Attend the meetings. Hear what decisions are being made on your behalf. Join the 131 community and witness for yourself what your elected representatives and district employees are planning and doing for the children in your district.
Remaining School board meetings.
March 17, 2008
April 7, 2008
April 21, 2008
May 5, 2008
May 19. 2008
June 2, 2008
June 16, 2008
All regular meetings are held on the first and third Monday of each month, at 7:00 P.M., in the Board Room at the School Service Center, 417 Fifth Street, Aurora, Illinois. •Should the first or third Monday fall on a holiday, check the website calendar.
79 comments:
The way I am reading this is that there is no school board meetings in the summer months? Is this correct?
No, the Board of Education calendar runs July thru June. You may see it posted on the 131 website.
Rayanne, thanks for posting this.
However, I work on Monday nights--is there any chance that the district can put even a bare-bones summary of the board meetings minutes on the website? There are more than 70 agendas, but only 46 "Board Bits". I just don't understand why more than 2 dozen are missing, when they are able to post the agendas?
To: March 5, 2008 8:23 PM
You said that the district is looking to do away with the Technology Labs. I recall when they put the labs in a few years back. They were presented as the most advanced thing in education. Many of the districts around followed suit and installed Technology Labs of their own.
The district spent approximately $100,000 per Technology Lab. That is $100,000 for each of the middle schools and the high school, for a total of about $400,000. Now to save few thousand in maintenance costs they are going to throw away the whole lab. That's like throwing away your car because you want to save the money on gas.
Only in a district like this one could such a thought be entertained. You just don't throw away a $400,000 asset without a more significant reason than you want to save a few thousand in maintenance. There needs to be a significant educational reason.
These are your tax dollars the administration just wants to throw away, 400,000 of them. Poor decisions like this one are why the school district is in such a bad financial mess.
They have not posted board bits for any meeting held in 2008. This is REDICULOUS. We are 2 and a half months in, SIX MEETINGS and no board bits. What the HELL IS GOING ON. Somebody should be fired. They ALWAYS post the agendas, so don't give me BS about transitioning to the new web site.
I think that they're required by law to post agendas, but maybe the "Board Bits" aren't required. But it seems to me that not posting them makes it look like someone's trying to hide something, or at least disrespecting the public by withholding information.
Doesn't the administration and school board want the taxpayers to trust them, especially when a referendum is at stake? Sneaking old-guard Salinas back onto the board was strike one; lack of information is strike two.
Contact the States Attorney about the board bits.
You are right about the Labs. I think they can find other things to cut. How many kids really need cooking or sewing classes these days. Other districts are looking into old time classes and looking ahead to see what the kids really need to get ahead these days.
I think that classes like sewing, cooking, woodworking, etc. is good for the students. It helps them to learn to get along with their peers, and also shows them there are other outlets for them when they are frustrated etc. They alos learn about the foods that are good for them and there are other things to eat other that fast food. This is a good thing. Also, there should be help out there for these labs. This is what they have grant writers and others for isn't it? Is this not why we pay adminsistrators all that high money for? After all it is for the children, isn't it. Let me put alittle bird in your ear. Look into what all districts secretaries and maintenance men are paid and whose is paid the most on all of them.
Can anyone tell me where to find the information on the secretaries and maintenance mens salaries? I am a novice in this.
why is Barwa still making money off the taxpayers? What exactly does he do as an administrator now?
Who is Barwa?
Barwa's salary was from last year. He was the director of technology or something like that. He used to be principal at East. He's retired now.
Thank you.
Barwa was the principal at East High years ago. When he was fired from the princpal job, he refused to leave the district and since he was already a tenured teacher before becoming an administrator, there was little the district could do about it.
Since that time the district gave him a title and stuck him in a small office at Waldo until retirement. In short, Barwa collected a salary for several years for doing absolutely nothing at all.
It reminds me of the story in Chicago Public where the ditrict made a person the principal of a parking lot to finish out their contract.
