Date: November 10, 2015 To: Board of Education East Aurora Dist 131 Subject: Negotiations Nov 6 2015 Part 2 More Facts & Questions from the Negotiations Meeting Friday Nov 6.
• The Mediator stated he will make himself available to continue talks in resolving the stalemate 1 Mike Popp, Joan Glotzbach & Mark Truckenbrod did not state “This is top priority thus we must do whatever it takes to resolve the contract stalemate”
2 Sara Inthurm could not make the November 18 date due to driving her mother to the Doctor. Does anyone understand THIS IS A CRISIS “THE TEACHERS MAY GO ON STRIKE !!!
3 The $200.00 teacher allowance given out to purchase materials for the students was rejected by Truckenbrod & Glotzbach. Yet money was found to pay the inflated salaries of
Mike Popp 216 K Joan Glotzbach 149 K Sara Waddell 145 K Anthony Crespo 133 K Mark Truckenbrod 128 K Matt Hanley 120 K
Sara Imthurn $ 91,266.00 current 2016 89,375.00 2015 School Year (Reference EA website-Finance/Salaries-Benefits) Why did Sara’s pay increase if contract is unsettled?
• Did the union leadership present to the teachers the offer at the last union meeting If not, how would the rank & file understand if the offer is truly reasonable/fair on their behalf
The teachers want a fair & competitive wage They need to be treated with the respect which they have so deservedly earned
Ralph has made some good points is his post above. Why did they reject the $200.00 dollars for materials for students but they could afford those flags. How about all the working lunches the Administration have. I bet the Board and Administration is going to that Conference in Chicago this month and stay at a Hotel when they could drive home for the night but if they did that they wouldn't get all the freebes handed out. You can bet Glotzbach will take her husband like she does every year with her and he will get to stay at the Hotel with her on the Districts dime.
This Sarah seems to be a problem as a Union President and if Glotzbach is giving her a pass on taking time off that is wrong. Board are you watching these things going on?
One thing that puzzles me is this bit about Sarah having full release as union president. She's a full time employee of the district paid by them to be the union president. Sounds like a huge conflict of interest. She may be ASSIGNED to the union, but she works FOR the board. I work in another district. Our union president gets 2 release periods and still teaches classes.
Somebody needs to explain why if every teacher in this district has had their salaries frozen for this year while negotiations are taking place, why is there only one person who has seen an almost $2000 pay increase? Why is Sara Imthurn the only person to get a raise? You should also look at your pay stub on Infinite Visions. The other payment that has been raised is your union dues. Everything else has been frozen but the union is making sure they get their cut. And of course our insurance is going up (and the district insurance cost is being lowered) despite the contract stating that the district will cover 105% of any increase to insurance.
This district keeps getting less appealing with the more that I find out. So Sara gets paid a nice salary for just just sitting on her ass as union president and doesn't even go into the classroom?! Sign me up for that job! Every district I've worked in previously had a teaching union president. I thought those districts at the time were messed up, but they don't hold a candle to EA and the corruption and cronyism. Spending out the wazoo for everyone and everything except the teachers. I'm ashamed to work for such a shady district and will be looking for a new job. I know we sure as hell won't be getting a decent pay raise without getting shafted somewhere else (like we already have with insurance).
Sara and Glotzbach are very close. Joan personally took care of her days off. Joan only does that for a selected few employees. Many of us are very afraid to speak up. Recently, the Asst AD was harassed so much by Crespo and Thruckenbrod she resigned. She attempted to expose ghost time cards of The temporary ADs hired from 204. Crespo now signs them allowing whatever they want. We see and hear plenty at Central Office but Ralph is our source. He does not work for the district and is retired so he has nothing to lose. The Popp era is equal to the serial bully days.
If the board wants to regain creditability with teachers they need to make Sara teach. She would then understand what we are facing. I have never seen Sara visit a class at EAHS. She has classrooms two steps from her office and yet no visits. She has NO understanding of how difficult our jobs are. She is also at EAHS and Brummel was allowed to face daily harassments for telling the truth. What did Sara do for her. It is time we stop paying union. Please someone tell us what are we paying for.
Sara is the reason you had to pick up and be trained on th laptops in your own time. Sara is also the reason you had to work an extra day at the beginning of the school year for free. No compensation. She has completely sold us out. And now to find out that she got a raise already this year when everyone else was frozen? At what point do we sue the union for non-representation?
We need a vote against the union. I will not wear my blue button and I suggest we all do the same. Wearing the button shows support for the union. They have sold us out and need to be sent a message.
I do not have time to better my education because I am busy finding materials, writing curriculum and filling in because the district is to cheap to hire subs. Know I find out Sara is advancing her salary on district time. I am sure she used the district computer to write her papers.
With the district the size, and the idiots that get in trouble for not doing their job, I bet Sarah can't even accomplish her job with full time release. The fact that she doesn't teach any classes as no surprise to me. I don't know how she keeps track of keeping all of you people out of trouble.
When is Sara ever at the schools, Hanley must be working overtime trying to get Sara out of this. Sara was promised a job in administration that why she was taking classes. She is the only employee that did not get frozen. She has sold us out. Get rid of your buttons and STRIKE!
Please strike!!! It is laughable! You will look ridiculous for turning down the contract that you have been offered.
I hope the media uncovers this blog, too! With teachers posting on here, who can't spell, complain about having to pull together curriculum (like EVERY other district that is worth a raise), and insult the parents of the students!
This blog is full of excuses about why you can't do your jobs....but then you want a raise for a job that you aren't doing very well.
I know we find this blog amazing and accurate; however, the media is unlikely to consider it a reliable source. Given the anonymous nature of the posts, no one would accept it on a list of sources. I certainly would not allow my students to cite it. These supposed teachers may actually be an old guy in West Virginia who never leaves the house but likes to poke fun at people in Illinois. We may never know. Validity of sources is something we teach our students so that when they grow up to be voters, they can consider the facts.
Here is a fact about the curriculum writing process you disparage: the district wants Common Core aligned units as well as alignment horizontally between schools. That cannot occur unless a collaborative team of writers produses the units. If teacher x in school a is writing in isolation, how can he be aligned with teacher y in school b? The problems have arisen because the units are incomplete and the process started much, much (years) later than planned. Teachers are not to blame for these problems, since it was a district (read: administrative) initiative, carried out in a disorganized fashion from the start. Now teachers are being held accountable for their fidelity to the incomplete curriculum. How can they be faithful to something that doesn't exist? How can they be aligned from school to school if the materials are not there?
Ask any teacher if he would prefer to teach his own units and lessons, to prepare them, to express creativity, to tailor lessons to their students. Ask them. 95% will say yes, but when the mandate is alignment and fidelity "or else", but the materials are not created/provided, what can these teachers do? I know it's more fun to call them lazy and stupid, but maybe the facts do not support your argument. Or maybe you're from West Virginia and you're just having a laugh.
All around us districts have had striking Teachers who do make more than ours and don't face the daily problems of overcrowded schools, lack of support from Administration and poof family support of the students.
This District did not give a fair offer and maybe if the Teachers strike some of the corruption in the District will come out. At the last Board Election the community came out and voted for people they thought would finally stand up and do the right thing it doesn't look like it now.
Alex Arroyo and John Laesch said they didn't like how things where going in The District and not happy with the Board so they decided to run. While no two people can change things alone what did they do but elect Annette Johnson again as President even though the community was against it. It goes to show that Alex and John are just using this as a stepping stone to help if they decide to run for a government office.
To: You're cute From: in a agreement You have very accurately explained a major problem in our schools. But "cake" is,not going to acknowledge this, that is assuming they have a clue about what they are expressing an opinion. I have never heard it being simply about money from the teachers. I hope the teachers get a fair contract or an understanding mediator...whatever it takes to get the district to own up to their shortcomings.
Taxpayer12: Pretty presumptuous to speak for "the community". Some members of the community were against Johnson being re-elected president, but some, including me, were for it. Yes, there are problems with Johnson, just as there are with any human being. The board under Hull was definitely no better, and in my opinion worse (Hanley hasn't even come close to earning that big raise; Clayton was 100 times better). Who else on the current board would you see as president right now? The administration under Popp is NOT an improvement. We need a board and president that will hold their feet to the fire. Not happening nearly enough yet.
Can't have your cake and eat it too- no, every other district doesn't have to write their own curriculum- Most have a person or persons hired for this very reason and curriculum is provided. This is the third time I have been through this process with the district, it is never finished, and there are never any resources provided for books, etc. I am not whining, Mr. Cake, I am just stating the facts. As to your assertion that everyone is laughing that we are turning down the contract, au contraire, mon ami, they will be laughing if wee are sooooo stupid as to accept such a blatant kick in the patoot! We are finally standing up for ourselves as the professionals we are. I have two advanced degrees and 23 years teaching experience and would be earning $20,000-30,000 more anywhere else. Mr. Cake you would not last one minute in the classroom, with student cussing you out and telling you" I'm not trying to work today", etc. So quit downing teachers who work their asses off
Taxpayer 12 appears to be Ms Carlson who ran for the the board and never served her term. She now runs the blog that allows the community to throw stones and hide. I work on band efforts with Carlson and considered her a friend at one time but she has become destructive. Arroyo and Laesch are a major improvement over the past members who gave Hanley the raise. Johnson has had many accomplishments and I am glad she is back in charge. Hopefully the board of seven thoughtful members can undo the mistakes of the board from hell.
I really don't know who would be the best President of the Board. What I do know that we have citizens that are more concerned about their taxes then educating the students of our district. I don't have children going to our schools but I believe they should get the best education we can give them. Do I think any of the other board members should be President of the board the answer in no and that is a shame that these people ran to be on the school board for what reason I don't know but it should be that they are doing the very best for the district.
We have many challenges in this district but we should be able to not have overcrowded classrooms and a curriculum for our teachers to follow. Take the time to really look at the district and how they spend the money.
The board needs to cut the administration and not pay TRS to administration then I will vote for the contract. Administration needs to get treated the same way they treat us.
The East Aurora High School varsity football team just finished the season with one win and eight losses. Our only win was over a Chicago charter school with an enrollment of just 600 students. Mr. Becker's four year record is 0-9, 1-8, 0-9 and 1-8. He has won just two games and lost 34. We have a lot of great kids so why have we not had a winning season since 2000. West Aurora High had a winning season and made the playoffs. Time for a major change in leadership.
The problem for us is not the school board president it is the union president. It was revealed that Intherm had a secret meeting with administration and did not invite the majority of the bargaining members until it was impossible to attend. The story goes a meeting was set better than a week ago and Intherm failed to notify the majority of the team.
We need a new leader fast. She has attempted to scare us into not voting for a strike, she never brings our concerns to the table, she does not answer emails, return calls or goto meetings. Now administration gave her a raise and she attended school on our time.
Please attend the meeting and continue to speak out after-all Sara won't.
Tomcat youth football started by Becker just won the State Championship today. Our JV football team had a winning record this season also. It proves great things are happening in 131 . Kenyon, the sports boosters and Malcker need to get the H away from 131 before we will see a complete change. We have many great kids but the parents need to step up and get rid of the serial bully past.
To the person who claims to be a supporter. You have been out of the loop a very long time and may be a bit bitter since you did not win a spot on the board in the last election, but Taxpayer12 is not me. The board is 7 people, a few new to the board, which I like, and it takes a while to understand and get the feel of your duties as a board member. So unless they can come together as a majority and agree not much will be accomplished. I have not been admin to the blog since I retired in 2011. I DO have a "child" in the district. These few points are just to clarify, I am not the person you think I am on this blog and I am not the person you believe you know me to be. We were in boosters over 10 years ago and we chatted at a few meetings. How can you presume to "know me." I resigned from the board when Annette and Anita came on board. They had a personal agenda and reincarnated the board from hell. I could not continue to have my name put on all documents, as a member of the board, when I was in total disagreement to the direction they wanted to go. I do agree with Taxpayer12, in that, I want to see the the teachers get a fair contract which includes not only pay increases but better language to improve classroom atmosphere.
I actually work in a classroom, have the same qualifications that you do, and I tow the line with my C and I department. We write our standards-aligned curriculum and it is a long road and it is still a work in progress. But, that is how good districts proceed with the climate of education.
You claim you want to have a salary commensurate with your neighboring districts, but you want to whine and complain about the work you have to do for it.
You don't teach in isolation. You teach in a community that needs you. Adjust your attitude and be the teacher that they deserve.
You guys still have it all wrong. No raises are needed here. As I said before, East Aurora teachers are not underpaid, the other area teachers are overpaid. When will you learn that having the taxpayers pay for you from age 21 until your death is unacceptable. When will you accept the fact that just because you get a masters or a doctorate degree does not make you a better teacher or administrator. Do you actually believe that you should be compensated because you have some perceived improved credential and not by measurable outcomes?? Everyone should be looking into the finances of the school district - especially compensation, retirement and health insurance - as public schools have a strangle hold on the education of our children. The product stinks, some pupils are abusive to everyone, and even some employees think that actually working is somehow beneath them and of course everyone who is in charge is 'against" them. Where in this mix are you 'entitled" to a raise?? You should be promoting ways to getting the public's support in getting common sense discipline back into the schools, demanding pay based on merit, not on credentials and seniority and screaming at the top of your lungs for wouchers for parents to send their children to schools that are not handcuffed with old fashioned, archaic, non progressive system that defines our public schools.
What is the board doing about Jessica B. She was forced to resign her job because she reported ghost payroll of Popps 204 cronies. The secretary Mary P has also been harassed. If the board wants the contract passed they need to look into the daily harassment of employees. Someone needs to protect a staff member that is getting retribution. Darby, Arroyo, and Laesch all stated they would not allow this. We remember all three visiting with Byrd and talking a big game and doing nothing. We would hope that they would keep their promise.
Youve obviously never worked in a school let alone one in EA.....I think if you realized what we dealt with on a regular basis that you might change your tune. Do you honestly believe that all teachers in EA are bad because the students arent meeting on tests? If you put must of us in Naperville or better districts than wed all of sudden become amazing teachers because majority of the students meet? There are alot of factors working against us and the students. Home life, language, soci-economic status, uneducated parents, uninvolved parents etc.......the list goes on and on. Im not even beginning to touch on the administration. Ive worked in the district for 7 years and seen somethings that you would never see in another district and im not even talking about the lack of a curriculum. Get your facts straight before you start pointing fingers at teachers. Ive worked with some of the best teachers ive ever met in this district!
You've never worked in education otherwise you would realize that merit based pay would never work. The level of collaboration that occurs in the teaching profession would be destroyed. We work to raise all students, not just our own. Teachers work together sharing ideas and activities with each other. It is very group oriented. If teachers had merit pay, collaboration would end. Teachers would not work for the betterment of all because our pay would be based on standing out above others. Those in the business world need to stay there. Your lack of knowledge in our profession and trying to impose your profession's protocols on our profession is ridiculous.
Annette and Sara need to Leave Town Together
said...
It's obvious where Annette Johnsons allegiance lies. She never speaks to the teachers and staff of District 131. She was definitely out schmoozing the retired voters from Ward 1. She spent the half hour before the meeting talking to many of them, just as she meets with them regularly for breakfast. It's definitely time for a change at the top.
Annette talks to the people that voted for her our parents don't show up to the polls. I support Annette she has made 131 more accountable and is responsible for promoting many good programs. I suggest the teachers talk with her it is very interesting what she really thinks. She did not vote for Hanley or Popp and we can see how that turned out.
The board member I do not support is Darby. He is always around reminding us he is a board member and calling in favors. Darby son was recently hired in B&G.
Central office news is Sara went to bat for Diane Thomas and she is getting promotion after negotiations. It sounds like Sara is playing up to the board so she will not have to go back to teaching. It is true Darby's son works in B& G in the sub pool. A sub pool employee does not go on the personnel report. Darby's son is allowed to pick his own days and is called in for overtime. The other subs are not treated this way.
Date: Nov 18 2015 To: Mr Richard Leonard Board Member East Aurora Dist 131 Subject: FOIA delay Dear Mr Leonard
Per our conversation regarding the controversy of the following
Oct 13 & 16 2015 FOIA’s were submitted regarding invoices, copies of checks 1 month response is the norm for FOIA I submit Notified Nov 13 & 16, an additional 3 weeks (15 business days) is now required for a response bringing it into December for a total of 7 weeks to receive documents.
Per our conversation, I explained to you in detail the purpose of the FOIA’s in which you agreed needed answers to questionable concerns.
In addition please inquire on why I haven’t received documents from previous FOIA’s on
1 Sara Imthurn’s 2013 Stipend for $ 4,680.92 2 SIGNED contracts for Matthew Hanley & Anthony Crespo 3 Pay Stubs for Interim EHS AD Rudy Keller & Michael Rogowski (former 204 employees)
I have emailed Matt Hanley this several times with no response I look forward in obtaining all of the above immediately with your assistance.
Also I will be communicating with you additional information on other issues we discussed
Why is Ralph writing Leonard? Teachers beware he will turn on you in minute. He stills attempts to call maintenace employees to get information with his favorite line "what's going on". Please Ralph this again confirms you will work with the event to prove hard workers wrong. What is your motive?
Leonard and Padron teamed up to get phones removed from maintenance employees and they almost had us. Oh wait the district discovered nobody would take an emergency call and nobody could order parts. Then the district decided OH we made a mistake. Yes they made a mistake for listening to Padron and Leonard. One employee tells everyone I made a mistake because I take Ralph's calls now he threatens to turn me in for talking to him Afterall he records all.
Huh, what is your defination of a bully. Feltes, Leonard and Padron.
Wow. You make my argument for me. Even if I said I were a teacher you would not believe it. Collaboration happens all time out there in non teacher land. Doctors and nurses all have a common goal in the operating room. Building fighter jets takes teamwork. Building an auto takes teamwork or as you say collaboration. You have lived in that "take care of me from 21 years old to death " environment way too long. You should be protesting in Naperville over student driver ed teachers making 100,000 a year. By taking the money from the overpaid teachers in the surrounding districts, you could fund EA district 131, it is a spending problem, not a revenue problem. Until the day comes when there are options readily available for parents to send their children to high performing schools, everyone must scrutinize the spending at archaic public learning institutions. Vouchers would be a start. We really need the application of critical thinking and then strong action to get out of this non progressive institutional Frankenstein that has been created. Again, go after the area districts as they overpay their teachers.
The administration is overpaid not the teachers. You must think it's fine to pay Matt Hanley a $40,000 per raise. You also must think it's just fine to harass teachers if they speak up. Dr Popp harassed Jesiica Brummell because she commented about fabricated time cards. She was quickly punished but she showed them up, she resigned. Several teachers are reporting increased class visits and administrators sitting in classrooms to intimidate after speaking at board meetings. The union is told but they all Popp to lie.
Here is where the district is wrong about the phones. If you work for maintenance in any work place there is no rule they have to supply you with a phone for emergencies in fact some workplaces if you don't answer you own phone in a work emergency you can be fired. I don't know why you EA maintenance workers think you a better then others. It was said before by someone on here that your manager said you could use the phones for personal use and that is a no no. Don't you have a manager that you tell you need parts and then the manager a a purchase order person should order it that is how you keep track that the parts are needed. Does anyone approve these purchases and what is the amount that can be spent before an approval is needed. That is how it is done in most businesses to keep misuse of money. It seems this district has no rules in place for spending and Ralph is right to question it. He probably like me worked somewhere that followed Ethic rules and accounted for the money.
You see a lot on this blog about mis use of money and how no one in the district is watching how money is spent.
Date: November 18, 2015 To: Board of Education East Aurora Dist 131 Subject: Richard Schroeder Hiring – Questions/Facts Position: Director of Assessment and Accountability
Timeline David Brusak resigns effective August 6 (Sufficient notice given)
9-21 Richard Schroeder is hired for EA Director Assessment Accountability 9-21 Richard submits resignation letter to Dist 112 9-22 Resignation is effective
Mr Schroeder was in the final year of a 3 year contract 2016 Salary was $ 134,160 EA 131 salary is $ 120,000.00
$ 14,160.00 salary reduction
Questions Why did he take a salary reduction Why was a 2 week notice NOT given to Dist 112
All information was gathered via FOIA Dist 112 & Personnel Report EA Sept 21 2015 See attached Documents verifying all factual info
Ralph you can't have it both ways . One day Ralph complains about administration being overpaid the next day he complains they are underpaid. Anybody see a pattern? Ralph will destroy anyone's reputation.
Look what he did to the maintenance employees, teachers beware. Ralph has other motives. Enquirring minds want to know why someone from Naperville is so obsessed with employees from d131. Administration numbers EA 2 to 1 in 204 the district he lives in. Look into that Ralph and leave us the HE** alone!!!!!!!!!!!
When Clayton was here you lied on him and hated him as well. You still bringing up Hull like he is on the board. They have moved on so quit bringing them up.
East will will never change or move forward. All I ever here is about the past , the past, the past. Becker, Johnson, Leonard, Carlson, Serial Bully, kaisersnott, Anyone or anything new and not tied to some hypothetical past is bad; good luck trying to move forward
Has anything Ralph "exposed" ever amounted to anything? Has anything ever been done? Quit wasting your time Ralph! You got your $10,000 from the district, now go away!!!!!!
There are admins and assistant principals at the high school who are harassing the teachers with Charlotte Danielson ripping up their paperwork and nearly screaming at them about this and that is unacceptable, etc, being very bitchy and mean. They are all fairly new admins and I will just say that I have seen people like you come and go.. How dare you belittle teachers- the ones who work one on one with our kids because of paper work or because you didn't use one work instead of another in the robotic script that you expect out of us.. How dare you treat us like children you are supposed to help us through this process especially new teachers, but you are browbeating us!!! I have never heard of such unprofessional evaluators in my life!! Let me warn you whenever admins have behaved like this they were gone in the next year -Your actions have been documented-so keep it up!
The union negotiating team can not even protect themselves two of the three have already had violations on the evaluation process. GLotzbach has made it clear if you cross her she will destroy you. Teachers are screwed in this district our union wants us to strike during Christmas. They know teachers will not stay on the pick lines. Glotzbach is flexing her muscles and it is working.
@ anonymous2 comments above....I have had a similar experience to the one you are describing with my evaluator. My evaluator said I did a very good job with the lesson, but when it came to the Charlotte Danielson portion, my evaluator was kind of intimidating. I left the post conference very flustered. I feel I had good evidence in my lesson of different aspects of what Charlotte Danielson says is effective, but my evaluator kept asking for me to tie it further...and further to Charlotte Danielson. I thought it was part of their job to recognize and help us recognize where it fits in. This was my first time dealing with Charlotte Danielson, a little patience and understanding of this being a new process would have helped and eased some anxiety
I heard similar stories from a member of our negoicating team Glotzbach kiss up Angie Rowley after a year of judging the majority of teachers in the building excellent is now telling us we can't teach. It's funny how Ms Johnson likes to tell everyone the Magnet school is the best in Kane county.
Ms Johnson maybe you should look into the review process. We can't have the best school and have become failing teachers. Also to the others on the board wake up there is many reasons why the contract will lead to a strike.
Ms Hachett is it time you also review what is happening and ask questions. We are not afraid of informals we just want them done fairly.
Speaking up should not cost you, but it is. We are prepared to strike!
