the philosophy and tenets of the Broad Foundation, have demonstrated how uncaring, insulated, and vindictive they both are.  The Board’s disrespect and callousness for parents; unquestioning solidarity behind her recommendations; and, most recently, her disparaging words about the people of Peoria not wanting the district to succeed have raised serious questions regarding the ability of the Superintendent and/or Board to effectively lead the district. 

We support the community-wide effort in advocating for change.  This is a district-wide problem that will only be resolved when Dr. Lathan and many of those who came with her are gone and the Board either comes to their senses or is replaced.  For the health of the district, the city, and our children, there has to be change sooner than later.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Retired District 150 Administrators

 

Note, 2/19,14):  4 central office administrators in original post corrected to 6, based on new information.)

 

The Great Awakening, Part 2

PEORIA, IL -- If the uproar over the possible sale of Peoria Stadium was the Great Awakening Part 1, then the sacking of Charter Oak principal John Wetterauer is the Great Awakening Part 2, and it's a doozy.

Pick on the middle classes in Peoria, and they have the resources and skills to fight back. Hard.

Charter Oak advocates have organized a campaign,Change150, hoping to get rid of Supt. Grenita Lathan and her posse, and/or the Peoria District 150 School Board.

Here's the website: www.change150.org.

It's worth reading.

Next stop, the Peoria City Council, which also controls whether Peoria Stadium can be sold, due to Illinois law.  From the website: 

 

• What: CHANGE150 Rally launches unifying initiative to be a voice for change in District 150
• When: Tues. February 18^th at 5:45pm  (immediately preceding the Peoria City Council policy meeting)
• Where: 305 SW Water St (Contemporary Arts Center building) 4^th floor
• Who:  Dan Dugal, Vice President, CHANGE150;  Rev. Harold Dawson, Jr., President, The Peoria Area Christian Leadership Council; Cheryl Sanfilip, former Assistant Superintendent & former principal at Lindbergh Middle School; Chris Martin, concerned District 150 parent.

Finally the Peoria Journal Star story, which contains the obligatory both sides of the Charter Oak, Change150 controversy.

Will all this uproar bear fruit?  We'll see. Full disclosure:  I signed the petition mentioned in the PJS story, and regularly meet with the notorious Tuesday Breakfast Club.

 -- Elaine Hopkins 

Flashdance not that flashy

PEORIA, IL -- Flashdance, the Musical began a three day run at the Peoria Civic Center on Feb. 17. It's an OK show, but not as flashy as could be hoped for. It's not A Chorus Line, not even close.

The best thing about this show are the sets -- they are flashy.  But great sets can't carry a show by themselves.

The performers are good, not great.  The songs, plot and characters are pedestrian -- there's no other way to describe them.  They lack zing, and as well, the plot and characters are cliches.

Everyone has a dream, no matter how preposterous. Achieving the dream is tough. Uh huh -- we're heard and seen this before, many times before.

In fact the most interesting character and best acted role goes to the evil strip club operator, the villain of the show. The bio of this actor, Christian Whelan who plays C.C., shows a career on the stage and TV. And in Flashdance, he neither sings nor dances, only acts.

There are some brief ballet numbers which are well done. The same cannot be said of the modern dance piece that the heroine performs at the show's end.

Compared with the great Olympic ice dance teams playing on TV recently -- perfect bodies, perfect oh-so-difficult moves -- this show and its performers seem mostly weak and sloppy.

If it were to be given a grade, it would get something between a B minus and a C.

It's barely worth seeing if you can't stand anything on TV for another night.

 -- Elaine Hopkins

 

Charter Oak principal not the first to be accused of test irregularities

PEORIA, IL -- The high profile charges of testing irregularities against Charter Oak principal John Wetterauer and special education teachers at the grade school are the first to be made public, but follow other incidents in Peoria School District 150.  Only these were kept quiet.

According to documents received by Charter Oak activist Theresa Koehler after a Freedom of Information Act request, testing irregularities occurred at Harrison School in 2013, and at Lincoln School in 2012 where 41 students were involved.

But the reputations of a principal and two teachers, who were quietly disciplined, were not shredded in public.

According to the documents:

At Harrison, the principal was reprimanded for failing to give the teachers testing instruction manuals until the first day the pupils were to take the test.  In addition, the principal allowed a Quest student to transfer to Harrison without the approval of the superintendent's office and take the test.

A teacher at Harrison  admitted reading the test questions to a student in Spanish, when the student asked for help.

At Lincoln, a teacher failed "to follow the mandated test administrator script, as required; admitted pointing and whispering to students(s) about answers followed by student erasure/change to the answer sheet; admitted failure to set the timer for one of the testing sessions, admitted failure to note remaining time of 15 minutes on board...and read responses of several students."

She had been trained by the principal, the document states, so apparetly the principal was not disciplined. The incident was reported to the Illinois State Board of Education, "and may result in the suppression of up to 41 student scores," it states.

None of this was made public, as was principal John Wetterauer's situation, and those of the special education teachers at Charter Oak. (See posts below.)

That seems to bolster the argument that Wetterauer was targeted by the administration of Supt. Grenita Lathan, as advocates of Wetterauer have suggested.

 -- Elaine Hopkins

 

Sign up for the ACA - From a news release:

Health Care Enrollment Assistance Available-See the Schedule Below

 

State-Certified Navigator available to help, free of charge

   

The Campaign for Better Health Care and the Illinois Black Chamber of Commerce are sponsoring health insurance enrollment opportunities through the Get Covered Illinois health insurance marketplace.  Anyone can be assisted, no geographic restrictions. State-trained Navigators will be available by appointment or drop in as listed.  

1.  Peoria Main Public Library, 107 NE Monroe, Peoria

     Wednesdays:  February 19th and 26th-- By appointment

     Contact Lori Serb, 217-352-5600, [email protected]

2.  Metec,  2605 W. Krause Ave

     Wednesday, February 19th-- Drop in from Noon- 3:00pm or appointment
     Contact:  Valerie Nelson, 312-929-7568, [email protected]

3.  Universalist Unitarian Church of Peoria, 3000 W. Richwoods Blvd, Peoria

     Friday, February 21st--Drop in from 11:00am- 2:00 pm or appointment

     Contact:  Valerie Nelson, 312-929-7568, [email protected]

4.  Proctor Center, 309 S. DuSable, Peoria

     Mondays, Drop in from 10:00am- 1:00 pm or appointment
    Contact:  Valerie Nelson, 312-929-7568, [email protected]

5.  If these days and locations are not convenient to make an appointment,          please contact:

     Campaign for Better Health Care:  [email protected]  217-352-5600

                             

 

"The Wolf of Sesame Street"

PEORIA, IL --  In a fabulous investigative report, David Sirota reveals that PBS has been co-opted by the corporate line on pensions, by accepting funds for supposedly objective reporting from a billionaire who wants public pensions slashed.

Read the entire piece here:

It's long but worth it. Illinois is included.

This situation also violates PBS's own policies on conflicts of interest, he says.

NPR is not innocent either, he says.

It's so sad that these news outlets have fallen for money over truth.

From now on, beware of their news coverage.

 -- Elaine Hopkins