It's hard to believe, but another year is drawing to a close...and the school year is halfway over! Here's hoping that 2014 is filled with success for our students, staff, and administration!
199 comments:
Good to know
said...
Saw this today on our district's website:
"With the recent snowfall, East Aurora School District 131 families are reminded that there are multiple places to check for information about weather-related closings. If schools will be closed, an announcement will be posted by 6 a.m. Information will released through: - A phone message to parents in both English and Spanish. - The East Aurora School District 131 website: www.d131.org - The East Aurora School District 131 Facebook page: www.facebook.com/EASD131 - The East Aurora School District 131 Twitter account: @EASD131 (www.twitter.com/EASD131) - Local newspapers, television stations and radio stations. - The Emergency Closing Center website: www.emergencyclosings.com East Aurora School District 131 will only announce when schools are closed. If schools are open, it is the responsibility of parents and guardians to determine if conditions allow for their children to attend school. The School District Superintendent, in consultation with the Director of Buildings & Grounds and other administrators, makes the final decision whether to close school due to inclement weather. The decision is based on the ability of students to make it to and from school safely. When making his decision, the superintendent considers multiple factors including temperatures, snowfall and wind chill"
Read last week Marty Feltes was given a new title and a $35,000 raise. Santa Claus (Dick Leonard) was very good to his long time drinking buddy Marty. Cronyism at its finest with Leonard justifying it as the district continues to ask for more money. "Tricky Dick" has the votes and knows it. When will it end ???
Anonymous2, if the issue is snow piled up on public sidewalks you could contact your alderman. School Board members have no jurisdiction over public walkways/thoroughfares.
I actually think the new School Board members are doing a good job. They are constantly attending events in our district, and seem to be willing to listen to taxpayers' concerns.
I am glad I did NOT vote for Zach Montroy, however. He doesn't even live in our district anymore, as of several months ago.
knows131 I agree the new board members are an improvement over what we had. All board members attend events and listen to the taxpayers HOWEVER they just don't act on the waste at 131. How bout that big raise 35K to Marty Feltes and his shenanigans. In due time Marty will prove Richard Leonard's opposition to Feltes suscpicious hiring correct and his the obvious cronyism. Taxpayers PLEASE SPEAK OUT !!
It's amazing how quickly this forum has died. Consorship will do that to any good idea.
This blog used to be a vibrant, sometimes rowdy exchange of information. It was sometimes rude but it was real. You had to use your brain and sort out fact from fiction, just like in the real world.
Unfortunately, those running the blog have caved into pressure and put up one censorship after another. I'm sure the district leadership is very appreciative.
Anon 1- I don't think the blog admin has changed anything. Could be the Board president and her friends are on Christmas break and pretty much got things their way, at present, and have nothing to complain or try to fool the community about. Let some more hit the fan and watch how much boasting about the Board and negative comments about the staff and community starts appearing, again.
January will be a very interesting month on this blog!! Be Patient and see what develops once school is back in session. I know for a fact their is in the works many things will be revealed. My sources tell me that there is reason to be concerned for what will be revealed.
insider at 131 What are you referring to? As an employee of EA, rumor has it that Johnson is out of control again. Is there anything you can share to give us a clue. Was told by someone close to the Admin Bldg that the Board will be put on the spot about several questionable issues.
Roberts told staff he will decide to close schools while sitting by his pool in Florida. Nice that we are the last school district to put out blast by 6am tomorrow. Where is Annette Johnson? Oh probably sitting with him.
I agree that we need to get rid of the Urban League. It was obviously cronyism and costing the district far more than it should have. 700% more now than just a few years ago and the alternative school students are not receiving the services that they need. However, a realistic alternative should have been put in place before dumping the Urban League.
How can anybody in their right mind just dump these problems back into the schools. These are children who were sent to the alternative school because they were deemed too dangerous or disruptive to be in our school buildings.
They are children who brought weapons into our schools buildings (Guns, knives explosives, etc.) They are children who have physically assaulted students or teachers. They are children who have sexually assaulted other children. They are students that can not be controlled in the normal school setting. They are students who are far older than the other children that they will be around. Imagine a 16 or 17 year old boy in the same middle school as your 10 year old daughter.
These alternative programs were set up to give dangerous students an opportunity to stay in school when they really should have been expelled from school because they are a real danger to the students and teachers in the building.
It was a strong message to these dangerous students and their parents to have them sent to the alternative school. What message do they receive when they are told that they are being moved to a different classroom in the same building?
Here is one more question for the tax payers of the district. What happens when one of these children who is known to be dangerous hurts or kills another student or staff member of the district? The lawyers are going to have a field day suing the district that knew these children were dangerous and kept them in the same building as all the other children. It's going to cost the tax payers millions of dollars.
The district really needs to reconsider this poorly considered decision. It is much more than a monetary decision to be made here. These are children who have proven themselves to be a danger to those around them. They have been documented as a danger and with board approval, been removed from the school setting as a danger to others. To put them back in the school buildings will be a real threat to others (not even to mention what they will do to the education of the other children).
Just to put this in perspective of adults. Imagine the govenor declaring that they are opening prisons and releasing violent criminals into the population because it is more cost effective but don't worry because we will set up programs that will ensure that they will no longer be a threat to the community.
This could never happen, right? But, that's exactly what District 131 has declared they are going to do to your children.
What do our neighboring school districts (West, Oswego, Batavia, Naperville) do with their problem students? I'm under the impression that most of them have alternative school programs in-house, or at least don't use the Urban League program anymore.
Wasn't it just about a year ago that one of our alternative school kids pointed a gun at an Aurora Police Officer and ended up being killed by the cop? This would be an example of the type of students that the district wants to place in the same building as your children.
Does anybody really believe that Naperville or Batavia or Oswego are dealing with the same sort of gang bangers that we are in East Aurora? We can't look to them for examples regarding this.
If you like, I can give you many more examples of East Aurora kids who have killed or have been killed. Or, you can just read the Aurora Beacon, it full of stories about crime in Aurora. Almost all the violent stories in the Beacon are about East Aurora.
I am not sure what other schools are doing, but EA seems to not plan well where the students are concerned. The 'bull in the china shop' personality of the board president seems to have trickled to the business plan committee. Money that has been spent for concrete to fill in a pool at overtime rates could have been used to purchase property to house our alternative students.
Or in some areas it is the parents problem to find alternative school for their children when they cannot follow the rules. There are many options and many alternative schools out there to learn from or follow example. This is NOT the first time this has come up. It is the first time the district has finally had the initiative to do some forward thinking about the QCUL's program. Too bad they didn't have a better plan to submit to the public when they introduced the change.
Saw this on the D131 website, under School Board meetings:
Special Tuesday, January 14, 2014 5:30 PM School Service Center I. Roll Call II. Executive Session for the Purpose of Discussing the Appointment, Employment and Dismissal of a Specific Employee III. PUBLIC COMMENTS/QUESTIONS IV. Adjournment
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Who is this "specific employee"? And why does he/she merit a "Special" School Board meeting, instead of waiting until the regular meeting on Jan. 21st?
To wantstoknow Sounds like you want to know the 'juicy' stuff. Get a life. Hey, maybe you should run for school board so you're privy to everyones personal info.
anonymous2 "Wants to know" asks some very good questions about the circumstance involved with the "Special Meeting" which can't wait another week for whatever reason. Since when does that be classified as "personal info" Sounds like you are aware of the situation and know this will be an explosive topic once it is brought to light.
What amazes me is how our administrators and board members will sit in meetings regarding sports and fine arts and ask questions about why we are losing students. They ask questions like "How can we make our teams successful when many, simply move out of the district"?
Then they make decisions like cutting the high school bell schedule reducing the numbers of students who are allowed to participate in the fine arts programs. And now, they want to place students with a proven history of violence in the general population.
What good parent in their right mind, if they have an option, would keep their child in District 131? Many of our parents spend years planning how they are going to get their child into a good district before they get to middle school or high school.
Is there anybody who thinks this is really a good decision for our students or district? How does it help the district image to deliberately place problem students into the general education population?
Here are the real questions. Which administrators and board members backed this horrible decision? Which administrators and board members are going to take the responsibility for this decision when it goes South? Who is going to pay the millions of dollars when some child is hurt or killed and the lawyers get done with the district?
Anyone miss the cutoff for the health insurance for the year? I know several district employees who did not submit the forms electronically and do not have insurance for the upcoming year.
Many people at my school were surprised to find they no longer had any healthcare, including myself.
I'm devastated and depressed. I am looking for another job. I have a kid with a serious medical condition. I can't stand to think about the consequences.
Unbelievable. Your incompetence is amazing. After numerous opportunities and communications to sign up for health insurance, the only one you can blame is yourself!
The teacher contract states that the district will provide teachers with health and dental insurance. There is nothing that states that they can deny you coverage through some technicality they made up in the back rooms of the Central Office.
My advice would be to retain a lawyer and sue the district for breach of contract. They will continue to break the law until somebody holds them accountable.
There is a story in the Beacon about how Linda Chapa Lavia and out state representatives are, once again, pushing for charter schools (despite the fact that every school district in the Fox Valley Area voted unanimously for no charter schools). Talk about ignoring your constituancy.
Unfortunately, our representatives don't give a damn about the people of their communities, they only care about their corporate sponsors. Why else would they take public tax dollars and funnel them to corporations, despite the community clearly stating that they don't want it. Why else would they set up state committees that can override the decisions of local communities and force a corporate take over of our schools?
Corporations have one purpose, to make money. They do this by charging the most they can for the least amount of services possible. Every dollar that the corporation makes is another tax dollar not being spent on the children the tax payers expected it to be spent on.
The corporation that backed the last proposal (rejected this past spring) had "earned" over 700 million dollars running their charter schools. That's 700 million dollars intended for children that went into some corporations pocket.
Our representations stated in the article that once again the State will be cutting money to education this year. This despite the fact that they recently passed the largest tax increase in history with the promise that they would NOT cut education spending if they did. Also they are cutting education spending despite being dead last in the nation for spending on education.
Taxes keep going up, while services are cut to the bone. This is what happens when "our" representatives only represent their corporate sponsors. The corruption didn't start and end with Blagojevic, we need to kick the whole bunch of them out of Sprinfield and replace them with individuals who will actually do what's best for the "people" of this state.
There is a union meeting this Tuesday that employees who lost their insurance should show up for. There is more power in numbers. It seems like quite a few employees lost their benefits, show up and voice your concerns.
Our School Board is very busy this week! The regular meeting is tomorrow (since today is a holiday), then they are also meeting Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday for special sessions (presumably to screen and select superintendent candidates).
I just want to say THANK YOU to our hard-working School Board. I'll be praying that they are able to find a superintendent who is fair, ethical, and qualified to lead our district!
While the district does often do things in an inefficient & disorganized way, I feel they did a thorough job letting staff know to sign up for insurance. They met the requirement to provide health insurance, and it was up to each of us to meet the requirement to sign up. Yes, it was an electronic (it is 2014, after all) submission, but for those who are used to the abacus, they provided several opportunities to attend help sessions.
While I agree with your title, nowhere in the contract does it state that teachers are responsible to jump through 27 pages of BS to retain the insurance that is guaranteed by the teacher contract.
The district is on very thin ice if they believe they can go to court and defend the decision to disregard the teacher contract and deny insurance to any employee on the premise that it was the employees responsibility to do the districts job taking care of a boatload of paperwork.
As always, the district is penny wise and dollar foolish. This is going to be a battle that will cost the district far more than the one secretary position it would have cost to just take care of the issue. In addition, it's just one more blow to the morale of the staff.
It's very hard to have successful schools when we are spending as much time showing new teachers the ropes as we are teaching students. The next time the board and administrators are complaining about how hard it is to retain teachers, everybody needs to remember times like this. Even teachers who have the district "insurance" are having fundraisers to help them with medical expenses. It's a wonder any quality teachers stay in District 131.
Denean Adams has the "Inside Track" for the District Superintendent position??? Please say it ain't so.
Let's take a look back at Denean's tenure in District 131. Denean was the Assistant Superintendent in charge of the district's curriculum (and receiving a large 6 figure salary for the job). The teachers knew for years that she was a complete waste of money. We rarely if ever saw her and the curriculum was a total mess. This was confirmed by the high priced consultants (Superintendents from other school districts) hired by the district who concluded that the district curriculum needed serious attention.
Just last year there were two major scandals regarding Denean Adams. She was in the center of the District Administrator Credit Card Scandal. She was supposed to be at a conference in Pennsylvania (being paid for by the district) but instead she was taking out cash advances on her district credit card at Atlantic City. What was her consequence? She simply went on leave (The whole first semester) while the district continued to pay for her to receive her doctorate.
There was also the flower scandal. Somehow, Denean had fresh floral arrangements on her desk daily that were paid for with district funds. When this became public knowledge, Denean threw her secretary under the bus. She claimed she knew nothing about the constant flowers that were on her own desk daily and the district fired her secretary. Is there anybody who believes there is a woman who receives flowers without knowing where they came from?
This is a woman who clearly demonstrated that she was incompetent in her job and completely unethical. If she did apply for our superintendent position, her application should have been properly filed in the nearest trash receptacle. We just took some steps in the right direction dumping lots of the dead weight at the Central Office. It’s time our district moved forward, not backward.
As we continue to deal with this extremely cold winter weather, here's something I saw on another blog, from a superintendent in a downstate Illinois school district:
being objective, I read that Beacon article too, and came to the same basic conclusion as oldtimer...Raymond Hull wants our district to spend lots of money we don't have to build more classrooms. Dr. Roberts tried to set him straight by telling him it would require a referendum but Hull still wants to spend the money.
Raymond Hull compares overcrowded classrooms to "the projects". Well, he'll have to wait till the presidential election in 2016 before a referendum has any chance of passing, when busloads of public-housing residents will go to the polls to vote for President and while they're there, vote to help themselves to tax $ they know THEY won't have to pay. It's how the last referendum passed (after 3 or 4 tries) in 2008.
EA Alum Best way to interpret Mr Hull's words would be to listen to the entire discussion that evening with Dr Roberts. I would like to know what was said also in order to understand what the subject in question was discussed.
