AURORA — If some school reform advocates have their way, it could be more difficult for public school teachers to obtain tenure and for teachers unions to strike in Illinois.
On Thursday and Friday, a panel of eight state legislators gathered at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy in Aurora to hear testimony about controversial measures that would affect Illinois public schools and teachers unions.
The possible reforms being considered by Illinois House members include making teacher tenure tougher to acquire, making it more difficult for teacher unions to strike and considering performance evaluations when a school decides to hire or fire.
State Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia, D-Aurora, said these are issues some community leaders have been trying to fix for more than 20 years.
“I don’t know how rapidly we’ll be moving on possible legislation, but it’s been an extremely thoughtful discussion on all sides,” she said.
I have been listening to Linda Chapa Lavia spout her anti-education bull for long enough. Despite the State of Illinois funding education at a rate that places them 49th of the 50 states, she believes that the state spends too much on education and teachers have too many rights. Now she wants to remove the few protections that teachers have remaining.
Let's be clear. Tenure does not mean that a school system can not dismiss a bad teacher. It simply means that they must bring the teacher befor the school board and justify a reason for firing the teacher. It only protects a teacher from being fired without just cause.
If given her way, LaVia would take away all teachers rights. It's may be time that the teachers unions begin to show our legislatures their true power. With one word from the IEA and IFT this state would be shut down. Imagine if every public school teacher in Illinois striked at the same time. Every school would close, parents would be forced to stay home with their children and not work, businesses would not be able to run. The outcry would deafen our leaders. Next the unions could organize political campaigns with their outraged teacher membership. We could have every member of the state legislature replaced with "Friends of Labor".
Our leaders know these things are very possible, that is why they made no mention of these laws they now want to pass before the elections last month. The next elections will be coming up sooner than they think. Their actions will not be forgetten.
If they really want to save the state money, they need to start with where the greatest number of dollars are lost, Road Repair and Construction. Last year 8 Billion was spent by the State of Illinois on education while over 21 Billion was spent on roads. If the State of Illinois simply put a one year moratorium on road construction, they would solve the state financial deficit and show a surplus. Of course, this won't happen because the same companies that receive these State of Illinois contracts are the largest contributors to the leaders who want to destroy labor unions.
Until political corruption is addressed in Illinois, we are not going to receive the reform that is truely needed in Illinois. The problem, as is almost always the case, is at the top, not the bottom.
Don't pretend it's Illinois only - The US government is the same way, ALL CORRUPT. Looking out for "friends" and campaign contributors is their first priority, looking out for their reelection is their second priority and looking out for the American people is their LAST priority - Obama to Bush to Clinton to Regan - All the same.
You are right tenure does not mean they can't get rid of a teacher just like any union we all have time in service rights but our employers also have rights to document the things we do wrong but if you have an employee that will do your will as an administrator or manager you will keep them even if you do wrong. As time goes by the administrators owe you favors that you will not act against them if they are wrong.
We need to change the good old boy system and get back to dong the will of the people and not who is running the show and benefiting from it.
Until we as the people who vote for these people stand up nothing will change. Our district is an example and you will see this as time goes on. Let see if our board will stand up and give our teachers a fair stand and get teachers aids in the classrooms that have more than 30 students in them or will they add more administrator positions and people that will not really help in the classrooms. The climate in this district is to help the superintendent get more money and Clayton to continue to run the district. We have a board president that is a bully and needs friends so much she will sell her soul to get to be friends with the administration instead of what is good for our students. It is not only the president but also some on the board that have gotten favors for their children and not for the whole of the district that will vote for anything that the superintendent, clayton or the president wants to benefit themselves and not for the whole district.
Until we as the voters stand up against them nothing will change.
It is pointless if the voters don't stand up to the elected officials that that are suppose to do the will of the people and not to benefit their pocket books. Let's start with getting rid of the board president.
It is also pointless if teachers do not stand up for themselves and keep on doing the will of the superintendant and administrators when it is wrong or wrong are being done to them. As for businesses being shut down if all teachers went on strike at the same time, well parents have to have someone take care of their children when they are out of school, so there should not be a problem. In this economy, if someone does not come in to work due to something like this, there is going to be someone willing to take their job and find someone to take care of their children, if they have any. Why are people turning this posting into a negative? For once can we not wish one another some kindness and niceness?
Most of the people that post on this blog wants the best for all students in the district and don't want to line the superintendents or administrations pockets for doing nothing. Then there is the board president that needs attention and the superintendent and administration knows how to play her by acting like they are her friends to get their way.
May the students in this district get the best they can in learning from this district in the new year and may the board stand firm in getting them help in the classrooms for the New Year.
I think this President did more for the children of d131 than any. I am sure she does not need friends she has many admirers in this District. It sounds like sour grapes for some who may have never received the attention of the residents she claimed she was fighting for. One would wonder if the residents saw things her way they would have supported her. Soon her term is up. Maybe the District will have someone run for the Board that cares for the education of children instead of someone who just had a ax to grind with administration.
December 19, 2010 8:09 -sounds like Yoda talkin'-- what a hoot! LOL
December 19, 2010 9:56- "Marry" Christmas Ms. Johnson. You'd be the only one who would brag about "this president." The saga continues-so many emperors in new clothes.
I think its Clayton he is the only one how thinks that highly of her because she gave him assistant to grow B2M. Anyways Johnson is tooooo into herself to wish anyone a Marry Christmas. When she visits Central office she breezes past everyone and right for Roberts. By the way the Central office has a Dee Weaver count-down calender and many mock her community support.
On another subject only Clayton can turn Christmas into a black thing @claytonmuhammad good morning! Happy Cristmakwanzzakkah This is a recent post of his.
Also, please read the District web-site no mention of Holiday break dates but we sure have Martin Luther King posted.
By the way unless we have a major flood of community members that care tomorrow the Board will not change.
So who is Yoda you should do a little research because that does not describe the administrators.Yoda was one of the most renowned and powerful Jedi Masters in galactic history, who was known for his legendary wisdom, mastery of the Force and skills in lightsaber combat. Yoda served as a member of the Jedi High Council. Or do you think Roberts could be Yoda.
Only if you define "laziness" as someone pouring their heart & soul into a program, being supported by 99% of students, parents, and alumni, and having the guts to defy a corrupt administration.
Too bad there are so many Beacon and Tribune articles, letters to the editor, and pictures of signs as irrefutable proof that what 7:36 p.m. says about community support is absolutely true.
Nice try, 7:50. Would you like me to quote some of those articles? I have a thick scrapbook full, organized by date. You'll be exposed as the liar you are!
Approximately 99% of those who spoke out about the situation were supportive. There were more than 100 individuals who are on record as either writing letters to the editor, calling the Openline comment line, putting signs in their yards, or speaking at School Board meetings. Only ONE parent spoke negatively (and she had no credibility, based upon the specific criticism she made).
That's what I meant by 99% support. It may not be as scientific as you would wish, but it's definitely documented.
Well there is a difference there now isn't there. 99% of people WHO SPOKE - Lot's of people did not speak and we don't know about those.
But more people tend to speak when the disagree with the decision being made and not when the agree, so that "pole" is not scientific at all and cannot be extrapolated out to the entire district.
As a parent, I can tell you that I would definitely speak up either positively or negatively about an administration's efforts to remove one of my childrens' teachers. And the fact that only ONE parent (out of several dozen who spoke publicly) had anything negative to say is very telling.
So you are telling me that if the administration was trying to remove a teacher, and you agreed with them that the teacher should be removed, you would go to a school board meeting and tell them that they were doing the right thing?
If a teacher is ineffective or incompetent, you bet I would speak up about it--and I would get other parents to speak out as well! Parents throughout the country (and throughout history) have advocated for the best interests of their children. You're a poor excuse for a parent if you think otherwise.
But I won't wish you dead, or tell you you're full of sh*t. No, our "team" has a bit more class than that.
Why don't you all start the New Year off with a promise to stop talking about the Band issue. It is finished move on to a new topic. Then this stupid blog will shut down forever.
You would not speak up about it if the the process had already started. If they said we are going to remove Mr. Smith, he will no longer be teaching. There is no way in hell you would go to the meeting and say. You're right, thanks for getting rid of him. You are a liar and I still hope you die.
10:50, the band issue will be "over" when all those who were responsible for the bullying are finally GONE from the district. Fortunately, only a handful are still working in D131--so hopefully they'll leave for their "next journey in life" (as bully Marin Gonzalez so famously put it) sooner rather than later.
7:16 a.m., you don't know me. You don't know what I would or wouldn't speak out about. But go ahead and wish that I'd die; we're all going to die sometime.
This is the mentality of people on this blog. This is why nothing gets done. They are too busy trying to prove they are right then actually trying to understand a different point of view. You people are children that don't deserve to make decisions "in the student's best interests." Go take a nap, you all sound a bit grumpy.
You are as correct about the matter being Finished as Clayton, administration and board were five years ago when they they had Clayton state basically the same thing in the Beacon.
The matter is finished when the community decides it is, not when the district does. And the community has already indicated when that will be. It is when every bully administrator and board member who supported that move are gone, not before.
Whine all you want but the issue will continue to be discussed until the bullies are gone. The administration and board have been forced to listen over the past five years because they refused to listen to the community then.
I think it is funny that you think they have "been forced to listen" from you posting on this blog. What a joke. They would rather you post here because you don't have the balls to actually say something face to face.
Most of the board has already been replaced as a direct result of the Kaisershot debacle. If you think the administration has not been forced to listen to the community, then you are the one with your head firmly planted where the sun don't shine.
The board is not yet where it needs to be but it's a far cry from the rubber stamp it was under the serial bully Radakovich.
I think you are very bold in saying that most of the board has been replaced by what happened to Kaisershot. I for one as a voter for D131 did not make a decision to vote some out because of that. The board had been bulling others before him and the district had fallen on their responsibility to educate all our children. You could see that the board cared more for lining administrators pockets than teaching children. They also used the ELL and the poverty rate in the district to do their will and not giving their best for the children.
Let's hope in this season of giving and forgiving those that can't get past of the K thing do and that they move on the benefit all the children.
The last board rubber stamped all sorts of illegal crap. They rubber stamped the Bigelow deal where the district saw no financial compensation for new subdivisions. They rubber stamped the Walmart/Police Station deal where the district lost two and a half million dollars. The last board rubber stamped the land deal around the high school where the old board president Malaker got a sweet deal on his house.
While the new board does do a lot of rubber stamping for the administration, they are not pulling the illegal crap the old guard board did and they are not costing the distict millions and millions of dollars.
Let's not forget that Roberts was part of the Bigelow deal and thought it was good. The Bigelow deal was not illegal it just was unethical a big difference since the Mayor was involved. Non of what you say was illegal about the old board it was just that no one stood up to them. The money they lost in the Walmart/Police Station deal was stupid but not illegal. You have to ask yourself with this new board about the referendum did the district really need it. I'm not saying that we couldn't use more money for the students but did it really go to the students. As far as illegal crap for the new board I think they do it only in a different way. They give favors for board members children and they make decisions under the table among some of them about how the district should be ran.
Do you realize that every time they give our administration a raise it is costing us taxpayers? We will have our taxes raised for the pensions that are being payed out to all public service employees while most of us are getting less for ours. While they take out of our Social Security to pay these people for their retirement we will suffer so none of the new or old board are better than the other.
The old board approves the Walmart land deal. In this deal developer buddies of Radakovich buy the land from the district for 2.2 million dollars. The next week, they sell the same land to Walmart for 5.7 million dollars.
You're right, doesn't sound at all illegal. It happens all the time.
