I have confidence that Annette, Anita, Dee, and Rayanne (don't know much about Stella yet) will keep an eagle eye on spending. Hopefully the days of $11,000 hotel bills are over, and there's a chance that our children's best interests will be a priority instead of administrators' personal vendettas.
Johnson 2502 Lewis 2325 Gonzalez 1864 Chapa 1777 Salinas 1362
Wells 2264 Carson 1564
The residents have sent a clear message. Salinas was soundly voted off and Johnson & Lewis received more votes than Wells running in a two person race. We say sometimes voters are not informed however many did see the mismanagement that has been going on. Now it is time for some change.
It was a time for change in Aurora school districts.
Voters Tuesday elected three new members to the East Aurora School Board. Incumbent Fernando Salinas Jr. lost his bid for re-election, beaten out by Stella Gonzalez, Annette Johnson and Anita Lewis.
The three women, who will take on four-year terms, have been publicly critical of the board and administration.
Incumbent Juanita Wells beat newcomer Samuel Carson for a two-year spot on the board.
While I still can't believe that any incumbent survived this election, I am glad to know that only two old guard board members are left. This should make it much more difficult for the administration to continue the same old business as usual.
If I were a new board member, The first thing I would do is review all the business the old board has done in the last six months or so, like Jeromes contract and the four year funding of the magnet school and decide if that is truly where the new board wants the direction of the district to go. The old guard board, on their way out, had no right to dictate to the new board these long term decisions.
I would also call immediately for a vote to replace the school board president.
In addition, I would review the actions of certain central office personnel (ie Clayton , Nestor, etc.) and decide if they really want racists and thieves running this district. The old guard board had decided, YES, they did want such people working for the district. I hope the new board will want to make necessary changes.
I and others will be watching very closely, the direction the school board will be taking us now that the old guard is nearly gone. I wish them the best of luck.
You don't have to call for a new election for President- that automatically happens when a new Board is seated. So, come May they will need to decide who leads them, and if there are only 2 "old guard" they won't even have enough for a nomination and a second since they can't do that on their own. Should be interesting to watch the jockeying for position. Did you guys see West's president is resigning from the board- says they will need to appoint and are looking for interested parties to step forward so there will be more changes there too.
Let's hope they take a breath and not nominate at the first meeting. Get someone in for the President and Vice President for the time being and then have a meeting among themselves to see who will be the best for those positions.
Before they make any decision about the Magnet School they need time to make sure they make the right decision about what to do about it. As far as the superintendents contract that is a done deal. The only thing we can hope for is he starts doing his job. This board really needs to make the superintendent and the committees to bring things they want before the board to vote on things before the administration acts on what they think is right. All other districts with committees have to bring things before the board to vote on things like the Magnet Schools before they act on them.
Lets hope they address the issue of the gangs, bullies and children not wanting to go to school at the middle school level that Sam Carson talked about. It is happening and it has for awhile. Get the schools in shape so the children want to go to school.
The board and administration has started getting new books for the high schools but how about the grade schools. How about getting something online to help parents help their children with homework.
How about the superintendent, school board and administration let the taxpayers know what they are going to these seminars they go to and that cost so much they are learning. If they only thing they got from this is how to pass a referendum then we are in trouble.
It won't be an easy road we have a lot of problems but lets take a step forward and do something for all the children in this district.
The school board, superintendent and administration doesn't want trickled down information and neither does the community. If for awhile the board needs to micro-manage to get this district in shape then so be it.
In short lets not keep putting our heads in the sand and think our problems will go away. The haven't in the last 10 years and they won't until the powers that be address them.
IASB rules state that the new officers must be selected at the first meeting. This will be the first Monday in May because the "official" canvass results will not be available in time to seat the new board at the next meeting.
So the new members have almost a month to think about who they want to elect as officers and what committees they want to be on. Since Anita and Annette have been attending meetings they probably have some ideas in their heads.
I was really disappointed with Wells. How could she go on a D131 trip not knowing if she would be elected. The training she was receiving would be to better D131. I am glad to see a change. Hopefully this will not happen in the future.
I was wondering about the trip that Juanita took also. If she hadn't won she got a free trip on the districts dime and I bet it isn't all seminars all day. This districts policies need to be gone over and start putting policies in to stop this sort of thing. Of course the board needs to make sure that it is brought up before them also before and reservations for trips are made.
I noticed in the article about the West side school board president quitting that citizens could send a letter of intent to the board secretary (Cindi Hanilton) who happens to sit on the board not someone who the board member chose to do it for them. I have noticed this in other districts also I would like to see it here too.
What you might find is that they are following the Illinois School Code. That the new members will do the best they can to educate all the children of this district. That the new members are not out to make the Superintendent that doesn't live in this district and the administration do there job and that doesn't mean giving them big raises for not doing their jobs.
Why are the middle schools still not making the grades they should. Why are the children not wanting to go to school. Why do we still have the gang problems and the bulling in the schools.
Why does are grade school children not have enough books for all the children?
Why do other district not want to come to Aurora to play sports here?
You state we now have uneducated people on the board but we have had and they have not solved any of these problems they have only lined their pocket books and went to their homes in other district to live the good live.
Time will tell what will happen but it can't be any worse then what we have now. If you think about it most of the people that are on the board got their education from East Aurora so what does this say about our district.
This district does not suck. We are a good district. We have many good students but we do not have the leadership to show it.
We don't have a city that cares about the school districts in this city. We have a Mayor that was just elected that only cares about what he can get to line his own pocket book. Not saying that any of the candidates running for Mayor cared.
It says that the district sucks. You are all diluted into thinking that there is some kind of hidden potential.
We don't suck and we have potential. But it takes a city to make it happen and we don't have a Mayor that realizes that he can make changes in this. For all you that elected the new president for change you need to realize that YES WE CAN make a difference and we will.
Here's part of an article that was in the Beacon today about Geneva Schools. It is said our districts is ok but can you really believe that when so many are starting to see problems and looking ahead in ways to cut spending.
Matt Henry, who won election to the School Board last week, said the district can prepare for drops in revenue by eliminating areas of wasteful spending in the coming years, including finding a use for the soon-to-be-closed Coultrap Elementary School building, rather than letting it stand vacant.
He said the upcoming teacher contract negotiations in July will have a great impact on budgets beyond the 2009-2010 school year.
"That more than anything is going to predicate what is going to happen," Henry said.
Earlier this year, Superintendent Kent Mutchler instructed principals from all schools to identify areas outside of the classroom where cuts can be made in an effort to reduce costs by $1 million.
While economic conditions are a major factor in the district's budget shortfalls, the uncertainty and delays in state government and funding have forced the district to become much more cost-conscious and to rely more on financial reserves than originally anticipated.
"Who would have thought a year ago we wouldn't get our third quarter payment (from the state)?" said board member Kelly Nowak.
Board members said it is nearly impossible to plan a budget for any school years beyond 2009-2010 because the changes in the economic climate, as well as unforeseen needs of the district, are nearly impossible to project.
"To put a target out there is very difficult," said Nowak. "There are lots of things that could change."
The opinions expressed by the East Aurora Community Bloggers and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions of the East Aurora Community Blogspot administrator.
The East Aurora Community Blogspot administrator is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information supplied by the East Aurora Community Blogspot Bloggers.
This understood, don't you feel as a BOARD MEMBER and the ADMINISTRATOR of this blog that you owe the people reading this to correct misinformation that you know to be wrong!!!!!!!!!!!
You can post all the disclaimers you want but by not correcting the hatred and misinformation posted on this blog you are morally condoning it.
Just what do you feel is misinformation. I thinkk most of the things posted on here have been close to the truth. As for the hatered you talk about that happens in live and at least it is out in the open not behind peoples backs.
10:05 p.m., can you give specific examples of misinformation and hatred on this blog?
Or is it just easier for you to make an unfounded criticism, perhaps because you're upset that there might be a turnaround in the near future regarding certain decisions made by D131 administration?
I will give one example of why this blog is a POSITIVE influence on our community. Thanks to this blog, we've become aware that our tax money is being wasted on unnecessary frills like an $11,000 hotel bill. And awareness is the first step to fixing a problem.
Here is a good article about merit rasies for teachers which some states are starting. It also talks about how the teachers cope with students that migrate in their states. I wonder if when the school board, superintendent and administrators go to the seminars these things are mentioned.
Some states are even going to Charter Schools and Obama and Dunckan are in favor of them.
As we all watch the changes that are coming in all forms of government and see how all states are handling public education and the changes they are making to give the children in their states a good education what are we doing in Illinois and Aurora. Many Mayors of major cities are getting involved in the school districts they know now how that helps their cities. What are we doing as a city and a district.
Many major cities that have a large illegal immigration community that moves around seems to be making strides in this. Washington and Denver seems to be making strides in this. Maybe our district should be looking into it to see how they do it. Washington DC has a chancellor that looks our things and gives principles more control over the teachers they hire because each school is different.
Remember as we take the stimulus there will be ties to that and how the money is spent. It is time for this district to get outside the box and looks into what will work in this district. We need more than making community service a requirement for graduation and making sure our children can read, write and do math. Be ready to go into the world when they graduate. This world is changing every day and the district isn't.
Other states are finding ways to face the challenges they face so should we and not keep treading water.
To 10:05 pm My reason for starting this blog was to give people, a place to speak up, vent, or expose the truths without fear of repercussions. It was approx.one year prior to being elected to the Board that I opened this e-community to D131 members.
Shortly after being elected to the school board, there were attempts to “encourage” me to discontinue the blog, with threats of legal action against me. Concerns were expressed that a board member having ownership, of "East Aurora 131 blogspot” may be confusing to some people. People may think the blog belonged to the district. To avoid confusion, the disclaimer was added and I removed “131” from the name.
I do not usually attempt to clarify facts or dispel rumors on the blog. I very rarely write a comment. I try to keep the blog here for the EA community. That was the original intent and it remains the purpose.
I may be aware some things may NOT be totally factual, and I also, may “know” some things ARE true. I could add comment to support issues both ways. As a Board member, I may have information, but I cannot share it. I cannot even share information I have as a community member. I lost quite a bit of my “freedom of speech” when I became a board member.
People reading & commenting in any e-forum should keep in mind- the anonymity, of those you chose to join, is always going to be mystery, no matter how they chose to sign their name. As with any conversation you choose to be engaged, you’ll find fact, opinion, and gossip and you need to decide for yourself the people you want to communicate with. If you feel this blog and it’s content are hateful and wrong-you are the one making the moral choice to come here and read, comment and believe what you wish.
Perfect example, why not ask your board member what the 11,000 was spent on and where that money came from because it did not come from our taxes and it was not spent for what you all have been led to believe.
You have a responsibility to support this school district and its employees as a member of the board. If you know that something is being grossly misrepresented you need to set the record straight. You know darn well that no one person spent $11,000 on a hotel bill and that the funds were allocated and properly spent but you continue to let people think the worst of people. By doing this you might as well be the one spreading these lies. It becomes ignorance breading ignorance if misinformation isn't corrected. As the overseer of this blog you do have responsibilities to the public. You can not hide behind "I try to keep the blog here for the EA community. That was the original intent and it remains the purpose." You have to recognize your roll in this blog. I'm in no way criticizing the blog as a whole. I am saying you have a responsibility here. If you can't see that then I'm not going to convince you, But for now on I will point out the hatred and misinformation when I see it. Because I have seen far to much here.
I am a person who goes to school board meetings and if this $11,000.00 was for one person or more it is entirely too much money. This check did not cover travel expenses it was just for a hotel room and maybe for the most 2 nights. I believe that Farum went with on the last trip to San Diego with Roberts. Since they were staying at the Hyatt Regency there, there now will another check that will have to be approved probably for the same amount as they just went on this one. Again, this will be unacceptable to the taxpayers who are paying the bill. I certainly hope one of the very first things that is done is redoing policies so things like this any many other thngs that have happened in the past do not happen again. These new policies should have no loopholes what-so-ever. Another thing get rid of that useless and overpaid lawyer.
Aaahhh! 10:22 pm That is what your note was all about! I didn't know which bee was in your bonnet.
If you attend meetings, you know I ask questions frequently about money that is spent. I even tried to have policy changed to stop some of the more costly training trips.
It is NOT my responsibility to research and respond to every point-true or false- that is made in this blog. Whether I was a board member or not.
Anyone can go to the district check register through the district website. If you see something you have questions about, you can email admin at the school service center through the website. This includes curriclum questions, financial, building and grounds. When you send an email, you can find ALL the boards personal contact info on the site, too. Send us a copy so we will know what questions are being asked by the public.
Everyone has to take personal responsibility, also. If you have special reasons not to do as suggested above. Email me at my personal email, from the 131 website, and I will help you get answers to your questions.
If the $11,000 paid to Hyatt Regency came from somewhere other than our tax monies, the Board would have recognized & thanked the donor. They always mention donations (even small ones, like dress shoes for the NJROTC) at meetings and on the Board Bits.
I don't think anyone is assuming that one person (or two, or three) is spending $11K for a hotel bill. It's just that in this economy, we're all having to tighten our belts and we expect our school district to be accountable for using our money responsibly. To a lot of us, $11,000 is real money!
