And what a year it was! A record-breaking blizzard in February, extreme heat in July and August, and a mild December (so far, anyway)! Our district also "weathered" a wide variety of experiences this year, both positive and negative.
What were the highlights of 2011 in District 131? And what can we look forward to in the coming year?
We can probably "look forward" to the administration tying a referendum push to the 2012 Presidential election, like they did in 2008.
ReplyDeleteFool me once, shame on you--fool me twice, shame on ME!
There's an excellent article in today's Beacon about Ryan Boatwright's cousin:
ReplyDeletehttp://beaconnews.suntimes.com/news/9439604-418/court-redemption.html
Annette Johnson = Higher Taxes and Lower Test Scores
ReplyDeleteWhy isn't the list of bills showing on the 11/21/2011 board packet the minutes have been approved. When the district started this it was the check register and was put on right away and then they got this new way of doing the board packet the list of bills showed then all of a sudden they get put on way after the minutes have been approved or when someone says something on the blog. Not so open anymore and since they are trying to get more money they should show how they spend it.
ReplyDeleteHi blog admin. just wanted you to know I think you meant the hightlights of 2011.
ReplyDeleteAnnnnnnnyone going to the meeting tonight? I hope to be there and watch the bad(not naughty)ones get there presents they do not deserve in my opinion. Maybe the sister of the special ed's mother will be there and if people turn up at the meeting it will make her feel like she has support.
So this was on Clayton's Facebook page:
ReplyDeleteLast Sunday I posted that my life would change in 8 days (tomorrow) thanks to Silvana Lecaros! I said I was glad that I waited for the right person and happy that she said yes! ... Now, some of you (well many of you) thought that meant I was getting married! ... No no no (but thanks for the well-wishes, emails, calls, and cards lol)! ... Tomorrow, Silvana will join my Community Relations Team at East Aurora School District 131 with Tony Martinez and Ryan J. Ford so that we can better serve our community! ... I am so glad that she agreed, that I waited for the right person, and I KNOW that she will change my life for the better! .... Just thought I'd clarify! :) ... On that note, I'm happily single. Who wants to go to dinner? lol ... Love y'all!
Why exactly does the Community Relations Department need so many employees?
What the heck how come this district needs four people working in PR? Most do well with one. Is this really good use of our money? We can only hope the State does try to combine West and East.
ReplyDeleteCentral Office news is Root will become another middle school and they are scraping the Magnet school.
ReplyDeleteClayton did get more help she started today why nobody is really sure whenever the Beacon turns ugly Johnson does all the speaking for Clayton not sure what he is doing. Building have been forced to do there own updates on the district web-site.
Rumor is the Board will be retiring bonds set aside for a new building that is why the education of kids is getting short changed so Johnson can give her neighbors a tax decrease that is why they are killing the Magnet School it will be interesting to see how she handles those Magnet parents and if the Board supports her.
ReplyDelete4:03 p.m., thanks for correcting me; I have made the change!
ReplyDeleteSchools used to have their own webpages/sites. Admin decided PR would handle it all and took that privilege away (and extra money away, that was paid for this work.)
ReplyDeleteIt was relayed that they needed consistency and no longer wanted teachers doing this.
The individual schools became "consistently" unattended to, as far as info for activities and news at each school. More work has been delegated elsewhere, yet the PR dept needs more help? Please relate to the community what advantages this brings to our students education.
the district always seems to have money to hire more people. that's the answer when someone can't do their own job - hire more personnel. the have lots of money during the break too, to pay people to work full time and give them time off for the next two weeks.
ReplyDelete4:44 p.m., thanks for posting this.
ReplyDeleteClayton Muhammad's Facebook page is private (viewable only by "friends"). This is his choice, and it is certainly his right to maintain this privacy. But he continues to have many CURRENT D131 STUDENTS among his private Facebook "friends". This is not only inappropriate--it flies in the face of recent district policy requiring any and all communication between students and staff to be approved by parents (who are required to sign and submit a document to that effect).
Unfortunately, there will always be those in our district who do not believe the rules apply to them.
Repost from Reputation:
ReplyDeleteTO WHOMEVER WROTE THIS:
"Everyone who works at Simmons knows this teacher was written up long before the child had problems. In fact he was on track to be fired as a tenure teacher. He decided to call this parent and make trouble because of this. He could have cared less about the student only the fact he was so horrible he was getting fired at the end of the school year. He also had a drinking problem that prevented him from working all the time. There is also a large group of teachers that wrote the Beacon and are trying to get their side in the paper that Simmons is a great place to work. That is the real story.
December 16, 2011 10:24 PM"
YOU ARE SO FULL OF CRAP!!! THIS TEACHER DOES NOT DRINK - PERIOD! NOT EVEN SOCIALLY. SO YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT.
I CAN PERSONALLY TELL YOU, AS AN ADMINISTRATOR FROM ANOTHER DISTRICT, THAT THE SITUATIONS INVOLVING THIS INCIDENT AND THE TREATMENT OF THIS TEACHER IS APPAULING! ALSO, AS A PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY LEVEL, MANY OF MY STUDENTS HAVE BROUGHT THIS TO LIGHT IN THE GRADUATE COURSES CLASSROOMS AND THE DISCUSSIONS ARE NEEDLESS TO SAY "ENLIGHTNING". IF THINGS LIKE THIS WERE TO HAPPEN IN "OTHER" DISTRICTS THIS WOULD NOT BE HAPPENING.
EACH TEACHER IS ENTITLED TO DUE PROCESS. THE SUSPENSION HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ARTICLE ON THE BEACON, AND THE REASONS ARE JUST AN EXCUSE TO LOOK FOR SOMETHING TO GET THE GUY IN TROUBLE. ONCE AGAIN. PLAIN BULLYING BY THIS ADMINISTRATOR.
HAS THE ADMINISTRATOR BEEN LOOKING FOR A REASON TO SUSPEND THIS TEACHER? YES! HAS THIS TEACHER BEEN VIEWED BY THIS ADMINISTRATOR AS A "BAD APPLE"? YES! IS IT ALL FOR THE RIGHT REASONS? A RESOUNDING NO! PERSONAL AGENDA BY AN UNRULY ADMINISTRATOR. UNFORTUNATELY, THE REST OF THE STAFF IS TOO AFRAID TO GO TOE TO TOE WITH THE ADMINISTRATOR FOR FEAR OF LOSING THEIR JOBS... SAD THAT THERE CANNOT BE MORE JUSTICE FOR TEACHERS. I GUARANTEE YOU THIS WILL NOT END HERE.
FURTHERMORE, THIS TEACHER DESERVES BETTER THAN THIS.
Also reposted from Reputation:
ReplyDeleteDecember 19, 2011 4:47 PM (now December 19, 2011 9:27 PM) If you really are a school administrator, you are educated enough to express your thoughts in a more professional manner. As everyone knows, posting in all caps is the internet version of yelling. Maybe your yelling was aimed at one person, but you yelled at everyone reading this post, including me. And I never said anything about this teacher, or this situation. I don't appreciate being yelled at for no reason. Is this the way you treat the teachers and students under you where you're an administrator? If so, I'm glad I don't work in that district.
December 19, 2011 10:54 PM
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteHey MORONS who re-post crap. Do you really think we are that stupid and can't go back and see that people are still discussing the old "topic."
ReplyDeleteWere their posts soooooo brilliant that they need to be in two locations?
