PeoriaStory

Board is criticized and lobbied.

PEORIA, IL -- The public comments to the Peoria District 150 School Board at its April 27 meeting ranged from criticism to lobbying.

They came after an hour of student awards and presentations, something that should be relegated to student awards assemblies, not a school board meeting.

People in the audience cheered their schools, as if at a pep rally. Weird.

Highlights of the public comments, and here is the recording:

 

Dist150 Apr 27

Terry Knapp:  The annual Look! It's My Book charity dinner had the talented Lee Wenger as its MC. Knapp asked again that the ban against Wenger from attending school functions be lifted. 

Wenger got into a dispute with a student involved in a musical production. The board attorney later said that Wenger had not requested that the ban be lifted.

Sharon Crews: "You are making a mockery of the expulsion policy," she said, using district statistics to show that most students are not expelled for bad behavior but instead serve a form of probation. See her report below, to be posted later.

Board members later said students deserve a second chance, and should not lose a whole year for one instance of bad behavior.

Jan Deissler: She pointed out the value of Look! It's My Book, to the district. It has distributed 120,000 free books worth $750,000 to students in all 14 elementary schools.  No administrators or other school personnel attended the group's annual dinner, and neither did elected officials.

Board members later said they didn't get invitations to the event, though it was open to the public and an article appeared in the Peoria Journal Star about it.

Jeff Atkins-Dutro: The president of the Peoria Federation of Teachers said decisions on what to cut were being made without input from stakeholders such as principals. Board members denied that.

He called for objective analysis of programs to determine what should go.

Carl Cannon: With his Elite program on the chopping block, he said outside funding may save it and asked to meet with school officials. Two parents of students in his program praised it.  One said it turned his step son around from depression and even talk of suicide to self discipline and enthusiasm for school.

A man involved with Head Start praised Supt. Grenita Lathan in a haltingly read statement that he likely didn't write himself.

 -- Elaine Hopkins

Here are the comments from Sharon Crews:

 

Suspensions and expulsions are probably not the best consequences for bad behavior; however, incentives for good behavior cannot replace consequences for bad behavior.  Parents do not discipline with rewards and incentives only.  Schools can’t either.

 

 You have made a mockery of the expulsion policy.  Traditionally, an expelled student lost enough school to be held back a semester or a year. High school students had to make up work in night or summer school—those meaningful consequences are gone.  Without summer school, expulsion is not a viable solution.   Your unreported solution is to eliminate most expulsions. Compass Learning is not a solution.

 

Last year, we were led to believe that 203 were expelled.

 

Seventy-five of the 203 received consequences labeled as Expulsion.  However, 34 of the 75 were placed at the Safe School, so they were not expelled. Twenty-three of the 34 passed to the next grade.  Amazingly, eight, who were actually expelled for five to ten months, passed to the next grade any way.  A 7^th grader was expelled for seven months for sexual physical misconduct but won the Quest lottery and advanced to 8^th grade anyway.  Ten students were expelled only for the summer from June to August. Absurd!

 

One hundred and twenty-eight of the 203 expulsions were labeled as Expulsion Abeyance.  Several years ago Cindy Fisher obtained a grant to pay for drug-alcohol screening for students expelled for those specific reasons, and their expulsion was essentially a probation period.

 

The grant ended, but the program has expanded to include students expelled for almost any reasons.  What we are told is expulsion is really probation.  Last year probations were revoked at only seven out of eighteen board meetings.

 

It’s no wonder that behaviors haven’t changed, considering that most of the 128 Expulsions in Abeyance received absolutely no consequences for their behaviors.  Five went to the Safe School.  Sixty-seven of those who stayed in school passed on to the next grade—that’s a total of 104 who advanced a grade.

 

For the 203 who were expelled, there was no information provided as to where 69 of the students are this year.