The real Popp and Hanley run a public relations image campaign monthly at EAHS. This would be a noble cause except for its a photo op session. A meeting on Thursday produced the following. Hanley shows to clear the room that was running late for a group of students meeting with a Waubonsee Community College rep filling out college applications. Hanley lets it be known to Crespo that Popp is on a busy schedule. Does the BOE, teachers or community really believe Popp and Hanley care about the students of EA? They could have provided assistance to understand difficulties with the real students not the top ten of the class. That is why we have little to no respect for Popp.
"On October 13, 2015, you submitted a FOIA request for the following documents:
Invoices, contractual agreements, purchase orders, specific dates, 'events', 'purpose' , method of payment and copy of payments for all paid speakers at East Aurora High School from Sept. 1, 2015, to Oct. 12, 2015;
Purchase orders, invoices, competitive quotes, paid speakers and event agenda for Veterans Day event hosted by East Aurora High School on or about Nov. 11, 2015
As you were previously notified, on or before 21 days from receipt of this request, the District will provide an estimate of the time required by the public body to provide the records requested and an estimate of the fees to be charged, which the public body may require you to pay in full before copying the requested documents. The District estimates this request will take 15 business days. The District continues to gather documents. The cost at this time is estimated to be less than $10.00 "
Matt Hanley Community Relations East Aurora School District 131
1 month response is more than adequate to gather this information Shortly after another FOIA was delayed an additional 3 weeks
Issue # 2 Previous FOIA’s there were 3 issues (documents) requested but never received
A Signed Current Contracts for Matthew Hanley & Anthony Crespo It is possible they were never signed thus I would expect a response of Signed Contracts do not exist
B Pay Stubs for Rudy Keller & Michael Rogowski current interim AD
C 2013 Stipend $ 4,680.92 for Sara Imthurn-documents explaining services
I have sent Matt Hanley emails concerning this issue to no avail Mr Laesch it is obvious that these requests are very reasonable and should have been responded to in a timely manner.
I do have the right to appeal this decision by Matt Hanley to the Illinois Attorney General’s Office thus getting the attorney’s involved again. You know as well as I do this is a waste of money and time on everyone’s part especially with District 131 in disarray.
I do not want to pursue it in this manner but will if necessary. Need your advice and direction to proceed in resolving the above.
I do expect more excuses and rationalization from EA justifying their position
Isn't there something the district can do to stop you from wasting our tax dollars with stupid requests? I hope you get something that gives you incurable diarrhea for Christmas.
Find some other way to waste your time and your own money!
Have administrators do their jobs honestly Spend money wisely Board of Ed actually monitor everything that is spent & approved by Dr Popp & Joan Glotzbach
Become a truly TRANSPARENT School District so that the issues Ralph brings out actually do not happen
I am sure he has reasons for pursuing many an issue and if Hanley actually will provide what he is requesting - then let him research and see what he finds.
He has definitely opened our eyes with solid proof of the unending waste of Tax Dollars
The person commenting as Insider 131 has offered a simple fix. Everyone do their job and do it right and be open about what you are doing then there is nothing to FOIA if it is all public record of what is done. Keep nipping at their heels, Ralph.
I agree with you Anonymous Insider 131. Ralph probably worked somewhere like the rest of us who had to take Ethics classes and classes on misuse of money. Just because the District post the credit cards charges in the Board Book doesn't mean that they have someone approving those expenses. It does look like they bypassed the bidding procedure on some things.
Since this State is one of the most corrupt in the U.S. we don't get the help to expose these illegal misuse of money.
Padron has exposed nothing and cost the district over six figures answering his FOIA requests. Since 2012 Padron has filed well over 400 requests and even at one point extorted $10,000 in consulting fees. He has damaged people's professional careers and goes by the name the Mexican Robin Hood. Anyone see a pattern! He is sick and needs help.
Ralph has been keeping us informed when our union will not. He has developed a network that respects him because he is able and willing to speak out. Thruckenbrod and others sit at school board meeting writing names down and pulling building info down off their IPhones. Many of us that have talked at meetings are facing additional classroom visits and intimidation. Sara can lie and say that is not happening but it is. Ralph keeps us informed.
The latest is Sara is attempting to stop the strike vote. We need to call the national chapter on her. She now claims 90% of the teachers need to vote for a strike. If staff members do not show up the vote will get counted as a no. There is also talk of voting at outside locations making it difficult for teachers to get reach. Why would Sara and her group do that if not to take our civil rights away from us. It looks like the union is back in the 1920s. We need to ask questions NOW. We also need to tell other members of the negotiating team this is not acceptable. In democracy MAJORITY rules.
Our union has us by the short hairs. They will not allow us to go on strike and they will not represent us. Sara is in bed with administration and Hettinger does not care. We have no legal resprentation and they are making up lies. When does majority not rule? Now we hear e can not vote at the buildings. This is an attempt to stop the democratic process. We need another union but everyone is afraid to go a year without representation. We need to stop this attempt to force us to sign a bad contract. There is strength in numbers throw out the blue buttons.
Ask ourself are we better without them for a year. What have they done evaluations are a form of oppressive dictatorship.
We are not going to be allowed a proper vote and our union has removed our rights. Last week Sara sent out a lame message about her credits NOBODY CARES. What we care about is our wages. Many of us stayed with this district for years and starting over again is not in the cards. We don't even know what they asked of the district in wages. The insurance will cost me and additional $125 per month because I have a family. Shame on me! Now this how can Sara , Dr Popp, Hanley and Carla sleep at night.
Why won't she enter those buildings? Is she afraid of the lashings that she would receive from Union members? I will go find a new job if I don't see significant progress toward a fair contract soon. I am not going to have my salary frozen for another year just to be jerked around by administration and our union.
I think that district can save money by not sending administrators to Spain to recruit spanish teachers for a failed district.
Quick TIP EA- invest in your teachers that are in the trenches. Back them up with competent support staff. Improve everyone with effective mangers that are not here on the buddy system.
If my taxes go up I rather that money go towards making our district something to talk about instead of laughing about on the beacon or the blog.
The reason they need to go to Spain is teachers with Bilingual certs make more. We will not work in this district more than four years because any other time would get us stuck in a pointless situation. My friends who have worked here for ten years can not leave other district will hire them. Basically you are forced to start over.
If the union is going to screw us and I believe they will just get it over with. At four years I am not behind other districts if I stay longer I will be. Please just let me take my 7% raise this year and I will move on. They will give us the lump sum check after we are screwed in January and we will not get the tax money back until 2017. Sara got paid for increasing her education and I am frozen sounds fair Huh.
But, to answer your question under the system today Spain is necessary. Parents in this district do not care that their children are not being educated by real teachers. To anonymous: ask or Foia how many Subs are filling in full time because they cant find Bilingual or Sped. I believe the number is 90. permanent subs
From what I hear, the hourly wage that the district pays for physical, speech, and occupational therapists via agencies is astronomical (I only wish that I had exact numbers). If EA offered a more competitive wage, they could hire the therapists in-house and save money. But that would just make too much sense (no pun intended).
Quick comment-I tried to understand why EA was going to Spain to recruit teachers. I was told because the students came with all the certification required to be a bilingual teacher in EA. From my limited knowledge of the recruiting. #1- the Language from Spain is not the same as the Spanish spoken by the children in our school district. 2. Many of these people got homesick and returned, leaving D131 after the expense of the recruitment. I had a friend who was admin at Northeastern IL Univ. in Chicago. When I explained to her about the recruitment, she told me they could make sure the NEIU students had the same certification that EA required. Making, these students from the U.S., qualified to teach for EA. So as explained to me, there was no need for trips to Spain. I gave Marin Gonzales this lady's business card. She did nothing to change the hiring process. There had been EA grads who had attempted to be hired by 131, who were bilingual. The district did not hire them, back then. Why the trips continue is a mystery, because they obviously, adamantly deny it being for the simple pleasure of going to Spain.
The district stopped going to Spain for three years but Glotzbach resumed the practice under Popp. Two have already broken their contracts and went back to Spain. They think our curriculum and classroom direction is slave labor. The funny thing is even they don't want to work for 131. Our union is stopping our right to vote but wait until next year teachers are planning on leaving in droves. There will not be enough teachers in Spain to fill the positions. The board need to take immediate action our moral is horrible. Intherm has not been seen for days, we assume she is on another vacation. She never answers her phone or emails. Sara reports to Glotzbach not the union members.
It sounds like many people are planning on leaving if this sh**show continues in EA. I love my students and generations of my family have lived in East Aurora, but if distrust with the admin/board and a non-competitive salary are going to be the norm in this district and employees have to choose between family or students, the students will lose. Low morale affects the attitudes of staff, which is passed on to students. If staff can travel a little further from (or in my case, closer to) home to be a little more comfortable financially and have more support, they will. There will be an exodus of teachers. And the district will be royally screwed in the number of vacancies that cannot be filled. The retirees in the district boundaries can say they won't care as their own kids do not attend school any longer, but their property values sure will suffer.
Peace, love, joy, and happiness to ALL reading this blog! Have a beautiful Thanksgiving from a teacher who has been working tirelessly in this district for the last eight years. Find your light and shine it relentlessly! "If you build it, he will come!" You are making a difference...
I understand the point of "low morale." Those screaming the loudest about the taxes are those who have only recently, 10 years or less, moved into the district. They thought they would buy into a great new home and reap benefits of lower taxes than similar homes in higher taxed areas. Now it has come back to bite them and they are crying. Stella and MaryAnne, former board members were two of those ladies. The new lady is another. Many of those people have no vested interest in the district. They didn't raise their families here, have no grandchildren in the schools. or some, like Annette, has never had any children and doesn't have any idea what goes on In the schools. So she promised a bunch of folks at election time she would make sure their taxes didn't go up. The board supported all the new construction and buying up property and even many poor decisions of badly executed B&G work and hiring of unqualified staff at central office. So now they want the community to think the teachers contract is what will put a strain on the budget. The teachers are the only thing that have stood strong and solidly doing there job and have worked efficiently in this district for a number of decades.
Leonard isn't the first board member who reaped benefits for himself and friends thru B&G. Popp is not the first Supt. to put unqualified staff into position. Granted these things happen sometimes. District 131 seems to be continuously putting students and teachers last, even though their motto used to be "students first." Our school board is ultimately responsible! They hire the supt. if he is not doing his job, of giving our children a quality educational opportunity, then shame on the D131 school board!!
Date: Nov 25, 2015 To: Mr Richard Leonard Board of Education East Aurora Dist 131 Subject: Purchasing Violations at EHS
Mr Richard Leonard Upon reviewing the most current FOIA response concerning Purchases made at the East High School, AGAIN there are major violations in the spending of Taxpayer Dollars. I am reviewing all emails and documents to support my findings. Will make this available upon completion of auditing the current FOIA received.
Reference PO 161741 9-25 Requisition submitted 9-28 Approved by Anthony Crespo & Mark Truckenbrod 9-29 PO created by Elise Clever 10-14 PO closed Invoice dated SEPT 16 2015
There are still 2 additional PO’s needed to be thoroughly audited. Already I have noticed several violations on these purchases.
Upon review of emails and purchasing documents I will submit all findings (with attachments) to support these charges.
I am a taxpayer that lives in the senior living community. Obviously you don't get it. When a community is taxed at 13% verses Napervilles 9% there is a major problem. Our houses have lost value and taxes have gone up. If you are a tax payer in 131 you are also being overtaxed and undervalued. Our community has stopped growing and with the land along Indian Trail another 800 houses with no children could be built bring another 7 million in revenue into our schools.
I have great respect for Anette Johnson she has financial knowledge and has worked to reduce costs while helping children. I find your comments offensive and ignorant. I also found the teachers in EA actions at the last meeting very troubling . If they act like this it is no wonder EA has a displine problem with students. If my neighbors want to run for the board and are elected that is the democratic way. You also have the same right as the parents who never attend meeting or care about their children.
Again, I have lived in Aurora for my whole life, I did not buy a huge or pricey house and I know I pay more than my fair share of taxes. And no I don't live by Stonebridge. Your assumption that it is just one geographic segment of the district that states the taxes are outlandish is way way off base. The amount of money this district spends is the issue and there are no great results to show for the money spent. We should not be throwing away money on people from the age of 21 until their death. This district is somewhat typical of all school districts when it comes to spending. Ralph thinks he is doing our district a favor by his insanity, well if he would actually look into the surrounding districts, he would find that the issues at 131 are little molehills compared to what takes place around the region. That is pretty sad. But very true. Please start accepting your responsibility and start dealing with the real issues in the district and Aurora. Start helping the administration and the board. For too many decades you have been the cause of most of the problems, start admitting it. The kids deserve better.
That tax rate did not happen overnight. Did you not research the rate before you purchased a home? Almost every home has lost value due to the recession and I can tell you that my taxes have gone up as well (I live west of Aurora). I probably pay more in taxes than you do, and I can almost guarantee that my home is worth less than yours. As far as your comment about Annette, she may be a good friend, but I don't see wonderful evidence of her helping our students or reducing costs (other than helping to keep some employees' salaries near the poverty line). Maybe she, along with the rest of the board, needs to keep a better eye on district purchases, recruiting/lavish trips, and exorbitant salaries in administration for those who can't seem to do a decent job. Tell me again why EA needs so many "superintendent/director" positions that don't seem to be helping the educators and students any more than districts of our size who have 3 such titled positions? **Your comment about the actions of teachers at the last board meeting was quite vague. Would you mind elaborating?
Everyone knows that the tax rate goes across the district. No one "assumes" it's a problem only for Stonebridge. It's that those are mostly the residents that the board hears complaints from and has time to attend the meetings.
Apparently some people were not paying attention to the poor management of the EA school district until the affects hit home. Now they want the children's education and the educators to pay the cost for the long term neglect by the taxpayers. Possibly it is one of those people living in th NE side of town, collecting a pension from a job they started at age 21 and will be collecting until they die, that is now upset that someone else may be trying to reap the same benefits. If a person dedicated their whole life to a position, especially one like teaching, why shouldn't they have a pension the rest of their lives? This is not something new, nor is tax increases & decreases. Property values going up and down is another thing that is not unique to NE or any town, USA. Where were these people the last 10-12 years when parents and teachers have complained about the state of the district. Well now that you have finally woke up, you will find the answer to your concerns, about business Within central office, is pretty much unchanging from answers to taxpayers in the past. They ask for parental involvement, yet discourage input. The board wants the community to reach out, yet stifles them when not inline with their agenda. You can listen to board member promises and speak at the podium with as many neighbors in the audience as you can muster. In the end, no one facing you in that board room cares. The district's final answer, in a nutshell, is and continues to be- Thank you for coming, we appreciate you comments........Suck it up buttercup!
The letter you wrote to staff about humbling thanks are an attempt to get us to vote for the contract. The letter probably written by you private press secretary does not cut it. When you gave him a $40,000 raise and handed the teachers crumbs you showed what you value and it is not us. Writing a few kind words about teachers is fine but what about support staff and others that keep the buildings going. We have no raise to buy Christmas presents with this year and no hope of a fair contract.
Please again Dr Popp don't write us show us but you will not because EA is just a blip on your radar.
Again, in East Aurora less than 20% of school funding comes from local taxes. Perhaps instead of complaining about the school portion of your tax bill, you should begin comparing the city portion of your tax bill with the surrounding communities. I believe that's where you'll find the greatest discrepancy.
Here's a easy way to see the difference. This link compares the tax bills of Naperville 203 and Indian Prairie 204. Please notice the city portion of the tax bill. I am sure once you see the facts, you'll begin to put the blame where it truly belongs.
I don't want to hear about how teachers are spoiled when it comes to their retirement. All of the years that I spent paying into Social Security before going into the educational setting (and I still pay into it with my after-school/weekend/summer job) is going towards paying YOUR Social Security benefits. I will see none of that money by the time that I retire. And I'll be lucky if I receive what I am fully entitled to with TRS, since that is also a pathetic state of affairs. I take money out of my already meager paycheck to pay into my own retirement savings.
Date: Nov 25, 2015 To: Board of Education East Aurora Dist 131 Subject: Purchasing Violations at EHS Part 1
Here is a recap of the Violations regarding PO 161741 Invoice dtd 9-16 2015 $ 4,139.00
9-25 Requisition submitted 9-28 Approved by Anthony Crespo 9-28 Approved by Mark Truckenbrod 9-29 PO created by Elise Clever 10-14 PO closed
• 10-14 Rudy Keller approves invoice for $ 4,139.00 • Invoice is paid for different amount $ 4,259.00 • Appears invoice is paid on credit card • Email dtd September 15 2015 speaks for itself • Did Rudy Keller give Amy Martensen (EHS Chemistry Teacher) prices for her sister to review and quote on? It appears that is what was done
Questions 1. Why was this PO approved by those entrusted to prevent protocol violations 2. Isn’t this why the Purchasing Approval was implemented 3. Does Anthony Crespo, Mark Truckenbrod, and Elise Clever understand PO procedures
The Original Invoice should have been voided/disallowed then do the PO in accordance with Policy
4. Why is freight so enormously expensive 5. Was there another vendor locally could have provided a comparable item 6. Why wasn’t the ROTC involved with the purchase of this item 7. Why were internet prices downloaded on Oct 27 as comparable quotes when flags were already delivered?
Closing Comments
Were we or were we not assured these violations would not reappear? How can EA get a vote of confidence from the Taxpayers when those in authority let this happen?
Unfortunately more FOIA’s will be submitted to further research the above and other violations I have discovered
You know I have been reading through all these comments. I am really sad that people think that teachers are just trying to get raises because we feel we are owed them. That is not what it is about at all. We work so hard and everything increases; our insurance premiums, co-pays, Rx costs, everyday expenses, etc. Then we see the crazy amounts the administration is earning, the raises people like Hanley and Sara are handed. Not to mention trips, free lunches, cell phones, computers, tablets, and so much more. But, we get pushed down everyday, more requirements, different evaluations, frozen stipends; the list goes on and on. Now ghost payroll? Plus, the pressure to get an advanced degree. It is just so frustrating.
These admins just care about their own advancement; they feel teachers are scum and have made comments like' I don't have to talk to him . He's a first year teacher.' They are out for themselves; give no support to teachers( in fact when given the chance they will nail teachers to the wall) and make the evaluation process as unpleasant as possible. Most admins have minimal class experience; most are failed teachers or admins from other districts.. They actually feel as if they are superior to teachers(the ones actually dealing with our precious students)They do not support their own teachers. Unless it is social studies or math/business or science who are good to their people- special Ed-forget it he will throw you under the bus in a second, especially his new teachers. With this negotiating process with the contract we are doomed our reps have bought the b.s; they will not try to do a strike vote and will do what ever Sara/Springfield tells them- they are all useless.
I am not attending the Christmas party. The $5 charge is a insult. Administration can spend on whatever they want and create PR events to stroke their own ego. Thanks again to Mr Padron we are hearing of another scandal and ten of thousands wasted.
Date: Dec 4, 2015 To: Board of Education East Aurora Dist 131 Subject: More Flag Purchasing Violations at EHS Part 2 Here is a recap of the Violations regarding the OTHER “Flag Purchase” PO 161742 A Stars & Stripes Flag Corp 9-25 Requisition submitted 9-28 Approved by Anthony Crespo 9-28 Approved by Mark Truckenbrod 9-29 PO created by Elise Clever 10-21 PO closed
• 9-29 PO amount $ 2,345.00 • 9-29 Invoice for $ 2,965.00 • 9-15 Quote for $ 2,345.00 No revised PO nor quote is ever generated
9-24 Rudy Keller email states “order” is approved then places order Despite no PO process has not even begun Questions 1. Why was PO approved by those entrusted to prevent these violations 2. Certainly appears that this is another PO “Rubber Stamped” 3. Why did Keller submit a web site as a “competitive quote”
Closing Comments “Again Repetitive”
a) Were we or were we not assured these violations would not reappear? b) How can EA get a vote of confidence from the Taxpayers when those in authority let this happen? c) Pattern is being established that Veterans Event Purchasing was handled by those not qualified to approve and oversee Taxpayer Dollars.
NOTE: Seems odd, this PO was generated the same day as PO 161741 previously I submitted to the Board of Ed
As usual all documents attached were obtained via FOIA’s submitted to EA Dist 131
Front page of the high school newsletter from the principal: "Continue to Take Challenging Courses- An "A" in "AP Biology" is more impressive than an "A" in gym" Can we be more disrespectful to a hardworking group of PE staff across the district? Does he know gym is a location and not a class?Does he know that PE is a state graduation requirement? Last I knew AP classes were not required to graduate. Maybe the focus should be on respecting ALL staff and meeting the students where they're at first...and set priorities to help students graduate in 4 years. The leadership makes ignorant comments like this yet expect staff to just continue to take it. Enough already! The staff and students deserve leadership that is just that leadership! Not continual defrauding comments from admin who could care less as long as they can advance in their career.
PE is a life skill we all need. But so is appropriate vocabulary use
said...
Defrauding comments? Clearly a PE teacher wrote that....not the AP English teacher. An A in an AP class carries more weight in the GPA for sure. It makes a big impact on a student's college admission requirements. That is the spirit of that comment. Get over yourself!
Thruckenbrod put the finger on Jessica B who attempted to save the district money by ghost payroll Rudy Keller. Crespo harassed her until she quit now her students are literally bouncing off the walls. That is why we will not vote for the contract until we are respected and not harassed.
Will EAHS ever get a leader we can look up to?
said...
I would like to see that newsletter. Where can I pick up a copy? I did not graduate with with my class due to beng short required PE credits. I passed biology, but without the PE credit that meant nothing. I graduated the following January. Ignorance can be found even among those with degrees, I guess is a good lesson to take from the newsletter. Thank for sharing, Anon2
Who wrote that about PE classes Anonymous anonymous2? More and more you see how D131 and The Board of Education at 131 don't hire good Principals. Even back in the 70's you had to pass PE to graduate. This person is saying a student needs to get A's in just classes that count for graduation and if it doesn't count you can fail. That is no way to teach students they need to know they need to try their best in whatever they do.
Crespo was interviewed by Simmons and picked along with another person as our number one and two candidate for AP. Thruckenbrod was present at the round table and decided not to listen to teachers. Crespo was green and had zero curriculum experience. The AP slot would have allowed him to grow. He was asked about taking a cut in pay at the time and he claimed that was not an issue. The next thing we know is he becomes principal of EAHS. Crespo was then given a larger salary than the other principal.
The feeling on Thruckenbrod is the same as he was Dr Popps friend from 204 and paid more than any other at central office. I thank Mr Padron for keeping us update on salaries at central office. I have always excepted less working at EA but I can no longer continue to get slapped in the face with salary and incompetence at central office. Everyone was upset with the decsion of Thruckenbrod at Simmons. We knew the fix was in. Ms Gibson was not ready and did not have the credituals needed at the time. Teachers are still upset that our time was wasted if central office already picked the AP.
Until decisions like this stop EA is not going to heal MS JOHNSON. WAKEUP, along with your fellow BOE members. Your sound bits about healing are nice but take some action.
Date: Dec 5, 2015 To: Board of Education East Aurora Dist 131 Subject: Veterans Event Purchasing Violations at EHS Part 3
PO: NEVER PROVIDED despite several requests Amount: $1,680.00 Company: R & M Specialties (Jacket Purchase) All emails are attached
9-22 Rudy Keller email to Anthony Crespo (EHS Principal) & Kim Mundt (Secretary) “Here is a quote for supervision & security jackets Dr Popp asked me to order” 9-24 Kim Mundt email to R Keller “Mr Crespo said to go ahead and order these items”
Why is Mike Popp involved in jacket purchase, when an unresolved teacher contract is chaotic
Wouldn’t his time be better spent in high priority areas
1 Crespo gives approval to order DESPITE no PO is even in process 2 Has purchasing procedures changed recently overriding Protocol & Procedures 3 The Principals office should have NEVER GIVEN Keller authorization to proceed or is EHS immune from these rules
9-25 Order is placed & Order Confirmation is received 9-25 Request for Purchase Order submitted
Request takes several days and layers of approval before a Purchase Order is issued Despite this purchasing policy, the order was placed and confirmed SAME DAY.