Beyond Belief THANK YOU for the interesting information concerning Denean Adams. My question is why is all that behavior tolerated? Can you help me understand that?
I was not at the meeting where Mr. Hull spoke. He MAY have been advocating for more classroom space, but it does not mean a referendum. Maybe the district just needs to be more creative in how they spend their $$ or have tough love when it comes to being a social service agent for the eastside. The money the district receives is to be for educating the students of east Aurora. I am not a Board member or an educator, but I believe that money is to be used primarily for 1-12 grade. We do not have an obligation to educate children in Pre-K or buy buildings to help accommodate those services. Our teachers are spread thinly doing all types of services outside teaching our children.
I do not pretend to know what Ray Hull's point was, but I know I see the waste that goes on in D131 and it makes me ashamed and embarrassed that is has continued and gotten worse over the last 4-5 years. It is truly a sad state of affairs in EA.
Denean Adams also paid for her own phone bill with the districts credit card and she back then was not the only abuser of it. By law the district was suppose to have someone who didn't have a credit card look at these expenses which they didn't. I also believe that Mr. Hull brought up some good comments. It is shocking that the High School is still so overcrowded and our graduation rate is so low and that needs to be addressed.
I attended the meeting Peryea and Hull wanted the district to have busing and a new school built. Roberts said it would take a referendum and would not pass.
Hull and Peryea are up for election and I will go door to door to make sure they are not reelected.
So the school district will move 500 high school students to this location. I bet they don't move the 500 that are a disruption every day. I would put money on they move the 500 top kids in the district away from the disruption.
This district already does some busing for the pre-school which isn't mandated by the state to do and we pay for that you can see it on the list of bills. I do believe the state gives some money. Our district does need a new school we live in the dark ages and won't move forward.
EA10 this is the difference of our districts and others that want good schools for their students to excel. They care about their taxes but they also know you need money to get a good education for the children that some day will be deciding how our country is ran. The School Board job is to run a district and make sure the money is spent the right way and our tax dollars are being spent wisely. It seems some on the board like Johnson is more concerned about her taxes than educating the students. Have you been in some of these schools and seen how run down they are or the students all cramped up in the classes?
I don't have children in school but I feel it is all our responsibility to educate them. Maybe the district should check into making sure all the students are residents of 131.
Also in one of the post below someone stated about the misuse of credit cards and how those that did didn't pay the district back. If they ignored what else are they letting go with our money and the credit cards was on Johnson's watch.
I would go door to door to have Hull and Peryea re elected since they have the taxpayers and students best interest in mind.
Ea10 How bout playing the audio of the meeting or just MAYBE ask Mr Hull & Ms Peryea what their comments meant. By the way, both Board members are up for reelection next year. Then you can start your campaign for them not to be reelected.
Jay Augustine...wasn't he one of "Serial Bully" Radakovich's cronies? He, Jim Vaughn, and "Peyton Place" Postlewaite used to hang around together in the early 2000's.
No surprise Augustine turned out to be corrupt like his buddies.
I don't blame J. Augustine for poor business choices. He was under direction of the superintendent. The Board was in charge of researching or reading his recommendations and and choosing yes or no to accept his recommendations. He did what the supt. and the Board directed him to do. As did every other admin who has been thrown under the bus in the last few years. These messes keep being blamed on everyone except the responsible party. The SUPT! If he is not to fault, then it is the BOARD!
The D131 Bd. prez. sez in the Beacon "“It still continues to be a struggle, but it is what it is. We are moving as fast as we can. I feel we’ve all made tremendous efforts.” The only effort I see is who to point the finger at next. Or how many more things can we blame on J.? "Fast as you can", to cover up all the messes you and Dr. R. have created. It is not fast enough to get our students education on track. They keep creating new 'projects, plans and programs to put up smoke and mirrors to hide the reality of the blunders that have taken place with this Board president in charge. All those Ward One Board members have an agenda, and it has nothing to do with children in EA.
Ray Hull is a nut who ran at the month againTuesday. I do not see a building patched up and falling down. East High is a beautiful building that I was proud to attend. Yes the pool was a disappointment but class space is more important.
If the kids could graduate in 4 years the need for more HS space would not be needed. As for busing that ship sailed years ago and Peryea needs to get the whole story before she runs at the month.
Good for him! Exposing thousands of dollars wasted in our district was the right thing to do. The era of cronyism and secrecy is over in our district, thanks to persistent folks like Mr. Padron.
Alum87 I beg to differ with your statement. Another scandal was uncovered recently (read today's Beacon News) and this smart woman Johnson consistently blames others for her incompetence. The attorney for the district is now involved protecting her and mind you at taxpayer expense. Can't wait for more to surface.
I have heard Mr Padron speak many a time last year and He knows his stuff. He does not make statements without being able to prove them. Annette Johnson now needs the attorney to bail her out with the current gas issue. Can't wait to see what else will be brought out. By the way where is Dr Roberts during this whole time? Silently waiting to exit I assume.
Supt for Business still missing 30+ days. No word on his whereabouts. 3 person team hired to revamp new $500,000 accounting system that does not work. Kalyn Belsha needs to be a better reporter for the Beacon and find out what is really going on. Not just report what is fed to her by the Board.
I am with the 'Insider and Weary' I don't blame the Beacon reporter. For years the district has hand fed the reporters what they want printed. We have seen how quickly Annette attacked Crosby for printing the facts. You even see in this tiny blog community how quickly 1 or 2 Annette supporters start praising her work. Let the dirt come out and you see how they start delegating that work (blame) to others.
The minutes from the December 16th School Board meeting should have been posted by now.
I appreciate the fact that our School Board has been meeting almost every night for the past week or so, discussing who will become our next superintendent.
But we also deserve to have School Board meeting minutes posted in a timely manner...please & thank you!
This was on the EAHS Band's Facebook page, posted by Brad Mills (President of the EAHS Band Boosters):
Due to some unforeseen circumstances the Pancake Breakfast set for Saturday February 8th 2014 will be cancelled for this year. Please refund the money to anyone you have sold tickets too and return any remaining tickets you might have to Mr. Liska. I apologize for this situation but I have no choice but cancel the event. In the days to follow I will be working with Mr. Liska to find a date to add a Band Booster meeting to the month of February to discuss this situation and see how we will move forward. Again I am sorry for need to cancel this event but it is out of my control at this time.
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This is so unfortunate...the Pancake Breakfast has been a yearly event for at least the past 25+ years. My kids participated, and it helped raise money for the summer band camp (one of our district's finest traditions).
Any chance it can be rescheduled for later this year?
Why not rescheduled, or replaced with a different fundraiser? After all, our high school musicians are going to New York in June and last I heard most were counting on using fund-raising money to help defray the expense.
Who dropped the ball on this? Why should our hard-working, deserving students be deprived of the chance to earn funds to help them go to New York and/or pay for Band Camp?
There could be a lot of good reasons why something like this would need to be rescheduled--conflicts with other groups using the space, lack of parent volunteers, etc. But according to Mr. Mills the entire event has been cancelled for this year.
THAT is what seems so wrong to me, that it is just being wiped off the schedule with no reason why. And after a long, long history of yearly EAHS pancake breakfasts...something stinks here, and we parents are definitely owed an explanation.
Yes, it does say there will be an extra booster meeting. But it also says the pancake breakfast will be cancelled "for this year". Parents and community members who have supported this event for YEARS deserve an explanation, and not just those who can attend a booster meeting on a school night.
It is incredible to me how much some of you monitor that band facebook page. Within a few minutes of that announcement being posted somebody had already posted it here. Obsess much?
I'm not on Facebook, but I'm glad someone did post it here. I've gone to the pancake breakfast almost every year for the past 15 or so, and I was planning to go in February to support the band. I appreciate knowing right away that it was canceled.
Thank you to whoever posted. Sometimes being obsessed is a good thing, when important information is made known quickly.
I was planning to go to the pancake breakfast to support my nephew in the band. Since I work Saturdays I was going to ask my boss if I could come in later, I have to ask a week in advance. Now that its canceled I don't have to ask off, but I think I'll let my nephew keep the ticket $ anyway. I am thankful to who ever put it on here about being called off, since the band boosters d131 music site still shows the breakfast poster.
Too bad about the fundraising pancake breakfast. Too bad the district cannot tell us the real reason. So much for transparency.
The recent Beacon articles were another testimony to the LACK OF TRANSPARENCY. Ralph Pedron laid it out for the board last summer and again this fall. The board president's response "my goodness", we are trying so hard and everything is a mess and we are just poor volunteers and the administrators work so hard. IS THIS A BUSINESS PERSON AND "ACCOUNTANT"?
And she pays the attorney to support her poor business practices and misuse of power. Wonder how much the attorney makes off the district.
5 years and this is what we get. More BS. More waste. More problems. More cover ups.
AuroraKnows, I think the reason we're not getting an explanation about the pancake breakfast being cancelled is because it's negative publicity, and certain people in power in our district are more concerned with "IMAGE" than doing what's right to inform the public.
I went to the district's music website this morning, and the poster advertising the 46th Annual Pancake Breakfast is still displayed. See for yourself at www.d131music.org under "Band Boosters".
And lost in all the shuffle is the emergence of another Johnson Puppet "Marty Feltes" With his large salary and 35,000.00 raise, guess you can say he sold out to pad his wallet. Great Board member "Tricky" Dick Leonard with that maneuver.
All East Aurora School District 131 buildings will be closed Saturday. Events or practices scheduled for Saturday are cancelled, including Ernie Kivisto Hoopfest.
I am a proud alumni of East High (late 1980s), and I have a nephew who is a junior in the band this year. His grandparents (my parents) were planning to drive down from Rockford next Saturday to go to the pancake breakfast. They aren't on Facebook or this blog but do check the official band site and district website, as well as the papers for news updates.
My nephew called them and told them it was called off. They went to the band site d131music.org to check for sure. The boosters area is password protected (why?) so my nephew gave them the password. Sure enough, the poster advertising the 46th annual pancake breakfast is still there. And the district website says nothing about the breakfast being cancelled.
My parents have supported various East Side programs since the 1980s. They probably bought enough breakfast tickets over the years to buy a whole new band uniform. But they have to find out second-hand from their teenage grandson that there will be no 46th annual pancake breakfast, and then try to double check the "official" websites and be confused?
Somebody said the public deserved an explanation for this. I say, my parents deserve an APOLOGY!
Wonder why the Board of Ed won't step in and give an explanation on the Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser Cancellation? Since the Boards motto is "It's all about the kids". Yea Right !!!! Another embarrassment in the mishandling of an important event in 131
REALLY!?! Confused and disrespected. What an outrageous comment.
I get it if today's date was February 8th and they were right now driving down. But it is not. GET OVER IT. You people are so stupid and outrageous. You are so "offended" and "outraged" and yet YOU NEVER CONTACT A HUMAN.
You post on a blog, run by an idiot, and never contact anybody with any knowledge. How stupid can you be?
Your comments are so offensive. Did you ever think that the pancake breakfast is run by parents, like you, who have other full time jobs, like you, and they spend their free time trying to do something for the band program. Then you come here and criticize every little decision and if something is updated immediately for you you throw it in their face. ARE YOU AND THE BOOSTER MEETING. ARE YOU HELPING RUN EVENTS. HAVE YOU DONE ANYTHING besides buy a ticket, to help?
These are parents helping. The district has nothing to do with the booster organization. Your ignorance is overwhelming.
Well, I certainly understand that things have to be called off for various reasons. Maybe there aren't enough parents that stepped up to volunteer. Maybe the director had a conflict with that date. Maybe the administration had double-booked the facilities. All very reasonable explanations most people would accept & understand...all the boosters needed to say was, "due to (insert reason here), the pancake breakfast will not occur on February 8th. Please attend a boosters meeting next Thursday so we can discuss rescheduling it"
But instead of a reasonable explanation, we heard that the breakfast has been "cancelled for this year". No explanation why, and no indication that it might be held later this year (March? April? May?) And adding insult to injury, the cancellation was announced on Facebook. Thanks to someone vigilant (or "obsessed"), it was also mentioned on this blog...still no mention on the district website.
Add this to other secrecy lately like the December 16th board minutes still missing, and no wonder some of us are fed up.
So not enough parents volunteered? A very understandable reason to postpone a popular, annual event...
But NO EXPLANATION was given. NONE.
I'm an alum myself, and might have stepped up to volunteer (although I work weeknights so can't go to booster meetings, I'm available Saturday mornings).
How difficult would it have been for boosters leadership (or whoever) to post something like, "we need more parent volunteers or we'll have to postpone this event"? Nope...and because of someone's sloppy, disrespectful attitude towards the community a 46-year-long tradition is ended.
The band is poorly run and Mr K was run out on a rail by the Board. Why won't the Board do anything. They donated batteries and when I wanted to buy them nobody could tell me how. I am wondering were all the batteries went to. I wonder if a certain band director did not power up all his home devices.
Now this, since getting on the Board Strand has done nothing last year I remember her handing out campaign materials to band parents
When a 46-year-old annual tradition is cancelled (not postponed, not rescheduled...just called off with no explanation), it's not surprising that some people will be upset.
EA Alum may have been jumping to conclusions that a lack of parent volunteers was to blame, but it's as good an explanation as any considering that some people wouldn't even have found out about the cancellation except through this blog.
And it shouldn't be the responsibility of parents, grandparents, alumni, or community members to e-mail Mr. Mills individually to ask for an explanation!
Bandmom are you serious. What a stupid liar you are. Batteries were sold at both winter band concerts along with the following Saturday morning. Tons of people have gotten batteries.
What a ridiculous accusation to make.
There is NO WAY you are a current band mom - you are probably a band mom 10 years removed and just can't get over it.
I have to defend the battery issue. I emailed the director after the date of the announced battery sale and was told they had batteries left and I went to the school and purchased some. Great Deal!