 

Problems must be removed from the classroom before they escalate, and consequences must encourage students to change their behaviors before returning to class.  If these students lose nothing, they learn nothing.  Some came out ahead—passed without being in school.  Now you can start telling your version of this data.  At least, it isn’t a secret any more.  These issues need your immediate attention. -30-

 

 

 

Riverfront Park sale great information

PEORIA, IL -- Here is a terrific blog post that is must-reading for all who want to stop the sale of Riverfront Park land.

Medical talk April 22

 

PEORIA, IL -- This might be very interesting:

Download DrCoxFlyer

CAFO facts

ELMWOOD, IL -- Here's frightening information on CAFO proliferation from environmental activist Karen Hudson.  She is an Illinois farmer, co-founder of Illinois Citizens for Clean Air and Water, and Regional Consultant for the Socially Responsible Agricultural Project. 

From a media interview, edited:

 

Will a factory farm spoil Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site?  (See below.)

I recently discovered a Food & Water Watch website with some messy statistics:

• There is one factory farmed hog for every three people in Illinois.
• The number of factory farmed hogs in Illinois grew by 22 percent to 3.9 million between 1997 and 2007.
• The size of average Illinois egg factory farms nearly doubled to nearly 821,000 million hens between 1997 and 2007.
• In 2009, an Iroquois County hog operation manure spill tainted 19-miles of a local stream, killing fish for several days, including the native northern pike.
• In 2008, the Illinois EPA investigated an estimated 90,000-gallon manure spill from a 6,000-head Adams County hog facility after construction equipment broke a sewer line.
• The 3.9 million hogs, nearly 150,000 beef cattle, 12,000 dairy cows, and 4.9 million egg-laying hens produce as much untreated manure as 89 million people — nearly 7 times the Illinois population.

Where are all the factory farms in Illinois? The Illinois EPA (IEPA) still has no idea. In early February, the Illinois Citizens for Clean Air and Water (ICCAW) and other groups filed comments to the Illinois Pollution Control Board (IPCB) due to IEPA's lack of an accurate inventory of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) in Illinois.

ICCAW performed vigorous independent research using Illinois Department of Agriculture datasets obtained via the FOIA, Secretary of State Information, and GIS mapping in an attempt to compile a correct accounting of CAFOs in Illinois. Astonishingly, we discovered as many as 560 CAFOs statewide, while the IEPA's inventory only accounts for 254.

This is just a snapshot of the deficiencies revealed by ICCAW's independent research. IEPA blames a lack of personnel and resources as their excuse and claims they will complete an accounting only as new complaints filter in about existing facilities and as existing resources allow for inspections.

More than three years ago, the IEPA agreed to complete a comprehensive inventory of CAFOs after ICCAW filed a citizen complaint with the U.S. EPA under provisions of the Clean Water Act, which triggered a federal investigation.

As a result, the federal EPA awarded a failing grade to the agency due to the lack of regulation of CAFOs. IEPA continues to resist an IPCB reporting rule that will finally lead to an accurate accounting of all CAFOs in Illinois and demonstrates a lack of commitment in regulating these massive operations that pollute land, air and water. (italics mine)

Even worse, a hog factory farm has been proposed for Menard county, near the historic site of Abraham Lincoln's New Salem home. The operation would house more than 9,000 animals. It would cause problems such as contaminated wells, polluted rivers and streams, degraded water supplies and the risk of antibiotic resistant pathogens.

There are many articles and documentaries that explain how modern factory farms abuse animals, but one relatively painless way of getting the message is through The Meatrix ®, an award-winning series of short animated movies about problems created by industrial agriculture.

You can connect with ICCAW on their Facebook page here. Another organization fighting against factory farm animal mistreatment is Crate Free Illinois, which also has a Facebook page.

 

Clean Water Celebration

PEORIA, IL -- The Sun Foundation's 22nd annual Clean Water Celebration begins on April 19 and really takes off on April 20 at the Peoria Civic Center.

This event has had little publicity lately, but is always interesting. The Monday  April 20 session will have exhibits, presentations, and breakout sessions, all focused on that most vital of elements, clean water. It runs from 8:30 am to 2 pm. It's free.