Rayanne does not need to clarify every point made on this blog.
The board and district as a whole have an obligation to not add vague or unclear facts to information shared with the community.
If the district adds a vague $11,000 "hotel" bill to the board bits and provides no further information, it is reasonable to assume that something is being hidden and we, as community members, not only have a right but also a responsibility to know where our tax dollard are being spent.
Tax dollars are collected for the benefit of the students and community, not for the administrators or their families.
Perhaps the secretary who is responsible for the board bits needs to be correctly trained or replaced.
We should all have a tea party at the service center for unfair taxation. However I feel better now that a new board will be looking out for us. The tea party should be in honor of Mccue, Salinas and Maurice.
Rayanne is right she can't look into every thing herself that people post on this blog. The check register being put on the district website is a plus but if you see something that you feel is not right then you need to bring it up. We have seen how the old guard school board members, superintendent and administration has hidden the facts from the community and when Rayanne and Dee has tried to bring it up the others try to keep it quite. Don't think that just because we have new members on the board these things will be taken care of. Remember you still have the committees with administration sitting on them that can still try to hide things. The parents and the community need to stand up and make all of them accountable.
We have a long way to go in this district to make it a good one. There was just something on the news about a child that committed suicide because of bulling in his school. We all know that bulling is happening in our schools do we want this to happen to one of our children because we look the other way or that the school board, superintendent or administration chooses not to address the issue. How many of the parents of this district have to pull their children out of the district when they really don't have the money to put their children in a private school?
As far as the trips that cost a lot that our school board, superintendent and administration takes what if anything in these trips are addressing these issues? I think that the total bills are for their transportation and the hotel bills because these kind of things come in a package that the hotels probably take care of. We have a right to address these things but there is so much more that we should be concerned about.
For all the new members that are coming to the board lets hope we can focus on the one thing that the district should do and that is to give our children the best education we can and to make sure our schools are safe for them to go too.
6:11 mentions bullying in our schools. In this district, teachers have also been bullied! Morale in some schools is at an all-time low, with many staff members reluctant to speak up or question administration for fear of retribution.
Maybe this situation will improve with new School Board members.
Maybe our district can use some of these tips to help cut our budget. This is from the Beacon about D204.
How did it happen?
Officials said they were able to trim the looming deficit by:
n Joining the National School Lunch Program: which is expected to provide the district an additional $1 million — $500,000 in additional federal revenue, and roughly the same amount in commodities that will drive down the district's cost of preparing meals.
n Locking in low utility rates: allowing the district to buy natural gas at a third less than it paid last year, and electricity at half the cost is estimated to save another $500,000.
n Rebidding its custodial contract: saving the district $350,000, as well as an additional $350,000 by having schools buy materials in bulk instead of as needed.
The district also expects to save $100,000 in sales taxes by purchasing diesel fuel itself rather than through its transportation services contractor.
The new teachers contract provides for staffing pattern changes that will save almost $450,000 and reduce the number of new teachers needed for the coming school year. It also saves $170,000 in substitute teacher pay with its newly formed professional development program, as teachers will be meeting for professional development before school rather than during the day when a substitute would need to stand in for them.
An infusion of federal stimulus money also will trim $1.5 million to $1.8 million off that original deficit projection.
And a 1 to 2 percent, across-the-board reduction in all non-labor line items within the budget, combined with the some building and technology project deferrals, departmental restructuring and administrative position eliminations are expected to save about $1.36 million.
It looks like someone is trying to defend that $11,000+ hotel bill as being "allocated and properly spent". But in the October check register there was a $4,344.69 check written to Hampton Inn.
That's more than $15K for hotel bills for a 6-month period! And that may be just the tip of the iceberg--who knows what may have been spent under the table?
To April 15 @ 7:58PM Isn't that why teachers have a union for and pay dues to is to protect them? If this is not being done by the union, you need to get another union president or new union.
The union in this district is very weak. It has not been able to protect good teachers from being "reassigned" because of administrators' personal vendettas--and when other teachers see the corrupt administration prevail, they're intimidated. Teachers don't dare speak out for fear they'll be the next target of bullies in the central office.
When are these delusional bloggers going to look at the revenue side of the budget and discover that only a small percentage of revenue comes from resident taxpayers? Most of the budget revenue comes from state and federal funds paid by taxpayers across the country because EA residents refuse to provide the resources necessary for adequate education. Those funding sources encourage all members of the district, including board members to attend conferences and learn to understand more than their own opinions. This is a school district on public welfare, apparently filled with people living in glass houses who busy themselves by throwing stones.
Attending conferences is not a bad thing. Wasting taxpayer money (whether local, state, or federal) on unnecessary luxury hotel stays is a bad thing, in this economic climate.
Remember we all pay state and federal taxes also. This is a poor district and you can't expect to get more than people have. Even the other districts around us are complaining about their school taxes and how they are being spent. Why is it that the US spends more for our children's education that most countries but the other countries can give their children a much better education.
Yes, conferences and should keep up with what is going on but I don't see it here. How long have their been Magnet Schools before our district got one. Look at the other districts that have a very strict residency rule they follow. The other districts ELL students seem to learn at a much better pace than ours.
We have every right to complain no matter how much we pay into it.
Lets not forget that the surrounding districts get money from more factories, malls, and other industries than we do that contribute to the tax base besides the home owners. Remember our district gave up good land that could of brought in more tax dollars to the district. So lets not forget it isn't just the homeowners taxes that go to the schools.
Lets not forget the police station on the far east side does not pay taxes and neither does Clayton's Urban League that's about all that is built on the east side non for profits that do not pay taxes. Maybe now that the old guard is out of the way are money will be used to educate the kids.
Lets hope that Carol Farnum will not be allowed to return as president or Wells. Wells had no business taking a trip for training (if that what she has doing) not knowing if she would be re-elected. That is a clear misuse of money. I hope the new board puts a stop to this.
There was a nice picture in today's Beacon News of some West High band students performing in New York City. And Oswego H.S. band performed at Disney World a couple of weeks ago.
When was the last time our high school band performed out of state? Oh, yes, now I remember--it was in 2005, before the administration "improved" the band program.
It was packed tonight due to the fact that they were presenting something on Autism. Also for something the incoming freshmen can do for commuity service next year. Nothing to do with the old guard. As usual people left after the above. Stella Gonzales was there in the very beginning but left very early. Lewis and Johnson were there and stayed for the whole meeting then it was just the usual except for a couple of women that were there for the Autism presentation. Didn't even see the reporter tonight. Just basically the normal. As usual the Union president talked all during the meeting plus the two women that sat by him and talked to him disturbing just about everyone as they can hear them.
What is it with Stella Gonzalez she left after the first presentation and did not even stay to here board comments. She sure is not interested in the way the board operates.
Clayton spent the day at Cowherd recruiting students to join the illegal Boys II Men Fraternity.
Juanita Wells claimed last year that the fraternity was not illegal as it was run by an outside agency and outside of school time. This was incorrect but was what she claimed at that time.
Clayton today, on school time, in a school building, in a school classroom (the teacher was that normally teaches in that room was asked to leave) was pulling students out of classes to promote this illegal fraternity.
We of course know that the previous board rubber stamped every illegal activity that the administration allowed. The new board really needs to review this whole situation.
We have a district employee running an illegal organization on school district time and with district students and resources. All of this is obviously being done with the approval of Jerome Roberts.
This should be all the reason the new board needs to terminate both Clayton Muhammad and Jerome Roberts contracts and get leadership in this district that will actually look out for the interests of our students and community.
This new board should not have to deal with Jerome Roberts for the next three years because the old board pushed through a revised contract after they knew they were not going to run for new terms.
If what you say is true it needs to stop now. Hopefully the new members will do something about it but if not if you have proof the state needs to be called. It also takes the parents to get involved but if he was pulling students out it needs to be stopped. If you know this for a fact have some faith in someone (maybe a board member) to give the facts you have to put a stop to this. If he wants to get students to join this illegal fraternity he needs to ask the Superintendent, or principle to have a assembly for all the students to hear his message.
Shame on the board to let this go on. Clean your house District 131 we can't have a PR person going into our schools to promote illegal fraternities. Do they let the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts or any other organization go into the classrooms.
The building administration was aware of it. They went to the teacher whose classroom was used and asked her to leave the room. Children were then filtered into the room all afternoon.
This district needs to get in shape and stop this kind of thing. It shows how we have a poor administration that lets these things go on. They talk about how the other districts gets more money and how they wished we where like them but this would never happen in those districts.
The problems is that no one in the administration or the teachers don't want to talk about these things. There is the whistle blower safety net that they could use to show what is going on. Why doesn't anyone take pictures of this. It seems that so many people have a camera phone why don't they take pictures to document these kinds of things.
These kind of things just goes to show that the board, superintendent and the administration only cares for their own agenda and not is what is best for the children.
They can make community service a requirement for graduation but not stop the illegal things that go on in our district. They can turn their heads of the problems that are going on at Waldo but give themselves a pat on the back for letting a PR person go into a school and promoting a illegal fraternity.
We will be in the same place we are now many years from now if we don't clean up these things.
REMEMBER THE DISTRICTS JOB IS TO MAKE SURE ALL OUR CHILDREN GET A GOOD EDUCATION AND NOT TO PROMOTE THE IDEAS OF A PR PERSON TO PROMOTE HIS ILLEGAL FRATERNITY AND TO IGNORE THE BEST INTEREST OF ALL THE CHILDREN OF THIS DISTRICT.
It seems that the new board was not sworn in yet and the old board will just lie and say this is approved behavior. However I am hoping that as Rayanne and Dee were put on the back shelve the new board has the common sense to put Wells and Farnum on the back shelve. After-all remember at of us voted for change.
The new board has not been sworn in and there is no promise that things will change. I must admit that Rayanne and Dee have tried to change things in this district they are still small things. They have had to challenge many hurdles from the other board members, superintendent and administration. The one thing that they all can't get past is there job is to educate all the children of this district. There are many challenges in this district with most of the parents not caring about their children's education but no matter what it is their job. We don't need a PR person going into a school and promoting his illegal fraternity. We need to make sure our children have a safe place to go to school no matter what hurdle there is. We have many parents that don't care but as a school board they must make sure that we have a superintendent and administration that makes sure we are doing our best. I don't think we are there yet. They need to make sure the elementary students have enough books for all the students. We need more than Examples of Excellence at board meetings and really mean it. When we have principles of schools that know what their students need they need to listen to them. We need to make sure all our children needs are listened to. Clean up your house District 131 so all the children have the chance to have a good education.
It's true. Clayton was at Cowherd in room 904 all afternoon talking to students about Boys II Men. Students were going in and out of the room during all class periods.
I thought it was very irregular but the teacher in that room was told by the building administration that she was to leave the room and allow Clayton to use it.
At 3:15 she had a delema because she needed to get into her room to get her personal effects so that she could go home but Clayton wasn't done recruiting students for his fraternity. She had been told not to interupt what Clayton was doing in her room.
It makes it very difficult on teachers when such things occur. I am also sure that the building administrators would only allow something like this to happen if they were directed by central office to accomodate Clayton.
When is the board going to deal with this illegal situation?
With the new board comes change no longer will Roberts feel empowered by the board to get by with situations like Clayton's. Just give the new board a chance they have not been sworn in yet.
The BoysIIMen organization (and its sister group, Diamonds) has had a lot of positive influence on the youth in our community. But what I don't understand is why Mr. Muhammad is recruiting for this group on school property, during the school day. This is a PRIVATE organization, that concentrates on uplifting minority youth. I'm sure that many Black churches (and Hispanic as well) would welcome the opportunity to host Mr. M's recruitment programs. Also, young people network online, and can find out about Boys II Men and Diamonds from their websites & friends who are in the groups.
But using a school classroom during the school day and displacing a teacher to do recruiting is teaching potential members something: these groups have little regard for rules or respect for authority.
This comment about Clayton reminds me of awhile back when someone posted that he was leaving for a job with the tollway. While this administration pulls alot of stupid stuff there is no way things like what you state would happen. Where is your union? Pulling a teacher out of a class would be very wrong and what did the teacher do all day stand around with their thumb in their mouth? I find it strange that there is a room number 907 since that school only has one floor. Most room numbers go by the floors they have.
I guess there are some that are worried about the change that might be coming and need to make up stuff.
Actually the room number was 904 not 907 and Cowherd is a split level with four different levels, not a single level. The main building is split between two floors. When you walk in the main entrance there is a ramp and stairs to your right. The gyms and stage are on a lower level and there are smaller rooms on an upper level. Cowherd used to be a parochial school and the nuns used to have their private quarters on this upper level. They now use the upper level for In School Suspension.
The room numbers go from the 500's to the 1000's. I agree that most buildings number the rooms with the floor they are on but not here on the East Side.
To: April 23, 2009 8:09 AM
I can't agree that Boys II Men and Diamonds are positive groups. How can the example of illegal behavior possibly be a positive influence on a child? You are telling these children that it is alright to commit illegal acts as long as you don't get caught.