Saturday battery sale will support band students on trip to New York City AURORA – East Aurora School District 131 is putting a charge into some music fundraising. From 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Dec. 14, East Aurora High School band and choir students will be selling batteries to raise money for a trip to New York City. The profits from the fundraiser will go to the East Aurora High School music students. Anyone buying batteries for various holiday gadget gifts will be able to get the batteries at a substantial discount over retail stores. All batteries are new Duracell Procell. Boxes of 24 AA, 24 AAA or 12 D batteries will be available. Each box is $8. The public will be able to buy the batteries at the East Aurora High School music wing, near Door 5 on the west side of the school. Baked goods will also be available at the sale and trip donations will be accepted. The batteries will also be sold at all music concerts this school year. East Aurora High School music students are raising money to travel to New York City in June of 2014, where they would perform and participate in a clinic with a professional musician. Each student needs to raise $1,000 to participate. To contribute to the fundraiser in other ways, contact Band Director Brian Liska at bliska@d131.org or 630-299-8157 or Choir Director Lisa Gawlik at lgawlik@d131.org or 630-299-8146. For more information about East Aurora High School Music, go to www.d131music.org.
Could someone explain why anyone should have to e-mail Mr. Mills (or for that matter, Mr. Hanley or Mr. Liska) to ask for information that SHOULD have been made public in the newspaper or on the district website?
NO ONE should have to e-mail Mr. Mills (or anyone else, for that matter)!
The information that the 46th Annual Pancake Breakfast has been cancelled, along with the reason why, SHOULD have been made public. Instead the cancellation was posted on Facebook (and subsequently on this blog).
In past years the pancake breakfast was publicized in local newspapers (the Beacon-News, the Sun-Times, the Voice). This year tickets were sold, posters were designed, but when the event was cancelled it was only announced on Facebook. Alums and community members have every right to be upset, since many don't have contact with current students and would have expected the event to happen next week (as it has for 45 consecutive years).
Just because you shouldn't have to doesn't meant you don't have to. Because you aren't getting answers here. So the intelligent person would actually contact a human rather than complaining on a blog.
Here's a bit of a history lesson. I wasn't going to mention this, but am getting tired of the broken-record "you should e-mail Mr. Mills", which is someone's lame attempt at distracting attention from the REAL issue (cancelling a 46-year tradition and failing to inform the public that it was called off).
The annual pancake breakfast was started in 1968 by then-EAHS band director G. Edward Nelson. It was held in the fall, shortly after the final football game. This fundraising event was traditionally followed by the fruit sale. Throughout the '70s, '80s,'90s, and early 2000's the pancake breakfast was always held in the fall...EVERY year. Then things changed in 2006. The administration had supposedly "improved" the EAHS band program and suddenly the pancake breakfast was scheduled for the second semester.
Nothing wrong with changing the date from fall to late winter/early spring...EXCEPT that it's much more difficult to reschedule for later in the school year if there's a problem with conflicts, volunteers, or whatever. So now it looks like a 46-year tradition ends...and the students are on the losing end once again.
I'm getting tired of people lying and making up things or making things a WAY bigger deal then they are.
You have a lot of conspiracy theories, none of them based in any sort of reality. You people just make things up and then ask an open ended question to try ad get people to think what you want without actually saying it.
The reality is you are a childish coward who refuses to confront a human being and uses this stupid blog as a shield.
If you don't want the "tradition" to end, then get off your butt and come to a meeting and save it. If it is really that important to you, MAKE TIME TO SAVE IT. You lazy piece of crap.
Please email Mr. Mills and find out what is going on.
Why would anyone e-mail Mr. Mills? It doesn't matter what he says, the Facebook post (and lack of any other notification) speaks volumes and tells the community what we really need to know: the 46th annual pancake breakfast has been cancelled for this year.
Any "concern" about getting an explanation from Mr. Mills is irrelevant, and probably a distraction tactic from certain people trying vainly to deflect blame from themselves.
My question would be, why did we have to find out about this event being cancelled on a blog? And if it wasnt' for somebody seeing it on Facebook & posting it here, we might still not know. I don't care as much about why it was cancelled, since it seems like a done deal (and Mr. Mills's explanation wouldn't magically make it happen again). I am upset about not getting the information I needed to have from the district and having to rely on a blog.
Brian Liska and the current band boosters have no concern with tradition. They had no concern when they voted to sever ties with the middle school band programs and they have no concern when they cancelled the pancake breakfast now. I can't help but wonder if there is a link between the two.
The band boosters were stated in 1929 to support the entire district's band programs. That's 85 years of tradition that was thrown away this past fall when the band boosters voted to cut all ties with the middle school band programs.
Now the band boosters are cancelling the pancake breakfast. I just can't help but wonder if somebody figured out that the hundreds and hundreds of pancake breakfast tickets that used to be sold by the middle school band students would not be sold this year.
How embarrassing it would have been to hold the pancake breakfast this year and have almost nobody (relatively speaking) show up for the event. 400-500 middle school students not selling tickets this year certainly would have missed.
It's a shame that the current high school band program seems to be doing everything in it's power to alienate everyone who has supported it for decades.
Transparency is alive and well in East Aurora. Current controversial issues which need explanations: 1 Ernest Clark EEOC complaint vs Annette Johnson 2 Pancake Breakfast cancellation 3 Natural Gas Contract Does this Board of Ed understand they need to address these issues publicly as soon as possible. Probably not !! I Guess Annette Johnson is running out of people to blame and excuses. Stay tuned for more as these stories are uncovered !!!
And when you do, make sure to post whatever you sent on this blog.
Because (according to a certain segment of this district) the REAL issue isn't secrecy, wasting money, or how the district treats an employee. The most important issue is identifying WHO is questioning bad decisions, not WHY they were made.
Anonymous 1 is a liar and distorts the truth and makes things up, Like the 1st statement (have no regard for tradition). Did you see the new band uniforms, they look very similar from the 1989 ones just more updated.
And just for your information it wasn't a couple of people who decided to move the band boosters to a high school only organization, it was a room full of high school parents at a booster meeting. There were NO middle school parents or directors at the meeting and they had been told for a month that it was going to be discussed at that meeting. Nobody showed up to state their case.
The middle schools never sold any tickets. 2 of the 3 directors never even passed them out to students.
Then you numbers are also a little high. There are not 400 to 600 middle school students in band. Each middle school has around 60 to 100 kids and the magnet is a little less, just because it is smaller. At the high end you might get to 350 but the real number is closer to 250. There are 400 to 500 5th graders.
AND "longtime eastsider" you missed the point too. The issue is WHERE are you asking these questions. Are you asking the questions on a stupid blog full of ignorant liars OR to somebody who could actually give you an answer?
See, you missed the point too.
So, who is coming to the band booster meeting Thursday?
The evil and hate that is spewed here is terrible and overwhelming. Such hateful and evil comments about a person who has been here for 9 years, getting new equipment, working on new uniforms, making the program bigger, putting on concerts in school and community and you just post lies and hate. What must your soul be like. What evil must live inside you.
Who have you emailed to address your concerns? Or are you going to keep posting you stupidity here.
More to come out of the business office money from the activity accounts is missing. Earlier in the year CLark demanded that all money get turned into the business office. This was a new practice depending on size schools had been allowed to keep between $500 and $2000 dollars in their accounts. Money was pouring into the business office with no accounting finally the old timers went to Roberts in December. Clark was let go but his assistant Melody Ellington was left in place. Google her background in the Matteson school district very interesting. How can Joany Glozebach call herself a HR person.
...Because according to certain people, the only acceptable mode of communication is e-mail...yeah, right.
But I have to say, I don't agree with Anonymous1 about the current band program. I happen to think Mr. Liska is doing a good job, AND I also believe that Mr. Kaisershot was wrongly deprived of his high school teaching position by a corrupt administration. Bashing Mr. Liska's band program does nothing to help our students. And pretending that getting rid of Mr. K was a good thing also does our community a disservice.
Mr. Liska can take credit for getting our kids new uniforms, and Mr. Kaisershot gets credit for helping design the 1989 ones (a design that was good enough to carry over to the new ones). Both men work hard for our kids. Both are excellent musicians, husbands, and fathers.
Want to help the current band program? Buy ButterBraids, starting this Monday.
I don't care if two people or 30 people voted. What organization in its right mind votes to cut off their support system? Their mission should be to support their feeder systems and find ways to increase retention and develop younger players. I've never even heard of a music program that cut off the middle and elementary programs. It's absolutely insane. Does anybody believe this could happen in Naperville?
I also have to question your numbers. I have kids at the Magnet school and Cowherd (They used to go to Allen) and I've been to concerts at all these schools. The Magnet school had well over a hundred kids playing in band this year. The Cowherd band was much larger with 150+ kids playing. They were so large, they couldn't play on the stage. They took up most of the gym floor. I also still speak to Ms. Lawson who teaches band at Allen and several other elementary schools. Ms. Lawson started over 200 beginners this year. Their last concert had to be played at East High. I can't imagine the other middle schools are as small as you are claiming. How could they keep a director with no students?
One thing I learned long ago, If I am having difficulty with one person, The problem may be with them or with me. When I am having difficultty with many people, I am the one with the issues.
If Liska and the band boosters are having difficulty with all their feeder schools, I can't help but determine that it is the high school program with the issues.
Are the Fine Arts Director and the School Board aware that the High School Band has cut all ties with the rest of the district? If not, they need to be informed. Perhaps a new booster program needs to be established to support the 16 school band programs that the high school decided to cut off.
I imagine that there will be a lot of new faces at the band booster meeting Thursday since there are so many passionate people out there wanting to support the band program and have questions about how the boosters are running things.
Those of us who have to work or care for family members on weekday evenings may not have the luxury of being able to attend Thursday night meetings. We are still deserving of information in a timely manner.
I work at a restaurant. If I want to be able to have time with my family on weekends, I have to work weeknights. People who assume that parents who don't come to weeknight meetings are uncaring or lazy are clueless, insensitive, or just plain stupid.
Yawn - I grow tired of your lame excuses. You can't say I refuse to email Mr. Mills, I refuse to go to a meeting, I refuse to do anything proactive to get information. I want everything brought to me.
We do not have a district-wide fine arts director...but then, concerned band parent did not specify "District Fine Arts Director", they just said Fine Arts Director.
And I "refuse" to lose my job and be unable to support my kids just to go to a meeting.
Here in the REAL WORLD, some of us have to earn a living by working hours that might not allow us to have Thursday nights off. Far from "waaaa"-ing about it, I manage to make ends meet for myself & my daughter.
You need to learn the difference between someone REFUSING to do something and being UNABLE because of job or family obligations.
If you have evenings available to go to meetings, good for you. Those of us who don't feel bad enough as it is without insensitive MORONS like you making assumptions.
Single mom, I was in your shoes when my kids were in school. Try to ignore the haters, and remember that when people "ASSUME" they're making jackasses out of themselves.
Maybe one of these years our district will do what more enlightened, progressive districts do and put meetings online. Many districts do this with board meetings...and our district has the technology, since they put things like "Razzle Dazzle" and "Together We Shine" online.
The closest thing the district currently has to a Fine Arts Director is Nestor Garcia, the Assistant Director of Athletics and Student Activities. He is also in charge of the Fine Arts Festival. Is it any wonder the department is screwed up?
It has been years since we have had an actual Fine Arts Director. Dr. Barwa was the last one we had but he did nothing. He was just riding out his contract after being booted out of the high school. Bob Miller was before him but he spent all his time getting drunk and calling young female teachers late at night. It was a disgrace.
Other districts fine arts programs are run much better than we have here in district 131. Other districts administrators are very aware that sports and fine arts are the most public representation of a school district. If somebody really wanted to improve the "Image" of District 131, they would start where most other districts do, with Fine Arts and Sports.
Annette talked a big game a couple of years ago but when it came time to support our programs with real money, there was always an excuse. The recent uniform purchase was the only support the board has given and that was only given after the uniform issue became a crisis.
Our School Board will be introducing the new superintendent at tomorrow's board meeting.
There's a good chance that he/she has looked at this blog...and if so, they're getting a picture of how some of us feel about what goes on in this district.
Mr. or Ms. Superintendent, welcome to District 131. You'll find folks here who are still bitter about past administrative decisions, but who want to help our kids succeed. We have a low tolerance for secrecy. We expect our money to be spent wisely. We are diverse in culture and background but unified in our desire to make our district the best it can be.
No sorry new superintendent you will just find people who are bitter and do not want to help in any way. This blog is a disgrace and disgusting and the people on here are lazy and don't do anything but complain. They will talk about you and every decision you make will be wrong, but they will NEVER confront you to your face or even in an email.
Actually, I think it's a disgrace & disgusting that people had to find out about an important event (the 46th annual pancake breakfast) being cancelled on a blog.
Ms./Mr. Superintendent, you will also find (or perhaps already have noticed) people who make negative assumptions about the motivation or reasoning of fellow community members, and who ridicule hard-working parents who may not have the same advantages THEY are blessed with.
When all else fails blame the whistleblower
said...
Here's a newsflash for you: A lot of people are not on Facebook. And Facebook is a social networking site...not quite the same function or intention as a district, school, or organization (band) website.
Only a clueless moron would expect people to get information on a cancelled district event from Facebook. Nice attempt at distraction; Mr./Ms. Superintendent, you can see why some of us are frustrated with certain people's attempts to deny and cover up their blunders!
I think what is the most frustrating is that you find something wrong - poor communication - and then assume the worst in people. They are trying to hide something, they are trying to cover something up, the don't respect the community, when maybe there is another reason.
That is why I say - communicate with a human - the human in charge of the event - and find out what is going on.
See you at the meeting you looser, dead beat parents.
Milwaukee Public Schools still lagged far behind the state rate, it outpaced the state's improvement, growing to 62.8% from 61.1%. In a graduation rate.
ACT scores are 15.2%.
Thanks board you actually picked someone worst then Jerome Roberts.
Rumor is he holds no advanced degree and his English is hard to understand. One would assume it is the gentleman that toured EA since the HS only had a visit from him. Nobody was impressed. Everyone should attend the board meeting tomorrow and see.
I am more of a reader than a poster of the blog, but it is amusing, not that things about the band come up frequently, but that is one topic that seems to bring out the hostile, name calling. Someone has a thin skin or comments must be hitting a nerve. Someone is accusing others of whining and WAAA-ing but as an outsider to the program, all those posts sound more like whining from the writer to me. I am sure the new Supt. will recognize a disgruntled persons comments and sincere greetings. I just hope he/she has the experience and knowledge to work in the proper capacity with the Board and other admin.