Opening ceremonies are outside the Gateway Building on the Riverfront at 4 pm on Sunday, April 19.  This ceremony is also free.

Wicked Divas put on quite a show

WASHINGTON, IL -- The Heartland Festival Orchestra's April 18 concert/show, Wicked Divas, at Five Points, Washington, continued the creativity that has been a hallmark of the group. 

The duo Wicked Divas, two Broadway stars with Broadway voices, were lovely to look at and listen to, as they sang pop music connected with divas.

The large orchestra backed the singers and played numbers on their own, bringing a new depth of sound to the pop songs.

The duo, Alli Mauzey and Nicole Parker, both played in the Broadway musical Wicked, before taking their talents on the road with symphony orchestras. They performed a few numbers from that show along with others. 

This was a terrific show, very amusing and entertaining.

 -- Elaine Hopkins 

Addiction and civil liberties

PEORIA, IL -- From a news release:

The Peoria ACLU Chapter’s Annual Meeting is April 23, 2015    

The Peoria ACLU Chapter’s annual meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 23, 2015 at the IVY Club on 1502 N. Galena Road, Peoria Heights.  

The event features Ms. Kate Mahoney, MSW, LCSW,  a licensed clinical social worker who has worked in the addiction prevention and treatment field for the past 30 years.  She will speak on Addiction and Civil Liberties.

She is the Executive Director of PEER Services, a community-based substance abuse prevention and treatment agency serving the northern suburbs of Chicago. PEER Services has been providing specialized treatment services for opioid dependent individuals since 1975.

She serves on the Board of Directors of the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence, is a past president the Illinois Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Association and has served as the president of the Illinois Association for Medication Assisted Addiction Treatment since 2008. 

She is dedicated to combating the stigma that is often associated with drug dependence.  This stigma interferes with individuals and families accessing treatment and leads to the loss of civil liberties though unnecessary incarceration, interfering with individuals being able to gain and maintain employment, access housing, access public benefits and to be included as valuable members of the community. 

The event begins with a social hour at 5:30 p.m. and dinner at 6:30 p.m. with the program and speaker,  presentation of awards and election of officers to follow.

Reservations for the dinner are due by April 16.  An invitation can be downloaded from the chapter’s website, at http://aclupeoria.org.

The public is invited, and welcome to attend the program free of charge.  Media coverage is also welcome.

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Living wage protest

PEORIA, IL -- From a news release:

FIGHTING FOR A LIVING WAGE 

Peoria, IL

peorialivingwage.com

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information: Zachary Gittrich https://www.facebook.com/groups/fightforalivingwage/

LIVING WAGE PROTEST APRIL 15^TH - 2:00PM – 7:00PM

McDonald’s on University and War Memorial

On Wednesday, April 15^th, fast-food workers all across the country will come together to fight for fair wages and the right to form a union without retaliation. Today, millions of workers from a long list of industries suffer due to current unfair labor laws that allow employers to pay minimum wage rates that put hard working Americans under the poverty line.

Right here in Peoria, a group of concerned citizens will be gathering at the corner of University and War Memorial in solidarity with these workers and any others whose voices are not being heard not only by corporations and politicians but by their own neighbors who continue to ignore their situation.

Please join us in to begin fighting back against poverty and income inequality.-30-

The debate goes on...

PEORIA, IL -- The latest election for school board members in Peoria District 150 may be history but the debate over Supt. Grenita Lathan and her administration continues. 

The two Change150-recommended candidates won the election. They campaigned on getting rid of Lathan.  But they don't take office until July 1. 

At the board's April 13 meeting, board members defended Lathan, who was both attacked and praised during the public comments session. Here is a recording of the public comments and responses from the board:

 

Dist150 Apr 13

 

The board 'hired someone as a change agent.  We asked for someone strong in instruction and curriculum," Linda Butler said in defending Lathan from an attack  by critic Sharon Crews.  Her report will be posted below later.