This whole situation should have been dealt with when it started. At the very least,it should have been dealt with two years ago when it was made public that groups such as these were illegal. Even Marin Gonzales (the assistant superintendent in charge of the middle and high schools)publicly stated that these groups were illegal.
I know the new board has a lot of past issues to deal with, Boys II Men, The Band Situation, Land Deals, Corrupt Administrators, Budget Deficits, etc.
They know where the problems are. The question is, will they have the backbone necessary to clean house of the administrators they know have credibility and corruption issues.
If I were a new board member I would clear house at the central office. Jerome Roberts, Gone. Clayton Muhammad, Gone. Nestor Garcia, Gone. Jay Augustine, Gone. I would next bring in a new superintendent from outside the district with a proven track record from an excellent school district. Then the district would have half a chance at a new start for these students.
My question is how did they filter these children in. Where only certain ones ask to go was there an announcement that Clayton was there to talk about this and was the parents notified? Did they make it clear that Clayton was there as a private citizen or as the PR person of the district. Did he take time off of his work day or did we pay for this?
It seems that someone wants something to be done but no one has all the facts and you need more than what is posted on this board before someone contacts someone about it.
I don't think the state or regional office will do anything about the illegal fraternity because when someone complained before and it was investigated the board decided to let Clayton keep doing it. I guess the state will let someone break the School Code if a board votes to let someone keep doing illegal things like that. But if what is being said is true that goes way beyond what should be happening in the schools.
First of all it is not fair to anyone on the board now to make statements being stated here. Has anyone contacted the board about this? If anyone has I apologize for the above. If anyone on the board has been contacted about this I hope they should tell you the proper procedure to take. Even the new ones coming on the board cannot do anything if they are not contacted and the proper steps taken. For this Boys 2 Men thing I would think that Roberts would be the one to contact as he is Clayton's boss. Find out the right steps to take and do them. Also, if your child or anyone's child was talked to that would be a big help in what anyone wants to do as proof. Also, I am sure someone can call and ask the States Attorney's office what they can do and if it is in violation of anything. The best proof of all is the teacher whose classromm was used. Of course, a person has to be able to stand up for what is right and not be afraid. Teachers here do not seem to want to do this. I do not want to hear about anyone afraid of losing their job, right is right and wrong is wrong. Everyone in this community and the teachers that work here have no backbone at all.
5:57, a teacher who has any "backbone" in this district and who speaks up for students' best interests is in danger of losing his/her job. At the very least, he or she can be "reassigned" (if tenured)--or possibly even fired. You may not like to hear it, but there's a history of exactly that happening to D131 teachers over the last 4 years or so.
Yes, that might be true but you can contact people anonymously with the facts.
This story just doesn't have something right about it. From what I have heard the members of Boys 2 Men bring new members in. There has been nothing before where Clayton has used to schools to do this and I don't believe they use the schools for there meetings. Why just pick Cowherd? It seems he focuses on high school students.
The what you say about the teachers and how they are treated it is time for your union to step up for you. It is time for you to band together and document your complaints and go through the proper channels and if that doesn't work stand outside the service center during board meetings and contact the local news and get your stories out there it seems to work for other districts. You really need to throw it in their faces before anything happens.
Maybe if your union president and his friends that go to the board meetings sat and listen to what is being said instead of having their own conversations and distracting ours at the meetings you could get somewhere.
What is more important? Doing what is right and having a "backbone" or allowing what is going on? If all teachers did this then whomever cannot do what is being done to everyone? Just what are you teaching the students when they know this is going on? The only ones the teachers have to blame is theirselves because by giving in the ones doing this know they can and will do more. The poster above had some good suggestions. All of you get the "Blue Flu" or something. As I know from past experiences, if I do not do something for myself, no one else will do it.
Well I for one am glad that Mr. Muhammed came to speak with some of our boys who end up in the office for behaviour problems, think that they are in gangs, and are just behavior issues all around. Many teachers like myself have requested that SOMETHING be done with these kids before they turn into gangbangers or get kicked out of school. Everyone who works at Cowherd knows a list of of these kids and how they are in class, in the halls, and nothing is done about it. I personally stopped in to say hi and saw these kids sitting and listening to the high school boys talk about getting good grades and going to college and being respectful. One of my students came to class Thurs morning and actually raised his hand before answering a question and being rude as he normally did. (And I didn't have to tell him to pull up his pants from showing his underwear which is a plus). It's a start. I sent an email to Mr. Rios (Assistant Principal) thanking him for trying to do something with this group. We have other companies coming in to speak to the kids and I think that the more they have the better it is. Just my humble opinion.
Hello! Only school district in Illinois without busing. What a piece of crap school district that claims to care so much about its children but makes them walk in the streets to get to school. Losers.
What are you talking about. To join Boys II Men you have to be selected because of your "Excellence". They don't take in the troubled kids.
Clayton may talk to a few of the "Troubled Kids" but they are not allowed into his illegal fraternity until they show what Clayton considers to be "Excellence".
It really doesn't matter what each persons opinion is on this matter. The fact is the state has a law against school aged fraternities.
CLAYTON AND THIS DISTRICTS ADMINISTRATORS ARE BREAKING THE LAW.
They should be terminated and banned from entering any district building again.
6:34 am seemed to clarify many of the things that were unclear in this story, in my opinion.
If Clayton is speaking to young people as an educated, successful man and bringing young men who are doing well at a younger age with stories to tell of how they avoided gangs and peer pressure-what a great thing!
As for the bus issue-I, as my father before me, walked to school, uphill, both ways! :o)
Just injecting a little humor into the negativity that has grown on this post.
If anyone has questions, call the school office and ask the principal. If you can't get answers move up the chain of command until you get to the board. Contact info for teachers to board members is on the 131 website.
When I went to Aurora Central when it first opened up there where Nuns there but they did not teach and they didn't live there either. I believe D131 made the addition to the school after they bought it.
Rayanne I don't think this is true but there is no way Clayton should be having kids come into a room during the school day to talk to them he is a PR person not a conunsler. I'm sure there are others the are employed by the school to do this. Also why just let the Boys 2 men come in why not others. I have to agree if he can makes some changes it is good but not during the school day and parents should be notified. From what I hear and I don't know if it has changed even if the parents speak out the administration doesn't listen. If you where commenting as a private citizen about Clayton that is one thing but if it was as a board member I think you need to rethink things because if that happened it shouldn't have been on school time and diffently not having a teacher leave their classroom.
As far as bussing most of our children live a mile or less from school at the elementary level so districts don't have to provide bussing for those students. Also the districts that bus take children they might have in a lower part of the district and put them in a better school in the district. They might even make it so all the ELL don't go to the same schools to the other children that don't have to have ELL are not being held back because of ELL. We can't do that in our district because they go looking for ELL so they can get more money and the children that don't need that service gets left behind. I would be nice for the middle and high schools though since most of them live more than a mile.
Yes, here is the part about the administration. This shows how some think more about the children and not themselfs.
The administrative salary freeze should save the district about $250,000. It will affect 78 people, including assistant superintendents, principals, deans and other management personnel. The freeze was recommended by the administration.
School Board members said they were thankful for the administration's willingness to trim its own cost. Board Vice President Dave Behrens said Oswego already pays its management-level employees less than many neighboring districts, "so this is a big step for them to take, and I appreciate it."
I can not believe a board member, Rayanne Carlson, would publicly state:
"If Clayton is speaking to young people as an educated, successful man and bringing young men who are doing well at a younger age with stories to tell of how they avoided gangs and peer pressure-what a great thing!"
in regards to Boys II Men.
This man is being paid to be a spoksman for this district. He is not paid to pull students out of classes (without their parents knowledge or consent)and push an illegal fraternity.
Are you really going to ignore publicly that Boys II Men is illegal and support Clayton. It doesn't matter whether the message is positive or negative. The group is illegal.
The state law doesn't declare that if the board members think the message is a good one, that they can ignore the law. It states that fraternities are illegal and it also states that board members are required to enforce the Illinois School Code and all Illinois Laws.
If the board ignores this group and allows Clayton to continue, not only is Clayton a criminal, so is every board member.
Rayanne, I supported you at the last election but if this is really your position on Clayton and Boys II Men, You've lost my vote come next election.
This district is full of criminals. The community would be amazed if they knew how many laws the district administrators were breaking. We would also lose millions of dollars of federal and state funding if these laws were actually enforced.
All board members should be required to take a college level school law class. They would then be in a position to follow and enforce state and federal laws.
They would at least know when corrupt administrators were breaking the law and be in a position to deal with it.
If we have thousands of dollars to pay for hotel bills for board member conventions, I am sure we could find several hundred to actually train them the correct way.
I have to agree the board does need to take some kind course about school law and so should the superintendent and the administrators. They shouldn't rely on the so called lawyers they have. In any other district this kind of thing wouldn't be gotten away with because the parents know that things like this shouldn't go on.
NOUN: pl. fra·ter·ni·ties A body of people associated for a common purpose or interest, such as a guild. A group of people joined by similar backgrounds, occupations, interests, or tastes: the fraternity of bird watchers. A chiefly social organization of men students at a college or university, usually designated by Greek letters. Roman Catholic Church A sodality. The quality or condition of being brothers; brotherliness.
Do a search if faternities are legal in IL and you will see how districts in IL handle them and what they say in their policies. I have not found a district that supports them and in fact if they are found to be in one will get expelled. Not in our district and we even have someone that works in the district running one. This is where I say why can't we be like other districts that follow the School Code.
(105 ILCS 5/31‑1) (from Ch. 122, par. 31‑1) Sec. 31‑1. Definition. A public school fraternity, sorority or secret society, in this Article means any organization, composed wholly or in part of public school pupils, which seeks to perpetuate itself by taking in additional members from the pupils enrolled in such school on the basis of the decision of its membership rather than upon the free choice of any pupil in the school who is qualified by the rules of the school to fill the special aims of the organization. (Source: Laws 1961, p. 31.)
(105 ILCS 5/31‑2) (from Ch. 122, par. 31‑2) Sec. 31‑2. Inimical to public good. Any public school fraternity, sorority or secret society is inimical to the public good. (Source: Laws 1961, p. 31.)
(105 ILCS 5/31‑3) (from Ch. 122, par. 31‑3) Sec. 31‑3. Suspension or expulsion of members, pledges and solicitors. The governing body of any public school shall suspend or expel any pupil who is a member of or joins or promises to join, or who becomes pledged to become a member of, or who solicits any other person to join, promise to join or be pledged to become a member of any public school fraternity, sorority or secret society. (Source: Laws 1961, p. 31.)
(105 ILCS 5/31‑4) (from Ch. 122, par. 31‑4) Sec. 31‑4. Solicitation unlawful‑Penalty. It is unlawful for any person not enrolled in any public school of this State to solicit any pupil enrolled therein to join or pledge himself or herself to become a member of any public school fraternity, sorority or secret society or to solicit any such pupil to attend a meeting thereof or any meeting where the joining of any such fraternity, sorority or secret society is encouraged. Whoever violates this section shall be guilty of a petty offense and fined not less than $25 nor more than $100. (Source: P.A. 77‑2267.)
Remember the board can not act until someone complains to the board in writing. They need to address it to each individual board member. The new board will be shown in on May 4th. I am guessing Rayanne did not personally witness this that is why she did not act.
Isn't it possible that we're jumping to conclusions, and that Mr. Muhammad was at Cowherd giving the students a pep talk, and that he wasn't recruiting for his illegal fraternity?
He could have just wanted to provide the kids with examples of how young men/women of excellence look & act, and used some of his group members as role models. If he did specifically recruit for Boys II Men on school grounds during the school day, that would be wrong. But is there proof that was the case?
I spoke with the children coming out of the recruitment meeting with Clayton. They showed me a book by Fonzworth Bentley and talked about Boys II Men.
To: April 25, 2009 12:52 PM
Do you really believe the board has no responsibility to know when illegal activities are happening on school grounds and can only respond if there is a complaint by a community member?
The board needs to know what is legal and what is not and they have a responsibility to protect the children from illegal activities whether or not a community member complains and whether or not they personally like the employee or not.
It doesn't matter whether or not they believe the message is good or not. What matters is whether or not it's legal. If the board members disagree with the law, fine, go to Springfield and lobby to have the law changed. Until then they have a responsibility to enforce all the laws in this state.
Let's pretend I believe the fraternity fanatic. I go to Dr. Roberts and the other board members and say-"An anonymous blogger tells me there has been recruiting of boys during school hours to join a fraternity."
What exactly do you think they will say to me?
What if another blogger tells me-"there was a teacher @ Cowherd that was harrassing students to tell them what happened in a private meeting. This teacher kept insisting the students had been talking about Boyz2Men."
Shall I believe that to be true and take it upon myself to push for disciplinary action?
Now if one of you has been told by the students, there was fraternity recruiting happening during school hours, it is your duty to do what you feel is necessary to bring it to light and make it right.
As with any questionable activities that may be in violation of the law, the witness contacts authorities.