Closing Comments (Sound framiliar)
1 Were we or were we not assured these violations would not reappear? 2 How can EA get a vote of confidence from Taxpayers when those in authority let this happen? 3 Pattern is being established that Veterans Event Purchasing was handled by those not qualified to approve and oversee Taxpayer Dollars. 4 I am still awaiting the PO for this purchase to review the approval log naming Anthony Crespo, Mark Truckenbrod & Elise Clever as authorizing this purchase
As usual all documents attached were obtained via FOIA’s submitted to EA Dist 131
Please come to the union meeting on Tuesday. The union will tell us the district can not pay for our money demands. They will also challenge us to take a strike vote and see if we are committed. It is sad to say they are setting us up. If we do not show solidarity our opportunity for getting paid a living wage is lost. Please show up and question the union their excuses. They act like administration in that they are always attempting to intimidate us.
Also, show up and support our hard working secretaries as they make their demands for a living wage at the board meeting.
It's no wonder you have a community that is getting sick of your whining.
said...
You DO MAKE A LIVING WAGE! it is an insult to the community you work in to claim that you do not. Look up the term "living wage" and look hard at the faces of the children you serve....you certainly have a living wage.
When you became a full time teacher for the first time what experience did you have. There is always someone somewhere that is more qualified to do any job; that includes you. Not when you were green but right now. I'll go further to say one of your coworker in your Dept
It's pretty damn sad when I can make more at another district with 3 years experience than I do at EA with 10 years experience. This screwed up system needs to be fixed.
Do you think the maintenance people complain about their wages in comparison to teachers? No! It is like comparing apples and oranges. Hanley is an administrator that receives administrative pay. His pay is based on a different scale! Let it go! Strike already!
Matt Hanley is not an administrator except in title. He does not have an administrator license and his teaching license is not even issued by Kane County. He has no legal qualifications to do any certified job in Districtv131. Only in District 131 do we take people with little to no qualifications and pay them top dollar. You just make sure you're in with the right people.
Hanley is worthless! What value does he bring to the district? He sends out worthless press releases and uses outside contractors to do his work as Mr Padron has pointed out. If they can waste money on him why not pay tge teachers who are on the front lines daily.
Come to the Montgomery Village Hall tomorrow after school. The union will have information on a STRIKE VOTE. We have to be taken seriously by the board and send the board our demands. They think we will not STRIKE and word is they have not moved on anything .
We need to remember that we have been vocal for fair pay and administration has been told to punish us. Informuals and overtones are out of control. Glotzbach and Thruckenbrod have sat at meetings taking notes who is complaining the most. This has translated into more visits from principals or division chairs to our classroom. It is well noted that negotiation reps have been targeted as Glotzbach claims there is no problem. There is a BIG problem board. GLotzbach and Thruckenbrod are making a list and checking it twice.
Date: Dec 6 2015 To: Board of Education East Aurora Dist 131 Subject: Update Veterans Event Investigation Pt 1
To Board of Education:
I have audited 3 Purchases for the Veterans Day Event and a pattern has emerged @ Purchasing Policy was NOT adhered to @ Items were ordered per Rudy Keller
@ Flag Purchases were approved by 1 Anthony Crespo (Principal) 2 Mark Truckenbrod (Director Leadership & Development) 3 Elise Clever (Purchasing Agent) who’s approval generated a Purchase Order NO QUESTIONS ASKED by those approving PO Request
Emails provide timelines and irregularities 3 PO’s audited = $ 7,600.00
When all info is gathered I expect Costs TO EXCEED $ 20,000.00 Overtime & other fees will add an additional $ 10,000.00
Am anxiously awaiting Approved Budget to compare actual costs
Simmons Middle School had a Veterans Event, please compare costs and resources utilized
TO: Mr Richard Leonard
On Nov 18th 2015 I requested your assistance in obtaining the following info #1 Explanation on Matt Hanley’s decision to extend a FOIA response to 7 weeks.
#2 Documents never received
1 Sara Imthurn 2013 Stipend for $ 4,680.92 2 SIGNED contracts for Matthew Hanley & Anthony Crespo 3 Pay Stubs for Interim EHS AD Rudy Keller & Michael Rogowski (former 204 employees) I emailed Matt Hanley several times Result = NO RESPONSE
Appears Mike Popp has no intention in responding to this information which the Public is lawfully entitled to. Needless to say, I did submit an inquiry to the Attorney General’s office requesting their assistance in releasing this info. Again this could have been avoided.
Please follow up with those necessary to bring this out publicly and hold Mike Popp accountable. How long will this Board allow themselves to be DISRESPECTED & IGNORED by the Popp Era.
Agreed, Hanley is worthless! I can not understand why anyone could allow this. When I spoke with Johnson she made it well known she asked several members not to vote for this. She stated she was only able to convince Richard Leonard. I always supported Strand biut many many teachers and staff feel lied to. Strand stated the money was saved by not filling the Technology departments position. I would hope she would think technology is more important than a PR person. The condition of our technology department shows the lack of skills and management. Some building have tech fixed immediately, some wait for months. The Magnet school is allowed to box up broken computers and send them out. The 360 system was installed with zero training .
Ms Strand who tells us her husband is a teacher and feels our pain is a fraud. She feels nothing, when she can support underpaid teachers and overpaid administration. Ms Johnson stated the board will not allow teachers to get bullied. Well, Ms Johnson it happens every day. wHat are you doing to address it?
Very well put Anonymous Anonymous said. It does seem that The Administration at D131 has all the top electronics and they state we don't have money for the teachers. I wonder how many Administrators use some of that equipment for their personal use also.
The IT department went downhill this year. Shields was difficult to get a response from, so it's probably good that he's gone. I have never had much of an issue with the tech employees/foot soldiers who visit schools. They run their butts off all day. The district goes and buys hundreds of new laptops and iPads this year, and I haven't heard from one person who prefers the new computers over last years/the old ones. And many iPads have sat at admin office since the summer, not yet formatted for school use.
Since D131 wants to shrink the tech department here what we should do too. 1. Stop buying laptops, ipads, macbooks, smartboards, etc for all of the schools. As the number of devices grows, you need more skilled professionals to manage them and keep them running. Since you are shrinking the department, stop wasting money on expensive tech that will just get neglected when broken or fixed at huge expense from taxpayers. 2. The administrators needs to stop getting top of line equipment. They already have high salaries. An ipad, macbook, 2 screens, and the latest Iphone. For the ammount of progressive being made in our district, i would say that inventory for admins in outrageous. 3. Close the magnet school. That school is highly dependent on tech. There use to be someone there everyday to check on things when the building opened up. Ever since that individual left, the response time for ITHELP has been slow and unreliable.
How does a public relations person (and not a teacher) who does not have a valid Kane County teaching certificate manage to get TRS? And have it paid for by district 131? ! How could this school board approve such a thing ? The State of Illinois needs to perform an audit on this district. There is fraud at the highest levels. The tax payers are getting fleeced, the teachers are getting fleeced and most importantly our students are getting fleeced! STRIKE NOW!
As this post says, we have a lot to be thankful for. I am truly thankful our EA teachers work as hard as they do for as many years as they have to teacher in our district. I hope they do not have to strike, but support the if they do! I find it sadly amusing the Board basically responds.."we didn't know..." Some of the same people presently sitting on this board decided to take a light hand with discipline problems, even though the teachers were telling them they were creating a poor classroom environment and making it hard for teachers to teach effectively. Now they play dumb and say they are working are to fix things. Puh.... leez! This has been going on for quite sometime. Wake up school board! How many of these things need to happen before you realize the admin at a couple levels is not giving you a true picture of what is happening in our schools. In the class rooms, and in your finances and your B &G people are BS-ing you about the health of all these things. Listen to the people working there and the community, especially, they elected you to represent ALL of them, not just a small group. EA teachers, I can't speak for all, but believe more of you community supports you than the district realizes. Best to you!!
The board needs to look at priorities and under Dr Popp his priorities are misguided. I attended the meeting at looked at the charts yesterday. It shows the district is running out of money under his leadership. The districts is taking in more money and spending less on teachers. This trend needs to stop. He has treated us in every aspect with disrespect.
Date: Dec 9 2015 Board of Education East Aurora Dist 131 Subject: Were PBIS Funds Used for Speakers at Nov 2 Veterans Event
The Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports is established by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to define, develop, implement, and evaluate a multi-tiered approach to Technical Assistance that improves the capacity of states, districts and schools to establish, scale-up and sustain the PBIS framework. Emphasis is given to the impact of implementing PBIS on the social, emotional and academic outcomes for students with disabilities. https://www.pbis.org/
Please research if the following services for the Veterans Event Nov 2 was expensed out to PBIS Funds. If so, it appears that these services do not match up with the stated intent of those students with disabilities.
$ Amount PO# Invoice#
Allen J Lynch – Speaker Medal of Honor- $2,000.00 9014299 101 Cornellison Corp - National Anthem 800.00 9014343 102 (Chicago Blackhawks Singer) Todd Mielcalz – Technical Services 599.00 9014491 103 Daniel C Starr – Bagpipes 150.00 9014345 104 Richard Yndesped – Bugler 100.00 9014462 105 Total Amount $ 3,649.00
Questions Invoice # is sequential for the entire group which is very suspicious Did Accounting generated their invoices? Invoice Date is identical for all- Nov 30 2015 If these were expensed out to PBIS, who authorized Did Rudy Keller make these decisions exclusively and did Mark Truckenbrod & Anthony Crespo approve this. Was it necessary to spend this money at a time when there is a potential Teacher Strike
Comments This is the 4th inquiry in a series regarding Wasteful Spending and multiple violations regarding the Veterans Event. The most recent “Purchasing Report” ($12,000.00) from attorney Bernie Weiler was to address violations and protect the Public from a reoccurrence of previous scandals.
Regardless of verbal assurances from the Administration “Wasteful spending and Violations” continue. Reference Flag Purchases approval by EHS Principal Anthony Crespo, Director of Leadership Development Mark Truckenbrod.& Purchasing Agent Elise Clever. How can they justify approving those Purchases. Are they immune from Disciplinary Action ?
Guess it’s Business as Usual at East Aurora under the leadership of Mike Popp
All information gathered from the Dec 7 2015 List of Bills I am still awaiting FOIA responses from Oct 2015. When received I will then send attachments with a more comprehensive report.
Needless to say, this initial discovery warrants additional documents.
Maybe the teachers should go on strike. Then the board could make a deal with one of those companies that contracts out teachers. This could be the start of a new era for the school system. better teaching, no whining about having to work more than 5 hours a day. You know, walking to their classrooms from cars, uphill both ways. Have to throw the word 'disrespect" in the equation for some unknown reason when they don't get their way. I was always taught that respect is earned, not just given. People, no more payments from age 21 until your death! Maybe, yes maybe. going on strike could bring about some real useful changes at the district. Like people actually doing some work!!! I would recommend the board contact one of these companies immediately and check out the potential cost savings versus having to keep overpaying employee teachers with pensions that are not sustainable and the potential of improving the lives of the students that they touch. Current teachers would be welcome to become employees of the contract company. While they are at it, I would also recommend talks with janitorial/maintenance companies for outsourcing that department. Everyone saw how Caterpillar was able to get rid of a lot of bad union habits in the strike there decades ago, maybe a strike here with a governmental agency such as a school district will allow the board to do the same. Teachers, if you haven't seen it in the news, students all over are being a bigger pains that in the past and a large part of it is on you and what you teach. Don't lay that all off on the administration. You are just as culpable. Also, there are management companies that can run the school district also, if that needs to be looked into.
Let's see if teachers that are contracted or Hanley could take getting cursed at, pinched, hit and sexually harassed. The comments in Spanish would make you sick. They think we do not know what they are saying well WE DO. This is not to say that 95% of students are not great kids but under Thruck we have been told hands off.
Anonymous way past fed up said.. You are way out of line and if you think contract teachers would be better you haven't worked with any of them. They have nothing to lose so they don't but all their effort in the work. Students not learning isn't the teachers fault. You have an administration that can't even put out a curriculum for them. Look at our classrooms that are overcrowded and falling apart what kind of environment is that to learn in? I don't see where the teachers have bad union habits. What I see is Administrators having a working lunch with just themselves. Getting new phones and not even using them.
I support these teachers and they should go on strike. Look at all this money administration in D131 on flags that don't even get a approval which I believe the IL School Code requires approvals on things like this. Stand Tall East Aurora teachers you deserve better and it won't happen unless you stand up for yourself.
Way past fed up appears to be way past a lot of things, but sensible is not one of them. Get a grip Mr. or Mrs. fed up. Hmmmm . .....who could be getting "way past" bent out of shape over the teachers contract, but someone who has an ax to grind. Could it be Over taxed Ward 1 resident, Overpayed 131 PR guy, or Over confident Board member who lives in Ward 1?
I am sure the Board is reading your suggestions on the blog right now and considering calling a special session to take your ideas to the bargaining table. Bwah-ha-ha-ha!
Guess what? Many specialists in the district are hired out because they make MUCH more than what the district would pay them If they were district hires. They make $40/hr MINIMUM (that is the worker's cut, therefore the agency paying them is getting even more). It's a good way to bankrupt a district, as well as demonstrate how horrible the salaries are in 131. And those contractual employees sound like they have no problem leaving for another job site should a strike occur. Your point is invalid and moronic. What have you done throughout your lifetime that has made you so bitter and disconnected from the real world?
Thank you Ralph Padron! You are a patriot. The financial mismanagement you so faithfully call out, has a detrimental effect on the community of East Aurora. Our community deserves better, particularly the children
Way past fed up This sounds suspiciously like Matt Hanley and his teacher bashing. I just got home 5:30 went in at 7:00 am not complaining- got m other f'ed about 4 times, a kid gave me the finger, bought detergent and deodorant for a kid that never showers, gave another kid the shirt off my back because his pants split, fed kids, taught them and did social work because that's what we do to kids who are depressed, unmotivated, unloved and unwashed. Not complaining, part of the job. Worked on something called an SLO that is nothing but data proving that in spite of these horrifying conditions my kids are doing swell and testing at the top of the charts. Still not complaining. Have union reps that tell us not to strike, are uneducated about the facts of negotiation, have a union president that rats us out. Well complaining here a little. Hey dude- What company is going to out source this???????????? No one would do it!!!!! We can't even get subs and can hardly get anyone to stay
Our district spent EIGHT HUNDRED DOLLARS for some guy to sing the National Anthem???
There is no singer or choral group in our district (or for that matter, the city of Aurora) who could have sung it for maybe $100 (which was the reasonable amount paid to the bugler who played Taps)?
Thanks again, Mr. Padron, for bringing this exorbitant amount spent for a THREE MINUTE vocal performance to our attention!
...a corporate employee to think that a school district can just outsource jobs to an agency and turn things around lickity split. You sir, are an imbecile. Sorry that your 401K went to pot and you didn't make wise financial and retirement decisions sooner, now making you bitter. And don't worry-TRS (along with Social Security) will dry up before I can take advantage of it, so I won't be getting paid a pension until death.
Bragging rights for admin to have Jim sing. I'm sure the students could give a rat's rear about a hockey realm star. Now someone involved with soccer or basketball? That's a different story.
Sounds like someone stirring the Pot. I don't worry about my job because nobody will ever take it. Today I fed kids, brought my nieces new shoes for a kid who's shoes are duct taped, also worked on SLO's was observed twice, provided social work, fixed computers, chased down classroom materials and went to another windbag meeting with our principal giving out more homework. All that and my union rep tells me we can not get paid because the district has no money. Now I read someone got paid $800 to sing a three minute song. When will the maddness stop. I am sure Hanley had a hand in another PR event to make the superintendent look good.
Think of the shoes, soap food, classroom supplies and other necessities our students need. LOOK AT THE CHILDREN do you not have a heart. Some of the BOE members call themselves Christians why are they allowing this.
$800 to sing the national anthem is nothing to East Aurora. The district paid Oprah's husband $10,000 to come in and speak to the students at Cowherd a year or two ago. The talk lasted less than an hour and all he did was insult the teachers. I wonder if the district used Title 1 funds to pay for that too?
Congradulations East Aurora High School blew away West Aurora High School on the Paarc assessments no longer does EA rank the lowest. The Magnet School returned as the best school in Aurora. Congrads to everyone!
EA Teacher, Well stated! Thank you for eloquently stating the experience of educators in our district. We are professionals. We deeply care for the educational, emotional and physical well being of the students in our care. We purchase textbooks, pencils, supplies, prescription glasses and coats for students out of own pockets. Yet, we constantly have to defend ourselves. I love my students. I hope I don't have to choose between them and supporting my own family.
Mr. Padron, keep fighting the good fight! The "army" of administrators on Fifth Street needs to be held accountable. Your efforts are deeply appreciated.
Date: Dec 10, 2015 To: Christi Tyler East Aurora Dist 131
Subject: Double Payment for Flags Part 5
Dear Christi A double payment for $ 4,259.00 appears to have been made. Ref: PO 162972 invoice V631963 dtd 11-30-15
Please review the attached invoice (obtained via “List of Bills Dec 7 Bd Mtg) for “Healing Field & Flag Kits”
I will submit FOIA to obtain these documents on how this happened. The Veterans Event is full of violations and suspicious spending of Taxpayer Dollars thus one of the obvious questions remains unanswered “ What else is out there on wasted Taxpayer Dollars”
Please respond via email Thank you Ralph Padron
Link attached is for List of Bills turn to page 30 Healing Field & Flag Kits
Hanley must be out spreading misinformation again. A real community relations person could have helped get the Veterans Day celebration paid for. Claytom Muhammed had Alderwomen Burns pay for the Oprhas husband and no title funds or district were used. Clayton would have also involved students to sing and participate in the event. Hanley has had a history in outsourcing his work. I am sure the board is not even aware Hanley was given a tech person now to help him. The tech department is there to support students not overpaid Hanley.
Date: Dec 11 2015 To: Christi Tyler CC: East Aurora Board of Education Dist 131 Subject: Violations Galore on the Following Purchase Orders
1 All Purchase Orders were expensed to “Title” or Federal Funds How can Federal Funds be justified ?
2 All PO Requisitions are dtd AFTER Nov 2
3 PO’s are dated AFTER the Nov 2 Veterans Event Where is the “Approval Log”
4 Format for all invoices are identical Were all Invoices generated by EA or is it a coincidence that these 5 Vendors have the identical format? In addition all are dated 11-2 NOT A COINCIDENCE
Allen J Lynch – Speaker Medal of Honor- $ 2,000.00 PO 9014299 Inv# 101 Cornellison Corp - National Anthem 800.00 9014343 102 (Chicago Blackhawks Singer) Todd Mielcalz – Technical Services 599.00 9014491 103 Daniel C Starr – Bagpipes 150.00 9014345 104 Richard Yndesped – Bugler 100.00 9014462 105 Total $ 3,649.00
Questions @ Who determined this to be expensed to Federal Funds @ Was the decision to hire the above determined by Rudy Keller @ Were these expenses Budgeted and Board Approved @ Why were critical documents “AGAIN” ALLOWED to be generated after the fact?
Were Anthony Crespo (Pricipal EHS) Mark Truckenbrod (Director of Leadership Development) Christi Tyler (Assistant Superintendent for Finance) updated on these expenses prior to the Nov 2 event to insure Policy & Procedures were in compliance
@ If yes, why did they not mandate Purchasing Procedures be adhered to @ If no, why was Rudy Keller not updating those overseeing his decisions
This is the mission of the Federal Agency allocating these funds
The Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports is established by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to define, develop, implement, and evaluate a multi-tiered approach to Technical Assistance that improves the capacity of states, districts and schools to establish, scale-up and sustain the PBIS framework. Emphasis is given to the impact of implementing PBIS on the social, emotional and academic outcomes for students with disabilities. https://www.pbis.org/
The Veterans Event Nov 2 services above does not match up with the stated intent of those students with disabilities.
Bigger issue is HOW WHY WHO allowed this to happen
Again the Question resurfaces: @ What other Purchases have been misappropriated? @ Taxpayers were assured that this would not re-occur however the Veterans Event expenditures @ Flags, Jackets, Speakers, Soloist, Bugler, Bagpipe, “Technical Support” is full of violations.
I still am awaiting documents for the $ 4,000.00 charge from Platt Electric for Mounting the Large Flag to the outside of the High School. This will bring the Flag expenditures about $ 10,000.00
Again this happens under the Leadership of Mike Popp
Next week promises to bring out more of the Wasteful Spending of Taxpayer Dollars & more and very suspicious “Coincidences”
Please respond with documentation if I am in error on any of the above
Attached Documents were gathered via FOIA requests..
Ralph you can FOIA all you want but if you don't do anything it will stay the same. From what I read on this url http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oig/hotline.html using using Federal Funds for things other than what they where meant for is illegal but if you don't do anything this will continue. The Board of D131 isn't afraid of anyone following through cause they never do. You have the information so go to the website and summit what you have and they will figure it out.
For a poor District like D131 spending 2,000.00 for a Speaker for Veterans Day is alot.
This was discussed at the boe meeting by Hatcher Darby and Johnson. The three members stated that they will not pay bills any longer if this happens. It seems like Ralph attempts to take credit for what they are already looking into. What the board needs is a video taped meeting. Tyler could be heard bad mouthing the board. They all ask alot of questions and dont rubber stamp like the other board. Strand and Leonard are still out of touch but Ralph needs to let them do their job. It seems every item on the agenda receives some attention.
EA Teacher, Well stated! Thank you for eloquently stating the experience of educators in our district. We are professionals. We deeply care for the educational, emotional and physical well being of the students in our care. We purchase textbooks, pencils, supplies, prescription glasses and coats for students out of own pockets. Yet, we constantly have to defend ourselves. I love my students. I hope I don't have to choose between them and supporting my own family.
Mr. Padron, keep fighting the good fight! The "army" of administrators on Fifth Street needs to be held accountable. Your efforts are deeply appreciated.
Agree. Ralph, let us know when you actually make progress with something other than being a detective. How about hiring a lawyer big man, and take it to court. If D131 is breaking the law, then take it to court. Pay for a lawyer, out of your pocket, and take it to the next level. If this is not what you want to do, why don't you explain what you are really trying to do other than wasting your time. You ask why the Administration doesn't do anything. Here let me explain, they don't have to. They laugh at you. You are a fly that breezes in the wind that they merely swat away. You may have valid points, but until something is done, you are the idiot.
Ditto to anonymous 2. EA teachers have heart! Too bad it takes the disrespect of this district for the quiet good deeds of the teachers to be shared. To the person, "attends meetings" just a little history. If you have been attending meetings for many years, you would know, the board has not looked thoroughly at bills paid unless prodded by questions from an outsider. I suspect Ralph has emailed them or spoke to someone on the Board prior to meetings. Then it is the Board or specific members that bring up these points as if they were their own, when actually they are aware of Ralph's FOIAs and try to beat him to the punch, before he makes his inquiries public. The Board has already approved most of the things Padron brings up. They are back pedaling if they are just now taking a stand on the bills. The public has asked for years to have the meetings recorded and or posted on the website or played on Auroras Public access channel. Roberts did not want meetings recorded. The Board president wants people to think she is forward thinking. You have wonder why 7 members and a supt. would not want accurate verbatim documentation of the meetings. One of the things this district has claimed to be a problem is lack of parent involvement. So why not make the extra effort to allow parents to be at meetings at their leisure by having video available online? Also, post the accounts check register online. They had it there for a short time. Allow the community online access to accounts and meetings. What a great opportunity for the Board and Supt. to look like the good guys!