You guys are really stupid. Most blogs, will have more than one post going at a time. I guess not here because most of you have a one track mind and can't hand the complexity of multiple discussion.
Well, neither can our "BLOG GOD" because she NEVER starts a new discussion until the old one reaches 200 to 250 comments.
The aunt of the bullied Simmons special ed student spoke AGAIN at last night's School Board meeting. Here's part of what the Beacon said this morning:
ReplyDelete"Most upsetting to Vega is the fact that her son was questioned twice by Simmons’administrators, without his mother contacted, or present. Phone records presented by Caudillo Monday night show that the school’s principal never attempted to contact the mother, or leave a message notifying her of the incident.
Caudillo said that according school policy, a parent must be notified by phone about the interrogation of their child. This should hold especially true when involving a special education student, she said.
“We were not called or informed of this situation (that my son was being bullied) by his own principal because she was worried about her reputation,” Vega wrote in her board statement."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Like Clayton Muhammad having current EHS students as private Facebook "friends", this is one more major example of administrators acting as though the rules & expectations don't apply to THEM.
Making choices for arrogance and HYPOCRISY.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteDecember 20, 2011 7:31 AM
ReplyDeleteName calling just weakens your own argument and reflects poorly on YOU. People who call others names usually use a name that they think of themselves. As far as if I "really think we are that stupid and can't go back and see that people are still discussing the old "topic." " at least in my case no. For me, when I saw the other poster copied his shouting at all of us over to this new thread, I decided my response should come over too.
As far as "posts soooooo brilliant that they need to be in two locations?", I have yet to see a brilliant post here, including your own.
As far as having multiple posts, it really doesn't matter here. Anyone who's visited this blog more than once immediately realizes most of the comments have nothing to do w/ the posts. I doubt most people (including you) even really read the posts. This blog is just one big long list of comments about whatever axe that individual poster has to grind (like you). Usually unrelated to the topic of the post, and to what others have said.
And finally, in response to "You guys are really stupid.", right back at ya. I couldn't help myself. I was forced by Roberts, Johnson, Radakovich, Marin Gonzales, bully administrators, and everyone who hated K. They're all the reason for everything bad in the world.
Oh, you don't like name calling...Hmmmm....let me think about it...........Oh yeah, I really don't care what you like.
ReplyDeleteYes anybody who has visited this blog more than once realizes that the posters are morons and don't have a clue how to stay on topic (yes yes yes, including me, I took your joke away).
What does K have to do with anything. Damn you are stupid. Keep bringing up stupid crap that nobody cares about.
I LOVE the overuse of the word BULLY right now too - everybody who gets made fun of or things don't go their way, or loose their job is bullied - well sometimes those people DESERVE it.
9:34 a.m., good thing you "LOVE" the word BULLY--because you can read your "favorite" word over & over again in today's Beacon-News. I counted the word at least 4 times in one article today. Go ahead, get your jollies--not just here on this blog but all over the Web.
ReplyDeleteAnd YOU'RE the moron if you think that kid at Simmons deserved to be mistreated the way he was, and for the incident to be covered up & defended by administration.
Boy’s family still angry over bullying incident
ReplyDeleteBy Erika Wurst
AURORA — Sylvia Caudillo sat anxiously in the audience of the East Aurora School Board meeting Monday night, determined to have her voice heard.
The angry aunt of a bullied Simmons Middle School student had three minutes or less to stand in the spotlight, and her speech had been timed to a T.
For months Caudillo has been seeking action from the district concerning an incident involving her nephew, a special education student. The boy’s pants, and boxers, had been pulled down in a gym class confrontation, which his family has called a sexual assault. The incident landed both boys in the principal’s office where they gave written statements.
The offender’s statement alleged that the whole thing was an accident. He was tripped, the statement said. And that was that. After his simply reply, Caudillo said, the boy was let go, and no disciplinary action was taken.
The victim’s mother, Maria Vega, angry that she was never notified by the school about the incident, was also furious that no punishment had been handed down. It’s impossible to fall and pull someone’s pants and underwear down, she said. Even Vega’s son had written that he didn’t believe the assault was an accident.
Last month Vega addressed the board with her concerns.
School Board President Annette Johnson confirmed that she and the board looked into the allegations, and found no evidence of misconduct by the administration.
According to Johnson, the district has taken the issue seriously, and followed an appropriate course of action concerning Vega’s complaint. This included consulting the district’s lawyer who determined no wrong action was taken involving the bullying incident.
Caudillo, Vega, and her son don’t agree.
Caudillo has alleged that statements supposedly made by her nephew appear to be written in someone else’s writing. She handed each board member copies of those statements during her three-minute presentation.
Most upsetting to Vega is the fact that her son was questioned twice by Simmons’administrators, without his mother contacted, or present. Phone records presented by Caudillo Monday night show that the school’s principal never attempted to contact the mother, or leave a message notifying her of the incident.
Caudillo said that according school policy, a parent must be notified by phone about the interrogation of their child. This should hold especially true when involving a special education student, she said.
“We were not called or informed of this situation (that my son was being bullied) by his own principal because she was worried about her reputation,” Vega wrote in her board statement.
At the three-minute mark, the board cut off Caudillo’s statement, and moved to the next item on the agenda. The board does not usually comment after such presentations.
I agree with this comment under the article in the paper.
ReplyDeleteloretta10
10:31 AM on December 20, 2011
1. Pant AND under garments DO NOT come down by accident.
2. It seems to me that any activity that would cause such an ACCIDENT is prohibited by the schools.
3. My son was scratched BY ACCIDENT and I received calls from BOTH the gym teacher AND his classroom teacher to explain the incident.
4. In the face of the evidence presented at the meeting. Should the board turn a blind eye, each and every member should be asked to resign. There is NO excuse for this behavior.
5. At this point, it's the administration setting a worse example that the kids doing the bullying.
The Beacon reported that Johnson stated that they had investigated and found no evidence of misconduct. The Beacon did not report that when the boys aunt handed the board copies of the statement that Patterson claims was the boys and was not tampered with, the board members made several comments that the handwriting from the first half and the second half did not match. One even stated that half was written by a right handed person and the other half was written by a left handed person.
ReplyDeleteThey also brought in phone records showing that they had never been called and copies of board policies which require administrators to contact parents in such cases. Patterson did not follow board policies.
Hoe can Johnson sit up there with a straight face and claim they investigated and founf no evidence of misconduct?
They again cut her mic off at three minutes. I just keep seeing the famous monkey picture with one monkey covering his eyes, one covering his ears and the last covering his mouth.
Again no one accidently pulls down someones pants. To think that these people are running this district is a shame and it's probably good they have 4 PR employees because they are going need all the good publicity they can get after this.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteI want to know why we need constructon admin or was he called manager? Does any other district have one? I think not. Makes me wonder how much of a referendum they will want for whatever construction(?) they are planning and just where are the going to plan to fink the land to do it. If thie construction person is for just redoing an existing building they are going to try and buy and sneak past us-and they will since no one usually attends meetings-get real. Also where is the monies coming from to pay for this person? From the referendum they will be asking for in up coming elections? Thisd district becomes more and more interesting. It is now becoming like a well(ha!ha!)run business instead of a place where are students are suppose to learn. Just look at what keeps being posted. Board president you do not have the say all. That is for the whole board. You are just the mouthpeice. After all you proved this point with what you did to the president before you(you and also one other person talked the person into taking the position))and then did your dirty deed, which you undid when you became president. Can't wait to read the next chapter of the demise of D131.