Once again, your hard earned tax dollars at work.
Any comments on the recent Beacon News article on how West Aurora is enforcing residency? Anyone know East Aurora's policy?
The question isn't whether or not the district has a policy, the distric has a book a foot thick full of policies. The question is whether or not they follow it.
Answer: NO
I remember Dr. Barwa as an excellent principal at East High (certainly much better than others they've had such as Marin Gonzalez or Gordon Postlewaite). I think that what happened was, he was "reassigned" because he failed to kiss certain upper administrators' behinds several years ago. Yep, another example of the legacy of "Serial Bully" Radakovich!
Very interesting what is in the paper today about Krug school. To bad that the school board and Dr.Roberts do not set a good example and do things right theirselves. After all, if the do not have to follow their own rule, polices and that of the State, why should and administrator in any school have to? After all, it is for the children, is it not? If this is true about what happened at Krug, shame on the administrator! What kind of examples are we showing these children, especiallly when the parents and community do not get together to put a stop to it all.
Then there is the article about Waldo again. When is this school board and Dr.Roberts going to do something about that mess there? Parents, do you know what your children are doing? This school needs to be put on lockdown.
Something similar happened several years ago at Dieterich School, with principal Ms. Miller accused of "tweaking" test scores. My kids went to Dieterich, and I thought that overall Ms. Miller was an excellent principal, and that my kids received a very good education there.
I think that the problem in these situations isn't so much the principal, but that awful "No Child Left Behind" unfunded mandate that encourages teachers & administrators to "teach to the test". Let's hope that NCLB is either overhauled or, better still, thrown out with the next Presidential election in November!
I agree, the Feds (who don't even belong in education, it is a right the belongs to the individual states, read your constitution)have made the "TEST" so important that grown adults will risk their entire career over student test scores. All focus is the test and the test only.
So much of what makes education important is being lost. When you shoot for the stars the bottom becomes something you leave far behind, but when your goal becomes the the bare minimum you've already lost.
Here's a thought for everyone. When you go back fifty or more years ago, back when educators (the professionals actually trained and with experience in education) determined what students needed to know, the country lead the world in education. The more that politicians (the ones with no training whatsoever in education)have interferred with education process, the farther behind that we have become in the world.
That is still no excuse for cheating. The way to get rid of NCLB is to let the test scores show that the program doesn't work. Making the test scores "appear" to be legitimate just perpetuates the problem.
I cannot understand why supposedly intelligent people would encourage or allow cheating. Someone's head should roll on this one. If not the administrator then her boss. The public needs to be shown that cheating is not condoned and is punishable.
I am sorry if you took what I said as an excuse for cheating. That's not how it was intended and if it is found that the administrator had cheated, of course she should be terminated.
My point was look at how many times this has happened recently. Why are we placing such incredible significance on this test which has already been proven to not help students in the real world. The whole program is a great soundbite for politicians on the evening news but a complete failure where it really counts, the education of our children.
I don't remember this sort of thing (principals "doctoring" test results) happening before No Child Left Behind.
I'm not saying it's o.k. to cheat, but I don't think an otherwise qualified, competent principal should lose her job because of this. She obviously cares about the students' learning, although her actions were wrong. Maybe she should do some community service, or pay a fine to a charity as punishment.
"No Child Left Behind"=
"They left the money behind".
1:23
What she cared most about was making herself look good in the eyes of the guys in the head shed.
If she could bring up the test scores, her performance evaluation would look great. Hence, justification for a pay raise. But what the heck, the whole administration looks the other way on so many things what's one more.
And you want us to vote yea on another referendum? Fat chance of that happening unless D131 gets its act together before November.
All of the students of 131 should not be made to suffer because of one mistake... just like the whole district should not have to be sued and made to suffer because of Rayanne's mistakes, right?
Basing your decision to vote (or not) for a referendum on an allegation is ridiculous!!! Either you believe in investing in the future or you don't!!!!!!!!!
Yeah right!!!!!!!!