You are a joke sounds suspiciously like the attitude of the Board or 131 admin. Basically, "dear peon, complain if you wish,but we are the almighty and we will do as we wish and you will like it. You have no power nor the finances to fight us. We will teach the children only as basically as required and pay the servants minimum. We are here to hold title with no accountability. Away with you. All you say may be true but we don't care. We are untouchable and have no time to listen to the community, the families and those we were elected/ hired to serve." Oops, I take part of that back. They will give you 3 minutes to talk, but no guarantee they will listen, let alone hear you. It appears Ralph does not mind the laughing and has all the time he cares to give. It will only take one ear to hear, one complaint to be made, 5 minutes of someone else's time, that could be the one small stone that Is the demise of the anarchy within 131.
Back three years ago Johnson took the credit cards back from Administration but never make them pay back the misused money that is required by IL School Code. Some of the money was a lot. I don't know about Hatcher or Darby.
You are right on David's stone said...
Ralph The Board of Ed of 131 will not do anything. How long have some of these people been on the Board they should have a process in place about approval bills it isn't any thing new to The IL School Code and that is how it is done in businesses. Doesn't Johnson own a business she should know. You have done so much work on these things use the website that is on here and show them you mean business. This is a challenge to see if you will want to stop the mess in D131.
Ralph will not tell you most of the information he writes up is false. Recently he claimed a bill was paid twice but it was not. No retraction from Mr fact check. As for the list of bills they are displayed the same way every other district displays bills. Some districts do not even display bills for the public. The meeting are also conducted legally and someone is always present to translate. We should ask her in the last three years how often her services have been needed Zero would be the answer. Mr Padron wastes four to five employees time weekly now he is on a fishing expedition at 204. He lives in 204 and has never asked them a question about the ways they spend money. What he does ask is for emails from anyone that was foolish enough to work for 131. Does anyone think this is sick? He has been around doing this everyday for three years. Why?
The alderman paid for the motivational speaker Mr. Graham . He also spoke at Metea Valley where they appreciated it. More lies, he is not Oprahs husband
I'm puzzled by something I continually read. Matt Hanley is accused of bashing teachers on this blog . If he were to stoop as low as you guys wouldn't it be justified considering all the things that have been said about him,; that's an interrogative. I would have did the exact same thing he did when the board agreed to give him a raise, take it. If the board bellies under and saddles the Homeowners and the small businesses of this district with raise it can't reasonably sustain I suspect the union will take it. After district pays for your masters you can leave and go somewhere else, congratulations, character really does count
Discipline problems in school as well as home began when liberals decided that corporal punishment and spankings would be criminal. You clowns went to time out and counseling. However as conservatives you say don't counsel these individuals as adults just lock them up and throw away the key. Everyone who thinks like the latter believe you should just kick every child out of school for behaviors that adults have created. I've seen African American parents curse and yell at their children. I ve seen Caucasion children yell and curse out their parents. They call their parents by heir first name like they are nothing more than a friend. Where do you fall in as an educator/ parent. How dare you blame school board members for the discipline issue . Corporal punishment was out law in 1962 . While it was slow to be enforced this is the mess that is the result . These students are just a reflection of the environment. Some of the educators care and some don't so quit using the students as scapegoats. Newsflash the students know if you really don't care and they respond accordingly. I had a healthy fear of my parents as a child. I got my tail end whipped and I turned out just fine. If the students were all respectfull would you take less of a raise.
EA Teacher, Well stated! Thank you for eloquently stating the experience of educators in our district. We are professionals. We deeply care for the educational, emotional and physical well being of the students in our care. We purchase textbooks, pencils, supplies, prescription glasses and coats for students out of own pockets. Yet, we constantly have to defend ourselves. I love my students. I hope I don't have to choose between them and supporting my own family.
Mr. Padron, keep fighting the good fight! The "army" of administrators on Fifth Street needs to be held accountable. Your efforts are deeply appreciated.
corporal punishment does more harm than good
said...
Listen Mr. WTH
Many of our kids routinely are beaten black and blue and are the WORST behavior problems in the school. Violence begets violence. A beaten dog will end up cowed, or aggressive and will attack anything within its reach. Corporeal punishment of students ended decades ago and thank god. The problem is our Deans give out simple warnings for the most egregious behavior except for tardy issues. Then they will punish the kids, give ISI's, etc. Teachers have no support for kids' violent and aggressive behavior. If a Dean doesn't like a teacher he/she will do nothing at all. I was beaten by a teacher and came to dislike school. I had been a straight A student. And Mr. WTH, you did not turn out just fine, you are angry as hell, perhaps one too many beatings?
Listen Foolish, if you wish to ask a question use a question mark. The sentence "I would have did should read I would have done".....and here's $5.00 buy a clue, the district doesn't pay for our Master's, in fact some teachers take a few courses, then have to meet with queen Joan Glotzbach who tells them they are not fit to continue and should stop. Wow- What a great support of teachers attempting to improve their status and credentials. Someone should have stopped YOU Joan from attaining your credentials because all you do is continually harass us and put obstacles in the way of our advancement. Oh and by the way We can now say Bye Bye to Common Core b.s and SLO's --teacher's advancement CAN NO LONGER BE TIED TO TESTING! Thank President Obama! Thanks Senate!!!
The meeting can not get broadcasted from the SSC it is simply not a large enough space. The district should invest the money to get a sound system and move the meeting to the HS. Students should be taught to film events like in other school districts.
After reading today's paper the test scores speak for themselves. The administration should be fired and the teachers should be happy with the salary they are given. In my estimation they are all over paid.
Thanks for the info tech guy. You are absolutely right about students doing the taping. I believe that was suggested a few years back when there was a film club. Still no takers on that one.
Taxpayer 1 is a greedy bastard who doesn't give a damn about the Kids of 131
said...
To: Taxpayer 1
You must mean every administrator and teacher in the State of Illinois because with the new testing standards almost everyone is failing. The standards are a joke and their only purpose is to divide a community and push education privitazation. If you think education costs too much now, just wait until the corporations have taken control of it.
The cost of videotaping meeting has been given to administration several years back. Currently no class exists or club blame that one on the worthless division chairs. Equipment cost was half the cost of Veterans Day. Mr Padron should add the cost of maintenance and tech in his event. The cost would top $40,000.
Reyes-Childress had the entire tech team working on this. The tech was told to not work on repair tickets for three days leading up to the event. Mr Padron when you are done with Veterans Day research the amount of no bid contracts issued by Reyes-Childress. She does not have a clue and the department is crumbling from other her. Employees of our department are not protected by a union contract and she abuses daily. Someone early made the comment Hanley was given a raise based on money saved from not rehiring a replacement for tech. This was not only a descision that shows how out of touch our leaders have been but research it will show easily a half a million was wasted.
Many tech employees would join the maintenance union if they could.
If your counseling works so well explain away all the disrespect . I clearly understood who was in charge at my school. If I didn't want the consequences I toed the line. I was paddled on numerous occasions. I didn't resent the teacher nor did I dislike school. They had a job and I had responsibilities as well. You were just weak
The district bought an entire multiple camera setup to create a TV studio for the h.s. about 10 years ago and it ended up being stored in a closet because administration wouldn't create the stipend for the film club that the equipment was bought for.
If the district wanted to get information out it would cost less than $4,000 and take 8 hours a month to produce a bilingual video of the meeting.
It was proposed to have students do this to the district 3 years ago but hired Matt who has no knowledge or ability in anything beyond newspapers.
However is should be noted that the district spends tens of thousands recording any event Popps speaks at so he has material for his next job interview.
Hanley is paid withTRS $136,000 per year. We spends his days creating PR and writing speeches for Popp. He has done nothing for the PR of children much less the community.
The board should realize they along with Dr Popp have no respect and they will not have respect until teachers are paid a fair wage and administration stops making excuses for the many problems of d131.
A couple weeks ago a teacher from Allen spoke up. The next day her principal warned her not to speak up. A teacher at EAHS was told they would not ever get a positive review and a case would be made to terminate her for talking about ghost payroll. The VP of the union was written up after many years of successful teaching. Teachers at Waldo were told by Morales that they will get watched closer after speaking about working conditions.
Look at the board who can not forget Leonard and his patronage job friend Feltes and the millions wasted. Darby then promises teachers and maintenance staff he will uphold their rights. Three months on the board his son is hired. Strand defends her hiring of Hanley while protecting administration. She claims she supports teachers. Really then why did you vote to give a raise to Hanley and not teachers. Arroyo took money from maintenance employees and voted to outsource their work. Johnson claims to defend teachers against administration but has not done anything since she was reelected president. The jury is still out on Hatchett and Laesch.
Wake up board the district is crumbling around you. You promised to pay us and end wasteful spending HAVE YOU
NEWS FLASH CHICAGO just authorized a strike vote DO THE SAME TEACHERS THEN THEY WILL LISTEN
The Time for Change is NOW!!!!! Let's Stand Together!!!!!
said...
Tomorrow is the fateful day. It is the one opportunity we have to use our collective voices and say we believe that we are worth a fair and equitable contract. We have the opportunity to stand up to the powerful figures arrayed against us. Whether it’s Mayor Tom Weisner who said “The teachers of District 131 will never strike, they are just lucky to have jobs” or Joan Glotzbach who refers to the staff as “Inventory” or Annette Johnson who stated “If they want more money in the contract, we’ll just F*@& them on the insurance end”. These are all people who have made it clear that they don’t give a damn about the children of East Aurora and care even less about the teachers and staff who teach them.
It all starts with us standing up collectively and demanding what is due. We have the same degrees, certifications and years of experience as the teachers in other areas of Aurora who are making up to $37,000 a year more than the teachers of East Aurora. We face the most challenging students in the State. It is time that these people recognize our great contributions to the Aurora community and not just with platitudes. It’s time to open up the check book.
Are you still at it WTH? I am weak? I was a child WTH- at the mercy of adults with all of the power and strength. Children learn by example; I feel that I am a good example for my students; I run a structured classrooms with expectations and boundaries, my students know what they can and cannot get away with. Children who live in dire social situations with no role models and who spend much of their time with gang members on the streets do not learn how to respect school. They have been brainwashed that school will do nothing for them, they will make much more money selling drugs and other illegal activities. Because of the lack of social structure the gang becomes their family. Until they get caught in a car and someone has an unregistered gun. Or they are caught with drugs. etc., etc., So no, I wasn't weak, then, nor am I now. I am a powerful person who advocates for my students and my fellow teachers. You on the other hand, are deluded that fight makes right. Ever hear of Mike Tyson?
As a resident I have seen my taxes double, my retirement frozen and my insurance an prescriptions increase 20%. I read about the test scores which are the lowest in the State. So why should you get a raise. Go ahead strike your are just a babysitter.
I am very disappointed that the board offered 7%. Who gets a 7% raise.
Many families have waited a long while for change in our district. Hopefully, the teachers vote will be the first step to the long awaited change. Stand strong in solidarity, EA teachers! Wishing you the best!!
Thank you again Mr Padron. In reading emails obtained from 204 it shows a pattern of wasteful spending on behalf of Dr Popp, Thruckenbrod and Hanley. Spending $10,000 to pay Rudy Keller shows the disrespect for teachers. We spend hours planning and helping students after school that we are never paid for. In fact we ran a Veterans event at Simmons which included speakers, a small flag for every child, a musical performance by students and snacks made by the cooking class for $300 dollars. Mr Keller was allowed to spend over $20,000 and was paid well to spend the districts money. The Simmons staff was paid ZERO.
We also found it interesting that Hanley would not attend a meeting at 7pm. He writes I have to put my kids to bed. I what kind of excuse is that. Many teachers including myself are just getting home at 7pm then we have lesson plans, grading papers, answering endless emails from principals. Really does he not ever work?
I will be the first in line to vote for a strike Dr Popp need to realize we are not anyone's doormat.
To:On the verge The district received 17.5 million new dollars this year. That is more than enough to bring us in line with the surrounding districts. Paying the teachers will not bankrupt the system and will not result in any new taxes to the local community. The board already set the tax levy.
The presentation many of us went to shows the district can only afford a 4% raise. i realize EA has challenges with getting money from the State but we should not waste it. Spending $40,000 on raise for Matt Hanley and paying Keller $10,000 dollars shows EA has money to waste. That is the salary equivalent of one teacher, 2 PPA's or one and half secretary. The board needs to take action teachers see what Dr Popps focus is and we will send him a message today.
The district has the money to pay the teachers a fair wage, they just choose not to. Just watch, shortly after the contract is signed all the new projects will be announced, starting with the new administrative palace.
Last contract the district cried broke and then everything came out. Administrator raises greater than the teacher raises. New preschool, new kindergarten center, HS expansion, magnet academy, alternative center, $1.7 million dollars extra to give to the bussing company, tons of money to give to every contractor in town. Not to mention all the nepotism, Marty Feltes in Buildings and Grounds. Adam Harding switching to the administration etc.
It's time they give some of the money to the people actually doing all the teaching. You remember, the reason the district exists in the first place.
The State is always behind paying yet every administrator is getting paid top dollar, every vendor gets their payments. It's only when it comes to the teachers that it becomes an issue. Enough is enough. The purpose of a school district is to educate the children, NOT to provide patronage to insiders.
The teachers in EA should all get fired. At a recent meeting they were handing out a letter complaining about their union. Complaining the Beacon would not cover their story and yes complaining about the kinder center. Now I read preschool, do teachers not understand children need to start early and then maybe their jobs will not be as hard. The EAHS expansion was a band aid. Walk the halls at EAHS. Everyone needs to share in the limited resources EA has including building expansion.
The person who said the district could only afford 4% is a person that likes to do budgets. It's not what he was professionally trained to do, he just enjoys doing it.
I enjoy cooking, but it doesn't mean I'm even close to being on the same level as a professional chef.
Know your source of information.
I don't want people to think that some professional accountant came in and poured over the books and gave a professional opinion.
Date: Dec 15 2015 To Christi Tyler Board of Education East Aurora Dist 131 Subject: Veterans Event Nov 2 2015 Part 7 East High Building Flag Mounting Expenses & Audio Expenses Christi
Please review the attached documents
$ 4,000.00 Installing/Mounting East High by Platt Electric • Was this in the Budget Answer: THERE WAS NO AUTHORIZED BUDGET • Did Rudy Keller/Anthony Crespo/Mark Truckenbrod foresee this expense Answer is NO • Total for all Flag expenditures total $ 10 K
Video Expenses by Visionfriendly.com Quote was $ 3,170.00 Invoice was 3,710.00 Matt Hanley approved final payment ( $540.00 increase)
Services Rendered Todd Mielcalz (Auditorium Mgr Dist 129) – Technical Services $ 599.00“ paid for by “Title Funds”/ PBIS/Federal $$ What were Todd’s responsibilities?
Did Matt Hanley attempt to contact the EA Staff to perform any of the duties
Again all of the above expenses were NON-BOARD OF ED approved nor budgeted
A FINAL report will be given on this Event to include Rudy Keller’s $ 10,000.00 payment
Fellow teachers this district cannot tell you in any plainer terms that they do not value you. Joan Glotzbach refers to us as "inventory" --she is ruined, damaged, deranged inventory. She makes her living off of the sweat off the backs of teachers in the trenches. We need to wake up collectively and individually that we are much more than these careerists. These carpetbaggers from other districts, a.k.a. our present and past principal who come with their bullsnookie sloganeering: this year " all in" as in all in Monday, or Tuesday, or Wednesday, etc. These total bootlickers have pandered to this and now every stupid Presi PowerPoint has to incorporate "all in" and last years' "butt's in seats". Save yourselves. They are going to screw us again. Are we so stupid we accept one of our rep's stupid explanations that they can't tell us what is going on because that would be "bad for the negotiations". They keep comparing us to Yorkville and other school districts - bad comparison because at least these districts receive weekly updates about what exactly is happening in the district's negotiations. Don't drink the koolaid-- I have faith you are smarter and stronger than this!
I think we as EA staff need to select a day or two to have everyone call The Beacon News (or rather, The Tribune Company) to ask why they have done such a shoddy job covering the negotiations and board meetings. Yorkville, Kaneland, and 204 get plenty of coverage regarding contract negotiations, but EA is left out; most likely due to Hanley. The word needs to get out to residents about what is being fought for and that the district has PLENTY of money for raises. And enough of the admin trolls with the comments above about being "babysitters" and talking about our worthlessness. Get a life. One more thing-it's interesting to see that on many board members' bios on the district site say that they are here for the staff and students. Really? By showing lack of respect, not retaining staff, and not investing in the students' greatness? How many of you have toured several schools or asked to observe? I'm guessing zero. Stand behind what you said to help get you into your position.
Hanley says that the money paid to hang the flags was a one time fee and can be taken advantage of at any time. Do you have documentation of that agreement? We as teachers must document everything, and I think your job should be held to the same standards since you are a district employee. Keller was asked during his job interview to plan the assembly? Are you kidding me?! Sounds like the job was pretty much his at that point. Were others interviewed for that position? I hear that Simmons had a glorious Veterans Day assembly without any checks having been written out. And for Dick Leonard to say that "we're trying to support our teachers and give them raises"-well I sure hope you are, Dick, because it doesn't seem that the other board members are in the same page (**in at least regarding a raise that is not insulting nor absent once we have paid our increases for insurance).
You still just don't understand, do you? Go ahead and call the Beacon and the proper response from them should be "We know that we don't cover East Aurora school district as the district is in shambles because of the teachers, staff and other workers. We have never seen such a collection of whiners in our journalism careers." I get this picture in my mind of all of you as little children just sitting on the edge of your bed in the morning just waiting for your mom or dad to come in and get you dressed as you cannot do anything for yourselves. Your whining about an individual's pay, whining about a magnet school - that is a success for the students by the way, whining about a veterans' ceremony, whining about disrespect, basically whining because no one idolizes you. Teachers are valued but no, we will not idolize you! Since we have bilingual teachers one has to conclude that our district has a constant flow of new students from other countries that speak Spanish. What better way to assimilate our new foreign students into our culture with a celebration of our veterans. That event was really not for the veterans but for the students to actually start understanding our culture and history. Just remember, the students really are not taught US History or civics in our schools, so they have to get the real information somewhere.
All you are really saying with your warped, selfish view of yourselves is that nothing else is worth paying for if it doesn't go to me. I just wonder how many participation trophies are sitting in your homes from your childhoods as that is how we picture you - as children. Whine, whine, whine. Just wondering how many of you actually live in the district. Probably not many. Wonder, just wonder.
Look, you have to admit that you have a problem in order to fix it. You have gone thru the same school system that gets worse every year including universities that hand out teaching degrees (bachelor, advanced and including the administration degrees) with no work involved. It is very apparent that you are not up to the task , probably because you yourselves were taught that critical thinking was for making excuses and not finding ways to accomplish things. Please get over yourselves and start truly caring about the children and quit thinking that everything out there is the boogie man. The and only then can we help you.
We will not support you from age 21 until your death anymore.
Wow, you are one hell of a broken record there. "Students really are not taught US History or civics". Uhhhh yeah, that must be why there are civics, history, and social studies classes that students attend from grade school on up. "We will not support you from age 21 until your death anymore." Wah wah wah. Well guess what? We pay our retirement from our salaries anyways (TRS is not paid into by 131, which most other districts do), which then goes to a state agency. So you mentioning that over and over shows how childish you are. You obviously need some classes in how the world runs. So I guess I don't need to pay toward your Social Security benefits? Although I must give you kudos for having me respond to your post, since that it probably the reason to your trolling.
Fellow teachers this district cannot tell you in any plainer terms that they do not value you. Joan Glotzbach refers to us as "inventory" --she is ruined, damaged, deranged inventory. She makes her living off of the sweat off the backs of teachers in the trenches. We need to wake up collectively and individually that we are much more than these careerists. These carpetbaggers from other districts, a.k.a. our present and past principal who come with their bullsnookie sloganeering: this year " all in" as in all in Monday, or Tuesday, or Wednesday, etc. These total bootlickers have pandered to this and now every stupid Presi PowerPoint has to incorporate "all in" and last years' "butt's in seats". Save yourselves. They are going to screw us again. Are we so stupid we accept one of our rep's stupid explanations that they can't tell us what is going on because that would be "bad for the negotiations". They keep comparing us to Yorkville and other school districts - bad
211 comments:
1 – 200 of 211 Newer› Newest»Date: November 10, 2015
To: Board of Education East Aurora Dist 131
Subject: Negotiations Nov 6 2015 Part 2
More Facts & Questions from the Negotiations Meeting Friday Nov 6.
• The Mediator stated he will make himself available to continue talks in resolving the stalemate
1 Mike Popp, Joan Glotzbach & Mark Truckenbrod did not state
“This is top priority thus we must do whatever it takes to resolve the contract stalemate”
2 Sara Inthurm could not make the November 18 date due to driving her mother to the Doctor.
Does anyone understand
THIS IS A CRISIS “THE TEACHERS MAY GO ON STRIKE !!!
3 The $200.00 teacher allowance given out to purchase materials for the students
was rejected by Truckenbrod & Glotzbach.
Yet money was found to pay the inflated salaries of
Mike Popp 216 K
Joan Glotzbach 149 K
Sara Waddell 145 K
Anthony Crespo 133 K
Mark Truckenbrod 128 K
Matt Hanley 120 K
Sara Imthurn $ 91,266.00 current 2016
89,375.00 2015 School Year
(Reference EA website-Finance/Salaries-Benefits)
Why did Sara’s pay increase if contract is unsettled?
• Did the union leadership present to the teachers the offer at the last union meeting
If not, how would the rank & file understand if the offer is truly reasonable/fair on their behalf
The teachers want a fair & competitive wage
They need to be treated with the respect which they have so deservedly earned
Respectfully
Ralph Padron
Ralph has made some good points is his post above. Why did they reject the $200.00 dollars for materials for students but they could afford those flags. How about all the working lunches the Administration have. I bet the Board and Administration is going to that Conference in Chicago this month and stay at a Hotel when they could drive home for the night but if they did that they wouldn't get all the freebes handed out. You can bet Glotzbach will take her husband like she does every year with her and he will get to stay at the Hotel with her on the Districts dime.
This Sarah seems to be a problem as a Union President and if Glotzbach is giving her a pass on taking time off that is wrong. Board are you watching these things going on?
One thing that puzzles me is this bit about Sarah having full release as union president. She's a full time employee of the district paid by them to be the union president. Sounds like a huge conflict of interest. She may be ASSIGNED to the union, but she works FOR the board. I work in another district. Our union president gets 2 release periods and still teaches classes.
Nov 13 2015
Matthew Hanley, FOIA Officer
East Aurora School District 131
417 5th Street
Aurora, IL 60505
Dear Mr. Hanley
Re: FOIA Request for Documents for:
Sara Imthurn
All Documents justifying salary increase 2016 from 2015
All tuition reimbursements for FY 2013 2014 2015 2016
All documents pertaining to classes/education pertaining to curriculum
To include specific dates attended, length of course & course description
Location of facility attended
Amount of days entitled to Sara for Professional Development .