8:55 p.m., YOU are also guilty of assuming the worst in people! YOU assume that a parent who cannot attend a weeknight meeting is a deadbeat. YOU assume that parents who expect to get important information online without having to individually e-mail someone are "loosers" (We all make mistakes, but you misspelled/misused this word TWICE).
I hope you don't work with our kids, but I have a hunch you're one of those teachers who grew up some place like Naperville with every advantage. Too bad you have to teach in the real world.
not firmly or tightly fixed in place; detached or able to be detached. "a loose tooth" synonyms: not fixed in place, not secure, unsecured, unattached; More detached, unfastened, untied; wobbly, unsteady, movable "a loose floorboard" antonyms: secure, tight
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You used the word "looser" five times...I'm a bit confused as to how this describes our community. Speaking for myself, I know I am definitely "firmly and tightly fixed in place" (my family calls that stubbornness!) So I would be the opposite of "looser".
Oh, and your second sentence makes no sense: "and then hold everybody else to"...to WHAT?
Of particular interest is the comment made on 5/1/11 at 5:39 p.m.--notice the use of the word "looser". Oh, and the F-bombs, which aren't allowed here but were frequently used by one side in this discussion!
If it is the man who toured Simmons last week that is our new Sup he hardly speaks English. I can't believe the board picked him but if they did they should all resign. Ms Strand told all the teachers this was going to be her most important decision she made and she has giving the tour so I am assuming she was ok with him. A simple five minute search reveals a Milwaukee School system in academic performance worst than 131. Leonard was also on the tour and did not talk to one student. It was noted by staff he is uncomfortable with children of color. Why is he even on the Board? The board is clueless.
I would like to take a moment to introduce myself. I am Brad Mills, President of the East Aurora Band Booster Assoc. and a 1989 graduate of East Aurora. First off I would like to apologize for not knowing about this blog, as I just found out about it today. Let me try to cover some of the issues I have read in the blog for you.
Last year it was voted to overhaul the Band Booster Assoc. this was not a one person decision and was done over the course of two meetings. I have not forgotten about the bands in the middle and elementary schools as well as band camp which still continues. The major issue became lack of funds, how do I tell all these kids to please raise money for the Band Boosters to help them when we were only generating enough money to cover the cost of the High School Band Banquet and Scholarships and they were getting nothing in exchange. So after looking at participation from all schools in fundraising, the decision was made to take care of the High School Band program alone know that all the elementary and middle school students would benefit from the Boosters when they reached High School.
This year we also started something that had not been done before by using social media to communicate and get the word out about events and fundraising. This all is done by me and sometimes can be hard to keep up with as I am one person and work a full time job as well as being the Booster President. As stated before I was not aware of this blog or I would have been posting here as well.
The Band Booster Assoc. is controlled by the Band Booster Assoc. not the Band Director or the School Board and things cannot happen without a vote. The biggest problem we face is lack of participation and voices. If you want a voice in the process you must come to a meeting, 8 – 10 people showing up to a meeting does not give many voices. Do you want to help us don’t blog about it come to a meeting I would love to see you and hear your opinions.
Now as far as the 46th Annual Pancake Breakfast, I apologize for using the word canceled in my Facebook post I should have said postponed pending a vote to reschedule or cancel it all together. Many issues happened in one day that left me with no other option but to cancel for the 8th. There was the issue of the weather causing school closings and getting the tickets to the kids to sell. There was an issue with getting the cafeteria which the Assistant Principal at the High School was gracious enough to help me with so a big thanks to him for that. This caused a timing issue to order the food needed for the Breakfast and delay in ticket sales it was posing a problem on how much to order and the deadline to order and get it on time closed. If anyone is to be blamed for the Pancake Breakfast I will take full blame for it, but I felt if we couldn’t get it right it needed to be stopped and regroup to get it right. I have high hopes of still having the Pancake Breakfast sometime in April, but this requires a vote and that is why an emergency meeting of the Band Boosters is taking place this Thursday the 6th at 7:00pm in the High School Band room.
From this point on I will make a point to look at this blog and post on it as well, whatever it takes to get the word out and help get people at the meetings.
If I have missed something or you have more concerns please contact me at eabandboosters@gmail.com and I will address them as fast as I can.
THANK YOU, Mr. Mills, for that thorough and well thought out post. Your explanation makes a lot of sense, and I'm especially glad to see that the pancake breakfast won't necessarily be cancelled but might be rescheduled.
May I suggest that in addition to posting on Facebook and the d131music site, you might have Mr. Hanley send a press release to the Beacon about your fund-raisers? Looking back through this thread I see that someone posted links to Beacon articles from previous years; many community members (especially senior citizens) would miss whatever is posted on Facebook.
Thanks again, and best wishes with your continued work with our band kids!
I do have one question. Are the choir students selling these too? I'm asking because I'm a choir alum and I know the choir kids are going to New York too, and I'd like to help them.
The New York trip is a complete different function from the Band Booster Assoc. Everyone that goes on the trip pays their own way. The Band and Choir hold their own fundraising events to help offset the cost of the trip, for example the battery sale was for the New York Trip. The Band Booster Assoc. will be giving some money to help offset the cost but that is not the soul perpose of our fundraising. You can however contact the choir director through the d131music.org website and see how you can help the choir directly.
"About 88% of Wisconsin's public schools and 95% of school districts met or exceeded the state's expectations for performance in 2012-'13, according to a second year of annual report cards used to judge school progress."
"A total of 11 school districts statewide did not meet expectations, including Milwaukee Public Schools, the only district assigned the lowest ranking: fails to meet expectations, based on an overall district accountability score of 51.4."
In Wisconsin, they have 423 school districts statewide. Wisconsin's grading system has 5 levels of proficiency:
9 Significantly Exceeded Standards 134 Exceeded Standards 269 Met Standards 10 Met Few Expectations 1 Failed to Meet Expectations
Wisconsin is a state where 95%+ of the schools are meeting or exceeding standards. Only 11 schools did not meet standards and only one school system received the lowest rating possible. Which school system was that? Oh Yes, Milwaukee Public Schools. The very district that we are getting our next superintendent from.
Does anybody believe we have found an educational leader who is going to show us the way to educational enlightenment? Or did Annette Johnson just find herself a $300,000 a year YES MAN who will let Annette continue to run District 131 into the ground.
Please wake me and tell me that this was just a nightmare.
Read the article in The Beacon about the Director of Business at East being on paid leave and this is what he stated.
Clark’s eventual EEOC complaint contained several charges that stemmed from “interference with the ethical running of the business office,” and interferences from School Board President Annette Johnson with Clark’s ability to do his job, the source said.
How long are the other board members going to let the board president run the district instead of the superintendent. You are breaking the law it needs to stop Johnson is ruining the district. Look at all the money mistakes that have been brought out and of course Johnson points her fingers at others and not who is really reasonable and that is a board that lets her do this. When the Beacon ran the article about the mis use of credit cards did they make the ones that did pay it back no and that is illegal.
Even with new members this board is a joke until someone stands up and says enough is enough. Go talk to someone who knows the laws and can help with this.
Just a Reminder, there will be a EA Band Booster Meeting TONIGHT at 7:00 pm in the East High Band Room. Enter through door #5 across from the football field. We will be discussing rescheduling the pancake breakfast, possible future fundraisers, and the future of the band boosters.
The boosters are a vital part of the band program and help pay for many things including the band banquet at the end of the year, scholarships for graduating seniors, and the engraving of the plaques that hang outside the band room. They also paid for the new flag equipment for the marching band this year and they helped push through the purchase of 250 new marching band uniforms that we will be getting for Memorial Day.
Please join us for our meeting tonight and if you cannot make it please email the boosters at eabandboosters@gmail.com and add yourself to the mailing list. Thank you for your support.
199 comments:
Saw this today on our district's website:
"With the recent snowfall, East Aurora School District 131 families are reminded that there are multiple places to check for information about weather-related closings.
If schools will be closed, an announcement will be posted by 6 a.m.
Information will released through:
- A phone message to parents in both English and Spanish.
- The East Aurora School District 131 website: www.d131.org
- The East Aurora School District 131 Facebook page: www.facebook.com/EASD131
- The East Aurora School District 131 Twitter account: @EASD131 (www.twitter.com/EASD131)
- Local newspapers, television stations and radio stations.
- The Emergency Closing Center website: www.emergencyclosings.com
East Aurora School District 131 will only announce when schools are closed. If schools are open, it is the responsibility of parents and guardians to determine if conditions allow for their children to attend school.
The School District Superintendent, in consultation with the Director of Buildings & Grounds and other administrators, makes the final decision whether to close school due to inclement weather. The decision is based on the ability of students to make it to and from school safely. When making his decision, the superintendent considers multiple factors including temperatures, snowfall and wind chill"
Where are the minutes from the Nov. 18th School Board meeting?
Read last week Marty Feltes was given a new title and a $35,000 raise. Santa Claus (Dick Leonard) was very good to his long time drinking buddy Marty. Cronyism at its finest with Leonard justifying it as the district continues to ask for more money. "Tricky Dick" has the votes and knows it. When will it end ???
They all voted yes and Strands husband is paid stipends for SIP committees he never attends.
What about the transparent board what a joke.
I am very disappointed in Strand,Peryra and Hull they have done nothing for the teachers
The entire board seems to be a joke! My children can't even get to school and they don't seem to care.
Anonymous2- I am not a fan of the board, but I am not sure how you can blame them for your child not being able to get to school?!?!
Anonymous2, if the issue is snow piled up on public sidewalks you could contact your alderman. School Board members have no jurisdiction over public walkways/thoroughfares.
I actually think the new School Board members are doing a good job. They are constantly attending events in our district, and seem to be willing to listen to taxpayers' concerns.
I am glad I did NOT vote for Zach Montroy, however. He doesn't even live in our district anymore, as of several months ago.
knows131 I agree the new board members are an improvement over what we had. All board members attend events and listen to the taxpayers HOWEVER they just don't act on the waste at 131. How bout that big raise 35K to Marty Feltes and his shenanigans. In due time Marty will prove Richard Leonard's opposition to Feltes suscpicious hiring correct and his the obvious cronyism. Taxpayers PLEASE SPEAK OUT !!
beaconnews.suntimes.com/24433472-417/east-aurora-considers-new-student-schedules.html
beaconnews.suntimes.com/sports/24508610-419/boys-basketball-coach-troy-smiths-death-shocks-east-aurora.html
This is SO inspirational...and typical of the teachers who have given so much to the kids in our district!
beaconnews.suntimes.com/24604136-417/from-your-district-east-aurora-teacher-student-share-lifelong-bond.html
It's amazing how quickly this forum has died. Consorship will do that to any good idea.
This blog used to be a vibrant, sometimes rowdy exchange of information. It was sometimes rude but it was real. You had to use your brain and sort out fact from fiction, just like in the real world.
Unfortunately, those running the blog have caved into pressure and put up one censorship after another. I'm sure the district leadership is very appreciative.
Anon 1- I don't think the blog admin has changed anything. Could be the Board president and her friends are on Christmas break and pretty much got things their way, at present, and have nothing to complain or try to fool the community about. Let some more hit the fan and watch how much boasting about the Board and negative comments about the staff and community starts appearing, again.
January will be a very interesting month on this blog!! Be Patient and see what develops once school is back in session. I know for a fact their is in the works many things will be revealed. My sources tell me that there is reason to be concerned for what will be revealed.
Insider- are you telling us what has been done in the dark is about to come to the light ? ;)
insider at 131 What are you referring to? As an employee of EA, rumor has it that Johnson is out of control again. Is there anything you can share to give us a clue. Was told by someone close to the Admin Bldg that the Board will be put on the spot about several questionable issues.
http://www.d131.org/newsDetail.asp?id=2635&guid=
beaconnews.suntimes.com/24760591-417/school-boards-to-discuss-stem-school-agreement.html
Roberts told staff he will decide to close schools while sitting by his pool in Florida. Nice that we are the last school district to put out blast by 6am tomorrow. Where is Annette Johnson? Oh probably sitting with him.
Both of them do not care about children.
All the other area public schools have already announced that they are closing due to dangerous cold tomorrow.
As usual, District 131 is the last to do anything. Our administrators are paid huge amounts of money to be leaders and they can't even follow well.
It's very simple, student safety is at risk, close the schools.
There is no school tomorrow. It was posted on the D131 website a couple of hours ago.
beaconnews.suntimes.com/news/24741939-418/east-aurora-to-move-alternative-education-in-house.html
The Urban League alternative school has been problematic for years. Good call to end that, and provide our own in-house program.
And I see in today's news that we'll have a new superintendent selected in February.
To Oldtimer:
I agree that we need to get rid of the Urban League. It was obviously cronyism and costing the district far more than it should have. 700% more now than just a few years ago and the alternative school students are not receiving the services that they need. However, a realistic alternative should have been put in place before dumping the Urban League.
How can anybody in their right mind just dump these problems back into the schools. These are children who were sent to the alternative school because they were deemed too dangerous or disruptive to be in our school buildings.
They are children who brought weapons into our schools buildings (Guns, knives explosives, etc.) They are children who have physically assaulted students or teachers. They are children who have sexually assaulted other children. They are students that can not be controlled in the normal school setting. They are students who are far older than the other children that they will be around. Imagine a 16 or 17 year old boy in the same middle school as your 10 year old daughter.
These alternative programs were set up to give dangerous students an opportunity to stay in school when they really should have been expelled from school because they are a real danger to the students and teachers in the building.
It was a strong message to these dangerous students and their parents to have them sent to the alternative school. What message do they receive when they are told that they are being moved to a different classroom in the same building?
Here is one more question for the tax payers of the district. What happens when one of these children who is known to be dangerous hurts or kills another student or staff member of the district? The lawyers are going to have a field day suing the district that knew these children were dangerous and kept them in the same building as all the other children. It's going to cost the tax payers millions of dollars.
