All the major problems at Simmnons are a direct cause of an incompetent And corrupt administration team. Simmons is not going to improve until their administrators are replaced.
In this district, incompetent and corrupt administrators are often "kicked upstairs" to the central office. Case in point: Marin Gonzalez (EHS principal responsible for the band director mess--she was promoted to Dr. Roberts' old job and got her doctorate on our dime at Aurora University, where "Serial Bully" Radakovich teaches School and Community Relations).
Better to work with Simmons admins to try to improve things in that building than to let them help run the whole district. And from what I've seen, Wilson Morales is doing a decent job--it's the other two who are the problem.
Wilson is fine when he is not out on a "donut run".
If Wilson likes you he is OK, if not he's like a bull dog on your leg. He attacks blindly and won't let go.
He also needs to realize he is working with adults not elementary students. These are professionals. Tell them what needs to be done and get out of their way so that they can do it.
Wilson needs to quit micromanaging everything. It would also help if he could actually do scheduling.
Wilson could be a good assistant principal if he were under a competent principal.
Monday's faculty meeting at Simmons consisted of Mechelle and Wilson badgering the staff to volunteer for the teacher talent show.
For twenty five minutes we had to listen to how important it is for the school to give the appearance that all is wonderful at Simmons. After listening to Mechelle and Wilson lecture for the 25 minutes, they asked who would volunteer to be in the talent show, not one person raised their hand.
The administration at Simmons lost the faculty long ago. There is no leadership in that building. They can't get even one person to follow them in something as simple as a talent show, does anybody really believe they can lead the education of a thousand students?
Central office administration really needs to get a clue and replace all three of them.
Did anyone figure out how many hours we paid cenral administrative staff to not work over break. 2 hours per day times how many days times how many employees? what a sham
I am on the District 204 & 129 emailing lists. Here is one email I received from 204 from their Board of Ed. What type of info have you received lately from your Bd Of Ed. or your District? Please check out the link. Very interesting and education relevant.
Dear District 204 Community,
The Board of Education has been spending a great deal of time lately addressing next year's budget challenges. We want to assure you that through this period, we haven't lost sight of what is most important -- our students' success.
Our rapidly changing world presents today's students with new and different challenges. And, the skills our students require today are dramatically different than what was required just a short time ago.
Regardless of the economic climate, District 204 is committed to equipping each student with the skills required to succeed in the 21st century. In fact, the district recently adopted a new goal of ensuring proficiency in 21st Century Skills. You will soon be hearing more about 21st Century Skills and the district's plans in this area.
In the meantime, we encourage you to watch the following short video to discover just how rapidly the world in which our students must compete is changing:
PC users: mms://media.ipsd.org/ipsd_ ondemand/board_misc/didyouknow3.wmv MAC users: mms://media.ipsd.org/ipsd_ ondemand/board_misc/DidYouKnow3.mp4
Sincerely,
Curt Bradshaw, President Alka Tyle, Vice President Christine Vickers, Secretary Dawn DeSart Mark Metzger Cathy Piehl Susan Rasmus
Wow, a PR message from the District that is cutting 19 Teachers from their Music program because of budget cuts.. Boy, Rayanne I am suprised you are singing their praises!!! Aren't you a Band and Music supporter????
District 204 has an overabundance of staff in some areas, so it makes sense that some could be cut without much effect on students' educational experience.
For example, there are 5 band directors at Waubonsie H.S.--probably 2 more than absolutely necessary.
Generally, the private instructors are not paid by the district. They are allowed to give private lessons to the student during school time (study hall, lunch, etc) but the students pay for them out of their pockets.
Yes! I have been a music and band booster of EA131. I definitely sing praise to, not a PR dept, but a SCHOOL BOARD who dedicates time to informing and assuring the community of it's commitment to ALL the students. My comment topic was about a Boards being responsible to it's community.
Since you asked, I will say-what a wonderful thing for a district to have dedicated so many teachers to music! I am sure a district so committed to arts must have found it to be a difficult decision to cut so many from the music program.
I dont no what central administration staff does to improve the education of a single student, but they should at least be in the building, at their desks pretending if we are paying them!
To those who are complaining about Simmons administration--look at the minutes for the March 15th board meeting, and you will see that one of them is leaving.
Yes, they got rid of the unprofessional bimbo, they still have the Bitch and Little Napoleon at Simmons. At this point that's one down and two still to go.
They got rid of the least important one of the three. Stephanie doesn't do scheduling and she did very little of the discipline. She is also not the vindictive ones going after any teacher they don't like. She was just the ond making inappropriate comments all the time.
The district still needs to clean house at Simmons and get rid of the other two.
I especially like the part about how the board has been requesting documentation and proof that the magnet academy is actually doing things worth the extra costs associated with the academy. There was no mention that the administration has actually produced any such proof.
The administrators have pushed this program at the schools. They have paraded magnet school kids and teachers to talk about all the extra technology and resources the students at the magnet academy get to use.
They are funneling tons of money into this program and pushing it amongst the student body. What they don't like to mention is that there is a finite amount of money and every dollar they give to the magnet academy is a dollar they are taking away from the other students of the district.
They have also created a whole new level of administration to run this imaginary school inside another school building. Ed Malchai alone made $110,574. That is money that should be going toward the students. With his added salary, we are now spending about Five Million Dollars just in administrator salaries, not total administrative costs.
If you want the real story, you need to start reading between the lines.
The magnet academy is Marin Gonzalez' pet project--she is hoping to be remembered for this instead of the band decision.
Too bad many of us see the whole picture instead of just the P.R. spin. A lot of kids can't go to the magnet academy because of transportation issues, and a lot of kids would rather stay in their original school than give up band, choir, or sports opportunities with their friends.
But certain administrators are famous for sweeping legitimate concerns and criticisms under the rug.
Who wants to make bets on the person that will be the next board president? My guess it is the fake blond one. Think she will bring samples of her new product for us to try? I also would believe that she is contacting all the board members except for Juanita and possibly Hull. I do think she would have the nerve to get ahold of Weaver just like she pulled some things with Carlson and Lewis(who I think still does not realize that the wool has been pulled over her eyes). Come one come all to the meeting Monday. Know that just the normal few will be there though. Even Carlson does not seem to come as much, or if she does, she does not stay long.
Bob Green is not employed any longer the District made sure of that. It will be hard to find a lawyer that will work for free. In the past he was employed while he was going to court.
adlogsThis administration and board are incompetent and Bob Green now has them exactly where he wants them. They are now in a forum where 1) The administration actually has to provide proof, not just make wild accusations and 2) Bob will get a chance to defend himself by a fair and impartial adjudicator (unlike when the board voted to remove him without even hearing Bob's side of the events).
It's just like when they went to court in the discrimination case. Every time the facts come out publicly, the administration backpedals at a hundred miles an hour.
Who wants to start taking bets on how much this is going to end up costing the district. I guessing at least six figures.
Bob Green just received a $42,000 check from the district a couple of months ago. I am sure he can find a lawyer willing to work for that type of money.
A lawyer will take this if he(she) likes what they hear. If they fired Bob Green because of his law suit, the district will be in big trouble anyway. No one is supposed to be fired if it is over a law suit, according to the EEOC. The blonde bomber will be the next school board president.
For the record, $42,000.00 does not last long if one does not have a job, house payment or rent, bills to pay, medical and a family(do not know if he has one) or one's self to feed and cloth, car to maintain and if he has a man's best friend to feed and get shots for.
This is Bob Green's reputation, career and livelyhood. Does anyone actually believe he would ever just give up? He is going to fight this to the end and since the district can't do anything the correct way, you know he is going to prevail in the end.
He is going to receive all of his back pay, legal fees and probably a large cash settlement to boot. It is going to cost the district big time. Remember this when they tell you there is no money for text books in the classroom.
The state today announced a rebate program to subsidize appliance sales. They are giving people a 15% rebate on any energy star appliance purchase. The allocating 6 million dollars for this program.
But according to our govenor and state representatives (including Linda Chapa Lavia) there is just no money for education.
Again, the money is there for the programs the state wants to subsidize. Our representatives just don't value education.
The only people that loses is the children in all of this because the money that is suppose to educate them are going for paying Superintendents, administration and yes some teachers more money then they should be getting.
If that's true and if the administration were even halfway competent, they should have no trouble at the state hearing.
Of course, the problem is that our administration and board are as incompetent as Mr. Green. Unfortunately, it always comes back to the community paying for their incompetence.
Does anyone think the one who has started her new little buisness adventure will bring her wares to the meeting tomorrow to get votes to be the next president? Wonder how many of the board was calling or emailing the other membets to try to get them to vote for them for whatever position they wanted? Wonder how many out the community land really cares about what happens at school board meetings, as all anyone out there in communi8ty land does is peck here and complain, but no show.
Does anybody really care who is in charge of the rubber stamp. It doesn't matter who's in charge when the only thing that happens is that eveyone of them votes YES to every incompetent decision the administration makes.
The Fine Arts Festival was very enjoyable! I especially enjoyed hearing the elementary band students (lots of enthusiasm & heart from those young musicians), and Singsation was also exceptional.
The EHS band got a Division II rating at IHSA organization contest on Saturday.
No surprise there--just proves once again that bully administrators made a big blunder 5 years ago.
Didn't they justify their decision to our community by promising IMPROVEMENT in the band program? Well, it's been 5 years. The Wind Ensemble still plays noticeably out of tune, and objective judges once again pronounce them second-rate.
Or maybe our Community Relations Director will spin this into an Olympic medal-style achievement: they're "Silver Medalists".
5 short years ago EHS band musicians were sweeping up plenty of first division ratings at the IHSA solo & ensemble contest. They were also preparing for their bi-annual Disney trip.
They may not have gone to IHSA organization contest--but neither do most high school bands in this area (such as D204 or Oswego).
And every band trophy displayed in the East High lobby had been legitimately earned.
Yes, the Wind Ensemble did a FANTASTIC JOB at the Fine Arts Festival and the IHSA Organization Contest. Receiving a Division II (Good Performance with minor defects) rating with ZERO students taking private lessons.
If you have ever judged an IHSA band competition then you know a Division I means an excellent performance, a Division II means a mediocre performance and a Division III means you did piss poor. No judge would ever give lower than a three no matter how badly the group performs.
What is stated on the certificates is only there to make the kids feel good. George Carlin said it best: In schools there are no losers, you're just the last place winner.
It's the same with our administration, you need to read between the lines to get the real story.
Waubonsie Valley did not go to IHSA organization contest last year.
They have, however, sent students to the IHSA solo & ensemble contest every year for at least 20 years. Many receive Division II ratings; many more receive Division I.
GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE
You must be looking at Solo and Ensemble records. You mentioned schools receiving I's and II's in the same year.
Most of the programs you mention are not very strong programs but a few are. I would be very surprised if Waubonsie, Curie or Downers Grove received Division II rating.
Maybe the fine arts festival would be better if they actually paid the teachers for doing it. Some receive a stipend like the middle and high school band and choir directors. The elementary teachers and the middle school art teachers are just expected to work for free. On average it takes about 50 hours for them to prepare for and participate in the fine arts festival.
They really should be paid for all their extra effort.
Has anybody wondered why Liska scheduled the Fine Arts Festival the same day as the IHSA Band Competition. Is it just incompetence or did he do it deliberately so that he wouldn't have to stay around and coordinate the festival.
The man is being paid a large stipend to coordinate such things. The other district music teachers showed up with lots of students and no clue where anything was because there was no one directing the festival.
EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE
I doubt that Mr. Liska had much input in scheduling the Fine Arts Festival. That was probably the bully administrators, trying to make sure that the band kids actually showed up to get on the bus to go to the contest.
Two years ago, several band members simply didn't show up (and didn't tell Mr. Liska)--which was probably why one of the bands received a Division III rating that day.
I'm sure that Mr. Liska has been under considerable pressure from bully administrators whose reputation is at stake here. Specifically, Mr. Harmon & Dr. Gonzalez.
7:59, don't forget about Mr. Muhammad. He's the one who said "this whole issue is over".
Yeah, right. If it's over then why are people still talking about it 5 years later?
Because that decision was WRONG, that's why. And the more time goes by, the more obvious it becomes that improving the band program was NOT the reason Mr. K was replaced. Too bad Mr. Liska gets caught in the middle and blamed when it was (and is) really about bully administrators supporting a personal vendetta.
And too bad that the kids get the short end of the stick.
11:25, except for 6:27 a.m. all of today's posts have not criticized Mr. Liska, but blamed administration.
What truth are you suggesting we seek? It is NOT a lie that the administration and School Board (at the time) insisted that it was necessary to replace Mr. K in order to improve the band program. Many of us are still looking for (and asking about) the promised improvement.
And we will continue to hold those administrators accountable for that decision until every last one of them is GONE from the district.
I truly don't understand how you can say "we're not blaming Mr. Liska, we're blaming the administration" all the time. Do you not realize that by claiming that the EA band has not improved over the past 5 years is a DIRECT insult to Mr. Liska? Stop trying to make yourself feel better - it would be like me claiming that everything you do in your job is second-rate and pathetic, even though I have no idea what you do and no training in your area of work and no idea what I'm talking about.
I only pray that non of the band students read this blog - how sad that such a great effort on their part is being ripped apart and labeled as "second-rate" and "losing". Grow up.
the only reason certain school board members get away with rubber stamping is that people would rather complain than go to some meetings and see what is going on. Not all the school board membebers rubber stamp what the admins want.Though at this time the ones that appear to not be doing this is Well and Hull. I do not think Weaver in necessarily rubber stamping, just looks like she might be giving up. The way to get rid of the rubber stampers is to pay attention and really know what is going on and one does not have to go to every meeting to do this. I hope that Johnson does not become the new president becuaus I foresee more problems than ever before.
It will be the beginning of the biggest joke this district has ever seen when the new president takes over.
She stutters and stammers through the finance report. Now they have to listen to her donkey laugh and watch her spastic motions as she tries to rock herself through board meetings twice a month.
Liska should be critcized for being gone on Saturday. Does anybody really think that Liska as the fine arts festival coordinator wasn't consulted before a date was set for the fine arts festival.
The decision to get rid of Kaisershot and replace him with Liska is entirely the board and administrations fault. The quality of the band now is entirely Liska's doing.
The man is a professional making a professionals wage. He has no problem collecting the money for these duties, he needs to do them professionally and be responsible, both good and bad for the results.
If you think the band sounds better, it's liska's fault and if you think it sounds worse, it Liska's fault. If Liska is responsible for coodinating the Fine Arts Festival and is gone all day, that is also his fault.
The board and administration screwed up big time getting rid of a great director but Liska is the direct cause and the responsible party of the quality of the East High Band.
If you go to the IHSA Band Contest web site you can see the dates for the Band contests and Solo & Ensemble contests for the next five years. It's the same weekend every year the dates just change by one number each year.
There is no reason why the Fine Arts Festival date can not be coordinated with the Band Contest date. As I said before it's either incompetence or a deliberate act by the person in charge of coordinating the Fine Arts Festival.
Who was that again? Oh yes it is Brian Liska. Maybe he feels if he shows enough incompetence and corruption the board will make him superintendent.
7:33 claims that Kevin Kaisershot is gone because he was lazy and refused to expand the band program. Absolutely NOT true! He was "reassigned" because he refused to kiss administrators' rear ends, and those admins bullied him out of his high school teaching position.
Specifically, he refused to require students to play for last-minute-scheduled basketball games (including some on school nights)--a decision which earned him the support of parents but angered "Serial Bully" Radakovich and his Minooka crony Rick Johnson.
The president of the School Board at the time, Larry Malaker, told a retired EHS teacher that they "had to get rid of" Kevin, and Malaker mentioned the following specific reasons:
--He didn't get along with administration (translation: Kevin spoke up for the best interests of his students instead of kissing bigwigs' behinds)
--He wanted to run the whole program (isn't that what a good director is supposed to do?)
--He brought in his wife to play for the jazz band (they were really scraping the bottom of the barrel with this one, twisting Mrs. K's willingness to help the band for free and using it against her husband; this will be sure to be mentioned whenever adult musicians are brought in for anything in the future at East High!)
Most of those responsible for bullying Mr. K are now gone from the district, but unfortunately a few remain. We aren't likely to forget the way they treated him, nor do we want to see those bullies push out another fine teacher just because of someone's personal vendetta.
"Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it."
It really is ignorant to assume everyone who does not like Liska had to support Kaisershot.
Kaisershot's problem is that he has to have everything his way or screw you. Eventually he pulled it with people in a position to transfer his rear.
Liska's problem is that he is to young and inexperienced to do his job competently. He should never have been put in the position he has until he had many more years of experience under his belt.
Unfortunately, the real losers through all of this mess have been the students. They suffer every poor decision this board and administration make.
So just for the record, I support neither of these men.
yup, the real losers are the 250 band students who DROP OUT sometime in the Middle schools, which is why we have a Elementary band of 300 and a combined 7th and 8th grade band of 100.
It sounds as though the band program in this district is screwed up from top to bottom. There is a lot of interest to start with in fifth grade but our program is losing 90% of our students along the way and from every school. It makes a person wonder who is directing the entire program in the district. Who coordinates all the schools band directors? Oh yes, that again would be Liska's responsibility.
Liska is to young and inexperienced for this large a responsibility.
NOBODY NOBODY - Because it is NOBODY's JOB - THERE IS NOBODY Because the district does not pay anybody to do so.
Who should coordinate the middle schools - the three middle schools - maybe they should talk every once in a while - Why do three groan ass men need coordination?
D131 has THREE Middle schools - Not THREE HUNDRED - These three guys should be able to work together. When was the last time the middle schools went to Washington? Hmmmmmm maybe that is something that would keep them interested.
The middle school band directors DO work together and communicate with each other!
The latest example of this is the Fine Arts Festival. These three guys worked as a TEAM. Mr. Kaisershot composed the march that the combined groups performed. Mr. Holhut conducted them. And Mr. Koch was the narrator.
11:13 said that Mr. K "had to have everything his way or screw you". Not true! Hundreds of parents, students, alums, and community members spoke out against his reassignment. And the fine-arts teachers he was in charge of (as department chair) wrote a letter to the Beacon-News supporting him. This would NOT have been the case if he had been a my-way-or-the-highway director and/or boss.
Who pushed him out?
BULLY ADMINISTRATORS.
And about Mr. Liska's inexperience: whose fault was it that a fresh-out-of-college kid with absolutely NO marching band experience was hired to direct the EHS band program?
When was the last time they went to Washington D.C?
When was the last time they went to Washington D.C?
When was the last time they went to Washington D.C?
When was the last time they went to Washington D.C?
When was the last time they went to Washington D.C?
When was the last time they went to Washington D.C?
Putting on that event would be working together. Not the fine arts festival. They HAVE to do that event, per the district. Why don't the work together on their own, for the good of the students?
The middle schools are the problem in D131 not just for band, the middle schools suck - they are discouraging kids from exploring options, making them take two math and English classes. That would be fine for some, but you can't tell me that EVERY student needs two periods of math and English every day. That's stupid. No other district do they mandate two periods of the same class - they might offer it to some struggling students, but not everybody.
The major problem is all this state testing. The schools are failing. The administrators are under extreme pressure to show that they are taking steps to do correct the problems.
The problem is that they are enacting policies even they know won't increase test scores just to say they are doing something. And that too is part of the problem. Policies that change every year have no chance of becoming established and given a chance to show whether or not they are working.
The real problem is that no matter what you do, you can't change one basic fact. In communities with a high imigrant population, english is their second language. As with every immigrant population in our past, things don't show significant improvement until the next generation is born. This will happen naturally with time.
They are going this year, When was the last time the went to D.C.? no plans for this year, no plans for next year. And you are right, they were accepted in 2007, so you can't say that they are not good enough. So it is now Mr. Liska's fault that the community could not afford it.
There is money in the community. You need to know your community, know how how to organize it's people and know how to motivate your students. The 2007 cancelled Disney trip was just another example of a director who was too young and inexperienced to do his job effectively.
If you want to know who the school board president is you should have been at the meeting. No one in this community cares anyway, except for the band issue. There is so much more that needs to be addressed. All anyone wants to do is peck here and complain. The students need new books and many other things, but the band issue seems to be the only thing anyone cares about. BTW it is quite obvious who got to who last night at the meeting when what someone wants to know about here happened. nemakbe.
Oh, well that is total B.S. It's been 9 years and Washington wasn't even the focus of the attacks. Let's not do anything because maybe something bad might happen sometime. That's NOT the reason. The reason is because that kind of a trip takes a lot of planning, cooperation, and time. Something the middle school directors don't want to be bothered with.
You need a history and geography lesson, 6:13 a.m.!
There were FOUR planes hijacked by terrorists on September 11, 2001. Two of them were crashed into the World Trade Center in NYC. The other two were targeted for the Washington, D.C. area (where do you think the Pentagon is??) The only reason that fourth plane crashed into a field in Pennsylvania instead of the White House or another D.C. building is because some American patriots on that plane were able to overtake the terrorists.