Actual days Sara needed to complete course
Richard Schroeder
Application
Contract
Resignation Letter of Jessica Brummel
Respectfully,
Ralph Padron
Somebody needs to explain why if every teacher in this district has had their salaries frozen for this year while negotiations are taking place, why is there only one person who has seen an almost $2000 pay increase? Why is Sara Imthurn the only person to get a raise? You should also look at your pay stub on Infinite Visions. The other payment that has been raised is your union dues. Everything else has been frozen but the union is making sure they get their cut. And of course our insurance is going up (and the district insurance cost is being lowered) despite the contract stating that the district will cover 105% of any increase to insurance.
This district keeps getting less appealing with the more that I find out. So Sara gets paid a nice salary for just just sitting on her ass as union president and doesn't even go into the classroom?! Sign me up for that job! Every district I've worked in previously had a teaching union president. I thought those districts at the time were messed up, but they don't hold a candle to EA and the corruption and cronyism. Spending out the wazoo for everyone and everything except the teachers. I'm ashamed to work for such a shady district and will be looking for a new job. I know we sure as hell won't be getting a decent pay raise without getting shafted somewhere else (like we already have with insurance).
Here's a link to 21 pages of recent articles about our district:
https://v3.boardbook.org/Public/PublicItemDownload.aspx?ik=37891074
Sara and Glotzbach are very close. Joan personally took care of her days off. Joan only does that for a selected few employees. Many of us are very afraid to speak up. Recently, the Asst AD was harassed so much by Crespo and Thruckenbrod she resigned. She attempted to expose ghost time cards of The temporary ADs hired from 204. Crespo now signs them allowing whatever they want. We see and hear plenty at Central Office but Ralph is our source. He does not work for the district and is retired so he has nothing to lose. The Popp era is equal to the serial bully days.
ALL LIES!!!
Does it really state the 105% coverage in the contract? Seems like that would be easy to prove a breach.
If the board wants to regain creditability with teachers they need to make Sara teach. She would then understand what we are facing. I have never seen Sara visit a class at EAHS. She has classrooms two steps from her office and yet no visits. She has NO understanding of how difficult our jobs are. She is also at EAHS and Brummel was allowed to face daily harassments for telling the truth. What did Sara do for her. It is time we stop paying union. Please someone tell us what are we paying for.
"Everybody" is lying??
You do realize you're part of everybody, right?
Remember Sara represented us in the insurance meeting.
Sara is the reason you had to pick up and be trained on th laptops in your own time. Sara is also the reason you had to work an extra day at the beginning of the school year for free. No compensation. She has completely sold us out. And now to find out that she got a raise already this year when everyone else was frozen? At what point do we sue the union for non-representation?
The union president has a separate office? In our district they use the same desk they have in their department office for teaching, etc.
Quit your whining. It is so old!
We need a vote against the union. I will not wear my blue button and I suggest we all do the same. Wearing the button shows support for the union. They have sold us out and need to be sent a message.
I do not have time to better my education because I am busy finding materials, writing curriculum and filling in because the district is to cheap to hire subs. Know I find out Sara is advancing her salary on district time. I am sure she used the district computer to write her papers.
Vote against Sara throw your buttons away.
Out with AFT, in with NEA
With the district the size, and the idiots that get in trouble for not doing their job, I bet Sarah can't even accomplish her job with full time release. The fact that she doesn't teach any classes as no surprise to me. I don't know how she keeps track of keeping all of you people out of trouble.
When is Sara ever at the schools, Hanley must be working overtime trying to get Sara out of this. Sara was promised a job in administration that why she was taking classes. She is the only employee that did not get frozen. She has sold us out. Get rid of your buttons and STRIKE!
Please strike!!! It is laughable! You will look ridiculous for turning down the contract that you have been offered.
I hope the media uncovers this blog, too! With teachers posting on here, who can't spell, complain about having to pull together curriculum (like EVERY other district that is worth a raise), and insult the parents of the students!
This blog is full of excuses about why you can't do your jobs....but then you want a raise for a job that you aren't doing very well.
I know we find this blog amazing and accurate; however, the media is unlikely to consider it a reliable source. Given the anonymous nature of the posts, no one would accept it on a list of sources. I certainly would not allow my students to cite it. These supposed teachers may actually be an old guy in West Virginia who never leaves the house but likes to poke fun at people in Illinois. We may never know. Validity of sources is something we teach our students so that when they grow up to be voters, they can consider the facts.
Here is a fact about the curriculum writing process you disparage: the district wants Common Core aligned units as well as alignment horizontally between schools. That cannot occur unless a collaborative team of writers produses the units. If teacher x in school a is writing in isolation, how can he be aligned with teacher y in school b? The problems have arisen because the units are incomplete and the process started much, much (years) later than planned. Teachers are not to blame for these problems, since it was a district (read: administrative) initiative, carried out in a disorganized fashion from the start. Now teachers are being held accountable for their fidelity to the incomplete curriculum. How can they be faithful to something that doesn't exist? How can they be aligned from school to school if the materials are not there?
Ask any teacher if he would prefer to teach his own units and lessons, to prepare them, to express creativity, to tailor lessons to their students. Ask them. 95% will say yes, but when the mandate is alignment and fidelity "or else", but the materials are not created/provided, what can these teachers do? I know it's more fun to call them lazy and stupid, but maybe the facts do not support your argument. Or maybe you're from West Virginia and you're just having a laugh.
All around us districts have had striking Teachers who do make more than ours and don't face the daily problems of overcrowded schools, lack of support from Administration and poof family support of the students.
This District did not give a fair offer and maybe if the Teachers strike some of the corruption in the District will come out. At the last Board Election the community came out and voted for people they thought would finally stand up and do the right thing it doesn't look like it now.
Alex Arroyo and John Laesch said they didn't like how things where going in The District and not happy with the Board so they decided to run. While no two people can change things alone what did they do but elect Annette Johnson again as President even though the community was against it. It goes to show that Alex and John are just using this as a stepping stone to help if they decide to run for a government office.
Give the teachers a fair contract.
To: You're cute
From: in a agreement
You have very accurately explained a major problem in our schools. But "cake" is,not going to acknowledge this, that is assuming they have a clue about what they are expressing an opinion. I have never heard it being simply about money from the teachers. I hope the teachers get a fair contract or an understanding mediator...whatever it takes to get the district to own up to their shortcomings.
Taxpayer12: Pretty presumptuous to speak for "the community". Some members of the community were against Johnson being re-elected president, but some, including me, were for it. Yes, there are problems with Johnson, just as there are with any human being. The board under Hull was definitely no better, and in my opinion worse (Hanley hasn't even come close to earning that big raise; Clayton was 100 times better). Who else on the current board would you see as president right now? The administration under Popp is NOT an improvement. We need a board and president that will hold their feet to the fire. Not happening nearly enough yet.
Can't have your cake and eat it too- no, every other district doesn't have to write their own curriculum- Most have a person or persons hired for this very reason and curriculum is provided. This is the third time I have been through this process with the district, it is never finished, and there are never any resources provided for books, etc. I am not whining, Mr. Cake, I am just stating the facts. As to your assertion that everyone is laughing that we are turning down the contract, au contraire, mon ami, they will be laughing if wee are sooooo stupid as to accept such a blatant kick in the patoot! We are finally standing up for ourselves as the professionals we are. I have two advanced degrees and 23 years teaching experience and would be earning $20,000-30,000 more anywhere else. Mr. Cake you would not last one minute in the classroom, with student cussing you out and telling you" I'm not trying to work today", etc. So quit downing teachers who work their asses off
Taxpayer 12 appears to be Ms Carlson who ran for the the board and never served her term. She now runs the blog that allows the community to throw stones and hide. I work on band efforts with Carlson and considered her a friend at one time but she has become destructive. Arroyo and Laesch are a major improvement over the past members who gave Hanley the raise. Johnson has had many accomplishments and I am glad she is back in charge. Hopefully the board of seven thoughtful members can undo the mistakes of the board from hell.
I really don't know who would be the best President of the Board. What I do know that we have citizens that are more concerned about their taxes then educating the students of our district. I don't have children going to our schools but I believe they should get the best education we can give them. Do I think any of the other board members should be President of the board the answer in no and that is a shame that these people ran to be on the school board for what reason I don't know but it should be that they are doing the very best for the district.
We have many challenges in this district but we should be able to not have overcrowded classrooms and a curriculum for our teachers to follow. Take the time to really look at the district and how they spend the money.
The board needs to cut the administration and not pay TRS to administration then I will vote for the contract. Administration needs to get treated the same way they treat us.
The East Aurora High School varsity football team just finished the season with one win and eight losses. Our only win was over a Chicago charter school with an enrollment of just 600 students. Mr. Becker's four year record is 0-9, 1-8, 0-9 and 1-8. He has won just two games and lost 34. We have a lot of great kids so why have we not had a winning season since 2000. West Aurora High had a winning season and made the playoffs. Time for a major change in leadership.
The problem for us is not the school board president it is the union president. It was revealed that Intherm had a secret meeting with administration and did not invite the majority of the bargaining members until it was impossible to attend. The story goes a meeting was set better than a week ago and Intherm failed to notify the majority of the team.
We need a new leader fast. She has attempted to scare us into not voting for a strike, she never brings our concerns to the table, she does not answer emails, return calls or goto meetings. Now administration gave her a raise and she attended school on our time.
Please attend the meeting and continue to speak out after-all Sara won't.
Tomcat youth football started by Becker just won the State Championship today. Our JV football team had a winning record this season also. It proves great things are happening in 131 . Kenyon, the sports boosters and Malcker need to get the H away from 131 before we will see a complete change. We have many great kids but the parents need to step up and get rid of the serial bully past.
To the person who claims to be a supporter. You have been out of the loop a very long time and may be a bit bitter since you did not win a spot on the board in the last election, but Taxpayer12 is not me. The board is 7 people, a few new to the board, which I like, and it takes a while to understand and get the feel of your duties as a board member. So unless they can come together as a majority and agree not much will be accomplished. I have not been admin to the blog since I retired in 2011. I DO have a "child" in the district. These few points are just to clarify, I am not the person you think I am on this blog and I am not the person you believe you know me to be. We were in boosters over 10 years ago and we chatted at a few meetings. How can you presume to "know me."
I resigned from the board when Annette and Anita came on board. They had a personal agenda and reincarnated the board from hell. I could not continue to have my name put on all documents, as a member of the board, when I was in total disagreement to the direction they wanted to go. I do agree with Taxpayer12, in that, I want to see the the teachers get a fair contract which includes not only pay increases but better language to improve classroom atmosphere.
I actually work in a classroom, have the same qualifications that you do, and I tow the line with my C and I department. We write our standards-aligned curriculum and it is a long road and it is still a work in progress. But, that is how good districts proceed with the climate of education.
You claim you want to have a salary commensurate with your neighboring districts, but you want to whine and complain about the work you have to do for it.
You don't teach in isolation. You teach in a community that needs you. Adjust your attitude and be the teacher that they deserve.
You guys still have it all wrong. No raises are needed here. As I said before, East Aurora teachers are not underpaid, the other area teachers are overpaid. When will you learn that having the taxpayers pay for you from age 21 until your death is unacceptable. When will you accept the fact that just because you get a masters or a doctorate degree does not make you a better teacher or administrator. Do you actually believe that you should be compensated because you have some perceived improved credential and not by measurable outcomes?? Everyone should be looking into the finances of the school district - especially compensation, retirement and health insurance - as public schools have a strangle hold on the education of our children. The product stinks, some pupils are abusive to everyone, and even some employees think that actually working is somehow beneath them and of course everyone who is in charge is 'against" them. Where in this mix are you 'entitled" to a raise?? You should be promoting ways to getting the public's support in getting common sense discipline back into the schools, demanding pay based on merit, not on credentials and seniority and screaming at the top of your lungs for wouchers for parents to send their children to schools that are not handcuffed with old fashioned, archaic, non progressive system that defines our public schools.
What is the board doing about Jessica B. She was forced to resign her job because she reported ghost payroll of Popps 204 cronies. The secretary Mary P has also been harassed. If the board wants the contract passed they need to look into the daily harassment of employees. Someone needs to protect a staff member that is getting retribution. Darby, Arroyo, and Laesch all stated they would not allow this. We remember all three visiting with Byrd and talking a big game and doing nothing. We would hope that they would keep their promise.
Tonight's School Board meeting will be held at East High School, NOT the Service Center:
http://www.d131.org/newsDetail.asp?id=3630&guid=
To Way past fed up said...
Youve obviously never worked in a school let alone one in EA.....I think if you realized what we dealt with on a regular basis that you might change your tune. Do you honestly believe that all teachers in EA are bad because the students arent meeting on tests? If you put must of us in Naperville or better districts than wed all of sudden become amazing teachers because majority of the students meet? There are alot of factors working against us and the students. Home life, language, soci-economic status, uneducated parents, uninvolved parents etc.......the list goes on and on. Im not even beginning to touch on the administration. Ive worked in the district for 7 years and seen somethings that you would never see in another district and im not even talking about the lack of a curriculum. Get your facts straight before you start pointing fingers at teachers. Ive worked with some of the best teachers ive ever met in this district!
You've never worked in education otherwise you would realize that merit based pay would never work. The level of collaboration that occurs in the teaching profession would be destroyed. We work to raise all students, not just our own. Teachers work together sharing ideas and activities with each other. It is very group oriented. If teachers had merit pay, collaboration would end. Teachers would not work for the betterment of all because our pay would be based on standing out above others. Those in the business world need to stay there. Your lack of knowledge in our profession and trying to impose your profession's protocols on our profession is ridiculous.
It's obvious where Annette Johnsons allegiance lies. She never speaks to the teachers and staff of District 131. She was definitely out schmoozing the retired voters from Ward 1. She spent the half hour before the meeting talking to many of them, just as she meets with them regularly for breakfast. It's definitely time for a change at the top.
Annette talks to the people that voted for her our parents don't show up to the polls. I support Annette she has made 131 more accountable and is responsible for promoting many good programs. I suggest the teachers talk with her it is very interesting what she really thinks.
She did not vote for Hanley or Popp and we can see how that turned out.
The board member I do not support is Darby. He is always around reminding us he is a board member and calling in favors. Darby son was recently hired in B&G.
Central office news is Sara went to bat for Diane Thomas and she is getting promotion after negotiations. It sounds like Sara is playing up to the board so she will not have to go back to teaching. It is true Darby's son works in B& G in the sub pool. A sub pool employee does not go on the personnel report. Darby's son is allowed to pick his own days and is called in for overtime. The other subs are not treated this way.
Date: Nov 18 2015
To: Mr Richard Leonard
Board Member East Aurora Dist 131
Subject: FOIA delay
Dear Mr Leonard
Per our conversation regarding the controversy of the following
Oct 13 & 16 2015 FOIA’s were submitted regarding invoices, copies of checks
1 month response is the norm for FOIA I submit
Notified Nov 13 & 16, an additional 3 weeks (15 business days) is now required for a response bringing it into December for a total of 7 weeks to receive documents.
Per our conversation, I explained to you in detail the purpose of the FOIA’s in which you agreed needed answers to questionable concerns.
In addition please inquire on why I haven’t received documents from previous FOIA’s on
1 Sara Imthurn’s 2013 Stipend for $ 4,680.92
2 SIGNED contracts for Matthew Hanley & Anthony Crespo
3 Pay Stubs for Interim EHS AD Rudy Keller & Michael Rogowski (former 204 employees)
I have emailed Matt Hanley this several times with no response
I look forward in obtaining all of the above immediately with your assistance.
Also I will be communicating with you additional information on other issues we discussed
Respectfully
Ralph Padron
Why is Ralph writing Leonard? Teachers beware he will turn on you in minute. He stills attempts to call maintenace employees to get information with his favorite line "what's going on". Please Ralph this again confirms you will work with the event to prove hard workers wrong. What is your motive?
Leonard and Padron teamed up to get phones removed from maintenance employees and they almost had us. Oh wait the district discovered nobody would take an emergency call and nobody could order parts. Then the district decided OH we made a mistake. Yes they made a mistake for listening to Padron and Leonard. One employee tells everyone I made a mistake because I take Ralph's calls now he threatens to turn me in for talking to him Afterall he records all.
Huh, what is your defination of a bully. Feltes, Leonard and Padron.
Wow. You make my argument for me. Even if I said I were a teacher you would not believe it. Collaboration happens all time out there in non teacher land. Doctors and nurses all have a common goal in the operating room. Building fighter jets takes teamwork. Building an auto takes teamwork or as you say collaboration. You have lived in that "take care of me from 21 years old to death " environment way too long. You should be protesting in Naperville over student driver ed teachers making 100,000 a year. By taking the money from the overpaid teachers in the surrounding districts, you could fund EA district 131, it is a spending problem, not a revenue problem. Until the day comes when there are options readily available for parents to send their children to high performing schools, everyone must scrutinize the spending at archaic public learning institutions. Vouchers would be a start. We really need the application of critical thinking and then strong action to get out of this non progressive institutional Frankenstein that has been created.
Again, go after the area districts as they overpay their teachers.
The administration is overpaid not the teachers. You must think it's fine to pay Matt Hanley a $40,000 per raise. You also must think it's just fine to harass teachers if they speak up. Dr Popp harassed Jesiica Brummell because she commented about fabricated time cards. She was quickly punished but she showed them up, she resigned. Several teachers are reporting increased class visits and administrators sitting in classrooms to intimidate after speaking at board meetings. The union is told but they all Popp to lie.
Here is where the district is wrong about the phones. If you work for maintenance in any work place there is no rule they have to supply you with a phone for emergencies in fact some workplaces if you don't answer you own phone in a work emergency you can be fired. I don't know why you EA maintenance workers think you a better then others. It was said before by someone on here that your manager said you could use the phones for personal use and that is a no no. Don't you have a manager that you tell you need parts and then the manager a a purchase order person should order it that is how you keep track that the parts are needed. Does anyone approve these purchases and what is the amount that can be spent before an approval is needed. That is how it is done in most businesses to keep misuse of money. It seems this district has no rules in place for spending and Ralph is right to question it. He probably like me worked somewhere that followed Ethic rules and accounted for the money.
You see a lot on this blog about mis use of money and how no one in the district is watching how money is spent.
Date: November 18, 2015
To: Board of Education East Aurora Dist 131
Subject: Richard Schroeder Hiring – Questions/Facts
Position: Director of Assessment and Accountability
Timeline
David Brusak resigns effective August 6 (Sufficient notice given)
9-21 Richard Schroeder is hired for EA Director Assessment Accountability
9-21 Richard submits resignation letter to Dist 112
9-22 Resignation is effective
Mr Schroeder was in the final year of a 3 year contract
2016 Salary was $ 134,160
EA 131 salary is $ 120,000.00
$ 14,160.00 salary reduction
Questions
Why did he take a salary reduction
Why was a 2 week notice NOT given to Dist 112
All information was gathered via FOIA Dist 112 & Personnel Report EA Sept 21 2015
See attached Documents verifying all factual info
Respectfully
Ralph Padron
Ralph you can't have it both ways . One day Ralph complains about administration being overpaid the next day he complains they are underpaid. Anybody see a pattern? Ralph will destroy anyone's reputation.
Look what he did to the maintenance employees, teachers beware. Ralph has other motives. Enquirring minds want to know why someone from Naperville is so obsessed with employees from d131. Administration numbers EA 2 to 1 in 204 the district he lives in. Look into that Ralph and leave us the HE** alone!!!!!!!!!!!
When Clayton was here you lied on him and hated him as well. You still bringing up Hull like he is on the board. They have moved on so quit bringing them up.
If they are an improvement why don't we have a contract.
East will will never change or move forward. All I ever here is about the past , the past, the past. Becker, Johnson, Leonard, Carlson, Serial Bully, kaisersnott, Anyone or anything new and not tied to some hypothetical past is bad; good luck trying to move forward
How is bring up Hull or Clayton?
Has anything Ralph "exposed" ever amounted to anything? Has anything ever been done? Quit wasting your time Ralph! You got your $10,000 from the district, now go away!!!!!!
Who the heck is "Kaisersnott"?
There are admins and assistant principals at the high school who are harassing the teachers with Charlotte Danielson ripping up their paperwork and nearly screaming at them about this and that is unacceptable, etc, being very bitchy and mean. They are all fairly new admins and I will just say that I have seen people like you come and go.. How dare you belittle teachers- the ones who work one on one with our kids because of paper work or because you didn't use one work instead of another in the robotic script that you expect out of us.. How dare you treat us like children you are supposed to help us through this process especially new teachers, but you are browbeating us!!! I have never heard of such unprofessional evaluators in my life!! Let me warn you whenever admins have behaved like this they were gone in the next year -Your actions have been documented-so keep it up!
The union negotiating team can not even protect themselves two of the three have already had violations on the evaluation process. GLotzbach has made it clear if you cross her she will destroy you. Teachers are screwed in this district our union wants us to strike during Christmas. They know teachers will not stay on the pick lines. Glotzbach is flexing her muscles and it is working.
@ anonymous2 comments above....I have had a similar experience to the one you are describing with my evaluator. My evaluator said I did a very good job with the lesson, but when it came to the Charlotte Danielson portion, my evaluator was kind of intimidating. I left the post conference very flustered. I feel I had good evidence in my lesson of different aspects of what Charlotte Danielson says is effective, but my evaluator kept asking for me to tie it further...and further to Charlotte Danielson. I thought it was part of their job to recognize and help us recognize where it fits in. This was my first time dealing with Charlotte Danielson, a little patience and understanding of this being a new process would have helped and eased some anxiety
I heard similar stories from a member of our negoicating team Glotzbach kiss up Angie Rowley after a year of judging the majority of teachers in the building excellent is now telling us we can't teach. It's funny how Ms Johnson likes to tell everyone the Magnet school is the best in Kane county.
Ms Johnson maybe you should look into the review process. We can't have the best school and have become failing teachers. Also to the others on the board wake up there is many reasons why the contract will lead to a strike.
Ms Hachett is it time you also review what is happening and ask questions. We are not afraid of informals we just want them done fairly.
Speaking up should not cost you, but it is. We are prepared to strike!
The real Popp and Hanley run a public relations image campaign monthly at EAHS. This would be a noble cause except for its a photo op session. A meeting on Thursday produced the following. Hanley shows to clear the room that was running late for a group of students meeting with a Waubonsee Community College rep filling out college applications. Hanley lets it be known to Crespo that Popp is on a busy schedule. Does the BOE, teachers or community really believe Popp and Hanley care about the students of EA? They could have provided assistance to understand difficulties with the real students not the top ten of the class. That is why we have little to no respect for Popp.