ReplyDeleteThe Construction manager is a certified to file permits this means the district will save money on major construction projects instead of paying the 10% of old to the the districts cronies Cordigan & Clark. Seems like we should say thank-you to the Board. Last year the District paid well over $400,000 I for one am glad they run it like a business.
ReplyDeleteAs for the mother I wonder why she did not attend the Board meeting herself it seems the aunt just likes the spot light.
The Board will retire the 1993 bonds in 2013 giving the tax payers the money that was taken from them back yet another mess this board will clean up. I seem to remember the old Board presidents supported this they all raised your taxes and voted yes thank you Farnum, Mc Cue, Malker, and Weaver. Finally a Board President with business since. Sorry to hear about your loss Johnson.
ReplyDeleteI have been at a recent meeting were that was explained and if you are concerned with a tax increase I suggest you contact the Board so they can explain it
This board has not cleaned up any mess they just create more. they seem to let administration have a very big budget for food and they overlook that some administration pays their bills with the pro card. Lets not forget the nice dinner they had in Nov. 2010 when Wells left. As far as giving back money aren't they going for a levy that will take money from the taxpayers? Seems like Johnson likes to have lunch with people on the taxpayers dime shouldn't she pay for that herself. Will the district have a Christmas party for the administrators should we pay for that.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the mother had to work so the sister stepped in. It should not make a difference who speaks out for the mishandling of the situation as long as someone does.
ReplyDeleteWeaver did not vote for a tax raise when she was president. In fact she could not so anything when she was president- the current president saw to that.
ReplyDeleteYeah, poor Weaver - BOO HOO :(
ReplyDeleteWeaver voted for the referendum that got passed when she got elected by no referendum supporters she no sooner got on the board and stuck us with that one. I will admit Carlson always was honest and voted no.
ReplyDeleteCordigan & Clark the one that was there last night about the new libaray that this City will want to raise taxes for?
ReplyDeleteWhat meeting about the tax raise are you takling about and what is the tasx raise for?
If you want to knoe where the mother of the student was, ask her.
Of course, if things were done right none of this would be going on. How many other students have had something happen to them and nothing was done? The image of this district keeps going down.
It is time to start educating the students right. PR is not the way nor all of the extra help he has now. Maybe they needed to go to other than Cordigan & Clark. No one said they had to accept what Cordigan & Clark stated. This district could have taken other bids. Since I have been at meetings and listened to B&G minutes I know this is true.
Johnson has a business manager and I hope whoever that is, is doing a better job than she is doing in this district. She needs to back off and let the superintent and his employees do their job. This board is composed of 7 board members, not just one!
I rather have Farnum back making goo-goo eyes at Roberts.
Weaver was not on the board in 1993.
I would not believe some of those board members if their tongue was notorized. I remember Ms.Johnson stating she would never vote for a tax raise. The opertive word in the above is never.
Sounds like the union president or the secretary to the union have some sour grapes. They could be the only ones to say let the administrators do their jobs. It seems the fight continued on Monday between Johnson and the union. Yes I am sure they love to have Farmun back she gave them everything. The latest dispute came when the union expected the Board to pick up a 28% increase from the old insurance company. Then the district changed to a new one. Some of the employees thought it to hard to change doctors so they wanted us the hard working residents who many of us go without just to pay our bills pick up the tab. Thank-you to the Board for putting their foot down.
ReplyDeleteWhy do we the taxpayers have to pay all of the insurance premiums for the Administration should they have to pay towards theirs? Just to let you know that insurance companies have two plans for employers one for management or administrators and one for the working people which is usually less of a policy. So Johnson did nothing for the taxpayers all she has done is let administration hire like there is no tomorrow. Why does this district need 4 PR employees when most do fine with one and isn't funny all of the 3 new ones have ties to Clayton I guess there is no other people out there qualified to do PR work except ones that know Clayton.
ReplyDeleteTo bad the district hired over two hundred teachers to reduce class size for all the lazy ass teachers these teachers work the least hours in the western and northern part of the state. You are correct this board has been to kind to the teachers over 7.89% in two years for teachers that can't teach.
ReplyDeleteBTW K is friends with the loser gym coach. They are the only two against Patterson at Simmons. The mother is just looking for money to support her loser boyfriend
There have been a lot more than two people pissed at Patterson in recent memory.
ReplyDeleteThe entire PE department has been speaking to the union about a harrassment greivance. There is the counselor that they forced into the classroom even though he was not highly qualified to do so until they forced him to take the necessary classes. It was that or be fired.
There is the former building union rep. who was harrassed until he quit the the union rep. position. There have been many excellent teachers transferred or fired for not kissing Mechelle's A$$.
And don't forget the whole Mr. Green debacle began because of Mechelle's mishandling of hiring coaches including Mr. Green.
There have been several other lawsuits because of Mechelle's incompetence.
There was an art teacher a year or two ago who was being sexually harrassed by a student and the administration refused to deal with the situation. The teacher walked into the building with her lawyer and ended up leaving in like October. The district had to pay her for the remainder of the year as well as paying others to cover her classes.
Oh and let's not forget that Simmons has not made AYP or passed the state tests in 10 years.
What exactly are the tax payers getting for the quarter million dollars they are paying each year for the three administrators at Simmons?
10:17 p.m., reducing class sizes is something a district does for its STUDENTS' (and PARENTS') best interests. It has very little to do with what you call "lazy ass teachers", since the number of hours the teacher spends in the classroom stays the same. As a parent, I appreciate when there are fewer kids in a middle school classroom because it means that my child gets his questions answered and the teacher can spend more time teaching and less time dealing with behavior issues.
ReplyDelete10:17 p.m. on 12/21
ReplyDeleteThis district should never have let those classes get as crowded as they were. You are either a certain board member that thinks she is above all or a admin who now looks really bad. How would you know about this students parents life? Anyone can tell you are a very unhappy person by your ridiculus post.
2011 is almost over... and the employees of D131 can look forward to the NEW CRAPPY INSURANCE the board decided to change to in order to spend less money on benefits.
ReplyDeletethe new insurance is highly touted by our board president. that's why it was changed.
ReplyDeleteIf she likes United Health Insurance, she should use it and leave the teachers with the Blue Cross Blue Shield we all know is excellent.
ReplyDeleteThe teachers should try to be on no insurance just like the residents they serve but most suffer from a bunch of expensive claims all brought about because they are a bunch of drug addicts and drunks who have used and abused for years and time is taking its toll. Fact teachers,maintenance workers, secretaries and administrators are not subjects to any drug tests at the time of hire or during their employment at d131. Fact when that is the case insurance costs are through the roof. The Board needs to enforce this but then there will be no employees. Fact teachers buy drugs from students all the time
ReplyDeleteSomeone is up past their bedtime and has had too much sugar, which has caused incoherent commenting.
ReplyDeleteGood night!
Fact 8:51 is ignorant, a moron, or both.
ReplyDeleteTo: December 23, 2011 8:51 PM
ReplyDeleteI'd love to know where you are getting your "Facts". I've been in this district for decades and have rarely seen what you are claiming all the teachers are doing. In fact, I have met one person who was an alchoholic and two first year teachers who I heard (did not see) who supposedly smoked pot. None of them were in the district for more than a year and nothing they did affected the students. (In fact both of the alleged pot smokers are now teaching in Naperville).