The district really needs to reconsider this poorly considered decision. It is much more than a monetary decision to be made here. These are children who have proven themselves to be a danger to those around them. They have been documented as a danger and with board approval, been removed from the school setting as a danger to others. To put them back in the school buildings will be a real threat to others (not even to mention what they will do to the education of the other children).
Just to put this in perspective of adults. Imagine the govenor declaring that they are opening prisons and releasing violent criminals into the population because it is more cost effective but don't worry because we will set up programs that will ensure that they will no longer be a threat to the community.
This could never happen, right? But, that's exactly what District 131 has declared they are going to do to your children.
What do our neighboring school districts (West, Oswego, Batavia, Naperville) do with their problem students? I'm under the impression that most of them have alternative school programs in-house, or at least don't use the Urban League program anymore.
Wasn't it just about a year ago that one of our alternative school kids pointed a gun at an Aurora Police Officer and ended up being killed by the cop? This would be an example of the type of students that the district wants to place in the same building as your children.
Does anybody really believe that Naperville or Batavia or Oswego are dealing with the same sort of gang bangers that we are in East Aurora? We can't look to them for examples regarding this.
If you like, I can give you many more examples of East Aurora kids who have killed or have been killed. Or, you can just read the Aurora Beacon, it full of stories about crime in Aurora. Almost all the violent stories in the Beacon are about East Aurora.
I am not sure what other schools are doing, but EA seems to not plan well where the students are concerned. The 'bull in the china shop' personality of the board president seems to have trickled to the business plan committee. Money that has been spent for concrete to fill in a pool at overtime rates could have been used to purchase property to house our alternative students.
Or in some areas it is the parents problem to find alternative school for their children when they cannot follow the rules.
There are many options and many alternative schools out there to learn from or follow example. This is NOT the first time this has come up. It is the first time the district has finally had the initiative to do some forward thinking about the QCUL's program. Too bad they didn't have a better plan to submit to the public when they introduced the change.
beaconnews.suntimes.com/24843115-417/east-aurora-says-it-is-complying-with-federal-bullying-agreement.html
So where is the finance director who was hired last July? Heard he was let go around the middle of December. Is this part of the big reveals?
anonymous1 what is the latest at the admin about big news may be coming out. Any clue on the business mgr absence?
He is on vacation and could not get back many people are still stranded with airlines. Please people get a life.
Ea 1
Is there more to that story you are not saying. I think so. Make sure you are not leaving out some good stuff
Saw this on the D131 website, under School Board meetings:
Special
Tuesday, January 14, 2014 5:30 PM
School Service Center
I. Roll Call
II. Executive Session for the Purpose of Discussing the Appointment, Employment and Dismissal of a Specific Employee
III. PUBLIC COMMENTS/QUESTIONS
IV. Adjournment
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Who is this "specific employee"? And why does he/she merit a "Special" School Board meeting, instead of waiting until the regular meeting on Jan. 21st?
To wantstoknow Sounds like you want to know the 'juicy' stuff. Get a life. Hey, maybe you should run for school board so you're privy to everyones personal info.
anonymous2 "Wants to know" asks some very good questions about the circumstance involved with the "Special Meeting" which can't wait another week for whatever reason. Since when does that be classified as "personal info" Sounds like you are aware of the situation and know this will be an explosive topic once it is brought to light.
This blog is funny they are meeting over the Superintendent interviews
Shows you should take everything with a grain of salt on this blog there is no scandal only lies.
Allum1
Care to wager on that comment. Name the price and we can get into specifics on your claim. fist mistake YOU said "EVERYTHING"
What amazes me is how our administrators and board members will sit in meetings regarding sports and fine arts and ask questions about why we are losing students. They ask questions like "How can we make our teams successful when many, simply move out of the district"?
Then they make decisions like cutting the high school bell schedule reducing the numbers of students who are allowed to participate in the fine arts programs. And now, they want to place students with a proven history of violence in the general population.
What good parent in their right mind, if they have an option, would keep their child in District 131? Many of our parents spend years planning how they are going to get their child into a good district before they get to middle school or high school.
Is there anybody who thinks this is really a good decision for our students or district? How does it help the district image to deliberately place problem students into the general education population?
Here are the real questions. Which administrators and board members backed this horrible decision? Which administrators and board members are going to take the responsibility for this decision when it goes South? Who is going to pay the millions of dollars when some child is hurt or killed and the lawyers get done with the district?
beaconnews.suntimes.com/news/24898288-418/east-aurora-searches-for-kindergarten-center-principal.html
An opportunity to help our EAHS choir & band kids trip to New York this June:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=702929736404985&set=a.259534014077895.69084.197529143611716&type=1&theater
Anyone miss the cutoff for the health insurance for the year? I know several district employees who did not submit the forms electronically and do not have insurance for the upcoming year.
Here's a link to more than two dozen articles about things happening in our district over the past couple of months:
https://v3.boardbook.org/Public/PublicItemDownload.aspx?ik=34811326
Many people at my school were surprised to find they no longer had any healthcare, including myself.
I'm devastated and depressed. I am looking for another job. I have a kid with a serious medical condition. I can't stand to think about the consequences.
If that is the case you should have signed up or asked questions. I assume you are a teacher do you not know how to read or write.
We are not responsible for your ignorance
Unbelievable. Your incompetence is amazing. After numerous opportunities and communications to sign up for health insurance, the only one you can blame is yourself!
beaconnews.suntimes.com/25037809-417/boatright-honors-cousin-killed-in-aurora-shooting.html
The teacher contract states that the district will provide teachers with health and dental insurance. There is nothing that states that they can deny you coverage through some technicality they made up in the back rooms of the Central Office.
My advice would be to retain a lawyer and sue the district for breach of contract. They will continue to break the law until somebody holds them accountable.
There is a story in the Beacon about how Linda Chapa Lavia and out state representatives are, once again, pushing for charter schools (despite the fact that every school district in the Fox Valley Area voted unanimously for no charter schools). Talk about ignoring your constituancy.
Unfortunately, our representatives don't give a damn about the people of their communities, they only care about their corporate sponsors. Why else would they take public tax dollars and funnel them to corporations, despite the community clearly stating that they don't want it. Why else would they set up state committees that can override the decisions of local communities and force a corporate take over of our schools?
Corporations have one purpose, to make money. They do this by charging the most they can for the least amount of services possible. Every dollar that the corporation makes is another tax dollar not being spent on the children the tax payers expected it to be spent on.
The corporation that backed the last proposal (rejected this past spring) had "earned" over 700 million dollars running their charter schools. That's 700 million dollars intended for children that went into some corporations pocket.
Our representations stated in the article that once again the State will be cutting money to education this year. This despite the fact that they recently passed the largest tax increase in history with the promise that they would NOT cut education spending if they did. Also they are cutting education spending despite being dead last in the nation for spending on education.
Taxes keep going up, while services are cut to the bone. This is what happens when "our" representatives only represent their corporate sponsors. The corruption didn't start and end with Blagojevic, we need to kick the whole bunch of them out of Sprinfield and replace them with individuals who will actually do what's best for the "people" of this state.
There is a union meeting this Tuesday that employees who lost their insurance should show up for. There is more power in numbers. It seems like quite a few employees lost their benefits, show up and voice your concerns.
Our School Board is very busy this week! The regular meeting is tomorrow (since today is a holiday), then they are also meeting Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday for special sessions (presumably to screen and select superintendent candidates).
I just want to say THANK YOU to our hard-working School Board. I'll be praying that they are able to find a superintendent who is fair, ethical, and qualified to lead our district!
I think the health is bigger than the district my husband has worked for 20 years for his company and had to re enroll because of Obama care
While the district does often do things in an inefficient & disorganized way, I feel they did a thorough job letting staff know to sign up for insurance. They met the requirement to provide health insurance, and it was up to each of us to meet the requirement to sign up. Yes, it was an electronic (it is 2014, after all) submission, but for those who are used to the abacus, they provided several opportunities to attend help sessions.
If you didn't sign up, that's on you.
To: MostPeopleAreStupid
While I agree with your title, nowhere in the contract does it state that teachers are responsible to jump through 27 pages of BS to retain the insurance that is guaranteed by the teacher contract.
The district is on very thin ice if they believe they can go to court and defend the decision to disregard the teacher contract and deny insurance to any employee on the premise that it was the employees responsibility to do the districts job taking care of a boatload of paperwork.
As always, the district is penny wise and dollar foolish. This is going to be a battle that will cost the district far more than the one secretary position it would have cost to just take care of the issue. In addition, it's just one more blow to the morale of the staff.
It's very hard to have successful schools when we are spending as much time showing new teachers the ropes as we are teaching students. The next time the board and administrators are complaining about how hard it is to retain teachers, everybody needs to remember times like this. Even teachers who have the district "insurance" are having fundraisers to help them with medical expenses. It's a wonder any quality teachers stay in District 131.
beaconnews.suntimes.com/25101751-417/east-aurora-board-to-return-to-former-committee-structure.html
Rumor has it Denean Adams is on the inside track to become our next superintendent.
beaconnews.suntimes.com/25100383-417/new-uniforms-for-east-aurora-high-school-marching-band.html
Denean Adams would make a wonderful superintendent!
beaconnews.suntimes.com/25120058-417/east-board-member-overcrowded-schools-will-look-like-a-project-soon.html
Looks like School Board member Raymond Hull wants another referendum.
Good luck with that one...you can't squeeze blood from a turnip.
oldtimer Read the article carefully and you just might figure out what Ray Hull's point really was. NOT your incorrect conclusion.
knows131 You are correct. She would be a great puppet for Annette Johnson to continue to have her way in her "ownership" of 131.
Denean Adams has the "Inside Track" for the District Superintendent position??? Please say it ain't so.
Let's take a look back at Denean's tenure in District 131. Denean was the Assistant Superintendent in charge of the district's curriculum (and receiving a large 6 figure salary for the job). The teachers knew for years that she was a complete waste of money. We rarely if ever saw her and the curriculum was a total mess. This was confirmed by the high priced consultants (Superintendents from other school districts) hired by the district who concluded that the district curriculum needed serious attention.
Just last year there were two major scandals regarding Denean Adams. She was in the center of the District Administrator Credit Card Scandal. She was supposed to be at a conference in Pennsylvania (being paid for by the district) but instead she was taking out cash advances on her district credit card at Atlantic City. What was her consequence? She simply went on leave (The whole first semester) while the district continued to pay for her to receive her doctorate.
There was also the flower scandal. Somehow, Denean had fresh floral arrangements on her desk daily that were paid for with district funds. When this became public knowledge, Denean threw her secretary under the bus. She claimed she knew nothing about the constant flowers that were on her own desk daily and the district fired her secretary. Is there anybody who believes there is a woman who receives flowers without knowing where they came from?
This is a woman who clearly demonstrated that she was incompetent in her job and completely unethical. If she did apply for our superintendent position, her application should have been properly filed in the nearest trash receptacle. We just took some steps in the right direction dumping lots of the dead weight at the Central Office. It’s time our district moved forward, not backward.
As we continue to deal with this extremely cold winter weather, here's something I saw on another blog, from a superintendent in a downstate Illinois school district:
dowendo-blog.blogspot.com/2014/01/why-are-you-closing-school.html
being objective, I read that Beacon article too, and came to the same basic conclusion as oldtimer...Raymond Hull wants our district to spend lots of money we don't have to build more classrooms. Dr. Roberts tried to set him straight by telling him it would require a referendum but Hull still wants to spend the money.
Raymond Hull compares overcrowded classrooms to "the projects". Well, he'll have to wait till the presidential election in 2016 before a referendum has any chance of passing, when busloads of public-housing residents will go to the polls to vote for President and while they're there, vote to help themselves to tax $ they know THEY won't have to pay. It's how the last referendum passed (after 3 or 4 tries) in 2008.
EA Alum Best way to interpret Mr Hull's words would be to listen to the entire discussion that evening with Dr Roberts. I would like to know what was said also in order to understand what the subject in question was discussed.
Beyond Belief THANK YOU for the interesting information concerning Denean Adams. My question is why is all that behavior tolerated? Can you help me understand that?
I was not at the meeting where Mr. Hull spoke. He MAY have been advocating for more classroom space, but it does not mean a referendum. Maybe the district just needs to be more creative in how they spend their $$ or have tough love when it comes to being a social service agent for the eastside. The money the district receives is to be for educating the students of east Aurora. I am not a Board member or an educator, but I believe that money is to be used primarily for 1-12 grade. We do not have an obligation to educate children in Pre-K or buy buildings to help accommodate those services. Our teachers are spread thinly doing all types of services outside teaching our children.
I do not pretend to know what Ray Hull's point was, but I know I see the waste that goes on in D131 and it makes me ashamed and embarrassed that is has continued and gotten worse over the last 4-5 years. It is truly a sad state of affairs in EA.
Denean Adams also paid for her own phone bill with the districts credit card and she back then was not the only abuser of it. By law the district was suppose to have someone who didn't have a credit card look at these expenses which they didn't. I also believe that Mr. Hull brought up some good comments. It is shocking that the High School is still so overcrowded and our graduation rate is so low and that needs to be addressed.
beaconnews.suntimes.com/25158572-417/east-aurora-in-talks-to-buy-old-waubonsee-campus.html
I attended the meeting Peryea and Hull wanted the district to have busing and a new school built. Roberts said it would take a referendum and would not pass.
Hull and Peryea are up for election and I will go door to door to make sure they are not reelected.
So the school district will move 500 high school students to this location. I bet they don't move the 500 that are a disruption every day. I would put money on they move the 500 top kids in the district away from the disruption.
This district already does some busing for the pre-school which isn't mandated by the state to do and we pay for that you can see it on the list of bills. I do believe the state gives some money. Our district does need a new school we live in the dark ages and won't move forward.
EA10 this is the difference of our districts and others that want good schools for their students to excel. They care about their taxes but they also know you need money to get a good education for the children that some day will be deciding how our country is ran. The School Board job is to run a district and make sure the money is spent the right way and our tax dollars are being spent wisely. It seems some on the board like Johnson is more concerned about her taxes than educating the students. Have you been in some of these schools and seen how run down they are or the students all cramped up in the classes?
I don't have children in school but I feel it is all our responsibility to educate them. Maybe the district should check into making sure all the students are residents of 131.