November 20, 2015
Mr John Laesch
Current Scenario
FOIA #1 response on November 13, 2015
"On October 13, 2015, you submitted a FOIA request for the following documents:
Invoices, contractual agreements, purchase orders, specific dates, 'events', 'purpose' , method of payment and copy of payments for all paid speakers at East Aurora High School from Sept. 1, 2015, to Oct. 12, 2015;
Purchase orders, invoices, competitive quotes, paid speakers and event agenda for Veterans Day event hosted by East Aurora High School on or about Nov. 11, 2015
As you were previously notified, on or before 21 days from receipt of this request, the District will provide an estimate of the time required by the public body to provide the records requested and an estimate of the fees to be charged, which the public body may require you to pay in full before copying the requested documents. The District estimates this request will take 15 business days. The District continues to gather documents. The cost at this time is estimated to be less than $10.00 "
Matt Hanley
Community Relations
East Aurora School District 131
1 month response is more than adequate to gather this information
Shortly after another FOIA was delayed an additional 3 weeks
Issue # 2
Previous FOIA’s there were 3 issues (documents) requested but never received
A Signed Current Contracts for Matthew Hanley & Anthony Crespo
It is possible they were never signed thus I would expect a response of
Signed Contracts do not exist
B Pay Stubs for Rudy Keller & Michael Rogowski current interim AD
C 2013 Stipend $ 4,680.92 for Sara Imthurn-documents explaining services
I have sent Matt Hanley emails concerning this issue to no avail
Mr Laesch it is obvious that these requests are very reasonable and should have been responded to in a timely manner.
I do have the right to appeal this decision by Matt Hanley to the Illinois Attorney General’s Office thus getting the attorney’s involved again. You know as well as I do this is a waste of money and time on everyone’s part especially with District 131 in disarray.
I do not want to pursue it in this manner but will if necessary.
Need your advice and direction to proceed in resolving the above.
I do expect more excuses and rationalization from EA justifying their position
Look forward to your response
Ralph Padron
Isn't there something the district can do to stop you from wasting our tax dollars with stupid requests? I hope you get something that gives you incurable diarrhea for Christmas.
Find some other way to waste your time and your own money!
One way to permanently get rid of Ralph is
Have administrators do their jobs honestly
Spend money wisely
Board of Ed actually monitor everything that is spent & approved by Dr Popp & Joan Glotzbach
Become a truly TRANSPARENT School District so that the issues Ralph brings out actually do not happen
I am sure he has reasons for pursuing many an issue and if Hanley actually will provide what he is requesting - then let him research and see what he finds.
He has definitely opened our eyes with solid proof of the unending waste of Tax Dollars
My vote is to let him continue his investigations
Go Ralph
The person commenting as Insider 131 has offered a simple fix. Everyone do their job and do it right and be open about what you are doing then there is nothing to FOIA if it is all public record of what is done. Keep nipping at their heels, Ralph.
I agree with you Anonymous Insider 131. Ralph probably worked somewhere like the rest of us who had to take Ethics classes and classes on misuse of money. Just because the District post the credit cards charges in the Board Book doesn't mean that they have someone approving those expenses. It does look like they bypassed the bidding procedure on some things.
Since this State is one of the most corrupt in the U.S. we don't get the help to expose these illegal misuse of money.
Padron has exposed nothing and cost the district over six figures answering his FOIA requests. Since 2012 Padron has filed well over 400 requests and even at one point extorted $10,000 in consulting fees. He has damaged people's professional careers and goes by the name the Mexican Robin Hood. Anyone see a pattern! He is sick and needs help.
"...cost the district over six figures..."
Really?? More than $100,000??
Prove it.
Ralph has been keeping us informed when our union will not. He has developed a network that respects him because he is able and willing to speak out. Thruckenbrod and others sit at school board meeting writing names down and pulling building info down off their IPhones. Many of us that have talked at meetings are facing additional classroom visits and intimidation. Sara can lie and say that is not happening but it is. Ralph keeps us informed.
The latest is Sara is attempting to stop the strike vote. We need to call the national chapter on her. She now claims 90% of the teachers need to vote for a strike. If staff members do not show up the vote will get counted as a no. There is also talk of voting at outside locations making it difficult for teachers to get reach. Why would Sara and her group do that if not to take our civil rights away from us. It looks like the union is back in the 1920s. We need to ask questions NOW. We also need to tell other members of the negotiating team this is not acceptable. In democracy MAJORITY rules.
Our union has us by the short hairs. They will not allow us to go on strike and they will not represent us. Sara is in bed with administration and Hettinger does not care. We have no legal resprentation and they are making up lies. When does majority not rule? Now we hear e can not vote at the buildings. This is an attempt to stop the democratic process. We need another union but everyone is afraid to go a year without representation. We need to stop this attempt to force us to sign a bad contract. There is strength in numbers throw out the blue buttons.
Ask ourself are we better without them for a year. What have they done evaluations are a form of oppressive dictatorship.
We are not going to be allowed a proper vote and our union has removed our rights. Last week Sara sent out a lame message about her credits NOBODY CARES. What we care about is our wages. Many of us stayed with this district for years and starting over again is not in the cards. We don't even know what they asked of the district in wages. The insurance will cost me and additional $125 per month because I have a family. Shame on me! Now this how can Sara , Dr Popp, Hanley and Carla sleep at night.
We teach our students about democratic process but we are not allowed to have the same rights. Is that fair.
It was also revealed that Sara will not step foot in certain building. Why should Simmons and Cowherd pay union dues?
I for one would be willing to go a year without representation Whats the difference?
Why won't she enter those buildings? Is she afraid of the lashings that she would receive from Union members?
I will go find a new job if I don't see significant progress toward a fair contract soon. I am not going to have my salary frozen for another year just to be jerked around by administration and our union.
I think that district can save money by not sending administrators to Spain to recruit spanish teachers for a failed district.
Quick TIP EA- invest in your teachers that are in the trenches. Back them up with competent support staff. Improve everyone with effective mangers that are not here on the buddy system.
If my taxes go up I rather that money go towards making our district something to talk about instead of laughing about on the beacon or the blog.
What do you think Ms Johnson?
The reason they need to go to Spain is teachers with Bilingual certs make more. We will not work in this district more than four years because any other time would get us stuck in a pointless situation. My friends who have worked here for ten years can not leave other district will hire them. Basically you are forced to start over.
If the union is going to screw us and I believe they will just get it over with. At four years I am not behind other districts if I stay longer I will be. Please just let me take my 7% raise this year and I will move on. They will give us the lump sum check after we are screwed in January and we will not get the tax money back until 2017. Sara got paid for increasing her education and I am frozen sounds fair Huh.
But, to answer your question under the system today Spain is necessary. Parents in this district do not care that their children are not being educated by real teachers. To anonymous: ask or Foia how many Subs are filling in full time because they cant find Bilingual or Sped. I believe the number is 90. permanent subs
From what I hear, the hourly wage that the district pays for physical, speech, and occupational therapists via agencies is astronomical (I only wish that I had exact numbers). If EA offered a more competitive wage, they could hire the therapists in-house and save money. But that would just make too much sense (no pun intended).
Quick comment-I tried to understand why EA was going to Spain to recruit teachers. I was told because the students came with all the certification required to be a bilingual teacher in EA. From my limited knowledge of the recruiting. #1- the Language from Spain is not the same as the Spanish spoken by the children in our school district. 2. Many of these people got homesick and returned, leaving D131 after the expense of the recruitment.
I had a friend who was admin at Northeastern IL Univ. in Chicago. When I explained to her about the recruitment, she told me they could make sure the NEIU students had the same certification that EA required. Making, these students from the U.S., qualified to teach for EA. So as explained to me, there was no need for trips to Spain. I gave Marin Gonzales this lady's business card. She did nothing to change the hiring process. There had been EA grads who had attempted to be hired by 131, who were bilingual. The district did not hire them, back then. Why the trips continue is a mystery, because they obviously, adamantly deny it being for the simple pleasure of going to Spain.
The district stopped going to Spain for three years but Glotzbach resumed the practice under Popp. Two have already broken their contracts and went back to Spain. They think our curriculum and classroom direction is slave labor. The funny thing is even they don't want to work for 131. Our union is stopping our right to vote but wait until next year teachers are planning on leaving in droves. There will not be enough teachers in Spain to fill the positions. The board need to take immediate action our moral is horrible. Intherm has not been seen for days, we assume she is on another vacation. She never answers her phone or emails. Sara reports to Glotzbach not the union members.
It sounds like many people are planning on leaving if this sh**show continues in EA. I love my students and generations of my family have lived in East Aurora, but if distrust with the admin/board and a non-competitive salary are going to be the norm in this district and employees have to choose between family or students, the students will lose. Low morale affects the attitudes of staff, which is passed on to students. If staff can travel a little further from (or in my case, closer to) home to be a little more comfortable financially and have more support, they will. There will be an exodus of teachers. And the district will be royally screwed in the number of vacancies that cannot be filled. The retirees in the district boundaries can say they won't care as their own kids do not attend school any longer, but their property values sure will suffer.
Hi!
Peace, love, joy, and happiness to ALL reading this blog! Have a beautiful Thanksgiving from a teacher who has been working tirelessly in this district for the last eight years. Find your light and shine it relentlessly! "If you build it, he will come!" You are making a difference...
-Bonny
I understand the point of "low morale." Those screaming the loudest about the taxes are those who have only recently, 10 years or less, moved into the district. They thought they would buy into a great new home and reap benefits of lower taxes than similar homes in higher taxed areas. Now it has come back to bite them and they are crying. Stella and MaryAnne, former board members were two of those ladies. The new lady is another. Many of those people have no vested interest in the district. They didn't raise their families here, have no grandchildren in the schools. or some, like Annette, has never had any children and doesn't have any idea what goes on In the schools. So she promised a bunch of folks at election time she would make sure their taxes didn't go up. The board supported all the new construction and buying up property and even many poor decisions of badly executed B&G work and hiring of unqualified staff at central office. So now they want the community to think the teachers contract is what will put a strain on the budget. The teachers are the only thing that have stood strong and solidly doing there job and have worked efficiently in this district for a number of decades.
Leonard isn't the first board member who reaped benefits for himself and friends thru B&G. Popp is not the first Supt. to put unqualified staff into position. Granted these things happen sometimes. District 131 seems to be continuously putting students and teachers last, even though their motto used to be "students first." Our school board is ultimately responsible! They hire the supt. if he is not doing his job, of giving our children a quality educational opportunity, then shame on the D131 school board!!
Date: Nov 25, 2015
To: Mr Richard Leonard
Board of Education East Aurora Dist 131
Subject: Purchasing Violations at EHS
Mr Richard Leonard
Upon reviewing the most current FOIA response concerning Purchases made at the East High School, AGAIN there are major violations in the spending of Taxpayer Dollars.
I am reviewing all emails and documents to support my findings. Will make this available upon completion of auditing the current FOIA received.
Reference PO 161741
9-25 Requisition submitted
9-28 Approved by Anthony Crespo & Mark Truckenbrod
9-29 PO created by Elise Clever
10-14 PO closed
Invoice dated SEPT 16 2015
There are still 2 additional PO’s needed to be thoroughly audited. Already I have noticed several violations on these purchases.
Upon review of emails and purchasing documents I will submit all findings (with attachments) to support these charges.
Respectfully
Ralph Padron
I am a taxpayer that lives in the senior living community. Obviously you don't get it. When a community is taxed at 13% verses Napervilles 9% there is a major problem. Our houses have lost value and taxes have gone up. If you are a tax payer in 131 you are also being overtaxed and undervalued. Our community has stopped growing and with the land along Indian Trail another 800 houses with no children could be built bring another 7 million in revenue into our schools.
I have great respect for Anette Johnson she has financial knowledge and has worked to reduce costs while helping children. I find your comments offensive and ignorant. I also found the teachers in EA actions at the last meeting very troubling . If they act like this it is no wonder EA has a displine problem with students. If my neighbors want to run for the board and are elected that is the democratic way. You also have the same right as the parents who never attend meeting or care about their children.
Again, I have lived in Aurora for my whole life, I did not buy a huge or pricey house and I know I pay more than my fair share of taxes. And no I don't live by Stonebridge. Your assumption that it is just one geographic segment of the district that states the taxes are outlandish is way way off base. The amount of money this district spends is the issue and there are no great results to show for the money spent. We should not be throwing away money on people from the age of 21 until their death. This district is somewhat typical of all school districts when it comes to spending. Ralph thinks he is doing our district a favor by his insanity, well if he would actually look into the surrounding districts, he would find that the issues at 131 are little molehills compared to what takes place around the region. That is pretty sad. But very true. Please start accepting your responsibility and start dealing with the real issues in the district and Aurora. Start helping the administration and the board. For too many decades you have been the cause of most of the problems, start admitting it. The kids deserve better.
"We should not be throwing away money on people from the age of 21 until their death"
What on earth are you talking about?
Is paying the professionals who teach our children a decent wage "throwing away money??
And can you name ONE person who has been paid by this district from the age of 21 until their death?
That tax rate did not happen overnight. Did you not research the rate before you purchased a home?
Almost every home has lost value due to the recession and I can tell you that my taxes have gone up as well (I live west of Aurora). I probably pay more in taxes than you do, and I can almost guarantee that my home is worth less than yours.
As far as your comment about Annette, she may be a good friend, but I don't see wonderful evidence of her helping our students or reducing costs (other than helping to keep some employees' salaries near the poverty line). Maybe she, along with the rest of the board, needs to keep a better eye on district purchases, recruiting/lavish trips, and exorbitant salaries in administration for those who can't seem to do a decent job. Tell me again why EA needs so many "superintendent/director" positions that don't seem to be helping the educators and students any more than districts of our size who have 3 such titled positions?
**Your comment about the actions of teachers at the last board meeting was quite vague. Would you mind elaborating?
Everyone knows that the tax rate goes across the district. No one "assumes" it's a problem only for Stonebridge. It's that those are mostly the residents that the board hears complaints from and has time to attend the meetings.
Apparently some people were not paying attention to the poor management of the EA school district until the affects hit home. Now they want the children's education and the educators to pay the cost for the long term neglect by the taxpayers. Possibly it is one of those people living in th NE side of town, collecting a pension from a job they started at age 21 and will be collecting until they die, that is now upset that someone else may be trying to reap the same benefits. If a person dedicated their whole life to a position, especially one like teaching, why shouldn't they have a pension the rest of their lives? This is not something new, nor is tax increases & decreases. Property values going up and down is another thing that is not unique to NE or any town, USA. Where were these people the last 10-12 years when parents and teachers have complained about the state of the district. Well now that you have finally woke up, you will find the answer to your concerns, about business Within central office, is pretty much unchanging from answers to taxpayers in the past. They ask for parental involvement, yet discourage input. The board wants the community to reach out, yet stifles them when not inline with their agenda. You can listen to board member promises and speak at the podium with as many neighbors in the audience as you can muster. In the end, no one facing you in that board room cares. The district's final answer, in a nutshell, is and continues to be- Thank you for coming, we appreciate you comments........Suck it up buttercup!
Happy Thankgiving Dr Popp
The letter you wrote to staff about humbling thanks are an attempt to get us to vote for the contract. The letter probably written by you private press secretary does not cut it. When you gave him a $40,000 raise and handed the teachers crumbs you showed what you value and it is not us. Writing a few kind words about teachers is fine but what about support staff and others that keep the buildings going. We have no raise to buy Christmas presents with this year and no hope of a fair contract.
Please again Dr Popp don't write us show us but you will not because EA is just a blip on your radar.
Here's an article for those of you complaining about your taxes in East Aurora.
Which School Districts Tax the Most Per Student:
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20140122/news/701229925/
Again, in East Aurora less than 20% of school funding comes from local taxes. Perhaps instead of complaining about the school portion of your tax bill, you should begin comparing the city portion of your tax bill with the surrounding communities. I believe that's where you'll find the greatest discrepancy.
Here's a easy way to see the difference. This link compares the tax bills of Naperville 203 and Indian Prairie 204. Please notice the city portion of the tax bill. I am sure once you see the facts, you'll begin to put the blame where it truly belongs.
http://www.napervilletownship.com/sd/naperville/content/Detail.aspx?ID=3&CID=5cd8d313-3fb5-48d1-b8be-f91c815833e4
I don't want to hear about how teachers are spoiled when it comes to their retirement. All of the years that I spent paying into Social Security before going into the educational setting (and I still pay into it with my after-school/weekend/summer job) is going towards paying YOUR Social Security benefits. I will see none of that money by the time that I retire. And I'll be lucky if I receive what I am fully entitled to with TRS, since that is also a pathetic state of affairs. I take money out of my already meager paycheck to pay into my own retirement savings.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/news/ct-abn-east-aurora-stadium-st-1130-20151127-story.html
Date: Nov 25, 2015
To: Board of Education East Aurora Dist 131
Subject: Purchasing Violations at EHS Part 1
Here is a recap of the Violations regarding PO 161741
Invoice dtd 9-16 2015 $ 4,139.00
9-25 Requisition submitted
9-28 Approved by Anthony Crespo
9-28 Approved by Mark Truckenbrod
9-29 PO created by Elise Clever
10-14 PO closed
• 10-14 Rudy Keller approves invoice for $ 4,139.00
• Invoice is paid for different amount $ 4,259.00
• Appears invoice is paid on credit card
• Email dtd September 15 2015 speaks for itself
• Did Rudy Keller give Amy Martensen (EHS Chemistry Teacher) prices for her sister to review and quote on? It appears that is what was done
Questions
1. Why was this PO approved by those entrusted to prevent protocol violations
2. Isn’t this why the Purchasing Approval was implemented
3. Does Anthony Crespo, Mark Truckenbrod, and Elise Clever understand PO procedures
The Original Invoice should have been voided/disallowed then do the PO in accordance with Policy
4. Why is freight so enormously expensive
5. Was there another vendor locally could have provided a comparable item
6. Why wasn’t the ROTC involved with the purchase of this item
7. Why were internet prices downloaded on Oct 27 as comparable quotes when flags were already delivered?
Closing Comments
Were we or were we not assured these violations would not reappear?
How can EA get a vote of confidence from the Taxpayers when those in authority let this happen?
Unfortunately more FOIA’s will be submitted to further research the above and other violations I have discovered
Respectfully
Ralph Padron
You know I have been reading through all these comments. I am really sad that people think that teachers are just trying to get raises because we feel we are owed them. That is not what it is about at all. We work so hard and everything increases; our insurance premiums, co-pays, Rx costs, everyday expenses, etc. Then we see the crazy amounts the administration is earning, the raises people like Hanley and Sara are handed. Not to mention trips, free lunches, cell phones, computers, tablets, and so much more. But, we get pushed down everyday, more requirements, different evaluations, frozen stipends; the list goes on and on. Now ghost payroll? Plus, the pressure to get an advanced degree. It is just so frustrating.
Anybody going to the Christmas party?
These admins just care about their own advancement; they feel teachers are scum and have made comments like' I don't have to talk to him . He's a first year teacher.' They are out for themselves; give no support to teachers( in fact when given the chance they will nail teachers to the wall) and make the evaluation process as unpleasant as possible. Most admins have minimal class experience; most are failed teachers or admins from other districts.. They actually feel as if they are superior to teachers(the ones actually dealing with our precious students)They do not support their own teachers. Unless it is social studies or math/business or science who are good to their people- special Ed-forget it he will throw you under the bus in a second, especially his new teachers. With this negotiating process with the contract we are doomed our reps have bought the b.s; they will not try to do a strike vote and will do what ever Sara/Springfield tells them- they are all useless.
I am not attending the Christmas party. The $5 charge is a insult. Administration can spend on whatever they want and create PR events to stroke their own ego. Thanks again to Mr Padron we are hearing of another scandal and ten of thousands wasted.
Date: Dec 4, 2015
To: Board of Education East Aurora Dist 131
Subject: More Flag Purchasing Violations at EHS Part 2
Here is a recap of the Violations regarding the OTHER “Flag Purchase”
PO 161742 A Stars & Stripes Flag Corp
9-25 Requisition submitted
9-28 Approved by Anthony Crespo
9-28 Approved by Mark Truckenbrod
9-29 PO created by Elise Clever
10-21 PO closed
• 9-29 PO amount $ 2,345.00
• 9-29 Invoice for $ 2,965.00
• 9-15 Quote for $ 2,345.00
No revised PO nor quote is ever generated
9-24 Rudy Keller email states “order” is approved then places order
Despite no PO process has not even begun
Questions
1. Why was PO approved by those entrusted to prevent these violations
2. Certainly appears that this is another PO “Rubber Stamped”
3. Why did Keller submit a web site as a “competitive quote”
Closing Comments “Again Repetitive”
a) Were we or were we not assured these violations would not reappear?
b) How can EA get a vote of confidence from the Taxpayers when those in authority let this happen?
c) Pattern is being established that Veterans Event Purchasing was handled by those not qualified to approve and oversee Taxpayer Dollars.
NOTE: Seems odd, this PO was generated the same day as PO 161741 previously
I submitted to the Board of Ed
As usual all documents attached were obtained via FOIA’s submitted to EA Dist 131
Respectfully
Ralph Padron
Front page of the high school newsletter from the principal: "Continue to Take Challenging Courses- An "A" in "AP Biology" is more impressive than an "A" in gym" Can we be more disrespectful to a hardworking group of PE staff across the district? Does he know gym is a location and not a class?Does he know that PE is a state graduation requirement? Last I knew AP classes were not required to graduate. Maybe the focus should be on respecting ALL staff and meeting the students where they're at first...and set priorities to help students graduate in 4 years. The leadership makes ignorant comments like this yet expect staff to just continue to take it. Enough already! The staff and students deserve leadership that is just that leadership! Not continual defrauding comments from admin who could care less as long as they can advance in their career.
Here's a link to 27 pages of recent articles about our district:
https://v3.boardbook.org/Public/PublicItemDownload.aspx?ik=37959986
Defrauding comments? Clearly a PE teacher wrote that....not the AP English teacher. An A in an AP class carries more weight in the GPA for sure. It makes a big impact on a student's college admission requirements. That is the spirit of that comment. Get over yourself!
Thruckenbrod put the finger on Jessica B who attempted to save the district money by ghost payroll Rudy Keller. Crespo harassed her until she quit now her students are literally bouncing off the walls. That is why we will not vote for the contract until we are respected and not harassed.
I would like to see that newsletter. Where can I pick up a copy? I did not graduate with with my class due to beng short required PE credits. I passed biology, but without the PE credit that meant nothing. I graduated the following January. Ignorance can be found even among those with degrees, I guess is a good lesson to take from the newsletter.
Thank for sharing, Anon2
Who wrote that about PE classes Anonymous anonymous2? More and more you see how D131 and The Board of Education at 131 don't hire good Principals. Even back in the 70's you had to pass PE to graduate. This person is saying a student needs to get A's in just classes that count for graduation and if it doesn't count you can fail. That is no way to teach students they need to know they need to try their best in whatever they do.
Our HS does not have one administrator worth anything. Plus our athletic department is a joke.
Crespo was interviewed by Simmons and picked along with another person as our number one and two candidate for AP. Thruckenbrod was present at the round table and decided not to listen to teachers. Crespo was green and had zero curriculum experience. The AP slot would have allowed him to grow. He was asked about taking a cut in pay at the time and he claimed that was not an issue. The next thing we know is he becomes principal of EAHS. Crespo was then given a larger salary than the other principal.
The feeling on Thruckenbrod is the same as he was Dr Popps friend from 204 and paid more than any other at central office. I thank Mr Padron for keeping us update on salaries at central office. I have always excepted less working at EA but I can no longer continue to get slapped in the face with salary and incompetence at central office. Everyone was upset with the decsion of Thruckenbrod at Simmons. We knew the fix was in. Ms Gibson was not ready and did not have the credituals needed at the time. Teachers are still upset that our time was wasted if central office already picked the AP.
Until decisions like this stop EA is not going to heal MS JOHNSON. WAKEUP, along with your fellow BOE members. Your sound bits about healing are nice but take some action.
