So, Clayton gets new help for the New Year's. When is it going to stop with Clayton.
Then the Beacon has a article today about the District services about 977 preschool kids yet 1270 have applied. Funny how Lisa Morales friend Juan Sifuentes who is running for the Board can get his child in when he fits none of the criteria. Preschool is for “Students who come from economically disadvantaged homes and are identified with risk factors do not generally gain strong language skills from the home,” said Christie Aird, assistant superintendent of elementary programs in the East Aurora School District. This is not Mr Sufuentes or did Dr Aird look the other way he turned in his application was turned in. This is a clear violation of why the State gave this program to d131. This man is stealing for kids that need these services while he collects a wage from the Kane County (our taxes).
Then we have Nacho (B2M) Cervantes running for the Board do you think he will be objective.
Then we Robert Hill a youth services buddy of Clayton's again encouraged by Clayton.
Then we have Trusa buddy of long time no speak of the English Stella Gonzalez and District administrator lackey. See Stella daughter works part-time and is paid full time wages.
Then we have Ray Hull who has used his influence to promote his daughter. Her student ad visor is none other than our own Deanne Adams (District Director of Curriculum ). She has a job in the East Aurora High School Office that is her community service. While other students receive no help from counselors and are left to find community service hours on their own.
Will the Board change NO out of the seven five for sure are District cronies. That is how Clayton gets ahead he and Lisa always go out and find enough people to cover for Roberts lazy black ass.
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.
Response to January 1, 2011 9:42 PM The Web Masters will not be reporting to Clayton or Ryan Ford. They are being interviewed and picked by the Building Principals and will work for the Principals. Clayton did not ask for these positions. The stipend paid positions ($1500) are being put in as an effort to get news from the buildings quicker to the parents and community.
1:36 p.m., thanks for enlightening us. You're right about not everything being evil! We need to be reminded occasionally that there are a lot of GOOD decisions being made here in D131--decisions made with our kids' best interests at heart.
The web-masters will have to work with Ryan Ford who does answer to Clayton.
It doesn't really matter who will be answering to whom. These webmasters are being hired to allow Clayton and Ryan more time to do non-district business like run Boys II Men and Martin Luther King Jr. celebrations.
Then is the Board eliminating Ryan Ford's position. I agree it is better for the building but you can not continue to pay people to do the same job. What about the large bills paid to Vision Friendly.
Why do the class rooms lack basic needs? I agree information is great but lets buy books for the kids first.
Why three people running around taking pictures. Ryan Ford sure does not put pictures on the District Web-site. Please refer to the section District photo's this holiday. Did we have only 2 events I do know he maintains the B2M site. Clayton was asked about this and claims he pays him. Do we really believe that?
If the Board is doing their job then Ryan's contract will not be renewed. But no he just got a 6% raise.
This District still lacks leadership. If someone is not doing his job another is assigned at the Central Office. Ryan Ford who works for Clayton is worthless the reason Vision Friendly costs so much money is because they give Ryan lessons on how to maintain the web-site and still do most of the work. Ryan was a event planner not a computer major when people are hired at Central Office they need to hold a degree in what they are to be doing. The ROE monitors this, but this position is staff so that is not the case. Tony Martinez is another one he has a marketing degree, again nothing to do with education. Another position that was not needed. These positions have one thing in common they report to Clayton and nobody is sure what Clayton does all day long. We basically seems to work with B2M and Martin Luther King that is true. He also gets more complaints that any other District person for lack of returned calls the phone operators at the District can attest to that. Basically now the building are being asked to do their own pr so why do we need Clayton.
Ryan Ford runs his business out of Central Office like Clayton. Does this look like a person who maintains the Web. It is time someone ask Madam President whats going on. We all know she can not stand anyone who puts her image in a bad light. Someone should also ask her if she pays her employees for not working or running a business on her time. Since the other Board members are useless and can't even have a meeting on their own.
At Ryan J. Ford & Associates, we specialize in exceeding client expectations. We believe that no matter how large or small an event or meeting may be, details matter. We will ensure that every detail of your event is executed flawlessly.
Here is proof in case anyone says we are making up lies about Ryan.
RJF & Associates seamlessly integrates the creative production and technical elements of corporate and private events such as Movie Screenings, Book signings, CD Release Parties, LIVE CD/DVD recording events, as well as many others. Contact us today to see how we can help with your next event.
Why are the Principals having people taking pictures and think that having these employees will get the information to the parents sooner? If the parents don't have a computer then what good is that. What a waste of money which could be better spent in the classroom.
OSWEGO — Furloughs taken by Oswego School District employees, including Superintendent Dan O’Donnell, will come to an end Friday.
This week, O’Donnell and his administrative assistant will complete five-day furloughs as part of the district’s deficit reduction plan. This saved the district $5,436, Finance Director Tim Neubauer said.
All teachers and administration workers in the Oswego School District were required to furlough for one day in 2010, which occurred on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, Neubauer said. That measure saved the district about $280,000.
According to Neubauer, this is the first round of furloughs issued for School District employees in the district’s history.
~~~~~~~~~~
Dan O'Donnell and his wife, Sharon, are friends of mine. It's no surprise that he is willing to share the burden (and pain) of balancing his district's budget. He's a class act; our admins could learn a thing or two from his example!
Just think a district that has a low poverty rate and has reduced work day at the service center but the employees will get paid for a forty day week does nothing to help the budget. Remember though we cry poverty we spend more than most districts. Doesn't some of the central office employees live in Oswego and look at the lengths they go to help their students. They do have a Superintendent that is doing right by the district. Their Superintendent is truly a leader in what to do in trying times.
These represent charges from the check registers from the office of Superintendent. Look at the credit cards what are they charging.
003380 CARDMEMBER SERVICE 12/20/10 12/10 27,990.21 003380 CARDMEMBER SERVICE 11/15/10 11/10 19,427.82 003380 CARDMEMBER SERVICE 10/18/10 10/10 52,416.17
These represent charges for the three people paid to take pictures 004003 DONNELL COLLINS VENDOR TOTAL..: 500.00 019097 SHILOH STUDIO VENDOR TOTAL..: 550.00 012315 LYLE ROLFE VENDOR TOTAL..: 1,250.00 LYLE ROLFE VENDOR TOTAL..: 600.00
These represent charges. Why do we have Ryan Ford. VISIONFRIEND00M VENDOR TOTAL..: 886.13 22190 VISIONFRIENDLY.COM VENDOR TOTAL..: 6,625.30
These charges are from Nov & Dec yet teachers go out to Donors.org for small supplies under $500
This check register is a good example of what is wrong with the District no one is watching.
Weaver would question this but must have gotten frustrated hitting her head against the wall. Most of the Board members are wash outs just look at them Hull uses his position to promote his daughter. Gonzalez gets a job for her daughter. Wells is 20 years of nothing. Trusa's only accomplishment is being Gonzalez friend. The one I blame the most is Lewis for letting the administrators buy her grand-child off after she actually had a hand in creating the check register. Now she just says yes to everything after knowing who these people are. Then there is the Johnson who appears not to have gained anything but Roberts and Clayton's friendship. She owns has her own company and is a Accountant but never questions anything. She certainly does not run her business that way and could be the one person who could stop this but again chooses to look the other way.
I remember a couple of years ago when someone posted here about a $11,000.00+ hotel bill listed on the check register.
All of a sudden the central office saw fit to establish and publish guidelines about exactly how much of OUR tax money could be spent for things like restaurant meals, hotel stays, travel expenses, etc.
Another example of the positive influence of this blog!
So Rudy are you the typical East Aurora loser. Why are you not in school? Your comments may have more meaning if you actually had a job and paid real estate taxes.
The taxpayer money is not assigned by the state the district makes the policy which we have but the district still does not follow it and board members still take their families with them sometimes. If you believe that the state has anything to do with how they spend that money could I interest you in some land in Florida by the swamp.
Rudy you are right there are some very sad people that post on this blog and attacking a student is wrong and it shows who is childish. I think it is good that students say something since you are the ones that the decisions of the district is being made for.
The blog for most is a place to blow off steam and nothing of importance that has been said here has been changed. There are some things that have been said on here that citizens that thought it is wrong and went through the avenues you need to to see if what was done was right or wrong. As for myself I have went to some board meetings and watched how things where handled, listen to parents of what they said they thought was wrong and contacted the State to see if what was being done was ok. At best they walk a fine line of what they can get away with and what is legal. Most just complain and not do anything because they are afraid that the district will punish their children if they bring something up which is wrong and nothing will be done to right it and I am not talking about the K situation that is done and over with and there is more important things to address in the district.
It's a good thing you are not a teacher in this district. If a teacher takes a sick day, the day before or after a holiday, the district docks their pay.
Where I work and it isn't a public employee job if I take a sick day before a holiday I don't get paid either so you must think your special or that other people that work don't have the same policies you are wrong. The one thing teachers get is a paid summer break I don't get that I have to work all year long and I don't get paid insurance or a paid pension. I don't have tenure either so no matter how many years I have my company can fire me at any time. I also don't work for someone who lives in a low poverty area that gets money from the state to run our business and can blow that money on other things that what is suppose to be for and that is for educating children. You teachers in this district took what you could get and not fight for what you should have gotten that is your fault not ours. This district has money that the teachers could use in the classrooms but don't ask or fight for it in fact we are the only district that is hiring people for jobs that don't have anything to do with the education of our children but the betterment of administration and you will not even ask for supplies for your classrooms and there is money for it.
Well my work day depends on what is going on and we all know that a teachers spends maybe 6 hours in the classroom a day and yes the do have to correct papers and homework but with today technologically it should help. So you are saying that you are at school 9 hours a day I don't think so you are probably at home and don't live in the district. Where I work if someone doesn't show up for the next sift I will have to work eight hours more without overtime pay. No maybe you don't need anything in you classroom but other teacher say they do. Maybe you are one of the special teachers that get all the supplies they need in their classroom while some in the district don't they use their own money.
I got a good education and I do my job because I enjoy it I don't complain when I have to work sometimes more that I have to. You are the one complaining about working. Maybe you should further your career in education so you don't have to do all the planning for classed you might want to think about being an administrator then you could spend more time with what you want to do. Remember you are not the only teacher in this district and some of them need things in the classroom that you get and they don't. Like I said maybe you are one of the special ones that get what you want.
So why do our teachers have to go on donorschoice.org and ask for materials for their classrooms if they are getting what they need? This is a very good organization to help with supplies for classrooms and I think everyone should take a look at it and contribute if they can. But in our district even though they are a high poverty rate some of our teachers have to post on here to get the basic needs for there classrooms but you don't why is that. This district is one of a few that are not cutting back and hiring like there is no tomorrow but have money in the bank if you just go and take the time to look at it. By the way I'm a nurse and I do have a good education.
Rumor has it that this district has 10 million to the good. Rumor also has it we did NOT need that last referendum. Could answer where all the money is coming from for all those new positions and they are not teachers or teachers' aids.
Like most blogs, this one is a mixed bag. I've found out things I didn't know by reading it; I've also had to sift through a lot of b.s.--but that's the nature of a lot of online information sources.
Sometimes it may look like this blog influences things in our district--or it might just be coincidence. One recent example is when people here were discussing teachers being Facebook "friends" with current students. It could have been coincidence, but now almost all our district's teachers & administrators have stopped friending students on their personal Facebook pages. The ONE notable exception is "Farrakhan's Disciple" Clayton Muhammad--but everyone knows the rules don't apply to him.
I get to school before 7 AM every morning and I am always amazed that there are at least twenty cars in the parking when I get there. I have been able to leave by 4 PM three times this year. Most days I leave around 7 PM (and there are still many cars in the parking lot), go home, sit at my desk and do a few more hours of work. It is not unusual to still be doing work at 10 or 11 PM. My longest day didn't end until 2:30 AM as I was getting prepared for a special event the next day.
Anybody who thinks that most teachers days start at 8 AM and end at 3PM is simply showing their own ignorance. While there are always a few individuals who do the bare minimum, that is not the norm in the teaching field.
You are correct the District will show a 12 million profit this year and about a 35 million dollar profit for the next for the next 4 years. These profits are after teachers raises and new positions. They will then have about 85 million in the bank. Roberts did not need the referendum he miscalculated a poverty grant. See when Jerome was Asst Superintendent he often made costly mistakes with grants and forgot to file for them. I guess he wised up. If you stuff the classrooms full and add preschool to all of your schools which the State pays 100% you can make big profits when the kids are 80% plus free and reduced and considered at risk.
I go past two schools in the morning and if there are two cars in the parking lot it will be a first at 6:30. I do see maintenance workers there at times. Rudy and others you picked the job of being a teacher and what it took to be one. The hours of a teacher has never been a secret and some do it better than others on how to use their time. I know some teachers probably get to school early to get ready for class but not all. You chose the profession don't complain.
I did not say you didn't get what you needed for your classroom but you need to take a break because if you talk to students the way you do here you shouldn't be around students.
Again, there you go missing the point. People are questioning our summers off. That is why we are mentioning our hours. Stay on topic. Nobody is complaining, only justifying.
You probably won't read this though, or you will interpret it as more complaining.
Ok I'll say some teachers don't ask for it but it looks like the district is in the money now and citizens won't have to donate money to help out with supplies in the classroom. You should really take anger management classes.
If we have plenty of money, why won't the administration use some of it to hire teacher assistants in crowded classrooms?
At every recent School Board meeting, either a staff member or parent has gotten up to speak specifically about how much our students would benefit from having a teacher aide in their class. Counselors and technology helpers are useful, too, but our first priority should be facilitating our kids' day-to-day success in their classrooms by providing the assistant their teacher desperately needs.
This might be a good question to ask the candidates for the School Board!
You must be going past Simmons. We all know SIMMONS SUCKS!!!!!
There is no way the teachers there are going to come in early and spend one minute more than they have to with the administration in that building. I know many of them spend the time at home but they hate dealing with Mechelle Patterson and Wilson Morales.
Looks like the recession is over in d131. This is a Board of action
Sixteen Elementary Tutors Records Secretary (Registrar), Category I - CMS Assistant Director of Bilingual Services East Aurora Middle School Campus Principal Waldo Middle School Principal Rollins Elementary Principal 12 - Bilingual Language Arts Achievement Specialists Curriculum Technology Facilitator Special Education Resource Teacher High School Teaching/English 2- High School Teaching/Mathematics Science Teacher HighSchool High School Teaching/Social Studies - General 3-Middle School Teaching/Guidance Counselor
Here's another way people can donate money to our schools:
Dominick's is having a promotion where 10% of the price of certain items is donated to the school of your choice. From January 2nd until January 26th, when you buy items with the School Bus tag and use your Dominick's card, the computer keeps track of your total qualifying purchases and at the end of the program you designate a school to get the 10%.