8:11am-I FOLLOW THE LAW. CREDIBLE PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELF CAN VOLUNTEER TO SIT ON THE BOARD IN 2 YEARS WHEN MY TERM EXPIRES :o)
Remember a while back somene wrote to the State Board Education about this and they sent it down to the Regional Board and they gave it to this board to handle. A decsion was made by the board about the subject and I would guess they had to report back to Regional and the Regional to the State where those two decided that it was alright also with the information D131 gave them. They are just as much to blame as the district.
My understanding with The State Board of Education and the Regional if the our school board votes on it by a majority then it's a done deal. I'm not say that it's right I'm just saying what I was told. by both of these agencies when I have aquired about different things.
What happened again if it is true is wrong and the administration at the School broke the law. The current board can't do anything about hearsay. Rayanne wasn't there and as a board member she has to wait until it comes up to the board or have you forgot the incident at Waldo?
This incident should be handled by the parents if they are upset or by the teachers or other staff that might think that they will get in trouble some way. You can contact the ISBA and make a compliant without them using your name.
So for those of you that have all the information go to ISBA or the chain of command. Remember if you write the complaint or email it to copy the principle, superintendent, and the school board. Also contact Dr. Chirstopher Koch (State Superintendent) @ 100 N. 1ST Street Springfield Il 62777 and the Regional Superintendent Douglas E. Johnson 210 S. 6TH ST Genva, IL 60134.
To April 25, 2009 8:11 AM since you keep complaining why don't you do something.
Is part of his job as a PR person to go around and talk to the children about these things? If so why just Cowherd? It doesn't if he was giving a pep talk if it isn't in his job qualifications. He shouldn't be on school time doing this. Also, did he buy all those books or did the district buy them that would be another gray area also.
You are the spineless one to me as you do not put your name on your statement as Rayanne does. It is easy to post the way you do and it does lead me to wonder if you are one of the old guard school board members, superintendant, or other administrator. As you can tell I am not spineless.
It is not Rayanne's job alone to take care of this she is just one of the board members. The first complaint should of gone to the principle the superintendent and then the board. If you really want something done it must be done this way.
So instead of complaining anonymously on this board do your part in making things happen.
Wow, at 4:00 you say you won't go to the superintendent with such anonymous concerns and at 7:30 you say you have already spoken to Roberts about the situation.
Either you're spineless and don't follow your own convictions, you're a liar or both. Which is it? Since you're supporting Clayton and his illegal fraternity, we already know you are a criminal. It's called being an accessory after the fact.
How do you know that it was really Rayanne that posted on the last post? The last one doesn't sound like her and since I can also post using her name I will have to ask her if she did.
I do know that if she did go to the superintendent there are many others that know she did by now also. I bet some who know if she did call the district will do anything to make her look bad since they want to keep it from looking that some in the administration and the superintend aren't breaking the law.
The only real test will be if Clayton and this illegal fraternity and sorority are allowed to continue.
If the new board is not able to deal with a situation that is as cut and dry as this one is, we will have little faith that the new board can deal with a truly complicated issue.
The community spoke loud and clear at the last election. They do not want the same old business as usual in this district. Now is the time to show that things will be improved.
Here are Clayton Muhammad's own words, on April 22nd (via Twitter):
"Hosted a wonderful Male Empowerment Session with the high school seniors teaching the middle schoolers."
And changing the subject a bit: Also on Twitter, Dr. Marin Gonzalez says that on their trip to Spain last week she & several other D131 people hired at least 7 teachers. Why do we need to go to Spain to hire teachers--aren't there enough qualified teachers right here in Illinois? And are trips like this (at least 4 people from our district went) a good use of our tax dollars, when so much information can be gathered about job candidates online?
He can call it male empowerment or anything else he wants. The fact is that Clayton and his Boys II Men frat boys were talking to the kids about what they do in Boys II Men. I guess he not only pulled out of classes middle schoolers but also high schoolers.
How exactly does a non certified person get permission to take a "field trip" with district students. Normally during the school day, you are required by law to be a certified teacher to be left alone with children in a classroom. Clayton is not currently a certified teacher or administrator in illinois.
I guess this is just one more way that the district supports and gives special treatment Clayton and the illegal Boys II Men Fraternity. No other uncertified person in this community could have taken children unsupervised (by certified personnel) outside of a building.
The next question is how did they get over to Cowherd. Did they rent a bus, use the district van or did Clayton drive them over in his personal vehicle.
Teachers are normally written up and disciplined for taking children in their personal vehicles. The district doesn't want the liability if there is an accident or if something illegal happens.
If they used the district van, that's just more district resources used to push this illegal fraternity.
And if they used a school bus, who paid for that?
It's no wonder to me that the state legislature banned all fraternities and sorority as "inimical to the public good". They are nothing but trouble from beginning to end.
Paul McNabb was asked to recruit 40cadets in his first year heading the Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program at East Aurora High School. He recruited 165.
When the National Guard wanted to set up a facility at East Aurora High School, and in exchange build a field house for the NJROTC program, it met some resistance.
But McNabb's diligence and perseverance helped secure the deal and expand the program to the level that it is today. The Tomcat NJROTC unit, with 550 cadets, is now the largest in Illinois.
At the end of this school year, Lt. Cmdr. Paul McNabb is hanging up his hat -- with honor.
McNabb is retiring from East High after 14 years as the program's Senior Naval Science Instructor.
Those who have ties to the program call him a "visionary." McNabb, though, calls himself "grandpa" and said it is time to move on to other things. The 60-year-old has had two heart attacks and is retiring mainly because of his health.
"It's just a great job," he said of guiding the East High teens. "I love my cadets."
Structure and discipline When Brian Petersohn first heard about the NJROTC program of structure and discipline, he said it would never work -- especially the part about students having to wear a uniform to school one day a week for inspection. "Boy, was I wrong," he now says.
"This is exactly what these young adults want, and some strongly need. This program is the best thing that has happened to the East Side, let alone Aurora itself, in a very long time," said Petersohn, a former booster club president whose two sons graduated from the program.
"Cmdr. McNabb has assembled an outstanding staff of naval instructors," Petersohn said.
The program has 10 instructors. And over the past 14 years, 3,282 cadets have graduated from the program.
Recruiting students One instructor is Master Chief Ken Mrnak. He came to East Aurora four years into the program and joined McNabb and Cmdr. Craig White, the first of McNabb's instructors. "I fell in love with (McNabb) and the program," said Mrnak, who was in retirement when he was hired.
The two instructors had their hands full and the program was bursting with 300 cadets, Mrnak said.
Mrnak said that McNabb took great efforts to recruit cadets.
"He knew that the more cadets we had, the better the program would be," he said.
With a healthy level of student participation, the program would be more attractive to instructors.
"He was really a visionary," Mrnak said of McNabb. "He was a great person to work for -- very high energy. He loves what he does."
Blue-collar background McNabb moved his family to the Aurora area after retiring from 24 years of active duty with the U.S. Navy. "I came from a rural Arkansas background -- a blue-collar background," McNabb said. "I relate with these folks who are trying to better themselves and raise their family. I understand."
The NJROTC program, which can be chosen as an elective, provides students with several opportunities for education and friendship outside of the classroom. Cadets can become members of a handful of teams, including drill and rifle teams. Color Guard, parades, community service and social functions are all a part of the NJROTC experience.
In 2006, the Color Guard won the NJROTC National Championship. It competes every year in Florida.
"The program itself has good things in it," McNabb said.
Cadets get an insider's look into the military. They visit real military bases and see real training.
Cadets also gain people skills and public-speaking practice.
"Students take pride in themselves and take a respectful attitude toward students," McNabb said of the positive effects of the program.
"It gives (the students) a chance to be together on a certain quest for life," McNabb said about the program that he led since its inception in 1995.
Leading by example "The goal is to not make them join the military; it is to make them better people and help them to go to college," Mrnak said of the NJROTC program. NJROTC teaches leadership, citizenship, government and military law in a four-year curriculum plan.
"I had never been forced into leadership roles. It makes you grow," said Rudy Rodriguez, 23, who graduated from the program in 2004. He said that students are given actual leadership opportunities that pull them outside of their comfort zones.
Rodriguez is stationed at Pensacola, Fla., for Naval Flight School. He graduated from the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., last spring. He credits the East Aurora program for introducing him to both the military and the Naval Academy and said it gave him a big head start.
"I'm following in the footsteps of McNabb," he said.
McNabb was a naval flight officer who flew fighter planes for 10 years. He also served as a chaplain for Marine and Navy units.
"He led by example. He would always be running with us. And he had this corny joke. He'd say, 'Keep up with grandpa,'" Rodriquez said.
Marisela Soto, this year's NJROTC Cadet Regiment Commanding Officer, is thankful she's had the opportunity to work closely with McNabb.
Now, she noted, younger cadets won't get that chance.
"I would definitely be sad if I were a junior going into my senior year without him," she said. "You grow up wanting to be in his class; you want to get to know him."
That opportunity doesn't happen freshman year, or sophomore year, or junior year for that matter. It's senior year when the relationship forges forward.
"You don't get to interact a lot with him in your first years," she said. Instead, cadets look on from afar, watching the commander direct and motivate and inspire, and begin the countdown to senior year.
"Some people will never get the opportunity (to work closely with McNabb)," she said, sadly.
Past booster club president Jill Calderon said "the transformation is unbelievable," for students who go through the NJROTC program.
"I wish (McNabb) could go on forever."
Calderon said the program made men out of her two stepsons. NJROTC gives students something to work toward, she said.
"(McNabb) has served the community really well," she said.
The board can not make a ruling on this unless it is brought up to them through the chain of command. If one of the board members take action and remember right now they have two board members that don't believe in micro-managing and I believe it was said that they trusted their administration in their judgment and the board just rubber stamped what the administration said. Well folks we have some new board members coming in and we will see if there is a change but the people that know the facts about the Clayton situation needs to set forward first. You have to remember to if it is not done in the right way any decision that the board takes can be challenged.
In the case with Clayton the parents or teachers who know about this should take action. For the teachers their is the whistle blower program and I think the board would watch very closely on this.
This is Rayanne signing in under my account, so there is no question if it is the real me.
I know at least one blogger is going to say I created a new post to avoid the present subject. I felt it had run it's course. People can come back to any posting they choose and continue a discussion.
It was time to post another topic. I felt, as another blogger did, that Cmdr. deserved acknowledgement.
Anon. @9:45. If you read more closely-you will see, I did NOT say I would not go to the Supt. with questions. I asked what kind of response do you think I'd get presenting a fanatics anonymous, persistent fixation with fraternities.
Believe it or not you are not the only person in the district with an "issue" that wants attention. Believe it or not there ARE more important things that will get my attention. Personally and as a volunteer.
To keep repeating your request for attention and resorting to attempts to goad me into responding in your favor are very similar to a toddlers tantrum.
Why don't you give some of your time-Act responsibly-report the "law" that was broken and all the witnesses and accessories-before and after the fact. Follow through on it. You have the "facts" the knowledge, -use it!
the new board should keep in mind that thier primary responsibility is to educate our children . It is counter productive to spend all or most of the boards time on saving penny's from a multi million dollar budget. This board is a joke made up of a bunch of old crones on a power trip. Be careful you might get what you wish for district administrators may leave on thier own. Which one of you even knows what thier jobs entail. Better keep Carol Farnam around she's the only one on the board that has a clue. I pray for our children maybe god will endow you with wisdom to do the right thing EDUCATE THE CHILDREN' lET jAY MANAGE THE MONEY YOUR NOT QUALFIED.
107 comments:
Not so loud since Juanita got back in and since she loves to take trips on the districts dime.
Congratulations Annette, Stella and Anita lets see some change now.
I have confidence that Annette, Anita, Dee, and Rayanne (don't know much about Stella yet) will keep an eagle eye on spending. Hopefully the days of $11,000 hotel bills are over, and there's a chance that our children's best interests will be a priority instead of administrators' personal vendettas.
Here are the final totals
Johnson 2502
Lewis 2325
Gonzalez 1864
Chapa 1777
Salinas 1362
Wells 2264
Carson 1564
The residents have sent a clear message. Salinas was soundly voted off and Johnson & Lewis received more votes than Wells running in a two person race. We say sometimes voters are not informed however many did see the mismanagement that has been going on. Now it is time for some change.
From the Beacon News:
It was a time for change in Aurora school districts.
Voters Tuesday elected three new members to the East Aurora School Board. Incumbent Fernando Salinas Jr. lost his bid for re-election, beaten out by Stella Gonzalez, Annette Johnson and Anita Lewis.
The three women, who will take on four-year terms, have been publicly critical of the board and administration.
Incumbent Juanita Wells beat newcomer Samuel Carson for a two-year spot on the board.
While I still can't believe that any incumbent survived this election, I am glad to know that only two old guard board members are left. This should make it much more difficult for the administration to continue the same old business as usual.
If I were a new board member, The first thing I would do is review all the business the old board has done in the last six months or so, like Jeromes contract and the four year funding of the magnet school and decide if that is truly where the new board wants the direction of the district to go. The old guard board, on their way out, had no right to dictate to the new board these long term decisions.
I would also call immediately for a vote to replace the school board president.