Date: Dec 5, 2015
To: Board of Education East Aurora Dist 131
Subject: Veterans Event Purchasing Violations at EHS Part 3
PO: NEVER PROVIDED despite several requests
Amount: $1,680.00
Company: R & M Specialties (Jacket Purchase)
All emails are attached
9-22 Rudy Keller email to Anthony Crespo (EHS Principal) & Kim Mundt (Secretary)
“Here is a quote for supervision & security jackets Dr Popp asked me to order”
9-24 Kim Mundt email to R Keller
“Mr Crespo said to go ahead and order these items”
Why is Mike Popp involved in jacket purchase, when an unresolved teacher contract is chaotic
Wouldn’t his time be better spent in high priority areas
1 Crespo gives approval to order DESPITE no PO is even in process
2 Has purchasing procedures changed recently overriding Protocol & Procedures
3 The Principals office should have NEVER GIVEN Keller authorization to proceed or is EHS immune from these rules
9-25 Order is placed & Order Confirmation is received
9-25 Request for Purchase Order submitted
Request takes several days and layers of approval before a Purchase Order is issued
Despite this purchasing policy, the order was placed and confirmed SAME DAY.
Closing Comments (Sound framiliar)
1 Were we or were we not assured these violations would not reappear?
2 How can EA get a vote of confidence from Taxpayers when those in authority let this happen?
3 Pattern is being established that Veterans Event Purchasing was handled by those not qualified to approve and oversee Taxpayer Dollars.
4 I am still awaiting the PO for this purchase to review the approval log naming
Anthony Crespo, Mark Truckenbrod & Elise Clever as authorizing this purchase
As usual all documents attached were obtained via FOIA’s submitted to EA Dist 131
Respectfully
Ralph Padron
Please come to the union meeting on Tuesday. The union will tell us the district can not pay for our money demands. They will also challenge us to take a strike vote and see if we are committed. It is sad to say they are setting us up. If we do not show solidarity our opportunity for getting paid a living wage is lost. Please show up and question the union their excuses. They act like administration in that they are always attempting to intimidate us.
Also, show up and support our hard working secretaries as they make their demands for a living wage at the board meeting.
You DO MAKE A LIVING WAGE! it is an insult to the community you work in to claim that you do not. Look up the term "living wage" and look hard at the faces of the children you serve....you certainly have a living wage.
When you became a full time teacher for the first time what experience did you have. There is always someone somewhere that is more qualified to do any job; that includes you. Not when you were green but right now. I'll go further to say one of your coworker in your Dept
Hanleys raise is more than the what defines living wage. Do you think that is fair brother
It's pretty damn sad when I can make more at another district with 3 years experience than I do at EA with 10 years experience. This screwed up system needs to be fixed.
Do you think the maintenance people complain about their wages in comparison to teachers? No! It is like comparing apples and oranges. Hanley is an administrator that receives administrative pay. His pay is based on a different scale! Let it go! Strike already!
Matt Hanley is not an administrator except in title. He does not have an administrator license and his teaching license is not even issued by Kane County. He has no legal qualifications to do any certified job in Districtv131. Only in District 131 do we take people with little to no qualifications and pay them top dollar. You just make sure you're in with the right people.
Hanley is worthless! What value does he bring to the district? He sends out worthless press releases and uses outside contractors to do his work as Mr Padron has pointed out. If they can waste money on him why not pay tge teachers who are on the front lines daily.
Come to the Montgomery Village Hall tomorrow after school. The union will have information on a STRIKE VOTE. We have to be taken seriously by the board and send the board our demands. They think we will not STRIKE and word is they have not moved on anything .
We need to remember that we have been vocal for fair pay and administration has been told to punish us. Informuals and overtones are out of control. Glotzbach and Thruckenbrod have sat at meetings taking notes who is complaining the most. This has translated into more visits from principals or division chairs to our classroom. It is well noted that negotiation reps have been targeted as Glotzbach claims there is no problem. There is a BIG problem board. GLotzbach and Thruckenbrod are making a list and checking it twice.
If we don't stand up now we will lose all rights.
Date: Dec 6 2015
To: Board of Education East Aurora Dist 131
Subject: Update Veterans Event Investigation Pt 1
To Board of Education:
I have audited 3 Purchases for the Veterans Day Event and a pattern has emerged
@ Purchasing Policy was NOT adhered to
@ Items were ordered per Rudy Keller
@ Flag Purchases were approved by
1 Anthony Crespo (Principal)
2 Mark Truckenbrod (Director Leadership & Development)
3 Elise Clever (Purchasing Agent) who’s approval generated a Purchase Order NO QUESTIONS ASKED by those approving PO Request
Emails provide timelines and irregularities
3 PO’s audited = $ 7,600.00
When all info is gathered I expect Costs TO EXCEED $ 20,000.00
Overtime & other fees will add an additional $ 10,000.00
Am anxiously awaiting Approved Budget to compare actual costs
Simmons Middle School had a Veterans Event, please compare costs and resources utilized
TO: Mr Richard Leonard
On Nov 18th 2015 I requested your assistance in obtaining the following info
#1 Explanation on Matt Hanley’s decision to extend a FOIA response to 7 weeks.
#2 Documents never received
1 Sara Imthurn 2013 Stipend for $ 4,680.92
2 SIGNED contracts for Matthew Hanley & Anthony Crespo
3 Pay Stubs for Interim EHS AD Rudy Keller & Michael Rogowski (former 204 employees)
I emailed Matt Hanley several times Result = NO RESPONSE
Appears Mike Popp has no intention in responding to this information which the Public is lawfully entitled to. Needless to say, I did submit an inquiry to the Attorney General’s office requesting their assistance in releasing this info. Again this could have been avoided.
Please follow up with those necessary to bring this out publicly and hold Mike Popp accountable.
How long will this Board allow themselves to be DISRESPECTED & IGNORED by the Popp Era.
Respectfully
Ralph Padron
Agreed, Hanley is worthless! I can not understand why anyone could allow this. When I spoke with Johnson she made it well known she asked several members not to vote for this. She stated she was only able to convince Richard Leonard. I always supported Strand biut many many teachers and staff feel lied to. Strand stated the money was saved by not filling the Technology departments position. I would hope she would think technology is more important than a PR person. The condition of our technology department shows the lack of skills and management. Some building have tech fixed immediately, some wait for months. The Magnet school is allowed to box up broken computers and send them out. The 360 system was installed with zero training .
Ms Strand who tells us her husband is a teacher and feels our pain is a fraud. She feels nothing, when she can support underpaid teachers and overpaid administration. Ms Johnson stated the board will not allow teachers to get bullied. Well, Ms Johnson it happens every day. wHat are you doing to address it?
Very well put Anonymous Anonymous said. It does seem that The Administration at D131 has all the top electronics and they state we don't have money for the teachers. I wonder how many Administrators use some of that equipment for their personal use also.
The IT department went downhill this year. Shields was difficult to get a response from, so it's probably good that he's gone. I have never had much of an issue with the tech employees/foot soldiers who visit schools. They run their butts off all day. The district goes and buys hundreds of new laptops and iPads this year, and I haven't heard from one person who prefers the new computers over last years/the old ones. And many iPads have sat at admin office since the summer, not yet formatted for school use.
It's no doubt that some do, as the district pays for Leonard's pricey internet at home
Since D131 wants to shrink the tech department here what we should do too. 1. Stop buying laptops, ipads, macbooks, smartboards, etc for all of the schools. As the number of devices grows, you need more skilled professionals to manage them and keep them running. Since you are shrinking the department, stop wasting money on expensive tech that will just get neglected when broken or fixed at huge expense from taxpayers. 2. The administrators needs to stop getting top of line equipment. They already have high salaries. An ipad, macbook, 2 screens, and the latest Iphone. For the ammount of progressive being made in our district, i would say that inventory for admins in outrageous. 3. Close the magnet school. That school is highly dependent on tech. There use to be someone there everyday to check on things when the building opened up. Ever since that individual left, the response time for ITHELP has been slow and unreliable.
How does a public relations person (and not a teacher) who does not have a valid Kane County teaching certificate manage to get TRS? And have it paid for by district 131? ! How could this school board approve such a thing ? The State of Illinois needs to perform an audit on this district. There is fraud at the highest levels. The tax payers are getting fleeced, the teachers are getting fleeced and most importantly our students are getting fleeced! STRIKE NOW!
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/news/ct-abn-east-aurora-strike-vote-st-1209-20151208-story.html
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/news/ct-abn-east-aurora-contract-talk-st-1209-20151208-story.html
As this post says, we have a lot to be thankful for. I am truly thankful our EA teachers work as hard as they do for as many years as they have to teacher in our district. I hope they do not have to strike, but support the if they do!
I find it sadly amusing the Board basically responds.."we didn't know..."
Some of the same people presently sitting on this board decided to take a light hand with discipline problems, even though the teachers were telling them they were creating a poor classroom environment and making it hard for teachers to teach effectively. Now they play dumb and say they are working are to fix things. Puh.... leez! This has been going on for quite sometime. Wake up school board! How many of these things need to happen before you realize the admin at a couple levels is not giving you a true picture of what is happening in our schools. In the class rooms, and in your finances and your B &G people are BS-ing you about the health of all these things. Listen to the people working there and the community, especially, they elected you to represent ALL of them, not just a small group.
EA teachers, I can't speak for all, but believe more of you community supports you than the district realizes. Best to you!!
The board needs to look at priorities and under Dr Popp his priorities are misguided. I attended the meeting at looked at the charts yesterday. It shows the district is running out of money under his leadership. The districts is taking in more money and spending less on teachers. This trend needs to stop. He has treated us in every aspect with disrespect.
Date: Dec 9 2015
Board of Education East Aurora Dist 131
Subject: Were PBIS Funds Used for Speakers at Nov 2 Veterans Event
The Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports is established by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to define, develop, implement, and evaluate a multi-tiered approach to Technical Assistance that improves the capacity of states, districts and schools to establish, scale-up and sustain the PBIS framework. Emphasis is given to the impact of implementing PBIS on the social, emotional and academic outcomes for students with disabilities. https://www.pbis.org/
Please research if the following services for the Veterans Event Nov 2 was expensed out to PBIS Funds. If so, it appears that these services do not match up with the stated intent of those students with disabilities.
$ Amount PO# Invoice#
Allen J Lynch – Speaker Medal of Honor- $2,000.00 9014299 101
Cornellison Corp - National Anthem 800.00 9014343 102
(Chicago Blackhawks Singer)
Todd Mielcalz – Technical Services 599.00 9014491 103
Daniel C Starr – Bagpipes 150.00 9014345 104
Richard Yndesped – Bugler 100.00 9014462 105
Total Amount $ 3,649.00
Questions
Invoice # is sequential for the entire group which is very suspicious
Did Accounting generated their invoices? Invoice Date is identical for all- Nov 30 2015
If these were expensed out to PBIS, who authorized
Did Rudy Keller make these decisions exclusively and did Mark Truckenbrod & Anthony Crespo approve this.
Was it necessary to spend this money at a time when there is a potential Teacher Strike
Comments
This is the 4th inquiry in a series regarding Wasteful Spending and multiple violations regarding the Veterans Event. The most recent “Purchasing Report” ($12,000.00) from attorney Bernie Weiler was to address violations and protect the Public from a reoccurrence of previous scandals.
Regardless of verbal assurances from the Administration “Wasteful spending and Violations” continue. Reference Flag Purchases approval by EHS Principal Anthony Crespo, Director of Leadership Development Mark Truckenbrod.& Purchasing Agent Elise Clever. How can they justify approving those Purchases. Are they immune from Disciplinary Action ?
Guess it’s Business as Usual at East Aurora under the leadership of Mike Popp
All information gathered from the Dec 7 2015 List of Bills
I am still awaiting FOIA responses from Oct 2015. When received I will then send attachments with a more comprehensive report.
Needless to say, this initial discovery warrants additional documents.
More Purchasing Violations forthcoming
Respectfully
Ralph Padron
Maybe the teachers should go on strike. Then the board could make a deal with one of those companies that contracts out teachers. This could be the start of a new era for the school system. better teaching, no whining about having to work more than 5 hours a day. You know, walking to their classrooms from cars, uphill both ways. Have to throw the word 'disrespect" in the equation for some unknown reason when they don't get their way. I was always taught that respect is earned, not just given. People, no more payments from age 21 until your death! Maybe, yes maybe. going on strike could bring about some real useful changes at the district. Like people actually doing some work!!! I would recommend the board contact one of these companies immediately and check out the potential cost savings versus having to keep overpaying employee teachers with pensions that are not sustainable and the potential of improving the lives of the students that they touch. Current teachers would be welcome to become employees of the contract company. While they are at it, I would also recommend talks with janitorial/maintenance companies for outsourcing that department. Everyone saw how Caterpillar was able to get rid of a lot of bad union habits in the strike there decades ago, maybe a strike here with a governmental agency such as a school district will allow the board to do the same. Teachers, if you haven't seen it in the news, students all over are being a bigger pains that in the past and a large part of it is on you and what you teach. Don't lay that all off on the administration. You are just as culpable. Also, there are management companies that can run the school district also, if that needs to be looked into.
Let's see if teachers that are contracted or Hanley could take getting cursed at, pinched, hit and sexually harassed. The comments in Spanish would make you sick. They think we do not know what they are saying well WE DO. This is not to say that 95% of students are not great kids but under Thruck we have been told hands off.
Anonymous way past fed up said...
You are as ignorant as they come! I dont even have the words to respond to your nonsense!
Anonymous way past fed up said.. You are way out of line and if you think contract teachers would be better you haven't worked with any of them. They have nothing to lose so they don't but all their effort in the work. Students not learning isn't the teachers fault. You have an administration that can't even put out a curriculum for them. Look at our classrooms that are overcrowded and falling apart what kind of environment is that to learn in? I don't see where the teachers have bad union habits. What I see is Administrators having a working lunch with just themselves. Getting new phones and not even using them.
I support these teachers and they should go on strike. Look at all this money administration in D131 on flags that don't even get a approval which I believe the IL School Code requires approvals on things like this. Stand Tall East Aurora teachers you deserve better and it won't happen unless you stand up for yourself.
Way past fed up appears to be way past a lot of things, but sensible is not one of them.
Get a grip Mr. or Mrs. fed up. Hmmmm . .....who could be getting "way past" bent out of shape over the teachers contract, but someone who has an ax to grind.
Could it be Over taxed Ward 1 resident, Overpayed 131 PR guy, or Over confident Board member who lives in Ward 1?
I am sure the Board is reading your suggestions on the blog right now and considering calling a special session to take your ideas to the bargaining table. Bwah-ha-ha-ha!
Guess what? Many specialists in the district are hired out because they make MUCH more than what the district would pay them If they were district hires. They make $40/hr MINIMUM (that is the worker's cut, therefore the agency paying them is getting even more). It's a good way to bankrupt a district, as well as demonstrate how horrible the salaries are in 131. And those contractual employees sound like they have no problem leaving for another job site should a strike occur.
Your point is invalid and moronic. What have you done throughout your lifetime that has made you so bitter and disconnected from the real world?
Thank you Ralph Padron! You are a patriot. The financial mismanagement you so faithfully call out, has a detrimental effect on the community of East Aurora. Our community deserves better, particularly the children
Way past fed up This sounds suspiciously like Matt Hanley and his teacher bashing. I just got home 5:30 went in at 7:00 am not complaining- got m other f'ed about 4 times, a kid gave me the finger, bought detergent and deodorant for a kid that never showers, gave another kid the shirt off my back because his pants split, fed kids, taught them and did social work because that's what we do to kids who are depressed, unmotivated, unloved and unwashed. Not complaining, part of the job. Worked on something called an SLO that is nothing but data proving that in spite of these horrifying conditions my kids are doing swell and testing at the top of the charts. Still not complaining. Have union reps that tell us not to strike, are uneducated about the facts of negotiation, have a union president that rats us out. Well complaining here a little. Hey dude- What company is going to out source this???????????? No one would do it!!!!! We can't even get subs and can hardly get anyone to stay
Our district spent EIGHT HUNDRED DOLLARS for some guy to sing the National Anthem???
There is no singer or choral group in our district (or for that matter, the city of Aurora) who could have sung it for maybe $100 (which was the reasonable amount paid to the bugler who played Taps)?
Thanks again, Mr. Padron, for bringing this exorbitant amount spent for a THREE MINUTE vocal performance to our attention!
...a corporate employee to think that a school district can just outsource jobs to an agency and turn things around lickity split. You sir, are an imbecile. Sorry that your 401K went to pot and you didn't make wise financial and retirement decisions sooner, now making you bitter. And don't worry-TRS (along with Social Security) will dry up before I can take advantage of it, so I won't be getting paid a pension until death.
At least now we see what Matt (way past fed up) is paid to do all day.
Bragging rights for admin to have Jim sing. I'm sure the students could give a rat's rear about a hockey realm star. Now someone involved with soccer or basketball? That's a different story.
Sounds like someone stirring the Pot. I don't worry about my job because nobody will ever take it. Today I fed kids, brought my nieces new shoes for a kid who's shoes are duct taped, also worked on SLO's was observed twice, provided social work, fixed computers, chased down classroom materials and went to another windbag meeting with our principal giving out more homework. All that and my union rep tells me we can not get paid because the district has no money. Now I read someone got paid $800 to sing a three minute song. When will the maddness stop. I am sure Hanley had a hand in another PR event to make the superintendent look good.
Think of the shoes, soap food, classroom supplies and other necessities our students need. LOOK AT THE CHILDREN do you not have a heart. Some of the BOE members call themselves Christians why are they allowing this.
$800 to sing the national anthem is nothing to East Aurora. The district paid Oprah's husband $10,000 to come in and speak to the students at Cowherd a year or two ago. The talk lasted less than an hour and all he did was insult the teachers. I wonder if the district used Title 1 funds to pay for that too?
Congradulations East Aurora High School blew away West Aurora High School on the Paarc assessments no longer does EA rank the lowest. The Magnet School returned as the best school in Aurora. Congrads to everyone!
EA Teacher,
Well stated! Thank you for eloquently stating the experience of educators in our district. We are professionals. We deeply care for the educational, emotional and physical well being of the students in our care. We purchase textbooks, pencils, supplies, prescription glasses and coats for students out of own pockets. Yet, we constantly have to defend ourselves. I love my students. I hope I don't have to choose between them and supporting my own family.
Mr. Padron, keep fighting the good fight! The "army" of administrators on Fifth Street needs to be held accountable. Your efforts are deeply appreciated.
Publish
Date: Dec 10, 2015
To: Christi Tyler East Aurora Dist 131
Subject: Double Payment for Flags Part 5
Dear Christi
A double payment for $ 4,259.00 appears to have been made.
Ref: PO 162972 invoice V631963 dtd 11-30-15
Please review the attached invoice (obtained via “List of Bills Dec 7 Bd Mtg) for “Healing Field & Flag Kits”
I will submit FOIA to obtain these documents on how this happened.
The Veterans Event is full of violations and suspicious spending of Taxpayer Dollars thus one of the obvious questions remains unanswered “ What else is out there on wasted Taxpayer Dollars”
Please respond via email
Thank you
Ralph Padron
Link attached is for List of Bills
turn to page 30
Healing Field & Flag Kits
https://v3.boardbook.org/Public/PublicItemDownload.aspx?ik=37963904
Hanley must be out spreading misinformation again. A real community relations person could have helped get the Veterans Day celebration paid for. Claytom Muhammed had Alderwomen Burns pay for the Oprhas husband and no title funds or district were used. Clayton would have also involved students to sing and participate in the event. Hanley has had a history in outsourcing his work. I am sure the board is not even aware Hanley was given a tech person now to help him. The tech department is there to support students not overpaid Hanley.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/news/ct-abn-east-aurora-parcc-st-1209-20151210-story.html
Date: Dec 11 2015
To: Christi Tyler
CC: East Aurora Board of Education Dist 131
Subject: Violations Galore on the Following Purchase Orders
1 All Purchase Orders were expensed to “Title” or Federal Funds
How can Federal Funds be justified ?
2 All PO Requisitions are dtd AFTER Nov 2
3 PO’s are dated AFTER the Nov 2 Veterans Event
Where is the “Approval Log”
4 Format for all invoices are identical
Were all Invoices generated by EA or is it a coincidence that these 5 Vendors have the identical format? In addition all are dated 11-2 NOT A COINCIDENCE
Allen J Lynch – Speaker Medal of Honor- $ 2,000.00 PO 9014299 Inv# 101
Cornellison Corp - National Anthem 800.00 9014343 102
(Chicago Blackhawks Singer)
Todd Mielcalz – Technical Services 599.00 9014491 103
Daniel C Starr – Bagpipes 150.00 9014345 104
Richard Yndesped – Bugler 100.00 9014462 105
Total $ 3,649.00
Questions
@ Who determined this to be expensed to Federal Funds
@ Was the decision to hire the above determined by Rudy Keller
@ Were these expenses Budgeted and Board Approved
@ Why were critical documents “AGAIN” ALLOWED to be generated after the fact?
Were Anthony Crespo (Pricipal EHS)
Mark Truckenbrod (Director of Leadership Development)
Christi Tyler (Assistant Superintendent for Finance) updated on these expenses
prior to the Nov 2 event to insure Policy & Procedures were in compliance
@ If yes, why did they not mandate Purchasing Procedures be adhered to
@ If no, why was Rudy Keller not updating those overseeing his decisions
This is the mission of the Federal Agency allocating these funds
The Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports is established by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to define, develop, implement, and evaluate a multi-tiered approach to Technical Assistance that improves the capacity of states, districts and schools to establish, scale-up and sustain the PBIS framework. Emphasis is given to the impact of implementing PBIS on the social, emotional and academic outcomes for students with disabilities. https://www.pbis.org/
The Veterans Event Nov 2 services above does not match up with the stated intent of those students with disabilities.
Bigger issue is HOW WHY WHO allowed this to happen
Again the Question resurfaces:
@ What other Purchases have been misappropriated?
@ Taxpayers were assured that this would not re-occur however the Veterans Event expenditures
@ Flags, Jackets, Speakers, Soloist, Bugler, Bagpipe, “Technical Support” is full of violations.
I still am awaiting documents for the $ 4,000.00 charge from Platt Electric for Mounting the Large Flag to the outside of the High School. This will bring the Flag expenditures about $ 10,000.00
Again this happens under the Leadership of Mike Popp
Next week promises to bring out more of the Wasteful Spending of Taxpayer Dollars & more
and very suspicious “Coincidences”
Please respond with documentation if I am in error on any of the above
Attached Documents were gathered via FOIA requests..
Will await your response
Respectfully
Ralph Padron
I'm as patriotic as the next person, but holy cow that's a lot of money to spend on a flag!
Ralph you can FOIA all you want but if you don't do anything it will stay the same. From what I read on this url http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oig/hotline.html using using Federal Funds for things other than what they where meant for is illegal but if you don't do anything this will continue. The Board of D131 isn't afraid of anyone following through cause they never do. You have the information so go to the website and summit what you have and they will figure it out.
For a poor District like D131 spending 2,000.00 for a Speaker for Veterans Day is alot.
This was discussed at the boe meeting by Hatcher Darby and Johnson. The three members stated that they will not pay bills any longer if this happens. It seems like Ralph attempts to take credit for what they are already looking into. What the board needs is a video taped meeting. Tyler could be heard bad mouthing the board. They all ask alot of questions and dont rubber stamp like the other board. Strand and Leonard are still out of touch but Ralph needs to let them do their job. It seems every item on the agenda receives some attention.