Dominick's has done this promotion before (in August), and I donated about $7.00 to Simmons. Not a lot of money, but it would add up quickly if hundreds of people did it. And it's super simple--just shop as you normally do.
I'm sorry but I'm done giving to this district. District 131 is the only district around that is hiring and adding new positions that are really not needed. If it is true that it is going to come out that we have a surplus then they can use that for things for the schools. In fact with all the hiring why don't the teachers get some money to buy the things that are needed. I for one will give to other districts that our state has not paid the money that is owed to them.
People are paying for a referendum that was not needed. The superintendant messed up but he sure did get a decent raise for his mess up and his contract renewed early and this man can barely see. More money coming out of the taxpayers money and going into the superintendant, admins and also for making new positions for other than teachers. The district should now make that referendum null and void and give back to this low income district. I, for one, agree with other poster and will give to other districts that have been denied or given less that D131. Shame on this district for taking"stealing"from other districts that could have used the help and for being deceitful to all of us. Be aware tha the board president was and is aware of this. Remember that Gonzales daughter got a job with the district, Hulll's daughter is getting favor's and Lewis grandchildren have benified from this. We are probably the "poorest, richest district in the state. I hope the other districts go the state about this. When this district does right I will again give to it. Now which district do I want to give to when I go to Doninick's?
You complain that the district is getting funding from local sources and then you complain that they get funding from state sources. Where do you want the district to receive their funding from.
By the way, if you think the referendum passing was terrible, just wait til you see the tax increase the state is going to pass in the next couple of weeks. 75% is what is likely. For my family, it means approximately $2500 more we will have to pay in new taxes. In addition, the state just passed "pension reform" which shifts responsibility for police and firefighter pensions to local government. As Daley stated, it is going to mean the largest property tax increase in Chicago's history and will mean the same for every community in the state.
Don't be surprised if your property tax bill is doubled this year. All this they claim will fund schools. Yet schools are not where most of spending is in this state. Road construction is.
Illinois spent 21 billion last year in road construction. Indiana only spent 8 billion while Wisconsin reduced theirs to only 4 billion. If our state lawmakers simply controlled their spending on roads for one year, our debt problems could be eliminated.
Remember, the state budget is just like your family budget. There is the money that comes in and the money that is spent. For the rest of us, we can't simply go to our boss and ask for a 75% raise. We must instead be adults and spend within our means. Our lawmakers instead want to keep on spending and spending and spending some more and they want us to pay their bills.
You need to call your lawmakers and tell them enough is enough. Control spending and quit looking at our wallets for their bailout.
It continues to amaze me the way this District is run. There was a great article featuring the Girls basketball team yesterday. I am happy they got the coverage instead of Ryan Showboat. But this is the same team the Board President mentors a pr stunt by her and Clayton if you ask me. But you will notice the Beacon gives no coverage to the big administrator raises or all the positions East Aurora can now afford. Many of these positions are administrative.
The Board President did make a appearance yesterday at Central Office her and Roberts needed to show they were all made up after a week of fighting. See Roberts who is blind uses Clayton to speak for him. Lisa to read for him and Johnson to get them back in line. Rumor is his wife is shucking him dry as he spends all day trying to win her back. This while everyone does his job. I for one hopes he losses every penny he got from the hard working East Aurora residents.
Those teachers on the donorschoice.org should go to the district and ask for what they need since the district will have surplus money they should pay for it and anything else. It is time this district did what is right for the children. They boost that they are better off than other districts and are hiring so there is no reason the teachers are not getting what they need.
It may go straight to the school, but our schools should not be needing anything with as much money as this district now has. Due to this I will still not give to the schools in this district.
Amen, January 7, 2011 at 9:48 pm. The superintendant and administrators have been given too much credit. They are just human like the rest of us and they are not super human. Their pants go on just like the rest of us. Everyone lets them get away with what they do. Imagine them naked when talking or listening to them, you will then really know that there is nothing to fear but fear it's self.
When you are bullied you need to document it and when they keep on and maybe fire you you have the right just like Mr. Green to sue the district. Maybe if more did this would stop because as you stated the old bullies are still there but that don't mean more will be hired after they are gone. Do you think those where the only ones who could bully teachers?
The second option is go get a job at another district if they are hiring or there is the whistle blower program You are part of the problem because you don't do anything and it continues.
~ Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do. ~ Pope John XXIII
Three kids from the East Aurora schools got shoot or killed last night. Meanwhile the Mayor is laying police off. Get over the band or Green we need to band together and complain our kids are dying or getting injured.
Why no press release from Clayton. Is it because B2M gets money from the Mayor.
Where is Roberts in Shorewood?
Shame on all the adults for not acting like adults.
Why would Clayton do a press release on this it wasn't on school property and it was after hours. The Aurora Police did do a release on it though which is how it should be.
Off-duty Aurora cop shoots juvenile carrying gun
By Stephanie Lulay slulay@stmedianetwork.com Jan 7, 2011 10:01PM
* Share * E-Mail * Print
AURORA — An off-duty Aurora police officer shot a juvenile who was carrying a gun on the near East Side Friday afternoon.
The youth died a short time later.
Police spokesman Dan Ferrelli said the officer was driving near Fifth and South streets at 3:28 p.m. Friday when he saw a juvenile shooting at a group of teenagers.
The officer got out of the car and identified himself as an Aurora police officer, Ferrelli said, and told the juvenile to drop the gun.
The juvenile did not drop the gun, and the officer shot him, Ferrelli said.
The juvenile was taken to an Aurora hospital, where he died about 5:30 p.m. in surgery.
Officers recovered the juvenile’s gun at the scene, Ferrelli said.
Ferrelli would not identify the officer, who is an 11-year veteran of the department, or the person who was shot. The victim’s identity and age were not released Friday.
The officer will be assigned to administrative duties pending the outcome of an internal investigation, Ferrelli said.
As for helping with donations and such-do not punish the peasants and deny them because of the work of the tyrants in 131.
More importantly pray for the police officer who had to make a very difficult decision, the troubled youth & the families of the officer and the child. Also, those who are more concerned with the PR than the lives who have been affected in a way that can never be the same again. The word is out now, "concerned parents" should fall on their knees and pray for a safe community.
Something to think about. I thought Rayanne may appreciate this especially with the references to Caterpillar.
Playing With Economic Dynamite by: Jim Hightower
By gollies, America is still an exporting powerhouse. In fact, the good ol' U.S.A. is No. 1 in the world in exports! Our corporate leaders, backed by Republicans and Democrats alike in Washington, are now routinely exporting America's most precious goods -- our jobs, factories, technologies and middle-class opportunities.
With unemployment and underemployment devastating millions of families in our country, perhaps you've assumed that U.S. corporations simply aren't hiring these days. Nonsense. They added 1.4 million jobs last year alone -- overseas.
For example, more than half of Caterpillar's new hires in 2010 were in foreign countries. Many more of this giant's jobs are headed offshore in the near future, for Caterpillar, which was once an iconic American brand, has recently invested in three new plants in China. It'll not only manufacture tractors and bulldozers there, but it'll also begin to ship its design work and technology development jobs to China.
Likewise, DuPont, once proud of its U.S. workforce, has slashed its number of American employees in recent years, while increasing its Asia-Pacific workforce by more than half. Indeed, DuPont no longer considers itself American -- "We are a global player," sniffs its chief innovation officer.
Such homemade brands as Coca-Cola, Dell and IBM are also among the multitude of corporations abandoning our shores and our middle class. Of course, they keep their posh headquarters here so they and their top executives can continue enjoying all that America has to offer.
Calvin Coolidge once famously asserted that "what's good for business is good for America." That's myopic enough, but today's narcissistic CEOs are even more self-centered, declaring that "what's good for business is good for business, America be damned."
In fact, profits are up, the stock market is roaring, corporations are awash in cash, CEOs are reaping fabulous paychecks again, and -- did you hear? -- holiday spending reached its highest level in four years. Forget last year's talk of gloom, all economic indicators are now on zoom, headed for a new boom!
Well, maybe not all indicators. There is still that pesky little problem of joblessness, for instance. Most politicos and economists, however, no longer want to be bothered with the fact that millions of our people are either unemployed or underemployed. Jobs, they say dismissively, are merely a "lagging economic indicator," a problem that'll take care of itself in the by and by. Just be patient. And be quiet.
But jobs have been "lagging" for years now, and there's no sign that this problem will ever take care of itself. To the contrary, America's corporate elite have learned that they can prosper by deliberately holding the workaday majority in a new normal of job insecurity.
No one at the top wants to admit it, but big business has quietly been imposing a structural transformation on our economy, shifting from a workforce of permanent employees to one in which most jobs are temporary, scarce, low-paid, without benefits and with no upward mobility. Of the 1.2 million jobs created by the private sector last year, for example, 26 percent were temporary positions, and in November, temp jobs soared to 80 percent of that month's total.
What's happening here is not merely a matter of a few million folks being momentarily down on their luck, but of an intentional dismantling of America's middle-class structure.
The Powers That Be can talk all they want about a boom, but working families -- America's majority -- know better. A boom for whom? they ask. They can plainly see that self-serving elites are jury-rigging the job market, lowering the standard of living and closing opportunities for millions.
The elites don't know it yet, but they are playing with dynamite. Our society can tolerate such raw selfishness by the privileged few, or it can have democracy. It can't have both.
National radio commentator, writer, public speaker, and author of the book, Swim Against The Current: Even A Dead Fish Can Go With The Flow, Jim Hightower has spent three decades battling the Powers That Be on behalf of the Powers That Ought To Be - consumers, working families, environmentalists, small businesses, and just-plain-folks.
It is with sadness that I send this update of the unfortunate incidents that happened on Friday, January 7, 2011. The following information is public and investigations in both incidents are still ongoing.
Yesterday afternoon a 15-year-old student who attended the Pathways Academy Alternative School was shot by an officer after that student fired several shots at middle school students while they walked home from school. None of the middle school students were injured by bullets. The student who was shot by the officer later died in the hospital.
Yesterday evening an 18-year-old and a 17-year-old student from East High were both shot while sitting in a parked vehicle. Both students were transported to the hospital and, as of last notice, were still listed in critical condition.
The authorities are not releasing names of any of these students to the public yet. Both Press Releases are attached to this email. We are working with the Aurora Police Department and the Kane County Sheriff’s Office with full and complete cooperation.
Social Workers will be available at the schools for students who may need additional assistance throughout the week. We will send news of any major updates.
Maybe if they where more involved in schools and the parents care going to school would be important. This is not a school problem per say it happened outside of school and it shows what our students have to put up with in some of their day to day live even in school.
This is sad news but we must still get our students to learn so they do not have to live like this and safe.
The students wouldn't have been "walking" home if our distraict administration and board cared enough to provide busing. Our kids are at risk every time they walk to and from school.
We have had students beaten, shot, stabbed and run over for years. The administration doesn't give a damn about our students, they only give a damn about their own reputations and the bottom line.
I do believe it effects our students every day and not just the days that someone is shot. I know they wonder when they are walking home from school if something will happen to them because they chose not to join a gang. But even as this goes on we must help them understand you can't get out of this if you don't have a good education. I pray for the families that this has effected and it looks like the gangs are moving in the area more again around here so all parents should keep watch over their children the good ones and the bad ones so all can be safe.
Do not think that having busing will solve that problem. Many schools have to but video camera's in the buses because of the bulling going on in the buses.
Teen, woman critically injured in Aurora Township shooting
SUN-TIMES MEDIA WIRE Jan 8, 2011 01:34PM
* Share * E-Mail * Print
A woman and teen girl are expected to survive after they were shot Friday night shooting in an unincorporated area near west suburban Aurora.
Kane County Sheriff’s police responded about 9:55 p.m. Friday to a shots fired call near the 600 block of South Sumner Avenue in unincorporated Aurora Township and found several shell casings in the street but no victims, according to a Kane County Sheriff’s office release.
Aurora police notified the Kane County Sheriff’s office about five minutes later that two of three people inside a 2003 Cadillac at McCoy Drive and Frontenac Street were shot, the release said.
Investigators learned the car was parked in the 600 block of South Summer Avenue in unincorporated Aurora Township when shots were fired and the motorist drove to McCoy Drive and Frontenac Street and called 911, the release said.
The Aurora Fire Department took a 17-year-old girl and 18-year-old woman to Rush-Copley Medical Center in Aurora, the release said.
As of 12:30 p.m. Saturday the victims, both of Aurora, remain hospitalized, but their injuries are not life-threatening, according to a release from the sheriff’s police.
The 21-year-old Oswego motorist was not injured, police said.
Kane County Sheriff’s police are continuing their investigation but a motive was still not known as of Saturday afternoon.
I don't think busing would of helped in this situation.
The kids would have not been on the bus at 3:30pm.
Pathways is the Quad County Urban League how could this kid have already been walking the streets and hooking up with students. The other problem is the police. We have a 7 million dollar parking lot at the Y but not enough police when the kids are walking around after school. It is my understanding the Leisner funds this program and forces both East & West to us it
Since when is it the police departments job to watch children walking home from school? I'm not saying the department is great but when did it become their job?
"These are gang members do you really think a bus would keep them at home."
I'm not sure, are you stating that the district has no responsiblity because Aurora has gangs and killing will happen anyway?
We have 13,000 students in this district, do you think they are all gang members and don't desrve to be protected?
Once the district loses their forst multi-million dollar lawsuit because of student safety going to and from school, then they will seriously consider busing. Until then, the administrators will only take care of themselves.
Show me the law that says it is the school responsibility for making it safe for the children walking to school? As far as gang members the district does have a responsibility if a crime is done on school property by a gang member to discipline them but once they leave school boundaries it is the City of Aurora to make sure that they are off the street.
By law you only have to bus children if they live a mile from the school and it wasn't just meant to make sure students got to school safe it was meant you could move students around to different schools in the district so they had a better learning advantage if another school meet their needs better like if a school had more ELL learners in a school and another school in the district didn't you could move students that didn't have to learn English to a school that taught more in English and the ELL learners could be in classes that fit their needs better.
