PEORIA, IL -- Sharon Kherat was named acting/interim superintendent of Peoria School District 150 by the School Board at the July 6 meeting.
The vote to name the former Manual High School principal superintendent was 4 - 2, with Rick Cloyd and Linda Butler voting no, after stating they objected to the process, not the person.
Butler afterwards said of a few candidates for the position that none was interviewed. The board looked only at resumes and paperwork, she said.
Kherat, however, is well known in the district, and many in the audience expressed pleasure at her appointment.
Board members said she is well known and willing to step in and help."It's a time for healing," Lynne Costic said.
Kherat's appointment will take effect after the board negotiates a contract for her that she finds acceptable.
The public comments included those of Hedy Elliott Gardner, who expressed concern that activist Terry Knapp was attacked by name at a meeting last week by a member of the audience. "She slandered Knapp," Gardner said, and should have been cut off.
If someone can be attacked from the audience, people will fear to use their lst Amendment right to comment, she said.
She also called upon the board to eliminate the sign-in requirement to comment.
Knapp asked the board about the strategic plan, which has not been discussed in months."What happened to this?"
He called on the board to promise to maintain Peoria Stadium if another attempt is made to increase sales taxes to benefit the schools.
He asked why a temporary building has been moved from Lindberg to Thomas Jefferson School. "Is there a plan?" he asked. And he asked the board to ban all out of state travel and "cut frills."
The comments of Sharon Crews are posted below.
Here is a recording of the public comments:
-- Elaine Hopkins
Here are the comments of Sharon Crews:
Recently, $220,000 was spent on a Microsoft upgrade, making Skype available. The suggestion was that Skype could be used to offset teacher shortages. Technology has replaced gas-station attendants and has replaced grocery clerks with self-checkout stations. Now we could reduce a teaching staff with Skype. Please begin an all-out campaign to recruit new teachers.
When I was a young teacher, I did not realize that I was building relationships that would last throughout my lifetime. Of course, the technology of Facebook has helped me reconnect with so many of those young people and to rejoice in the adults they have become. Skype, Rosetta Stone, and Compass Learning cannot replace the interaction of students with their teachers and other students through daily person-to-person classroom communication. Teachers shape the mind and hearts of students and vice versa.
Please seriously consider the use of Skype for future professional development.
One topic at several meetings has been the amount of paper used by teachers. First of all, there was talk of needing copiers that kept track of paper usage. Manual had that kind of copier before I left in 2005—we had to put a number in and the machine cut us off when we reached our limit for the month. For years I have been presenting you with data about overspending on food, barcoding systems, Rosetta Stone, and was told we were in the black. Now blame is put on teachers for using too much paper in the classroom.
Have you done a study of all the paper used at the board rooms? I fear some will use FOIAs as an example and ignore all other uses. An inadequate supply of paper caused me to buy paper by the case to use at school. Also, I used my own paper and printer at home to run off grade sheets for all my students every week. Teachers need paper for tests. Many, like me, create their own assignments and need paper. Consider that the cost of all the things that teachers buy with their own money could easily offset the money paid for paper.
I challenge you to walk in unannounced at the admin building (especially behind those locked doors) and just look around at all the desk accessories—maybe you’re a week late for that effort. Teachers buy their own extras and necessities. The use of P-Cards made it easy for administrators to make purchases from Office Depot, etc. Please end P-Cards ASAP. -30-
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