Malaker (the board president) and the rest of the board approve buying homes next to the high school including Malaker's house.
No conflict of interest there. Perfectly legal.
It was also the old board who came out and stated that Boys II Men was legal when it was clearly breaking high school fraternity and discrimination laws.
I don't like everything that the new board has done but they are no where near as corrupt as the last board was.
You are correct I don't feel the new Board really makes illegal or poor money choices. But they sure benefit by favors. They also let Roberts and Johnson make all the decisions. It also seems they trust Roberts to much.
Here's something POSITIVE that our EHS kids did a couple of weeks ago (from yesterday's Beacon):
AURORA — More than 150 East Aurora High School students braved inclement weather to raise $7,000 during the school’s Day of Sacrifice Walk on Dec. 4. English teacher Shane Gillespie and students in his survival literature course held the 12-hour walk to raise funds to assist in building a school in Gor Ayen, Sudan, and to bring an internationally known Sudanese author to speak at the school. After reading the biography of Francis Bok, “Escape From Slavery,” the students were inspired to organize a fundraiser to bring the author there and to assist him in his efforts to promote education in his native Sudan.
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Say what you want about certain corrupt/bully administrators--our kids ROCK! And those awesome kids are the reason many of us are willing to put up with the HMIC's (head morons in charge).
You mentioned Boys II Men and how the old board said they where legal. How about how this board made them partners of the district so they must think it isn't illegal. How about this board getting Clayton and assistant so he could spend more time promoting his group. Then there was the time Clayton had a principle pull a teacher from the classroom so he could talk to kids. Many on this board think he is the only person that can save some of them. Stealing from the district is illegal and this board does that by letting Clayton work on his Boys II Men on the districts dime.
Is Central Office only working 6hrs a day instead of 8hrs during the Christmas break like they always do and get paid for a 40hr week? If so that is stealing from the tax payers also.
What some of the Board members do borders on illegal. Many do get favors.
Wells for years has had relatives and friends get teachers aide, security, and office support jobs. There are about five that I know of.
Gonzales has a daughter that works part-time and that a over-statement considering people are always covering her multi days off. Gonzalez paid Jerome off by bring Tursa on the Board.
Hull acts like he runs the High-School. His daughter has a job in the office and a Central Office administrator scheduling her classes. Her schedule was altered in the middle of the school term a favor granted to none. Them she will receive a scholarship what a pay-off.
Lewis runs Waldo her grand-children are featured on all the District brochures and PR material Clayton produces.
Weaver tried but never received any favors. I will be sad to see her go. Roberts will never be held accountable again.
Johnson has done a few good things. But her backing of Clayton is a problem. With-out Weaver who knows the next thing her and Roberts will pull.
Except for the board members that are on the board now does anyone know anything about the others that are running?
Three four-year terms, one two-year term. Mary Anne Turza (i), Juan Sifuentes, Raymond Hull (i), Robert “Robb” Hill, Lorena Cundari, Ignacio “Nacho” Cervantes, Mary Fultz
Juan Sifuentes, already receives benefits at the preschool and serves on Hispanic Heritage with Lisa Morales. For anyone who knows anything about Hispanic Heritage it is a board that does not represent anyone they are all self serving.
Robert “Robb” Hill goes to Clayton's church and is a friend of his.
Lorena Cundari is part of the township democrats.
Ignacio “Nacho” Cervantes is the former student board member and a B2M
Mary Fultz is another friend of Clayton's and Wells
Clayton spent the day at Central office greeting everyone. First time he had been seen in weeks. He actually worked all day at Central Office with the door open. The funny part was they all filed after Cundari and Clayton knew they were coming in.
Either way none of these people seem to have a clue and with Weaver gone nobody will question Roberts.
Marin Gonzales was the one who admitted before the board that B2M was illegal. She was an administrator when she did this. Don't go blaming this all on the board. For anyone who thinks B2M is illegal, go talk to the States Attorney with your inforamtion and proof.
Weaver never tried to get favors. She does not trust Roberts and just what favors would she want? She is the only one that once is a while had to the guts to go against the others when she felt they were wrong. Who will do that now? The rest that will be left that is on the board currently and still might get back in are just like puppets on a string to Roberts and Johnson. Johnson goes beyond what a board president or board member should do. She likes being in control and in the limelight. She does offer people things if they will do certain things.
I hope if Weaver knows anything, if she does not reveal it before she leaves, that she reveals it after she leaves. It is good to recognize that there is someone out there that is aware of Weaver has done and tried to do. What is the latest date that anyone has to get their signatures in to run for school board?
No I work for the District and will not leave my paying job for the non paying job of the Board. Funny you don't have a problem with Clayton hand picking the candidates.
The one who complains alot does have answers or solutions that they think will work, but the others just ignore them. Rumor has it that we did not need that referendum. the money from that is probably what is paying for all the new admin positons and positions like the one helping Clayton. To bad it is not used for something that is needed, like teachers aids. Oh, lets see, new counsulers are going to solve the problem. Now they are going to hire and pay counsulers to help the teachers in the classrooms? The admins and the board president is just making new positions for people they know, probably. Now, just how is a counsuler going to help the overcrowding and need for aids? Way to many overpaid cheifs and the indians are dying out due to this. Sounds like the saga of the Old West. Thought anyone wanting to run for the board had until Jan to hand in their petitons. What a sad group that we having running to pick from.
And then when a well-reasoned, non-obscene response comes from the other side, there's no specific counter-argument? Just a typical grade-school "liar, liar, pants on fire"?
And when "our side" brings up a good point you ignore it also. You see what you want to see, you lie about what you want to lie about and you stand on the pastille that you can do no wrong. It is very difficult to argue with people who can't see past their own ignorance for more that 3 seconds.
I just typed "black people suck" with the quotes in a google search. There were 513,000 pages with that phrase associated with it, I guess it's true. Thanks google!!!!
This time I typed in "Blogs are a waste of time" and got 147,000 hits. So I guess black people suck more but blogs are still a waste of time because I have more than "hundreds of hits"
Way to go Mr. Liska - grEAt job finding a way to get a FULLY FUNDED new tenor sax for the EAHS band. Good luck with the rest of the instruments you are hoping for. Now that really is a Christmas Miracle. grEAt way to look outside of the box to help the band students.
The "Donors Choose" program is indeed a wonderful way to help our students! The music teacher at Bardwell, Mr. Martinez (a D131 "product" himself) funded two classroom projects (for chimes and books). And now the EHS band will be getting a tenor saxophone, thanks to generous folks who've logged on to donorschoose.org
Another positive thing we can do to help the kids in our district!
Those who might be interested in reading what credible media sources had to say 5+ years ago should Google:
kaisershot beacon
OR
kaisershot tribune
~~~~~~~~~~~
Read all about the board's "mysterious decision". And about how this community supported a teacher who was so clearly being railroaded out of his job against the best interests of students.
10:06 a.m., you obviously don't know me-- I have recently supported donorschoose.org with a contribution to help a classroom in D131. It's a great new program, and hopefully many in our community will find out about it and donate, as well!
What a nice website for people to go to and make donations directly to projects they like to support and you know that it goes to that project and not taken from there for something else.
I did see that a teacher need a projector for the classroom my question is since you have those smartbords why not give her one of those?
Yes, I did support a project and will look back for others.
I looked on the district's website and didn't see any mention of this and when you go and look at that website it said you could link it with others so that would maybe get more people to see it and maybe contribute.
AURORA — The Aurora East Education Foundation awarded 10 grants this month to fund projects in the East Aurora schools. The grants totaled $13,300.
Each teacher was presented with a check to fund the project and a small gift, said district spokesman Clayton Muhammad. Teachers applied for the grants earlier this year.
At Allen Elementary, $2,306 was awarded to purchase instruments and $2,468 was allocated to buy technology and sensory tools for a classroom.
At Simmons Middle School, $2,349 was awarded to purchase books, and at Rollins Elementary, $1,000 was awarded to help build a film club at the school.
Bardwell Elementary also received $2,167 to buy instruments.
The Aurora East Educational Foundation, in its 17th year, tries to attract private donations of money and services to enrich the educational offerings at East Aurora schools. The foundation sponsors the mini-grant program each year.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Merry Christmas to our students, from the Aurora East Educational Foundation!
Nice system. Certified and highly qualified professionals are forced to beg Clayton to obtain the items that they should already have in their classrooms.
So where exactly is all that money that was passed in the last referendum? Why must teachers crawl to Clayton so they can teach?
Our administration actually publicizes this? This district is so screwed up.
The Aurora East Educational Foundation has been around for years. Clayton name may have been on it but again the web-site is not updated. They have been very secretive about who is on this committee and why.They also seem to have money to throw around.
Winter Break There is no school for students December 20 - 31, 2010. On December 20 -22, and December 27-29, Administrative Offices will close at 2:30 PM.
Administrative offices will be closed December 23, 24 and December 30, 31 for Christmas and New Year's Holiday.
School and Regular office hours will resume January 3, 2011.
So the employees that get paid by the hour won't get paid for a 40 hour week right like the rest of us that get our hours cut back during this time. If you look at their contract that is on the website it says nothing about this and if they get paid full pay. If they do they are stealing from the taxpayers.
An administrator works more than 8 hours a day so if they leave a bit early who cares. Just back from visiting my favorite group B2M they are at the Festival of Lights tonight.
Administrators get a salary not paid by the hour so that post doesn't apply to them. So if the administration has to work more than 8 hours what are they doing it sure isn't doing anything to make the students learning easier just trying to find ways they don't have to work and make good money. They can't even find the right curriculum for the students.
Lisa Morales never does her job and Lewis who is Secretary of the Board doesn't care. She is so busy planning press releases for her grand-children with Clayton she has no time to concern herself with the business of the Board.
Maybe the Board President needs to call the District today not one cabinet member who received their big raise was in today except Augustine.
The sad thing is that while all the administrators and other staff gets big raises our students go without the basic things that should be in the classrooms. This district gives out raises, the board goes to seminars and stuff and take their families and no one thinks anything of it and our classrooms don't even have the basic things they should have and the teachers have to ask for them.
The entire district got new smart-boards and new computers are being installed in every class-room across the district. About 50 new teaching positions are in the works starting with this school year. A new schedule/information system has been ordered. The teachers received a good raise and never faced lay-offs like other districts. The 2011/2012 school over-crowding issues are being addressed. So for all your complaining this has been the best year yet for d131. Congrad's to the Board, the Superintendent and the administration for the best year yet.
You have to be kidding we have not made AYP in how many years? There was no layoffs because we where short teachers and got money for them from the Federal government to keep the ones we had. Are classrooms are overcrowded 30 students in a classroom is too much. Are teachers don't have the materials they need to teach over children they have to ask for it. So before anyone give the ones you stated a pat on the back lets see test scores go up.
The only effective way to address overcrowded classrooms is to add a clause to the contract the way the West Side has done. If a teacher has more than 28 students in a class (35 for PE), they receive an extra stipend.
All stipends have to be approved by the board. Therefor, the administrators on the West Side bend over backwards to make sure class sizes are 28 or lower. They don't want to explain to the Superintendent and Board why they need to pay extra stipends.
Since we don't know who you are we can't say you are making less than those across the river but if you are an administrator that is not true. If you look at the admin salaries of the west side there is not that much difference and if you figure they haven't been on a watch list for 10 years that is why they get more.
You have to start some-where and it appears our current Board is trying to address issues. I do have friends that are teacher's on the West. They do not receive stipend anymore. They had to redo the teachers contract this year to take pay decreases and avoid lay-offs. Class size in the older building is as bad as d131 and they will be redistricting this year. That said they still earn about $12,000 more.