Also in one of the post below someone stated about the misuse of credit cards and how those that did didn't pay the district back. If they ignored what else are they letting go with our money and the credit cards was on Johnson's watch.
I would go door to door to have Hull and Peryea re elected since they have the taxpayers and students best interest in mind.
Ea10 How bout playing the audio of the meeting or just MAYBE ask Mr Hull & Ms Peryea what their comments meant. By the way, both Board members are up for reelection next year. Then you can start your campaign for them not to be reelected.
beaconnews.suntimes.com/25177111-417/consultant-east-aurora-overpaid-for-natural-gas-for-nearly-a-decade.html
Jay Augustine...wasn't he one of "Serial Bully" Radakovich's cronies? He, Jim Vaughn, and "Peyton Place" Postlewaite used to hang around together in the early 2000's.
No surprise Augustine turned out to be corrupt like his buddies.
I don't blame J. Augustine for poor business choices. He was under direction of the superintendent. The Board was in charge of researching or reading his recommendations and and choosing yes or no to accept his recommendations. He did what the supt. and the Board directed him to do. As did every other admin who has been thrown under the bus in the last few years. These messes keep being blamed on everyone except the responsible party. The SUPT! If he is not to fault, then it is the BOARD!
The D131 Bd. prez. sez in the Beacon "“It still continues to be a struggle, but it is what it is. We are moving as fast as we can. I feel we’ve all made tremendous efforts.” The only effort I see is who to point the finger at next. Or how many more things can we blame on J.? "Fast as you can", to cover up all the messes you and Dr. R. have created. It is not fast enough to get our students education on track. They keep creating new 'projects, plans and programs to put up smoke and mirrors to hide the reality of the blunders that have taken place with this Board president in charge. All those Ward One Board members have an agenda, and it has nothing to do with children in EA.
Ray Hull is a nut who ran at the month againTuesday. I do not see a building patched up and falling down. East High is a beautiful building that I was proud to attend. Yes the pool was a disappointment but class space is more important.
If the kids could graduate in 4 years the need for more HS space would not be needed. As for busing that ship sailed years ago and Peryea needs to get the whole story before she runs at the month.
Denise Crosby's take on Mr. Padron's findings:
beaconnews.suntimes.com/25157762-417/a-closer-look-at-utility-contract-squabble.html
Good for him! Exposing thousands of dollars wasted in our district was the right thing to do. The era of cronyism and secrecy is over in our district, thanks to persistent folks like Mr. Padron.
The high school is a beautiful building? Since when? The building is a piece of crap.
Johnson cleaned up years of a decay. She is a smart lady my only complaint is why did it take her so long. She still deserves a high five.
Johnson does Roberts job which is not how is district is suppose to be ran. It is time for the State to take over.
Alum87 I beg to differ with your statement. Another scandal was uncovered recently (read today's Beacon News) and this smart woman Johnson consistently blames others for her incompetence. The attorney for the district is now involved protecting her and mind you at taxpayer expense. Can't wait for more to surface.
I have heard Mr Padron speak many a time last year and He knows his stuff. He does not make statements without being able to prove them. Annette Johnson now needs the attorney to bail her out with the current gas issue. Can't wait to see what else will be brought out. By the way where is Dr Roberts during this whole time? Silently waiting to exit I assume.
No school tomorrow in District 131.
Supt for Business still missing 30+ days. No word on his whereabouts. 3 person team hired to revamp new $500,000 accounting system that does not work. Kalyn Belsha needs to be a better reporter for the Beacon and find out what is really going on. Not just report what is fed to her by the Board.
I am with the 'Insider and Weary' I don't blame the Beacon reporter. For years the district has hand fed the reporters what they want printed. We have seen how quickly Annette attacked Crosby for printing the facts. You even see in this tiny blog community how quickly 1 or 2 Annette supporters start praising her work. Let the dirt come out and you see how they start delegating that work (blame) to others.
The minutes from the December 16th School Board meeting should have been posted by now.
I appreciate the fact that our School Board has been meeting almost every night for the past week or so, discussing who will become our next superintendent.
But we also deserve to have School Board meeting minutes posted in a timely manner...please & thank you!
So what is going on at Simmons these days?
beaconnews.suntimes.com/news/25239947-418/east-hires-grad-to-work-with-parents.html
This was on the EAHS Band's Facebook page, posted by Brad Mills (President of the EAHS Band Boosters):
Due to some unforeseen circumstances the Pancake Breakfast set for Saturday February 8th 2014 will be cancelled for this year. Please refund the money to anyone you have sold tickets too and return any remaining tickets you might have to Mr. Liska. I apologize for this situation but I have no choice but cancel the event. In the days to follow I will be working with Mr. Liska to find a date to add a Band Booster meeting to the month of February to discuss this situation and see how we will move forward. Again I am sorry for need to cancel this event but it is out of my control at this time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is so unfortunate...the Pancake Breakfast has been a yearly event for at least the past 25+ years. My kids participated, and it helped raise money for the summer band camp (one of our district's finest traditions).
Any chance it can be rescheduled for later this year?
"Cancelled for this year"...UGH!
Why not rescheduled, or replaced with a different fundraiser? After all, our high school musicians are going to New York in June and last I heard most were counting on using fund-raising money to help defray the expense.
Who dropped the ball on this? Why should our hard-working, deserving students be deprived of the chance to earn funds to help them go to New York and/or pay for Band Camp?
WE DESERVE AN EXPLANATION!
Can anyone explain the UNFORSEEN CIRCUMSTANCES ?
There could be a lot of good reasons why something like this would need to be rescheduled--conflicts with other groups using the space, lack of parent volunteers, etc. But according to Mr. Mills the entire event has been cancelled for this year.
THAT is what seems so wrong to me, that it is just being wiped off the schedule with no reason why. And after a long, long history of yearly EAHS pancake breakfasts...something stinks here, and we parents are definitely owed an explanation.
Maybe you should come to the band booster meeting when it happens in February like the posting said.
It clearly says they will "add a Band Booster meeting to the month of February to discuss this situation"
Yes, it does say there will be an extra booster meeting. But it also says the pancake breakfast will be cancelled "for this year". Parents and community members who have supported this event for YEARS deserve an explanation, and not just those who can attend a booster meeting on a school night.
It is incredible to me how much some of you monitor that band facebook page. Within a few minutes of that announcement being posted somebody had already posted it here. Obsess much?
Maybe the Superintendent Dr Roberts can require an explanation or even The Board President. Why prolong the mystery ?
I'm not on Facebook, but I'm glad someone did post it here. I've gone to the pancake breakfast almost every year for the past 15 or so, and I was planning to go in February to support the band. I appreciate knowing right away that it was canceled.
Thank you to whoever posted. Sometimes being obsessed is a good thing, when important information is made known quickly.
I was planning to go to the pancake breakfast to support my nephew in the band. Since I work Saturdays I was going to ask my boss if I could come in later, I have to ask a week in advance. Now that its canceled I don't have to ask off, but I think I'll let my nephew keep the ticket $ anyway. I am thankful to who ever put it on here about being called off, since the band boosters d131 music site still shows the breakfast poster.
I just went to the d131 music website and saw the poster for this year's pancake breakfast. It said this year was the "46th Annual" Pancake Breakfast.
That means the event has happened EVERY YEAR since 1968...
...but not this year.
So sad to see a proud tradition go by the wayside!
:(
Too bad about the fundraising pancake breakfast. Too bad the district cannot tell us the real reason. So much for transparency.
The recent Beacon articles were another testimony to the LACK OF TRANSPARENCY. Ralph Pedron laid it out for the board last summer and again this fall. The board president's response "my goodness", we are trying so hard and everything is a mess and we are just poor volunteers and the administrators work so hard. IS THIS A BUSINESS PERSON AND "ACCOUNTANT"?
And she pays the attorney to support her poor business practices and misuse of power. Wonder how much the attorney makes off the district.
5 years and this is what we get. More BS. More waste. More problems. More cover ups.
AND NO TRANSPARENCY
AuroraKnows, I think the reason we're not getting an explanation about the pancake breakfast being cancelled is because it's negative publicity, and certain people in power in our district are more concerned with "IMAGE" than doing what's right to inform the public.
I went to the district's music website this morning, and the poster advertising the 46th Annual Pancake Breakfast is still displayed. See for yourself at www.d131music.org under "Band Boosters".
Here's a link to articles about our district over the past 6 weeks or so, from several different newspapers:
https://v3.boardbook.org/Public/PublicItemDownload.aspx?ik=34861465
Speaking of lack of transparency, where are the minutes from the December 16th School Board meeting??
And lost in all the shuffle is the emergence of another Johnson Puppet "Marty Feltes" With his large salary and 35,000.00 raise, guess you can say he sold out to pad his wallet. Great Board member "Tricky" Dick Leonard with that maneuver.
beaconnews.suntimes.com/25299939-417/east-aurora-poised-to-announce-new-superintendent-monday.html
Saw this on the District 131 website:
All East Aurora School District 131 buildings will be closed Saturday.
Events or practices scheduled for Saturday are cancelled, including Ernie Kivisto Hoopfest.
I am VERY upset!
I am a proud alumni of East High (late 1980s), and I have a nephew who is a junior in the band this year. His grandparents (my parents) were planning to drive down from Rockford next Saturday to go to the pancake breakfast. They aren't on Facebook or this blog but do check the official band site and district website, as well as the papers for news updates.
My nephew called them and told them it was called off. They went to the band site d131music.org to check for sure. The boosters area is password protected (why?) so my nephew gave them the password. Sure enough, the poster advertising the 46th annual pancake breakfast is still there. And the district website says nothing about the breakfast being cancelled.
My parents have supported various East Side programs since the 1980s. They probably bought enough breakfast tickets over the years to buy a whole new band uniform. But they have to find out second-hand from their teenage grandson that there will be no 46th annual pancake breakfast, and then try to double check the "official" websites and be confused?
Somebody said the public deserved an explanation for this. I say, my parents deserve an APOLOGY!
http://www.scribd.com/fullscreen/200122878?access_key=key-1g1ybbv7d5myku9iyywh&allow_share=false&escape=false&show_recommendations=false&view_mode=scroll
Here is the link you should use if your are SOOOOOOOO upset. Because this would get you an answer rather than just complaining.
http://www.d131music.org/brad-mills---president.html
fed up is upset because her nephew had to make a phone call. That is upsetting. Families having to communicate is upsetting.
Wonder why the Board of Ed won't step in and give an explanation on the Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser Cancellation? Since the Boards motto is "It's all about the kids". Yea Right !!!! Another embarrassment in the mishandling of an important event in 131
Alum 1995 - Can you post the email that you sent to the board so that we can see what you asked them?
Speaking of contacting a human, maybe someone can ask Kirsten Strand. She's a School Board member, and her son is in the band.
And I don't think Fed Up is upset because her nephew had to make a phone call. She's upset because her parents were confused and disrespected.
REALLY!?! Confused and disrespected. What an outrageous comment.
I get it if today's date was February 8th and they were right now driving down. But it is not. GET OVER IT. You people are so stupid and outrageous. You are so "offended" and "outraged" and yet YOU NEVER CONTACT A HUMAN.
You post on a blog, run by an idiot, and never contact anybody with any knowledge. How stupid can you be?
Your comments are so offensive. Did you ever think that the pancake breakfast is run by parents, like you, who have other full time jobs, like you, and they spend their free time trying to do something for the band program. Then you come here and criticize every little decision and if something is updated immediately for you you throw it in their face. ARE YOU AND THE BOOSTER MEETING. ARE YOU HELPING RUN EVENTS. HAVE YOU DONE ANYTHING besides buy a ticket, to help?
These are parents helping. The district has nothing to do with the booster organization. Your ignorance is overwhelming.
Get off your high horse and show up to help.
Well, I certainly understand that things have to be called off for various reasons. Maybe there aren't enough parents that stepped up to volunteer. Maybe the director had a conflict with that date. Maybe the administration had double-booked the facilities. All very reasonable explanations most people would accept & understand...all the boosters needed to say was, "due to (insert reason here), the pancake breakfast will not occur on February 8th. Please attend a boosters meeting next Thursday so we can discuss rescheduling it"
But instead of a reasonable explanation, we heard that the breakfast has been "cancelled for this year". No explanation why, and no indication that it might be held later this year (March? April? May?)
And adding insult to injury, the cancellation was announced on Facebook. Thanks to someone vigilant (or "obsessed"), it was also mentioned on this blog...still no mention on the district website.
Add this to other secrecy lately like the December 16th board minutes still missing, and no wonder some of us are fed up.
So not enough parents volunteered? A very understandable reason to postpone a popular, annual event...
But NO EXPLANATION was given. NONE.
I'm an alum myself, and might have stepped up to volunteer (although I work weeknights so can't go to booster meetings, I'm available Saturday mornings).
How difficult would it have been for boosters leadership (or whoever) to post something like, "we need more parent volunteers or we'll have to postpone this event"? Nope...and because of someone's sloppy, disrespectful attitude towards the community a 46-year-long tradition is ended.
SO hard to understand, SO hard to "get over"!
The band is poorly run and Mr K was run out on a rail by the Board. Why won't the Board do anything. They donated batteries and when I wanted to buy them nobody could tell me how. I am wondering were all the batteries went to. I wonder if a certain band director did not power up all his home devices.
Now this, since getting on the Board Strand has done nothing last year I remember her handing out campaign materials to band parents
EA Alum - who said that was the reason? Nobody.
Again, now the blog twists the facts, and the truth gets obscured, and lies become the truth.
No reason was given - that is the truth - who have you talked to about it? Who have you contacted?
"No reason was given"
...THAT'S the problem.
When a 46-year-old annual tradition is cancelled (not postponed, not rescheduled...just called off with no explanation), it's not surprising that some people will be upset.
EA Alum may have been jumping to conclusions that a lack of parent volunteers was to blame, but it's as good an explanation as any considering that some people wouldn't even have found out about the cancellation except through this blog.
And it shouldn't be the responsibility of parents, grandparents, alumni, or community members to e-mail Mr. Mills individually to ask for an explanation!