I'm not sure what world you live in but the rest of us live with an expectation of basic human rights. That means that I do not check my rights in at the door when I teach. If a teachers private affairs are affecting the students they teach, the district has a responsibility to deal with it. The district does not have a right to violate teachers simply because they work in District 131.
As to your point about teachers having medical coverage when some in the community do not, you are asking the wrong question. The question should be, Why is there anybody without medical coverage?
The USA is the only Western Country who does not have universal health coverage for it's citizens. Instead of griping on a blog, you should be banging on your representatives door and demanding what is taken for granted in every other civilized society.
8:51 is just stupid - To respond to this person is futile. The problem with 8:51 is that they can't get a job and they think that everybody should be miserable like them. If you want health coverage - GET A JOB. If you want other benefits - GET A JOB. If you have a job and don't have these things - GET A BETTER JOB. Why are you bitching about teachers. Why not bitch about movie stars who do nothing or NBA players or Wall Street workers - who make millions for doing NOTHING.
ReplyDeleteMan this blog is stupid.
@December 23, 2011 9:16 PM -point well made. The insurance issue has been a major problem when negotiating wages in many workplaces for far too long. Our government could make it a non-issue.
ReplyDeleteThe blog is not stupid, only a few sad people who post.
ReplyDeleteThe board president does have United Health as she stated at the meeting. The question is does she have what the teachers have. No she probably does not as she is a buisness owner and a manager. They always have a much better plan than the teachers would.
ReplyDeleteCervantes said in the paper by giving out Making Choices for Excellence Awards, that it has goy mpre parents to come to the school board meeting. This is true just like in the past, the parents come, watch their child get the award, maybe take pictures, then when the child gets their reward and the presentation is over, the child and parents leave. The parents do not stay for the school board meeting and still do not know what is going on. The point is to get the parents and community interested and knowing what is happening. So nothing is really new and different.
I have had Blue Cross Blue Shield for years and have never found a doctor who was not already part of the plan.
ReplyDeleteWe haven't even changed over insurance companies yet and I've had to deal with three doctors who I can only continue seeing if they join United Health Care.
I sure hope I never get sick or injured when I am on a trip. If I do I am probably going to have to declare bankrupcy from the health care bills I'm am going to incur.
I guess this is what the district considers better for teachers. I hope they at least can get better I-Phone plans with the money they are saving by screing over the teachers.
Sorry, that was "Screwing over the teachers"
ReplyDeleteThe thing with United Health Care also is what Hospitals they can go too. United Health care has many different programs and yes there are manager ones and worker ones you can check the website. Many health providers don't except United Health care because the don't pay bills for six months. So when you are looking for a new Dr. see if one works in a clinic or if you need blood test you will if you live in Aurora have to go to Provena. If you used Quest in the past you will not be able to. There are some at Dryer that takes that health insurance but not all and you can't use the Clinic. I know this because I have United Health Insurance this will be a big change for you and many companies are going to this.
ReplyDeleteTo December 23, 2011 9:20 PM you live in the Public Sector world and don't realize that many big companies have turned to the employee paying for all or most of their insurance. While I believe it is time to make changes for that sector I don't believe they should a second rate coverage all the administrators premiums. The administrators get retreats, working lunches and nice restaurants and sometimes paying their bills on the districts dime.
ReplyDeleteWe still have options to choose a healthcare provider at my company and I am happy. I have a friend working at a local clinic and they said United Healthcare is the WORSE, when dealing with billing.
ReplyDeleteI agree, anyone who has a job with insurance is fortunate. Tho', dealing with the insurance companies at times can give you health problems!
prayers to the families of the two east aurora students who committed suicide this week...maybe that is something the district should be addressing?
ReplyDeleteWell since you all brought out the old news on this blog. let me inform you I found out Mrs. Patterson is a left handed so im thinking she wrote the other half of the statement. Does anyone know if this is true. Is she left handed.
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping the mother & aunt of the bullied child will bring in a handwriting analyst to prove that the child's statement was changed/added to.
ReplyDeleteAnd I wouldn't be at all surprised if the added statement was written by Dr. Marin Gonzalez.
7:35 - Maybe the district is addressing it, maybe they are respecting the families wishes by not doing anything yet. Maybe they have contacted the students teachers to let them know but not doing anything else until the family wants it done.
ReplyDeleteMy sister works at Dryer the entire clinic takes it. She said Humana is the worst and her experience has been good with United. Alot of companies dropped Blue Cross this year they moved the rates up double and they moved claims to Arkansas to getting them to pay has its issues because of the move. People are lucky to have insurance Dryer will not treat you and the endowment fund was used up already so count your blessings.
ReplyDeleteWell you continue to whine 2 families try to bury their young this week and I am sure the don't have the money for a funeral. Lets not be selfish.
The only teacher they have spoken to is the one they suspected of going to the Beacon. And the only thing they told him was that he is suspended for five days.
ReplyDeleteAs to any other statement, they have stated repeatedly that we investigated ourselves and determined, we did a great job.
The statement by the student was falsified before Marin was involved and the only people with access to these types of files would be the administrators (and perhaps their secretaries, however the secretaries have no real reason to falsify a student statement) Yes, I believe Mechelle Patterson is left handed. Also the falsified section of the statement had one purpose and that was to implicate the teacher that was suspended.
There is only one person at Simmons who hates this teacher, is left handed, has been deceitful and corrupt and had access to the statement to be able to make the changes: Mechelle Patterson.
Merry Christmas to All and to All a good Night.
ReplyDeleteMerry Chrismas to all!
ReplyDeleteAnyone in the Central Office who reads this:
ReplyDeletePlease fix the district website! I tried to find out what certified positions are currently available--clicked on the link under "Employment" several times--nothing happened. VERY frustrating, and not a good "IMAGE" for our district :(
You are an idiot - It works fine.
ReplyDeleteThey must have fixed it, along with the Board of Education links (I couldn't get to the Board Packets earlier this morning).
ReplyDeleteShouldn't the minutes for the December 5th board meeting be up by now?
ReplyDeleteNo
ReplyDeleteJust because they SHOULD, doesn't mean they will be. After all, this is D131.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to see minutes posted in a timely manner (and School Board meetings broadcast live online), go to another district, like Oswego or Batavia.
Just because it isn't doesn't mean it shouldn't.
ReplyDeleteI believe the Open Meeting Act states minutes should be posted by seven days after they have been approved. But this district does not believe they have to follow rules, laws or their own policies.
ReplyDeleteNo body cares anyway
ReplyDeleteI would like to see the minutes, but I would rather see this blog pissed off.
ReplyDeleteStrange people who actually think "blogs" have feelings. LOL
ReplyDeleteStupid people who don't get it.
ReplyDeleteDecember 28, 2011 11:07 AM:
ReplyDeleteAppears one of the blog commenters is calling names and has gotten upset. Are you happy? Hahahaha!
Hell yes
ReplyDeleteYou are correct about the Arts teacher. The day she showed up with a lawyer was the end of the line for her. In other words, she had to push things to the next level because she was blown off by Simmons admins. Same thing is happening with the teacher who tried to help this bullied child. When he pushed a bit, 5 day suspension. If he pushes more- he will be terminated for a bad lesson plan from October or near about. He probably put down bumping and serving but taught setting on the wrong day. He also should take back the volleyballs and the rest of the equipment he paid for out of pocket because the school simply could not supply decent enough balls. Probably using the funds to better Pattersons docturate quest. Give, give, give and get your a$$ handed to you for caring just a bit too much
ReplyDeleteThere are many outstanding teachers in our district who are there for the kids, despite having to deal with hostile, vindictive, or unsupportive administrators.