I am happy that we are catching the teachers up. It helped to receive the additional $1000 plus 4% it shows good faith on the part of the Board.
I do see progress on the part of bring up test scores we have asked this year for different materials this year and have been getting them. Our buildings have a little more to spend because the District picked up the bill for computers and smart-boards this year. A new information system is all on for next year but since we never had one I do understand it will save time for administrative functions in the class-room for teachers. Our building are also receiving more computer based reading programs to help with test scores.
I think think this blog needs to start looking at the positives it appears we turned the corner. At the beginning of the year Dr Roberts gave a speech to teachers saying he will fix the scores now that money is not a problem. I appears he is a man of his word.
The district had the white boards for a year now and most still aren't up and being used. They are good tools to use but not the only thing teachers need.
If you want to make as much as someone in another district than get a job there. What makes public employees think that they all should make the same amount of money?
I notice that the School Board meeting scheduled for next Monday, January 3rd has been canceled.
Why?
Last year, on January 4th, 2010 there were TWO School Board meetings (a "special" meeting at 6:00 p.m. and a "regular" meeting at 7:00 p.m.). Yet this year there's no meeting at all on the first Monday in January. What's up with that?
Well last year if you remember the 2nd December meeting was canceled. This year, there were 2 meetings in December. So, basically the same thing this year as last year.
They are not having a meeting because the entire cabinet is off. A couple like Aird, Adams and Childress did schedule vacation. But others like Clayton use the same old story I will be working from home. That means I am stealing from the tax payer again and taking extra vacation I am not entitled to. I makes it very difficult when the administrators don't even tell the staff they are not working this week or the chain of command. Brain (lame) trust of Roberts, Lisa Morales never told anyone she would be off. Someone is always suppose to be in charge Roberts, Aird or Gonzalez has not been around.
I think it is time someone call the Board President and ask who is in charge?
Here goes the racist Clayton again spending District time on Martin Luther King. Although King was a inspirational to the black community he is not the only person this District should honor. Clayton has spent months on this event will we continue to hire outside photographers. Last month we paid $600 to Lyle Rolf and we also employee a Hispanic fella and Donell Collins as well to take pictures. This on top of numerous bills paid to Vision Friendly. Vision Friendly is well over $35,000 alone. That on top of hiring Tony B2M Martinez. Who also seems to be out this week. One month on the job and already off.
Clayton takes money away from our children but the Board will never take action. Lewis and Hall have received favors and the Board President is as phony as him. His boss Jerome needs to feel black so he hangs around with him. So he will be safe working for the City of Aurora, West Aurora, Waubonsee Valley and newly adopted Oswego East.
# Sitting next to former Police Chief, Bill Powell, Aurora's first Black Chief. Love this guy. Retirement is a nice fit on him! Ahhh one day 3 minutes ago via TweetDeck
# The MLK Planning Team is in full force this morning. The longevity and influence around this table inspires me beyond measure 13 minutes ago via TweetDeck
# Vacation Day #3: Extreme Cycling Class at 5a was not even attractive lol .. En Route to Mayor's Office to discuss MLK program.
# Then prepping for the arrival of the Jesse White Tumblers at my high school. Meeting with at Athletic Dept team in a few to see the plan 39 minutes ago via TweetDeck
# Now en route to lunch with some college brothers who said they want my advice on leadership and taking over lol ummm ok. Let's go 40 minutes ago via TweetDeck
# Ok. MLK Planning Mtg. 3 hours of power. Love a productive team! I'm honored to host the 2011 MLK Tribute Ceremony. 1/17 at Paramount! 41 minutes ago via TweetDeck
# RT @Gyrl619: @ClaytonMuhammad cool wanna work my shift for me LoL < love you but I must pass on this one lol 42 minutes ago via TweetDeck
# RT @TonyMartinez03: @ClaytonMuhammad too young to think about retirement. < Quoting Drake: I'm really too young to be feeling this old. Lol 43 minutes ago via TweetDeck
# RT @dscampana: @ClaytonMuhammad Get ready, @CN100GOTW has @EA131 on the broadcast schedule next week! < YES!!! Im excited! Ready for it!! about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck
# @Gyrl619 lol no way never that!!!! about 3 hours ago via TweetDeck in reply to Gyrl619
# @Gyrl619 lol I just saw that! It's no problem. It's all fun and good on my part about 3 hours ago via TweetDeck in reply to Gyrl619
So Clayton must of took a half day from working since he was at a MLK preparation meeting. Don't you like how he stated his high school instead of East High School. Some are right he does run the show there and he does do other work on the districts dime.
Why does not someone get ahold of the board secretary then? If no one is there at the central office then the board secretary should be able to handle the minutes and answer your questions. Also, one could also contact the president of the board, after all she does have her nose in everything else and wants to be in control of everything.
The Board Secretary is to busy promoting her Grand-children with Central office. So asking Central Office to work would be impossible for her. Let us not forget she talked a good game supporting K but turned around as soon as administration asked her to join a committee to hire Liska. So when Central Office offers to put her grand kid on a hand-out she is happy.
If those board minutes where approved they should be on the website I believe 7 days after the approval. If you are so upset about it you can contact the States Attorney because not posting them is a violation of the Open Meetings Act not the the States Attorney will do anything they make the laws but don't enforce them and if they do it is just something they want to fight.
10:34 p.m., Anita Lewis did NOT recommend hiring Mr. Liska! Here's a direct quote from the Beacon-News:
"Two parents, who maintain that the best decision is to keep Kaisershot, served on a committee with teachers and administrators to help select the new director"
(The two parents were Anita Lewis and Patti Phillips)
Ms. Phillips then said, speaking for both:
"None of the three new candidates were qualified to take the position...The other parent and I said we like Brian, but he's so young and has no experience. The administration is just scrambling and looking for someone to hire, and they've put this kid in"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Proof positive, in print, that Anita Lewis (the current board secretary) did NOT recommend hiring Liska!
Dec.29,10 12:44 PM "Don't you like how he stated his high school instead of East High School."
I think you're splitting hairs here. I am an alum and I refer EAHS as my HS. Also, please just make reference to the link of the Twitter site-so those who wish to may go read it. Please don't make us continue to read thru all the posts you think are noteworthy.
None of them are noteworthy. People don't even have a clue what he is talking about. They think they have found some secret when CLAYTON is the one posting the tweets.
I'm a alum also of East Aurora High School and when talking to people I state that East Aurora High School is the school I graduate from because they don't know that unless they are really close friends.
Plus Clayton is the PR person not a teacher or administrator who has the right to claim it as my high school. He goes way beyond what most PR person do.
GET OVER IT! PLEASE LEAVE THE DISTRICT. It's amazing to me that people who claim to love this district but HATE everything about it and do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to help
And it's amazing to me that some people seem to have no interest in documented truth when the history of this district is being discussed. No, they'd rather believe the bully administrators' revised version.
If Anita Lewis and Patti Phillips served on a committee with administrators they did approve of he getting rid of Kaisershot or they would have boycotted and not backed administrators period. These quotes are also from the Beacon are you sure they are correct. If Lewis who is now on the Board was on a committee was she not appointed by current superintendent who was Asst. Superintendent and Marin Gonzalez.
If she thinks they wronged K then why did she renew Roberts contract and give Marin a big fat raise.
Dr. Roberts had very little involvement in the Kaisershot situation; the administrators involved were mostly Radakovich, Gordon Postlewaite, Marin Gonzalez, and Joe Harmon. Gonzalez and Harmon are still working in this district.
Here's another direct quote from that Beacon-News article:
"The parents and teachers who served on the committee were asked to list the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate and make comments, said East High Assistant Principal Joe Harmon, but were not asked to make recommendations"
~~~~~~~~~~
So it's ludicrous to imply that Anita Lewis recommended the hiring of Brian Liska! It was entirely the bully administration, led by Harmon and Gonzalez at the high school. And as far as boycotting anything, I do remember the many "Keep Kaisershot" signs popping up in yards throughout our district (which had the effect of helping the first candidate hired to replace Mr. K decide NOT to take the job). That was probably the strongest action the parents dared to take, along with the hundreds of letters and phone calls made to the local newspapers on his behalf.
Rudy, I'm the one who has been quoting Beacon-News articles, and here's why:
When Dec. 30, 10:34 p.m. implied that Anita Lewis was a flip-flopper or turncoat when it came to her support of Mr. K., I quoted the Beacon-News article that proved otherwise. Ms. Lewis is a friend of mine, and I did not want her accused of something she did not do.
I didn't start this particular discussion involving the Kaisershot situation--but I will not sit by and see my friend accused of something when I have the evidence to prove otherwise.
The sad thing in this is that no one hears what the children in this district wants. They have a real sense of what is going on but the adults don't want to see is that they want to get holding their own grudges. It is all about the money and who gets it and it has nothing to do with what the students want or what they need. Listen to our students in this district they really know what is going on on what needs to be changed.
Anita Lewis was picked to serve on the committee at the time because she was a supporter of Marin Gonzalez. She did not support the Kaisershot choice but she quickly jumped on board to give input to his replacement. Many of us at the time had signs and supported the band either as parents or former boosters. Lewis and Phillips got picked out a large group and could have refused.
If you follow her on the Board she always votes with the administration same thing she does not stand on her own. She against something then she for it. A repeat of K.
9:37 a.m., you are WRONG. I was a fellow band parent and friend of Anita Lewis, and I can tell you that she and Patti Phillips agreed to serve on that committee only because they thought it might be a chance to challenge the bullies and get Mr. K his job back. Those two parents were anything BUT supporters of Marin Gonzalez!
And Rudy, wouldn't YOU speak up and set the record straight if someone said something inaccurate and insulting about one of your friends? That's how Mr. K got mentioned in this particular discussion.
Dr. Roberts had very little involvement in the Kaisershot issue ???
Dr. Roberts was the Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education. All decisions about a high school teacher would have to go through him before going to the superintendent. Secondly, at that point Radakovich was half out the door and Roberts was already warming up the Superintendents seat every chance he had.
Roberts knew about and approved everything that happened to Kaisershot but didn't have the cajones to stamp his name on it. Instead, he let Radakovich take the blame. Radakovich was all but gone anyway, it made perfect sense to let someone with nothing to lose take the heat.
Anita Lewis is a supporter of Marin Gonzalez she recently voted on a big raise for Marin. It is interesting the Beacon has not reported this story. Clayton must be working his magic again. This raise will total about a additional $10,000 this year and a additional $10,000 next year. A good raise for someone that does not support her.
Let us also not forget her vote keeping Jerome with the District for another 5 years. Jerome will also get a additional $10,000 per year. Jerome will also leave the District making about $260,000 the same as the bully.
I blame Lewis more than anyone because she suffered through the Kaisershot days and knew who Marin & Jerome are.
Lets also remember she also supported a four year contract for Jerome Roberts. Now Jerome works four day work weeks. He is Superin
Gordon Postlewaite was the Director of Secondary Education who got rid of Kaisershot, not Jerome Roberts.
It was Postlewaite who started the whole personal vendetta against Kaisershot--at least a year before the whole thing blew up in the spring of 2005! Here's a direct quote from the Personnel & Policy committee minutes in April, 2004:
"Mr. Postlewaite discussed the issues and concerns involving the leadership on the EHS Band Program in Executive Session at the April 5th. Detailed documentation and information exchanges were provided. A meeting has established in an attempt reach an acceptable improvement plan of action. The Board will be kept apprised."
~~~~~~~~~~~
And as far as Anita Lewis voting on Marin's raise, she probably had very little choice but to go along with the others and support the POSITION, not necessarily the person.
