Comments on: Local: Kellar parents concerned about shortened school day

By: Peoria Pundit » Blog Archive » Local: D150 to meet with concerned parents

Wed, 21 May 2008 17:44:33 +0000

[...] HOINews has an article here. C.J. blogged about it here. My original article is here. [...]

By: Media: Kellar parents’ concerns on HOI tonight : Peoria Pundit

Media: Kellar parents’ concerns on HOI tonight : Peoria Pundit — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 22:30:52 +0000

[...] 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 [...]

By: Local: D150 to meet with concerned parents : Peoria Pundit

Local: D150 to meet with concerned parents : Peoria Pundit — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:11:11 +0000

[...] HOINews has an article here. C.J. blogged about it here. My original article is here. [...]

By: Conrad

Conrad — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 14:58:14 +0000

I think it is time for the current D150 board to resign and for the City to step in and take over.

By: Diane Vespa

Diane Vespa — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 02:55:25 +0000

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 $$

By: Diane Vespa

Diane Vespa — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 02:49:49 +0000

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.

By: kohlrabi

kohlrabi — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 18:36:10 +0000

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.

By: Diane Vespa

Diane Vespa — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:17:26 +0000

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.

By: kohlrabi

kohlrabi — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 13:54:53 +0000

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.

By: The Peoria Chronicle » Blog Archive » D150 looking to save money by cutting instruction time, arts

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 03:46:04 +0000

[...] Hat tip: Billy Dennis and PeoriaIllinoisan. [...]

By: Billy Dennis

Billy Dennis — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 03:36:43 +0000

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.

By: Billy Dennis

Billy Dennis — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 03:23:17 +0000

Only if I can get a refund on my HRA taxes.

By: mazr

mazr — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 03:13:36 +0000

Can I get a D150 refund on that part of my property taxes?

By: C. J. Summers

C. J. Summers — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 03:10:29 +0000

Good catch, PI.

But officials early on in the meeting Monday said job cuts may not be on the horizon, alluding to discussing late into the night the option of shortening the school day for primary students and their teachers instead. Students would have 45 fewer minutes at school; teachers' days would be a half-hour shorter. The savings, officials said, were estimated at $600,000 to $750,000 by reducing what's spent on part-time prep teachers. An additional $45,000 to $60,000 would be saved by eliminating missed prep periods. Scheduling changes would make up for some of the lost day and art or music classes could take some of the cuts, officials said, not essentials such as math and reading. That measure is expected to be discussed more at the May 5 board meeting.

By: Billy Dennis

Billy Dennis — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 03:07:14 +0000

It was in the paper, buried below coverage of the closure of Loucks.

By: PeoriaIllinoisan

PeoriaIllinoisan — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 03:00:43 +0000

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.

By: Billy Dennis

Billy Dennis — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 01:50:15 +0000

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.

By: Diane Vespa

Diane Vespa — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 01:44:30 +0000

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.

By: Billy Dennis

Billy Dennis — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 01:42:02 +0000

Because their kids go to Keller, and they are familiar with the situation through their involvement with parents groups there.

By: Diane Vespa

Diane Vespa — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 01:28:34 +0000

Why are they just picking on Kellar??

By: Billy Dennis

Billy Dennis — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 00:42:32 +0000

They are related but separate issues.

By: C. J. Summers

C. J. Summers — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 00:40:32 +0000

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the district, whole schools are being closed and students displaced…. White, Irving, Kingman, Loucks, Blaine-Sumner….. What about those kids?