ReplyDeleteMr. Rolhfs at Simmons is an excellent P.E. teacher. It would indeed be a shame if our KIDS end up having to endure the loss of a fine teacher because of yet another administration blunder.
Ok Mr Rolhfs we know you come to work drunk most days how does that make you a wonderful teacher. Also, you have been on probation and you are only helping this parent because you want to sue the district. You could care a less about kids.
ReplyDeleteI've known Mr. Rolhfs for years, and have NEVER known him to be under the influence of anything stronger than coffee.
ReplyDeleteAs far as his being on probation, be specific--IF you can. Don't you know that teachers have to go through extensive background checks to even get hired, much less get tenure??
Mr. Rohlfs has been taken to court for man-handling students. He was not found guilty but I know for a fact he WAS guilty. He does care for the kids but he is an overgrown adolescent and is unaware of his inappropriate behavior and comments to students. He will not be missed.
ReplyDelete"He was not found guilty but I know for a fact he WAS guilty"
ReplyDeleteThere's a reason we have judges, juries, and courts in our society. It's to protect people from morons like 3:24 p.m.
He was present when the student was panted he did not have control over the class and tried to use it against the district.
ReplyDeleteSeriously!?? One teacher cannot make sure every single student behaves properly. Those lessens should start at home.
ReplyDeleteThis child was violated twice. Once by a minor child and again by 131 admin.
Actually, Mr. Rohlfs was not taken to court. He demanded his day in court after the administrators claimed he manhandled a child. The judge threw it out because there was no harm done to any child. It sounds like the same story of Mr. Green. They terminated Green because he supposedly harmed a child. After a fair and impartial arbiter ruled that there was no harm done or intended the taxpayers had to pay Green for a year and s half of back pay and benefits.
ReplyDeleteHow many blunders do we have to see these administrators do before they are replaced with competent individuals?
Yawn.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that someone would yawn at the lack of good judgement of this administration. At least once with Mr. Green they where proven wrong in the way they fired him. Then to think that someone could accidently pull down someone's pants in a crowded gym and expect one teacher to see it all. I am glad I don't have any children going to this district since the administration seems to think they have the answers of how a bullied child should be handled and just pushed aside since having your pants pulled down could be an accident.
ReplyDeleteYawn
ReplyDeleteMr. Rohlfs grabbed a child by his neck, picked him up off the floor and pinned him to the wall by his neck while yelling at him for touching his sunglasses. Yes, it happened. It might have been thrown out but it did occur so do not tell me how righteous Mr. Rohlfs is by defending this child with the pants incident. He has his own agenda and this incident is not genuine concern it is a vehicle for his own personal agenda.
ReplyDeleteIf this teacher brings the wrongs to light,
ReplyDeleteI am fine with his personal motivation.
To: December 28, 2011 9:22 PM
ReplyDeleteIf you had this alledged information about Mr. Rohlfs and did not make a report to the police and stand up in court and state what you are claiming here, then you are the one breaking the law. The only way you could have seen this allgedged action was if you are a staff member and if so you would be a mandated reporter.
The only fact that can be documented is that a judge heard all the witnesses and made the judgement that Mr. Rohlfs was innocent. I also recall the judge admonishing the district for pressing forward with these accusations.
Make whatever claims you want here anonymously on a blog but the public record is clear. Mr. Rohlfs is innocent of all charges.
If I remember correctly, and I do have a good memory, the incident involved a SPED student who was acting completely out of control during class. The student was flailing wildly among students on his desk and was a definite threat to harm either another student or himself. He had to be put under control and was placed into his desk and asked to calm down. When his parents got wind of it, they went to Simmons admins and they told the parents to file charges. Isn't it ironic that anything that blows up the admins skirts gets handled and swept up silently and neatly but if a teacher gets put in a bad place- nail em'. Thats probably why the judge looked over the whole deal and asked why he is being bothered with such nonsense. Why? It is because Simmons admins are in the nonsense business. Brush up your resume', get some professional references from those who have seen your work and devotion, pack up your vollyballs, softballs, etc. and move on to a district that values respect, integrity and dedication to the students and their well-being--if there is such a thing
ReplyDelete6:43 you are talking about another situation than I am which is very interesting. I am talking about his actions in the ISI room when a student was standing up at the teacher's desk and was talking to a teacher. Mr.. Rohlfs sunglasses were sitting there and the student, while talking to a teacher tried them on. Mr. Rohlfs came intot the room, grabbed the student by the neck, picked him up off the floor, pinned him to the wall and yelled at him for touching his sunglasses. It was infront of a room full of students and the teacher that was sitting at the desk. Viewed by many and yes it happened. Was he acting inappropriately? Yes he was and I'm surprised he wasn't fired back then. He wasn't even suspended. So it might have taken some time but now Mr. Rohlfs is getting some disciplinary action for his actions.
ReplyDeleteTo: December 29, 2011 6:59 AM
ReplyDeleteYou're full of crap. There is no way what you are stating could be the truth. Does anybody here really believe that a teacher could pick a kid up off the ground by his neck, pin him against and yell at him in front of a whole room full of people including another teacher and have a judge rule in their favor? It simply isn't true. I'm sure Mechelle would like to turn the conversation to this BS to deflect attention away from how she allowed a student to sexually assault another student without consequence.
Mechelle did not act when this SpEd student was attacked to protect her pathetic career. She suspended this teacher for five days to protect her pathetic career.I know damn well that it's Mechelle on here attacking this teacher again got the same reason, to try and protect her pathetic career. She is the only one who has proven time and time again that she puts herself ahead of all else, the school, the district, the teacher and even the students and community.
6:59...Who are you and why do you have such a grudge against him? If you work with him, you know he cares about the kids and has no hidden agenda. What kind of agenda could someone have who teaches gym in131, does not have an admin cert, nor is seeking one- rather teaches there because maybe, just maybe, he can make a difference. This is the first and only district he has worked. Anyone can go to one of the yuppie burbs and teach PE and collect their paycheck, but to stay and work at East (Conrad) and Simmons (Patterson) says something. Maybe he is crazy. You'd have to be to endure them and show up everyday.
ReplyDeletePlease stop the drunk and on probation allegations unless you choose to be recognized and forced to prove your blubbering nonsense. Maybe the PR department at central office can spend their holiday doing something else like praising Ryan Boatwright. How's that working for you?
ReplyDeleteNo the Board should come and take a body count the PR department has not been in all week. Clayton new secretary has but had nothing to do. That goes for the rest of central office nobody but Joanie & Marin. I thought the Board told Roberts he needed to make his whereabouts known again no straight answer. The Board is helping itself to new digs thought rumor is it is running into some big bucks. If you come to the next meeting you will be in awe.
ReplyDeleteCould those new digs be the old Franks on Indian Tr? Or something in that area? Inquiring minds want to know.
ReplyDeleteWhat I want to know is, how much of OUR MONEY that COULD be used for our kids, is it going to cost??
ReplyDeleteCentral office news is the Board room is being re-done. They claim had not been done since the 50's. Joanie's project. The Franks rumor has some truth to it the district is putting in for a grant that the only time the kids get anything. If they don't get the grant no Frank's who cares if the buildings have 40 plus kids in a class.