I can't speak for the present situation, but I do know that at one time Jerome Roberts and Kevin Kaisershot were friends, or at least had mutual respect for each other.
Wow!!!!! Forget the Mr. K issue!!!!!!!!!! You can't change the past so stop dwelling in it. This blog is so pointless. Talk about relevant issues please and don't say this is because its not.
It is absolutely relevant to cite specific evidence when a CURRENT School Board member (in this case, Anita Lewis) is falsely characterized.
It is absolutely relevant to correct a misconception about a CURRENT administrator's (in this case, Jerome Roberts) involvement in a teacher's having been railroaded out of his high school teaching position.
And it is absolutely relevant to discuss how CURRENT administrators (such as Marin Gonzalez, Joe Harmon, and Clayton Muhammad) have chosen to deal with employees and the public.
This isn't digging up the past; it's defending the truth and trying to prepare for a better future for our district.
Anita Lewis can not do anything about Kaisershot it is a issue that was over 5 years ago to keep bring it up is pointless. The last Board member (Wells) from that era will soon retire. I also may not always agree with the choices made with the current Board but you can bet a employee would have never been railroaded.
EAST AURORA — While East Aurora band students were attending their banquet Monday, the replacement for their music director was being hired by the District 131 Board of Education.
After a lengthy executive session Monday, James Kosiek, assistant band director at Glenbrook South, was hired.
Jerome Roberts, District 131's director of school improvement for Grades 6 through 12, said Kosiek has worked at the school in Glenview for four years and has 23 years of experience. Kosiek will start Aug. 22, Roberts said.
12:55 p.m., I agree that under this current School Board, it's unlikely that an employee would be railroaded. And now we have an opportunity to elect new School Board members this spring. Let's hope we get some more who care about our students' best interests!
Another tweet from Clayton's department. Now they have School Board members working on water issues for the Central Office employees on New Year. This would be Ray Hull. The same Hull who hired the serial bully. So don't be so certain a repeat of Kaisershot would not happen.
Board members receive favors, Board members give favors that is the pattern at District 131.
@ryanjford @TonyMartinez03 no problem! That's Tony's partner! He can do it. BUT we have a Board Member who is the Head of the Dept! lol about 1 hour ago via HootSuite in reply to ryanjford
Anita can't do anything for what happened in the past but she could change things for the future. She will vote on anything that she thinks will help her grandchildren even if it doesn't benefit all the students. If we are in such good shape why don't our teachers have the daily things they need in the classroom? Maybe if one of her grandchildren would need something in the classroom the teachers would get what they need.
A disgraced superintendent ("Serial Bully" Radakovich) gets a second chance as a faculty member at Aurora University, while simultaneously collecting a six-figure pension.
The South would rather lose the war than admit to the mistake.
Lt. Gen. James Longstreet
For those who don't know, General Longstreet was second in command behind General Lee for the Confederacy. He would have been more famous but he had disagreed with General Lee regarding the Battle of Gettysburg. Of course, history has shown that Longstreet was correct and General Lee's decision led to the South's defeat.
The quote just reminded me so much of the administration and board for District 131.
Central Office news is no Board meeting for Monday because the Board President is out of town and Gonzalez is incapable of reading English so she can not conduct the meeting. Another problem is when Weaver finds out they have given Ryan Ford new helpers in every building called Web-Masters they would need Johnson to shut down the debate. A Web-Master will be paid a stipend of $1500 to keep the Web-Site up to date for his/her building along teacher pages. Mean-while Vision Friendly will still play the same role.
That means Clayton now has Tony Martinez, Ryan Ford and now the Web-Masters along with three private photographers that constantly are on call for events. This while our students and teachers have to beg donors.org for small items for their classroom.
Clayton along with his band of never seen staff is said to be working on the Phenomenal Man awards for Boys to Men. He his also producing the Martin Luther King celebration for the City. Mean-while Jerome I want people to think I am black looks the other way. So Jerome needs to have Johnson fight his Board battle
After being interviewed by the school administration, the prospective teacher asked:
Let me see if I've got this right.
You want me to go into that room with all those kids, correct their disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse, monitor their dress habits, censor their T-shirt messages, and instill in them a love for learning.
You want me to check their backpacks for weapons, wage war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, and raise their sense of self esteem and personal pride.
You want me to teach them patriotism and good citizenship, sportsmanship and fair play, and how to register to vote, balance a checkbook, and apply for a job.
You want me to check their heads for lice, recognize signs of antisocial behavior, and make sure that they all pass the State exams.
You also want me to provide them with an equal education regardless of their handicaps, and communicate regularly with their parents in English, Spanish or any other language, by letter, telephone, newsletter, and report card. You want me to do all this with a piece of chalk, a blackboard, a bulletin board, a few books, a big smile, and a starting salary that qualifies me for food stamps.
You want me to do all this and then you tell me. . . I CAN'T PRAY?
Something to think about when the board approves Jeromes salary of over $200,000.
9:32 p.m., I don't think the word "mistake" is part of most administrators' vocabulary. And thanks for posting that quote; I agree that it fits!
And 9:42 p.m. said:
"That means Clayton now has Tony Martinez, Ryan Ford and now the Web-Masters along with three private photographers that constantly are on call for events"
--So why are those minutes from November still not posted online?
The buildings had very competent teachers who had built their own webpages. This was when the districts site was so antiquated and almost useless. At the time they finally decided to hire Vision Friendly ( a good decision) they decided to do away with those teachers help and let it be a "more consistent" format and be done by Clayton and VF. It was suggested outling a format to follow and allowing the teachers who had stepped up prior to contiue their work. Afterall, they are the ones who know their buildings best. It was requested they be allowed to continue to update their school's pages. Dr. Roberts said NO. So the web masters of the past were dropped, a few years pass and new ones shall be chosen to take over.
Either they've seen the light or someone needed a "strategic" plan with which to take credit.
As far as praying you can pray anytime anywhere if you know how. I pray at my lunch time or when things are going wrong at work and take a minute to just say to myself "Lord help me get through this day and with your help I can" Then I move on.
As far as teachers pay and making a starting pay that qualifies you for food stamps well join the groups that have gone to college and are in the same boat. Also, you know when you start what the starting pay is and if it isn't enough go to another district. You are lucky one way your health insurance is paid for and you get a great pension not like most is this district that won't see that.
Yes, where are the minutes from those meetings? If they where approved the should be on the website it is a violation of the open meetings act but this board doesn't care about following the law they are just concerned about getting favors from administration.
Just like the district having different hours at Central Office cutting back to six hours a day. If they don't have enough work to do then they should get rid of people. Also if the hourly employees put on their time sheets that they worked 40 hours they are committing fraud. Where I work they cut back hours and we don't get paid for that and we have to put a code on our time sheets to show it. We do have a code if we get paid by any other than vacation time or another day our company gives us. If the district ever got audited they would be caught on that because the employees stated they worked that time and didn't.
It makes you wonder I heard the board president has her own company I wonder if she had to cut back hours for her employees if she pays them for that. Other members of the board also work do you get paid if you don't work? It is called fraud folks when you do that and just because you work for the State don't make it legal.
So if in fact the board is paying the hourly Central Office employees for hours they don't work and approve the payroll you are committing fraud against the taxpayers of this district. You are no different that the last board.
$10,000.00 a year raise is past ridiculous. Where is this money coming from. Could it be from the rumor that we have 10 million to the good? If this district has this much money then we do not need help from the government or state. The help we get from them should go to the districts that truly need it. How can a low income districit have that much to the good Jay Augistine? How come we have teachers needing thing for their classrooms? If we do have that much money to the good, then know it will go to supeintendant and administration and new administration jobs will be made. Anita Lewis will always vote with Johnson. She truly does not have a mind of her own. If it is true she is one who gets favors for her grandchildren, then why would she go against the flow? No one on that board has any integrity. Each any everyone of them are out for something for theirself and not the students. May God help them all for sooner or later they will need help.
197 comments:
"Peace on Earth--good will to all!"
Happy Holidays to everyone who reads this blog!
:)
"What you do in the dark will come out in the light".
Thanks to this blog (and others), certain things have come into the light. Let the chips fall where they may.
Then by all means, use birth control--the world doesn't need any more like you!
:)
In today's Beacon:
AURORA — If some school reform advocates have their way, it could be more difficult for public school teachers to obtain tenure and for teachers unions to strike in Illinois.
On Thursday and Friday, a panel of eight state legislators gathered at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy in Aurora to hear testimony about controversial measures that would affect Illinois public schools and teachers unions.
The possible reforms being considered by Illinois House members include making teacher tenure tougher to acquire, making it more difficult for teacher unions to strike and considering performance evaluations when a school decides to hire or fire.
State Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia, D-Aurora, said these are issues some community leaders have been trying to fix for more than 20 years.
“I don’t know how rapidly we’ll be moving on possible legislation, but it’s been an extremely thoughtful discussion on all sides,” she said.
I have been listening to Linda Chapa Lavia spout her anti-education bull for long enough. Despite the State of Illinois funding education at a rate that places them 49th of the 50 states, she believes that the state spends too much on education and teachers have too many rights. Now she wants to remove the few protections that teachers have remaining.
Let's be clear. Tenure does not mean that a school system can not dismiss a bad teacher. It simply means that they must bring the teacher befor the school board and justify a reason for firing the teacher. It only protects a teacher from being fired without just cause.
If given her way, LaVia would take away all teachers rights. It's may be time that the teachers unions begin to show our legislatures their true power. With one word from the IEA and IFT this state would be shut down. Imagine if every public school teacher in Illinois striked at the same time. Every school would close, parents would be forced to stay home with their children and not work, businesses would not be able to run. The outcry would deafen our leaders. Next the unions could organize political campaigns with their outraged teacher membership. We could have every member of the state legislature replaced with "Friends of Labor".
Our leaders know these things are very possible, that is why they made no mention of these laws they now want to pass before the elections last month. The next elections will be coming up sooner than they think. Their actions will not be forgetten.
If they really want to save the state money, they need to start with where the greatest number of dollars are lost, Road Repair and Construction. Last year 8 Billion was spent by the State of Illinois on education while over 21 Billion was spent on roads. If the State of Illinois simply put a one year moratorium on road construction, they would solve the state financial deficit and show a surplus. Of course, this won't happen because the same companies that receive these State of Illinois contracts are the largest contributors to the leaders who want to destroy labor unions.
Until political corruption is addressed in Illinois, we are not going to receive the reform that is truely needed in Illinois. The problem, as is almost always the case, is at the top, not the bottom.
Don't pretend it's Illinois only - The US government is the same way, ALL CORRUPT. Looking out for "friends" and campaign contributors is their first priority, looking out for their reelection is their second priority and looking out for the American people is their LAST priority - Obama to Bush to Clinton to Regan - All the same.
You are right tenure does not mean they can't get rid of a teacher just like any union we all have time in service rights but our employers also have rights to document the things we do wrong but if you have an employee that will do your will as an administrator or manager you will keep them even if you do wrong. As time goes by the administrators owe you favors that you will not act against them if they are wrong.
We need to change the good old boy system and get back to dong the will of the people and not who is running the show and benefiting from it.
Until we as the people who vote for these people stand up nothing will change. Our district is an example and you will see this as time goes on. Let see if our board will stand up and give our teachers a fair stand and get teachers aids in the classrooms that have more than 30 students in them or will they add more administrator positions and people that will not really help in the classrooms. The climate in this district is to help the superintendent get more money and Clayton to continue to run the district. We have a board president that is a bully and needs friends so much she will sell her soul to get to be friends with the administration instead of what is good for our students. It is not only the president but also some on the board that have gotten favors for their children and not for the whole of the district that will vote for anything that the superintendent, clayton or the president wants to benefit themselves and not for the whole district.