Bandmom are you serious. What a stupid liar you are. Batteries were sold at both winter band concerts along with the following Saturday morning. Tons of people have gotten batteries.
What a ridiculous accusation to make.
There is NO WAY you are a current band mom - you are probably a band mom 10 years removed and just can't get over it.
I have to defend the battery issue. I emailed the director after the date of the announced battery sale and was told they had batteries left and I went to the school and purchased some. Great Deal!
Here is the email about the battery sale
This was sent out by Matt Hanley:
Saturday battery sale will support band students on trip to New York City
AURORA – East Aurora School District 131 is putting a charge into some music fundraising. From 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Dec. 14, East Aurora High School band and choir students will be selling batteries to raise money for a trip to New York City. The profits from the fundraiser will go to the East Aurora High School music students.
Anyone buying batteries for various holiday gadget gifts will be able to get the batteries at a substantial discount over retail stores. All batteries are new Duracell Procell. Boxes of 24 AA, 24 AAA or 12 D batteries will be available. Each box is $8.
The public will be able to buy the batteries at the East Aurora High School music wing, near Door 5 on the west side of the school. Baked goods will also be available at the sale and trip donations will be accepted. The batteries will also be sold at all music concerts this school year.
East Aurora High School music students are raising money to travel to New York City in June of 2014, where they would perform and participate in a clinic with a professional musician. Each student needs to raise $1,000 to participate.
To contribute to the fundraiser in other ways, contact Band Director Brian Liska at bliska@d131.org or 630-299-8157 or Choir Director Lisa Gawlik at lgawlik@d131.org or 630-299-8146.
For more information about East Aurora High School Music, go to www.d131music.org.
Shouldn't Matt Hanley have sent out information about the pancake breakfast being cancelled?
From the EA Band Boosters Twitter feed:
6h
There will be an extra Band Booster meeting will be on Thursday, February 6 at 7:00 in the band room. Please consider joining us Thursday.
Details
EA Band Boosters @EA_BBA Jan 23
Just a reminder of the Band Booster meeting tonight in the band room door #5 at 7:00pm. Parents and students please come join us!!!
Details
EA Band Boosters @EA_BBA Jan 22
Spread the word EA Band Booster Meeting tomorrow night Thursday, January 23, 2014!! We need YOU!!! It takes all of us to make this great!!!
Details
EA Band Boosters @EA_BBA Jan 15
46th Annual Pancake Breakfast Saturday Feb. 8th 7a-11a!! See Mr. Liska or one of the Band Students and get your tickets NOW!!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No mention of a cancellation.
Still one more example of keeping the community in the dark, whether intentional or not.
Could someone explain why anyone should have to e-mail Mr. Mills (or for that matter, Mr. Hanley or Mr. Liska) to ask for information that SHOULD have been made public in the newspaper or on the district website?
In the newspaper? Really?
So does somebody have a copy of the email they sent Mr. Mills.
Yes, "really".
Here are links to some newspaper articles from recent years about the annual (at least, until this year) pancake breakfast:
beaconnews.suntimes.com/lifestyles/3541701-423/pancake-breakfast-aurora-band-fox.html
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1N1-12DFEAB9C4A0FF60.html
beaconnews.suntimes.com/lifestyles/17882353-423/weekend-highlights-what-to-do-in-the-fox-valley.html
beaconnews.suntimes.com/25321456-417/east-aurora-business-director-on-paid-leave-more-than-month.html
So, who has emailed Mr. Mills?
NO ONE should have to e-mail Mr. Mills (or anyone else, for that matter)!
The information that the 46th Annual Pancake Breakfast has been cancelled, along with the reason why, SHOULD have been made public. Instead the cancellation was posted on Facebook (and subsequently on this blog).
In past years the pancake breakfast was publicized in local newspapers (the Beacon-News, the Sun-Times, the Voice). This year tickets were sold, posters were designed, but when the event was cancelled it was only announced on Facebook. Alums and community members have every right to be upset, since many don't have contact with current students and would have expected the event to happen next week (as it has for 45 consecutive years).
So you didn't email Mr. Mills? Maybe you should.
NOBODY SHOULD HAVE TO E-MAIL ANYONE.
Just because you shouldn't have to doesn't meant you don't have to. Because you aren't getting answers here. So the intelligent person would actually contact a human rather than complaining on a blog.
So, what was in your email to Mr. Mills?
Here's a bit of a history lesson. I wasn't going to mention this, but am getting tired of the broken-record "you should e-mail Mr. Mills", which is someone's lame attempt at distracting attention from the REAL issue (cancelling a 46-year tradition and failing to inform the public that it was called off).
The annual pancake breakfast was started in 1968 by then-EAHS band director G. Edward Nelson. It was held in the fall, shortly after the final football game. This fundraising event was traditionally followed by the fruit sale. Throughout the '70s, '80s,'90s, and early 2000's the pancake breakfast was always held in the fall...EVERY year. Then things changed in 2006. The administration had supposedly "improved" the EAHS band program and suddenly the pancake breakfast was scheduled for the second semester.
Nothing wrong with changing the date from fall to late winter/early spring...EXCEPT that it's much more difficult to reschedule for later in the school year if there's a problem with conflicts, volunteers, or whatever. So now it looks like a 46-year tradition ends...and the students are on the losing end once again.
I'm getting tired of people lying and making up things or making things a WAY bigger deal then they are.
You have a lot of conspiracy theories, none of them based in any sort of reality. You people just make things up and then ask an open ended question to try ad get people to think what you want without actually saying it.
The reality is you are a childish coward who refuses to confront a human being and uses this stupid blog as a shield.
If you don't want the "tradition" to end, then get off your butt and come to a meeting and save it. If it is really that important to you, MAKE TIME TO SAVE IT. You lazy piece of crap.
Please email Mr. Mills and find out what is going on.
Why would anyone e-mail Mr. Mills? It doesn't matter what he says, the Facebook post (and lack of any other notification) speaks volumes and tells the community what we really need to know: the 46th annual pancake breakfast has been cancelled for this year.
Any "concern" about getting an explanation from Mr. Mills is irrelevant, and probably a distraction tactic from certain people trying vainly to deflect blame from themselves.
WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT. The big questions, what this whole stupid thing started with was WHY IS THE BREAKFAST CANCELED?
You don't have an answer. Email Mr. Mills - He is the one that canceled it.
You are the distraction, trying to create blame where there isn't any.
So maybe you should contact Mr. Mills to find out WHY the breakfast was canceled. Or come to the meeting if your not too "busy."
My question would be, why did we have to find out about this event being cancelled on a blog? And if it wasnt' for somebody seeing it on Facebook & posting it here, we might still not know. I don't care as much about why it was cancelled, since it seems like a done deal (and Mr. Mills's explanation wouldn't magically make it happen again). I am upset about not getting the information I needed to have from the district and having to rely on a blog.
Brian Liska and the current band boosters have no concern with tradition. They had no concern when they voted to sever ties with the middle school band programs and they have no concern when they cancelled the pancake breakfast now. I can't help but wonder if there is a link between the two.
The band boosters were stated in 1929 to support the entire district's band programs. That's 85 years of tradition that was thrown away this past fall when the band boosters voted to cut all ties with the middle school band programs.
Now the band boosters are cancelling the pancake breakfast. I just can't help but wonder if somebody figured out that the hundreds and hundreds of pancake breakfast tickets that used to be sold by the middle school band students would not be sold this year.
How embarrassing it would have been to hold the pancake breakfast this year and have almost nobody (relatively speaking) show up for the event. 400-500 middle school students not selling tickets this year certainly would have missed.
It's a shame that the current high school band program seems to be doing everything in it's power to alienate everyone who has supported it for decades.
Transparency is alive and well in East Aurora. Current controversial issues which need explanations: 1 Ernest Clark EEOC complaint vs Annette Johnson 2 Pancake Breakfast cancellation 3 Natural Gas Contract Does this Board of Ed understand they need to address these issues publicly as soon as possible. Probably not !! I Guess Annette Johnson is running out of people to blame and excuses. Stay tuned for more as these stories are uncovered !!!
9:53 p.m., you want answers?
You need to e-mail Mr. Clark.
You need to e-mail Ms. Johnson.
You need to e-mail the gas company.
And when you do, make sure to post whatever you sent on this blog.
Because (according to a certain segment of this district) the REAL issue isn't secrecy, wasting money, or how the district treats an employee. The most important issue is identifying WHO is questioning bad decisions, not WHY they were made.
;)
Anonymous 1 is a liar and distorts the truth and makes things up, Like the 1st statement (have no regard for tradition). Did you see the new band uniforms, they look very similar from the 1989 ones just more updated.
And just for your information it wasn't a couple of people who decided to move the band boosters to a high school only organization, it was a room full of high school parents at a booster meeting. There were NO middle school parents or directors at the meeting and they had been told for a month that it was going to be discussed at that meeting. Nobody showed up to state their case.
The middle schools never sold any tickets. 2 of the 3 directors never even passed them out to students.
Then you numbers are also a little high. There are not 400 to 600 middle school students in band. Each middle school has around 60 to 100 kids and the magnet is a little less, just because it is smaller. At the high end you might get to 350 but the real number is closer to 250. There are 400 to 500 5th graders.
AND "longtime eastsider" you missed the point too. The issue is WHERE are you asking these questions. Are you asking the questions on a stupid blog full of ignorant liars OR to somebody who could actually give you an answer?
See, you missed the point too.
So, who is coming to the band booster meeting Thursday?
This conversation just goes to prove that this blog still only has one agenda that they have failed at for 9 years.
The evil and hate that is spewed here is terrible and overwhelming. Such hateful and evil comments about a person who has been here for 9 years, getting new equipment, working on new uniforms, making the program bigger, putting on concerts in school and community and you just post lies and hate. What must your soul be like. What evil must live inside you.
Who have you emailed to address your concerns? Or are you going to keep posting you stupidity here.
More to come out of the business office money from the activity accounts is missing. Earlier in the year CLark demanded that all money get turned into the business office. This was a new practice depending on size schools had been allowed to keep between $500 and $2000 dollars in their accounts. Money was pouring into the business office with no accounting finally the old timers went to Roberts in December. Clark was let go but his assistant Melody Ellington was left in place. Google her background in the Matteson school district very interesting. How can Joany Glozebach call herself a HR person.
...Because according to certain people, the only acceptable mode of communication is e-mail...yeah, right.
But I have to say, I don't agree with Anonymous1 about the current band program. I happen to think Mr. Liska is doing a good job, AND I also believe that Mr. Kaisershot was wrongly deprived of his high school teaching position by a corrupt administration. Bashing Mr. Liska's band program does nothing to help our students. And pretending that getting rid of Mr. K was a good thing also does our community a disservice.
Mr. Liska can take credit for getting our kids new uniforms, and Mr. Kaisershot gets credit for helping design the 1989 ones (a design that was good enough to carry over to the new ones). Both men work hard for our kids. Both are excellent musicians, husbands, and fathers.
Want to help the current band program? Buy ButterBraids, starting this Monday.
No Boosters in the middle schools?
No Pancake breakfast?
I missed the fruit sales :(
Butterbraids!?
Do I go to FB or the blog to look for sales info? Or who should I email?
I prefer to buy from students who may get trip money credit.
Good job EA Mom - Somebody with a brain.
To: You will never get it
I don't care if two people or 30 people voted. What organization in its right mind votes to cut off their support system? Their mission should be to support their feeder systems and find ways to increase retention and develop younger players. I've never even heard of a music program that cut off the middle and elementary programs. It's absolutely insane. Does anybody believe this could happen in Naperville?
I also have to question your numbers. I have kids at the Magnet school and Cowherd (They used to go to Allen) and I've been to concerts at all these schools. The Magnet school had well over a hundred kids playing in band this year. The Cowherd band was much larger with 150+ kids playing. They were so large, they couldn't play on the stage. They took up most of the gym floor. I also still speak to Ms. Lawson who teaches band at Allen and several other elementary schools. Ms. Lawson started over 200 beginners this year. Their last concert had to be played at East High. I can't imagine the other middle schools are as small as you are claiming. How could they keep a director with no students?
One thing I learned long ago, If I am having difficulty with one person, The problem may be with them or with me. When I am having difficultty with many people, I am the one with the issues.
If Liska and the band boosters are having difficulty with all their feeder schools, I can't help but determine that it is the high school program with the issues.
Are the Fine Arts Director and the School Board aware that the High School Band has cut all ties with the rest of the district? If not, they need to be informed. Perhaps a new booster program needs to be established to support the 16 school band programs that the high school decided to cut off.
Here's a link to information about the ButterBraids fund-raiser:
http://www.d131music.org/butter-braid-fundraiser.html
Please tell me who the "Fine Arts Director" is.
There are no booster organizations in many elementary and middle school programs. Most boosters are high school only.
From the East High website:
Andrea Cobbett
Divisional Chair for Language Arts and Fine Arts
630-299-8000
acobbett@d131.org
Department questions
and upcoming events
finearts@d131.org
~~~~~~~~~~~
You're welcome!
That's High School, she would have nothing to do with demanding that the boosters represent middle and elementary schools.
Try again.
Thanks.
So, who is the fine arts director.
I imagine that there will be a lot of new faces at the band booster meeting Thursday since there are so many passionate people out there wanting to support the band program and have questions about how the boosters are running things.
Those of us who have to work or care for family members on weekday evenings may not have the luxury of being able to attend Thursday night meetings. We are still deserving of information in a timely manner.
I work at a restaurant. If I want to be able to have time with my family on weekends, I have to work weeknights. People who assume that parents who don't come to weeknight meetings are uncaring or lazy are clueless, insensitive, or just plain stupid.
Yawn - I grow tired of your lame excuses. You can't say I refuse to email Mr. Mills, I refuse to go to a meeting, I refuse to do anything proactive to get information. I want everything brought to me.
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
We do not have a district-wide fine arts director...but then, concerned band parent did not specify "District Fine Arts Director", they just said Fine Arts Director.
And I "refuse" to lose my job and be unable to support my kids just to go to a meeting.
Here in the REAL WORLD, some of us have to earn a living by working hours that might not allow us to have Thursday nights off. Far from "waaaa"-ing about it, I manage to make ends meet for myself & my daughter.