In addition, I would review the actions of certain central office personnel (ie Clayton , Nestor, etc.) and decide if they really want racists and thieves running this district. The old guard board had decided, YES, they did want such people working for the district. I hope the new board will want to make necessary changes.
I and others will be watching very closely, the direction the school board will be taking us now that the old guard is nearly gone. I wish them the best of luck.
You don't have to call for a new election for President- that automatically happens when a new Board is seated. So, come May they will need to decide who leads them, and if there are only 2 "old guard" they won't even have enough for a nomination and a second since they can't do that on their own. Should be interesting to watch the jockeying for position. Did you guys see West's president is resigning from the board- says they will need to appoint and are looking for interested parties to step forward so there will be more changes there too.
Let's hope they take a breath and not nominate at the first meeting. Get someone in for the President and Vice President for the time being and then have a meeting among themselves to see who will be the best for those positions.
Before they make any decision about the Magnet School they need time to make sure they make the right decision about what to do about it. As far as the superintendents contract that is a done deal. The only thing we can hope for is he starts doing his job. This board really needs to make the superintendent and the committees to bring things they want before the board to vote on things before the administration acts on what they think is right. All other districts with committees have to bring things before the board to vote on things like the Magnet Schools before they act on them.
Lets hope they address the issue of the gangs, bullies and children not wanting to go to school at the middle school level that Sam Carson talked about. It is happening and it has for awhile. Get the schools in shape so the children want to go to school.
The board and administration has started getting new books for the high schools but how about the grade schools. How about getting something online to help parents help their children with homework.
How about the superintendent, school board and administration let the taxpayers know what they are going to these seminars they go to and that cost so much they are learning. If they only thing they got from this is how to pass a referendum then we are in trouble.
It won't be an easy road we have a lot of problems but lets take a step forward and do something for all the children in this district.
The school board, superintendent and administration doesn't want trickled down information and neither does the community. If for awhile the board needs to micro-manage to get this district in shape then so be it.
In short lets not keep putting our heads in the sand and think our problems will go away. The haven't in the last 10 years and they won't until the powers that be address them.
IASB rules state that the new officers must be selected at the first meeting. This will be the first Monday in May because the "official" canvass results will not be available in time to seat the new board at the next meeting.
So the new members have almost a month to think about who they want to elect as officers and what committees they want to be on. Since Anita and Annette have been attending meetings they probably have some ideas in their heads.
I was really disappointed with Wells. How could she go on a D131 trip not knowing if she would be elected. The training she was receiving would be to better D131. I am glad to see a change. Hopefully this will not happen in the future.
I was wondering about the trip that Juanita took also. If she hadn't won she got a free trip on the districts dime and I bet it isn't all seminars all day. This districts policies need to be gone over and start putting policies in to stop this sort of thing. Of course the board needs to make sure that it is brought up before them also before and reservations for trips are made.
I noticed in the article about the West side school board president quitting that citizens could send a letter of intent to the board secretary (Cindi Hanilton) who happens to sit on the board not someone who the board member chose to do it for them. I have noticed this in other districts also I would like to see it here too.
Why does Lisa Morales sit on the board. Many years ago a member of the board did those duties.
Yea, now we have a bunch of uneducated people running the school board. I can't wait to find out what happens
Stay tuned and attend the meetings.
The board is put in place by community votes, guided by community input and encouraged by community support.
Essentially the community is "running" the school board.
So, what was it you were saying?
What you might find is that they are following the Illinois School Code. That the new members will do the best they can to educate all the children of this district. That the new members are not out to make the Superintendent that doesn't live in this district and the administration do there job and that doesn't mean giving them big raises for not doing their jobs.
Why are the middle schools still not making the grades they should. Why are the children not wanting to go to school. Why do we still have the gang problems and the bulling in the schools.
Why does are grade school children not have enough books for all the children?
Why do other district not want to come to Aurora to play sports here?
You state we now have uneducated people on the board but we have had and they have not solved any of these problems they have only lined their pocket books and went to their homes in other district to live the good live.
Time will tell what will happen but it can't be any worse then what we have now. If you think about it most of the people that are on the board got their education from East Aurora so what does this say about our district.
It says that the district sucks. You are all diluted into thinking that there is some kind of hidden potential.
Why are there gangs in the schools, because AURORA is full of gangs.
Why do kids get bad grades, because parents don't give a shit so why would the kids.
Why don't other school want to come here for sports, because East sucks at sports and will just get pounded so it is not worth their time.
This district does not suck. We are a good district. We have many good students but we do not have the leadership to show it.
We don't have a city that cares about the school districts in this city. We have a Mayor that was just elected that only cares about what he can get to line his own pocket book. Not saying that any of the candidates running for Mayor cared.
It says that the district sucks. You are all diluted into thinking that there is some kind of hidden potential.
We don't suck and we have potential. But it takes a city to make it happen and we don't have a Mayor that realizes that he can make changes in this. For all you that elected the new president for change you need to realize that YES WE CAN make a difference and we will.
Here's part of an article that was in the Beacon today about Geneva Schools. It is said our districts is ok but can you really believe that when so many are starting to see problems and looking ahead in ways to cut spending.
Matt Henry, who won election to the School Board last week, said the district can prepare for drops in revenue by eliminating areas of wasteful spending in the coming years, including finding a use for the soon-to-be-closed Coultrap Elementary School building, rather than letting it stand vacant.
He said the upcoming teacher contract negotiations in July will have a great impact on budgets beyond the 2009-2010 school year.
"That more than anything is going to predicate what is going to happen," Henry said.
Earlier this year, Superintendent Kent Mutchler instructed principals from all schools to identify areas outside of the classroom where cuts can be made in an effort to reduce costs by $1 million.
While economic conditions are a major factor in the district's budget shortfalls, the uncertainty and delays in state government and funding have forced the district to become much more cost-conscious and to rely more on financial reserves than originally anticipated.
"Who would have thought a year ago we wouldn't get our third quarter payment (from the state)?" said board member Kelly Nowak.
Board members said it is nearly impossible to plan a budget for any school years beyond 2009-2010 because the changes in the economic climate, as well as unforeseen needs of the district, are nearly impossible to project.
"To put a target out there is very difficult," said Nowak. "There are lots of things that could change."
The opinions expressed by the East Aurora Community Bloggers and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions of the East Aurora Community Blogspot administrator.
The East Aurora Community Blogspot administrator is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information supplied by the East Aurora Community Blogspot Bloggers.
This understood, don't you feel as a BOARD MEMBER and the ADMINISTRATOR of this blog that you owe the people reading this to correct misinformation that you know to be wrong!!!!!!!!!!!
You can post all the disclaimers you want but by not correcting the hatred and misinformation posted on this blog you are morally condoning it.
Just what do you feel is misinformation. I thinkk most of the things posted on here have been close to the truth. As for the hatered you talk about that happens in live and at least it is out in the open not behind peoples backs.
10:05 p.m., can you give specific examples of misinformation and hatred on this blog?
Or is it just easier for you to make an unfounded criticism, perhaps because you're upset that there might be a turnaround in the near future regarding certain decisions made by D131 administration?
I will give one example of why this blog is a POSITIVE influence on our community. Thanks to this blog, we've become aware that our tax money is being wasted on unnecessary frills like an $11,000 hotel bill. And awareness is the first step to fixing a problem.
Here is a good article about merit rasies for teachers which some states are starting. It also talks about how the teachers cope with students that migrate in their states. I wonder if when the school board, superintendent and administrators go to the seminars these things are mentioned.
Some states are even going to Charter Schools and Obama and Dunckan are in favor of them.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92663976
As we all watch the changes that are coming in all forms of government and see how all states are handling public education and the changes they are making to give the children in their states a good education what are we doing in Illinois and Aurora. Many Mayors of major cities are getting involved in the school districts they know now how that helps their cities. What are we doing as a city and a district.
Many major cities that have a large illegal immigration community that moves around seems to be making strides in this. Washington and Denver seems to be making strides in this. Maybe our district should be looking into it to see how they do it. Washington DC has a chancellor that looks our things and gives principles more control over the teachers they hire because each school is different.
Remember as we take the stimulus there will be ties to that and how the money is spent. It is time for this district to get outside the box and looks into what will work in this district. We need more than making community service a requirement for graduation and making sure our children can read, write and do math. Be ready to go into the world when they graduate. This world is changing every day and the district isn't.
Other states are finding ways to face the challenges they face so should we and not keep treading water.
To 10:05 pm
My reason for starting this blog was to give people, a place to speak up, vent, or expose the truths without fear of repercussions. It was approx.one year prior to being elected to the Board that I opened this e-community to D131 members.
Shortly after being elected to the school board, there were attempts to “encourage” me to discontinue the blog, with threats of legal action against me. Concerns were expressed that a board member having ownership, of "East Aurora 131 blogspot” may be confusing to some people. People may think the blog belonged to the district. To avoid confusion, the disclaimer was added and I removed “131” from the name.
I do not usually attempt to clarify facts or dispel rumors on the blog. I very rarely write a comment. I try to keep the blog here for the EA community. That was the original intent and it remains the purpose.
I may be aware some things may NOT be totally factual, and I also, may “know” some things ARE true. I could add comment to support issues both ways. As a Board member, I may have information, but I cannot share it. I cannot even share information I have as a community member. I lost quite a bit of my “freedom of speech” when I became a board member.
People reading & commenting in any e-forum should keep in mind- the anonymity, of those you chose to join, is always going to be mystery, no matter how they chose to sign their name. As with any conversation you choose to be engaged, you’ll find fact, opinion, and gossip and you need to decide for yourself the people you want to communicate with. If you feel this blog and it’s content are hateful and wrong-you are the one making the moral choice to come here and read, comment and believe what you wish.
Perfect example, why not ask your board member what the 11,000 was spent on and where that money came from because it did not come from our taxes and it was not spent for what you all have been led to believe.
You have a responsibility to support this school district and its employees as a member of the board. If you know that something is being grossly misrepresented you need to set the record straight. You know darn well that no one person spent $11,000 on a hotel bill and that the funds were allocated and properly spent but you continue to let people think the worst of people. By doing this you might as well be the one spreading these lies. It becomes ignorance breading ignorance if misinformation isn't corrected. As the overseer of this blog you do have responsibilities to the public. You can not hide behind "I try to keep the blog here for the EA community. That was the original intent and it remains the purpose." You have to recognize your roll in this blog. I'm in no way criticizing the blog as a whole. I am saying you have a responsibility here. If you can't see that then I'm not going to convince you, But for now on I will point out the hatred and misinformation when I see it. Because I have seen far to much here.
I am a person who goes to school board meetings and if this $11,000.00 was for one person or more it is entirely too much money. This check did not cover travel expenses it was just for a hotel room and maybe for the most 2 nights. I believe that Farum went with on the last trip to San Diego with Roberts. Since they were staying at the Hyatt Regency there, there now will another check that will have to be approved probably for the same amount as they just went on this one. Again, this will be unacceptable to the taxpayers who are paying the bill.
I certainly hope one of the very first things that is done is redoing policies so things like this any many other thngs that have happened in the past do not happen again. These new policies should have no loopholes what-so-ever. Another thing get rid of that useless and overpaid lawyer.
Aaahhh! 10:22 pm That is what your note was all about! I didn't know which bee was in your bonnet.
If you attend meetings, you know I ask questions frequently about money that is spent. I even tried to have policy changed to stop some of the more costly training trips.
It is NOT my responsibility to research and respond to every point-true or false- that is made in this blog. Whether I was a board member or not.
Anyone can go to the district check register through the district website. If you see something you have questions about, you can email admin at the school service center through the website.
This includes curriclum questions, financial, building and grounds. When you send an email, you can find ALL the boards personal contact info on the site, too. Send us a copy so we will know what questions are being asked by the public.
Everyone has to take personal responsibility, also. If you have special reasons not to do as suggested above. Email me at my personal email, from the 131 website, and I will help you get answers to your questions.
If the $11,000 paid to Hyatt Regency came from somewhere other than our tax monies, the Board would have recognized & thanked the donor. They always mention donations (even small ones, like dress shoes for the NJROTC) at meetings and on the Board Bits.
I don't think anyone is assuming that one person (or two, or three) is spending $11K for a hotel bill. It's just that in this economy, we're all having to tighten our belts and we expect our school district to be accountable for using our money responsibly. To a lot of us, $11,000 is real money!
Rayanne does not need to clarify every point made on this blog.
The board and district as a whole have an obligation to not add vague or unclear facts to information shared with the community.
If the district adds a vague $11,000 "hotel" bill to the board bits and provides no further information, it is reasonable to assume that something is being hidden and we, as community members, not only have a right but also a responsibility to know where our tax dollard are being spent.
Tax dollars are collected for the benefit of the students and community, not for the administrators or their families.
Perhaps the secretary who is responsible for the board bits needs to be correctly trained or replaced.
We should all have a tea party at the service center for unfair taxation. However I feel better now that a new board will be looking out for us. The tea party should be in honor of Mccue, Salinas and Maurice.