Board president Debbie Wolfmeyer said of the election: "keep it in perspective.  Only 23 percent voted in District 3, less than 10 percent of the voters."

Jon Bateman, appointed last year to the board, lost his seat in the election. He defended Lathan at public forums. 

He accused District 150 critics of misusing statistics (to show the lack of progress under Lathan)  and worse. "Telling half truths is lying by omission," he said.

"The voters sent a message for change," said Kathleen Diefenbaugh, a Lathan critic. Families are moving out of the district, she said. "Do something now."

A woman who said she represented the Peoria Black Chamber of Commerce, defended Lathan. "The attacks on Lathan" should stop, she said.

 -- Elaine Hopkins

Here are the comments from Sharon Crews:

 

In May, 2012, Dr. Lathan asked the rhetorical question, “What happens when decades of ‘Educational Malpractice’ have been allowed to permeate the foundation of an educational system?” Her answer:   “Across the board failure and completely unacceptable results from staff and students!”  She called our community, children, parents, and teachers failures.  Then she uttered the words by which she chose to be judged, “This pattern of failure will no longer be allowed to continue…the bar has been raised.”

 A few have publicly refuted the retired principals’ data taken directly from the Illinois 2014 test results.  However, Lathan, with no data to back her up, stated that District 150 has been failing for decades—more than twenty years, right?  I do not believe that there is any data to back up her claims.  Only in the last decade were tests given to students used to judge schools and teachers.  All measuring sticks would have to be very subjective.

Unfortunately, Dr. Lathan was not present on February 22, 2010, when the board officially hired her.  On that night, Wolfmeyer congratulated the students, staff, and parents for the nine awards given to District schools by the Illinois State Board of Education.

The Academic Excellence Award to Washington Gifted, Academic Improvement Awards to Woodrow, Sterling, and Harrison, and Spotlight School Awards to Hines, Rolling Acres, Roosevelt, Whittier, and Woodrow.

Spotlight School awards require that at least 50% of a school’s students are from low-income families--and hear this:  Each Spotlight School must have made AYP during the award year and two prior years. 

This positive data was actually Lathan’s starting point, but she labeled the District a failure from the get-go.  Why didn’t the board speak up when this criticism was leveled at everyone in the district—including three of you?

Now consider the irony of the Illinois data in light of the 2010 data.

Both Harrison and Roosevelt, honored in 2010, dropped to the two lowest elementary schools in the state under Lathan’s leadership.

Dr. Lathan trusted that the millions she spent on technology, programs, and texts would lead to acceptable AYP scores.  It didn’t happen.  From day one she bragged she would raise the bar—and she accepted AYP as that bar.  Had she approached this task with the humility we all knew was required, she would not have had to hide the test results from the public.  Neither NCLB nor Lathan should have been judge and jury for this District. -30-

 

 

 

Media and Politics event

PEORIA, IL -- From a news release:

Media & Politics topic of April League program

 

The relationship of media and politics will be discussed at Drinks & Dialogue, a new program hosted by the League of Women Voters of Greater Peoria. The media can be a critical factor in the League’s commitment to open, responsive, and effective government brought about by informed, involved citizens.

The public is invited to participate in the dialogue, at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 15 at the Lariat Steakhouse, 2232 W. Glen, Peoria, IL.

The dialogue about media and politics will be opened with comments from Shelley Epstein, a former Journal Star editorial writer and facilitated by League members.

Drinks & Dialogue provides an opportunity for people to share opinions and ideas, ask questions and become more aware of local, state and national issues and the options for making change.

There’s no cost to participate, and refreshments are available to buy.

Drinks & Dialogue is offered monthly, on the 3^rd Wednesday of the month, for one hour starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Lariat, with local, state, and national political topics.

The League is a non-partisan, issues oriented, volunteer, member-directed organization committed to open, responsive and effective government brought about by informed, involved citizens with membership open to both men and women in Peoria, Tazewell, and Woodford counties. For more information, go to www.lwvgp.org. -30-