PEORIA -- Perhaps 200 people filled the auditorium at Richwoods High School on March 28 to speak to the Peoria District 150 School Board, as it dealt with controversial proposals to close schools, restructure Peoria High School, and terminate the Edison Schools contract.
Not everyone spoke, but the public comments lasted so long that I broke them into three parts, below.
Before the meeting began, however, the audience was treated to several musical and dance numbers from the Richwoods High School musical that played last weekend, Fame. That was a wake-up call, that the schools exist not for the ambitions or egos of board members and staff, but for the education, including the arts education, of children.
It was touching moment before an evening of anguish from some of the public comment speakers. They fell into several categories. Several spoke for a 2-year school district employee who apparently was suspended after officials learned from a phone call of his past criminal record. He filled out the employment application correctly but no background check was ever done, one speaker said.
His supporters, which included ministers, eloquently pleaded with the board not to punish an African American man with a family to support who made a mistake years ago but has turned his life around.
Others spoke for and against the Edison Schools contract, and against closing Garfield and Columbia schools and restructuring Peoria High School which will require transferring its popular principal, Randy Simmons in order to get a $6 million federal grant.
The Edison Schools contract later was cancelled on a 6-1 vote, with only Chris Crawford voting to retain it.
Some unusual speakers appeared, including Second District Peoria City Councilwoman Barbara Van Auken, who said, "I'm here to beg you to defer these decisions (on school closing and restructuring Peoria High School) until you have done community outreach."
Afterward Schools superintendent Grenita Lathan said the Peoria High School grant application deadline is May 2, and meetings will be scheduled with teachers and parents as part of the application process.
Some speakers said Peoria High School has improved so much it is not eligible for the federal grant.
Another surprise speaker was former Manual High School principal and district administrator Sandy Farkash, who offered some philosophical observations then said the administration's reform proposals are "fraught with a paucity of details."
Then he added that a "board member" who publically "marginalized teachers," saying they are overpaid and don't work long enough, showed "a level of ignorance" about education and was an embarassment to the community. His complete remarks are on the second recording, below.
Other comments included that of Phil Romanus, speaking on the restructuring of Peoria High School, who said "we all know this is about big egos and personal vendettas."
Jeff Mosher inadvertently summed it up with his comment: "If the board's waiting for superman, he's not coming."
Here's the Peoria Journal Star story on the meeting, filed later. The board voted to close the schools.
-- Elaine Hopkins
Thank you for taking the time to record and post the audio.
Posted by: EmergePeoria | March 29, 2011 at 02:11 PM