Until we as the voters stand up against them nothing will change.
Pointless
It is pointless if the voters don't stand up to the elected officials that that are suppose to do the will of the people and not to benefit their pocket books. Let's start with getting rid of the board president.
It is also pointless if teachers do not stand up for themselves and keep on doing the will of the superintendant and administrators when it is wrong or wrong are being done to them.
As for businesses being shut down if all teachers went on strike at the same time, well parents have to have someone take care of their children when they are out of school, so there should not be a problem. In this economy, if someone does not come in to work due to something like this, there is going to be someone willing to take their job and find someone to take care of their children, if they have any.
Why are people turning this posting into a negative?
For once can we not wish one another some kindness and niceness?
I do wish kindness and niceness upon all in our district who make decisions in students' best interests.
Those who don't, deserve coal in their stockings.
And I'm being nice.
:)
"Best interests" does not me "this stupid blogs interests"
"Best interests" is subjective.
Most of the people that post on this blog wants the best for all students in the district and don't want to line the superintendents or administrations pockets for doing nothing. Then there is the board president that needs attention and the superintendent and administration knows how to play her by acting like they are her friends to get their way.
May the students in this district get the best they can in learning from this district in the new year and may the board stand firm in getting them help in the classrooms for the New Year.
I think this President did more for the children of d131 than any. I am sure she does not need friends she has many admirers in this District. It sounds like sour grapes for some who may have never received the attention of the residents she claimed she was fighting for. One would wonder if the residents saw things her way they would have supported her. Soon her term is up. Maybe the District will have someone run for the Board that cares for the education of children instead of someone who just had a ax to grind with administration.
Marry Christmas to all!!!
December 19, 2010 8:09 -sounds like Yoda talkin'-- what a hoot! LOL
December 19, 2010 9:56- "Marry" Christmas Ms. Johnson. You'd be the only one who would brag about "this president." The saga continues-so many emperors in new clothes.
I think its Clayton he is the only one how thinks that highly of her because she gave him assistant to grow B2M. Anyways Johnson is tooooo into herself to wish anyone a Marry Christmas. When she visits Central office she breezes past everyone and right for Roberts. By the way the Central office has a Dee Weaver count-down calender and many mock her community support.
On another subject only Clayton can turn Christmas into a black thing @claytonmuhammad good morning! Happy Cristmakwanzzakkah
This is a recent post of his.
Also, please read the District web-site no mention of Holiday break dates but we sure have Martin Luther King posted.
By the way unless we have a major flood of community members that care tomorrow the Board will not change.
MARRY CHRISTMASS HA HA
Had to be Clayton he does not believe in Christmas Kwanzaa is the only holiday for him.
8:09, on what planet is five years of blunders in students' best interests?
Maybe 11:18 is right: you're really Yoda.
:)
So who is Yoda you should do a little research because that does not describe the administrators.Yoda was one of the most renowned and powerful Jedi Masters in galactic history, who was known for his legendary wisdom, mastery of the Force and skills in lightsaber combat. Yoda served as a member of the Jedi High Council. Or do you think Roberts could be Yoda.
"Best interests" does not me "this stupid blogs interests"
This comment sounded like the unusual arrangement of a sentence like Yoda.
Also, Yoda is definitely from another planet--probably why 2:03 p.m. made the reference.
Using the Star Wars analogy, it's easy to see that some (not all) of our administration was definitely on the Dark Side a few years ago.
Along with the School Board from Hell, who gave the community the middle finger.
You are all so stupid, you ignore the truth and harp on the lies. I hope you all die. That is what I asked Santa for.
22 years of laziness
Only if you define "laziness" as someone pouring their heart & soul into a program, being supported by 99% of students, parents, and alumni, and having the guts to defy a corrupt administration.
75% of statistics are completely made up.
Good Job.
Too bad there are so many Beacon and Tribune articles, letters to the editor, and pictures of signs as irrefutable proof that what 7:36 p.m. says about community support is absolutely true.
Nice try, 7:50. Would you like me to quote some of those articles? I have a thick scrapbook full, organized by date. You'll be exposed as the liar you are!
Santa doesn't give treats to liars.
:(
Wow. You have articles PROVING that 99% of the community supported him. I would love to see that.
Or maybe you have articles that A LOT of people supported him and really can't prove the 99% as that was completely made up.
Again, I hope you get run over by a reindeer and die.
Approximately 99% of those who spoke out about the situation were supportive. There were more than 100 individuals who are on record as either writing letters to the editor, calling the Openline comment line, putting signs in their yards, or speaking at School Board meetings. Only ONE parent spoke negatively (and she had no credibility, based upon the specific criticism she made).
That's what I meant by 99% support. It may not be as scientific as you would wish, but it's definitely documented.
Well there is a difference there now isn't there. 99% of people WHO SPOKE - Lot's of people did not speak and we don't know about those.
But more people tend to speak when the disagree with the decision being made and not when the agree, so that "pole" is not scientific at all and cannot be extrapolated out to the entire district.
As a parent, I can tell you that I would definitely speak up either positively or negatively about an administration's efforts to remove one of my childrens' teachers. And the fact that only ONE parent (out of several dozen who spoke publicly) had anything negative to say is very telling.
And also very well documented.
So you are telling me that if the administration was trying to remove a teacher, and you agreed with them that the teacher should be removed, you would go to a school board meeting and tell them that they were doing the right thing?
You are full of shit.
If a teacher is ineffective or incompetent, you bet I would speak up about it--and I would get other parents to speak out as well! Parents throughout the country (and throughout history) have advocated for the best interests of their children. You're a poor excuse for a parent if you think otherwise.
But I won't wish you dead, or tell you you're full of sh*t. No, our "team" has a bit more class than that.
Enjoy that coal in your stocking!
:)
Why don't you all start the New Year off with a promise to stop talking about the Band issue. It is finished move on to a new topic. Then this stupid blog will shut down forever.
You would not speak up about it if the the process had already started. If they said we are going to remove Mr. Smith, he will no longer be teaching. There is no way in hell you would go to the meeting and say. You're right, thanks for getting rid of him. You are a liar and I still hope you die.
10:50, the band issue will be "over" when all those who were responsible for the bullying are finally GONE from the district. Fortunately, only a handful are still working in D131--so hopefully they'll leave for their "next journey in life" (as bully Marin Gonzalez so famously put it) sooner rather than later.
7:16 a.m., you don't know me. You don't know what I would or wouldn't speak out about. But go ahead and wish that I'd die; we're all going to die sometime.
:)
This is the mentality of people on this blog. This is why nothing gets done. They are too busy trying to prove they are right then actually trying to understand a different point of view. You people are children that don't deserve to make decisions "in the student's best interests." Go take a nap, you all sound a bit grumpy.
Anybody going to the meeting tonight?
NO!!!
Here is my surprised face.
:-0
To: December 19, 2010 10:50 PM
You are as correct about the matter being Finished as Clayton, administration and board were five years ago when they they had Clayton state basically the same thing in the Beacon.
The matter is finished when the community decides it is, not when the district does. And the community has already indicated when that will be. It is when every bully administrator and board member who supported that move are gone, not before.
Whine all you want but the issue will continue to be discussed until the bullies are gone. The administration and board have been forced to listen over the past five years because they refused to listen to the community then.
I think it is funny that you think they have "been forced to listen" from you posting on this blog. What a joke. They would rather you post here because you don't have the balls to actually say something face to face.
9:13 a.m., very well said!
:)
Most of the board has already been replaced as a direct result of the Kaisershot debacle. If you think the administration has not been forced to listen to the community, then you are the one with your head firmly planted where the sun don't shine.
The board is not yet where it needs to be but it's a far cry from the rubber stamp it was under the serial bully Radakovich.
I think you are very bold in saying that most of the board has been replaced by what happened to Kaisershot. I for one as a voter for D131 did not make a decision to vote some out because of that. The board had been bulling others before him and the district had fallen on their responsibility to educate all our children. You could see that the board cared more for lining administrators pockets than teaching children. They also used the ELL and the poverty rate in the district to do their will and not giving their best for the children.
Let's hope in this season of giving and forgiving those that can't get past of the K thing do and that they move on the benefit all the children.
The board president rubber stamps whatever Roberts or administration wants now so no change.
The last board rubber stamped all sorts of illegal crap. They rubber stamped the Bigelow deal where the district saw no financial compensation for new subdivisions. They rubber stamped the Walmart/Police Station deal where the district lost two and a half million dollars. The last board rubber stamped the land deal around the high school where the old board president Malaker got a sweet deal on his house.
While the new board does do a lot of rubber stamping for the administration, they are not pulling the illegal crap the old guard board did and they are not costing the distict millions and millions of dollars.
Let's not forget that Roberts was part of the Bigelow deal and thought it was good. The Bigelow deal was not illegal it just was unethical a big difference since the Mayor was involved. Non of what you say was illegal about the old board it was just that no one stood up to them. The money they lost in the Walmart/Police Station deal was stupid but not illegal. You have to ask yourself with this new board about the referendum did the district really need it. I'm not saying that we couldn't use more money for the students but did it really go to the students. As far as illegal crap for the new board I think they do it only in a different way. They give favors for board members children and they make decisions under the table among some of them about how the district should be ran.
Do you realize that every time they give our administration a raise it is costing us taxpayers? We will have our taxes raised for the pensions that are being payed out to all public service employees while most of us are getting less for ours. While they take out of our Social Security to pay these people for their retirement we will suffer so none of the new or old board are better than the other.
The old board approves the Walmart land deal. In this deal developer buddies of Radakovich buy the land from the district for 2.2 million dollars. The next week, they sell the same land to Walmart for 5.7 million dollars.
You're right, doesn't sound at all illegal. It happens all the time.
Malaker (the board president) and the rest of the board approve buying homes next to the high school including Malaker's house.
No conflict of interest there. Perfectly legal.
It was also the old board who came out and stated that Boys II Men was legal when it was clearly breaking high school fraternity and discrimination laws.
I don't like everything that the new board has done but they are no where near as corrupt as the last board was.
You are correct I don't feel the new Board really makes illegal or poor money choices. But they sure benefit by favors. They also let Roberts and Johnson make all the decisions. It also seems they trust Roberts to much.
http://finance.yahoo.com/focus-retirement/article/111588/the-10-worst-states-for-retirees?mod=fidelity-readytoretire&cat=fidelity_2010_getting_ready_to_retire
Bad government in 131, bad gov. in IL
Who pays, those who live here.
Here's something POSITIVE that our EHS kids did a couple of weeks ago (from yesterday's Beacon):
AURORA — More than 150 East Aurora High School students braved inclement weather to raise $7,000 during the school’s Day of Sacrifice Walk on Dec. 4. English teacher Shane Gillespie and students in his survival literature course held the 12-hour walk to raise funds to assist in building a school in Gor Ayen, Sudan, and to bring an internationally known Sudanese author to speak at the school. After reading the biography of Francis Bok, “Escape From Slavery,” the students were inspired to organize a fundraiser to bring the author there and to assist him in his efforts to promote education in his native Sudan.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Say what you want about certain corrupt/bully administrators--our kids ROCK! And those awesome kids are the reason many of us are willing to put up with the HMIC's (head morons in charge).
Favors to other people are illegal and unethical also.