Rayanne is right she can't look into every thing herself that people post on this blog. The check register being put on the district website is a plus but if you see something that you feel is not right then you need to bring it up. We have seen how the old guard school board members, superintendent and administration has hidden the facts from the community and when Rayanne and Dee has tried to bring it up the others try to keep it quite. Don't think that just because we have new members on the board these things will be taken care of. Remember you still have the committees with administration sitting on them that can still try to hide things. The parents and the community need to stand up and make all of them accountable.
We have a long way to go in this district to make it a good one. There was just something on the news about a child that committed suicide because of bulling in his school. We all know that bulling is happening in our schools do we want this to happen to one of our children because we look the other way or that the school board, superintendent or administration chooses not to address the issue. How many of the parents of this district have to pull their children out of the district when they really don't have the money to put their children in a private school?
As far as the trips that cost a lot that our school board, superintendent and administration takes what if anything in these trips are addressing these issues? I think that the total bills are for their transportation and the hotel bills because these kind of things come in a package that the hotels probably take care of. We have a right to address these things but there is so much more that we should be concerned about.
For all the new members that are coming to the board lets hope we can focus on the one thing that the district should do and that is to give our children the best education we can and to make sure our schools are safe for them to go too.
6:11 mentions bullying in our schools. In this district, teachers have also been bullied! Morale in some schools is at an all-time low, with many staff members reluctant to speak up or question administration for fear of retribution.
Maybe this situation will improve with new School Board members.
Maybe our district can use some of these tips to help cut our budget. This is from the Beacon about D204.
How did it happen?
Officials said they were able to trim the looming deficit by:
n Joining the National School Lunch Program: which is expected to provide the district an additional $1 million — $500,000 in additional federal revenue, and roughly the same amount in commodities that will drive down the district's cost of preparing meals.
n Locking in low utility rates: allowing the district to buy natural gas at a third less than it paid last year, and electricity at half the cost is estimated to save another $500,000.
n Rebidding its custodial contract: saving the district $350,000, as well as an additional $350,000 by having schools buy materials in bulk instead of as needed.
The district also expects to save $100,000 in sales taxes by purchasing diesel fuel itself rather than through its transportation services contractor.
The new teachers contract provides for staffing pattern changes that will save almost $450,000 and reduce the number of new teachers needed for the coming school year. It also saves $170,000 in substitute teacher pay with its newly formed professional development program, as teachers will be meeting for professional development before school rather than during the day when a substitute would need to stand in for them.
An infusion of federal stimulus money also will trim $1.5 million to $1.8 million off that original deficit projection.
And a 1 to 2 percent, across-the-board reduction in all non-labor line items within the budget, combined with the some building and technology project deferrals, departmental restructuring and administrative position eliminations are expected to save about $1.36 million.
It looks like someone is trying to defend that $11,000+ hotel bill as being "allocated and properly spent". But in the October check register there was a $4,344.69 check written to Hampton Inn.
That's more than $15K for hotel bills for a 6-month period! And that may be just the tip of the iceberg--who knows what may have been spent under the table?
To April 15 @ 7:58PM
Isn't that why teachers have a union for and pay dues to is to protect them? If this is not being done by the union, you need to get another union president or new union.
The union in this district is very weak. It has not been able to protect good teachers from being "reassigned" because of administrators' personal vendettas--and when other teachers see the corrupt administration prevail, they're intimidated. Teachers don't dare speak out for fear they'll be the next target of bullies in the central office.
When are these delusional bloggers going to look at the revenue side of the budget and discover that only a small percentage of revenue comes from resident taxpayers? Most of the budget revenue comes from state and federal funds paid by taxpayers across the country because EA residents refuse to provide the resources necessary for adequate education. Those funding sources encourage all members of the district, including board members to attend conferences and learn to understand more than their own opinions. This is a school district on public welfare, apparently filled with people living in glass houses who busy themselves by throwing stones.
Attending conferences is not a bad thing. Wasting taxpayer money (whether local, state, or federal) on unnecessary luxury hotel stays is a bad thing, in this economic climate.
Remember we all pay state and federal taxes also. This is a poor district and you can't expect to get more than people have. Even the other districts around us are complaining about their school taxes and how they are being spent. Why is it that the US spends more for our children's education that most countries but the other countries can give their children a much better education.
Yes, conferences and should keep up with what is going on but I don't see it here. How long have their been Magnet Schools before our district got one. Look at the other districts that have a very strict residency rule they follow. The other districts ELL students seem to learn at a much better pace than ours.
We have every right to complain no matter how much we pay into it.
Lets not forget that the surrounding districts get money from more factories, malls, and other industries than we do that contribute to the tax base besides the home owners. Remember our district gave up good land that could of brought in more tax dollars to the district. So lets not forget it isn't just the homeowners taxes that go to the schools.
Lets not forget the police station on the far east side does not pay taxes and neither does Clayton's Urban League that's about all that is built on the east side non for profits that do not pay taxes. Maybe now that the old guard is out of the way are money will be used to educate the kids.
Lets hope that Carol Farnum will not be allowed to return as president or Wells. Wells had no business taking a trip for training (if that what she has doing) not knowing if she would be re-elected. That is a clear misuse of money. I hope the new board puts a stop to this.
Lets see how many people show up for the school board meeting tomorrow. My guess it will still be the usual ones as always.
There was a nice picture in today's Beacon News of some West High band students performing in New York City. And Oswego H.S. band performed at Disney World a couple of weeks ago.
When was the last time our high school band performed out of state? Oh, yes, now I remember--it was in 2005, before the administration "improved" the band program.
Maybe it's time to "improve" the administration.
Looks like a jam packed session at the meeting tonight. Looks like the old guard will not give in so easy.
We need to remember to Dream the Dream for the best of this district and for our city and the country. It can come true if we all try.
My dream for this district is for every dollar spent and every decision made to be in the best interests of our children.
It was packed tonight due to the fact that they were presenting something on Autism. Also for something the incoming freshmen can do for commuity service next year. Nothing to do with the old guard. As usual people left after the above. Stella Gonzales was there in the very beginning but left very early. Lewis and Johnson were there and stayed for the whole meeting then it was just the usual except for a couple of women that were there for the Autism presentation. Didn't even see the reporter tonight. Just basically the normal. As usual the Union president talked all during the meeting plus the two women that sat by him and talked to him disturbing just about everyone as they can hear them.
What is it with Stella Gonzalez she left after the first presentation and did not even stay to here board comments. She sure is not interested in the way the board operates.
Clayton spent the day at Cowherd recruiting students to join the illegal Boys II Men Fraternity.
Juanita Wells claimed last year that the fraternity was not illegal as it was run by an outside agency and outside of school time. This was incorrect but was what she claimed at that time.
Clayton today, on school time, in a school building, in a school classroom (the teacher was that normally teaches in that room was asked to leave) was pulling students out of classes to promote this illegal fraternity.
We of course know that the previous board rubber stamped every illegal activity that the administration allowed. The new board really needs to review this whole situation.
We have a district employee running an illegal organization on school district time and with district students and resources. All of this is obviously being done with the approval of Jerome Roberts.
This should be all the reason the new board needs to terminate both Clayton Muhammad and Jerome Roberts contracts and get leadership in this district that will actually look out for the interests of our students and community.
This new board should not have to deal with Jerome Roberts for the next three years because the old board pushed through a revised contract after they knew they were not going to run for new terms.
If what you say is true it needs to stop now. Hopefully the new members will do something about it but if not if you have proof the state needs to be called. It also takes the parents to get involved but if he was pulling students out it needs to be stopped. If you know this for a fact have some faith in someone (maybe a board member) to give the facts you have to put a stop to this. If he wants to get students to join this illegal fraternity he needs to ask the Superintendent, or principle to have a assembly for all the students to hear his message.
Shame on the board to let this go on. Clean your house District 131 we can't have a PR person going into our schools to promote illegal fraternities. Do they let the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts or any other organization go into the classrooms.
The building administration was aware of it. They went to the teacher whose classroom was used and asked her to leave the room. Children were then filtered into the room all afternoon.
This district needs to get in shape and stop this kind of thing. It shows how we have a poor administration that lets these things go on. They talk about how the other districts gets more money and how they wished we where like them but this would never happen in those districts.
The problems is that no one in the administration or the teachers don't want to talk about these things. There is the whistle blower safety net that they could use to show what is going on. Why doesn't anyone take pictures of this. It seems that so many people have a camera phone why don't they take pictures to document these kinds of things.
These kind of things just goes to show that the board, superintendent and the administration only cares for their own agenda and not is what is best for the children.
They can make community service a requirement for graduation but not stop the illegal things that go on in our district. They can turn their heads of the problems that are going on at Waldo but give themselves a pat on the back for letting a PR person go into a school and promoting a illegal fraternity.
We will be in the same place we are now many years from now if we don't clean up these things.
REMEMBER THE DISTRICTS JOB IS TO MAKE SURE ALL OUR CHILDREN GET A GOOD EDUCATION AND NOT TO PROMOTE THE IDEAS OF A PR PERSON TO PROMOTE HIS ILLEGAL FRATERNITY AND TO IGNORE THE BEST INTEREST OF ALL THE CHILDREN OF THIS DISTRICT.
It seems that the new board was not sworn in yet and the old board will just lie and say this is approved behavior. However I am hoping that as Rayanne and Dee were put on the back shelve the new board has the common sense to put Wells and Farnum on the back shelve. After-all remember at of us voted for change.
The new board has not been sworn in and there is no promise that things will change. I must admit that Rayanne and Dee have tried to change things in this district they are still small things. They have had to challenge many hurdles from the other board members, superintendent and administration. The one thing that they all can't get past is there job is to educate all the children of this district. There are many challenges in this district with most of the parents not caring about their children's education but no matter what it is their job. We don't need a PR person going into a school and promoting his illegal fraternity. We need to make sure our children have a safe place to go to school no matter what hurdle there is. We have many parents that don't care but as a school board they must make sure that we have a superintendent and administration that makes sure we are doing our best. I don't think we are there yet. They need to make sure the elementary students have enough books for all the students. We need more than Examples of Excellence at board meetings and really mean it. When we have principles of schools that know what their students need they need to listen to them. We need to make sure all our children needs are listened to. Clean up your house District 131 so all the children have the chance to have a good education.
It's true. Clayton was at Cowherd in room 904 all afternoon talking to students about Boys II Men. Students were going in and out of the room during all class periods.
I thought it was very irregular but the teacher in that room was told by the building administration that she was to leave the room and allow Clayton to use it.
At 3:15 she had a delema because she needed to get into her room to get her personal effects so that she could go home but Clayton wasn't done recruiting students for his fraternity. She had been told not to interupt what Clayton was doing in her room.
It makes it very difficult on teachers when such things occur. I am also sure that the building administrators would only allow something like this to happen if they were directed by central office to accomodate Clayton.
When is the board going to deal with this illegal situation?
With the new board comes change no longer will Roberts feel empowered by the board to get by with situations like Clayton's. Just give the new board a chance they have not been sworn in yet.
Was this for all children or just certain ones?
The BoysIIMen organization (and its sister group, Diamonds) has had a lot of positive influence on the youth in our community. But what I don't understand is why Mr. Muhammad is recruiting for this group on school property, during the school day. This is a PRIVATE organization, that concentrates on uplifting minority youth. I'm sure that many Black churches (and Hispanic as well) would welcome the opportunity to host Mr. M's recruitment programs. Also, young people network online, and can find out about Boys II Men and Diamonds from their websites & friends who are in the groups.
But using a school classroom during the school day and displacing a teacher to do recruiting is teaching potential members something: these groups have little regard for rules or respect for authority.
Why is the zipcode for the Service Center listed as 60506?
This comment about Clayton reminds me of awhile back when someone posted that he was leaving for a job with the tollway. While this administration pulls alot of stupid stuff there is no way things like what you state would happen. Where is your union? Pulling a teacher out of a class would be very wrong and what did the teacher do all day stand around with their thumb in their mouth? I find it strange that there is a room number 907 since that school only has one floor. Most room numbers go by the floors they have.
I guess there are some that are worried about the change that might be coming and need to make up stuff.
Actually the room number was 904 not 907 and Cowherd is a split level with four different levels, not a single level. The main building is split between two floors. When you walk in the main entrance there is a ramp and stairs to your right. The gyms and stage are on a lower level and there are smaller rooms on an upper level. Cowherd used to be a parochial school and the nuns used to have their private quarters on this upper level. They now use the upper level for In School Suspension.
The room numbers go from the 500's to the 1000's. I agree that most buildings number the rooms with the floor they are on but not here on the East Side.
To: April 23, 2009 8:09 AM
I can't agree that Boys II Men and Diamonds are positive groups. How can the example of illegal behavior possibly be a positive influence on a child? You are telling these children that it is alright to commit illegal acts as long as you don't get caught.
This whole situation should have been dealt with when it started. At the very least,it should have been dealt with two years ago when it was made public that groups such as these were illegal. Even Marin Gonzales (the assistant superintendent in charge of the middle and high schools)publicly stated that these groups were illegal.