No, I want everybody held to the same standard, which does not happen in this district, or on this blog. Some people are put on pedestals and others are condemned for the same actions.
What a stupid reason to not go to Washington, you know that is not the reason. Guess what, West Aurora went to New York last year or the year before (can't remember exactly) OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Nobody was attacked. Guess what THOUSANDS MORE KIDS HAVE MADE IT TO AND FROM WASHINGTON since September 11th. OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH - I think there is another reason LAZY LAZY LAZY LAZY LAZY LAZY
I would think parents would be more afarid to send them to school than Washington.
Dogs called in to sniff for explosives at East Comments
April 21, 2010
By ERIKA WURST ewurst@stmedianetwork.com Explosives-sniffing K-9s were brought into East Aurora High School Monday evening after school officials received reports of a bomb threat in a third-floor men's restroom.
Aurora police reported that a school resource officer found the threatening message about 11:15 a.m. Monday scrawled in blue ink. Because the bathrooms are not monitored, there is no reported time-frame of when the threat was made.
The message said that the school would be bombed on Tuesday, and said, "PREPARE TO DIE" in capital letters.
According to the report, the officer contacted East High Principal Sheila Conrad, who ordered an additional officer to patrol the school on Tuesday.
East Aurora High School parents, students and staff were notified of the bomb threat through the district's emergency phone notification system, said district spokesman Clayton Muhammad.
"First and foremost, we notified Aurora police and extra security was brought in (Tuesday)," Muhammad said.
Muhammad said the district takes threats seriously.
"I'm sure that our actions prove that we're working diligently by requesting additional presence," he said.
Tuesday was the anniversary of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre.
Staff writer Stephanie Lulay contributed to this report.
Either specifically state when Mr. K taught only 3 classes per day, or expose YOURSELF as someone who is so desperate to discredit this fine man that they would LIE.
Enjoy lying and hypocritically accusing others of tarnishing reputations much??
Because the band director job at Simmons is 6 classes per day; the band director job at the high school is 4 classes per day.
Bottom line: the band director at Simmons (and, presumably, the other two middle schools) currently TEACHES TWO MORE CLASSES per day than the high school director. So calling the middle school directors "lazy" is ludicrous.
I find it interesting that the only thing people can talk about is the bands. The goal of any district is the education of all the children of the district which isn't happening here. There has been many teachers that have been taken off their job in this district and replaced by others due to the administration but it seems that some only focus on one. I think there have been many teachers that have done good for their students and have been done wrong which doesn't help this district.
Many talk about the wrong in this district but doesn't stand up. Other parents in other districts do stand up to the board and superintendent and maybe they don't get the out come they want but unless you do nothing will happen.
For those of you that are so passionate about this try again to do something. Get people to go to the board meetings and say something and keep it up you never know if it will lead to something that's what they want they know that if you just keep complaining on the blog it will not get anywhere.
It's no surprise that Annette Johnson is the new school board president.
What was interesting is that it was a 4 to 3 vote, with old-guard member Juanita Wells, returning board member Ray Hull, and former EHS teacher Stella Gonzalez voting "no".
Poor Ms. Wells--she would dearly love to be president of the School Board, but her reputation as one of the bullies from 5 years ago is a deal-breaker.
Ray Hull still prides himself on hiring the serial bully Radakovich. He claims the schools had been in such bad shape serial bully needed to spend to improve. I don't know about his B&G ability they are still in bad shape. The only difference is the money is gone. Juanita is the one who accused band kids of playing the star mangled banner to make Liska look bad. If that was possible.
4:36, thanks for setting us straight that Ms. Weaver voted "No", not Ms. Gonzalez.
And Juanita Wells accused the KIDS of mangling the National Anthem? Wow--I never knew that! I just thought the "old guard" board was either tone-deaf or pretending the new improved band sounded great.
Amazing what comes out long after "the issue is over"!
You know I used to feel bad about what happen to Mr. K but not anymore with the way some of you talked. Maybe it was in the best interest of the children. Since he did not fight back like others to get his job back he must be satisfied where he is at.
Things change and they should. We can't keep living in the past and schools need to make changes just like businesses. Sometimes they don't work out but you never know if they will and good will come out of it.
If a decision is really made in the best interests of the children, there will be noticeable improvement (especially several years after the change is made!).
And Mr. K is doing a great job at Simmons--but that just means that his family probably didn't want to move out of Aurora, and he has a strong work ethic. He's probably "satisfied" that he can pay his mortgage & kids' college expenses, and it will be only a few short years until he can retire and be done with D131 for good. Hopefully the bullies will be gone by then, too--and a fresh wind of change can blow through our district.
(Aurora) – Fifty-two Tomcats of the Class of 2010 will be honored at East Aurora High School’s annual Top Ten Percent Banquet on Wednesday, April 28, 2010 at 6:00 p.m. at Long Island Sound Banquets in Aurora.
Every year, students in the top 10% of the Senior Class are honored for their academic achievements at the coveted event that has been a Tomcat tradition for decades.
Class of 2010 Valedictorian Kristina Davison and Salutatorian Karen Lazcano will be joined by the following members of the 2010 Top Ten Percent: Malory Adam, Jessica Akers, Jorge Antunez, Joaquin Aruiz, Lidia Avila, Joshua Ayala, Kyle Baumann, Ignacio Cervantes, , Montea Dominguez, Edwardo Espinal, Julio Flores, Genesis Gallegos, Annabel Gonzalez, Cynthia Gonzalez, Claudia Gonzalez, Viridiana Gonzalez, Elizabeth Guerrero, Nancy Guzman, Julia Inostroza, Benjamin Martinez, Marcela Mata, Cecilia Medina, Linda Oceguera, Cynthia Ontiveros, Maribel Perez, Maria Perez, Adrian Ramirez, Humberto Ramirez, Ivette Ramirez, Juan Ramos, Roy Reyes, Raul Reynoso, Emmanuel Rivera, Esteban Roman, Lydia Romero, Sergio Ruiz, ManuelSalazar, Jeanette Salgado, Jose Salgado, Efrain Salmeron, Abel Sanchez, Joseph Schweisthal, Alexis Serrano, Kiara Tiner, Rosalba Torres, Amanda Torres, Anahi Velazquez, Cesar Villa, Filiberto Villarreal, and Edith Zarco.
Each student has selected an educator whom has influenced their life significantly during their high school careers. As students are honored for their academic achievements, they will be joined on stage by the educators. Each educator will share a brief reflection of their student and impart words of wisdom for the future.
The Class of 2010 Top Ten Percent Educators are: George Allen, William Anderson, Laura Barracca, Cathy Bednar, Sarah Bonebrake, Christina Boyles, Matt Caylor, Julie DeNood, Bethany Foster, Michelle Gifford, Shane Gillespie, Gary Hoyne, Kelly Keating, Shirley Knowles, Adam Kordalewski, Brian Liska, Lisha Lullo, Mark Lyons, Francesca Manzella, Obed Mendoza, Kenneth MrNak, Lynne Nadel, Guillermo Pedroni, Christy Polaski, Sharon Stanley, Jacob Stewart, Al Tamberelli, and Jerry Taulbee
CALL TO ACTION: The district office people do not have one iota of a clue about what is really in the buildings because they are more absent than present. They take for granted that things are running smoothly because their principals tell them things are fine. That's just the way it is. Clean house at the district level: Roberts, Gonzalez, Aird, MuHammered, Glotsbach and that Adams woman. That should be the first place that needs cleaning house. Clean out your cabinets for God's sake. Its a double guarantee things will change for the better.
I agree that Patterson is just a real bitch. As a parent and a taxpayer, she's gotta go. Very snobby and no personable skills. Those women in the office are terrible. They just sit there an complain about the teachers in front of parents! And one lady even was yelling about grades with a teacher, in front of me and my family. And I saw people asking to be buzzed in. What's all that about? If there is an open door policy, we all have to wait for the buzzer I guess.
That's is what my children have to be exposed to? Are you kidding me? When are things going to change at Simmons? For real?
Take it up with the Board they kept Roberts until 2014. So I guess nothing will change until then. He is also the one that is helping Patterson & A dams get Dr's degrees out of title money. While the staff goes untrained. Computers in this district have been broke for months. Smart Boards with no training on them. Yes we get many thinks with grant money but are they being used?
I was at the Razzle Dazzle too! It was very entertaining. I'm glad I took the time to attend. Thank you to all the teachers, administrators and staff that practiced for weeks to provide us a wonderful evening of fun and laughter.
Most schools worked that hard. Simmons threw theirs together in two days. And only after the principal cornered a couple of the teachers and pressured them into performing to give the illusion that things are fine at Simmons.
Rayanne's not responsible for negative spin on this blog--if anything, she goes out of her way to mention the positive.
And speaking of positive, there's a couple of great articles in the Beacon today about our district: the Distinguished Alumni event last week, and interviews with EHS students about abstinence and prom.
West Aurora announcement-nice detailed PR-not a lot of flash, just simple, complete, facts.
There is a lot of talent on tap in the next West High School play.
Dozens of students have learned to tap dance like pros for the school’s production of “The Drowsy Chaperone” next month.
And, a group of students and volunteer parents are building an ambitious stage scene for the production, which will include an old-style biplane.
No matter which feat is most impressive, the play – which will be staged at 7:30 p.m. May 6-8 at West High, 1201 W. New York St., Aurora – will create a positive impression on all who attend. Tickets are $10.
“A lot of people don’t know the show, but I guarantee they’ll remember it when they leave,” said Ken Ruffalo, lead director. “They won’t be disappointed. They’ll walk out in a light mood. It’s memorable in a good way.”
West is the first school in Illinois and one of the first in the nation to perform the show, which is “an old-fashioned musical comedy,” said Kerry Proczko, the drama business manager and English Department Chair at Washington Middle School.
The play offers many students a chance to shine – there are about 11 major parts, Proczko said.
The musical, which won a Tony Award in 2006 for its Broadway production, is set in the living room of a man who loves a certain musical. As he listens to a recording of the musical, that 1920s-era show comes alive in his home.
Over the past two months, cast members have been learning the music and how to tap dance from choreographer Lindsay Cirrincione, a West High math teacher.
“In the song at the end of Act 1, everyone is tapping and dancing,” Proczko said. “It’s really pretty amazing. For some kids it seems like they’ve been tapping all their lives. They’re even tapping down the hallways at school.”
The cast includes 52 students – including a good mix of upperclassmen and underclassmen – plus 21 in the pit orchestra and about 12 on the stage crew.
Ruffalo and two other directors -- Associate Director John Proczko and Assistant Director Jen Pauley — performed in plays while they were at West as students. All three are English teachers at West. Also, West Choir Director Meg Papadolias helped students learn the music and Choir Director John McLear is leading the pit orchestra.
