Parents of children attending Keller Primary School are upset at changes that will give their kids less time in school and fewer teachers to teach music, science and computer skills.
One set of parents spoke to me today and complained at length about many of the issues they and other parents at Kellar have with District 150.
The issue that has them worried the most was discovering that the district was shortening the school day at all district primary schools by some 45 minutes. The district also is planning to do away with at least two of the four part-time teachers they employ at the school. Two of the teachers handle state-mandated physical education and music, while the other two teach art and computers. As they understand it, the part-timer who handles P.E. is safe. This means existing full time teachers will have to pick up the other three, if in fact these subjects will still be taught at all.
While the school day is being shortened, the teachers’ contract remains the same, so they will have the same work hours, but they will lose a 45-minute preparation period in the middle of the day. The shorter day apparently means the only break the children will get will be during the lunch recess.
Both these parents say they believe the decision was made by the school administration without input from the school principals, and that the parents and the community isn’t being given enough time to ask questions and provide input.
They say the board is scheduled to vote on these changes at they May 5 meeting. These parents are working to organize opposition to the changes. I reminded them that organized opposition from neighborhood groups in the Near North Side and the East Bluff forced District 150 to change it’s plans regarding Glen Oak School. I would also advise then to team up with parent organizations at other primary schools.
I’ll have more information in the future.
Tags: district 150, Keller, peoria
Billy Dennis is a former reporter and editor at small daily and weekly newspapers in Illinois and Missouri. He comments on media, news and politics. He also owns and operates 
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the district, whole schools are being closed and students displaced…. White, Irving, Kingman, Loucks, Blaine-Sumner….. What about those kids?
They are related but separate issues.
Why are they just picking on Kellar??
Because their kids go to Keller, and they are familiar with the situation through their involvement with parents groups there.
I just talked to a D150 teacher. Apparently, this policy will apply to ALL D150 Primary schools.. not just Kellar. Plus, the board is trying to fast track this to get it approved… they just sprung it on the teachers this week and plan to vote on it at the next board meeting. The teachers are extremely upset about this and feel it will be very harmful to the educational experience of the children. All administrative staff will remain unaffected.
Bingo. Scuttlebutt is that the principal at Keller wasn’t present at the administrative meeting when this was discussed. He was assigned other responsibilities that kept him from attending. This part is rumor, mind you.
But it’s hardly the first time D150 tried to fastrack unpopular decisions, left opposition be allowed to build.
Ken Hinton is out of town all week, too.
Wasn’t this in the paper a few days ago? I believe it was district wide. Or I’m just full of it… one of the two.
It was in the paper, buried below coverage of the closure of Loucks.
Good catch, PI.
Can I get a D150 refund on that part of my property taxes?
Only if I can get a refund on my HRA taxes.
PI and C.J.: The article is wrong, in that the teachers still have to show up and report to work according to the terms of their contract, they just won’t have a 45-minute prep period and will have to assume some additional teaching duties.
And the downside for the kids: Less arts education.
[...] Hat tip: Billy Dennis and PeoriaIllinoisan. [...]
What was presented at the school board meeting – and the woman presenting made it sound like the teachers were thrilled with the idea – was that the teachers prep period would all be at the same time – at the beginning of the day before the kids show up. They said they’d have longer periods for math and reading with this plan. That would allow them to eliminate the part-time teachers who cover the classes while the teachers are having their prep time. It wasn’t clear that they are covering the class by teaching art and music but that’s probably the case. Given how things go when Hinton puts the mind meld on – the school board will probably vote for it unanimously.
Kohlrabi, If the woman who presented it in fact put the spin on it that the teachers were thrilled, she was lying. Any good teacher (of which D150 has the best!) wants what is in the best interests of their students. The most persuasive person on the planet could not convince any reasonable person that this proposal is in the best interests of the kids.
Diane – “The most persuasive person on the planet could not convince any reasonable person that this proposal is in the best interests of the kids.” But we’re talking about Ken Hinton convincing the school board of this plan – and I haven’t figured out how he does it exactly (I’m leaning towards hypnosis) but he seems to be able to convince them of just about anything.
I talked to Jim Stowell today, who I reassured that I would not want his position on the school board for all the money in the world. Of course, they are between a rock and a hard place, but I told him in no uncertain terms that they would be hard pressed to “sell” this or any other plan to anyone with half a brain until the D150 Administration took some hits themselves.
In addition, Mr. Stowell offered to speak to our Kellar PTO, which is in the works. These Mamma Bears will be a tough audience. Kudos to him… but pm me and I’ll tell you where I’m puttin my $$
I think it is time for the current D150 board to resign and for the City to step in and take over.
[...] HOINews has an article here. C.J. blogged about it here. My original article is here. [...]
[...] alert: Jen Christensen forms me that HOINews’s Ian Schwartz will do a report on concerned Kellar Primary School parents for the shows 10 p.m. newscast tonight. I try to catch the segment on the Web, as I’ll be at [...]
[...] HOINews has an article here. C.J. blogged about it here. My original article is here. [...]