ReplyDeleteThe Board room had a facelift less than 5 years ago. Paint, new frames & pics. Do we (131) really need to fix a room that few people even see, much less use? Better use of money- fixing up stuff that is actually broken.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny, the board does not want to sit in an ugly, rundown room, but they are ok with every student doing it.
ReplyDeleteWaldo, Bardwell, parts of East High are all SHIT HOLES and should probably be CONDEMNED, but no, we need paint and pictures in a stupid board room.
It seems this Board is only concerned with themselves and the administration with all the things they are getting for them. You are right shouldn't the first thing to be taken care of is the students and the overcrowding? This administration get enough with all the lunches and retreats and just having a good time on our money.
ReplyDeleteThe board room was done not to long ago and so were the bathrooms at the service center. Must need to do again. It is the image that counts here not the students, just ask the board president and her puppets. Why will the next board meeting be on Jan. 17?
ReplyDeleteSo the Tomcats got last place in their own Holiday Tournament. Way to go.
ReplyDeleteWho cares about the kids, the board room is going to look awesome.
ReplyDeleteTru dat, tru dat.
ReplyDeleteHeck, it is only our moneies. If they say there is a grant for this, it still is our moneies. I will give the board and superintendant a grant. I grant them the right to use and have common sense. Then to do what is right for the students and this district. When this is done then the board presidents wish for a good imagine for D131 will be granted. All this without the use of the tzxpayers monies.
ReplyDeleteWishing a happier New Year to all!!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!!!!
ReplyDeleteThe minutes from the December 5th Board meeting are FINALLY posted.
ReplyDeleteThis was among the public comments:
"Mr. Pete Sellen of 172 Hartway Drive addressed the board. Mr. Sellen stated that he is a teacher at East High School and is currently on administrative leave. Mr. Sellen requested that the board review his file and rebuttals before making any final decision on his employment with East Aurora."
Sounds like the infamous D131 administration is at it again!
I was at that meeting and when this teacher left he made mention like if he lost his job, it would not be over. This is probably the teacher that at the last meeting they took the concenus to fire.
ReplyDeleteNot as imortant as the teacher on suspension but also in the personnel section of the minutes is a tutor that left the end of last school year. Did it take 6 months to know this person had left or 6 months to process the paperwork with all the extra people in the human resouces department?
ReplyDeleteNice article in the Beacon about EHS senior, Ricky Barajas.
ReplyDeleteOur district can definitely be proud of him, and the many other high-achieving students in D131!
I clicked on the link on the district website, but was unable to read the article because a paywall popped up over it:(
ReplyDeleteEvidently the Beacon is now charging for reading its articles. Maybe the district can post the entire article on its website, instead of just a link?
You can view 20 pages every 30 days.
ReplyDeleteI think re-posting the article would actually be illegal since they are requiring payment. You know, like copying music and movies is illegal.
It is also not the Beacon doing this, it is the Sun Times media group making you pay. Naperville Sun, Chicago Sun Times, etc are all under this new payment system.
Doubt it--I think the D131 administration has been in cahoots with the Beacon ever since 2005 or so, when the editor (Russell) got a sweetheart deal for the sale of his house to the district.
ReplyDeleteServes the Beacon right if folks get their local news from blogs,Facebook, etc.
You can still read the article--just scroll down, and read the lines under the paywall as it moves down the page ;)
ReplyDeleteWhat do you doubt - doubt what?
ReplyDeleteI doubt that the district would put the entire article on its webpage.
ReplyDelete11:34 a.m.'s comment got before mine.
Here's an excerpt of an article from today's Montgomery Patch:
ReplyDeleteHigh school is a time when memories are made. But for some Oswego and Oswego East High students, the most memorable moments of their school year probably won’t happen in the classroom, or on an athletic field.
They’re more likely to happen while they’re following clues to find food at the Kendall County Forest Preserve, or walking around downtown Aurora on a scavenger hunt, or designing a service project to help others. And along the way, those students will learn to be more confident, and become better leaders.
That’s the goal of the Student Leadership Initiative Program, or SLIP. An outgrowth of the Kendall County Outdoor Education Center, it was started in 1994 by then-director Jeff Schafermeyer, before he went on to become principal of Boulder Hill Elementary School.
Deanna Bazan took over as director in 2001, and she now runs the SLIP program. She’s seen students come through the year-long experience transformed, armed with the self-confidence and skill to get things done.
“The biggest thing they learn about is how to work with other people they don’t necessarily know,” she said, adding that students get to experience a wealth of opinions and perspectives, and share their own.
How does it work? Each SLIP class is made up of five sophomores from each participating high school. This year, there are four schools—Oswego High, Oswego East High, Plano High and Sandwich High—for a total of 20 participants.
Students apply to be in the program, and are then interviewed by their advisors, and by former SLIP students. Melissa Gleason, a counselor at Oswego East, said she doesn’t necessarily pick the leaders in each class—she nominates the “emerging leaders,” those who are often silent, but if given the right encouragement, could excel, she said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This sounds like a very good program for students; maybe it would work well in our district.
Probably not. Oswego, Plano and Sandwich are run properly and 131 is, simply put, run into the ground- no rebuttals needed.
ReplyDeleteWe do have the NJROTC program at the high school, which promotes students' leadership skills. The program in Oswego only involves a handful of students--but anything that helps our kids achieve would be worth a try.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of "helping", how's that $165,000.00 fundraising drive going?
ReplyDeleteIsn't it amazing how NJROTC programs (AKA Meat for the Grinder) only flourish in low income, failing areas. They simply don't survive in any area where the community has both money and educations.
ReplyDeleteHere is a short list of suburban high schools that have NJROTC programs:
ReplyDeleteProviso West
Naperville North
Mount Prospect
Wheeling
Romeoville
These are hardly "low income, failing" areas!
Isn't it amazing how ignorant people like 8:24 a.m. can be??
Naperville North does NOT have an ROTC program as a class during the school day like it is here at East.
ReplyDelete8:24 you should actually do some research and learn before you post. It's a really mixed bag. I went along to the NJROTC Nationals w/ my son's drill team, and some of the schools there fit your description, but just as many didn't. A significant number were even from rather affluent schools. And it's not just "meat for the grinder". The last numbers I saw, less than half of these kids go into the military. And they're usually the ones who would have enlisted whether they were ever in NJROTC or not. My son went to the Coast Guard Academy, and is serving now in Alaska. He would have joined whether he'd been in NJROTC or not.
ReplyDelete8:24 is probably someone who didn't have what it takes to be in NJROTC, so they diss it.
ReplyDeleteWant a little cheese with those sour grapes, 8:24 a.m.?
I never said rich districts don't have ROTC programs. I said they don't flourish in those areas. There is a reason Aurora has the largest program around.
ReplyDeleteFYI, I was in ROTC for four years when I was in high school. I attained the rank of captain. It was a great way to get out of going to PE.
The negative opinions come when you begin to realize it's ultimate goal of recruiting young, ignorant kids into the military. The strongest negative opinions come later when you start to see friends come home in pine boxes.
You DID say, "they simply don't survive in any area where the community has both money and educations".
ReplyDeleteWRONG. NJROTC programs definitely DO survive in both richer and poorer districts/communities.
The district website shows a job opening for Fine Arts Department Chair at East High.
ReplyDeleteWhat happened with the brand new chair, hired in August?
BTW, the EHS Fine Arts website never did show her name/picture--it still has Ross Wheeler.
Hmmm, if I wanted to find something about about a High School position, who would I talk to.....