Busing is expensive and if the district runs the busing then the drivers get the benefits just like all district employees.
Busing is not the answer. Concerned and caring parents and community is. Is the Urban League really helping the ones that are going to it? It does not appear so.
Two East teens killed in shootings, four other teens injured and many more shot at. In addition, many others arrested. There is an article in the Beacon about 9 arrested for selling Cocaine. Several were recently East students. All of this in just the past week.
I thought Clayton and his illegal fraternity were saving all of our at risk kids. I am sure glad we are financing his groups and activities.
Funny how Clayton says the 15 was not a member of East Schools. No he was at Pathways Clayton new name for the Urban League. To what end will Clayton defend his black programs. See they can't admit the Urban League is a failure so they are hiding the name of school this young man attended. Clayton is a phony and hand picks his B2M. No kid who is on a bad path ever gets helped by Clayton.
Also on Saturday, East Aurora schools spokesman Clayton Muhammad said crisis teams of counselors and social workers will be available, particularly at Waldo Middle School, beginning Monday. Some youths involved in Friday’s incident were Waldo students, but not the 15-year-old, he said. The incident happened about half a mile from the school.
The EA community voted NO to bussing. We have city busses that cover most of the EA district.
When I went to EA schools and when my children attended, we lived at the outskirts of the district, we found a way to school or walked. Their have been gangs in this town for over 40 years.
Offering a community and an education that will attract families who care should have been a priority years ago. The Mayor and superintendent of schools are the people to start this change. What we have in place for EA now is not going to create any change. Until we remove those in charge.
The Beacon keeps deleting this post. I know the true news blogs will not.
The kid was in Alternative School with none other than Weisner cronie Theodia Gillespe at the Urban League. He was suppose to not have contact with the other students. My question is why was he with Waldo students. Why is the school district not saying he was a Alternative school kid. Weisner pays about $90,000 to each school district to work with the Urban League. That could pay for 2 police. Why is Weisner not letting the schools run their own Alternative School. Why the cover-up. Just admit it Liesner all of your programs along with your cronies are failures.
January 8, 2011 8:18 pm said "If the District would have put in busing 20 years ago it would have not cost a dime. Now the cost is about 8 million per year."
I'd like to know what program, 20 years ago, provided free busses, employees, gas, maintenance & upkeep. And gave you a yearly check to cover these ongoing expenses?
I've heard predictions that gas may cost more than $5.00 per gallon this summer. If that happens, districts that have bus service will have to cut some things in order to pay for gas. We'll be glad then that we don't have buses!
At least twice in the last ten years the community has voted on adding bussing to the district and the VOTERS turn down the bussing. It is not the district's fault that there isn't bussing, it's the voting community, so ask them why we don't have bussing.
He was from a gang and he was mad because someone was messing with his girlfriend so he decides to follow 13 & 14 years olds home and shoot someone because he thought someone was messing with his girlfriend. Until the mentality of some punk getting a gun and shooting someone for things like this gets changed it will happen.
I teach at Waldo and as usual, we are told no more than the public knows. As always, we will have to get our information from the students.
By the way, your kids 4th amendment rights will be trampled all this week as the kids will be searched upon entering the middle and high schools.
The child who did the shooting and was killed by the police officer was placed at an alternative location for a reason. Most likely because everone knew he was a danger to other students and the community. If everyone didn't bend over backwards trying to protect the rights of this one criminal, we might not be in the situation now where the rights of thousands of students are going to be disregarded.
These children loose their 4th amendment right when some chose to bring weapons into school. So they should jut ignore this and not search students they think might want to get back and bring a weapon into school and hurt others including teachers. We all have rights put when some chose to ignore the rules then things have to be done to protect others.
Actually you are wrong. Students don't lose their constitutional rights just because they enter a school building.
If you choose to go to an airport or go to the State Capitol, you understand that there will be a check and you can choose not to get on a plane etc. Students are required to go to school and when searches are dine upon entering the building, they have little if any choice in the matter. If they turn around and walk away, they are now suspect and their parents are called since they skipped school.
Here's a thought for you, the forth amendment also protects your home from illegal search and seizure. If one student possessing a weapon is excuse for violating 5500 students foutg amendment rights, I guess you must also feel as though other State Agencies can enter your home and search you because there are other illegal weapons and criminals in the State?
I may be an asshole but it's hard illegally searching them in the morning and then teaching them about the constitution and the forth amendment in the afternoon.
No the problem was the Alternative School. This is a crony of the City of Aurora, Clayton and Jerome Roberts.
I am gong back about 6-7 years the kids had been taught by certified teachers and had weekly meeting with a social worker. The program was run by the schools East, West and some Indian Prairie Middle School.
Then comes the Urban League Dunham builds them a nice new building with the of Vaughn a District Crony and friend of the Serial Bully. Teachers like Shelia Conrad and Ed Meliki get laid off made promoted as administrators and re-hired by East.
Then the Tom Leisner steps in pays the schools to send them to Urban League and a sub standard program.
Indian Prairie who cares about education drops out and East & West continue.
This program is now run on Farnsworth at the Urban League and is basically a troubled student put in front of a computer from 8:30am to 2:45pm with no counseling. They do have the equivalent of a Sub sitting in the room but not actual certified teachers. Some Sub's in our district do have teaching or social work degrees but not at the Urban League.
So my question is how can a teen get from the Urban League on the slow City bus system to Fifth Ave by 3:30pm engage a bunch of kids who he has been fighting with for weeks get a gun and go shoot at them. Now he is dead. The blame should fall right on the school districts lap, Urban League and the City for not providing enough police protection on the near east side. Lets not forget College Ave is closed the gang force is now at the police palace.
I will remind everyone Clayton was a Urban League employee and now the cover-up is on. I do hope some of the Board members read these. I do think you try to do what is best your just not given all the facts by your want a be (black) Superintendent when he is in Aurora.
I tell you what if my child was going to Waldo and thankfully none of my children had to I would not mind if they where searched for weapons. In many schools they have to pass through metal detectors to enter. I would think the board has a policy about this and the parents should know that.
I don't think it is only Waldo they are doing this there where 3 squad cars out in front of the high school.
I am sorry I guess I did not do a very good job of writing this. I am so angry with everyone using their positions to influence were the money goes just because you are a friend of someone's
Vaughn District Crony and friend of Mayor Weisner and District employee took apart a well working program to give it to the Urban League. Theresa Shoemaker Director of Community in Schools over saw this program. But she is a District crony as well everyone looked the other way and now a child is dead. Why is the Beacon not printing he attended the Urban League and why is Clayton trying to fool everyone by saying he does not attend East and he attends Pathways. Pathways is the Urban League.
It doesn't matter if that child was in the program or not he was on the wrong path for life. He alone made that choice to get a gun and point it at someone. I believe he also shot at the kids too and it is a good thing he had bad aim. But to think that having police all over and buses taking kids to school will stop this then you are wrong because they will find other ways to do what they want. The child was having problems anyway and I'm not going to say the Alternative Program is the greatest but they did try to help because if he wouldn't have been able to go there he would have been out on the streets. You have to give blame to the parents too it is there job to know where their children are and what they are doing.
The Fourth Amendment has been held to mean that generally a warrant must be judicially sanctioned for a search or an arrest, in order for such a warrant to be considered reasonable. Warrants must be supported by probable cause and be limited in scope according to specific information supplied by a person (usually a law enforcement officer) who has sworn by it and is therefore accountable to the issuing court. However, a dissenting school of thought often found in the opinions of Justice Antonin Scalia is that searches must simply be "reasonable," and the warrant requirement has been overly emphasized.
The Fourth Amendment applies to governmental searches and seizures, but not those done by private citizens or organizations who are not acting on behalf of a government.[14] The Bill of Rights originally only restricted the power of the federal government. However, in Wolf v. Colorado, the Supreme Court ruled that the Fourth Amendment is applicable to state governments by way of the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Moreover, all state constitutions contain an analogous provision.[15]
The jurisdiction of the federal government in the realm of criminal law was narrow, until the late 19th century when the Interstate Commerce Act and Sherman Antitrust Act were passed. As criminal jurisdiction of the federal government expanded to include other areas such as narcotics, more questions about the Fourth Amendment came to the Supreme Court.[16]
The Supreme Court ruled that some searches and seizures may violate the reasonableness requirement under the Fourth Amendment, even if a warrant is supported by probable cause and is limited in scope.[17] Conversely, the Court has approved routine warrantless seizures, for example "where there is probable cause to believe that a criminal offense has been or is being committed."[18] Thus, the reasonableness requirement and the warrant requirement are somewhat different.
The reasonableness requirement applies not just to a search in combination with a seizure, but also to a search without a seizure, as well as to a seizure without a search.[19] Hence, the amendment is not limited to protecting elements of privacy or personal autonomy, but rather applies pervasively to virtually all aspects of criminal law. Nevertheless, the amendment does not replace other constitutional provisions, such as replacing the Eighth Amendment's ban on "cruel and unusual" punishment with a more sweeping ban on "unreasonable" punishment.
You can't violate the rights of 5500 students because there is one criminal among them (or in this case, already dead).
There must be a REASONABLE SUSPICION that a crime is being committed. If the administration gets a report or tip that a child is carrying a weapon, they have a responsibility to search the child, book bag, locker etc. of that individual.
They can not legally search 5500 students because they are afraid or because the administration wants to look like they are doing something about a situation. They can't violate everyones rights to cover their own reputation.
The alternative schools should have different hours than the regular schools. This will give students who have not shown a history of violent behavior a chance to walk to and from school safely. Have those students go to school from 9 to 5. They probably won't get out of bed two hours early to mess with other students and most all of the regular buildings students should be home and their parents responsibility by 5PM. Or if you prefer 6 PM may even be better. Most of the after school sports are done by then.
The long term solutions must come from education, counseling, social work etc. The school district and state should also consider other living arrangements. Violent behaviors are learned, not genetic. These children either have a poor role model or no role model at all from their homes.
So what about the weekends do you think that if they change the hours that will stop someone from doing this sort of thing. If someone wants to harm someone they will just wait until they have the chance and as far as changing hours what happens if that child doesn't go to the Alternative School that day?
Nothing is absolute. There is no 100% for anything.
However, the less contact, the better. As adults we seperate criminals and call it prison. In school it expulsion or alternative placement. The less contact between these individuals and injured or killed. society, the better.
Actually the district is lucky no other kids were injured or killed. By sending these kids to alternative placement, the district has acknowledged that they are a danger to others. If, through their scheduling, they have allowed these dangerous students access to others through bad scheduling, a good lawyer could make a reasonable case against the district.
I think three separate shootings over three days qualifies as REASONABLE SUSPICION.
Just imagine that the school does not increase security, or search anybody, and there was a shooting today at one of the schools. I can only imagine what you would be saying.
You would be saying that this district cares nothing for the children, they were irresponsible. I mean, there were three shootings over the weekend, don't you think those morons would have done something more to protect the kids.
You are all two faced, bench warmers who refuse to get in the game.
Three shootings in the community (not in a school building) is not reasonable suspicion enough that 5500 students in the middle and high schools should be searched.
The only involvement by a middle school student is to like the wrong girl and have an alternative school student (a kid who was removed from the regular school setting because he was a danger to the school community)shoot at them.
How is that reasonable suspicion for entire schools to have their 4th amendment rights violated?
It does not matter what the school does, you will ALWAYS think they should have done the opposite. EVERY SINGLE TIME. Even when they are CLEARLY trying to protect students lives.
And that is the prime reason, why this blog is 100% Bull Shit.
"it's hard illegally searching them in the morning and then teaching them about the constitution and the forth amendment in the afternoon."
Actually if you were worth anything, it should be very easy to teach them. Now they have something to relate it to, whether you think it is right or wrong, now you have a springboard for them to connect the material to.
If the administrators cared about the students, they would deal with the students they know are trouble.
The administrators know who the disruptive and violent students are in the buildings but they are to afraid of them, their parents and lawyers to act. They are a constant disruption to the educational process and endanger the student population every day.
We have students who should be in BD classes but if the parent says no, the administration caves every time. Until they bring a weapon or seriously injure someone, they are allowed to continue their disruptive behaviors.
Every teacher could give you a list of these students. Every student could probably do the same.
If they really want to protect the students, the administration should start by dealing with these students.
Why doesn't Clayton take his boyz2men to the alternative school and help those students. I was looking at his website and most of the students that are part of his club are good kids (captain football, homecoming king, drama club, band, college scholarships). Do the true "at risk" kids ever get invited to be part of this fraternity? Clayton has an entire school of kids at the Urban League, what percentage of his "group" come from the alternative school?
Clayton will not even admit the kid was from the Urban League. He is trying to fool everyone by calling it Pathways. The question still remains how does someone get out of school at 2:45pm from Farnsworth get a gun and shoot at students.
Roberts has also been quite on this one he rents??? from none other than Theodia Gillespe who runs the Urban League. Another question is the District buys a certain number of slots and only half are used. Why?. Does Roberts really pay rent. He does not seem to mind supporting three households. I know the District over pays him but really three households.
How do you know that student was at school that day and how do they get from the Alternative School to where he was at is a ride probably from the person who gave him the gun.
I do believe that the teachers can give the administration a list to the students that cause trouble and I do believe the administration turns there head on some of it. Does the district have metal decors and if they do that would be what they are using and the see if they had any weapons.
They still won't publicize the name of the student who was killed.
Wonder why?
Could it be that the timing is bad for Clayton "Farrakhan's Disciple" Muhammad? After all, he is all about IMAGE. Anything negative is swept under the rug or twisted around to present D131 in the best possible light--and to hell with the best interests of students or this community.
Aurora's big MLK celebration is coming up, and we wouldn't want it overshadowed with any kind of bad publicity about the Urban League, now would we??
They haven't even released the kids name to the faculty. The teachers find out their information from the students.
As teachers, we would know who the child is related to and who their friends were. In other words, we should know who to keep an eye on for possible problems but in this district everything is completely hidden.
It no wonder simple problems escalate to huge fiascos.
Children need corrective behavior modification. The Urban League could not even communicate with this kids parents that is the cover-up. They don't have a Bilingual program because the Alternative school can only provide instruction in English. This student was ok with that but Alternative School is suppose to be a joint effort with the student and his parent to correct behavior. The students parents did not speak English so that was not going on. Now he is dead.