I would hope so! He started with the Star Mangled Banner. You'd think if nothing else, a few years of trying, and trying again things would eventually improve.
Good better best, never let it rest, until your good is better and your better is your best. One day we can hope to see the band being the best it can be. Practice and maturity should show improvements each and every year.
Along with being coddled and pampered by bully administrators who make excuses for every blunder, to justify their own failure to consider kids' best interests 5 years ago.
Oh, and paying thousands of dollars for adult professional musicians when necessary to make sure the pit sounds decent for the musical.
Even if the adult professional musicians worked cheap or for free, the bully administrators had no business bringing them in since only a few short years ago Mr. K's wife's playing piano for the band was specifically mentioned as a reason to get rid of Mr. K.
Don't think for one minute that K's friends & supporters have forgotten about that--or that we won't bring up such hypocrisy many years in the future.
Like the song by country singer Miranda Lambert says: "Truth comes out a little at a time..."
To May 5, 2010 8:25 PM you can keep bringing this up but nothing will happen and most don't care. You have been playing this sad song for many years and nothing has come of it. Time has marched on and have you been to a school board meeting to try to make change I think not. Talk is cheap and you have not got anywhere with it. If the parents of the band still feel this way they should be at the board meetings just like the citizens that speak out when they speak about the magnet school or any other program that they shove down our throats. It is a different time and to keep posting on the blog won't get you anywhere.
But making people aware of hypocrisy is priceless!
You're right that some of this stuff has been repeated and repeated on this blog and elsewhere for years. But there are also new nuggets of information that keep coming out. For example, I didn't know until recently that Ms. Wells had accused the KIDS of purposely mangling the National Anthem. And the fact that board president Larry Malaker used Mrs. K's volunteering to help the band as a reason to get rid of her husband--that didn't come out until fairly recently.
Yes, it would be great if people had the guts to confront the administration about things. But unfortunately many (not all) administrators have shown themselves to be vindictive bullies. And confronting a bully is usually not the best course of action.
Most bullys will back down when confronted. For Heaven's sake, who is the bully now that no one wants to back down? If Mr.K wants his old job back, then why doesn't he do somethig about it and give you all some peace?
I THINK THAT INSTEAD OF COMPLAINING ABOUT SOMEONE YOU SHOULD FIRST PUT YOURSELVE IN THE OTHER PERSONS SHOES OR YOU COULD STOP WASTEING TIME WRITING ABOUT IT AND GET UP AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!! NOBODY WANTS TO HEAR A BUNCH OF 40 SOMETHING YEAR OLD "COMMUNITY MEMMBERS" COMPLAIN ABOUT WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE SCHOOLS WHEN THEY IN FACT PROBABLY NEVER ATTENDED ANY OF THE DISTRICT SCHOOLS.
AND STOP COMPARING THIS DISTRICT TO OTHER DISTRICTS THE ONLY REASON WHY SO MANY PEOPLE THINK BAD THINKS ABOUT OUR DISTRICT IS BECAUSE THEIR ARE SO MANY PEOPLE IN OUR VERY OWN COMMUNITY WHO KEEP BASHING IT INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT THE GREAT THINGS WE DO!!!!!!!!!!! ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT
ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT
We,the East Aurora High School Band,have discovered your little blog comments. You guys have no idea how hard we work to try and put on a good show and move past all the negative criticism, just for you guys to knock us back down to the "E.A. OK." Yes,we did get Div.II for IHSA but that doesn't mean we're bad, but guess what we got Div. I for Jazz Band. As for the Fine Arts Festival, Mr. Liska is not dept. chair so he isn't in charge!! Oh and guess what, we're going to DISNEY! Yes,we were accepted, so that must mean we don't suck!!! Also, the reason we didn't go to Disney before is because if you haven't noticed, our economy was/is CRAP,put that together with a low-income neighborhood and you have virtually no one able to afford a 1,000 trip!!! Forunately, this year we have 50 students going and we are very excited! We've been practicing this whole week because we want to show everyone how good the E.A.H.S band is!! Another thing is, yes, we all know Mr. K was a great band director and he is missed but Mr.Liska is giving his all to the EA Band...So we would appreciate it if you stopped bashing our program!
INSTEAD OF BASHING THE DISTRICT TEACHERS YOU SHOULD THINK ABOUT HOW MORE TEACHERS ACTUALLY COME OUT AND SUPPORT THE DISTRICT EVENTS MORE THAN THE COMMUNITY. AND HALF OF THE TEACHERS DO NOT EVEN LIVE IN THIS DISTRICT! COME OUT AND SUPPORT THE STUDENTS IN THIS DISTRICT! IF YOU OPEN YOUR EYES TO WHAT ACTUALLY IS IMPORTANT YOU WILL SEE HOW MANY INCREDABLE STUDENTS WE HAVE IN THIS DISTRICT AND HOW WE HAVE SOOO MUCH TALENT. INSTEAD OF POINTING OUT EVERY SINGLE NEGATIVE THING ABOUT THE STAFF LOOK AT THE STUDENTS AND IF THEY ARE HAPPY, BECAUSE YOUR MONEY IS HELPING THE STUDENTS AND IF THE STUDENTS ARE HAPPY AND DOING WELL THAN WHY DO YOU NEED TO COMPLAIN. WE NEED MORE POSITIVITY IN THIS COMMUNITY INSTEAD OF PUTTING IT DOWN, IT IS NOT FAIR TO THE STUDENTS WHO READ WHAT GARBAGE YOU SAYING ABOUT THEIR TEACHERS!!! IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM FIX IT DONT COMPLAIN ABOUT IT BECAUSE YOUR WORDS MEAN NOTHING UNTIL YOU DO WHAT YOU SAY!!!!!!!!!!
185 comments:
SIMMONS SUCKS!!!!!
All the major problems at Simmnons are a direct cause of an incompetent And corrupt administration team. Simmons is not going to improve until their administrators are replaced.
In this district, incompetent and corrupt administrators are often "kicked upstairs" to the central office. Case in point: Marin Gonzalez (EHS principal responsible for the band director mess--she was promoted to Dr. Roberts' old job and got her doctorate on our dime at Aurora University, where "Serial Bully" Radakovich teaches School and Community Relations).
Better to work with Simmons admins to try to improve things in that building than to let them help run the whole district. And from what I've seen, Wilson Morales is doing a decent job--it's the other two who are the problem.
It's nice to see a current picture of our School Board members on the district website--thanks to whoever updated it!
Wilson is fine when he is not out on a "donut run".
If Wilson likes you he is OK, if not he's like a bull dog on your leg. He attacks blindly and won't let go.
He also needs to realize he is working with adults not elementary students. These are professionals. Tell them what needs to be done and get out of their way so that they can do it.
Wilson needs to quit micromanaging everything. It would also help if he could actually do scheduling.
Wilson could be a good assistant principal if he were under a competent principal.
Monday's faculty meeting at Simmons consisted of Mechelle and Wilson badgering the staff to volunteer for the teacher talent show.
For twenty five minutes we had to listen to how important it is for the school to give the appearance that all is wonderful at Simmons. After listening to Mechelle and Wilson lecture for the 25 minutes, they asked who would volunteer to be in the talent show, not one person raised their hand.
The administration at Simmons lost the faculty long ago. There is no leadership in that building. They can't get even one person to follow them in something as simple as a talent show, does anybody really believe they can lead the education of a thousand students?
Central office administration really needs to get a clue and replace all three of them.
Did anyone figure out how many hours we paid cenral administrative staff to not work over break. 2 hours per day times how many days times how many employees? what a sham
They don't do work any other day, why would you care about just spring break. What exactly do they do that improves the education of a single student?
I am on the District 204 & 129 emailing lists. Here is one email I received from 204 from their Board of Ed. What type of info have you received lately from your Bd Of Ed. or your District? Please check out the link. Very interesting and education relevant.
Dear District 204 Community,
The Board of Education has been spending a great deal of time lately addressing next year's budget challenges. We want to assure you that through this period, we haven't lost sight of what is most important -- our students' success.
Our rapidly changing world presents today's students with new and different challenges. And, the skills our students require today are dramatically different than what was required just a short time ago.
Regardless of the economic climate, District 204 is committed to equipping each student with the skills required to succeed in the 21st century. In fact, the district recently adopted a new goal of ensuring proficiency in 21st Century Skills. You will soon be hearing more about 21st Century Skills and the district's plans in this area.
In the meantime, we encourage you to watch the following short video to discover just how rapidly the world in which our students must compete is changing:
PC users: mms://media.ipsd.org/ipsd_
ondemand/board_misc/didyouknow3.wmv
MAC users: mms://media.ipsd.org/ipsd_
ondemand/board_misc/DidYouKnow3.mp4
Sincerely,
Curt Bradshaw, President
Alka Tyle, Vice President
Christine Vickers, Secretary
Dawn DeSart
Mark Metzger
Cathy Piehl
Susan Rasmus
Wow, a PR message from the District that is cutting 19 Teachers from their Music program because of budget cuts.. Boy, Rayanne I am suprised you are singing their praises!!! Aren't you a Band and Music supporter????
District 204 has an overabundance of staff in some areas, so it makes sense that some could be cut without much effect on students' educational experience.
For example, there are 5 band directors at Waubonsie H.S.--probably 2 more than absolutely necessary.
Actually at the last Waubonsie HS concert I went to, there were 8 music directors listed and more than 50 private instructors in the program.
You are correct, there is a big difference between 204 cutting a director and 131 doing it.
Generally, the private instructors are not paid by the district. They are allowed to give private lessons to the student during school time (study hall, lunch, etc) but the students pay for them out of their pockets.
Yes! I have been a music and band booster of EA131. I definitely sing praise to, not a PR dept, but a SCHOOL BOARD who dedicates time to informing and assuring the community of it's commitment to ALL the students. My comment topic was about a Boards being responsible to it's community.
Since you asked, I will say-what a wonderful thing for a district to have dedicated so many teachers to music!
I am sure a district so committed to arts must have found it to be a difficult decision to cut so many from the music program.
I dont no what central administration staff does to improve the education of a single student, but they should at least be in the building, at their desks pretending if we are paying them!
To those who are complaining about Simmons administration--look at the minutes for the March 15th board meeting, and you will see that one of them is leaving.
Yes, they got rid of the unprofessional bimbo, they still have the Bitch and Little Napoleon at Simmons. At this point that's one down and two still to go.
They got rid of the least important one of the three. Stephanie doesn't do scheduling and she did very little of the discipline. She is also not the vindictive ones going after any teacher they don't like. She was just the ond making inappropriate comments all the time.