I know the new board has a lot of past issues to deal with, Boys II Men, The Band Situation, Land Deals, Corrupt Administrators, Budget Deficits, etc.
They know where the problems are. The question is, will they have the backbone necessary to clean house of the administrators they know have credibility and corruption issues.
If I were a new board member I would clear house at the central office. Jerome Roberts, Gone. Clayton Muhammad, Gone. Nestor Garcia, Gone. Jay Augustine, Gone. I would next bring in a new superintendent from outside the district with a proven track record from an excellent school district. Then the district would have half a chance at a new start for these students.
Why then if Cowherd has a gym and stage would they have to kick a teacher out of the room and not use one of those area's.
My question is how did they filter these children in. Where only certain ones ask to go was there an announcement that Clayton was there to talk about this and was the parents notified? Did they make it clear that Clayton was there as a private citizen or as the PR person of the district. Did he take time off of his work day or did we pay for this?
It seems that someone wants something to be done but no one has all the facts and you need more than what is posted on this board before someone contacts someone about it.
I don't think the state or regional office will do anything about the illegal fraternity because when someone complained before and it was investigated the board decided to let Clayton keep doing it. I guess the state will let someone break the School Code if a board votes to let someone keep doing illegal things like that. But if what is being said is true that goes way beyond what should be happening in the schools.
First of all it is not fair to anyone on the board now to make statements being stated here. Has anyone contacted the board about this? If anyone has I apologize for the above. If anyone on the board has been contacted about this I hope they should tell you the proper procedure to take. Even the new ones coming on the board cannot do anything if they are not contacted and the proper steps taken. For this Boys 2 Men thing I would think that Roberts would be the one to contact as he is Clayton's boss. Find out the right steps to take and do them. Also, if your child or anyone's child was talked to that would be a big help in what anyone wants to do as proof. Also, I am sure someone can call and ask the States Attorney's office what they can do and if it is in violation of anything. The best proof of all is the teacher whose classromm was used. Of course, a person has to be able to stand up for what is right and not be afraid. Teachers here do not seem to want to do this. I do not want to hear about anyone afraid of losing their job, right is right and wrong is wrong. Everyone in this community and the teachers that work here have no backbone at all.
5:57, a teacher who has any "backbone" in this district and who speaks up for students' best interests is in danger of losing his/her job. At the very least, he or she can be "reassigned" (if tenured)--or possibly even fired. You may not like to hear it, but there's a history of exactly that happening to D131 teachers over the last 4 years or so.
Yes, that might be true but you can contact people anonymously with the facts.
This story just doesn't have something right about it. From what I have heard the members of Boys 2 Men bring new members in. There has been nothing before where Clayton has used to schools to do this and I don't believe they use the schools for there meetings. Why just pick Cowherd? It seems he focuses on high school students.
The what you say about the teachers and how they are treated it is time for your union to step up for you. It is time for you to band together and document your complaints and go through the proper channels and if that doesn't work stand outside the service center during board meetings and contact the local news and get your stories out there it seems to work for other districts. You really need to throw it in their faces before anything happens.
Maybe if your union president and his friends that go to the board meetings sat and listen to what is being said instead of having their own conversations and distracting ours at the meetings you could get somewhere.
What is more important? Doing what is right and having a "backbone" or allowing what is going on? If all teachers did this then whomever cannot do what is being done to everyone? Just what are you teaching the students when they know this is going on? The only ones the teachers have to blame is theirselves because by giving in the ones doing this know they can and will do more. The poster above had some good suggestions. All of you get the "Blue Flu" or something. As I know from past experiences, if I do not do something for myself, no one else will do it.
I did forget to state-do not forget to ask God for his guidance and help.
Well I for one am glad that Mr. Muhammed came to speak with some of our boys who end up in the office for behaviour problems, think that they are in gangs, and are just behavior issues all around. Many teachers like myself have requested that SOMETHING be done with these kids before they turn into gangbangers or get kicked out of school. Everyone who works at Cowherd knows a list of of these kids and how they are in class, in the halls, and nothing is done about it. I personally stopped in to say hi and saw these kids sitting and listening to the high school boys talk about getting good grades and going to college and being respectful. One of my students came to class Thurs morning and actually raised his hand before answering a question and being rude as he normally did. (And I didn't have to tell him to pull up his pants from showing his underwear which is a plus). It's a start. I sent an email to Mr. Rios (Assistant Principal) thanking him for trying to do something with this group. We have other companies coming in to speak to the kids and I think that the more they have the better it is. Just my humble opinion.
Hello! Only school district in Illinois without busing. What a piece of crap school district that claims to care so much about its children but makes them walk in the streets to get to school. Losers.
What are you talking about. To join Boys II Men you have to be selected because of your "Excellence". They don't take in the troubled kids.
Clayton may talk to a few of the "Troubled Kids" but they are not allowed into his illegal fraternity until they show what Clayton considers to be "Excellence".
It really doesn't matter what each persons opinion is on this matter. The fact is the state has a law against school aged fraternities.
CLAYTON AND THIS DISTRICTS ADMINISTRATORS ARE BREAKING THE LAW.
They should be terminated and banned from entering any district building again.
6:34 am seemed to clarify many of the things that were unclear in this story, in my opinion.
If Clayton is speaking to young people as an educated, successful man and bringing young men who are doing well at a younger age with stories to tell of how they avoided gangs and peer pressure-what a great thing!
As for the bus issue-I, as my father before me, walked to school, uphill, both ways! :o)
Just injecting a little humor into the negativity that has grown on this post.
If anyone has questions, call the school office and ask the principal.
If you can't get answers move up the chain of command until you get to the board. Contact info for teachers to board members is on the 131 website.
Different topic--
I notice in the Beacon today that Oswego froze the salaries of administrators in their district.
When I went to Aurora Central when it first opened up there where Nuns there but they did not teach and they didn't live there either. I believe D131 made the addition to the school after they bought it.
Rayanne I don't think this is true but there is no way Clayton should be having kids come into a room during the school day to talk to them he is a PR person not a conunsler. I'm sure there are others the are employed by the school to do this. Also why just let the Boys 2 men come in why not others. I have to agree if he can makes some changes it is good but not during the school day and parents should be notified. From what I hear and I don't know if it has changed even if the parents speak out the administration doesn't listen. If you where commenting as a private citizen about Clayton that is one thing but if it was as a board member I think you need to rethink things because if that happened it shouldn't have been on school time and diffently not having a teacher leave their classroom.
As far as bussing most of our children live a mile or less from school at the elementary level so districts don't have to provide bussing for those students. Also the districts that bus take children they might have in a lower part of the district and put them in a better school in the district. They might even make it so all the ELL don't go to the same schools to the other children that don't have to have ELL are not being held back because of ELL. We can't do that in our district because they go looking for ELL so they can get more money and the children that don't need that service gets left behind. I would be nice for the middle and high schools though since most of them live more than a mile.
About 7:55's mention of the salary freeze for Oswego administrators--
Did you know that the Oswego administrators suggested that their own salaries be frozen, to help balance the budget?
Meanwhile, our administration not only helps themselves to fat raises; they stay in expensive hotels on our dime.
Yes, here is the part about the administration. This shows how some think more about the children and not themselfs.
The administrative salary freeze should save the district about $250,000. It will affect 78 people, including assistant superintendents, principals, deans and other management personnel. The freeze was recommended by the administration.
School Board members said they were thankful for the administration's willingness to trim its own cost. Board Vice President Dave Behrens said Oswego already pays its management-level employees less than many neighboring districts, "so this is a big step for them to take, and I appreciate it."
I can not believe a board member, Rayanne Carlson, would publicly state:
"If Clayton is speaking to young people as an educated, successful man and bringing young men who are doing well at a younger age with stories to tell of how they avoided gangs and peer pressure-what a great thing!"
in regards to Boys II Men.
This man is being paid to be a spoksman for this district. He is not paid to pull students out of classes (without their parents knowledge or consent)and push an illegal fraternity.
Are you really going to ignore publicly that Boys II Men is illegal and support Clayton. It doesn't matter whether the message is positive or negative. The group is illegal.
The state law doesn't declare that if the board members think the message is a good one, that they can ignore the law. It states that fraternities are illegal and it also states that board members are required to enforce the Illinois School Code and all Illinois Laws.
If the board ignores this group and allows Clayton to continue, not only is Clayton a criminal, so is every board member.
Rayanne, I supported you at the last election but if this is really your position on Clayton and Boys II Men, You've lost my vote come next election.
This district is full of criminals. The community would be amazed if they knew how many laws the district administrators were breaking. We would also lose millions of dollars of federal and state funding if these laws were actually enforced.
All board members should be required to take a college level school law class. They would then be in a position to follow and enforce state and federal laws.
They would at least know when corrupt administrators were breaking the law and be in a position to deal with it.
If we have thousands of dollars to pay for hotel bills for board member conventions, I am sure we could find several hundred to actually train them the correct way.
I have to agree the board does need to take some kind course about school law and so should the superintendent and the administrators. They shouldn't rely on the so called lawyers they have. In any other district this kind of thing wouldn't be gotten away with because the parents know that things like this shouldn't go on.
School law is a required course for administrators.
The administrators do know the laws that they are breaking.
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< fraternal fraternize >
fra·ter·ni·ty (fr-tûrn-t) KEY
NOUN:
pl. fra·ter·ni·ties
A body of people associated for a common purpose or interest, such as a guild.
A group of people joined by similar backgrounds, occupations, interests, or tastes: the fraternity of bird watchers.
A chiefly social organization of men students at a college or university, usually designated by Greek letters.
Roman Catholic Church A sodality.
The quality or condition of being brothers; brotherliness.
Do a search if faternities are legal in IL and you will see how districts in IL handle them and what they say in their policies. I have not found a district that supports them and in fact if they are found to be in one will get expelled. Not in our district and we even have someone that works in the district running one. This is where I say why can't we be like other districts that follow the School Code.
SCHOOLS
(105 ILCS 5/) School Code.
(105 ILCS 5/Art. 31 heading)
ARTICLE 31. FRATERNITIES‑‑SORORITIES
(105 ILCS 5/31‑1) (from Ch. 122, par. 31‑1)
Sec. 31‑1. Definition.
A public school fraternity, sorority or secret society, in this Article means any organization, composed wholly or in part of public school pupils, which seeks to perpetuate itself by taking in additional members from the pupils enrolled in such school on the basis of the decision of its membership rather than upon the free choice of any pupil in the school who is qualified by the rules of the school to fill the special aims of the organization.
(Source: Laws 1961, p. 31.)
(105 ILCS 5/31‑2) (from Ch. 122, par. 31‑2)
Sec. 31‑2. Inimical to public good.
Any public school fraternity, sorority or secret society is inimical to the public good.
(Source: Laws 1961, p. 31.)
(105 ILCS 5/31‑3) (from Ch. 122, par. 31‑3)
Sec. 31‑3. Suspension or expulsion of members, pledges and solicitors.
The governing body of any public school shall suspend or expel any pupil who is a member of or joins or promises to join, or who becomes pledged to become a member of, or who solicits any other person to join, promise to join or be pledged to become a member of any public school fraternity, sorority or secret society.
(Source: Laws 1961, p. 31.)
(105 ILCS 5/31‑4) (from Ch. 122, par. 31‑4)
Sec. 31‑4. Solicitation unlawful‑Penalty.
It is unlawful for any person not enrolled in any public school of this State to solicit any pupil enrolled therein to join or pledge himself or herself to become a member of any public school fraternity, sorority or secret society or to solicit any such pupil to attend a meeting thereof or any meeting where the joining of any such fraternity, sorority or secret society is encouraged. Whoever violates this section shall be guilty of a petty offense and fined not less than $25 nor more than $100.
(Source: P.A. 77‑2267.)
RAYANNE, THE LAW IS VERY CLEAR.
YOU AND THE REST OF THE BOARD MUST FOLLOW THE LAW.
IF YOU DO NOT, YOU WILL HAVE AS LITTLE CREDIBILITY AS THE LAST BOARD HAD.
Remember the board can not act until someone complains to the board in writing. They need to address it to each individual board member. The new board will be shown in on May 4th. I am guessing Rayanne did not personally witness this that is why she did not act.
Isn't it possible that we're jumping to conclusions, and that Mr. Muhammad was at Cowherd giving the students a pep talk, and that he wasn't recruiting for his illegal fraternity?
He could have just wanted to provide the kids with examples of how young men/women of excellence look & act, and used some of his group members as role models. If he did specifically recruit for Boys II Men on school grounds during the school day, that would be wrong. But is there proof that was the case?
I spoke with the children coming out of the recruitment meeting with Clayton. They showed me a book by Fonzworth Bentley and talked about Boys II Men.
To: April 25, 2009 12:52 PM
Do you really believe the board has no responsibility to know when illegal activities are happening on school grounds and can only respond if there is a complaint by a community member?
The board needs to know what is legal and what is not and they have a responsibility to protect the children from illegal activities whether or not a community member complains and whether or not they personally like the employee or not.
It doesn't matter whether or not they believe the message is good or not. What matters is whether or not it's legal. If the board members disagree with the law, fine, go to Springfield and lobby to have the law changed. Until then they have a responsibility to enforce all the laws in this state.