You need to learn the difference between someone REFUSING to do something and being UNABLE because of job or family obligations.
If you have evenings available to go to meetings, good for you. Those of us who don't feel bad enough as it is without insensitive MORONS like you making assumptions.
Why would a high school division chair have any authority of the band boosters or middle and elementary band programs?
Single mom, I was in your shoes when my kids were in school. Try to ignore the haters, and remember that when people "ASSUME" they're making jackasses out of themselves.
Maybe one of these years our district will do what more enlightened, progressive districts do and put meetings online. Many districts do this with board meetings...and our district has the technology, since they put things like "Razzle Dazzle" and "Together We Shine" online.
The closest thing the district currently has to a Fine Arts Director is Nestor Garcia, the Assistant Director of Athletics and Student Activities. He is also in charge of the Fine Arts Festival. Is it any wonder the department is screwed up?
It has been years since we have had an actual Fine Arts Director. Dr. Barwa was the last one we had but he did nothing. He was just riding out his contract after being booted out of the high school. Bob Miller was before him but he spent all his time getting drunk and calling young female teachers late at night. It was a disgrace.
Other districts fine arts programs are run much better than we have here in district 131. Other districts administrators are very aware that sports and fine arts are the most public representation of a school district. If somebody really wanted to improve the "Image" of District 131, they would start where most other districts do, with Fine Arts and Sports.
Annette talked a big game a couple of years ago but when it came time to support our programs with real money, there was always an excuse. The recent uniform purchase was the only support the board has given and that was only given after the uniform issue became a crisis.
Our School Board will be introducing the new superintendent at tomorrow's board meeting.
There's a good chance that he/she has looked at this blog...and if so, they're getting a picture of how some of us feel about what goes on in this district.
Mr. or Ms. Superintendent, welcome to District 131. You'll find folks here who are still bitter about past administrative decisions, but who want to help our kids succeed. We have a low tolerance for secrecy. We expect our money to be spent wisely. We are diverse in culture and background but unified in our desire to make our district the best it can be.
Welcome to District 131!
No sorry new superintendent you will just find people who are bitter and do not want to help in any way. This blog is a disgrace and disgusting and the people on here are lazy and don't do anything but complain. They will talk about you and every decision you make will be wrong, but they will NEVER confront you to your face or even in an email.
"a disgrace and disgusting"...
Actually, I think it's a disgrace & disgusting that people had to find out about an important event (the 46th annual pancake breakfast) being cancelled on a blog.
Yeah, well too bad. Waaaaaaaaa for you.
And you could have found out about it on facebook :)
Ms./Mr. Superintendent, you will also find (or perhaps already have noticed) people who make negative assumptions about the motivation or reasoning of fellow community members, and who ridicule hard-working parents who may not have the same advantages THEY are blessed with.
There's no accounting for ignorance or arrogance.
Here's a newsflash for you: A lot of people are not on Facebook. And Facebook is a social networking site...not quite the same function or intention as a district, school, or organization (band) website.
Only a clueless moron would expect people to get information on a cancelled district event from Facebook. Nice attempt at distraction; Mr./Ms. Superintendent, you can see why some of us are frustrated with certain people's attempts to deny and cover up their blunders!
No, when all else fails communicate with a person not a blog.
:)
I think what is the most frustrating is that you find something wrong - poor communication - and then assume the worst in people. They are trying to hide something, they are trying to cover something up, the don't respect the community, when maybe there is another reason.
That is why I say - communicate with a human - the human in charge of the event - and find out what is going on.
See you at the meeting you looser, dead beat parents.
This is the new Superintendents performance
Milwaukee Public Schools still lagged far behind the state rate, it outpaced the state's improvement, growing to 62.8% from 61.1%. In a graduation rate.
ACT scores are 15.2%.
Thanks board you actually picked someone worst then Jerome Roberts.
Rumor is he holds no advanced degree and his English is hard to understand. One would assume it is the gentleman that toured EA since the HS only had a visit from him. Nobody was impressed. Everyone should attend the board meeting tomorrow and see.
I am more of a reader than a poster of the blog, but it is amusing, not that things about the band come up frequently, but that is one topic that seems to bring out the hostile, name calling. Someone has a thin skin or comments must be hitting a nerve. Someone is accusing others of whining and WAAA-ing but as an outsider to the program, all those posts sound more like whining from the writer to me. I am sure the new Supt. will recognize a disgruntled persons comments and sincere greetings. I just hope he/she has the experience and knowledge to work in the proper capacity with the Board and other admin.
8:55 p.m., YOU are also guilty of assuming the worst in people! YOU assume that a parent who cannot attend a weeknight meeting is a deadbeat. YOU assume that parents who expect to get important information online without having to individually e-mail someone are "loosers" (We all make mistakes, but you misspelled/misused this word TWICE).
I hope you don't work with our kids, but I have a hunch you're one of those teachers who grew up some place like Naperville with every advantage. Too bad you have to teach in the real world.
Waaaaaaaaaaaa
You can assume all you want. You guys break all of the rules and then hold everybody else to.
Looser Looser Looser Looser Looser
loose
lo͞os/
adjective
comparative adjective: looser
not firmly or tightly fixed in place; detached or able to be detached.
"a loose tooth"
synonyms: not fixed in place, not secure, unsecured, unattached; More
detached, unfastened, untied;
wobbly, unsteady, movable
"a loose floorboard"
antonyms: secure, tight
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You used the word "looser" five times...I'm a bit confused as to how this describes our community. Speaking for myself, I know I am definitely "firmly and tightly fixed in place" (my family calls that stubbornness!) So I would be the opposite of "looser".
Oh, and your second sentence makes no sense: "and then hold everybody else to"...to WHAT?
;)
For anyone who wants to know more about the EAHS band issue, from 9 years ago:
openline.blogspot.com/2005/04/east-aurora-students-make-noise-for.html
Of particular interest is the comment made on 5/1/11 at 5:39 p.m.--notice the use of the word "looser". Oh, and the F-bombs, which aren't allowed here but were frequently used by one side in this discussion!
beaconnews.suntimes.com/25323460-417/maurice-honored-for-good-works-by-board.html
If it is the man who toured Simmons last week that is our new Sup he hardly speaks English. I can't believe the board picked him but if they did they should all resign. Ms Strand told all the teachers this was going to be her most important decision she made and she has giving the tour so I am assuming she was ok with him. A simple five minute search reveals a Milwaukee School system in academic performance worst than 131. Leonard was also on the tour and did not talk to one student. It was noted by staff he is uncomfortable with children of color. Why is he even on the Board? The board is clueless.
Oh, interesting. You mean somebody posted on TWO blogs. Really? How OUTRAGEOUS!
Keep dodging the issue.
By the way, what did Mr. Mills say when you emailed him?
See you at the meeting.
:)
I would like to take a moment to introduce myself. I am Brad Mills, President of the East Aurora Band Booster Assoc. and a 1989 graduate of East Aurora. First off I would like to apologize for not knowing about this blog, as I just found out about it today. Let me try to cover some of the issues I have read in the blog for you.
Last year it was voted to overhaul the Band Booster Assoc. this was not a one person decision and was done over the course of two meetings. I have not forgotten about the bands in the middle and elementary schools as well as band camp which still continues. The major issue became lack of funds, how do I tell all these kids to please raise money for the Band Boosters to help them when we were only generating enough money to cover the cost of the High School Band Banquet and Scholarships and they were getting nothing in exchange. So after looking at participation from all schools in fundraising, the decision was made to take care of the High School Band program alone know that all the elementary and middle school students would benefit from the Boosters when they reached High School.
This year we also started something that had not been done before by using social media to communicate and get the word out about events and fundraising. This all is done by me and sometimes can be hard to keep up with as I am one person and work a full time job as well as being the Booster President. As stated before I was not aware of this blog or I would have been posting here as well.
The Band Booster Assoc. is controlled by the Band Booster Assoc. not the Band Director or the School Board and things cannot happen without a vote. The biggest problem we face is lack of participation and voices. If you want a voice in the process you must come to a meeting, 8 – 10 people showing up to a meeting does not give many voices. Do you want to help us don’t blog about it come to a meeting I would love to see you and hear your opinions.
Now as far as the 46th Annual Pancake Breakfast, I apologize for using the word canceled in my Facebook post I should have said postponed pending a vote to reschedule or cancel it all together. Many issues happened in one day that left me with no other option but to cancel for the 8th. There was the issue of the weather causing school closings and getting the tickets to the kids to sell. There was an issue with getting the cafeteria which the Assistant Principal at the High School was gracious enough to help me with so a big thanks to him for that. This caused a timing issue to order the food needed for the Breakfast and delay in ticket sales it was posing a problem on how much to order and the deadline to order and get it on time closed. If anyone is to be blamed for the Pancake Breakfast I will take full blame for it, but I felt if we couldn’t get it right it needed to be stopped and regroup to get it right. I have high hopes of still having the Pancake Breakfast sometime in April, but this requires a vote and that is why an emergency meeting of the Band Boosters is taking place this Thursday the 6th at 7:00pm in the High School Band room.
From this point on I will make a point to look at this blog and post on it as well, whatever it takes to get the word out and help get people at the meetings.
If I have missed something or you have more concerns please contact me at eabandboosters@gmail.com and I will address them as fast as I can.
Sincerely,
Brad Mills
President
EA Band Booster Assoc.
THANK YOU, Mr. Mills, for that thorough and well thought out post. Your explanation makes a lot of sense, and I'm especially glad to see that the pancake breakfast won't necessarily be cancelled but might be rescheduled.
May I suggest that in addition to posting on Facebook and the d131music site, you might have Mr. Hanley send a press release to the Beacon about your fund-raisers? Looking back through this thread I see that someone posted links to Beacon articles from previous years; many community members (especially senior citizens) would miss whatever is posted on Facebook.
Thanks again, and best wishes with your continued work with our band kids!
To "Email" at 11:34 a.m., who asked what Mr. Mills said when we emailed him:
He probably said he'd post a detailed response and explanation on this blog. It's a lot easier than responding to individual e-mails.
Mr. Mills is a class act. He respects this community enough to give us the information we deserve.
;)
The East Aurora Band Booster Association Butter Braid Sale
Sale will start Monday February 3rd 2014 and run through Tuesday February 18th 2014. Delivery date Saturday March 8th 2014
Flavors
Apple, Cinnamon, Cream Cheese, Double Chocolate, Raspberry,
And Strawberry Cream Cheese
Price: $13.00 each
Find and East Aurora High School Band Student and order yours today!!
Together we can make something grEAt!!!!
Thanks again, Mr. Mills!
I do have one question. Are the choir students selling these too? I'm asking because I'm a choir alum and I know the choir kids are going to New York too, and I'd like to help them.
The New York trip is a complete different function from the Band Booster Assoc. Everyone that goes on the trip pays their own way. The Band and Choir hold their own fundraising events to help offset the cost of the trip, for example the battery sale was for the New York Trip. The Band Booster Assoc. will be giving some money to help offset the cost but that is not the soul perpose of our fundraising. You can however contact the choir director through the d131music.org website and see how you can help the choir directly.
Our new superintendent is Mr. Jesse J. Rodriguez:
http://www.d131.org/newsDetail.asp?id=2681&guid=
Check it out:
http://beaconnews.suntimes.com/news/25365249-418/east-aurora-hires-bilingual-educator-jesse-rodriguez-as-new-superintendent.html
This is the best we could find???
Test scores far worse than East Aurora.
Wow, he already "sucks" in the eyes of this blog. Hasn't even worked an hour.
Good job blog.
From a recent Milaukee Journal Sentinel Article:
"About 88% of Wisconsin's public schools and 95% of school districts met or exceeded the state's expectations for performance in 2012-'13, according to a second year of annual report cards used to judge school progress."
"A total of 11 school districts statewide did not meet expectations, including Milwaukee Public Schools, the only district assigned the lowest ranking: fails to meet expectations, based on an overall district accountability score of 51.4."
In Wisconsin, they have 423 school districts statewide. Wisconsin's grading system has 5 levels of proficiency:
9 Significantly Exceeded Standards
134 Exceeded Standards
269 Met Standards
10 Met Few Expectations
1 Failed to Meet Expectations
Wisconsin is a state where 95%+ of the schools are meeting or exceeding standards. Only 11 schools did not meet standards and only one school system received the lowest rating possible. Which school system was that? Oh Yes, Milwaukee Public Schools. The very district that we are getting our next superintendent from.
Does anybody believe we have found an educational leader who is going to show us the way to educational enlightenment? Or did Annette Johnson just find herself a $300,000 a year YES MAN who will let Annette continue to run District 131 into the ground.
Please wake me and tell me that this was just a nightmare.
Touché Beyond Belief!
Read the article in The Beacon about the Director of Business at East being on paid leave and this is what he stated.
Clark’s eventual EEOC complaint contained several charges that stemmed from “interference with the ethical running of the business office,” and interferences from School Board President Annette Johnson with Clark’s ability to do his job, the source said.
How long are the other board members going to let the board president run the district instead of the superintendent. You are breaking the law it needs to stop Johnson is ruining the district. Look at all the money mistakes that have been brought out and of course Johnson points her fingers at others and not who is really reasonable and that is a board that lets her do this. When the Beacon ran the article about the mis use of credit cards did they make the ones that did pay it back no and that is illegal.
Even with new members this board is a joke until someone stands up and says enough is enough. Go talk to someone who knows the laws and can help with this.
Just a Reminder, there will be a EA Band Booster Meeting TONIGHT at 7:00 pm in the East High Band Room. Enter through door #5 across from the football field. We will be discussing rescheduling the pancake breakfast, possible future fundraisers, and the future of the band boosters.
The boosters are a vital part of the band program and help pay for many things including the band banquet at the end of the year, scholarships for graduating seniors, and the engraving of the plaques that hang outside the band room. They also paid for the new flag equipment for the marching band this year and they helped push through the purchase of 250 new marching band uniforms that we will be getting for Memorial Day.
Please join us for our meeting tonight and if you cannot make it please email the boosters at eabandboosters@gmail.com and add yourself to the mailing list. Thank you for your support.
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