The district still needs to clean house at Simmons and get rid of the other two.
Nice article today in the Beacon about the magnet academy.
I especially like the part about how the board has been requesting documentation and proof that the magnet academy is actually doing things worth the extra costs associated with the academy. There was no mention that the administration has actually produced any such proof.
The administrators have pushed this program at the schools. They have paraded magnet school kids and teachers to talk about all the extra technology and resources the students at the magnet academy get to use.
They are funneling tons of money into this program and pushing it amongst the student body. What they don't like to mention is that there is a finite amount of money and every dollar they give to the magnet academy is a dollar they are taking away from the other students of the district.
They have also created a whole new level of administration to run this imaginary school inside another school building. Ed Malchai alone made $110,574. That is money that should be going toward the students. With his added salary, we are now spending about Five Million Dollars just in administrator salaries, not total administrative costs.
If you want the real story, you need to start reading between the lines.
The magnet academy is Marin Gonzalez' pet project--she is hoping to be remembered for this instead of the band decision.
Too bad many of us see the whole picture instead of just the P.R. spin. A lot of kids can't go to the magnet academy because of transportation issues, and a lot of kids would rather stay in their original school than give up band, choir, or sports opportunities with their friends.
But certain administrators are famous for sweeping legitimate concerns and criticisms under the rug.
The district Fine Arts Festival is this Saturday at East High.
Come see artwork & hear our talented music students ranging from grade school through high school age.
Support the arts in our district!
Things don't look good for Bob Green--looks like he's been railroaded out of his employment with this district.
I wouldn't be surprised if he took this to the Illinois Supreme Court.
Get ready for more bad publicity for our district when this stuff hits the fan.
Who wants to make bets on the person that will be the next board president? My guess it is the fake blond one. Think she will bring samples of her new product for us to try? I also would believe that she is contacting all the board members except for Juanita and possibly Hull. I do think she would have the nerve to get ahold of Weaver just like she pulled some things with Carlson and Lewis(who I think still does not realize that the wool has been pulled over her eyes). Come one come all to the meeting Monday. Know that just the normal few will be there though. Even Carlson does not seem to come as much, or if she does, she does not stay long.
Bob Green is not employed any longer the District made sure of that. It will be hard to find a lawyer that will work for free. In the past he was employed while he was going to court.
adlogsThis administration and board are incompetent and Bob Green now has them exactly where he wants them. They are now in a forum where 1) The administration actually has to provide proof, not just make wild accusations and 2) Bob will get a chance to defend himself by a fair and impartial adjudicator (unlike when the board voted to remove him without even hearing Bob's side of the events).
It's just like when they went to court in the discrimination case. Every time the facts come out publicly, the administration backpedals at a hundred miles an hour.
Who wants to start taking bets on how much this is going to end up costing the district. I guessing at least six figures.
Bob Green just received a $42,000 check from the district a couple of months ago. I am sure he can find a lawyer willing to work for that type of money.
This district is screwed.
A lawyer will take this if he(she) likes what they hear. If they fired Bob Green because of his law suit, the district will be in big trouble anyway. No one is supposed to be fired if it is over a law suit, according to the EEOC.
The blonde bomber will be the next school board president.
For the record, $42,000.00 does not last long if one does not have a job, house payment or rent, bills to pay, medical and a family(do not know if he has one) or one's self to feed and cloth, car to maintain and if he has a man's best friend to feed and get shots for.
This is Bob Green's reputation, career and livelyhood. Does anyone actually believe he would ever just give up? He is going to fight this to the end and since the district can't do anything the correct way, you know he is going to prevail in the end.
He is going to receive all of his back pay, legal fees and probably a large cash settlement to boot. It is going to cost the district big time. Remember this when they tell you there is no money for text books in the classroom.
The state today announced a rebate program to subsidize appliance sales. They are giving people a 15% rebate on any energy star appliance purchase. The allocating 6 million dollars for this program.
But according to our govenor and state representatives (including Linda Chapa Lavia) there is just no money for education.
Again, the money is there for the programs the state wants to subsidize. Our representatives just don't value education.
Federal money is used for this program, not state money
It's not city money, state money or federal money, it's our money.
So, go buy an appliance and get it back.
I wouldn't bet the bank on it 6:01
The only people that loses is the children in all of this because the money that is suppose to educate them are going for paying Superintendents, administration and yes some teachers more money then they should be getting.
Wrong
How many thousands of dollars that COULD have gone for our children's education is the district spending to railroad Mr. Green?
And how many HUNDREDS of thousands of our tax dollars have gone to "Serial Bully" Radakovich since he retired?
Mr. Green deserves to be gone.
If that's true and if the administration were even halfway competent, they should have no trouble at the state hearing.
Of course, the problem is that our administration and board are as incompetent as Mr. Green. Unfortunately, it always comes back to the community paying for their incompetence.
Does anyone think the one who has started her new little buisness adventure will bring her wares to the meeting tomorrow to get votes to be the next president? Wonder how many of the board was calling or emailing the other membets to try to get them to vote for them for whatever position they wanted?
Wonder how many out the community land really cares about what happens at school board meetings, as all anyone out there in communi8ty land does is peck here and complain, but no show.
SIMMONS SUCKS!!!!!
Does anybody really care who is in charge of the rubber stamp. It doesn't matter who's in charge when the only thing that happens is that eveyone of them votes YES to every incompetent decision the administration makes.
The Fine Arts Festival was very enjoyable! I especially enjoyed hearing the elementary band students (lots of enthusiasm & heart from those young musicians), and Singsation was also exceptional.
Yeah, 300 5th graders in band, 100 or so 7th AND 8th graders in band. Hmmmmmmmm
The EHS band got a Division II rating at IHSA organization contest on Saturday.
No surprise there--just proves once again that bully administrators made a big blunder 5 years ago.
Didn't they justify their decision to our community by promising IMPROVEMENT in the band program? Well, it's been 5 years. The Wind Ensemble still plays noticeably out of tune, and objective judges once again pronounce them second-rate.
Or maybe our Community Relations Director will spin this into an Olympic medal-style achievement: they're "Silver Medalists".
What did they get 5 years ago?
What did they get 6 years ago?
What did they get 10 years ago?
How can you compare one bands rating to another band THAT NEVER GOT RATED?
5 short years ago EHS band musicians were sweeping up plenty of first division ratings at the IHSA solo & ensemble contest. They were also preparing for their bi-annual Disney trip.
They may not have gone to IHSA organization contest--but neither do most high school bands in this area (such as D204 or Oswego).
And every band trophy displayed in the East High lobby had been legitimately earned.
Yes, the Wind Ensemble did a FANTASTIC JOB at the Fine Arts Festival and the IHSA Organization Contest. Receiving a Division II (Good Performance with minor defects) rating with ZERO students taking private lessons.
GREAT JOB EA Band.
Sorry a Division II is "An excellent performance — minor defects"
How did they do at the IHSA solo & ensemble contest?
If you have ever judged an IHSA band competition then you know a Division I means an excellent performance, a Division II means a mediocre performance and a Division III means you did piss poor. No judge would ever give lower than a three no matter how badly the group performs.
What is stated on the certificates is only there to make the kids feel good. George Carlin said it best: In schools there are no losers, you're just the last place winner.
It's the same with our administration, you need to read between the lines to get the real story.
All of these schools received at least 1 division II rating last year. Some also received a division I, some did not.
Ottawa (Twp.)
Bradley (B.-Bourbonnais)
Woodstock (H.S.)
Gurnee (Warren)
Alton (Sr.)
Moline (H.S.
O'Fallon
Libertyville
Minooka
Lake Zurich
Chicago Heights (Marian)
DeKalb
Collinsville
Normal (Community)
Normal (Community West)
Lincolnshire (Stevenson)
Waukegan (H.S.)
Darien (Hinsdale South)
East Moline (United)
Burbank (Reavis)
Hinsdale (Central)
Dolton (Thornridge)
Huntley
Belleville (East)
Oak Lawn (Community)
Chicago (Lincoln Park)
New Lenox (Lincoln-Way Central)
Belleville (West)
Joliet (Twp.)
Olympia Fields (Rich Central)
Arlington Heights (Hersey)
Schaumburg (H.S.)
Chicago (Kelly)
Hoffman Estates (H.S.)
Chicago (Curie)
Edwardsville (H.S.)
Quincy (Sr.)
Frankfort (Lincoln-Way East)
Elk Grove Village (E.G.)
Summit (Argo)
East St. Louis (Sr.)
Granite City
Pekin
Aurora (Waubonsie Valley)
Harvey (Thornton)
Chicago (Young)
South Holland (Thornwood)
Romeoville (H.S.)
Mundelein (Carmel)
Downers Grove (South)
Round Lake
Rockford (Boylan)
Roselle (Lake Park)
Waubonsie Valley did not go to IHSA organization contest last year.
They have, however, sent students to the IHSA solo & ensemble contest every year for at least 20 years. Many receive Division II ratings; many more receive Division I.
GREAT JOB EA WIND ENSEMBLE
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Singsation SUCKED at the Fine Arts Festival. Thank GOD Nadel is leaving.
To: April 18, 2010 8:49 PM
You must be looking at Solo and Ensemble records. You mentioned schools receiving I's and II's in the same year.
Most of the programs you mention are not very strong programs but a few are. I would be very surprised if Waubonsie, Curie or Downers Grove received Division II rating.
Maybe the fine arts festival would be better if they actually paid the teachers for doing it. Some receive a stipend like the middle and high school band and choir directors. The elementary teachers and the middle school art teachers are just expected to work for free. On average it takes about 50 hours for them to prepare for and participate in the fine arts festival.
They really should be paid for all their extra effort.
I was looking at overall Music scores. Combined solo and ensemble and Organization.
To say that the only respectable score is a Division I is just stupid.
Maybe the Fine Arts Festival would have been better if we would get our own article in the paper like West does every year.
Has anybody wondered why Liska scheduled the Fine Arts Festival the same day as the IHSA Band Competition. Is it just incompetence or did he do it deliberately so that he wouldn't have to stay around and coordinate the festival.
The man is being paid a large stipend to coordinate such things. The other district music teachers showed up with lots of students and no clue where anything was because there was no one directing the festival.
EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE
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EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE
EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE
EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE
EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE
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EHS BAND IS SECOND-RATE
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BECAUSE OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS
I doubt that Mr. Liska had much input in scheduling the Fine Arts Festival. That was probably the bully administrators, trying to make sure that the band kids actually showed up to get on the bus to go to the contest.
Two years ago, several band members simply didn't show up (and didn't tell Mr. Liska)--which was probably why one of the bands received a Division III rating that day.