Lets throw some more money at a broken system. Maybe enough will filter down from the top to be used at the classroom level.
How would "all the students of 131" suffer by the replacement of a principal? Replacement of the principal might help restore the integrity of the District.
I agree that Rayanne was railroaded on that union issue.
Good Morning Everyone,
This is my morning to finally get caught up on all the information that I have missed this week. I was just looking at the D129 website. I was listening to Dr. Ryland's videos from last fall. He was talking about how the board chose to listen to the community and hear what the people wanted before they put a referendum on the ballot, and also that they consiously decided NOT to use threatening tactics. What a refreshing man he is compared to our guy.
8:23, it remains to be seen whether or not Rayanne has made any "mistakes". I wouldn't be surprised if the real "mistakes" turn out to be the false allegations made by bigwigs who feel threatened by her insistence that the truth be told, regardless of whose toes are stepped on in the process.
Anita, if you want to see a REAL contrast between Dr. Rydland's integrity and "our guy", compare him to the previous superintendent, "Serial Bully" Radakovich. Dr. Roberts merely inherited a bad situation. Compared to Radakovich, Roberts is a candidate for sainthood.
It was "Serial Bully" Radakovich and his cronies (including Malaker and Minooka buddy Rick Johnson) who refused to listen to the community during the Kaisershot debacle. Unfortunately the taxpayers have pretty good memories and aren't quite ready to forgive & forget.
It is just about time for Dr. Roberts contract to be renewed.
It should not be renewed.
What has he done to help or improve this district?
He has not been honest open and transparent.
The next superintendant should be someone not connected to this district at all, or never has been connected to D131 at anytime.
We need someone who will do like Dr.Ryland has done in D129 and no one that is "old guard".
Finding someone not connected to or vested in this district at all is the same mentality that got us Dr. Radakovich. Do we really want to go there again?
The mentality of bringing Roberts here was not right. The man has done nothing for our good. It is the mentality of the school board that has gotten us where we are. They are the employers and the superintendant answers to them not the other way aroung. Think of this, what if they made Marin Gonzales superintendant? This district would really be in BIG TROUBLE then! Farum does not know how to do her job and will not let others help make decisions. Here is one of the biggest problems, Farum.
I have been in the district for a long time and I have worked with Marin. She was a B!&CH who alienated damn near everyone she worked with. The day the board makes Marin the superintendent will be the day I quit. She is a lying backstabber who I wouldn't trust as far as I could throw her fat A$$. If you think the district couldn't get any worse, make Marin the superintendent, you find out just how low a district can go. I can't think of any individual that would be a worse choice than her.
Before I hear the sarcastic, don't hold back say what you really think, trust me I HAVE held back. If this wasn't a public forum I WOULD tell you what I really think of her.
To March 21 8:44PM
I am right with you.
She caused such problems for the students, parents and teachers when she was principal at East.
If only more people knew the harm and problems she has caused?
Or do they?
Still can't believe the school board gave her an award for straightening up that grant mess. She is the one who created the mess and gets an award for it.
This is why I wish more would go to the school board meetings, so that they can pass the word on.
Believe me it would help.
8:44, it's my understanding that she is finishing her doctorate right now at the district's expense. Hopefully once she gets the degree, she will go on to her "next journey in life" (her own words), in ANOTHER DISTRICT.
I don't work for D131, but my spouse does--and I can tell you, everything you said about Ms. Gonzalez is absolutely correct. I'm also aware that she can be vindictive and petty; when a teacher at East High made a comment that "she might (accidentally) bump Ms. G. off the stage" during a faculty talent night, Ms. G made sure that teacher received an unfavorable job performance review.
I don't think that even the old-guard School Board members are clueless enough to consider Ms. G. as superintendent material. Let's hope she'll be taking her new doctoral degree to a district far, far away.
12:40--
From your mouth to God's ears!