Let's pretend I believe the fraternity fanatic. I go to Dr. Roberts and the other board members and say-"An anonymous blogger tells me there has been recruiting of boys during school hours to join a fraternity."
What exactly do you think they will say to me?
What if another blogger tells me-"there was a teacher @ Cowherd that was harrassing students to tell them what happened in a private meeting. This teacher kept insisting the students had been talking about Boyz2Men."
Shall I believe that to be true and take it upon myself to push for disciplinary action?
Now if one of you has been told by the students, there was fraternity recruiting happening during school hours, it is your duty to do what you feel is necessary to bring it to light and make it right.
As with any questionable activities that may be in violation of the law, the witness contacts authorities.
8:11am-I FOLLOW THE LAW. CREDIBLE PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELF CAN VOLUNTEER TO SIT ON THE BOARD IN 2 YEARS WHEN MY TERM EXPIRES :o)
Remember a while back somene wrote to the State Board Education about this and they sent it down to the Regional Board and they gave it to this board to handle. A decsion was made by the board about the subject and I would guess they had to report back to Regional and the Regional to the State where those two decided that it was alright also with the information D131 gave them. They are just as much to blame as the district.
My understanding with The State Board of Education and the Regional if the our school board votes on it by a majority then it's a done deal. I'm not say that it's right I'm just saying what I was told. by both of these agencies when I have aquired about different things.
What happened again if it is true is wrong and the administration at the School broke the law. The current board can't do anything about hearsay. Rayanne wasn't there and as a board member she has to wait until it comes up to the board or have you forgot the incident at Waldo?
This incident should be handled by the parents if they are upset or by the teachers or other staff that might think that they will get in trouble some way. You can contact the ISBA and make a compliant without them using your name.
So for those of you that have all the information go to ISBA or the chain of command. Remember if you write the complaint or email it to copy the principle, superintendent, and the school board. Also contact Dr. Chirstopher Koch (State Superintendent) @ 100 N. 1ST Street Springfield Il 62777 and the Regional Superintendent Douglas E. Johnson 210 S. 6TH ST Genva, IL 60134.
To April 25, 2009 8:11 AM since you keep complaining why don't you do something.
"Until then they have a responsibility to enforce all the laws in this state."
They do not enforce laws, they follow them and make policies accordingly as it pertains to schools.
Is part of his job as a PR person to go around and talk to the children about these things? If so why just Cowherd? It doesn't if he was giving a pep talk if it isn't in his job qualifications. He shouldn't be on school time doing this. Also, did he buy all those books or did the district buy them that would be another gray area also.
Rayanne,
You used to have a backbone. Just two years on this districts board has left you spineless.
If you are afraid of going to the superintendent and asking for clarifications and answers, you don't deserve to sit on this board.
To April 25 @ 5:38PM
You are the spineless one to me as you do not put your name on your statement as Rayanne does. It is easy to post the way you do and it does lead me to wonder if you are one of the old guard school board members, superintendant, or other administrator. As you can tell I am not spineless.
It is not Rayanne's job alone to take care of this she is just one of the board members. The first complaint should of gone to the principle the superintendent and then the board. If you really want something done it must be done this way.
So instead of complaining anonymously on this board do your part in making things happen.
LOL - call the waaaahhhmbulance, someone's feelings have been hurt.
I did go to the superintendent and got answers to my concerns.
Now you can get yours.
Wow, at 4:00 you say you won't go to the superintendent with such anonymous concerns and at 7:30 you say you have already spoken to Roberts about the situation.
Either you're spineless and don't follow your own convictions, you're a liar or both. Which is it? Since you're supporting Clayton and his illegal fraternity, we already know you are a criminal. It's called being an accessory after the fact.
How do you know that it was really Rayanne that posted on the last post? The last one doesn't sound like her and since I can also post using her name I will have to ask her if she did.
I do know that if she did go to the superintendent there are many others that know she did by now also. I bet some who know if she did call the district will do anything to make her look bad since they want to keep it from looking that some in the administration and the superintend aren't breaking the law.
The only real test will be if Clayton and this illegal fraternity and sorority are allowed to continue.
If the new board is not able to deal with a situation that is as cut and dry as this one is, we will have little faith that the new board can deal with a truly complicated issue.
The community is watching, what will they see?
The community spoke loud and clear at the last election. They do not want the same old business as usual in this district. Now is the time to show that things will be improved.
Here are Clayton Muhammad's own words, on April 22nd (via Twitter):
"Hosted a wonderful Male Empowerment Session with the high school seniors teaching the middle schoolers."
And changing the subject a bit: Also on Twitter, Dr. Marin Gonzalez says that on their trip to Spain last week she & several other D131 people hired at least 7 teachers. Why do we need to go to Spain to hire teachers--aren't there enough qualified teachers right here in Illinois? And are trips like this (at least 4 people from our district went) a good use of our tax dollars, when so much information can be gathered about job candidates online?
He can call it male empowerment or anything else he wants. The fact is that Clayton and his Boys II Men frat boys were talking to the kids about what they do in Boys II Men. I guess he not only pulled out of classes middle schoolers but also high schoolers.
How exactly does a non certified person get permission to take a "field trip" with district students. Normally during the school day, you are required by law to be a certified teacher to be left alone with children in a classroom. Clayton is not currently a certified teacher or administrator in illinois.
I guess this is just one more way that the district supports and gives special treatment Clayton and the illegal Boys II Men Fraternity. No other uncertified person in this community could have taken children unsupervised (by certified personnel) outside of a building.
The next question is how did they get over to Cowherd. Did they rent a bus, use the district van or did Clayton drive them over in his personal vehicle.
Teachers are normally written up and disciplined for taking children in their personal vehicles. The district doesn't want the liability if there is an accident or if something illegal happens.
If they used the district van, that's just more district resources used to push this illegal fraternity.
And if they used a school bus, who paid for that?
It's no wonder to me that the state legislature banned all fraternities and sorority as "inimical to the public good". They are nothing but trouble from beginning to end.
On to more positive and relevant postings!
What a great article in the Beacon today!
East Aurora High School visionary retires!
April 26, 2009
By MARISSA AMONI For The Beacon News
Paul McNabb was asked to recruit 40cadets in his first year heading the Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program at East Aurora High School. He recruited 165.
When the National Guard wanted to set up a facility at East Aurora High School, and in exchange build a field house for the NJROTC program, it met some resistance.
But McNabb's diligence and perseverance helped secure the deal and expand the program to the level that it is today. The Tomcat NJROTC unit, with 550 cadets, is now the largest in Illinois.
At the end of this school year, Lt. Cmdr. Paul McNabb is hanging up his hat -- with honor.
McNabb is retiring from East High after 14 years as the program's Senior Naval Science Instructor.
Those who have ties to the program call him a "visionary." McNabb, though, calls himself "grandpa" and said it is time to move on to other things. The 60-year-old has had two heart attacks and is retiring mainly because of his health.
"It's just a great job," he said of guiding the East High teens. "I love my cadets."
Structure and discipline
When Brian Petersohn first heard about the NJROTC program of structure and discipline, he said it would never work -- especially the part about students having to wear a uniform to school one day a week for inspection.
"Boy, was I wrong," he now says.
"This is exactly what these young adults want, and some strongly need. This program is the best thing that has happened to the East Side, let alone Aurora itself, in a very long time," said Petersohn, a former booster club president whose two sons graduated from the program.
"Cmdr. McNabb has assembled an outstanding staff of naval instructors," Petersohn said.
The program has 10 instructors. And over the past 14 years, 3,282 cadets have graduated from the program.
Recruiting students
One instructor is Master Chief Ken Mrnak. He came to East Aurora four years into the program and joined McNabb and Cmdr. Craig White, the first of McNabb's instructors.
"I fell in love with (McNabb) and the program," said Mrnak, who was in retirement when he was hired.
The two instructors had their hands full and the program was bursting with 300 cadets, Mrnak said.
Mrnak said that McNabb took great efforts to recruit cadets.
"He knew that the more cadets we had, the better the program would be," he said.
With a healthy level of student participation, the program would be more attractive to instructors.
"He was really a visionary," Mrnak said of McNabb. "He was a great person to work for -- very high energy. He loves what he does."
Blue-collar background
McNabb moved his family to the Aurora area after retiring from 24 years of active duty with the U.S. Navy.
"I came from a rural Arkansas background -- a blue-collar background," McNabb said. "I relate with these folks who are trying to better themselves and raise their family. I understand."
The NJROTC program, which can be chosen as an elective, provides students with several opportunities for education and friendship outside of the classroom. Cadets can become members of a handful of teams, including drill and rifle teams. Color Guard, parades, community service and social functions are all a part of the NJROTC experience.
In 2006, the Color Guard won the NJROTC National Championship. It competes every year in Florida.
"The program itself has good things in it," McNabb said.
Cadets get an insider's look into the military. They visit real military bases and see real training.
Cadets also gain people skills and public-speaking practice.
"Students take pride in themselves and take a respectful attitude toward students," McNabb said of the positive effects of the program.
"It gives (the students) a chance to be together on a certain quest for life," McNabb said about the program that he led since its inception in 1995.
Leading by example
"The goal is to not make them join the military; it is to make them better people and help them to go to college," Mrnak said of the NJROTC program.
NJROTC teaches leadership, citizenship, government and military law in a four-year curriculum plan.
"I had never been forced into leadership roles. It makes you grow," said Rudy Rodriguez, 23, who graduated from the program in 2004. He said that students are given actual leadership opportunities that pull them outside of their comfort zones.
Rodriguez is stationed at Pensacola, Fla., for Naval Flight School. He graduated from the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., last spring. He credits the East Aurora program for introducing him to both the military and the Naval Academy and said it gave him a big head start.
"I'm following in the footsteps of McNabb," he said.
McNabb was a naval flight officer who flew fighter planes for 10 years. He also served as a chaplain for Marine and Navy units.
"He led by example. He would always be running with us. And he had this corny joke. He'd say, 'Keep up with grandpa,'" Rodriquez said.
Marisela Soto, this year's NJROTC Cadet Regiment Commanding Officer, is thankful she's had the opportunity to work closely with McNabb.
Now, she noted, younger cadets won't get that chance.
"I would definitely be sad if I were a junior going into my senior year without him," she said. "You grow up wanting to be in his class; you want to get to know him."
That opportunity doesn't happen freshman year, or sophomore year, or junior year for that matter. It's senior year when the relationship forges forward.
"You don't get to interact a lot with him in your first years," she said. Instead, cadets look on from afar, watching the commander direct and motivate and inspire, and begin the countdown to senior year.
"Some people will never get the opportunity (to work closely with McNabb)," she said, sadly.
Past booster club president Jill Calderon said "the transformation is unbelievable," for students who go through the NJROTC program.
"I wish (McNabb) could go on forever."
Calderon said the program made men out of her two stepsons. NJROTC gives students something to work toward, she said.
"(McNabb) has served the community really well," she said.
The board can not make a ruling on this unless it is brought up to them through the chain of command. If one of the board members take action and remember right now they have two board members that don't believe in micro-managing and I believe it was said that they trusted their administration in their judgment and the board just rubber stamped what the administration said. Well folks we have some new board members coming in and we will see if there is a change but the people that know the facts about the Clayton situation needs to set forward first. You have to remember to if it is not done in the right way any decision that the board takes can be challenged.
In the case with Clayton the parents or teachers who know about this should take action. For the teachers their is the whistle blower program and I think the board would watch very closely on this.
This is Rayanne signing in under my account, so there is no question if it is the real me.
I know at least one blogger is going to say I created a new post to avoid the present subject. I felt it had run it's course. People can come back to any posting they choose and continue a discussion.
It was time to post another topic. I felt, as another blogger did, that Cmdr. deserved acknowledgement.
Anon. @9:45.
If you read more closely-you will see, I did NOT say I would not go to the Supt. with questions. I asked what kind of response do you think I'd get presenting a fanatics anonymous, persistent fixation with fraternities.
Believe it or not you are not the only person in the district with an "issue" that wants attention. Believe it or not there ARE more important things that will get my attention. Personally and as a volunteer.
To keep repeating your request for attention and resorting to attempts to goad me into responding in your favor are very similar to a toddlers tantrum.
Why don't you give some of your time-Act responsibly-report the "law" that was broken and all the witnesses and accessories-before and after the fact. Follow through on it. You have the "facts" the knowledge, -use it!
In other words- step up or shut up!
the new board should keep in mind
that thier primary responsibility is to educate our children . It is counter productive to spend all or most of the boards time on saving penny's from a multi million dollar budget. This board is a joke made up of a bunch of old crones on a power trip. Be careful you might get what you wish for district administrators may leave on thier own. Which one of you even knows what thier jobs entail. Better keep Carol Farnam around she's the only one on the board that has a clue. I pray for our children maybe god will endow you with wisdom to do the right thing EDUCATE THE CHILDREN' lET jAY MANAGE THE MONEY YOUR NOT QUALFIED.
to may 9th @ 11:10...
What flavor is the Kool Aid you been drinking?
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