You mentioned Boys II Men and how the old board said they where legal. How about how this board made them partners of the district so they must think it isn't illegal. How about this board getting Clayton and assistant so he could spend more time promoting his group. Then there was the time Clayton had a principle pull a teacher from the classroom so he could talk to kids. Many on this board think he is the only person that can save some of them. Stealing from the district is illegal and this board does that by letting Clayton work on his Boys II Men on the districts dime.
I can't argue with that. The old board basically looked the other way, while this board is financing Clayton's illegal fraternity.
They are financing Boys II Men with our tax dollars.
Is Central Office only working 6hrs a day instead of 8hrs during the Christmas break like they always do and get paid for a 40hr week? If so that is stealing from the tax payers also.
What some of the Board members do borders on illegal. Many do get favors.
Wells for years has had relatives and friends get teachers aide, security, and office support jobs. There are about five that I know of.
Gonzales has a daughter that works part-time and that a over-statement considering people are always covering her multi days off. Gonzalez paid Jerome off by bring Tursa on the Board.
Hull acts like he runs the High-School. His daughter has a job in the office and a Central Office administrator scheduling her classes. Her schedule was altered in the middle of the school term a favor granted to none. Them she will receive a scholarship what a pay-off.
Lewis runs Waldo her grand-children are featured on all the District brochures and PR material Clayton produces.
Weaver tried but never received any favors. I will be sad to see her go. Roberts will never be held accountable again.
Johnson has done a few good things. But her backing of Clayton is a problem. With-out Weaver who knows the next thing her and Roberts will pull.
Except for the board members that are on the board now does anyone know anything about the others that are running?
Three four-year terms, one two-year term. Mary Anne Turza (i), Juan Sifuentes, Raymond Hull (i), Robert “Robb” Hill, Lorena Cundari, Ignacio “Nacho” Cervantes, Mary Fultz
Juan Sifuentes, already receives benefits at the preschool and serves on Hispanic Heritage with Lisa Morales. For anyone who knows anything about Hispanic Heritage it is a board that does not represent anyone they are all self serving.
Robert “Robb” Hill goes to Clayton's church and is a friend of his.
Lorena Cundari is part of the township democrats.
Ignacio “Nacho” Cervantes is the former student board member and a B2M
Mary Fultz is another friend of Clayton's and Wells
Clayton spent the day at Central office greeting everyone. First time he had been seen in weeks. He actually worked all day at Central Office with the door open. The funny part was they all filed after Cundari and Clayton knew they were coming in.
Either way none of these people seem to have a clue and with Weaver gone nobody will question Roberts.
So I take it that you are also running then since you have a problem with everybody else.
Marin Gonzales was the one who admitted before the board that B2M was illegal. She was an administrator when she did this. Don't go blaming this all on the board. For anyone who thinks B2M is illegal, go talk to the States Attorney with your inforamtion and proof.
Weaver never tried to get favors. She does not trust Roberts and just what favors would she want? She is the only one that once is a while had to the guts to go against the others when she felt they were wrong. Who will do that now? The rest that will be left that is on the board currently and still might get back in are just like puppets on a string to Roberts and Johnson. Johnson goes beyond what a board president or board member should do. She likes being in control and in the limelight. She does offer people things if they will do certain things.
Isn't Nacho also the student board members boyfriend? He was also easily swayed by the board for that referendum.
I hope if Weaver knows anything, if she does not reveal it before she leaves, that she reveals it after she leaves. It is good to recognize that there is someone out there that is aware of Weaver has done and tried to do.
What is the latest date that anyone has to get their signatures in to run for school board?
No I work for the District and will not leave my paying job for the non paying job of the Board. Funny you don't have a problem with Clayton hand picking the candidates.
The Board elections are closed. What is Johnson doing or offering other Board members and who said Weaver ever received anything.
I never said that. I just said that for somebody who bitches a lot does not seem to have any answers.
Hey, I don't think the situation is perfect but I also don't think it is as bad as some of you drama queens make it out to be.
You exagerate and lie to "prove" your biased opinion.
It is a shame that more community members do not stand up and run for the board.
That is why Clayton controls the Board his friends do.
Thanks, 5:25, for reminding us what the administration told the community five and a half years ago.
Some of us may have forgotten!
:)
They might not have said "Merry Christmas"--but you got the rest of it right.
The one who complains alot does have answers or solutions that they think will work, but the others just ignore them. Rumor has it that we did not need that referendum. the money from that is probably what is paying for all the new admin positons and positions like the one helping Clayton. To bad it is not used for something that is needed, like teachers aids. Oh, lets see, new counsulers are going to solve the problem. Now they are going to hire and pay counsulers to help the teachers in the classrooms? The admins and the board president is just making new positions for people they know, probably. Now, just how is a counsuler going to help the overcrowding and need for aids? Way to many overpaid cheifs and the indians are dying out due to this. Sounds like the saga of the Old West. Thought anyone wanting to run for the board had until Jan to hand in their petitons. What a sad group that we having running to pick from.
What matters is what our KIDS deserve! They got the shaft from the administration, in the form of years of blunders, excuses, and cover-ups.
So sad, and so preventable.
Lies
Zero Truth, just lies
Ever notice how it's always the same "team" that starts spouting the profanities?
Nope I don't.
And then when a well-reasoned, non-obscene response comes from the other side, there's no specific counter-argument? Just a typical grade-school "liar, liar, pants on fire"?
Hmmmmm......
And when "our side" brings up a good point you ignore it also. You see what you want to see, you lie about what you want to lie about and you stand on the pastille that you can do no wrong. It is very difficult to argue with people who can't see past their own ignorance for more that 3 seconds.
And some people define a "lie" as anything they don't agree with, or would rather forget.
No matter how many hundreds of Google hits may reinforce the truth.
right
What a great definition of success, how many "google hits" agree with you.
I just typed "black people suck" with the quotes in a google search. There were 513,000 pages with that phrase associated with it, I guess it's true. Thanks google!!!!
This time I typed in "Blogs are a waste of time" and got 147,000 hits. So I guess black people suck more but blogs are still a waste of time because I have more than "hundreds of hits"
:0
:(
>:/
Way to go Mr. Liska - grEAt job finding a way to get a FULLY FUNDED new tenor sax for the EAHS band. Good luck with the rest of the instruments you are hoping for. Now that really is a Christmas Miracle. grEAt way to look outside of the box to help the band students.
The "Donors Choose" program is indeed a wonderful way to help our students! The music teacher at Bardwell, Mr. Martinez (a D131 "product" himself) funded two classroom projects (for chimes and books). And now the EHS band will be getting a tenor saxophone, thanks to generous folks who've logged on to donorschoose.org
Another positive thing we can do to help the kids in our district!
:)
Those who might be interested in reading what credible media sources had to say 5+ years ago should Google:
kaisershot beacon
OR
kaisershot tribune
~~~~~~~~~~~
Read all about the board's "mysterious decision". And about how this community supported a teacher who was so clearly being railroaded out of his job against the best interests of students.
Head shaking and loud sigh :/
Loves DonorsChoose.org - You should support, but you wont
10:06 a.m., you obviously don't know me-- I have recently supported donorschoose.org with a contribution to help a classroom in D131. It's a great new program, and hopefully many in our community will find out about it and donate, as well!
:)
What a nice website for people to go to and make donations directly to projects they like to support and you know that it goes to that project and not taken from there for something else.
I did see that a teacher need a projector for the classroom my question is since you have those smartbords why not give her one of those?
Yes, I did support a project and will look back for others.
I looked on the district's website and didn't see any mention of this and when you go and look at that website it said you could link it with others so that would maybe get more people to see it and maybe contribute.
After looking at donorchoose.org I think it is a wonderful idea for helping teachers get the basics of day to day learning for our students.
It is a shame that we passed a referendum to help the students and it looks like none of that filtered down to the classrooms.
This is in today's Beacon:
AURORA — The Aurora East Education Foundation awarded 10 grants this month to fund projects in the East Aurora schools. The grants totaled $13,300.
Each teacher was presented with a check to fund the project and a small gift, said district spokesman Clayton Muhammad. Teachers applied for the grants earlier this year.
At Allen Elementary, $2,306 was awarded to purchase instruments and $2,468 was allocated to buy technology and sensory tools for a classroom.
At Simmons Middle School, $2,349 was awarded to purchase books, and at Rollins Elementary, $1,000 was awarded to help build a film club at the school.
Bardwell Elementary also received $2,167 to buy instruments.
The Aurora East Educational Foundation, in its 17th year, tries to attract private donations of money and services to enrich the educational offerings at East Aurora schools. The foundation sponsors the mini-grant program each year.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Merry Christmas to our students, from the Aurora East Educational Foundation!
Nice system. Certified and highly qualified professionals are forced to beg Clayton to obtain the items that they should already have in their classrooms.
So where exactly is all that money that was passed in the last referendum? Why must teachers crawl to Clayton so they can teach?
Our administration actually publicizes this? This district is so screwed up.
The Aurora East Educational Foundation has been around for years. Clayton name may have been on it but again the web-site is not updated. They have been very secretive about who is on this committee and why.They also seem to have money to throw around.
It is too bad that just about everything in our district has to be approved by Farrakhan's Disciple (aka Clayton Muhammad).
But at least our kids get some much-needed money from the education foundation.
6:15, the plural of elf is elves, not elfs.
Maybe Santa (& his elves) should have gotten you a spell-check for Christmas.
Or maybe you just need to remember to take your meds--that bipolar & ADHD's a bitch, isn't it? Especially when you've been drinking....
Winter Break
There is no school for students December 20 - 31, 2010. On December 20 -22, and December 27-29, Administrative Offices will close at 2:30 PM.
Administrative offices will be closed December 23, 24 and December 30, 31 for Christmas and New Year's Holiday.
School and Regular office hours will resume January 3, 2011.
So the employees that get paid by the hour won't get paid for a 40 hour week right like the rest of us that get our hours cut back during this time. If you look at their contract that is on the website it says nothing about this and if they get paid full pay. If they do they are stealing from the taxpayers.
An administrator works more than 8 hours a day so if they leave a bit early who cares. Just back from visiting my favorite group B2M they are at the Festival of Lights tonight.
"An administrator works more than 8 hours a day"--
Yeah, right.
Depends on how you define working!
Sitting around drinking coffee, schmoozing with other office staff, surfing the Web, reading the paper...
Administrators get a salary not paid by the hour so that post doesn't apply to them. So if the administration has to work more than 8 hours what are they doing it sure isn't doing anything to make the students learning easier just trying to find ways they don't have to work and make good money. They can't even find the right curriculum for the students.
No Minutes from November 15 or the December 6th meeting yet. Both should have been up by now.
Lisa Morales never does her job and Lewis who is Secretary of the Board doesn't care. She is so busy planning press releases for her grand-children with Clayton she has no time to concern herself with the business of the Board.
Maybe the Board President needs to call the District today not one cabinet member who received their big raise was in today except Augustine.
The sad thing is that while all the administrators and other staff gets big raises our students go without the basic things that should be in the classrooms. This district gives out raises, the board goes to seminars and stuff and take their families and no one thinks anything of it and our classrooms don't even have the basic things they should have and the teachers have to ask for them.
The entire district got new smart-boards and new computers are being installed in every class-room across the district. About 50 new teaching positions are in the works starting with this school year. A new schedule/information system has been ordered. The teachers received a good raise and never faced lay-offs like other districts. The 2011/2012 school over-crowding issues are being addressed. So for all your complaining this has been the best year yet for d131. Congrad's to the Board, the Superintendent and the administration for the best year yet.