If Roberts resigns and I doubt he will. The District needs to do a nation wide search and bget some new blood. Also the same for the school board if you voted to put the referendum on them lets work to vote them off. The last election proved a failure because the voters were not educated on the stance of these puppets of Roberts that were re-elected. One was voted off them returned. We need to organize and from a No vote group and run those candidates.
There was only 2 who voted no for the referendum. There might be some who are already talking about getting together about why the next referendum should not pass. The question is will people really want to be involved and for the right reasons? Will they be willing to show up at the school board meetings to let the board know how they feel? Will this group be given equal space on the
D131 website?
A nationwide search should be being done right now for a new superintendant as Roberts contract is coming up and it should not be renewed. But my quess is that there will probably be only 2 board members who will be against renewing his contract. I think the bull with female appendages would be better for D131 than Roberts has been. Just my opinion.
On what planet should a "Vote No" group get space on the district web site? Does Clinton need to have space for Obama on her site? You people are so stupid. There are ways to get free web sites, but what a stupid statement to say it should even be linked to the District 131 site. Think about what you are saying, and then hit yourself...welcome back to reality.
Clinton pays for her website and so does Obama, for someone does for it. We, taxpayers, pay for the D131 website. It is our money and we should get some good use out of it.
Unfortunately, if Marin is having her doctoral degree paid by the district, the district policy is that you must remain in the district for at least three years or you must pay the district back that money. If the district has paid for Marin's continuing college, we're stuck with her for quite a while.
There is no way the district is paying for Marin's degree - they only reimburse for a PORTION of it. And for all of you bold anonymous bloggers - come to the meetings and show your cowardly faces
Annie from Aurora
I love how people who write their first names on a blog think they are sooooo brave. Guess what, there are other people out there with the same first name.
Sam Iam
If you look at the board agenda from 3-3 you will notice it says
"Second Executive Session for the Purpose of Discussing the Superintendents Evaluation". I have asked if the taxpayers would be able to see how the superintendent is evaluated but have not gotten an answer. This would be very informative?
Good luck getting D131 bigwigs to tell you anything about an administrator's evaluation--that's "personnel issues", don'tcha know?
And they're notoriously stingy with information anyway. After all, more than two dozen "Board Bits" are missing from the "new, improved" website.
What are they trying to hide??
Hey "Annie from Aurora"--
Nice to meet you. I'm Annie, too.
It's short for "Anonymous".
Roberts evaulates himself is my understanding.
what makes anyone think that an employees evaluation would be made public? this is just dumb. just because someone is paid with tax dollars does not mean that there rights to confidentiality are lost. Are your evaluations where you work made public? Are the evaluations of policemen, firemen, city clerks, secretaries at the courthouse made public?
When I read this blog what I see are people who have have truths or total misinformation. It sounds to me like there are a bunch of Monday morning quarterbacks out there.
Why don'[t you quit complaining and actually do something? How many of you actually attend school board meetings? How many of you atually volunteer at your child's school? How many of you are in pta, boosters or attend events at the schools when they have them?
As far as the teacher that said she would bump someone off the stage a show- he would have been fired if he worked where I did.
8:12, here's a bit more info about the "bumping offstage" comment incident:
The teacher who said that she might bump Marin Gonzalez off the stage was making fun of HERSELF (this teacher is a chunky, rather uncoordinated but generally good-natured person). Almost everyone who heard the comment realized that it was a reference to this teacher's lack of dance skills, and not as a threat to do Ms. G. any harm. Unfortunately one teacher reported the comment to Ms. G, who immediately assumed the worst and penalized the "offender".
This incident was mentioned as just one of many examples of Marin Gonzalez's paranoia and pettiness.
I attend the school board meetings and do not have a child in school.
The thing I do not see in your statement is if you go to school board meetings.
I do not need to see an evaluation of the superintendants performance, as I see a lack of results, nothing for the students, just the administrators.
My opinion and observations.
This was on Openlineblog today, it is under the older post section:
Anonymous said...
