Monday, January 14, 2013

Continuing the discussion...

227 comments:

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Anonymous said...

4:09 p.m., I called East High in November about the outdated info on their website, and how to get in contact with my daughter's choir director. A lot of good that did, I basically wasted my time.

If blowing a mistake out of proportion is what it takes to get something done, nothing wrong with it.

Anonymous said...

I too attended the Allen meeting and heard the same. It's nice to see Dr. Roberts in the buildings. There seems to be a lot of change happening, and that through these committees we can share ideas and be part of the process. What is the shame of this meeting was that one of my fellow staff members is resorting to lying and name cailing. Shame on you and I really feel sorry for the students (children mind you) that you work with on a daily basis. What kind of character do you have? What type of PBIS are you modeling? Name calling? You need to find a job that is not with kids. I'm ashamed that you work at Allen.

Anonymous said...

5:13 pm
and what change is happening? Seein Dr Roberts in a school, is that the change or is that plain PR. And who is the employee you are referring to, now be specific. Lets' not play the "Mystery Game"

Anonymous said...

Jerome has been back in the district for 8 years now. I've seen him in my building twice in all those years. Now, all of sudden before the election, he is running around from building to building trying to communicate to the staff? Does anybody really believe it has anything to do with education?

Believe what you want but I've been in the district for enough years and seen the rampant corruption by our administrators. Maya Angelou said it best, “The first time someone shows you who they are, believe them.”

You can bury your head in the sand if you choose too and follow the company line fed to you by Annette and Jerome but I prefer to judge there deeds and performance. A record that has been utterly shameful. A record that does not deserve another four years.

Anonymous said...

I noticed the Montroy Strand campaign throw the word integrity around quite a bit. Do hey know what this word means . Saying that a person has no integrity implies they are cheats or lie. So far it looks like they are the ones with no integrity. hey are running for positions that will benefit themselves and their spouses. I am very disappointed that they are taking that approach. How do they expect to get along on a board if they.already made the members out to have no integrity. It is nt like there are two opponents and they have will loss to one. If they win they will have to be on the board with some of them. The board will not function well.

they need to rethink their position and start acting like what they preach

Anonymous said...

I believe Maya also knew the difference between there and their...

Anonymous said...

Change is having the only Magnet School around that will be all virtual. Google any community and other than IMSA who their parents have to pay for a computer as part of the sign on d131 has the only program. I believe it was the entire board other than Hull who stopped the appointment of or a PE teacher and hired Angie Rowley who came from IMSA.Now the school will open with every child getting a computer compliments of a grant Johnson got. She deserves to be reelected and will.

Anonymous said...

I agree. Johnson needs to be at that district 4 more years. The only downfall of her to me is:

She supports a do nothing superintendant

Funds the crooked Urban League while every other district has pulled out.

Will not fire more administrators

Will not stand up to Tom Weisner about his inability to control degrading neighborhoods all over Aurora

Anonymous said...

It's amazing to me that she "Supports the do nothing superintendent" when she said in the newspaper "we are riding out his contract."

Anonymous said...

Some believe the Mayor is behind Hull attacking her and running the three from Community Christain Church that are involved with his aid Rick Guzman. Rick runs a non for profit and works for the mayor. Rick Lawerance is the only one who stands up to the crooked mayor. Look at O Connor his wife experiences the most overcrowding with her work at Bardwell. He votes for Shodeen and Hometown.

ity is news is Johnson will not renew a TIF for Shodeen and everyone at the City knows that will turn into the next Hometown mess and give Aurora more low income housing. That is why Hull got her into that debate. I am sure she won't do it because it would bring to Many kids to Bardwell, Waldo and EHS. Remember they are 800 units. I also remember Johnson overturning Terra Oaks. Some at the City are still not to happy about that.

Johnson and the Board need to realize the mayor could care less about East just lining their pockets. They need to work to get Lawerance elected so he can have more say in on the East side. We also need to elect Johnson because she is the only one who stands up to him.

Lets not forget the Magnet School should have happened two years ago when Johnson asked for space and the Mayor picked his non for profits over the schools. FREE RENT AND SOCIAL SERVICES IS ALL OCONNER AND WEISNER WANT. HE IS ALSO FUNDING A BUILDING ON LASALLE FOR STRAND TO EXPAND HER NON FOR PROFIT. THIS WITH YOUR CITY DOLLARS ASK QUESTION. STRAND IS DANGEROUS

Anonymous said...

Interesting comments about the Mayor sounds like dirty politics. I could be true we know he controls the Beacon and they have had stories after stories when West should be covered for things that are not going well either

Anonymous said...