You have to be kidding we have not made AYP in how many years? There was no layoffs because we where short teachers and got money for them from the Federal government to keep the ones we had. Are classrooms are overcrowded 30 students in a classroom is too much. Are teachers don't have the materials they need to teach over children they have to ask for it. So before anyone give the ones you stated a pat on the back lets see test scores go up.
Our
Way to look at the positive
The only effective way to address overcrowded classrooms is to add a clause to the contract the way the West Side has done. If a teacher has more than 28 students in a class (35 for PE), they receive an extra stipend.
All stipends have to be approved by the board. Therefor, the administrators on the West Side bend over backwards to make sure class sizes are 28 or lower. They don't want to explain to the Superintendent and Board why they need to pay extra stipends.
You may say I got a good raise but I'm still making $20,000 less than I would if I was on the other side of the river.
District 131 had schools on the watch list since the State started it, It's been 10 YEARS NOW.
Since we don't know who you are we can't say you are making less than those across the river but if you are an administrator that is not true. If you look at the admin salaries of the west side there is not that much difference and if you figure they haven't been on a watch list for 10 years that is why they get more.
You have to start some-where and it appears our current Board is trying to address issues. I do have friends that are teacher's on the West. They do not receive stipend anymore. They had to redo the teachers contract this year to take pay decreases and avoid lay-offs. Class size in the older building is as bad as d131 and they will be redistricting this year. That said they still earn about $12,000 more.
I am happy that we are catching the teachers up. It helped to receive the additional $1000 plus 4% it shows good faith on the part of the Board.
I do see progress on the part of bring up test scores we have asked this year for different materials this year and have been getting them. Our buildings have a little more to spend because the District picked up the bill for computers and smart-boards this year. A new information system is all on for next year but since we never had one I do understand it will save time for administrative functions in the class-room for teachers. Our building are also receiving more computer based reading programs to help with test scores.
I think think this blog needs to start looking at the positives it appears we turned the corner. At the beginning of the year Dr Roberts gave a speech to teachers saying he will fix the scores now that money is not a problem. I appears he is a man of his word.
The district had the white boards for a year now and most still aren't up and being used. They are good tools to use but not the only thing teachers need.
If you want to make as much as someone in another district than get a job there. What makes public employees think that they all should make the same amount of money?
Because we are all certified and paid by the same state.
Merry Christmas to our students, from the Aurora East Educational Foundation?
What happened the last couple years while Manny "there's a fly in my salad" Maisonet ran the foundation to the ground?
I notice that the School Board meeting scheduled for next Monday, January 3rd has been canceled.
Why?
Last year, on January 4th, 2010 there were TWO School Board meetings (a "special" meeting at 6:00 p.m. and a "regular" meeting at 7:00 p.m.). Yet this year there's no meeting at all on the first Monday in January. What's up with that?
Maybe things are going so astoundingly well there's no need for a meeting.
Well last year if you remember the 2nd December meeting was canceled. This year, there were 2 meetings in December. So, basically the same thing this year as last year.
They are not having a meeting because the entire cabinet is off. A couple like Aird, Adams and Childress did schedule vacation. But others like Clayton use the same old story I will be working from home. That means I am stealing from the tax payer again and taking extra vacation I am not entitled to. I makes it very difficult when the administrators don't even tell the staff they are not working this week or the chain of command.
Brain (lame) trust of Roberts, Lisa Morales never told anyone she would be off. Someone is always suppose to be in charge Roberts, Aird or Gonzalez has not been around.
I think it is time someone call the Board President and ask who is in charge?
When the Cat's away the mice will play!!!!!
Here goes the racist Clayton again spending District time on Martin Luther King. Although King was a inspirational to the black community he is not the only person this District should honor. Clayton has spent months on this event will we continue to hire outside photographers. Last month we paid $600 to Lyle Rolf and we also employee a Hispanic fella and Donell Collins as well to take pictures. This on top of numerous bills paid to Vision Friendly. Vision Friendly is well over $35,000 alone. That on top of hiring Tony B2M Martinez. Who also seems to be out this week. One month on the job and already off.
Clayton takes money away from our children but the Board will never take action. Lewis and Hall have received favors and the Board President is as phony as him. His boss Jerome needs to feel black so he hangs around with him. So he will be safe working for the City of Aurora, West Aurora, Waubonsee Valley and newly adopted Oswego East.
# Sitting next to former Police Chief, Bill Powell, Aurora's first Black Chief. Love this guy. Retirement is a nice fit on him! Ahhh one day 3 minutes ago via TweetDeck
# The MLK Planning Team is in full force this morning. The longevity and influence around this table inspires me beyond measure 13 minutes ago via TweetDeck
# Vacation Day #3: Extreme Cycling Class at 5a was not even attractive lol .. En Route to Mayor's Office to discuss MLK program.
# Then prepping for the arrival of the Jesse White Tumblers at my high school. Meeting with at Athletic Dept team in a few to see the plan 39 minutes ago via TweetDeck
# Now en route to lunch with some college brothers who said they want my advice on leadership and taking over lol ummm ok. Let's go 40 minutes ago via TweetDeck
# Ok. MLK Planning Mtg. 3 hours of power. Love a productive team! I'm honored to host the 2011 MLK Tribute Ceremony. 1/17 at Paramount! 41 minutes ago via TweetDeck
# RT @Gyrl619: @ClaytonMuhammad cool wanna work my shift for me LoL < love you but I must pass on this one lol 42 minutes ago via TweetDeck
# RT @TonyMartinez03: @ClaytonMuhammad too young to think about retirement. < Quoting Drake: I'm really too young to be feeling this old. Lol 43 minutes ago via TweetDeck
# RT @dscampana: @ClaytonMuhammad Get ready, @CN100GOTW has @EA131 on the broadcast schedule next week! < YES!!! Im excited! Ready for it!! about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck
# @Gyrl619 lol no way never that!!!! about 3 hours ago via TweetDeck in reply to Gyrl619
# @Gyrl619 lol I just saw that! It's no problem. It's all fun and good on my part about 3 hours ago via TweetDeck in reply to Gyrl619
So Clayton must of took a half day from working since he was at a MLK preparation meeting. Don't you like how he stated his high school instead of East High School. Some are right he does run the show there and he does do other work on the districts dime.
Still no minutes - I thought this blog got things done, I mean I posted that the minutes were not up like 2 days ago.
That would require Clayton or Ryan Ford uploading it. Clayton, Ryan & Tony are not in today. Although none are scheduled for a vacation day.
@December 29, 2010 12:51 PM that should tell you something. If you want answers why don't you call the central office.
Because no one is working there this week. They are just collecting salaries.
Why does not someone get ahold of the board secretary then? If no one is there at the central office then the board secretary should be able to handle the minutes and answer your questions. Also, one could also contact the president of the board, after all she does have her nose in everything else and wants to be in control of everything.
The Board Secretary is to busy promoting her Grand-children with Central office. So asking Central Office to work would be impossible for her. Let us not forget she talked a good game supporting K but turned around as soon as administration asked her to join a committee to hire Liska. So when Central Office offers to put her grand kid on a hand-out she is happy.
If those board minutes where approved they should be on the website I believe 7 days after the approval. If you are so upset about it you can contact the States Attorney because not posting them is a violation of the Open Meetings Act not the the States Attorney will do anything they make the laws but don't enforce them and if they do it is just something they want to fight.
10:34 p.m., Anita Lewis did NOT recommend hiring Mr. Liska! Here's a direct quote from the Beacon-News:
"Two parents, who maintain that the best decision is to keep Kaisershot, served on a committee with teachers and administrators to help select the new director"
(The two parents were Anita Lewis and Patti Phillips)
Ms. Phillips then said, speaking for both:
"None of the three new candidates were qualified to take the position...The other parent and I said we like Brian, but he's so young and has no experience. The administration is just scrambling and looking for someone to hire, and they've put this kid in"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Proof positive, in print, that Anita Lewis (the current board secretary) did NOT recommend hiring Liska!
Just setting the record straight.
:)
I notice that the district is hiring 3 new counselors, one for each of our middle schools.
Thanks for dwelling in the negative. Get over it.
Dec.29,10 12:44 PM "Don't you like how he stated his high school instead of East High School."
I think you're splitting hairs here. I am an alum and I refer EAHS as my HS. Also, please just make reference to the link of the Twitter site-so those who wish to may go read it. Please don't make us continue to read thru all the posts you think are noteworthy.
None of them are noteworthy. People don't even have a clue what he is talking about. They think they have found some secret when CLAYTON is the one posting the tweets.
9:35, how is setting the record straight "dwelling in the negative"?
If reading the documented truth bothers you, that's your problem.
Get over it!
:)
I'm a alum also of East Aurora High School and when talking to people I state that East Aurora High School is the school I graduate from because they don't know that unless they are really close friends.
Plus Clayton is the PR person not a teacher or administrator who has the right to claim it as my high school. He goes way beyond what most PR person do.
GET OVER IT! PLEASE LEAVE THE DISTRICT. It's amazing to me that people who claim to love this district but HATE everything about it and do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to help
And it's amazing to me that some people seem to have no interest in documented truth when the history of this district is being discussed. No, they'd rather believe the bully administrators' revised version.
You're right, this blog has no interest in the truth. Glad you finally realized it.
If Anita Lewis and Patti Phillips served on a committee with administrators they did approve of he getting rid of Kaisershot or they would have boycotted and not backed administrators period. These quotes are also from the Beacon are you sure they are correct. If Lewis who is now on the Board was on a committee was she not appointed by current superintendent who was Asst. Superintendent and Marin Gonzalez.
If she thinks they wronged K then why did she renew Roberts contract and give Marin a big fat raise.
Dr. Roberts had very little involvement in the Kaisershot situation; the administrators involved were mostly Radakovich, Gordon Postlewaite, Marin Gonzalez, and Joe Harmon. Gonzalez and Harmon are still working in this district.
Here's another direct quote from that Beacon-News article:
"The parents and teachers who served on the committee were asked to list the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate and make comments, said East High Assistant Principal Joe Harmon, but were not asked to make recommendations"
~~~~~~~~~~
So it's ludicrous to imply that Anita Lewis recommended the hiring of Brian Liska! It was entirely the bully administration, led by Harmon and Gonzalez at the high school. And as far as boycotting anything, I do remember the many "Keep Kaisershot" signs popping up in yards throughout our district (which had the effect of helping the first candidate hired to replace Mr. K decide NOT to take the job). That was probably the strongest action the parents dared to take, along with the hundreds of letters and phone calls made to the local newspapers on his behalf.
Rudy, I'm the one who has been quoting Beacon-News articles, and here's why:
When Dec. 30, 10:34 p.m. implied that Anita Lewis was a flip-flopper or turncoat when it came to her support of Mr. K., I quoted the Beacon-News article that proved otherwise. Ms. Lewis is a friend of mine, and I did not want her accused of something she did not do.
I didn't start this particular discussion involving the Kaisershot situation--but I will not sit by and see my friend accused of something when I have the evidence to prove otherwise.
The sad thing in this is that no one hears what the children in this district wants. They have a real sense of what is going on but the adults don't want to see is that they want to get holding their own grudges. It is all about the money and who gets it and it has nothing to do with what the students want or what they need. Listen to our students in this district they really know what is going on on what needs to be changed.
Amen Rudy!
Anita Lewis was picked to serve on the committee at the time because she was a supporter of Marin Gonzalez. She did not support the Kaisershot choice but she quickly jumped on board to give input to his replacement. Many of us at the time had signs and supported the band either as parents or former boosters. Lewis and Phillips got picked out a large group and could have refused.
If you follow her on the Board she always votes with the administration same thing she does not stand on her own. She against something then she for it. A repeat of K.