ReplyDeleteYEAH, THIS STUPID BLOG.
Actually, I'd talk to several people/sources. Some might have information, some might not.
ReplyDeleteRemember that it was this blog that was the first to bring the Simmons bullying cover-up to our attention.
really, who cares
ReplyDeleteAre you saying that somebody bullied the new department chair?
ReplyDeleteWhere did you get that information?
No one said anything about a department chair being bullied. 9:03 p.m. was talking about the Simmons incident.
ReplyDeleteYeah, right, 9:28 p.m.--who cares about some poor special ed student whose pants were pulled off by another student, and administration tried to cover it up and falsify what actually happened?
ReplyDeleteOnly parents and community members with any concern for kids, that's who!
Who cares?
ReplyDeleteA whole bunch of lawyers, that's who.
The fine arts department chair was special ed?
ReplyDelete10:07 p.m. can't read??
ReplyDeleteCome on people let's get back on topic.
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to the special ed fine arts chair who got bullied. Who did this to her?
Actually, the EHS fine arts department chair got a full-time job near her home. The EHS position was only part-time, and involved a significant daily commute.
ReplyDelete7:57a.m. -- lmao
ReplyDeleteI'm glad somebody actually gets it - most people on this blog have a bug up their butt.
ReplyDelete8:32 a.m., thanks for the information.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad somebody actually gets it - most people on this blog have a bug up their butt.
ReplyDeleteJanuary 12, 2012 10:29 AM
And their head
No, some people have a sick sense of humor.
ReplyDeleteLooks like Dr. Roberts' pet project of reviving the orchestra program in our district is a non-starter.
ReplyDeleteThere was a definite lack of interest among parents, according to a recent survey. Costs would have been prohibitive, as well.
Yup, just one more stupid decision by the community.
ReplyDeleteIn today's tough economy, parents would understandably be reluctant to spend extra for something like orchestra, when the money could be used for other academic programs their kids need.
ReplyDeleteGood idea, bad timing.
It is so amazing to me what you people focus on. There is sooo much in the board packet about test scores and school improvement and you talk about the tiniest piece, the orchestra.
ReplyDeleteThere's a lot in there about potential and proposed school improvements. Not quite the same as actual achievements.
ReplyDeleteRight, about how to improve the schools and test scores and such, and you all focus in on "the orchestra survey."
ReplyDeleteI did not say the schools have improved.
I didn't say anything about achievements either.
ReplyDeleteAt least with the orchestra survey the district approached parents, and based their decision on what parents preferred. This is a step in the right direction; D131 administration has not always done what parents and the larger community asked them to do.
ReplyDeleteYeah too bad, ask a bunch of uneducated people who don't give a crap about education what should be done in a school. I think I am going to go to a grocery store to get a second opinion on this rash.
ReplyDeleteI read the online Board Packet it was very interesting the Curriculum handouts along with the meeting notes are very useful I am glad to see finally everyone is addressing the poor performance of our schools.
ReplyDelete9:37 p.m., when my kids were attending D131 schools I was very involved in PTA, volunteering, and partnering with the school in my kids' best interests. The vast majority of parents I know personally are NOT "uneducated people who don't give a crap about education".
ReplyDeleteAnd why not go to the grocery store to get a second opinion about your rash? Many stores (Dominicks, Jewel) have clinics and/or knowledgeable pharmacists on-site.
Too bad they wouldn't have a cure for your ignorance and stereotyping!
:)
January 14, 2012 6:11 AM -LOL well put and on the "mark!"
ReplyDeleteAnd how many of you will be at the meting Tues.?
ReplyDeleteI'll be babysitting my infant granddaughter, so I won't be there.
ReplyDeleteAnd if D131 would broadcast meetings online (as several local districts already do), more concerned citizens would be able to see & hear firsthand.
But that makes too much sense, and involves a certain amount of consideration for the public.
How many PR employees does the district have working for them and they can't do a Webcast, Live Meeting or a Broadcast of the meeting is a shame. They do some sports games. I think they don't want people seeing how the Board works or doesn't work for the students just the administrations pocket book.
ReplyDeleteI recall broadcasting meetings came up a few years ago. There was an offer of some sort, for equipment or service to help make this possible. Heaven forbid D131 take the lead on a trendsetting idea. Would it hurt to still get on board and be community minded and considerate at this point?
ReplyDeleteYou know what you could do, go to the meetings every time and say, "I would like the meetings broadcast on the internet."
ReplyDeleteEventually they will get tired of you and do it.
Oh yeah, posting here is almost the same thing.
"go to the meetings every time"--
ReplyDeleteThat would be impossible for those who work evenings, cannot drive at night, have childcare issues, etc.
There's NO EXCUSE for School Board meetings not to be broadcast, if a district has the capability to broadcast sports events. Maybe certain administrators are paranoid that they wouldn't be able to know who is viewing the meeting, like they can when it's at the service center--or maybe they're just once again giving the community the middle finger.
No it wouldn't be impossible.
ReplyDeletePossible or not, it should be unnecessary.
ReplyDeleteAt the very least, the audio of the meeting should be available online; it might be easier & cheaper to do that than something like UStream (which is what Oswego Dist. 308 uses to broadcast meetings).
ReplyDeleteEven the Sugar Grove library board (a MUCH smaller budget than a school board) broadcasts the audio of its meetings.
GREAT SUGGESTION -
ReplyDeleteYou know who you should tell?
THE DAMN SCHOOL BOARD
I know of at least two people who have suggested to the School Board directly that the meetings should be broadcasted. Aside from them, the administration would have to be living on a desert island not to know about all the advances in technology and the way that other districts have been improving the way they make information available in "real time" to the public.
ReplyDeleteI think 1:15 hit the nail on the head. Certain paranoid people at the service center would not want anonymous, faceless community members seeing firsthand what goes on at meetings.
When they remodeled the Board Room they changed the audio equipment that was in the works to give live feed so this blog should take credit for nothing. Someone just bought it up on this blog to show the importance of the blog and come back and say the blog did it WRONG the administration did it because they have nothing to hide from the community or wind bag Board members.
ReplyDeleteIts to bad we will now have to listen to Hull change his mind ten times during one comment and talk about his daughter. Of course nobody will understand a word Gonzalez says, Lewis can just be angry and Johnson will love to hear herself talk. Now everyone will have it documented as to the wonderful job the d131 administration tried to do with very difficult students.
Not just difficult students, but a difficult, ignorant and excuse filled community.
ReplyDeleteHappy MLK Day to all!
ReplyDeleteThis evening there will be a community-wide celebration of Dr. King's legacy at West High. The program starts at 6:30 p.m., and will feature students from throughout the Aurora area, including the EHS Jazz Band and a citywide youth choir directed by retired EHS drama teacher Arlene Hawks.
A grEAt opportunity to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.!
:)
Come on, it's Monday night, typically the night of school board meetings, these people are TOO BUSY to do anything on Monday Nights. Come on, child care, and I work two jobs, and blah blah blah blah.
ReplyDeleteFor those who cannot attend, I'm pretty sure the program will be broadcast on Aurora public access television.
ReplyDeleteAnd as far as childcare is concerned, if someone has an infant or toddler it is probably best for them to stay home. Nothing ruins a concert (or for that matter, meeting) experience more than a small child crying, whining, making a fuss, etc.
Anyone else notice that where it says attorney bills at the end of the agenda, that they are not listed?