9:45 am
Lots of accusations here, not saying they are or not truthful. Can you provide evidence with your statements? If so please provide thank you

Anonymous said...

Sat at a table today with Scott Strand and the only time he took notes was when Johnson and Roberts spoke. When our Union President spoke about the committees that are giving teachers a voice in changing the not a written note. Harding also talked about this plan to come to schools back in Sept when the contract passed. He and Dr Roberts both said the board, administration and union are working well together. They will also have committees that meet during the day that we can join. I was impressed, but not by Scott it seems he does not want to be apart of the solution . I can't vote in this district but will tell you to keep the current board.

Johnson was well informed and when asked by a teacher if the board wanted scores to increase 30% in one year . She said absolutely not and was pleased with the teachers. These rumors have been started by Irene Villa and Anna Groh, they constantly blame the board for everything. that may be why the teachers are upset

I also would like Mr Strand to have students better prepared when leaving his classroom. He needs to focus on becoming a better teacher and not a politician.

Anonymous said...

Annette has known about the corruption in District 131 for at least the four years that she has been on the board yet only began doing anything when it has come to election time.

Everything she has done has been smoke and mirrors, no consequences have been dealt to the administrators that have overseen all the corruption.

Jerome Roberts keeps his job despite every department being in scandal.

Nestor Garcia is protected and a new six figure salary is created for him before exposing the corruption rampant in building and grounds.

We now have an administrator in charge of building and grounds with no certifications except being the friend of a board member.

Then there is Jay Augustine who was running an accounting department that was accounting for nothing. Were any charges pressed? NO! Just retire a month early when it all blew up in the papers.

Denean Adams is still listed as the Superintendent in charge of Curriculum for District 131 despite using district credit cards for cash advances at Atlantic City (when she should have been in Philadelphia at a conference).

No administrators have been disciplined despite hundreds of thousands of dollars unaccounted for with administrator credit cards.

Annette insulted and showed her complete disdain for the Low Income Aurora Community when she engaged in her screaming match with Raymond Hull.

Annette has engaged in bullying, intimidation and harassment tactics with many district staff members.

Annette threw Christie Aird under the bus when the LGBT policy that she and the other board members approved proved to be controversial. No ownership of her own responsibility in the matter other than to claim she and the other board members approve policies without actually reading them or knowing what they contain.

Annette and the board have now hired a Technology Director with a history of allegations of illegal videotaping, surveillance and computer tapping.

The district is still settling claims in the illegal firing of Bob Green. The State determined that Mr. Green was illegally discriminated and retaliated against by our administrators and board. Now they are settling how many hundreds of thousands of dollars the district will need to pay to compensate him.

Then there is Kurt Becker and all the broken promises that Annette made to him and his staff.

Is there anybody out there (other than Annette) who really believes that this board president, who has overseen all this corruption, really deserves 4 more years???

Anonymous said...

This is why people should not be able to run for school board if their spouse is employed there. It is a total conflict of interest.

Anonymous said...

Annette and Jerome were at Bardwell today. It was pretty clear that they were on a polital campaign for Annette. We had to hear about all that Annete has done for the district especially about how the Magnet Academy was all Annette's accomplishment.

I didn't get it since the program was officially established in 2008 and was in the works for a year or two before then. Annette wasn't voted in until 2009 but we are supposed to believe we wouldn't have a Magnet Program if it wasn't for Annette.

I admit I have become biased recently. I have found it very embarrassing to read the local papers so often lately. I am ashamed to publicly state that I teach in District 131, not because of the teachers or students or community or test scores. It is because the board and administration have been so disfunctional and there appears to be absolutely no accountability for their actions.

I would reecommend dropping the horse and pony show and let the teachers use the time for something that will be constructive for their students.

Anonymous said...

To: January 31, 2013 at 4:20 PM

You are correct that the board has done nothing to hold District 131 administrators responsible but forgot to add that Annette and the board did nothing to the administrators, Wilson Morales or Gwen Miller even after beating up students.

This district needs a major shakeup at the top. The staff and community have no faith in the current leadership.

Anonymous said...

It shows Scott and Kristen are up to posting again I attended the Bardwell breakfast and nothing was said about Annette as a individual. She or Jerome Roberts never gave her credit about the Magnet School. The Union gave the board a lot of credit along with administration and told everyone to share ideas. But Scott got embrassed today when teachers approached him with some lies he spread

Anonymous said...

To: January 31, 2013 at 4:25 PM

This is why people should not be able to run for school board if they have no children in the district. They don't care about children or education. They only care about their own pocketbook.

Anonymous said...