Clayton needs to cover up because the Urban League only wants to serve Afro-Americans. That who gets the behavior modification. So yes they do provide it but to a district that 90% of the parents don't speak English well is this program really serving the community.
He is dead yes they can. The law allows for it. Do you ever listen to WGN funny Clayton pubilizes Darian Albert with B2M. Clayton is a racist and cancer on our District.
The district can't release the name until the police do.
Name of teen killed by police still not confirmed By Matt Hanley mhanley@stmedianetwork.com Jan 11, 2011 02:35AM
Share E-Mail Print AURORA — Three days after he was shot and killed by an off-duty police officer, the name of the 15-year-old Aurora boy still has not been released.
On Monday, police and the Kane County coroner’s office said they would not confirm the identity of the teen because it is an ongoing investigation. The teen was killed Friday, when he pointed a gun at an off-duty officer on the East Side of Aurora, police said.
According to police, the officer was driving his personal vehicle when he saw the 15-year-old shooting at several other Aurora teenagers who were walking south on Fifth Street. The officer got out of the car, identified himself as a police officer and ordered the teen to drop his gun, police said.
The teen refused to drop the gun and when he pointed it at the officer, the officer shot the teen several times, police said. The teen was taken to Rush-Copley Medical Center and pronounced dead at 5:25 p.m. Friday, police said.
Police said an autopsy is pending, but a person who answered the phone at the Kane County coroner’s office refused to say whether an autopsy had been scheduled. Coroner Chuck West did not return calls Monday.
Police will not identify the officer until the investigation is complete, which is standard practice in a police-related shooting. The department said the 43-year-old officer has worked in Aurora for 11 years. He has been assigned to administrative duties while Aurora police and the Kane County state’s attorney’s office investigate the shooting.
“We’re certainly not going to go into many details until the entire investigation is complete,” police spokesman Dan Ferrelli said Monday.
However, Ferrelli did say officers do not shoot to maim when their own life, or anyone’s life, is in immediate danger.
If it is so important to you to know the name ask the students that where involved they know the name and I'm sure by now it is all around the schools.
Of couse the teachers and students know the names but the teachers should not be receiving their information from the students and community members, they should be receiving it as professionals from the leadership within the district.
The police are not releasing the information until they are sure that can cover their own asses. The district will never release the info because they are forever on cover your ass mode. The well being of the students is the last thing they are worried about.
Why if this student wasn't going to ours schools should you know the name? It isn't like you care about him so what is your point and don't say the district is covering it up it is a police matter and we all know the teenager has dies so what exactly do you want to know?
They don't want to know anything, the just want to complain about everything. Everything the district does is wrong in their eyes and they would do the complete opposite.
Rudy, you're probably too young to have learned to avoid speaking in absolutes such as "everything". If there is even ONE case where people think something's not a conspiracy, it makes you a liar.
5:19 p.m. is obviously a liar, since there are many positive comments on this thread alone--so it's not true that people are complaining about "everything".
Do you understand the term "In Loco Parentis", it legally means having the responsibility of the parent when the parent is absent. Teachers act "in loco parentis" for all our students. Refusing to share the information with teachers can in many instances be the same as refusing to inform the parents.
The sister of the shooter who died is an 8th grader in one of our middle schools. There are also other relatives and friends of the shooter who are also in our buildings. Teachers need this information so that can best care for our students. The teachers should not have to rely on students and community members for their information.
You must ask youeself why our administrators feel it necessary to restrict this information from the individuals who can best serve our kids. There is a difference between making this information "public" and informing the professionals whoare supposed to serve our students.
Semantics ARE important. Learning to express yourself clearly without the risk of having your words misunderstood or misconstrued IS important.
And Rudy, it's easy to call someone "pseudo-intellectual" when you can't come up with a specific intelligent argument. Name-calling is what many people resort to when they have little to offer in the way of substantive debate.
Rudy, some of us might want to know the names of the students involved so we can pray for them and their families. And some might want to be able to extend sympathy to family members.
Do not automatically assume that anyone who asks for specific information wants it for nefarious purposes!
Rudy, you're a perfect example of what's really wrong with our educational system. Every idiot who has been in school thinks they are an expert on how schools really operate.
The first thing educators learn when they start teaching is that they didn't have a clue about school operations when they were a student.
Unfortunately, it is a lesson that our politicians have never learned. They try to set policies and laws for schools without a clue how they really operate.
I would try to explain more but it's something you can really only learn from experience.
Rudy you are right We should give the information to the "professionals" who know how to handle and help children and families who have gone through such a terrible ordeal. However, the majority of teachers have been professionally accredited to TEACH, not to be child-psychologists or student counselors.
Yes, the one who was shot might have siblings in the school but the should have professional help not teachers they are there to teach. Your statements are more helpful then most of the adults here.
If some want to pray for them I'm sure GOD knows who was taken from us and you can pray for them.
This teen was a troubled teen and the ones that where around him should of seen this.
Rudy is far more concerned about what has happened and had more compassion than most of you have for his years. He is a good example of the students we have in this district and knows far more than most teachers and administration of how our student feel.
So you are saying that the the district shouldn't take care after what has happened and not maybe search a known gang member in case the don't want to retaliate? So the district doesn't and time goes by and one of them sees the chance they can go into a classroom or lunchroom to get back at the person that hurt someone they knew or bullied them we don't have a right to search students? You don't think someone wouldn't be saying the district didn't do enough?
As a teacher I would think you would want them to take steps to keep you safe because sometimes it is the teachers that students go after and since you think you are so safe and none of these students won't hurt you then maybe we shouldn't search kids for weapons.
If the district has any specific suspicions of particular students, they have a responsibility to do searches. They don't have the legal authority to start searching everyone out of fear or a desire to look like they are doing something.
Actually psychology with an emphasis on child psychology are state required courses for every teacher. We are trained to provide basic services and understand when we need to recommend children for more specialized services.
In fact, most of the information administrators and counselors receive about children are initiatially received from teachers.
It is more difficult to do your job when certain people have made a conscious effort to restrict information from you.
Rudy, if you want to understand what I am talking about, go get a job in a school.
There are deans assistant and aides positions. You don't have to be intelligent, trained or have any experience. Work in any of the buildings for just a quarter and you'll begin to understand just how ignorant you have been. The view is conpletely different from the other side.
Pseudo intellectual is probably more a self described term for Master Reza. Defined as: A person who *can probably be found with a thesaurus in hand, while in a chat room, looking up new insults that are synonymous with "stupid" in order to boost his or her own undeserved ego. Basically someone whos a major idiot, or is delusional and dumb. Acts against logic and thinks hes self-righteous. AKA: Major dumbass.
A child should be taught early on, when pointing the finger at others, you will find 3 pointing back at yourself. Take care in where you aim that thing young man. Don’t be a prat! (i.e- *a self-aggrandizing, pompous fuck. Someone who is full of themselves and, almost invariably, stupid as well. With a hint of 'deluded.' (*Urban dictionary)
I just smile & shake my head when I read most of Rudy's comments. He's the classic example of a "big fish in a small pond": next year he'll be out in the real world of college, and have to prove himself without the coddling and pampering he and his classmates have gotten from so many in this district. It will be a world where he is expected to compete with young people who have spent their time perfecting their skills instead of doing just enough to get by.
Enjoy the rest of your high school career, Rudy. You're in for a LOT of catch-up work after you graduate!
These are the comments grown adults give to young children I thnk you are the ones who should grow up. All you do in complain of things are unfair to you in the district while staying here taking it. With some of these comments that are made on here and them saying they are teachers the district should do a compencey test on the because they are hateful, spiteful and can't let things go. You who post really need to seek help.
You guys are so funny. Attacking students. Why are they not allowed to be a little naive. Isn't not being jaded by the system a good thing and what allows the system to change?
You're a fool if you think the assholes in springfield have any intention of giving even one cent to education.
Every penny is going to increase their own power. Money will go to contractors who wil give kickbacks to our politicians. If you have any money left over, good luck traveling this summer. Every road is going to be under construction.
Linda Chapa Lavia has already made it quite clear that she feels money to education is a complete waist.
Illinois is currently 49th out of the 50 states in educational funding. Let's look back in a year or two and see if that number has changed at all.
Michigan's tax rate is 4.35%. It is so high, it drove out almost all of their big business including the entire auto industry.
Now you can buy the average house in Detroit for $16,000. The Illinois politicians can't see more than 5 minutes past their face which is why we have the issues we currently have.
Short term revenues will increase, five years from now, we will be bankrupt and no tax increase will solve it.
Linda will do what she needs to be elected Mayor. Why do you think East had a shoot out in Quinn speech. She also is on record as telling AU, Oswego,East, West and Indian Prairie at the last conference she be bring more money home. That is how politics are.
(Aurora)- East Aurora School District 131 is hosting the ‘Focus on Children’ Clergy’s Breakfast on Wednesday, January 26, 2011 at 8:30 a.m. at East Aurora High School.
The Clergy’s Breakfast is an opportunity for area clergy, school district officials, and students to dialogue about collaboration opportunities that will help our students to continue making choices for excellence. School Board President, Annette Johnson, and Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Jerome Roberts, will be available to answer questions and take suggestions.
The district’s partnership with Kids Hope USA will also be highlighted. Operated in some of the district’s elementary schools, Kids Hope USA is a national mentoring program that connects churches with schools for one-on-one mentoring. Representatives from Kids Hope USA will be on hand to give an update on the partnership.
The Clergy’s Breakfast is an event in a series of community relations initiatives aimed at strengthening connections and increasing involvement between the school district and the community.
During the first semester, East Aurora Schools hosted the Youth Service Providers Expo for Faculty and Staff, a Realtors’ Luncheon, and a ‘Principal for a Day’ program in collaboration with the Aurora Cares Corporation. Future events are planned with officials from local trade unions and higher education institutions.
All area clergy are invited to attend. Please RSVP to info@d131.org or 630.299.8343 by Wednesday, January 19,
Isn't there suppose to be a separation of church and state? If you can't say prayers in schools why are we doing this.
252 comments:
1 – 200 of 252 Newer› Newest»So, Clayton gets new help for the New Year's. When is it going to stop with Clayton.
Then the Beacon has a article today about the District services about 977 preschool kids yet 1270 have applied. Funny how Lisa Morales friend Juan Sifuentes who is running for the Board can get his child in when he fits none of the criteria. Preschool is for “Students who come from economically disadvantaged homes and are identified with risk factors do not generally gain strong language skills from the home,” said Christie Aird, assistant superintendent of elementary programs in the East Aurora School District. This is not Mr Sufuentes or did Dr Aird look the other way he turned in his application was turned in. This is a clear violation of why the State gave this program to d131. This man is stealing for kids that need these services while he collects a wage from the Kane County (our taxes).
Then we have Nacho (B2M) Cervantes running for the Board do you think he will be objective.
Then we Robert Hill a youth services buddy of Clayton's again encouraged by Clayton.
Then we have Trusa buddy of long time no speak of the English Stella Gonzalez and District administrator lackey. See Stella daughter works part-time and is paid full time wages.
Then we have Ray Hull who has used his influence to promote his daughter. Her student ad visor is none other than our own Deanne Adams (District Director of Curriculum ). She has a job in the East Aurora High School Office that is her community service. While other students receive no help from counselors and are left to find community service hours on their own.
Will the Board change NO out of the seven five for sure are District cronies. That is how Clayton gets ahead he and Lisa always go out and find enough people to cover for Roberts lazy black ass.
Happy New Year
Thanks, that was pointless
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.
Response to January 1, 2011 9:42 PM
The Web Masters will not be reporting to Clayton or Ryan Ford. They are being interviewed and picked by the Building Principals and will work for the Principals. Clayton did not ask for these positions. The stipend paid positions ($1500) are being put in as an effort to get news from the buildings quicker to the parents and community.
Not everything is evil..
1:36 p.m., thanks for enlightening us. You're right about not everything being evil! We need to be reminded occasionally that there are a lot of GOOD decisions being made here in D131--decisions made with our kids' best interests at heart.
Happy New Year to my fellow East Siders!
:)
The web-masters will have to work with Ryan Ford who does answer to Clayton.
It doesn't really matter who will be answering to whom. These webmasters are being hired to allow Clayton and Ryan more time to do non-district business like run Boys II Men and Martin Luther King Jr. celebrations.
Then is the Board eliminating Ryan Ford's position. I agree it is better for the building but you can not continue to pay people to do the same job. What about the large bills paid to Vision Friendly.
Why do the class rooms lack basic needs? I agree information is great but lets buy books for the kids first.
Why three people running around taking pictures. Ryan Ford sure does not put pictures on the District Web-site. Please refer to the section District photo's this holiday. Did we have only 2 events
I do know he maintains the B2M site. Clayton was asked about this and claims he pays him. Do we really believe that?
If the Board is doing their job then Ryan's contract will not be renewed. But no he just got a 6% raise.
This District still lacks leadership. If someone is not doing his job another is assigned at the Central Office. Ryan Ford who works for Clayton is worthless the reason Vision Friendly costs so much money is because they give Ryan lessons on how to maintain the web-site and still do most of the work. Ryan was a event planner not a computer major when people are hired at Central Office they need to hold a degree in what they are to be doing. The ROE monitors this, but this position is staff so that is not the case.
Tony Martinez is another one he has a marketing degree, again nothing to do with education. Another position that was not needed.
These positions have one thing in common they report to Clayton and nobody is sure what Clayton does all day long. We basically seems to work with B2M and Martin Luther King that is true. He also gets more complaints that any other District person for lack of returned calls the phone operators at the District can attest to that.
Basically now the building are being asked to do their own pr so why do we need Clayton.
Ryan Ford runs his business out of Central Office like Clayton. Does this look like a person who maintains the Web. It is time someone ask Madam President whats going on. We all know she can not stand anyone who puts her image in a bad light. Someone should also ask her if she pays her employees for not working or running a business on her time. Since the other Board members are useless and can't even have a meeting on their own.
At Ryan J. Ford & Associates, we specialize in exceeding client expectations. We believe that no matter how large or small an event or meeting may be, details matter. We will ensure that every detail of your event is executed flawlessly.
Here is proof in case anyone says we are making up lies about Ryan.
RJF & Associates seamlessly integrates the creative production and technical elements of corporate and private events such as Movie Screenings, Book signings, CD Release Parties, LIVE CD/DVD recording events, as well as many others. Contact us today to see how we can help with your next event.