I'm sure that Mr. Liska has been under considerable pressure from bully administrators whose reputation is at stake here. Specifically, Mr. Harmon & Dr. Gonzalez.
7:59, don't forget about Mr. Muhammad. He's the one who said "this whole issue is over".
Yeah, right. If it's over then why are people still talking about it 5 years later?
Because that decision was WRONG, that's why. And the more time goes by, the more obvious it becomes that improving the band program was NOT the reason Mr. K was replaced. Too bad Mr. Liska gets caught in the middle and blamed when it was (and is) really about bully administrators supporting a personal vendetta.
And too bad that the kids get the short end of the stick.
Hey Clayton, how's that "issue is over" stuff working out for you?
I doubt that anyone has the balls to email Mr. Liska about any of this. You would all rather just lie than actually seek the truth.
11:25, except for 6:27 a.m. all of today's posts have not criticized Mr. Liska, but blamed administration.
What truth are you suggesting we seek? It is NOT a lie that the administration and School Board (at the time) insisted that it was necessary to replace Mr. K in order to improve the band program. Many of us are still looking for (and asking about) the promised improvement.
And we will continue to hold those administrators accountable for that decision until every last one of them is GONE from the district.
I truly don't understand how you can say "we're not blaming Mr. Liska, we're blaming the administration" all the time. Do you not realize that by claiming that the EA band has not improved over the past 5 years is a DIRECT insult to Mr. Liska? Stop trying to make yourself feel better - it would be like me claiming that everything you do in your job is second-rate and pathetic, even though I have no idea what you do and no training in your area of work and no idea what I'm talking about.
I only pray that non of the band students read this blog - how sad that such a great effort on their part is being ripped apart and labeled as "second-rate" and "losing". Grow up.
the only reason certain school board members get away with rubber stamping is that people would rather complain than go to some meetings and see what is going on. Not all the school board membebers rubber stamp what the admins want.Though at this time the ones that appear to not be doing this is Well and Hull. I do not think Weaver in necessarily rubber stamping, just looks like she might be giving up. The way to get rid of the rubber stampers is to pay attention and really know what is going on and one does not have to go to every meeting to do this. I hope that Johnson does not become the new president becuaus I foresee more problems than ever before.
Wells and Hull hired the serial bully and if anyone is a rubber stamp it those two. Wells also blamed K for making the band members play bad.
Wells not a rubber stamp name me one time she ever voted against administration. I don't remember Hull but he was very pro admin.
It will be the beginning of the biggest joke this district has ever seen when the new president takes over.
She stutters and stammers through the finance report. Now they have to listen to her donkey laugh and watch her spastic motions as she tries to rock herself through board meetings twice a month.
She thinks they laugh "with" her.
Liska should be critcized for being gone on Saturday. Does anybody really think that Liska as the fine arts festival coordinator wasn't consulted before a date was set for the fine arts festival.
The decision to get rid of Kaisershot and replace him with Liska is entirely the board and administrations fault. The quality of the band now is entirely Liska's doing.
The man is a professional making a professionals wage. He has no problem collecting the money for these duties, he needs to do them professionally and be responsible, both good and bad for the results.
If you think the band sounds better, it's liska's fault and if you think it sounds worse, it Liska's fault. If Liska is responsible for coodinating the Fine Arts Festival and is gone all day, that is also his fault.
The board and administration screwed up big time getting rid of a great director but Liska is the direct cause and the responsible party of the quality of the East High Band.
If you go to the IHSA Band Contest web site you can see the dates for the Band contests and Solo & Ensemble contests for the next five years. It's the same weekend every year the dates just change by one number each year.
There is no reason why the Fine Arts Festival date can not be coordinated with the Band Contest date. As I said before it's either incompetence or a deliberate act by the person in charge of coordinating the Fine Arts Festival.
Who was that again? Oh yes it is Brian Liska. Maybe he feels if he shows enough incompetence and corruption the board will make him superintendent.
You people need to get a life.
7:33 claims that Kevin Kaisershot is gone because he was lazy and refused to expand the band program. Absolutely NOT true! He was "reassigned" because he refused to kiss administrators' rear ends, and those admins bullied him out of his high school teaching position.
Specifically, he refused to require students to play for last-minute-scheduled basketball games (including some on school nights)--a decision which earned him the support of parents but angered "Serial Bully" Radakovich and his Minooka crony Rick Johnson.
The president of the School Board at the time, Larry Malaker, told a retired EHS teacher that they "had to get rid of" Kevin, and Malaker mentioned the following specific reasons:
--He didn't get along with administration (translation: Kevin spoke up for the best interests of his students instead of kissing bigwigs' behinds)
--He wanted to run the whole program (isn't that what a good director is supposed to do?)
--He brought in his wife to play for the jazz band (they were really scraping the bottom of the barrel with this one, twisting Mrs. K's willingness to help the band for free and using it against her husband; this will be sure to be mentioned whenever adult musicians are brought in for anything in the future at East High!)
Most of those responsible for bullying Mr. K are now gone from the district, but unfortunately a few remain. We aren't likely to forget the way they treated him, nor do we want to see those bullies push out another fine teacher just because of someone's personal vendetta.
"Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it."
It really is ignorant to assume everyone who does not like Liska had to support Kaisershot.
Kaisershot's problem is that he has to have everything his way or screw you. Eventually he pulled it with people in a position to transfer his rear.
Liska's problem is that he is to young and inexperienced to do his job competently. He should never have been put in the position he has until he had many more years of experience under his belt.
Unfortunately, the real losers through all of this mess have been the students. They suffer every poor decision this board and administration make.
So just for the record, I support neither of these men.
yup, the real losers are the 250 band students who DROP OUT sometime in the Middle schools, which is why we have a Elementary band of 300 and a combined 7th and 8th grade band of 100.
It sounds as though the band program in this district is screwed up from top to bottom. There is a lot of interest to start with in fifth grade but our program is losing 90% of our students along the way and from every school. It makes a person wonder who is directing the entire program in the district. Who coordinates all the schools band directors? Oh yes, that again would be Liska's responsibility.
Liska is to young and inexperienced for this large a responsibility.
So who is the new school board president?
"Who coordinates all the schools band directors?"
NOBODY NOBODY - Because it is NOBODY's JOB - THERE IS NOBODY Because the district does not pay anybody to do so.
Who should coordinate the middle schools - the three middle schools - maybe they should talk every once in a while - Why do three groan ass men need coordination?
D131 has THREE Middle schools - Not THREE HUNDRED - These three guys should be able to work together. When was the last time the middle schools went to Washington? Hmmmmmm maybe that is something that would keep them interested.
The middle school band directors DO work together and communicate with each other!
The latest example of this is the Fine Arts Festival. These three guys worked as a TEAM. Mr. Kaisershot composed the march that the combined groups performed. Mr. Holhut conducted them. And Mr. Koch was the narrator.
6:45 is a "groan ass" IGNORAMUS.
11:13 said that Mr. K "had to have everything his way or screw you". Not true! Hundreds of parents, students, alums, and community members spoke out against his reassignment. And the fine-arts teachers he was in charge of (as department chair) wrote a letter to the Beacon-News supporting him. This would NOT have been the case if he had been a my-way-or-the-highway director and/or boss.
Who pushed him out?
BULLY ADMINISTRATORS.
And about Mr. Liska's inexperience: whose fault was it that a fresh-out-of-college kid with absolutely NO marching band experience was hired to direct the EHS band program?
Who rushed him in?
BULLY ADMINISTRATORS.
So who should be held accountable for the mess?
BULLY ADMINISTRATORS. (Duh!)
When was the last time they went to Washington D.C?
When was the last time they went to Washington D.C?
When was the last time they went to Washington D.C?
When was the last time they went to Washington D.C?
When was the last time they went to Washington D.C?
When was the last time they went to Washington D.C?
Putting on that event would be working together. Not the fine arts festival. They HAVE to do that event, per the district. Why don't the work together on their own, for the good of the students?
The middle schools are the problem in D131 not just for band, the middle schools suck - they are discouraging kids from exploring options, making them take two math and English classes. That would be fine for some, but you can't tell me that EVERY student needs two periods of math and English every day. That's stupid. No other district do they mandate two periods of the same class - they might offer it to some struggling students, but not everybody.
The major problem is all this state testing. The schools are failing. The administrators are under extreme pressure to show that they are taking steps to do correct the problems.
The problem is that they are enacting policies even they know won't increase test scores just to say they are doing something. And that too is part of the problem. Policies that change every year have no chance of becoming established and given a chance to show whether or not they are working.
The real problem is that no matter what you do, you can't change one basic fact. In communities with a high imigrant population, english is their second language. As with every immigrant population in our past, things don't show significant improvement until the next generation is born. This will happen naturally with time.
8:29 a.m., when was the last time the EHS band went to Florida?
Let's see, hmmmm....
2005. With Mr. K.
They were supposed to go in 2007, but it didn't happen.
And they're SUPPOSED to be going this year. I hope for the kids' sake that it happens.
Once again, since you seem to be all about repetition, I'm asking:
When was the last time the EHS band went to Florida?
They are going this year, When was the last time the went to D.C.? no plans for this year, no plans for next year. And you are right, they were accepted in 2007, so you can't say that they are not good enough. So it is now Mr. Liska's fault that the community could not afford it.
There is money in the community. You need to know your community, know how how to organize it's people and know how to motivate your students. The 2007 cancelled Disney trip was just another example of a director who was too young and inexperienced to do his job effectively.
If you want to know who the school board president is you should have been at the meeting. No one in this community cares anyway, except for the band issue. There is so much more that needs to be addressed. All anyone wants to do is peck here and complain. The students need new books and many other things, but the band issue seems to be the only thing anyone cares about.
BTW it is quite obvious who got to who last night at the meeting when what someone wants to know about here happened. nemakbe.
And the middle schools not going to D.C. shows a bunch of lazy directors who are not in it for the students. Can't have it both ways.
"BTW it is quite obvious who got to who last night at the meeting when what someone wants to know about here happened. nemakbe."
WHAT??
As for DC band trip. That was stopped after 9-11.
Stopped after 9-11 because they always took a bus? Sounds like that isn't the reason to me.
Whether on a bus or a bike, many parents had concerns for sending their children to our nations capital in times of a conflict.
I am not talking about an disagreement between directors and parents.
More like concern for Terrorist attacks ! As in Sept 11th kind of concerns.
Oh, well that is total B.S. It's been 9 years and Washington wasn't even the focus of the attacks. Let's not do anything because maybe something bad might happen sometime. That's NOT the reason. The reason is because that kind of a trip takes a lot of planning, cooperation, and time. Something the middle school directors don't want to be bothered with.
