PEORIA, IL -- The Quest question continues to dominate the Peoria District 150 School Board meetings during the public comment section of the meeting.
The October 28 comments opened with a powerful statement from Jeff Atkins-Dutro, head of the teachers union. He called Quest, the public charter school, "an overpriced, failed experiment."
He said the Peoria School Board over the years has made three very bad and costly decisions -- approving Quest, approving Edison, and closing Woodruff High School.
Quest is the most recent, and now is up for renewal, at an increase of $800,000 over last year. Instead, the district can develop its own "world class STEM school with certified teachers," he said. "We can offer choice in our own district."
Activist Terry Knapp said the district lost $40 million to the Edison schools, which dissolved after making its founder rich. Quest was begun by paying Concept Schools, run by a Turkish cleric. Suddenly his group was out after the FBI raided the Peoria offices, Knapp said.
The Quest supporters in the audience are attending because they want the money, he said. If they get it, "you won't see them for five years" until the contract expires again, Knapp said.
Three more people spoke favoring Quest, along with six others on other topics. Here is a recording of the comments.
I spoke, calling the board's attention to a USA Today story on the Trump administrations plans to cut back the free school lunch program for poor children, and a film on Nov. 6 worth seeing.
Activist Sharon Crews spoke on school discipline. See her remarks below.
-- Elaine Hopkins
From Sharon Crews:
With regard to walk-throughs, students almost always put on a show of exemplary behavior when administrators or strangers show up. Therefore, these visits prove or reveal nothing. Besides, we all know that these visits were designed as ways to evaluate teachers.
When I talk about discipline and academic problems, many of you are unaware that my desire for racial equality and the end of racism was gradually fine-tuned by the students who taught me the realities of their world, and as adults they continue to do so on Facebook.
Today there are, among the district’s African-American students, a cousin of mine, four that I call my pretend grandchildren, and many other children and grandchildren of former students—all of whom I want to receive equal and fair treatment in every way.
Racial profiling often has done harm to black students when less is expected of them based on wrong perceptions. Is it possible that well-intentioned black administrators can make the same mistake by lowering standards of behavior and academics?
Please trust teachers who work with the students every day to do what we have always done by making allowances for deserving students. Also, provide summer school to give students academic second chances instead of lowering standards.
I do want all students to have meaningful consequences (not necessarily punishments) for bad behavior—consequences that will convince them that they are capable of changing their behaviors from unacceptable to praiseworthy. The goal must be to prepare students to be exemplary and productive citizens—and that goal should be accomplished before students get to high school.
All our administrations have had a tendency to try to keep the district’s discipline problems a secret. However, there are many witnesses who spread the word. At the beginning of the Lathan administration I compiled FOIAed data as to all of Manual’s discipline problems. Board members were aghast at the extent of the problems.
I was aghast to learn that they had never seen a similarly comprehensive discipline report. I continued to send FOIA requests for discipline data and to receive the requested data that I then compiled and distributed.
However, when I requested discipline data for the First Semester of 2018-19 for Glen Oak, Calvin Coolidge, and Manual—I did not receive all the information I requested. Springfield’s public access counselor has not yet completed a response to my appeal. I will deal with the district’s response to that FOIA request at a later date.
Until there are meaningful and appropriate consequences, there will be no improvement in student behavior.
This administration, like the others, refuses to admit to yourselves or the public that your policies and programs are not working. I fear you will continue to buy more programs that promise miracle cures.
It’s possible, as you allege, that you are withholding data to protect students’ identities. However, it’s equally as possible that you are taking the safe route to avoid lawsuits. It is just as plausible that you withheld fake ID’s to keep me from revealing the large number of repeat offenders.
Please exhibit more faith in students so that expectations can be raised. - 30 -