Recent alumni are talking about how they can contribute to change

join the conversation: https://www.facebook.com/groups/EAHSalumni/

Anonymous said...

Two teenage girls we arrested at the high school on Friday for possession of a weapon. Why were the parents not notified after this happened? Why was the school not locked down? Don't they have procedures set for things like this? I thank God that no one was injured!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Any truth to the rumor that Annette Johnson is a bully and she CONTROLS the entire Administration which hates her.

Anonymous said...

Accusations pile up as East Aurora School Board election nears
By Kalyn Belsha kbelsha@stmedianetwork.com April 6, 2013 6:44PM
AURORA — An East Aurora School District seasonal maintenance worker is claiming he was instructed by his supervisor, at the request of School Board President Annette Johnson and Superintendent Jerome Roberts, to clean garbage and dog feces that were dumped in the retention pool last year behind Hermes Elementary School by Johnson’s now-deceased mother, who lived in Johnson’s home adjacent to the pool.
The seasonal maintenance worker also alleged that Johnson and her mother took firewood from the district and used it for their personal home bonfires.
The maintenance worker asked that his name not be used because he fears for his job.
Reached by phone Saturday, Johnson denied that she or her mother had ever dumped garbage in the retention pool or taken firewood. She said the accusations were made up to slander her name before the school board election Tuesday.
“Now I’ve heard it all,” Johnson said. “I am sad that people... are sitting here making up stories and lies.”
On Friday, The Beacon-News reported that the district has been engaged in a yearlong struggle over janitorial products that led to accusations of tens of thousands of wasted taxpayer dollars, district personnel payoffs and preferential treatment for vendors.
Four maintenance workers are being investigated by the district for their involvement in drafting past janitorial supply bids. On Friday, three were placed on paid administrative leave and one retired effective immediately.
Johnson said Saturday that she’d received reports that maintenance personnel were tearing down her re-election campaign signs and that a maintenance supervisor had threatened his staff, instructing them to cast ballots that would vote out the current school board.
“People are really afraid to come forward,” she said of the threatened employees.
The election threats are being investigated, said Johnson, who also accused maintenance staff of donating money to support her challengers, Zach Montroy and Kirsten Strand. There is no rule against district personnel donating money to a school board election campaign, Johnson said, but it’s “never been done in the past.”
Reached by phone Saturday, Montroy said “no maintenance worker in East Aurora has contributed to our campaign financially.”
“We have done our best to run a very clean campaign,” he added. “We’ve never attacked anyone that is our opponent.”

Anonymous said...

Does anyone know what church/ religious beliefs Annette is affiliated with?

Anonymous said...

I don't know, and frankly don't think it's anyone's business.

Outraged Taxpayer said...

AURORA — An East Aurora School District administrator who was overseeing grounds, maintenance, safety plans and custodial services has been promoted to a director-level position that will combine his old job with overseeing construction in the district — and add $35,000 to his salary.

At their Monday meeting, the East Aurora School Board unanimously approved Marty Feltes as the district’s new director of buildings and grounds. He will be paid $120,000 in that role, up from the $85,000 he was making as the district’s operations manager, a position the district isn’t planning to fill.

“With the growth in student enrollment and expansion of facilities, there is much work to be done,” Feltes said in a district-provided statement. “My goal is to be a good steward of the resources provided by District 131 taxpayers.”




















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Outraged taxpayer said...

Part 1 AURORA — An East Aurora School District administrator who was overseeing grounds, maintenance, safety plans and custodial services has been promoted to a director-level position that will combine his old job with overseeing construction in the district — and add $35,000 to his salary.

At their Monday meeting, the East Aurora School Board unanimously approved Marty Feltes as the district’s new director of buildings and grounds. He will be paid $120,000 in that role, up from the $85,000 he was making as the district’s operations manager, a position the district isn’t planning to fill.

“With the growth in student enrollment and expansion of facilities, there is much work to be done,” Feltes said in a district-provided statement. “My goal is to be a good steward of the resources provided by District 131 taxpayers.”

Feltes, 64, is a lifelong resident of Aurora’s East Side. He owned Marty Feltes Plumbing and Heating from 1984 until he was hired by East Aurora in January.

The director-level position became open to internal candidates in late October, with a one-week deadline to apply, according to district records. Two candidates applied for the job, according to School Board President Annette Johnson, and both were interviewed.
Feltes was the clear choice for the job, according to both Johnson and Richard Leonard, the school board member who oversees the board’s buildings and grounds committee.
“Obviously he’s been doing the job and he’s been doing it well,” Johnson said of Feltes. “He has done a very good job getting maintenance back on track.”

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