ReplyDeleteAbout time Kivisto gets honored he was a great teacher and role model to many students
ReplyDeleteAURORA — The East Aurora High School gymnasium will finally get a name next month, when administrators dedicate the space to legendary East High basketball coach Ernie Kivisto.
Kivisto coached basketball at East High from 1967-82, with a career record of 312-99. He was honored as National Coach of the Year in 1979.
“He was an inspiration to a lot of kids, and a mentor to many in this district,” East Aurora School Board President Annette Johnson said at a board meeting Tuesday night. “He has a very special place in my heart.”
The district has already named the field house and auditorium after other noteworthy Aurorans, but the gym had yet to be dedicated.
“It was the perfect opportunity,” Johnson said, adding that Kivisto’s message of perseverance was one she hoped to share with the district.
“Since we’re working to build our sports program, we wanted to talk about our most successful eras,” Johnson said. “He was the winningest coach in the whole country, and the way he mentored the kids is the kind of message we want to send out right now.”
Johnson, herself a former East High athlete, credited Kivisto with helping to mold her into the woman she is today.
“Ernie made me the person I am,” she said. “He has a very special place in my heart.”
And he had a special place in the hearts of many. Following his death in February 2003, basketball fans across the city mourned the loss of Kivisto.
“Until Ernie came, we were just going through the motions,” said Henry Cowherd, a School Board and East High Sports Boosters club member during Ernie’s era. “We had talent, but nobody knew how to bring it out until Ernie came along. Ernie didn’t have any time or any regard for losing. His middle name was ‘win.’”
Johnson said the gym will be dedicated next month.
Naming the gymnasium after Kivisto is probably the best thing this board has done. Many basketball players still talk about how he shaped their lives. He demanded respect of the players and that they respect others. I know someone who played for him and talked how he made sure they kept their grades up to be able to play and that they dress properly when they went to games. Yes, he did like to win but he also wanted his players to have respect for others and he was a role model in many ways which we don't have now. He also to make extra money for his family sold pots and pans, china and Chrystal to families. In fact I still have some of those and I'm still using the pots and pans they where a good buy. So let's not only think of him as a person that made East Aurora a good win in basketball but a good person that cared about his players and a all around good man that loved his players and taught them values. You don't find that so much now.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree it is the best thing this district could have done. He was a wonderful person and in those days you could take kids into your home. He treated everyone equally and helped many inter city kids in his life even after East Aurora
ReplyDeleteMelchor and company did not treat his family well I am glad to see the Board finally took care of a true human being
Coach Kivisto supported many poor children with his pot, china dish business that was a little known fact. His wife took any children to Mexico as a Spanish teacher. His son returned to run the basketball program but like Kisershot was railroaded out of coaching. How sad this great family was mistreated by the serial bully administration and the old board. Melchor himself at a sports booster meeting went on a bashing session of the Kivisto family. The sports boosters never took up the cause like the band boosters. We can say the band is better but the admins made sure it would be better. It makes you wonder if the sports boosters were not in the administrations back pockets maybe every team would not have a losing record.
ReplyDeleteFunny how they allow Wendall Jefferies to ruin the basketball program but Bob Kivisto was not good enough
7:48 a.m., I think you mean "Malaker", not "Melchor". Larry Malaker was the School Board president when Serial Bully Radakovich was superintendent. Radakovich's Minooka buddy Rick Johnson was the EHS athletic director. All three (Malaker, Radakovich, and Johnson) were probably responsible for railroading Ernie Kivisto's son out of coaching in our district.
ReplyDeleteThank you I was to lazy to look the spelling of that worthless human beings name up. Malaker profited by selling his house to the district for more money than it was worth. He and the serial bully railroaded plenty of good teachers.
ReplyDeleteIt is sad Kivisto died without ever being honored my friend benefited by him he is now a Principal and upstanding member of the community all because Ernie helped him and took him into his own home. Ernie finished his career working on a Indian Reservation helping kids out. Yet we could name anything after him so I say thank-you Board for doing this.
ReplyDeleteFrom today's Beacon-News:
ReplyDeleteAURORA — West Aurora students will be dismissed from classes early Friday because of expected bad weather conditions.
Dismissal times are:
Todd Early Childhood Center will dismiss at 11 a.m.; no lunches will be served and there will be no afternoon preschool.
West High School will dismiss at 11:21 a.m.; no lunches will be served.
Hope Wall School will dismiss at 11:30 a.m.; no lunches will be served and there will be no afternoon preschool.
Elementary schools will dismiss at noon; lunches will be served.
Middle schools will dismiss at 12:40 p.m.; lunches will be served
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Expected bad weather conditions"!?
I've lived in Aurora for 30+ years, and wish I had a dollar for every time a snowstorm was predicted and we only got flurries, if that.
Say what you want about our administrators; they at least hold off on canceling school until there is good reason to do so.
Let's remember most of our children walk to school and if the weather is as bad as they are saying our students will be walking home in bad conditions. The West side bus and maybe they think it is better to get the students home before it is to bad to drive and the students get home late. Districts have grace days and maybe the West Side is thinking of their students and getting them home before the weather gets to bad for driving buses in those conditions. They might even be thinking of the people that work for them and want them to get home before the weather gets to bad it might take them hours to get home or that they might get into an accident with all the drivers forget how to drive in bad weather. It will be in single digits tomorrow and some of our students will be walking home in very cold weather if they don't have a ride home so who is really thinking of their students.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if those administrators will be working from home or will they come into the Central Office since most of them don't live in Aurora?
ReplyDeleteEven for administrators I don't like (and there are plenty!) I still give them credit for having to make these kind of decisions. They always get slammed no matter which way they decide. If they wait until they know for sure what the weather is going to be, and then decide to close early, they get slammed for not having decided earlier. If they decide early, and then the weather isn't as bad as the forecast said, they get slammed for not waiting to make the decision. I'm glad I'm not in their position.
ReplyDeleteABSOLUTELY - If they decide to add classrooms or add teacher assistants they are wrong.
ReplyDeleteKeep school open or close it.
Remove an incompetent teacher or keep him/her around.
There is always TWO SIDES
Listen to parents, students, and alumni or ignore them.
ReplyDeleteRespect the community or give them the middle finger.
Do what 95%+ of people you supposedly represent recommend or stubbornly support corrupt administrators.
Yep, there are always TWO SIDES.
Back in the '70s, when a snowstorm was predicted kids went to school anyway--then if it actually started snowing the principal would announce early dismissal over the intercom. Kids would call their parents from the office, or just walk home early.
ReplyDeleteNow with cell phones it is much easier for students to contact parents (or grandparents, neighbors, etc.) from school--so why call an early release when there's a good possibility we'll just get flurries?
95% - Really? - Could I see the study used to get that statistic?
ReplyDeleteOtherwise you are full of crap.
Maybe 9:22 p.m. should have said something like "almost everyone who publicly spoke out" instead of "95%".
ReplyDeleteThere are some in this district who have scrapbooks of newspaper articles, letters to the editor, photographs, etc. that document community support for a friend/colleague/teacher who they feel was mistreated by corrupt administrators.
There are also terrorists who probably scrapbooks of newspaper articles, letters to the editor, photographs, etc. that celebrate the attacks on 9/11.
ReplyDeleteScrapbooks make them right?
Oh God, here we go again. More of the same conversation because people can't move on.
ReplyDeleteYou're comparing community members who save documentation of the mistreatment of their friend/colleague to TERRORISTS??
ReplyDelete