EA Teacher,
Well stated! Thank you for eloquently stating the experience of educators in our district. We are professionals. We deeply care for the educational, emotional and physical well being of the students in our care. We purchase textbooks, pencils, supplies, prescription glasses and coats for students out of own pockets. Yet, we constantly have to defend ourselves. I love my students. I hope I don't have to choose between them and supporting my own family.
Mr. Padron, keep fighting the good fight! The "army" of administrators on Fifth Street needs to be held accountable. Your efforts are deeply appreciated.
Agree. Ralph, let us know when you actually make progress with something other than being a detective. How about hiring a lawyer big man, and take it to court. If D131 is breaking the law, then take it to court. Pay for a lawyer, out of your pocket, and take it to the next level. If this is not what you want to do, why don't you explain what you are really trying to do other than wasting your time. You ask why the Administration doesn't do anything. Here let me explain, they don't have to. They laugh at you. You are a fly that breezes in the wind that they merely swat away. You may have valid points, but until something is done, you are the idiot.
Ditto to anonymous 2. EA teachers have heart! Too bad it takes the disrespect of this district for the quiet good deeds of the teachers to be shared.
To the person, "attends meetings" just a little history. If you have been attending meetings for many years, you would know, the board has not looked thoroughly at bills paid unless prodded by questions from an outsider. I suspect Ralph has emailed them or spoke to someone on the Board prior to meetings. Then it is the Board or specific members that bring up these points as if they were their own, when actually they are aware of Ralph's FOIAs and try to beat him to the punch, before he makes his inquiries public. The Board has already approved most of the things Padron brings up. They are back pedaling if they are just now taking a stand on the bills.
The public has asked for years to have the meetings recorded and or posted on the website or played on Auroras Public access channel. Roberts did not want meetings recorded. The Board president wants people to think she is forward thinking. You have wonder why 7 members and a supt. would not want accurate verbatim documentation of the meetings.
One of the things this district has claimed to be a problem is lack of parent involvement. So why not make the extra effort to allow parents to be at meetings at their leisure by having video available online? Also, post the accounts check register online. They had it there for a short time. Allow the community online access to accounts and meetings. What a great opportunity for the Board and Supt. to look like the good guys!
You are a joke sounds suspiciously like the attitude of the Board or 131 admin. Basically, "dear peon, complain if you wish,but we are the almighty and we will do as we wish and you will like it. You have no power nor the finances to fight us. We will teach the children only as basically as required and pay the servants minimum. We are here to hold title with no accountability. Away with you. All you say may be true but we don't care. We are untouchable and have no time to listen to the community, the families and those we were elected/ hired to serve."
Oops, I take part of that back. They will give you 3 minutes to talk, but no guarantee they will listen, let alone hear you.
It appears Ralph does not mind the laughing and has all the time he cares to give. It will only take one ear to hear, one complaint to be made, 5 minutes of someone else's time, that could be the one small stone that Is the demise of the anarchy within 131.
Back three years ago Johnson took the credit cards back from Administration but never make them pay back the misused money that is required by IL School Code. Some of the money was a lot. I don't know about Hatcher or Darby.
You are right on David's stone said...
Ralph The Board of Ed of 131 will not do anything. How long have some of these people been on the Board they should have a process in place about approval bills it isn't any thing new to The IL School Code and that is how it is done in businesses. Doesn't Johnson own a business she should know. You have done so much work on these things use the website that is on here and show them you mean business. This is a challenge to see if you will want to stop the mess in D131.
http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oig/hotline.html
Ralph will not tell you most of the information he writes up is false.
Recently he claimed a bill was paid twice but it was not. No retraction from Mr fact check.
As for the list of bills they are displayed the same way every other district displays bills. Some districts do not even display bills for the public. The meeting are also conducted legally and someone is always present to translate. We should ask her in the last three years how often her services have been needed Zero would be the answer.
Mr Padron wastes four to five employees time weekly now he is on a fishing expedition at 204. He lives in 204 and has never asked them a question about the ways they spend money. What he does ask is for emails from anyone that was foolish enough to work for 131. Does anyone think this is sick? He has been around doing this everyday for three years. Why?
The alderman paid for the motivational speaker Mr. Graham . He also spoke at Metea Valley where they appreciated it. More lies, he is not Oprahs husband
I'm puzzled by something I continually read. Matt Hanley is accused of bashing teachers on this blog . If he were to stoop as low as you guys wouldn't it be justified considering all the things that have been said about him,; that's an interrogative. I would have did the exact same thing he did when the board agreed to give him a raise, take it. If the board bellies under and saddles the Homeowners and the small businesses of this district with raise it can't reasonably sustain I suspect the union will take it. After district pays for your masters you can leave and go somewhere else, congratulations, character really does count
Discipline problems in school as well as home began when liberals decided that corporal punishment and spankings would be criminal. You clowns went to time out and counseling. However as conservatives you say don't counsel these individuals as adults just lock them up and throw away the key. Everyone who thinks like the latter believe you should just kick every child out of school for behaviors that adults have created. I've seen African American parents curse and yell at their children. I ve seen Caucasion children yell and curse out their parents. They call their parents by heir first name like they are nothing more than a friend. Where do you fall in as an educator/ parent. How dare you blame school board members for the discipline issue . Corporal punishment was out law in 1962 . While it was slow to be enforced this is the mess that is the result . These students are just a reflection of the environment. Some of the educators care and some don't so quit using the students as scapegoats. Newsflash the students know if you really don't care and they respond accordingly. I had a healthy fear of my parents as a child. I got my tail end whipped and I turned out just fine. If the students were all respectfull would you take less of a raise.
Stedman Graham is Oprah Winfrey's fiance, and has been for over 20 years.
So referring to him as "Oprah's husband" is very close to the truth.
EA Teacher,
Well stated! Thank you for eloquently stating the experience of educators in our district. We are professionals. We deeply care for the educational, emotional and physical well being of the students in our care. We purchase textbooks, pencils, supplies, prescription glasses and coats for students out of own pockets. Yet, we constantly have to defend ourselves. I love my students. I hope I don't have to choose between them and supporting my own family.
Mr. Padron, keep fighting the good fight! The "army" of administrators on Fifth Street needs to be held accountable. Your efforts are deeply appreciated.
Why you ask? Because of the BOE President's own admission, "There has been financial mismanagement in this district for years". And it continues!
I agree with "Simple Fixes" provide online access to BOE meetings or Aurora's cable access channel and the transparency problem would be solved.
Name calling is non -productive. Please be mature in your comments.
Keep up the great work Mr. Padron. I cannot attend BOE meeting as I have a second job in the evenings.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/news/ct-abn-east-aurora-classes-st-1213-20151211-story.html
Listen Mr. WTH
Many of our kids routinely are beaten black and blue and are the WORST behavior problems in the school. Violence begets violence. A beaten dog will end up cowed, or aggressive and will attack anything within its reach. Corporeal punishment of students ended decades ago and thank god. The problem is our Deans give out simple warnings for the most egregious behavior except for tardy issues. Then they will punish the kids, give ISI's, etc. Teachers have no support for kids' violent and aggressive behavior. If a Dean doesn't like a teacher he/she will do nothing at all. I was beaten by a teacher and came to dislike school. I had been a straight A student. And Mr. WTH, you did not turn out just fine, you are angry as hell, perhaps one too many beatings?
Listen Foolish, if you wish to ask a question use a question mark. The sentence "I would have did should read I would have done".....and here's $5.00 buy a clue, the district doesn't pay for our Master's, in fact some teachers take a few courses, then have to meet with queen Joan Glotzbach who tells them they are not fit to continue and should stop. Wow- What a great support of teachers attempting to improve their status and credentials. Someone should have stopped YOU Joan from attaining your credentials because all you do is continually harass us and put obstacles in the way of our advancement. Oh and by the way We can now say Bye Bye to Common Core b.s and SLO's --teacher's advancement CAN NO LONGER BE TIED TO TESTING! Thank President Obama! Thanks Senate!!!
The meeting can not get broadcasted from the SSC it is simply not a large enough space. The district should invest the money to get a sound system and move the meeting to the HS. Students should be taught to film events like in other school districts.
After reading today's paper the test scores speak for themselves. The administration should be fired and the teachers should be happy with the salary they are given. In my estimation they are all over paid.
Thanks for the info tech guy. You are absolutely right about students doing the taping. I believe that was suggested a few years back when there was a film club. Still no takers on that one.
To: Taxpayer 1
You must mean every administrator and teacher in the State of Illinois because with the new testing standards almost everyone is failing. The standards are a joke and their only purpose is to divide a community and push education privitazation. If you think education costs too much now, just wait until the corporations have taken control of it.
The cost of videotaping meeting has been given to administration several years back. Currently no class exists or club blame that one on the worthless division chairs. Equipment cost was half the cost of Veterans Day. Mr Padron should add the cost of maintenance and tech in his event. The cost would top $40,000.
Reyes-Childress had the entire tech team working on this. The tech was told to not work on repair tickets for three days leading up to the event. Mr Padron when you are done with Veterans Day research the amount of no bid contracts issued by Reyes-Childress. She does not have a clue and the department is crumbling from other her. Employees of our department are not protected by a union contract and she abuses daily. Someone early made the comment Hanley was given a raise based on money saved from not rehiring a replacement for tech. This was not only a descision that shows how out of touch our leaders have been but research it will show easily a half a million was wasted.
Many tech employees would join the maintenance union if they could.
If your counseling works so well explain away all the disrespect . I clearly understood who was in charge at my school. If I didn't want the consequences I toed the line. I was paddled on numerous occasions. I didn't resent the teacher nor did I dislike school. They had a job and I had responsibilities as well. You were just weak
The district bought an entire multiple camera setup to create a TV studio for the h.s. about 10 years ago and it ended up being stored in a closet because administration wouldn't create the stipend for the film club that the equipment was bought for.
If the district wanted to get information out it would cost less than $4,000 and take 8 hours a month to produce a bilingual video of the meeting.
It was proposed to have students do this to the district 3 years ago but hired Matt who has no knowledge or ability in anything beyond newspapers.
However is should be noted that the district spends tens of thousands recording any event Popps speaks at so he has material for his next job interview.
Hanley is paid withTRS $136,000 per year. We spends his days creating PR and writing speeches for Popp. He has done nothing for the PR of children much less the community.
The board should realize they along with Dr Popp have no respect and they will not have respect until teachers are paid a fair wage and administration stops making excuses for the many problems of d131.
A couple weeks ago a teacher from Allen spoke up. The next day her principal warned her not to speak up. A teacher at EAHS was told they would not ever get a positive review and a case would be made to terminate her for talking about ghost payroll. The VP of the union was written up after many years of successful teaching. Teachers at Waldo were told by Morales that they will get watched closer after speaking about working conditions.
Look at the board who can not forget Leonard and his patronage job friend Feltes and the millions wasted. Darby then promises teachers and maintenance staff he will uphold their rights. Three months on the board his son is hired. Strand defends her hiring of Hanley while protecting administration. She claims she supports teachers. Really then why did you vote to give a raise to Hanley and not teachers. Arroyo took money from maintenance employees and voted to outsource their work. Johnson claims to defend teachers against administration but has not done anything since she was reelected president. The jury is still out on Hatchett and Laesch.
Wake up board the district is crumbling around you. You promised to pay us and end wasteful spending HAVE YOU
NEWS FLASH CHICAGO just authorized a strike vote DO THE SAME TEACHERS THEN THEY WILL LISTEN
Tomorrow is the fateful day. It is the one opportunity we have to use our collective voices and say we believe that we are worth a fair and equitable contract. We have the opportunity to stand up to the powerful figures arrayed against us. Whether it’s Mayor Tom Weisner who said “The teachers of District 131 will never strike, they are just lucky to have jobs” or Joan Glotzbach who refers to the staff as “Inventory” or Annette Johnson who stated “If they want more money in the contract, we’ll just F*@& them on the insurance end”. These are all people who have made it clear that they don’t give a damn about the children of East Aurora and care even less about the teachers and staff who teach them.
It all starts with us standing up collectively and demanding what is due. We have the same degrees, certifications and years of experience as the teachers in other areas of Aurora who are making up to $37,000 a year more than the teachers of East Aurora. We face the most challenging students in the State. It is time that these people recognize our great contributions to the Aurora community and not just with platitudes. It’s time to open up the check book.
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Are you still at it WTH? I am weak? I was a child WTH- at the mercy of adults with all of the power and strength. Children learn by example; I feel that I am a good example for my students; I run a structured classrooms with expectations and boundaries, my students know what they can and cannot get away with. Children who live in dire social situations with no role models and who spend much of their time with gang members on the streets do not learn how to respect school. They have been brainwashed that school will do nothing for them, they will make much more money selling drugs and other illegal activities. Because of the lack of social structure the gang becomes their family. Until they get caught in a car and someone has an unregistered gun. Or they are caught with drugs. etc., etc., So no, I wasn't weak, then, nor am I now. I am a powerful person who advocates for my students and my fellow teachers. You on the other hand, are deluded that fight makes right. Ever hear of Mike Tyson?
As a resident I have seen my taxes double, my retirement frozen and my insurance an prescriptions increase 20%. I read about the test scores which are the lowest in the State. So why should you get a raise. Go ahead strike your are just a babysitter.
I am very disappointed that the board offered 7%. Who gets a 7% raise.
Many families have waited a long while for change in our district. Hopefully, the teachers vote will be the first step to the long awaited change. Stand strong in solidarity, EA teachers!
Wishing you the best!!
Thank you again Mr Padron. In reading emails obtained from 204 it shows a pattern of wasteful spending on behalf of Dr Popp, Thruckenbrod and Hanley. Spending $10,000 to pay Rudy Keller shows the disrespect for teachers. We spend hours planning and helping students after school that we are never paid for. In fact we ran a Veterans event at Simmons which included speakers, a small flag for every child, a musical performance by students and snacks made by the cooking class for $300 dollars. Mr Keller was allowed to spend over $20,000 and was paid well to spend the districts money. The Simmons staff was paid ZERO.
We also found it interesting that Hanley would not attend a meeting at 7pm. He writes I have to put my kids to bed. I what kind of excuse is that. Many teachers including myself are just getting home at 7pm then we have lesson plans, grading papers, answering endless emails from principals. Really does he not ever work?
I will be the first in line to vote for a strike Dr Popp need to realize we are not anyone's doormat.
What change can possibly come out of the teachers voting to bankrupt the district.
Not the school district. You don't pin your problems and issues with teachers.
To:On the verge
The district received 17.5 million new dollars this year. That is more than enough to bring us in line with the surrounding districts. Paying the teachers will not bankrupt the system and will not result in any new taxes to the local community. The board already set the tax levy.
The presentation many of us went to shows the district can only afford a 4% raise. i realize EA has challenges with getting money from the State but we should not waste it. Spending $40,000 on raise for Matt Hanley and paying Keller $10,000 dollars shows EA has money to waste. That is the salary equivalent of one teacher, 2 PPA's or one and half secretary. The board needs to take action teachers see what Dr Popps focus is and we will send him a message today.
The district has the money to pay the teachers a fair wage, they just choose not to. Just watch, shortly after the contract is signed all the new projects will be announced, starting with the new administrative palace.
Last contract the district cried broke and then everything came out. Administrator raises greater than the teacher raises. New preschool, new kindergarten center, HS expansion, magnet academy, alternative center, $1.7 million dollars extra to give to the bussing company, tons of money to give to every contractor in town. Not to mention all the nepotism, Marty Feltes in Buildings and Grounds. Adam Harding switching to the administration etc.
It's time they give some of the money to the people actually doing all the teaching. You remember, the reason the district exists in the first place.
The State is falling behind in their payments they do not get paid up front. Get your facts straight Linda Chapa wants to run for Mayor call her
Which presentation was that and how did they come up with the 4% max number?
The State is always behind paying yet every administrator is getting paid top dollar, every vendor gets their payments. It's only when it comes to the teachers that it becomes an issue. Enough is enough. The purpose of a school district is to educate the children, NOT to provide patronage to insiders.
Enough is enough said it all, simple and sweet. Nail has been hit upon the head.
The teachers in EA should all get fired. At a recent meeting they were handing out a letter complaining about their union. Complaining the Beacon would not cover their story and yes complaining about the kinder center. Now I read preschool, do teachers not understand children need to start early and then maybe their jobs will not be as hard. The EAHS expansion was a band aid. Walk the halls at EAHS. Everyone needs to share in the limited resources EA has including building expansion.
IF you don't like the wages leave! It's not like the test scores indicate we will be losing much.
To: Get out and vote
The person who said the district could only afford 4% is a person that likes to do budgets. It's not what he was professionally trained to do, he just enjoys doing it.
I enjoy cooking, but it doesn't mean I'm even close to being on the same level as a professional chef.
Know your source of information.
I don't want people to think that some professional accountant came in and poured over the books and gave a professional opinion.
Date: Dec 15 2015
To Christi Tyler
Board of Education East Aurora Dist 131
Subject: Veterans Event Nov 2 2015 Part 7
East High Building Flag Mounting Expenses & Audio Expenses
Christi
Please review the attached documents
$ 4,000.00 Installing/Mounting East High by Platt Electric
• Was this in the Budget Answer: THERE WAS NO AUTHORIZED BUDGET
• Did Rudy Keller/Anthony Crespo/Mark Truckenbrod foresee this expense Answer is NO
• Total for all Flag expenditures total $ 10 K
Video Expenses by Visionfriendly.com
Quote was $ 3,170.00
Invoice was 3,710.00
Matt Hanley approved final payment ( $540.00 increase)
Services Rendered
Todd Mielcalz (Auditorium Mgr Dist 129) – Technical Services
$ 599.00“ paid for by “Title Funds”/ PBIS/Federal $$
What were Todd’s responsibilities?
Did Matt Hanley attempt to contact the EA Staff to perform any of the duties
Again all of the above expenses were NON-BOARD OF ED approved nor budgeted
A FINAL report will be given on this Event to include Rudy Keller’s $ 10,000.00 payment
Respectfully
Ralph Padron
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/news/ct-abn-east-aurora-veterans-day-assembly-st-1216-20151215-story.html
Fellow teachers this district cannot tell you in any plainer terms that they do not value you. Joan Glotzbach refers to us as "inventory" --she is ruined, damaged, deranged inventory. She makes her living off of the sweat off the backs of teachers in the trenches. We need to wake up collectively and individually that we are much more than these careerists. These carpetbaggers from other districts, a.k.a. our present and past principal who come with their bullsnookie sloganeering: this year " all in" as in all in Monday, or Tuesday, or Wednesday, etc. These total bootlickers have pandered to this and now every stupid Presi PowerPoint has to incorporate "all in" and last years' "butt's in seats". Save yourselves. They are going to screw us again. Are we so stupid we accept one of our rep's stupid explanations that they can't tell us what is going on because that would be "bad for the negotiations". They keep comparing us to Yorkville and other school districts - bad comparison because at least these districts receive weekly updates about what exactly is happening in the district's negotiations. Don't drink the koolaid-- I have faith you are smarter and stronger than this!
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/news/ct-abn-east-aurora-veterans-day-assembly-st-1216-20151215-story.html
I think we as EA staff need to select a day or two to have everyone call The Beacon News (or rather, The Tribune Company) to ask why they have done such a shoddy job covering the negotiations and board meetings. Yorkville, Kaneland, and 204 get plenty of coverage regarding contract negotiations, but EA is left out; most likely due to Hanley. The word needs to get out to residents about what is being fought for and that the district has PLENTY of money for raises.
And enough of the admin trolls with the comments above about being "babysitters" and talking about our worthlessness. Get a life.
One more thing-it's interesting to see that on many board members' bios on the district site say that they are here for the staff and students. Really? By showing lack of respect, not retaining staff, and not investing in the students' greatness? How many of you have toured several schools or asked to observe? I'm guessing zero. Stand behind what you said to help get you into your position.
Hanley says that the money paid to hang the flags was a one time fee and can be taken advantage of at any time. Do you have documentation of that agreement? We as teachers must document everything, and I think your job should be held to the same standards since you are a district employee.
Keller was asked during his job interview to plan the assembly? Are you kidding me?! Sounds like the job was pretty much his at that point. Were others interviewed for that position?
I hear that Simmons had a glorious Veterans Day assembly without any checks having been written out.
And for Dick Leonard to say that "we're trying to support our teachers and give them raises"-well I sure hope you are, Dick, because it doesn't seem that the other board members are in the same page (**in at least regarding a raise that is not insulting nor absent once we have paid our increases for insurance).
You still just don't understand, do you? Go ahead and call the Beacon and the proper response from them should be "We know that we don't cover East Aurora school district as the district is in shambles because of the teachers, staff and other workers. We have never seen such a collection of whiners in our journalism careers."
I get this picture in my mind of all of you as little children just sitting on the edge of your bed in the morning just waiting for your mom or dad to come in and get you dressed as you cannot do anything for yourselves. Your whining about an individual's pay, whining about a magnet school - that is a success for the students by the way, whining about a veterans' ceremony, whining about disrespect, basically whining because no one idolizes you. Teachers are valued but no, we will not idolize you! Since we have bilingual teachers one has to conclude that our district has a constant flow of new students from other countries that speak Spanish. What better way to assimilate our new foreign students into our culture with a celebration of our veterans. That event was really not for the veterans but for the students to actually start understanding our culture and history. Just remember, the students really are not taught US History or civics in our schools, so they have to get the real information somewhere.
All you are really saying with your warped, selfish view of yourselves is that nothing else is worth paying for if it doesn't go to me. I just wonder how many participation trophies are sitting in your homes from your childhoods as that is how we picture you - as children. Whine, whine, whine. Just wondering how many of you actually live in the district. Probably not many. Wonder, just wonder.
Look, you have to admit that you have a problem in order to fix it. You have gone thru the same school system that gets worse every year including universities that hand out teaching degrees (bachelor, advanced and including the administration degrees) with no work involved. It is very apparent that you are not up to the task , probably because you yourselves were taught that critical thinking was for making excuses and not finding ways to accomplish things. Please get over yourselves and start truly caring about the children and quit thinking that everything out there is the boogie man. The and only then can we help you.
We will not support you from age 21 until your death anymore.
Wow, you are one hell of a broken record there.
"Students really are not taught US History or civics". Uhhhh yeah, that must be why there are civics, history, and social studies classes that students attend from grade school on up.
"We will not support you from age 21 until your death anymore." Wah wah wah. Well guess what? We pay our retirement from our salaries anyways (TRS is not paid into by 131, which most other districts do), which then goes to a state agency. So you mentioning that over and over shows how childish you are. You obviously need some classes in how the world runs. So I guess I don't need to pay toward your Social Security benefits?
Although I must give you kudos for having me respond to your post, since that it probably the reason to your trolling.
Fellow teachers this district cannot tell you in any plainer terms that they do not value you. Joan Glotzbach refers to us as "inventory" --she is ruined, damaged, deranged inventory. She makes her living off of the sweat off the backs of teachers in the trenches. We need to wake up collectively and individually that we are much more than these careerists. These carpetbaggers from other districts, a.k.a. our present and past principal who come with their bullsnookie sloganeering: this year " all in" as in all in Monday, or Tuesday, or Wednesday, etc. These total bootlickers have pandered to this and now every stupid Presi PowerPoint has to incorporate "all in" and last years' "butt's in seats". Save yourselves. They are going to screw us again. Are we so stupid we accept one of our rep's stupid explanations that they can't tell us what is going on because that would be "bad for the negotiations". They keep comparing us to Yorkville and other school districts - bad
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