Why are the Principals having people taking pictures and think that having these employees will get the information to the parents sooner? If the parents don't have a computer then what good is that. What a waste of money which could be better spent in the classroom.
And this board is better than the old board I think not they are worse it is just to bad that parents don't step up and say something.
This was in today's Beacon:
OSWEGO — Furloughs taken by Oswego School District employees, including Superintendent Dan O’Donnell, will come to an end Friday.
This week, O’Donnell and his administrative assistant will complete five-day furloughs as part of the district’s deficit reduction plan. This saved the district $5,436, Finance Director Tim Neubauer said.
All teachers and administration workers in the Oswego School District were required to furlough for one day in 2010, which occurred on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, Neubauer said. That measure saved the district about $280,000.
According to Neubauer, this is the first round of furloughs issued for School District employees in the district’s history.
~~~~~~~~~~
Dan O'Donnell and his wife, Sharon, are friends of mine. It's no surprise that he is willing to share the burden (and pain) of balancing his district's budget. He's a class act; our admins could learn a thing or two from his example!
:)
Just think a district that has a low poverty rate and has reduced work day at the service center but the employees will get paid for a forty day week does nothing to help the budget. Remember though we cry poverty we spend more than most districts. Doesn't some of the central office employees live in Oswego and look at the lengths they go to help their students. They do have a Superintendent that is doing right by the district. Their Superintendent is truly a leader in what to do in trying times.
These represent charges from the check registers from the office of Superintendent. Look at the credit cards what are they charging.
003380 CARDMEMBER SERVICE 12/20/10 12/10 27,990.21
003380 CARDMEMBER SERVICE 11/15/10 11/10 19,427.82
003380 CARDMEMBER SERVICE 10/18/10 10/10 52,416.17
These represent charges for the three people paid to take pictures
004003 DONNELL COLLINS
VENDOR TOTAL..: 500.00
019097 SHILOH STUDIO
VENDOR TOTAL..: 550.00
012315 LYLE ROLFE
VENDOR TOTAL..: 1,250.00
LYLE ROLFE
VENDOR TOTAL..: 600.00
These represent charges. Why do we have Ryan Ford.
VISIONFRIEND00M
VENDOR TOTAL..: 886.13
22190 VISIONFRIENDLY.COM
VENDOR TOTAL..: 6,625.30
These charges are from Nov & Dec yet teachers go out to Donors.org for small supplies under $500
This check register is a good example of what is wrong with the District no one is watching.
Weaver would question this but must have gotten frustrated hitting her head against the wall.
Most of the Board members are wash outs just look at them Hull uses his position to promote his daughter. Gonzalez gets a job for her daughter. Wells is 20 years of nothing. Trusa's only accomplishment is being Gonzalez friend. The one I blame the most is Lewis for letting the administrators buy her grand-child off after she actually had a hand in creating the check register. Now she just says yes to everything after knowing who these people are.
Then there is the Johnson who appears not to have gained anything but Roberts and Clayton's friendship. She owns has her own company and is a Accountant but never questions anything. She certainly does not run her business that way and could be the one person who could stop this but again chooses to look the other way.
It's funny that the district can take of about the Central Office Hours being cut during the Holiday but no minutes from the board yet on the website.
I remember a couple of years ago when someone posted here about a $11,000.00+ hotel bill listed on the check register.
All of a sudden the central office saw fit to establish and publish guidelines about exactly how much of OUR tax money could be spent for things like restaurant meals, hotel stays, travel expenses, etc.
Another example of the positive influence of this blog!
The November 15th and December 6th minutes are now published on the D131 web site.
Madam President must be back in town or she used her I phone to get this done.
So Rudy are you the typical East Aurora loser. Why are you not in school? Your comments may have more meaning if you actually had a job and paid real estate taxes.
The taxpayer money is not assigned by the state the district makes the policy which we have but the district still does not follow it and board members still take their families with them sometimes. If you believe that the state has anything to do with how they spend that money could I interest you in some land in Florida by the swamp.
Rudy you are right there are some very sad people that post on this blog and attacking a student is wrong and it shows who is childish. I think it is good that students say something since you are the ones that the decisions of the district is being made for.
The blog for most is a place to blow off steam and nothing of importance that has been said here has been changed. There are some things that have been said on here that citizens that thought it is wrong and went through the avenues you need to to see if what was done was right or wrong. As for myself I have went to some board meetings and watched how things where handled, listen to parents of what they said they thought was wrong and contacted the State to see if what was being done was ok. At best they walk a fine line of what they can get away with and what is legal. Most just complain and not do anything because they are afraid that the district will punish their children if they bring something up which is wrong and nothing will be done to right it and I am not talking about the K situation that is done and over with and there is more important things to address in the district.
Forgot to say hope you feel better soon Rudy.
It's a good thing you are not a teacher in this district. If a teacher takes a sick day, the day before or after a holiday, the district docks their pay.
Enjoy your extra break.
Where I work and it isn't a public employee job if I take a sick day before a holiday I don't get paid either so you must think your special or that other people that work don't have the same policies you are wrong. The one thing teachers get is a paid summer break I don't get that I have to work all year long and I don't get paid insurance or a paid pension. I don't have tenure either so no matter how many years I have my company can fire me at any time. I also don't work for someone who lives in a low poverty area that gets money from the state to run our business and can blow that money on other things that what is suppose to be for and that is for educating children. You teachers in this district took what you could get and not fight for what you should have gotten that is your fault not ours. This district has money that the teachers could use in the classrooms but don't ask or fight for it in fact we are the only district that is hiring people for jobs that don't have anything to do with the education of our children but the betterment of administration and you will not even ask for supplies for your classrooms and there is money for it.
How the hell do you know what I ask
for in my classroom and don't get?
And how many hours a day do you work? I'm usually working somewhere around 9 on a SHORT day.
Well my work day depends on what is going on and we all know that a teachers spends maybe 6 hours in the classroom a day and yes the do have to correct papers and homework but with today technologically it should help. So you are saying that you are at school 9 hours a day I don't think so you are probably at home and don't live in the district. Where I work if someone doesn't show up for the next sift I will have to work eight hours more without overtime pay. No maybe you don't need anything in you classroom but other teacher say they do. Maybe you are one of the special teachers that get all the supplies they need in their classroom while some in the district don't they use their own money.
No, you are a little slow, let me remind you of what you wrote EXACTLY
"This district has money that the teachers could use in the classrooms but don't ask or fight for "
So I repeat, HOW THE HELL DO YOU KNOW WHAT I ASK FOR???
Right, because teaching is just physically with kids. It does not take planning or anything.
Next time around get a better education.
I got a good education and I do my job because I enjoy it I don't complain when I have to work sometimes more that I have to. You are the one complaining about working. Maybe you should further your career in education so you don't have to do all the planning for classed you might want to think about being an administrator then you could spend more time with what you want to do. Remember you are not the only teacher in this district and some of them need things in the classroom that you get and they don't. Like I said maybe you are one of the special ones that get what you want.
You are not worth my time.
So why do our teachers have to go on
donorschoice.org and ask for materials for their classrooms if they are getting what they need? This is a very good organization to help with supplies for classrooms and I think everyone should take a look at it and contribute if they can. But in our district even though they are a high poverty rate some of our teachers have to post on here to get the basic needs for there classrooms but you don't why is that. This district is one of a few that are not cutting back and hiring like there is no tomorrow but have money in the bank if you just go and take the time to look at it. By the way I'm a nurse and I do have a good education.
You aren't worth mine or our students time they deserve better.
Rumor has it that this district has 10 million to the good. Rumor also has it we did NOT need that last referendum. Could answer where all the money is coming from for all those new positions and they are not teachers or teachers' aids.
Like most blogs, this one is a mixed bag. I've found out things I didn't know by reading it; I've also had to sift through a lot of b.s.--but that's the nature of a lot of online information sources.
Sometimes it may look like this blog influences things in our district--or it might just be coincidence. One recent example is when people here were discussing teachers being Facebook "friends" with current students. It could have been coincidence, but now almost all our district's teachers & administrators have stopped friending students on their personal Facebook pages. The ONE notable exception is "Farrakhan's Disciple" Clayton Muhammad--but everyone knows the rules don't apply to him.
I get to school before 7 AM every morning and I am always amazed that there are at least twenty cars in the parking when I get there. I have been able to leave by 4 PM three times this year. Most days I leave around 7 PM (and there are still many cars in the parking lot), go home, sit at my desk and do a few more hours of work. It is not unusual to still be doing work at 10 or 11 PM. My longest day didn't end until 2:30 AM as I was getting prepared for a special event the next day.
Anybody who thinks that most teachers days start at 8 AM and end at 3PM is simply showing their own ignorance. While there are always a few individuals who do the bare minimum, that is not the norm in the teaching field.
You still don't get it.
YOUR statement is implying that there is money in the district that ALL TEACHERS are refusing to ask for and refusing to fight for.
I am saying, how do you know that I don't ask for funds and NOT GET THEM?
I ask for stuff all the time that I don't get. I am not "one of the lucky ones."
Can you please learn how to read without your head up your ass.
You are correct the District will show a 12 million profit this year and about a 35 million dollar profit for the next for the next 4 years. These profits are after teachers raises and new positions. They will then have about 85 million in the bank. Roberts did not need the referendum he miscalculated a poverty grant.
See when Jerome was Asst Superintendent he often made costly mistakes with grants and forgot to file for them. I guess he wised up. If you stuff the classrooms full and add preschool to all of your schools which the State pays 100% you can make big profits when the kids are 80% plus free and reduced and considered at risk.
I go past two schools in the morning and if there are two cars in the parking lot it will be a first at 6:30. I do see maintenance workers there at times. Rudy and others you picked the job of being a teacher and what it took to be one. The hours of a teacher has never been a secret and some do it better than others on how to use their time. I know some teachers probably get to school early to get ready for class but not all. You chose the profession don't complain.
I did not say you didn't get what you needed for your classroom but you need to take a break because if you talk to students the way you do here you shouldn't be around students.
Again, there you go missing the point. People are questioning our summers off. That is why we are mentioning our hours. Stay on topic. Nobody is complaining, only justifying.
You probably won't read this though, or you will interpret it as more complaining.
Ok I'll say some teachers don't ask for it but it looks like the district is in the money now and citizens won't have to donate money to help out with supplies in the classroom. You should really take anger management classes.
You should learn how to read, THE FIRST TIME
If we have plenty of money, why won't the administration use some of it to hire teacher assistants in crowded classrooms?
At every recent School Board meeting, either a staff member or parent has gotten up to speak specifically about how much our students would benefit from having a teacher aide in their class. Counselors and technology helpers are useful, too, but our first priority should be facilitating our kids' day-to-day success in their classrooms by providing the assistant their teacher desperately needs.
This might be a good question to ask the candidates for the School Board!
To: January 4, 2011 6:08 AM
You must be going past Simmons. We all know SIMMONS SUCKS!!!!!
There is no way the teachers there are going to come in early and spend one minute more than they have to with the administration in that building. I know many of them spend the time at home but they hate dealing with Mechelle Patterson and Wilson Morales.
The Board approved 30 teachers called instructional aides in December why have the jobs not been posted.
The jobs are probably already given to the boards family members.
Looks like the recession is over in d131. This is a Board of action
Sixteen Elementary Tutors
Records Secretary (Registrar), Category I - CMS
Assistant Director of Bilingual Services
East Aurora Middle School Campus Principal
Waldo Middle School Principal
Rollins Elementary Principal
12 - Bilingual Language Arts Achievement Specialists
Curriculum Technology Facilitator
Special Education Resource Teacher
High School Teaching/English
2- High School Teaching/Mathematics
Science Teacher HighSchool
High School Teaching/Social Studies - General
3-Middle School Teaching/Guidance Counselor
It's over because the teachers contract has been approved. We are only broke when the teachers negotiate.
Here's another way people can donate money to our schools:
Dominick's is having a promotion where 10% of the price of certain items is donated to the school of your choice. From January 2nd until January 26th, when you buy items with the School Bus tag and use your Dominick's card, the computer keeps track of your total qualifying purchases and at the end of the program you designate a school to get the 10%.
Dominick's has done this promotion before (in August), and I donated about $7.00 to Simmons. Not a lot of money, but it would add up quickly if hundreds of people did it. And it's super simple--just shop as you normally do.
One more way to help our kids!
It buys some supplies because we all know the real money in this District goes to credit cards, cell phones and Clayton
I'm sorry but I'm done giving to this district. District 131 is the only district around that is hiring and adding new positions that are really not needed. If it is true that it is going to come out that we have a surplus then they can use that for things for the schools. In fact with all the hiring why don't the teachers get some money to buy the things that are needed. I for one will give to other districts that our state has not paid the money that is owed to them.
People are paying for a referendum that was not needed. The superintendant messed up but he sure did get a decent raise for his mess up and his contract renewed early and this man can barely see. More money coming out of the taxpayers money and going into the superintendant, admins and also for making new positions for other than teachers. The district should now make that referendum null and void and give back to this low income district. I, for one, agree with other poster and will give to other districts that have been denied or given less that D131. Shame on this district for taking"stealing"from other districts that could have used the help and for being deceitful to all of us. Be aware tha the board president was and is aware of this. Remember that Gonzales daughter got a job with the district, Hulll's daughter is getting favor's and Lewis grandchildren have benified from this. We are probably the "poorest, richest district in the state. I hope the other districts go the state about this. When this district does right I will again give to it. Now which district do I want to give to when I go to Doninick's?
You complain that the district is getting funding from local sources and then you complain that they get funding from state sources. Where do you want the district to receive their funding from.
By the way, if you think the referendum passing was terrible, just wait til you see the tax increase the state is going to pass in the next couple of weeks. 75% is what is likely. For my family, it means approximately $2500 more we will have to pay in new taxes. In addition, the state just passed "pension reform" which shifts responsibility for police and firefighter pensions to local government. As Daley stated, it is going to mean the largest property tax increase in Chicago's history and will mean the same for every community in the state.
Don't be surprised if your property tax bill is doubled this year. All this they claim will fund schools. Yet schools are not where most of spending is in this state. Road construction is.
Illinois spent 21 billion last year in road construction. Indiana only spent 8 billion while Wisconsin reduced theirs to only 4 billion. If our state lawmakers simply controlled their spending on roads for one year, our debt problems could be eliminated.