9:37 a.m., you are WRONG. I was a fellow band parent and friend of Anita Lewis, and I can tell you that she and Patti Phillips agreed to serve on that committee only because they thought it might be a chance to challenge the bullies and get Mr. K his job back. Those two parents were anything BUT supporters of Marin Gonzalez!
And Rudy, wouldn't YOU speak up and set the record straight if someone said something inaccurate and insulting about one of your friends? That's how Mr. K got mentioned in this particular discussion.
But now that Anita is on the board she is a supporter of Marin Gonzalez and rubber stamps anything she wants.
To 4:32 pm
Dr. Roberts had very little involvement in the Kaisershot issue ???
Dr. Roberts was the Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education. All decisions about a high school teacher would have to go through him before going to the superintendent. Secondly, at that point Radakovich was half out the door and Roberts was already warming up the Superintendents seat every chance he had.
Roberts knew about and approved everything that happened to Kaisershot but didn't have the cajones to stamp his name on it. Instead, he let Radakovich take the blame. Radakovich was all but gone anyway, it made perfect sense to let someone with nothing to lose take the heat.
Yawn.......
Anita Lewis is a supporter of Marin Gonzalez she recently voted on a big raise for Marin. It is interesting the Beacon has not reported this story. Clayton must be working his magic again. This raise will total about a additional $10,000 this year and a additional $10,000 next year. A good raise for someone that does not support her.
Let us also not forget her vote keeping Jerome with the District for another 5 years. Jerome will also get a additional $10,000 per year. Jerome will also leave the District making about $260,000 the same as the bully.
I blame Lewis more than anyone because she suffered through the Kaisershot days and knew who Marin & Jerome are.
Lets also remember she also supported a four year contract for Jerome Roberts. Now Jerome works four day work weeks. He is Superin
I personal prefer -- "shakes head and loud sigh"
9:42 a.m., a little D131 history lesson for you:
Gordon Postlewaite was the Director of Secondary Education who got rid of Kaisershot, not Jerome Roberts.
It was Postlewaite who started the whole personal vendetta against Kaisershot--at least a year before the whole thing blew up in the spring of 2005! Here's a direct quote from the Personnel & Policy committee minutes in April, 2004:
"Mr. Postlewaite discussed the issues and concerns involving the leadership on the EHS Band Program in Executive Session at the April 5th. Detailed documentation and information exchanges were provided. A meeting has established in an attempt reach an acceptable improvement plan of action. The Board will be kept apprised."
~~~~~~~~~~~
And as far as Anita Lewis voting on Marin's raise, she probably had very little choice but to go along with the others and support the POSITION, not necessarily the person.
I can't speak for the present situation, but I do know that at one time Jerome Roberts and Kevin Kaisershot were friends, or at least had mutual respect for each other.
Wow!!!!! Forget the Mr. K issue!!!!!!!!!! You can't change the past so stop dwelling in it. This blog is so pointless. Talk about relevant issues please and don't say this is because its not.
We won't forget until the powers that be are no longer blah blah blah blah blah
"Relevant issues"?
It is absolutely relevant to cite specific evidence when a CURRENT School Board member (in this case, Anita Lewis) is falsely characterized.
It is absolutely relevant to correct a misconception about a CURRENT administrator's (in this case, Jerome Roberts) involvement in a teacher's having been railroaded out of his high school teaching position.
And it is absolutely relevant to discuss how CURRENT administrators (such as Marin Gonzalez, Joe Harmon, and Clayton Muhammad) have chosen to deal with employees and the public.
This isn't digging up the past; it's defending the truth and trying to prepare for a better future for our district.
And THAT'S relevant!
:)
Anita Lewis is relevant she could vote no. She could make a statement.
Anita Lewis can not do anything about Kaisershot it is a issue that was over 5 years ago to keep bring it up is pointless. The last Board member (Wells) from that era will soon retire. I also may not always agree with the choices made with the current Board but you can bet a employee would have never been railroaded.
It Proves Roberts was involved
May 18, 2005|By Amy Fischer Roth.
EAST AURORA — While East Aurora band students were attending their banquet Monday, the replacement for their music director was being hired by the District 131 Board of Education.
After a lengthy executive session Monday, James Kosiek, assistant band director at Glenbrook South, was hired.
Jerome Roberts, District 131's director of school improvement for Grades 6 through 12, said Kosiek has worked at the school in Glenview for four years and has 23 years of experience. Kosiek will start Aug. 22, Roberts said.
In 2006 Roberts was given the following.
Cordagan Clark gave an Outdoor Kitchen and a trip to Switzerland.
This blog is pointless!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is full of ignorant people bringing up the same old issues we cannot change.
I'm so sleepy
It must be easier than wearing two bags over that face
12:55 p.m., I agree that under this current School Board, it's unlikely that an employee would be railroaded. And now we have an opportunity to elect new School Board members this spring. Let's hope we get some more who care about our students' best interests!
Maybe 2011 will be the year that Marin Gonzalez, Joe Harmon, and Clayton Muhammad will leave our district and we can truly move forward.
"Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself."
Great words to live by - not always easy to do.
"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"
--More words of wisdom; may we try to live up to this standard in the New Year!
:)
"Practice what you preach"
Another tweet from Clayton's department. Now they have School Board members working on water issues for the Central Office employees on New Year. This would be Ray Hull. The same Hull who hired the serial bully. So don't be so certain a repeat of Kaisershot would not happen.
Board members receive favors, Board members give favors that is the pattern at District 131.
@ryanjford @TonyMartinez03 no problem! That's Tony's partner! He can do it. BUT we have a Board Member who is the Head of the Dept! lol about 1 hour ago via HootSuite in reply to ryanjford
"When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time"
--Maya Angelou
America is the land of the second chance - and when the gates of the prison open, the path ahead should lead to a better life.
George W. Bush
Anita can't do anything for what happened in the past but she could change things for the future. She will vote on anything that she thinks will help her grandchildren even if it doesn't benefit all the students. If we are in such good shape why don't our teachers have the daily things they need in the classroom? Maybe if one of her grandchildren would need something in the classroom the teachers would get what they need.
Aurora is also a "land of the second chance"--
A disgraced superintendent ("Serial Bully" Radakovich) gets a second chance as a faculty member at Aurora University, while simultaneously collecting a six-figure pension.
:(
The South would rather lose the war than admit to the mistake.
Lt. Gen. James Longstreet
For those who don't know, General Longstreet was second in command behind General Lee for the Confederacy. He would have been more famous but he had disagreed with General Lee regarding the Battle of Gettysburg. Of course, history has shown that Longstreet was correct and General Lee's decision led to the South's defeat.
The quote just reminded me so much of the administration and board for District 131.
Central Office news is no Board meeting for Monday because the Board President is out of town and Gonzalez is incapable of reading English so she can not conduct the meeting. Another problem is when Weaver finds out they have given Ryan Ford new helpers in every building called Web-Masters they would need Johnson to shut down the debate. A Web-Master will be paid a stipend of $1500 to keep the Web-Site up to date for his/her building along teacher pages. Mean-while Vision Friendly will still play the same role.
That means Clayton now has Tony Martinez, Ryan Ford and now the Web-Masters along with three private photographers that constantly are on call for events. This while our students and teachers have to beg donors.org for small items for their classroom.
Clayton along with his band of never seen staff is said to be working on the Phenomenal Man awards for Boys to Men. He his also producing the Martin Luther King celebration for the City. Mean-while Jerome I want people to think I am black looks the other way. So Jerome needs to have Johnson fight his Board battle
The New Teacher
After being interviewed by the school administration, the prospective teacher asked:
Let me see if I've got this right.
You want me to go into that room with all those kids, correct their disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse,
monitor their dress habits, censor their T-shirt messages, and instill in them a love for learning.
You want me to check their backpacks for weapons, wage war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases,
and raise their sense of self esteem and personal pride.
You want me to teach them patriotism and good citizenship, sportsmanship and fair play, and
how to register to vote, balance a checkbook, and apply for a job.
You want me to check their heads for lice, recognize signs of antisocial behavior,
and make sure that they all pass the State exams.
You also want me to provide them with an equal education regardless of their handicaps,
and communicate regularly with their parents in English, Spanish or any other language,
by letter, telephone, newsletter, and report card.
You want me to do all this with a piece of chalk, a blackboard, a bulletin board, a few books, a big smile,
and a starting salary that qualifies me for food stamps.
You want me to do all this and then you tell me. . . I CAN'T PRAY?
Something to think about when the board approves Jeromes salary of over $200,000.
9:32 p.m., I don't think the word "mistake" is part of most administrators' vocabulary. And thanks for posting that quote; I agree that it fits!
And 9:42 p.m. said:
"That means Clayton now has Tony Martinez, Ryan Ford and now the Web-Masters along with three private photographers that constantly are on call for events"
--So why are those minutes from November still not posted online?
The buildings had very competent teachers who had built their own webpages. This was when the districts site was so antiquated and almost useless. At the time they finally decided to hire Vision Friendly ( a good decision) they decided to do away with those teachers help and let it be a "more consistent" format and be done by Clayton and VF.
It was suggested outling a format to follow and allowing the teachers who had stepped up prior to contiue their work. Afterall, they are the ones who know their buildings best. It was requested they be allowed to continue to update their school's pages.
Dr. Roberts said NO. So the web masters of the past were dropped, a few years pass and new ones shall be chosen to take over.
Either they've seen the light or someone needed a "strategic" plan with which to take credit.
As far as praying you can pray anytime anywhere if you know how. I pray at my lunch time or when things are going wrong at work and take a minute to just say to myself "Lord help me get through this day and with your help I can" Then I move on.
As far as teachers pay and making a starting pay that qualifies you for food stamps well join the groups that have gone to college and are in the same boat. Also, you know when you start what the starting pay is and if it isn't enough go to another district. You are lucky one way your health insurance is paid for and you get a great pension not like most is this district that won't see that.
Yes, where are the minutes from those meetings? If they where approved the should be on the website it is a violation of the open meetings act but this board doesn't care about following the law they are just concerned about getting favors from administration.
Just like the district having different hours at Central Office cutting back to six hours a day. If they don't have enough work to do then they should get rid of people. Also if the hourly employees put on their time sheets that they worked 40 hours they are committing fraud. Where I work they cut back hours and we don't get paid for that and we have to put a code on our time sheets to show it. We do have a code if we get paid by any other than vacation time or another day our company gives us. If the district ever got audited they would be caught on that because the employees stated they worked that time and didn't.
It makes you wonder I heard the board president has her own company I wonder if she had to cut back hours for her employees if she pays them for that. Other members of the board also work do you get paid if you don't work? It is called fraud folks when you do that and just because you work for the State don't make it legal.
So if in fact the board is paying the hourly Central Office employees for hours they don't work and approve the payroll you are committing fraud against the taxpayers of this district. You are no different that the last board.
Think those new counselors are in place of teachers aids. Now how is a counselor going to take the place of an aid?
$10,000.00 a year raise is past ridiculous. Where is this money coming from. Could it be from the rumor that we have 10 million to the good? If this district has this much money then we do not need help from the government or state. The help we get from them should go to the districts that truly need it. How can a low income districit have that much to the good Jay Augistine? How come we have teachers needing thing for their classrooms? If we do have that much money to the good, then know it will go to supeintendant and administration and new administration jobs will be made. Anita Lewis will always vote with Johnson. She truly does not have a mind of her own. If it is true she is one who gets favors for her grandchildren, then why would she go against the flow? No one on that board has any integrity. Each any everyone of them are out for something for theirself and not the students. May God help them all for sooner or later they will need help.
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