Here is another Waldo story for ya'all. There was recently a bomb threat mailed to Waldo. The threat referenced the gang "Latin Kings". The school was put on lock down and searched. The following day all the kids were searched upon entering the building. Here is the twist. The day the bomb threat was received a student was caught flashing a Latin Kings belt buckle in the hallway and the gym. This student received no discipline. I repeat this student received no discipline.
3/24/08 12:16 PM
Well it's a good thing you repeated that last line, because I could not hear you the first time.
To Anonymous 3-24 8:12am
I think you misunderstood my comment about Dr. Roberts evaluation. I understand confidentiality but what I was asking was to see the criteria under which he is evaluated, not the evaluation itself. I think it would be helpful to know what is expected of him.
It's great that you are so involved in the school PTA, etc. Not many parents are and it is a shame.
This was in the beacon openline today. For those board members and administrators that think everything is ok in the schools they should listen to this.
No benefit for us
You want us to vote "yes" for the East Aurora School District referendum, and every time we, the parents, look around they are suspending our children and kicking the parents in the teeth. I give much respect to Dale Nichols ("Take tour of East Side," OpenLine, March 21). We should not have to pay for something that does not benefit us or our children
There's still a great deal of bitterness and cynicism left over from "Serial Bully" Radakovich's reign. Unfortunately, old-guard School Board members and administrators (especially at East High) don't seem to realize that taxpayers who feel disregarded and disrespected will repeatedly vote "no".
What I feel towards this superintendant has nothing to do with the "Serial Bully". Roberts has no respect for the students or community. The "old guard" school board members do not either, though is must state, at times McCue amazes me. The 2 newest school board members do not either. I do go to meetingss, see and hear what is going on. To this day, I cannot believe Roberts brought those White Castles to the meeting and yes, I was there. Still wonder if the money for them came out of his pocket, or the taxpayers. Dee and Rayanne are the only ones doing something for all of us and the sad thing is they cannot do it alone.
In all the meetings I have been to, everything is for the administrators and above. When it comes to the students, such as the new textbooks, it took some fanagling to get them. It has been YEARS and YEARS since the students have had new and up to date books!
I have never seen or heard how they have had to fnagle to get the admins and above the early retirement plan. Now the secretaries and maintenance mens contracts are up and it appears they might get a hefty raise. Our secretaries and maintenance men are paid more than anybody elses! Plus there is the extras for someone like Lisa Morales who is going on that Florida trip on our dime. Just why is she going and is her family going with her? For that matter, is anyone in Juanita Wells family going with her? What about Roberts? Have heard Roberts family will be down there. People, this is on our dime. How are things like all of the above for the students and their education? There should be a ceiling on all of the aboves salaries. Remember their benifits are paid for, alot of the taxpayers are not. The maintenance men get paid for their gas money while at work, just a thought, but wonder if they take it off when they file their tax returns? Double dipping if they do. Why would they be reimbursed when there are school vehicles they can be driving and have been seen parked in somes driveways at times at night? AW! It is all for the students and their education, right?
I still love that there are no board bits from any meeting in 2008, I believe there have been 6. Dee and Rayanne - Where is this increase of communication we have been waiting for. Yeah it is great to have a blog where people can post lies and twist the truth to suit their needs. (There are very little truths posted here about anything.) But where are these board bits. Lets go. Lets see some improvement.
I don't think Dee and Rayanne have any control over the website or the posting of the board bits. It would be Carol who is president and Jaunita who is the secretary to make sure they are on there. Also Lisa should since she was appointed to do the minutes. I bet even if Rayanne or Dee did say something to the other board members they would say they where making it up.
10:07, I've been mentioning the missing board bits periodically for at least two years now. Right now, there are 74 agendas posted but only 46 board bits. And supposedly the D131 website has been updated by the same folks who take care of the D129 site--on the West Aurora website, there are no board bits missing at all. Why should it be so difficult for our district to post board bits, when agendas are regularly posted?
To me it looks like someone's purposely hiding something.
Enough about the board bits already. Go to the meetings and you won't need board bits.