Remember, the state budget is just like your family budget. There is the money that comes in and the money that is spent. For the rest of us, we can't simply go to our boss and ask for a 75% raise. We must instead be adults and spend within our means. Our lawmakers instead want to keep on spending and spending and spending some more and they want us to pay their bills.
You need to call your lawmakers and tell them enough is enough. Control spending and quit looking at our wallets for their bailout.
It continues to amaze me the way this District is run. There was a great article featuring the Girls basketball team yesterday. I am happy they got the coverage instead of Ryan Showboat. But this is the same team the Board President mentors a pr stunt by her and Clayton if you ask me. But you will notice the Beacon gives no coverage to the big administrator raises or all the positions East Aurora can now afford. Many of these positions are administrative.
The Board President did make a appearance yesterday at Central Office her and Roberts needed to show they were all made up after a week of fighting. See Roberts who is blind uses Clayton to speak for him. Lisa to read for him and Johnson to get them back in line.
Rumor is his wife is shucking him dry as he spends all day trying to win her back. This while everyone does his job. I for one hopes he losses every penny he got from the hard working East Aurora residents.
Anybody know who's paying "Serial Bully" Radakovich's pension?
10:02 p.m., the money from the Dominick's fundraising program does not go to the district. You specify an individual SCHOOL to receive the money.
Big difference!
And with the Donors Choose program, your money goes directly toward that particular project.
Worthy causes, both of them!
The State is paying however you the tax payer put the contribution in as a annunity
Those teachers on the donorschoice.org should go to the district and ask for what they need since the district will have surplus money they should pay for it and anything else. It is time this district did what is right for the children. They boost that they are better off than other districts and are hiring so there is no reason the teachers are not getting what they need.
I am sure if the teachers asked they would get it. But I am sure they have a bad or afraid building administrator that will not ask.
If its Bardwell it is a hot bed of problems.
As far as the teachers Roberts did not want to hire them he was happy with over crowded buildings and high student to teacher ratio's.
The Board forced the hiring of all these positions not the administrators. If the teachers don't anonymously contact the Board then nothing gets done.
The teachers at Gates and a administrator at Brady stood up against administration and now they are being targeted.
The only thing to fear is fear it's self. As long as we don't stand up we will keep getting knocked down.
It may go straight to the school, but our schools should not be needing anything with as much money as this district now has. Due to this I will still not give to the schools in this district.
Amen, January 7, 2011 at 9:48 pm.
The superintendant and administrators have been given too much credit. They are just human like the rest of us and they are not super human. Their pants go on just like the rest of us. Everyone lets them get away with what they do. Imagine them naked when talking or listening to them, you will then really know that there is nothing to fear but fear it's self.
get the quote right- you have nothing to fear but fear itself. (not it's self).
Nothing to fear...
...except being bullied out of your job by administrators who have a proven record of corruption.
Several have left the district, but a few still remain.
When you are bullied you need to document it and when they keep on and maybe fire you you have the right just like Mr. Green to sue the district. Maybe if more did this would stop because as you stated the old bullies are still there but that don't mean more will be hired after they are gone. Do you think those where the only ones who could bully teachers?
The second option is go get a job at another district if they are hiring or there is the whistle blower program You are part of the problem because you don't do anything and it continues.
~ Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do. ~ Pope John XXIII
Three kids from the East Aurora schools got shoot or killed last night. Meanwhile the Mayor is laying police off. Get over the band or Green we need to band together and complain our kids are dying or getting injured.
Why no press release from Clayton. Is it because B2M gets money from the Mayor.
Where is Roberts in Shorewood?
Shame on all the adults for not acting like adults.
Read his tweets he is working on B2M. Roberts & Clayton could care less to get the word out to concerned parents.
Why would Clayton do a press release on this it wasn't on school property and it was after hours. The Aurora Police did do a release on it though which is how it should be.
Off-duty Aurora cop shoots juvenile carrying gun
By Stephanie Lulay slulay@stmedianetwork.com Jan 7, 2011 10:01PM
* Share
* E-Mail
* Print
AURORA — An off-duty Aurora police officer shot a juvenile who was carrying a gun on the near East Side Friday afternoon.
The youth died a short time later.
Police spokesman Dan Ferrelli said the officer was driving near Fifth and South streets at 3:28 p.m. Friday when he saw a juvenile shooting at a group of teenagers.
The officer got out of the car and identified himself as an Aurora police officer, Ferrelli said, and told the juvenile to drop the gun.
The juvenile did not drop the gun, and the officer shot him, Ferrelli said.
The juvenile was taken to an Aurora hospital, where he died about 5:30 p.m. in surgery.
Officers recovered the juvenile’s gun at the scene, Ferrelli said.
Ferrelli would not identify the officer, who is an 11-year veteran of the department, or the person who was shot. The victim’s identity and age were not released Friday.
The officer will be assigned to administrative duties pending the outcome of an internal investigation, Ferrelli said.
As for helping with donations and such-do not punish the peasants and deny them because of the work of the tyrants in 131.
More importantly pray for the police officer who had to make a very difficult decision, the troubled youth & the families of the officer and the child.
Also, those who are more concerned with the PR than the lives who have been affected in a way that can never be the same again. The word is out now, "concerned parents" should fall on their knees and pray for a safe community.
Because it was a East Aurora student that was killed and six students got shot at. This could have been your child walking home from Bardwell or Waldo
We also have a 17 & 18 year old girl shot on Sumner Ave. They are in critical condition.
Aurora does not have enough police protection it is up to both districts to remind the City and Clayton friend Leisner off this.
The police officer saved alot of lives yesterday.
I for one will not drive through the near east side.
Something to think about. I thought Rayanne may appreciate this especially with the references to Caterpillar.
Playing With Economic Dynamite
by: Jim Hightower
By gollies, America is still an exporting powerhouse. In fact, the good ol' U.S.A. is No. 1 in the world in exports! Our corporate leaders, backed by Republicans and Democrats alike in Washington, are now routinely exporting America's most precious goods -- our jobs, factories, technologies and middle-class opportunities.
With unemployment and underemployment devastating millions of families in our country, perhaps you've assumed that U.S. corporations simply aren't hiring these days. Nonsense. They added 1.4 million jobs last year alone -- overseas.
For example, more than half of Caterpillar's new hires in 2010 were in foreign countries. Many more of this giant's jobs are headed offshore in the near future, for Caterpillar, which was once an iconic American brand, has recently invested in three new plants in China. It'll not only manufacture tractors and bulldozers there, but it'll also begin to ship its design work and technology development jobs to China.
Likewise, DuPont, once proud of its U.S. workforce, has slashed its number of American employees in recent years, while increasing its Asia-Pacific workforce by more than half. Indeed, DuPont no longer considers itself American -- "We are a global player," sniffs its chief innovation officer.
Such homemade brands as Coca-Cola, Dell and IBM are also among the multitude of corporations abandoning our shores and our middle class. Of course, they keep their posh headquarters here so they and their top executives can continue enjoying all that America has to offer.
Calvin Coolidge once famously asserted that "what's good for business is good for America." That's myopic enough, but today's narcissistic CEOs are even more self-centered, declaring that "what's good for business is good for business, America be damned."
In fact, profits are up, the stock market is roaring, corporations are awash in cash, CEOs are reaping fabulous paychecks again, and -- did you hear? -- holiday spending reached its highest level in four years. Forget last year's talk of gloom, all economic indicators are now on zoom, headed for a new boom!
Well, maybe not all indicators. There is still that pesky little problem of joblessness, for instance. Most politicos and economists, however, no longer want to be bothered with the fact that millions of our people are either unemployed or underemployed. Jobs, they say dismissively, are merely a "lagging economic indicator," a problem that'll take care of itself in the by and by. Just be patient. And be quiet.
Part 2
But jobs have been "lagging" for years now, and there's no sign that this problem will ever take care of itself. To the contrary, America's corporate elite have learned that they can prosper by deliberately holding the workaday majority in a new normal of job insecurity.
No one at the top wants to admit it, but big business has quietly been imposing a structural transformation on our economy, shifting from a workforce of permanent employees to one in which most jobs are temporary, scarce, low-paid, without benefits and with no upward mobility. Of the 1.2 million jobs created by the private sector last year, for example, 26 percent were temporary positions, and in November, temp jobs soared to 80 percent of that month's total.
What's happening here is not merely a matter of a few million folks being momentarily down on their luck, but of an intentional dismantling of America's middle-class structure.
The Powers That Be can talk all they want about a boom, but working families -- America's majority -- know better. A boom for whom? they ask. They can plainly see that self-serving elites are jury-rigging the job market, lowering the standard of living and closing opportunities for millions.
The elites don't know it yet, but they are playing with dynamite. Our society can tolerate such raw selfishness by the privileged few, or it can have democracy. It can't have both.
National radio commentator, writer, public speaker, and author of the book, Swim Against The Current: Even A Dead Fish Can Go With The Flow, Jim Hightower has spent three decades battling the Powers That Be on behalf of the Powers That Ought To Be - consumers, working families, environmentalists, small businesses, and just-plain-folks.
If you are talking about the ones in Mocerville, Kane County officers cover that area, not Auora police.
Dear Faculty & Staff:
It is with sadness that I send this update of the unfortunate incidents that happened on Friday, January 7, 2011. The following information is public and investigations in both incidents are still ongoing.
Yesterday afternoon a 15-year-old student who attended the Pathways Academy Alternative School was shot by an officer after that student fired several shots at middle school students while they walked home from school. None of the middle school students were injured by bullets. The student who was shot by the officer later died in the hospital.
Yesterday evening an 18-year-old and a 17-year-old student from East High were both shot while sitting in a parked vehicle. Both students were transported to the hospital and, as of last notice, were still listed in critical condition.
The authorities are not releasing names of any of these students to the public yet. Both Press Releases are attached to this email. We are working with the Aurora Police Department and the Kane County Sheriff’s Office with full and complete cooperation.
Social Workers will be available at the schools for students who may need additional assistance throughout the week. We will send news of any major updates.
Thank you,
Jerome Roberts
Superintendent of Schools
Wow, after reading those stories, I can't believe passing the State ISAT Tests aren't the most important events in our students lives.
Maybe if they where more involved in schools and the parents care going to school would be important. This is not a school problem per say it happened outside of school and it shows what our students have to put up with in some of their day to day live even in school.
This is sad news but we must still get our students to learn so they do not have to live like this and safe.
No, it wasn't during the school day.
The middle school students weren't shot at until they were going home from school.
You have a sick mind and you are completely unaware if you don't think these things affect the school day and learning.
The students wouldn't have been "walking" home if our distraict administration and board cared enough to provide busing. Our kids are at risk every time they walk to and from school.
We have had students beaten, shot, stabbed and run over for years. The administration doesn't give a damn about our students, they only give a damn about their own reputations and the bottom line.
I do believe it effects our students every day and not just the days that someone is shot. I know they wonder when they are walking home from school if something will happen to them because they chose not to join a gang. But even as this goes on we must help them understand you can't get out of this if you don't have a good education. I pray for the families that this has effected and it looks like the gangs are moving in the area more again around here so all parents should keep watch over their children the good ones and the bad ones so all can be safe.
Do not think that having busing will solve that problem. Many schools have to but video camera's in the buses because of the bulling going on in the buses.
Teen, woman critically injured in Aurora Township shooting
SUN-TIMES MEDIA WIRE Jan 8, 2011 01:34PM
* Share
* E-Mail
* Print
A woman and teen girl are expected to survive after they were shot Friday night shooting in an unincorporated area near west suburban Aurora.
Kane County Sheriff’s police responded about 9:55 p.m. Friday to a shots fired call near the 600 block of South Sumner Avenue in unincorporated Aurora Township and found several shell casings in the street but no victims, according to a Kane County Sheriff’s office release.
Aurora police notified the Kane County Sheriff’s office about five minutes later that two of three people inside a 2003 Cadillac at McCoy Drive and Frontenac Street were shot, the release said.
Investigators learned the car was parked in the 600 block of South Summer Avenue in unincorporated Aurora Township when shots were fired and the motorist drove to McCoy Drive and Frontenac Street and called 911, the release said.
The Aurora Fire Department took a 17-year-old girl and 18-year-old woman to Rush-Copley Medical Center in Aurora, the release said.
As of 12:30 p.m. Saturday the victims, both of Aurora, remain hospitalized, but their injuries are not life-threatening, according to a release from the sheriff’s police.
The 21-year-old Oswego motorist was not injured, police said.
Kane County Sheriff’s police are continuing their investigation but a motive was still not known as of Saturday afternoon.
I don't think busing would of helped in this situation.
The kids would have not been on the bus at 3:30pm.
Pathways is the Quad County Urban League how could this kid have already been walking the streets and hooking up with students. The other problem is the police. We have a 7 million dollar parking lot at the Y but not enough police when the kids are walking around after school.
It is my understanding the Leisner funds this program and forces both East & West to us it
Since when is it the police departments job to watch children walking home from school? I'm not saying the department is great but when did it become their job?
To: January 8, 2011 6:48 PM
The kids would have not been on the bus at 3:30pm???
You're correct, the kids would not have been on the bus at 3:30pm. The kids would have been at home, SAFE.
These are gang members do you really think a bus would keep them at home. There is a reason d131 has all that money they don't have busing.
You know what didn't kill those kids? Pot - Smoke up everybody.
It's not the police departments responsibility.
It's the school district's responsibility.
The school district is legally responsible for the safety of the students from the time they leave their homes til the time they arrive home.
If one of those middle school students were injured on their way home, a good lawyer would have filed suit against the district.
And they would have won the suit.
To: January 8, 2011 6:56 PM
"These are gang members do you really think a bus would keep them at home."
I'm not sure, are you stating that the district has no responsiblity because Aurora has gangs and killing will happen anyway?
We have 13,000 students in this district, do you think they are all gang members and don't desrve to be protected?
Once the district loses their forst multi-million dollar lawsuit because of student safety going to and from school, then they will seriously consider busing. Until then, the administrators will only take care of themselves.
Here is a practical question. Does anybody know what it would cost to implement a busing program in district 131?
That's not meant to be sarcastic. I really have no clue.
Show me the law that says it is the school responsibility for making it safe for the children walking to school? As far as gang members the district does have a responsibility if a crime is done on school property by a gang member to discipline them but once they leave school boundaries it is the City of Aurora to make sure that they are off the street.
