UPDATE 5/13/08: See comment below.
PEORIA – The kinder, gentler or the get-ugly approach: that’s the choice facing a group who met on May 12 to find a way to get Peoria School District 150 officials to drop their plan to cut the school day for grade schools and eliminate teachers for special subjects such as art and music.
The group, made up of more than two dozen concerned property owners, parents, teachers and retired teachers and school officials, brought with them plenty of expertise about District 150.
They listened to former Dunlap superintendent Bill Collier, now a volunteer liaison between Peoria mayor Jim Ardis and District 150. Collier said he has spoken with District 150 superintendent Ken Hinton who may delay implementation of the plan while other options are considered. “I believe you can get it tabled for next year,” Collier said.
“The bottom line: they (children) ought to go to school more, and $600,000 (the amount the plan is supposed to save) is not a reason for a shortened school day,” Collier said. “I guarantee you, they heard you.”
Blogger Diane Vespa, a parent, convened the group, and will use e-mail addresses and her website to maintain the organization.
She has sent letters to Peoria officials asking them to explore a city takeover of the school district, but that subject was not even mentioned.
Instead Collier stressed negotiation. The group should develop other money-saving options for school officials to consider, he said.
“I personally believe there will be something that will work. I’ve been told if you come up with legitimate solutions they would take a look at it. I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t find an option by next week. They’ve gotten smacked pretty good,” he said.
Collier said Hinton is willing to meet with four members of the group on May 22 and May 27 to consider options. The board next meets on May 19.
He urged the group not to attack school officials personally, and to focus only on the shortened school day issue and not other grievances.
Collier, who in retirement is also an usher for Chicago Cubs games, said he gave up a game to attend the May 12 meeting. But if his goal was to tamp down or delay vocal opposition, he only partly succeeded.
Several at the meeting, including former teachers union head Terry Knapp took a militant stance. "You're not going to be able to sell a house" in upscale neighborhoods, Knapp said, if the plan is implemented. "This is going to gut the fine arts program."
At one point Knapp verbally clashed with Collier, who started to leave the meeting.
Knapp then backed off while Collier continued and answered questions.
Vespa had earlier described the choice open to the group: “the kinder, gentler or get ugly approach.”
Group members were not dissuaded from continuing to lobby school officials. Knapp plans to speak to the Peoria City Council at its May 13 meeting, and others in the group said they will be speaking at the May 19 school board meeting.
“If you turn down the heat you’re in trouble. The options already exist. There are other ways to cut the budget. If you want to get something done you have to turn up the heat,” a teacher said.
Vespa said tactics such as petitions, picketing and letters to the editor are “on the back burner” for now, to see whether negotiations can succeed.
She said she has spoken with community leaders, and “none agree with the (District 150) decision. I feel like the community is on our side.”
Collier said, “I don’t agree with the District 150 decision. Nobody I’ve talked to understands it. I believe the day should be longer.”
Two former school board members at the meeting, Alicia Butler and Jan Deissler, agreed that the proposed shorter day plan likely will require approval of the Regional Superintendent and the Illinois State Board of Education.
District 150 is already under heavy scrutiny from state officials, said Beth Akeson, an unsuccessful school board candidate. "I think they have plenty of money to spend. I'm pouring through the budget."
The plan would cut special reading teachers, crucial for a district with low test scores. It also would bring logistical problems for some special education students who travel from other, rural school districts on a bus with all ages, a retired teacher said.
Vespa concluded the meeting by saying, “the issues are “non-negotiable. “No shorter day, no cutting the teachers.”
-- Elaine Hopkins
5/13/08: Veteran school activist Mimi McDonald comments in an e-mail:
Naturally I agree with everyone who is against this latest move. District #150 is SOOOOO out of control! (What else is new?)
What I think they need is to overflow the board room with parents, TAXPAYERS BIG TIME, etc. Petitions aren't going to work; they never have. Addressing them makes no impact and never has. They all are arrogant beyond belief!
In the past, AT TIMES, masses of people united showing up has intimidated them. They don't like it when large numbers of people show up and then want to address them and take up hours of their time.
This will REALLY be effective now that they have moved the comment session to the early part of the meeting. And if they don't extend it beyond the 20 minute limit, spectators should not accept their decision quietly. The spectators should just talk loudly among themselves and disrupt their whole meeting. If security has to clear the room, so be it. Let the cameras roll and show that the people in Peoria are, "Mad as hell and aren't going to take it anymore!"
The other thing I would suggest is NOT emails to them, but for everyone to call them on their phones and take up their time that way. Hell, call each more than once. Call all upper level management (Ken, Cindy, Hershel and Cheryl. Leave your number and name and state it is important that they call back. When they don't, log it so whoever faces them can give a number out to the public on how many of those calls weren't returned. EVEN Stowell; he should have convinced the others to vote his way. He didn't because of his business interests, knew it would pass and he would make himself look good.
I would just make it very uncomfortable for the board and do whatever it is necessary to agitate! the hell out of them.
Somewhere today I read that this group opposing this is meeting to come up with cost cutting measures. WHAT A WASTE OF TIME!!!!!! Everyone knows there are too many chiefs and Edison has been a drain.
And as for the consultants.................don't get me started.
THIS BOARD AND ADMINISTRATION NEEDS TO BE TOLD TO PUT THE HOURS BACK WHERE THEY WERE. Period! As for the cuts, do the ones that the public has been telling them to do for years. There is no need for any discussion; just do it!
This is all such a circus and BS and ridiculous. The public should start yelling out loud for Hinton's resignation! -30-
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