"Washington wasn't even the focus of the attacks"
You need a history and geography lesson, 6:13 a.m.!
There were FOUR planes hijacked by terrorists on September 11, 2001. Two of them were crashed into the World Trade Center in NYC. The other two were targeted for the Washington, D.C. area (where do you think the Pentagon is??) The only reason that fourth plane crashed into a field in Pennsylvania instead of the White House or another D.C. building is because some American patriots on that plane were able to overtake the terrorists.
Just the FACTS--
You're welcome.
Have a nice day!
:)
I doubt that 6:13 is interested in facts. They just want to try to make the middle school directors look as incompetent as the high school director.
No, I want everybody held to the same standard, which does not happen in this district, or on this blog. Some people are put on pedestals and others are condemned for the same actions.
What a stupid reason to not go to Washington, you know that is not the reason. Guess what, West Aurora went to New York last year or the year before (can't remember exactly) OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Nobody was attacked. Guess what THOUSANDS MORE KIDS HAVE MADE IT TO AND FROM WASHINGTON since September 11th. OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH - I think there is another reason LAZY LAZY LAZY LAZY LAZY LAZY
I would think parents would be more afarid to send them to school than Washington.
Dogs called in to sniff for explosives at East
Comments
April 21, 2010
By ERIKA WURST ewurst@stmedianetwork.com
Explosives-sniffing K-9s were brought into East Aurora High School Monday evening after school officials received reports of a bomb threat in a third-floor men's restroom.
Aurora police reported that a school resource officer found the threatening message about 11:15 a.m. Monday scrawled in blue ink. Because the bathrooms are not monitored, there is no reported time-frame of when the threat was made.
The message said that the school would be bombed on Tuesday, and said, "PREPARE TO DIE" in capital letters.
According to the report, the officer contacted East High Principal Sheila Conrad, who ordered an additional officer to patrol the school on Tuesday.
East Aurora High School parents, students and staff were notified of the bomb threat through the district's emergency phone notification system, said district spokesman Clayton Muhammad.
"First and foremost, we notified Aurora police and extra security was brought in (Tuesday)," Muhammad said.
Muhammad said the district takes threats seriously.
"I'm sure that our actions prove that we're working diligently by requesting additional presence," he said.
Tuesday was the anniversary of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre.
Staff writer Stephanie Lulay contributed to this report.
8:07, let's talk about lazy. Let's talk about everybody held to the same standard.
How many class periods per day do the middle school directors teach?
How many class periods per day does the high school director teach?
Hmmmmm.............
You didn't know that Washington, D.C. was a terrorist target--you didn't know your history or geography--evidently you don't know math either!
WRONG.
The middle school teachers teach 6 classes a day. The high school teachers teach only 5 classes.
Some high school teachers teach only 4 classes per day (the band director, for example).
And I believe that the middle school band directors teach at least 5 classes per day (band, in addition to general music).
If I remember correctly from my math classes in high school, 5 is 20% more than 4.
What kind of math is 10:07 using?
WRONG
And when Kevin was at the High School he only taught 3 classes per day. Enjoy double standards much?
"3 classes per day"--I don't think so.
Either specifically state when Mr. K taught only 3 classes per day, or expose YOURSELF as someone who is so desperate to discredit this fine man that they would LIE.
Enjoy lying and hypocritically accusing others of tarnishing reputations much??
Actually 5 is 25% more than 4.
What percentage more is 6 than 4?
Because the band director job at Simmons is 6 classes per day; the band director job at the high school is 4 classes per day.
Bottom line: the band director at Simmons (and, presumably, the other two middle schools) currently TEACHES TWO MORE CLASSES per day than the high school director. So calling the middle school directors "lazy" is ludicrous.
WRONG
No, I'm pretty sure I'm right.
But it doesn't matter.
:)
You're right, this blog doesn't matter.
I find it interesting that the only thing people can talk about is the bands. The goal of any district is the education of all the children of the district which isn't happening here. There has been many teachers that have been taken off their job in this district and replaced by others due to the administration but it seems that some only focus on one. I think there have been many teachers that have done good for their students and have been done wrong which doesn't help this district.
Many talk about the wrong in this district but doesn't stand up. Other parents in other districts do stand up to the board and superintendent and maybe they don't get the out come they want but unless you do nothing will happen.
For those of you that are so passionate about this try again to do something. Get people to go to the board meetings and say something and keep it up you never know if it will lead to something that's what they want they know that if you just keep complaining on the blog it will not get anywhere.
Wow, that was soooo moving. That is only the 74th time that I have heard that exact same speech on this stupid blog.
Now everybody, this is the time it comes true.........Nope, your asses are too fat and have become a part of your computer chair.
It's no surprise that Annette Johnson is the new school board president.
What was interesting is that it was a 4 to 3 vote, with old-guard member Juanita Wells, returning board member Ray Hull, and former EHS teacher Stella Gonzalez voting "no".
Poor Ms. Wells--she would dearly love to be president of the School Board, but her reputation as one of the bullies from 5 years ago is a deal-breaker.
Ray Hull is doing a great job as chair of the Buildings & Grounds committee, which is his area of expertise.
Hopefully he'll stay there, for the good of our district.
OOOO interesting, tell me more. I love uneducated opinions.
Ray Hull still prides himself on hiring the serial bully Radakovich.
He claims the schools had been in such bad shape serial bully needed to spend to improve. I don't know about his B&G ability they are still in bad shape. The only difference is the money is gone.
Juanita is the one who accused band kids of playing the star mangled banner to make Liska look bad. If that was possible.
Yeah, keep the ignorance coming. This is great.
FYI
Juanita, Ray Hull and Dee Weaver voted No to Annette as president.
Poor Juanita Wells now she will retire never becoming the President.
Now she must feel the pain she caused K when she supported administration and accused him of the Star Mangled Banner about 5 years ago.
SIMMONS SUCKS!!!!!
4:36, thanks for setting us straight that Ms. Weaver voted "No", not Ms. Gonzalez.
And Juanita Wells accused the KIDS of mangling the National Anthem? Wow--I never knew that! I just thought the "old guard" board was either tone-deaf or pretending the new improved band sounded great.
Amazing what comes out long after "the issue is over"!
You know I used to feel bad about what happen to Mr. K but not anymore with the way some of you talked. Maybe it was in the best interest of the children. Since he did not fight back like others to get his job back he must be satisfied where he is at.
Things change and they should. We can't keep living in the past and schools need to make changes just like businesses. Sometimes they don't work out but you never know if they will and good will come out of it.
If a decision is really made in the best interests of the children, there will be noticeable improvement (especially several years after the change is made!).
And Mr. K is doing a great job at Simmons--but that just means that his family probably didn't want to move out of Aurora, and he has a strong work ethic. He's probably "satisfied" that he can pay his mortgage & kids' college expenses, and it will be only a few short years until he can retire and be done with D131 for good. Hopefully the bullies will be gone by then, too--and a fresh wind of change can blow through our district.
GREAT NEWS OF EAST AURORA
(Aurora) – Fifty-two Tomcats of the Class of 2010 will be honored at East Aurora High School’s annual Top Ten Percent Banquet on Wednesday, April 28, 2010 at 6:00 p.m. at Long Island Sound Banquets in Aurora.
Every year, students in the top 10% of the Senior Class are honored for their academic achievements at the coveted event that has been a Tomcat tradition for decades.
Class of 2010 Valedictorian Kristina Davison and Salutatorian Karen Lazcano will be joined by the following members of the 2010 Top Ten Percent: Malory Adam, Jessica Akers, Jorge Antunez, Joaquin Aruiz, Lidia Avila, Joshua Ayala, Kyle Baumann, Ignacio Cervantes, , Montea Dominguez, Edwardo Espinal, Julio Flores, Genesis Gallegos, Annabel Gonzalez, Cynthia Gonzalez, Claudia Gonzalez, Viridiana Gonzalez, Elizabeth Guerrero, Nancy Guzman, Julia Inostroza, Benjamin Martinez, Marcela Mata, Cecilia Medina, Linda Oceguera, Cynthia Ontiveros, Maribel Perez, Maria Perez, Adrian Ramirez, Humberto Ramirez, Ivette Ramirez, Juan Ramos, Roy Reyes, Raul Reynoso, Emmanuel Rivera, Esteban Roman, Lydia Romero, Sergio Ruiz, ManuelSalazar, Jeanette Salgado, Jose Salgado, Efrain Salmeron, Abel Sanchez, Joseph Schweisthal, Alexis Serrano, Kiara Tiner, Rosalba Torres, Amanda Torres, Anahi Velazquez, Cesar Villa, Filiberto Villarreal, and Edith Zarco.
Each student has selected an educator whom has influenced their life significantly during their high school careers. As students are honored for their academic achievements, they will be joined on stage by the educators. Each educator will share a brief reflection of their student and impart words of wisdom for the future.
The Class of 2010 Top Ten Percent Educators are: George Allen, William Anderson, Laura Barracca, Cathy Bednar, Sarah Bonebrake, Christina Boyles, Matt Caylor, Julie DeNood, Bethany Foster, Michelle Gifford, Shane Gillespie, Gary Hoyne, Kelly Keating, Shirley Knowles, Adam Kordalewski, Brian Liska, Lisha Lullo, Mark Lyons, Francesca Manzella, Obed Mendoza, Kenneth MrNak, Lynne Nadel, Guillermo Pedroni, Christy Polaski, Sharon Stanley, Jacob Stewart, Al Tamberelli, and Jerry Taulbee
That IS great news--thanks for posting this!!
Wow--this blog scooped the Beacon!
And this event isn't mentioned on the district website, either.
I guess this blog DOES sometimes highlight the positive in our D131 community.
Thanks!
Well that was an blast email from the district.
Would be nice if the info were "blasted" to the district website & local media, too.
But whatever--it's nice to read about this important positive event.
Looks like another bomb scare at East High today.
No. Someone set a bathroom on fire.
What about the article on the 1 - 14 baseball team and the field.
What about it?
I notice the district is looking for an assistant principal at Cowherd. So now both Simmons & Cowherd will be getting new admins.
The district needs to replace Patterson with someone more competent and less vindictive. She is a harassment suit just waiting to happen.
CALL TO ACTION: The district office people do not have one iota of a clue about what is really in the buildings because they are more absent than present. They take for granted that things are running smoothly because their principals tell them things are fine. That's just the way it is.
Clean house at the district level: Roberts, Gonzalez, Aird, MuHammered, Glotsbach and that Adams woman. That should be the first place that needs cleaning house. Clean out your cabinets for God's sake. Its a double guarantee things will change for the better.
When do the county people ever step in?