By law you only have to bus children if they live a mile from the school and it wasn't just meant to make sure students got to school safe it was meant you could move students around to different schools in the district so they had a better learning advantage if another school meet their needs better like if a school had more ELL learners in a school and another school in the district didn't you could move students that didn't have to learn English to a school that taught more in English and the ELL learners could be in classes that fit their needs better.
Busing is expensive and if the district runs the busing then the drivers get the benefits just like all district employees.
If the District would have put in busing 20 years ago it would have not cost a dime. Now the cost is about 8 million per year.
Busing is not the answer. Concerned and caring parents and community is. Is the Urban League really helping the ones that are going to it? It does not appear so.
Two East teens killed in shootings, four other teens injured and many more shot at. In addition, many others arrested. There is an article in the Beacon about 9 arrested for selling Cocaine. Several were recently East students. All of this in just the past week.
I thought Clayton and his illegal fraternity were saving all of our at risk kids. I am sure glad we are financing his groups and activities.
Funny how Clayton says the 15 was not a member of East Schools. No he was at Pathways Clayton new name for the Urban League. To what end will Clayton defend his black programs. See they can't admit the Urban League is a failure so they are hiding the name of school this young man attended. Clayton is a phony and hand picks his B2M. No kid who is on a bad path ever gets helped by Clayton.
Also on Saturday, East Aurora schools spokesman Clayton Muhammad said crisis teams of counselors and social workers will be available, particularly at Waldo Middle School, beginning Monday. Some youths involved in Friday’s incident were Waldo students, but not the 15-year-old, he said. The incident happened about half a mile from the school.
The EA community voted NO to bussing. We have city busses that cover most of the EA district.
When I went to EA schools and when my children attended, we lived at the outskirts of the district, we found a way to school or walked. Their have been gangs in this town for over 40 years.
Offering a community and an education that will attract families who care should have been a priority years ago. The Mayor and superintendent of schools are the people to start this change. What we have in place for EA now is not going to create any change. Until we remove those in charge.
If they 15 year old was in the Urban League Program wouldn't that mean he was a student and got expelled and put in there because of that?
The Beacon keeps deleting this post. I know the true news blogs will not.
The kid was in Alternative School with none other than Weisner cronie Theodia Gillespe at the Urban League. He was suppose to not have contact with the other students. My question is why was he with Waldo students. Why is the school district not saying he was a Alternative school kid. Weisner pays about $90,000 to each school district to work with the Urban League. That could pay for 2 police. Why is Weisner not letting the schools run their own Alternative School. Why the cover-up. Just admit it Liesner all of your programs along with your cronies are failures.
Good question about Weisner he is useless. He is buddies also with Clayton.
January 8, 2011 8:18 pm said "If the District would have put in busing 20 years ago it would have not cost a dime. Now the cost is about 8 million per year."
I'd like to know what program, 20 years ago, provided free busses, employees, gas, maintenance & upkeep. And gave you a yearly check to cover these ongoing expenses?
I've heard predictions that gas may cost more than $5.00 per gallon this summer. If that happens, districts that have bus service will have to cut some things in order to pay for gas. We'll be glad then that we don't have buses!
Buses are not the issue our schools are neighborhood schools. Which in turn makes them a a reflection of the neighborhood they serve.
Because many kids lack parental support that is what happens. So to blame it on a bus, the school, or the Urban League is wrong.
Lets ask who or how did he get the gun. How about the kids fighting with him. Gangs take the place of family something these kids don't have.
At least twice in the last ten years the community has voted on adding bussing to the district and the VOTERS turn down the bussing. It is not the district's fault that there isn't bussing, it's the voting community, so ask them why we don't have bussing.
He was from a gang and he was mad because someone was messing with his girlfriend so he decides to follow 13 & 14 years olds home and shoot someone because he thought someone was messing with his girlfriend. Until the mentality of some punk getting a gun and shooting someone for things like this gets changed it will happen.
I teach at Waldo and as usual, we are told no more than the public knows. As always, we will have to get our information from the students.
By the way, your kids 4th amendment rights will be trampled all this week as the kids will be searched upon entering the middle and high schools.
The child who did the shooting and was killed by the police officer was placed at an alternative location for a reason. Most likely because everone knew he was a danger to other students and the community. If everyone didn't bend over backwards trying to protect the rights of this one criminal, we might not be in the situation now where the rights of thousands of students are going to be disregarded.
These children loose their 4th amendment right when some chose to bring weapons into school. So they should jut ignore this and not search students they think might want to get back and bring a weapon into school and hurt others including teachers. We all have rights put when some chose to ignore the rules then things have to be done to protect others.
Students have few rights when they walk into a school. That's the way it is and that's the way it SHOULD BE. Sometimes you give up rights for safety.
If this was gang related, there could be some pissed off gang members at school this week.
The teacher from waldo sounds like a real ass hole who always looks at the glass as EMPTY.
Actually you are wrong. Students don't lose their constitutional rights just because they enter a school building.
If you choose to go to an airport or go to the State Capitol, you understand that there will be a check and you can choose not to get on a plane etc. Students are required to go to school and when searches are dine upon entering the building, they have little if any choice in the matter. If they turn around and walk away, they are now suspect and their parents are called since they skipped school.
Here's a thought for you, the forth amendment also protects your home from illegal search and seizure. If one student possessing a weapon is excuse for violating 5500 students foutg amendment rights, I guess you must also feel as though other State Agencies can enter your home and search you because there are other illegal weapons and criminals in the State?
I may be an asshole but it's hard illegally searching them in the morning and then teaching them about the constitution and the forth amendment in the afternoon.
The man who gives up his liberties for security deserves neither.
Thomas Jefferson
If you treat them like animals, that's exactly how they they will behave.
Joe Clark
No the problem was the Alternative School. This is a crony of the City of Aurora, Clayton and Jerome Roberts.
I am gong back about 6-7 years the kids had been taught by certified teachers and had weekly meeting with a social worker. The program was run by the schools East, West and some Indian Prairie Middle School.
Then comes the Urban League Dunham builds them a nice new building with the of Vaughn a District Crony and friend of the Serial Bully. Teachers like Shelia Conrad and Ed Meliki get laid off made promoted as administrators and re-hired by East.
Then the Tom Leisner steps in pays the schools to send them to Urban League and a sub standard program.
Indian Prairie who cares about education drops out and East & West continue.
This program is now run on Farnsworth at the Urban League and is basically a troubled student put in front of a computer from 8:30am to 2:45pm with no counseling. They do have the equivalent of a Sub sitting in the room but not actual certified teachers. Some Sub's in our district do have teaching or social work degrees but not at the Urban League.
So my question is how can a teen get from the Urban League on the slow City bus system to Fifth Ave by 3:30pm engage a bunch of kids who he has been fighting with for weeks get a gun and go shoot at them. Now he is dead. The blame should fall right on the school districts lap, Urban League and the City for not providing enough police protection on the near east side. Lets not forget College Ave is closed the gang force is now at the police palace.
I will remind everyone Clayton was a Urban League employee and now the cover-up is on. I do hope some of the Board members read these. I do think you try to do what is best your just not given all the facts by your want a be (black) Superintendent when he is in Aurora.
I tell you what if my child was going to Waldo and thankfully none of my children had to I would not mind if they where searched for weapons. In many schools they have to pass through metal detectors to enter. I would think the board has a policy about this and the parents should know that.
I don't think it is only Waldo they are doing this there where 3 squad cars out in front of the high school.
I am sorry I guess I did not do a very good job of writing this. I am so angry with everyone using their positions to influence were the money goes just because you are a friend of someone's
Vaughn District Crony and friend of Mayor Weisner and District employee took apart a well working program to give it to the Urban League. Theresa Shoemaker Director of Community in Schools over saw this program. But she is a District crony as well everyone looked the other way and now a child is dead. Why is the Beacon not printing he attended the Urban League and why is Clayton trying to fool everyone by saying he does not attend East and he attends Pathways. Pathways is the Urban League.
It doesn't matter if that child was in the program or not he was on the wrong path for life. He alone made that choice to get a gun and point it at someone. I believe he also shot at the kids too and it is a good thing he had bad aim. But to think that having police all over and buses taking kids to school will stop this then you are wrong because they will find other ways to do what they want. The child was having problems anyway and I'm not going to say the Alternative Program is the greatest but they did try to help because if he wouldn't have been able to go there he would have been out on the streets. You have to give blame to the parents too it is there job to know where their children are and what they are doing.
The Fourth Amendment has been held to mean that generally a warrant must be judicially sanctioned for a search or an arrest, in order for such a warrant to be considered reasonable. Warrants must be supported by probable cause and be limited in scope according to specific information supplied by a person (usually a law enforcement officer) who has sworn by it and is therefore accountable to the issuing court. However, a dissenting school of thought often found in the opinions of Justice Antonin Scalia is that searches must simply be "reasonable," and the warrant requirement has been overly emphasized.
The Fourth Amendment applies to governmental searches and seizures, but not those done by private citizens or organizations who are not acting on behalf of a government.[14] The Bill of Rights originally only restricted the power of the federal government. However, in Wolf v. Colorado, the Supreme Court ruled that the Fourth Amendment is applicable to state governments by way of the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Moreover, all state constitutions contain an analogous provision.[15]
The jurisdiction of the federal government in the realm of criminal law was narrow, until the late 19th century when the Interstate Commerce Act and Sherman Antitrust Act were passed. As criminal jurisdiction of the federal government expanded to include other areas such as narcotics, more questions about the Fourth Amendment came to the Supreme Court.[16]
The Supreme Court ruled that some searches and seizures may violate the reasonableness requirement under the Fourth Amendment, even if a warrant is supported by probable cause and is limited in scope.[17] Conversely, the Court has approved routine warrantless seizures, for example "where there is probable cause to believe that a criminal offense has been or is being committed."[18] Thus, the reasonableness requirement and the warrant requirement are somewhat different.
The reasonableness requirement applies not just to a search in combination with a seizure, but also to a search without a seizure, as well as to a seizure without a search.[19] Hence, the amendment is not limited to protecting elements of privacy or personal autonomy, but rather applies pervasively to virtually all aspects of criminal law. Nevertheless, the amendment does not replace other constitutional provisions, such as replacing the Eighth Amendment's ban on "cruel and unusual" punishment with a more sweeping ban on "unreasonable" punishment.
Exactly.
You can't violate the rights of 5500 students because there is one criminal among them (or in this case, already dead).
There must be a REASONABLE SUSPICION that a crime is being committed. If the administration gets a report or tip that a child is carrying a weapon, they have a responsibility to search the child, book bag, locker etc. of that individual.
They can not legally search 5500 students because they are afraid or because the administration wants to look like they are doing something about a situation. They can't violate everyones rights to cover their own reputation.
At least, they can't do it legally.
The short term answer is a simple one.
The alternative schools should have different hours than the regular schools. This will give students who have not shown a history of violent behavior a chance to walk to and from school safely. Have those students go to school from 9 to 5. They probably won't get out of bed two hours early to mess with other students and most all of the regular buildings students should be home and their parents responsibility by 5PM. Or if you prefer 6 PM may even be better. Most of the after school sports are done by then.
The long term solutions must come from education, counseling, social work etc. The school district and state should also consider other living arrangements. Violent behaviors are learned, not genetic. These children either have a poor role model or no role model at all from their homes.
So what about the weekends do you think that if they change the hours that will stop someone from doing this sort of thing. If someone wants to harm someone they will just wait until they have the chance and as far as changing hours what happens if that child doesn't go to the Alternative School that day?
Nothing is absolute. There is no 100% for anything.
However, the less contact, the better. As adults we seperate criminals and call it prison. In school it expulsion or alternative placement. The less contact between these individuals and injured or killed. society, the better.
Actually the district is lucky no other kids were injured or killed. By sending these kids to alternative placement, the district has acknowledged that they are a danger to others. If, through their scheduling, they have allowed these dangerous students access to others through bad scheduling, a good lawyer could make a reasonable case against the district.
I think three separate shootings over three days qualifies as REASONABLE SUSPICION.
Just imagine that the school does not increase security, or search anybody, and there was a shooting today at one of the schools. I can only imagine what you would be saying.
You would be saying that this district cares nothing for the children, they were irresponsible. I mean, there were three shootings over the weekend, don't you think those morons would have done something more to protect the kids.
You are all two faced, bench warmers who refuse to get in the game.
To add on, you would not be saying, many it was great that they did not violate their 4th amendment rights.
Three shootings in the community (not in a school building) is not reasonable suspicion enough that 5500 students in the middle and high schools should be searched.
The only involvement by a middle school student is to like the wrong girl and have an alternative school student (a kid who was removed from the regular school setting because he was a danger to the school community)shoot at them.
How is that reasonable suspicion for entire schools to have their 4th amendment rights violated?
It does not matter what the school does, you will ALWAYS think they should have done the opposite. EVERY SINGLE TIME. Even when they are CLEARLY trying to protect students lives.
And that is the prime reason, why this blog is 100% Bull Shit.
PERIOD
To that Waldo teacher who says
"it's hard illegally searching them in the morning and then teaching them about the constitution and the forth amendment in the afternoon."
Actually if you were worth anything, it should be very easy to teach them. Now they have something to relate it to, whether you think it is right or wrong, now you have a springboard for them to connect the material to.
If the administrators cared about the students, they would deal with the students they know are trouble.
The administrators know who the disruptive and violent students are in the buildings but they are to afraid of them, their parents and lawyers to act. They are a constant disruption to the educational process and endanger the student population every day.
We have students who should be in BD classes but if the parent says no, the administration caves every time. Until they bring a weapon or seriously injure someone, they are allowed to continue their disruptive behaviors.
Every teacher could give you a list of these students. Every student could probably do the same.
If they really want to protect the students, the administration should start by dealing with these students.
Total BS
This blog is pointless!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why doesn't Clayton take his boyz2men to the alternative school and help those students. I was looking at his website and most of the students that are part of his club are good kids (captain football, homecoming king, drama club, band, college scholarships). Do the true "at risk" kids ever get invited to be part of this fraternity? Clayton has an entire school of kids at the Urban League, what percentage of his "group" come from the alternative school?
None do. Clayton talks all kinds of shit but actually helps no at risk youths.
Clayton cares about one person, Clayton.
Clayton will not even admit the kid was from the Urban League. He is trying to fool everyone by calling it Pathways. The question still remains how does someone get out of school at 2:45pm from Farnsworth get a gun and shoot at students.