"Go to the meetings and you won't need board bits"--maybe you can talk my boss into giving me Monday nights off (with pay). Or maybe you can pick up my elderly neighbor and her husband (who's on a ventilator). She can't drive at night (but drives faithfully to the polls to vote "no" on the referendum).
Yes, it would be nice if everyone could physically attend board meetings. But some of us have to earn a living working a schedule other than banker's hours.
What a stupid comment, go to the meetings and you won't need them, enough with the board bits already. How about enought with all the other crap you bitch about on a daily basis.
Please state the lies and the twisted truths that you feel people are posting here. What are the very little truths that are posted here about anything?
If you are referring to Dee and Rayanne about communications, what do you expect them to do, go out from door to door? They bring out things at the meetings, for those of who can and do go, we hear it. The other board members do not communicate and are not happy with Dee and Rayanne when they do. The board bits needs to be addressed by the community at the board meetings. Until things change I will not vote for a referendum.
Thanks, good job on that no vote. You are a very smart person. And your words have moved me. I will also vote no now. This blog has completely change my opinion. All the people who post here are correct about everything. Good job, way to see the light.
That is correct, I don't want to hear about petty things like board bits. What I do want to discuss is 3.5 million lost on shady land deals with developers/Walmart. I want to know about shady land dealings with Bigelow or how the district bought the Board Presidents house.
I want to know what the district is doing about a Public Relations person acting as an administrator and running an illegal fraternity.
I want to discuss how this district in as much financial mess as it is was spending nearly a million dollars more in administrative salaries than it's counterparts on the West Side. I want to discuss how the superintendent was making $261,000.
We need to discuss schools that are out of control and failing every year. We need to address schools that are threatened with messages or bullets and the administrators can't figure out what to do for over 24 hours. We need to discuss how a lack of communication with the community leads to entire schools of children afraid to go to school.
We need to address a community that has no faith in their district administration or board. We need to address a community that is going to remain angry about the removal of a favorite band director until something real is done to remedy the situation.
We need to discuss how to get more parents involved and not make excuses for non-involvement or set up systems so that they can get info from home. We need to discuss how we have had a superintendent collecting a huge salary for two years that has accomplished nothing.
In short, this district has real problems that need to be addressed. Whether or not the district is posting board bits is near the bottom of the list as far as I am concerned.
Again, I am blown away by your all consuming intellect. All of those problems could have been addressed, oh about 5 years ago when you were too busy eating your Cheetoes on the couch watching the Biggest Looser. It's easy to be a Monday morning quarterback isn't it.
It's exactly that attitude that let's the board and administration keep screwing the district. Keep up the good work.
6:58, any chance you'll consider running for School Board?
And 4:46, didn't you read that a lot of us have to WORK on Monday nights and can't attend meetings? Or are you too busy figuring out how to fit "stupid", "bitch" and "crap" into one short comment?
Wow, 6:58 mentioned just about every concern that those of us who care about this district have.
I'm hoping that some administrators read this if they have any questions at all about why the referendum has failed twice, and what issues to address if they really want it to pass.
6:58, you really "nailed it"!
I just left Old Second Bank a District Maintenance Person looked like Nestor Garcia was standing in the drive up line burning our tax payer gas probably cashing a check the tax payers wrote him. Sounds fair that why I will always vote NO
You vote no, because Nestor Garcia goes to the bank and uses the drive up instead of going inside. That is a great reason to vote no. Thank you for posting. I will join you in your quest to be stupid.
I don't think you have to join in on a quest for stupidity. I think you have arrived ahead of the rest. You completely missed the point. So you work at the service center?
I took that to mean that the person that looked like Nestor Garcia was in a districts vehicle. Is this correct? Or could it be that the person thought that maintenance is not off for spring break and therefore on our dime.
Has it occured to anybody that Nestor may have been conducting district business at the bank? It's amazing how people here automatically assume the worst.
Maintenance doing banking for the school come on. We have to do are banking on our dime.
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