I agree that Patterson is just a real bitch. As a parent and a taxpayer, she's gotta go. Very snobby and no personable skills. Those women in the office are terrible. They just sit there an complain about the teachers in front of parents! And one lady even was yelling about grades with a teacher, in front of me and my family. And I saw people asking to be buzzed in. What's all that about? If there is an open door policy, we all have to wait for the buzzer I guess.
That's is what my children have to be exposed to? Are you kidding me? When are things going to change at Simmons? For real?
Oh Shut up stupid people.
Yeah. Get Patterson outta there. She's not even a nice person.
Patterson must be blogging again
I know who you are.
Got my tax bill today and I'm very happy my bill went down $600 so that means the district won't be getting as much from me this year.
Cowherd sucks, too!
No one care
ALL the middle schools suck in D131 and the Freshman center sucks at the high school
Cowherd is nothing like Simmons.
Take it up with the Board they kept Roberts until 2014. So I guess nothing will change until then. He is also the one that is helping Patterson & A dams get Dr's degrees out of title money. While the staff goes untrained. Computers in this district have been broke for months. Smart Boards with no training on them. Yes we get many thinks with grant money but are they being used?
YOU ARE A DAMN RACIST
How is questioning competence racist?
Corruption and cronyism know no ethnic bounds.
Congrats to all the faculty members involved in "Razzle Dazzle" tonight - it was a great show and everyone in the audience enjoyed themselves!
Wow, you actually got off your fat ass and did something?
With Rayanne on vacation the blog lost its negative spin.
I was at the Razzle Dazzle too! It was very entertaining. I'm glad I took the time to attend. Thank you to all the teachers, administrators and staff that practiced for weeks to provide us a wonderful evening of fun and laughter.
Most schools worked that hard. Simmons threw theirs together in two days. And only after the principal cornered a couple of the teachers and pressured them into performing to give the illusion that things are fine at Simmons.
Rayanne's not responsible for negative spin on this blog--if anything, she goes out of her way to mention the positive.
And speaking of positive, there's a couple of great articles in the Beacon today about our district: the Distinguished Alumni event last week, and interviews with EHS students about abstinence and prom.
If you know Simmons they are the same people that always perform in the program.
Anybody going to the meeting tonight?
Anybody shoving random objects up their ass?
Pretty much the same thing.
West Aurora announcement-nice detailed PR-not a lot of flash, just simple, complete, facts.
There is a lot of talent on tap in the next West High School play.
Dozens of students have learned to tap dance like pros for the school’s production of “The Drowsy Chaperone” next month.
And, a group of students and volunteer parents are building an ambitious stage scene for the production, which will include an old-style biplane.
No matter which feat is most impressive, the play – which will be staged at 7:30 p.m. May 6-8 at West High, 1201 W. New York St., Aurora – will create a positive impression on all who attend. Tickets are $10.
“A lot of people don’t know the show, but I guarantee they’ll remember it when they leave,” said Ken Ruffalo, lead director. “They won’t be disappointed. They’ll walk out in a light mood. It’s memorable in a good way.”
West is the first school in Illinois and one of the first in the nation to perform the show, which is “an old-fashioned musical comedy,” said Kerry Proczko, the drama business manager and English Department Chair at Washington Middle School.
The play offers many students a chance to shine – there are about 11 major parts, Proczko said.
The musical, which won a Tony Award in 2006 for its Broadway production, is set in the living room of a man who loves a certain musical. As he listens to a recording of the musical, that 1920s-era show comes alive in his home.
Over the past two months, cast members have been learning the music and how to tap dance from choreographer Lindsay Cirrincione, a West High math teacher.
“In the song at the end of Act 1, everyone is tapping and dancing,” Proczko said. “It’s really pretty amazing. For some kids it seems like they’ve been tapping all their lives. They’re even tapping down the hallways at school.”
The cast includes 52 students – including a good mix of upperclassmen and underclassmen – plus 21 in the pit orchestra and about 12 on the stage crew.
Ruffalo and two other directors -- Associate Director John Proczko and Assistant Director Jen Pauley — performed in plays while they were at West as students. All three are English teachers at West. Also, West Choir Director Meg Papadolias helped students learn the music and Choir Director John McLear is leading the pit orchestra.
Wonder how many thousands of dollars were spent on adult professional musicians in the pit?
The East Aurora Band sounded great last evening. Brian has taken that program a long way. He is doing a wonderful job.
I would hope so!
He started with the Star Mangled Banner. You'd think if nothing else, a few years of trying, and trying again things would eventually improve.
Good better best, never let it rest, until your good is better and your better is your best.
One day we can hope to see the band being the best it can be. Practice and maturity should show improvements each and every year.
Along with being coddled and pampered by bully administrators who make excuses for every blunder, to justify their own failure to consider kids' best interests 5 years ago.
Oh, and paying thousands of dollars for adult professional musicians when necessary to make sure the pit sounds decent for the musical.
Prove that they spent "thousands of dollars" on pit musicians.
Arlene Hawks who brags to the world she donates her time to East was paid $6500 and brought in the professionals
that's not thousands on pit musicians, that's thousands on a show director
Even if the adult professional musicians worked cheap or for free, the bully administrators had no business bringing them in since only a few short years ago Mr. K's wife's playing piano for the band was specifically mentioned as a reason to get rid of Mr. K.
Don't think for one minute that K's friends & supporters have forgotten about that--or that we won't bring up such hypocrisy many years in the future.
Like the song by country singer Miranda Lambert says: "Truth comes out a little at a time..."
I thought it for MORE than one minute. Uh oh, what's going to happen.
To May 5, 2010 8:25 PM you can keep bringing this up but nothing will happen and most don't care. You have been playing this sad song for many years and nothing has come of it. Time has marched on and have you been to a school board meeting to try to make change I think not.
Talk is cheap and you have not got anywhere with it. If the parents of the band still feel this way they should be at the board meetings just like the citizens that speak out when they speak about the magnet school or any other program that they shove down our throats. It is a different time and to keep posting on the blog won't get you anywhere.
Yeah, talk is cheap.
But making people aware of hypocrisy is priceless!
You're right that some of this stuff has been repeated and repeated on this blog and elsewhere for years. But there are also new nuggets of information that keep coming out. For example, I didn't know until recently that Ms. Wells had accused the KIDS of purposely mangling the National Anthem. And the fact that board president Larry Malaker used Mrs. K's volunteering to help the band as a reason to get rid of her husband--that didn't come out until fairly recently.
Yes, it would be great if people had the guts to confront the administration about things. But unfortunately many (not all) administrators have shown themselves to be vindictive bullies. And confronting a bully is usually not the best course of action.
Most bullys will back down when confronted. For Heaven's sake, who is the bully now that no one wants to back down? If Mr.K wants his old job back, then why doesn't he do somethig about it and give you all some peace?
Maybe he feels that too much damage has been done, and it's too late to bring the program back to where he had it.
Or maybe it's not so much about the band program anymore but about reminding people who was responsible, and making sure it can't happen again.
The bullies may have won a battle, but they won't win the war!
I THINK THAT INSTEAD OF COMPLAINING ABOUT SOMEONE YOU SHOULD FIRST PUT YOURSELVE IN THE OTHER PERSONS SHOES OR YOU COULD STOP WASTEING TIME WRITING ABOUT IT AND GET UP AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!! NOBODY WANTS TO HEAR A BUNCH OF 40 SOMETHING YEAR OLD "COMMUNITY MEMMBERS" COMPLAIN ABOUT WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE SCHOOLS WHEN THEY IN FACT PROBABLY NEVER ATTENDED ANY OF THE DISTRICT SCHOOLS.
AND STOP COMPARING THIS DISTRICT TO OTHER DISTRICTS THE ONLY REASON WHY SO MANY PEOPLE THINK BAD THINKS ABOUT OUR DISTRICT IS BECAUSE THEIR ARE SO MANY PEOPLE IN OUR VERY OWN COMMUNITY WHO KEEP BASHING IT INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT THE GREAT THINGS WE DO!!!!!!!!!!!
ONCE A TOMCAT ALWAYS A TOMCAT
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Hey,guess what?!?
We,the East Aurora High School Band,have discovered your little blog comments. You guys have no idea how hard we work to try and put on a good show and move past all the negative criticism, just for you guys to knock us back down to the "E.A. OK." Yes,we did get Div.II for IHSA but that doesn't mean we're bad, but guess what we got Div. I for Jazz Band. As for the Fine Arts Festival, Mr. Liska is not dept. chair so he isn't in charge!! Oh and guess what, we're going to DISNEY! Yes,we were accepted, so that must mean we don't suck!!! Also, the reason we didn't go to Disney before is because if you haven't noticed, our economy was/is CRAP,put that together with a low-income neighborhood and you have virtually no one able to afford a 1,000 trip!!! Forunately, this year we have 50 students going and we are very excited! We've been practicing this whole week because we want to show everyone how good the E.A.H.S band is!! Another thing is, yes, we all know Mr. K was a great band director and he is missed but Mr.Liska is giving his all to the EA Band...So we would appreciate it if you stopped bashing our program!
please and thank you :D
EAHS STUDENTS ARE THE BEST :D
INSTEAD OF BASHING THE DISTRICT TEACHERS YOU SHOULD THINK ABOUT HOW MORE TEACHERS ACTUALLY COME OUT AND SUPPORT THE DISTRICT EVENTS MORE THAN THE COMMUNITY. AND HALF OF THE TEACHERS DO NOT EVEN LIVE IN THIS DISTRICT! COME OUT AND SUPPORT THE STUDENTS IN THIS DISTRICT! IF YOU OPEN YOUR EYES TO WHAT ACTUALLY IS IMPORTANT YOU WILL SEE HOW MANY INCREDABLE STUDENTS WE HAVE IN THIS DISTRICT AND HOW WE HAVE SOOO MUCH TALENT. INSTEAD OF POINTING OUT EVERY SINGLE NEGATIVE THING ABOUT THE STAFF LOOK AT THE STUDENTS AND IF THEY ARE HAPPY, BECAUSE YOUR MONEY IS HELPING THE STUDENTS AND IF THE STUDENTS ARE HAPPY AND DOING WELL THAN WHY DO YOU NEED TO COMPLAIN. WE NEED MORE POSITIVITY IN THIS COMMUNITY INSTEAD OF PUTTING IT DOWN, IT IS NOT FAIR TO THE STUDENTS WHO READ WHAT GARBAGE YOU SAYING ABOUT THEIR TEACHERS!!! IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM FIX IT DONT COMPLAIN ABOUT IT BECAUSE YOUR WORDS MEAN NOTHING UNTIL YOU DO WHAT YOU SAY!!!!!!!!!!
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