Roberts has also been quite on this one he rents??? from none other than Theodia Gillespe who runs the Urban League. Another question is the District buys a certain number of slots and only half are used. Why?. Does Roberts really pay rent. He does not seem to mind supporting three households. I know the District over pays him but really three households.
How do you know that student was at school that day and how do they get from the Alternative School to where he was at is a ride probably from the person who gave him the gun.
I do believe that the teachers can give the administration a list to the students that cause trouble and I do believe the administration turns there head on some of it. Does the district have metal decors and if they do that would be what they are using and the see if they had any weapons.
Total BS again
Wow, "Total BS again"???
What an argument. Such deep thoughts and profound logic. That sure changed my mind.
Maybe, that's what meant by the old saying, If you you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with BS.
Yeah, that's what this blog does. Full of BS.
They still won't publicize the name of the student who was killed.
Wonder why?
Could it be that the timing is bad for Clayton "Farrakhan's Disciple" Muhammad? After all, he is all about IMAGE. Anything negative is swept under the rug or twisted around to present D131 in the best possible light--and to hell with the best interests of students or this community.
Aurora's big MLK celebration is coming up, and we wouldn't want it overshadowed with any kind of bad publicity about the Urban League, now would we??
They haven't even released the kids name to the faculty. The teachers find out their information from the students.
As teachers, we would know who the child is related to and who their friends were. In other words, we should know who to keep an eye on for possible problems but in this district everything is completely hidden.
It no wonder simple problems escalate to huge fiascos.
They can't publicize his name or give it out is because he is a minor.
Children need corrective behavior modification. The Urban League could not even communicate with this kids parents that is the cover-up. They don't have a Bilingual program because the Alternative school can only provide instruction in English. This student was ok with that but Alternative School is suppose to be a joint effort with the student and his parent to correct behavior. The students parents did not speak English so that was not going on. Now he is dead.
Clayton needs to cover up because the Urban League only wants to serve Afro-Americans. That who gets the behavior modification. So yes they do provide it but to a district that 90% of the parents don't speak English well is this program really serving the community.
So the cover-up is on
He is dead yes they can. The law allows for it. Do you ever listen to WGN funny Clayton pubilizes Darian Albert with B2M. Clayton is a racist and cancer on our District.
The district can't release the name until the police do.
Name of teen killed by police still not confirmed
By Matt Hanley mhanley@stmedianetwork.com Jan 11, 2011 02:35AM
Share E-Mail Print AURORA — Three days after he was shot and killed by an off-duty police officer, the name of the 15-year-old Aurora boy still has not been released.
On Monday, police and the Kane County coroner’s office said they would not confirm the identity of the teen because it is an ongoing investigation. The teen was killed Friday, when he pointed a gun at an off-duty officer on the East Side of Aurora, police said.
According to police, the officer was driving his personal vehicle when he saw the 15-year-old shooting at several other Aurora teenagers who were walking south on Fifth Street. The officer got out of the car, identified himself as a police officer and ordered the teen to drop his gun, police said.
The teen refused to drop the gun and when he pointed it at the officer, the officer shot the teen several times, police said. The teen was taken to Rush-Copley Medical Center and pronounced dead at 5:25 p.m. Friday, police said.
Police said an autopsy is pending, but a person who answered the phone at the Kane County coroner’s office refused to say whether an autopsy had been scheduled. Coroner Chuck West did not return calls Monday.
Police will not identify the officer until the investigation is complete, which is standard practice in a police-related shooting. The department said the 43-year-old officer has worked in Aurora for 11 years. He has been assigned to administrative duties while Aurora police and the Kane County state’s attorney’s office investigate the shooting.
“We’re certainly not going to go into many details until the entire investigation is complete,” police spokesman Dan Ferrelli said Monday.
However, Ferrelli did say officers do not shoot to maim when their own life, or anyone’s life, is in immediate danger.
If it is so important to you to know the name ask the students that where involved they know the name and I'm sure by now it is all around the schools.
Of couse the teachers and students know the names but the teachers should not be receiving their information from the students and community members, they should be receiving it as professionals from the leadership within the district.
The police are not releasing the information until they are sure that can cover their own asses. The district will never release the info because they are forever on cover your ass mode. The well being of the students is the last thing they are worried about.
Why if this student wasn't going to ours schools should you know the name? It isn't like you care about him so what is your point and don't say the district is covering it up it is a police matter and we all know the teenager has dies so what exactly do you want to know?
They don't want to know anything, the just want to complain about everything. Everything the district does is wrong in their eyes and they would do the complete opposite.
Rudy, you're probably too young to have learned to avoid speaking in absolutes such as "everything". If there is even ONE case where people think something's not a conspiracy, it makes you a liar.
5:19 p.m. is obviously a liar, since there are many positive comments on this thread alone--so it's not true that people are complaining about "everything".
Do you understand the term "In Loco Parentis", it legally means having the responsibility of the parent when the parent is absent. Teachers act "in loco parentis" for all our students. Refusing to share the information with teachers can in many instances be the same as refusing to inform the parents.
The sister of the shooter who died is an 8th grader in one of our middle schools. There are also other relatives and friends of the shooter who are also in our buildings. Teachers need this information so that can best care for our students. The teachers should not have to rely on students and community members for their information.
You must ask youeself why our administrators feel it necessary to restrict this information from the individuals who can best serve our kids. There is a difference between making this information "public" and informing the professionals whoare supposed to serve our students.
Semantics ARE important. Learning to express yourself clearly without the risk of having your words misunderstood or misconstrued IS important.
And Rudy, it's easy to call someone "pseudo-intellectual" when you can't come up with a specific intelligent argument. Name-calling is what many people resort to when they have little to offer in the way of substantive debate.
Rudy, some of us might want to know the names of the students involved so we can pray for them and their families. And some might want to be able to extend sympathy to family members.
Do not automatically assume that anyone who asks for specific information wants it for nefarious purposes!
I think "God" knows who was involved and if you said a prayer for "all the people and families involved," I'm sure "God" would take care of it.
Rudy, you're a perfect example of what's really wrong with our educational system. Every idiot who has been in school thinks they are an expert on how schools really operate.
The first thing educators learn when they start teaching is that they didn't have a clue about school operations when they were a student.
Unfortunately, it is a lesson that our politicians have never learned. They try to set policies and laws for schools without a clue how they really operate.
I would try to explain more but it's something you can really only learn from experience.
Rudy you are right We should give the information to the "professionals" who know how to handle and help children and families who have gone through such a terrible ordeal. However, the majority of teachers have been professionally accredited to TEACH, not to be child-psychologists or student counselors.
Yes, the one who was shot might have siblings in the school but the should have professional help not teachers they are there to teach. Your statements are more helpful then most of the adults here.
If some want to pray for them I'm sure GOD knows who was taken from us and you can pray for them.
This teen was a troubled teen and the ones that where around him should of seen this.
Rudy is far more concerned about what has happened and had more compassion than most of you have for his years. He is a good example of the students we have in this district and knows far more than most teachers and administration of how our student feel.
So you are saying that the the district shouldn't take care after what has happened and not maybe search a known gang member in case the don't want to retaliate? So the district doesn't and time goes by and one of them sees the chance they can go into a classroom or lunchroom to get back at the person that hurt someone they knew or bullied them we don't have a right to search students? You don't think someone wouldn't be saying the district didn't do enough?
As a teacher I would think you would want them to take steps to keep you safe because sometimes it is the teachers that students go after and since you think you are so safe and none of these students won't hurt you then maybe we shouldn't search kids for weapons.
I'm sooooo sleepy. This is really, very boring.
If the district has any specific suspicions of particular students, they have a responsibility to do searches. They don't have the legal authority to start searching everyone out of fear or a desire to look like they are doing something.
Actually psychology with an emphasis on child psychology are state required courses for every teacher. We are trained to provide basic services and understand when we need to recommend children for more specialized services.
In fact, most of the information administrators and counselors receive about children are initiatially received from teachers.
It is more difficult to do your job when certain people have made a conscious effort to restrict information from you.
Rudy, if you want to understand what I am talking about, go get a job in a school.
There are deans assistant and aides positions. You don't have to be intelligent, trained or have any experience. Work in any of the buildings for just a quarter and you'll begin to understand just how ignorant you have been. The view is conpletely different from the other side.
From the Thesaurus:
Main Entry: lie
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: untruth
Synonyms: aspersion, backbiting, calumniation, calumny, deceit, deception, defamation, detraction, dishonesty, disinformation, distortion, evasion, fable, fabrication, falsehood, falseness, falsification, falsity, fib, fiction, forgery, fraudulence, guile, HYPERBOLE , inaccuracy, invention, libel, mendacity, misrepresentation, misstatement, myth, obloquy, perjury, prevarication, revilement, reviling, slander, subterfuge, tale, tall story, vilification, white lie, whopper
Notes: to lay is to place something; to lie is to recline
Antonyms: honesty, truth
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So Rudy, how does it feel to be a liar?
LOL
It's not MY definition, Rudy--it's Roget's Thesaurus!
"Hyperbole" is a synonym for "lie".
Rudy, maybe you should be spending this time practicing your trombone!
:)
And that's no lie (or hyperbole, either).
This blog is very pointless and will never accomplish anything.
Now THAT'S a lie!
:)
Or hyperbole...
Or both.
It must be very difficult for Rudy's teachers.
How do you teach someone who thinks they know it all already.
The State increased our taxes today to pay for school district like d131 who will receive more benefit than others and produce a bad product.
To pay for this, if you make...
$25,000, your taxes will jump from $750 to $1,250
$50,000, your taxes will jump from $1,500 to $2,500
$100,000, your taxes will jump from $3,000 to $5,000
$200,000, your taxes will jump from $6,000 to $10,000
I think the teachers should be proud of a student that is learning. For the teacher that keeps posting I wouldn't want my children near you.
Pseudo intellectual is probably more a self described term for Master Reza. Defined as:
A person who *can probably be found with a thesaurus in hand, while in a chat room, looking up new insults that are synonymous with "stupid" in order to boost his or her own undeserved ego.
Basically someone whos a major idiot, or is delusional and dumb. Acts against logic and thinks hes self-righteous. AKA: Major dumbass.
A child should be taught early on, when pointing the finger at others, you will find 3 pointing back at yourself. Take care in where you aim that thing young man. Don’t be a prat! (i.e-
*a self-aggrandizing, pompous fuck. Someone who is full of themselves and, almost invariably, stupid as well. With a hint of 'deluded.' (*Urban dictionary)
I just smile & shake my head when I read most of Rudy's comments. He's the classic example of a "big fish in a small pond": next year he'll be out in the real world of college, and have to prove himself without the coddling and pampering he and his classmates have gotten from so many in this district. It will be a world where he is expected to compete with young people who have spent their time perfecting their skills instead of doing just enough to get by.
Enjoy the rest of your high school career, Rudy. You're in for a LOT of catch-up work after you graduate!
Yeah well Rudy's parents will have less taco's and beans on the table thanks to Pat Quinn, Linda Chapa Lablago and d131.
These are the comments grown adults give to young children I thnk you are the ones who should grow up. All you do in complain of things are unfair to you in the district while staying here taking it. With some of these comments that are made on here and them saying they are teachers the district should do a compencey test on the because they are hateful, spiteful and can't let things go. You who post really need to seek help.
You guys are so funny. Attacking students. Why are they not allowed to be a little naive. Isn't not being jaded by the system a good thing and what allows the system to change?
To: January 12, 2011 10:01 AM
You're a fool if you think the assholes in springfield have any intention of giving even one cent to education.
Every penny is going to increase their own power. Money will go to contractors who wil give kickbacks to our politicians. If you have any money left over, good luck traveling this summer. Every road is going to be under construction.
Linda Chapa Lavia has already made it quite clear that she feels money to education is a complete waist.
Illinois is currently 49th out of the 50 states in educational funding. Let's look back in a year or two and see if that number has changed at all.
49th out of 50 states???
That does explain why Rudy is such a dumbass who thinks he's smarter than everybody else.
Illinois' new tax rate is 5%.
Michigan's tax rate is 4.35%. It is so high, it drove out almost all of their big business including the entire auto industry.
Now you can buy the average house in Detroit for $16,000. The Illinois politicians can't see more than 5 minutes past their face which is why we have the issues we currently have.
Short term revenues will increase, five years from now, we will be bankrupt and no tax increase will solve it.
Don't trip Rudy, deez peeps iz just wishing dey wuz as smart as ya. in the hood
I'm on yo' side Rudy. I would much prefer uh world where we's weren't all so jaded by our one ignorance an' prejudices.
Linda will do what she needs to be elected Mayor. Why do you think East had a shoot out in Quinn speech. She also is on record as telling AU, Oswego,East, West and Indian Prairie at the last conference she be bring more money home. That is how politics are.
So now Jerome Roberts had another phone blast tonight what is going on at East.
What's going on in the COMMUNITY
Was it about the WGN thing about the food bank? Id that what the blast are suppose to be about?
D131 INVITES CLERGY TO SCHOOL
(Aurora)- East Aurora School District 131 is hosting the ‘Focus on Children’ Clergy’s Breakfast on Wednesday, January 26, 2011 at 8:30 a.m. at East Aurora High School.
The Clergy’s Breakfast is an opportunity for area clergy, school district officials, and students to dialogue about collaboration opportunities that will help our students to continue making choices for excellence. School Board President, Annette Johnson, and Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Jerome Roberts, will be available to answer questions and take suggestions.
The district’s partnership with Kids Hope USA will also be highlighted. Operated in some of the district’s elementary schools, Kids Hope USA is a national mentoring program that connects churches with schools for one-on-one mentoring. Representatives from Kids Hope USA will be on hand to give an update on the partnership.
The Clergy’s Breakfast is an event in a series of community relations initiatives aimed at strengthening connections and increasing involvement between the school district and the community.
During the first semester, East Aurora Schools hosted the Youth Service Providers Expo for Faculty and Staff, a Realtors’ Luncheon, and a ‘Principal for a Day’ program in collaboration with the Aurora Cares Corporation. Future events are planned with officials from local trade unions and higher education institutions.
All area clergy are invited to attend. Please RSVP to info@d131.org or 630.299.8343 by Wednesday, January 19,
Isn't there suppose to be a separation of church and state? If you can't say prayers in schools why are we doing this.
To piss you off.
So much for separation of church and state huh
So, isn't this a violation of church and state.
I think this might be a violation of the separation of church and state
Post a Comment