Posts Tagged ‘ district 150 ’

‘Stormin’ Norman’ is kicking ass and taking names at District 150

March 16, 2010
By Billy Dennis

When my commenters write that this most recent scandal at District 150 — in which employees are accused of selling equipment over the Internet — is far more wide reaching than has been reported, they are right. This is what I hear: The investigation essentially started on Friday.  Since then, Interim Superintendent Norm Durflinger has...
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Posted in Misc | 4 Comments »

Rumor patrol: Did Peoria High School fail an OSHA inspection?

March 16, 2010
By Billy Dennis

I’m moving this comment up front. After hours, it’s sometimes the best way to get information confirmed or denied. This is an interesting piece of info I just heard……..OSHA went thru Peoria High and the school failed the inspection!!!!! Anyone heard anything on this? Any inside info, anyone? Getting anything except cursory information our of OHSA...
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Posted in Local | 9 Comments »

Technology director on paid leave amid theft investigation

March 15, 2010
By Billy Dennis

Via PJStar.com: The director of technology and library media services at Peoria School District 150 is on paid administrative leave as officials begin to probe allegations of theft. Sources within the district confirmed Mary Ward was placed on leave Monday but added there’s no evidence she committed any wrongdoing. The action to place her on leave...
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Posted in Local | 3 Comments »

Cutting administrative fat is the start of big change at D150

March 9, 2010
By Billy Dennis

These changes were a long time in coming: More than 30 administrative positions at Peoria School District 150 were effectively erased Monday night. The School Board unanimously approved the measure affecting coordinators, directors and administrative staff members in all departments within the district’s central administration. It also requires those employees affected who wish to remain to...
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Posted in Local | 9 Comments »

Are there ANY teachers at D150 who are even slightly happy?

March 4, 2010
By Billy Dennis

I’m reading DeWayne Bartel’s column about Glen Oak School teachers who claim that having to serve under their current principal is the most horrible thing imaginable. I’m thinking that this is the MOST amazing district ever. ALL the supervisors are bullies and ALL the teachers are angels sent from heaven. All would be perfect if...
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Posted in Local | 6 Comments »

Want discipline in District 150? Be careful what you wish for

March 2, 2010
By Billy Dennis

When I went to Glen Oak School, we had an English teacher who was a real prick. He was one of those disciplinarians what everyone thinks we need. In reality, he was one of those assholes whose tiny, fragile ego demanded that absolute respect from the pre-teenagers in his charge. One day, during class, he...
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Posted in Misc | 7 Comments »

Too little facts about Greeley case to make any judgments

March 2, 2010
By Billy Dennis

I’m a little confused by the the details we know so far about the teacher’s aide who allegedly hit a student at Greeley Alternative School last week. The sparse Peoria Journal Star article doesn’t even mention the teacher’s name, but it does say that the incident happened Thursday, but that “officials” learned of it...
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Posted in Local, Politics | 2 Comments »

My final word on the meeting that wasn’t

February 19, 2010
By Billy Dennis

I just received an email from District 150 spokesperson Stacey Shangraw. It’s about (what else) the continuing controversy over whether or district 150 violated the Illinois Open Meetings Act by not letting me attend a meet-the-superintendent event at district headquarters on Tuesday (the links are included at the bottom of this post). I complained about...
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Posted in Local | 7 Comments »

No, I will not be making a formal complaint about being banned from District 150 HQ

February 18, 2010
By Billy Dennis

Even if I’ve attended just one hour of public meetings a week since I became a reporter back in the fall of 1981, that would mean I’ve attended more than 1,500 hours of school board, village board, sanitary district, library board and county board meetings. Considering the length of some of these meetings,...
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Posted in Local, Media | 3 Comments »

This is what District 150 didn’t want me to see

February 18, 2010
By Billy Dennis

It’s a video (posted to YouTube by the Peoria Journal Star) of our soon-to-be-new superintendent Grenita Lathan: Don’t want to wade through a video? No problem. Here is the test of her talk (provided by Stacey Shangraw, who really is a nice person). “I’m humbled and honored to be selected to serve as Peoria’s next Superintendent...
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Posted in Local, Media, Politics | 5 Comments »

I was banned from District 150 headquarters today (UPDATED)

February 16, 2010
By Billy Dennis

I received word the other day that new District 150 Superintendent Grenita Lathan was going to be meeting the press today at 2:30 p.m. at District headquarters. Being a citizen journalists, i can only go to these sorts of things on my day off, and today happened to be one. So I got in my...
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Posted in Local, Media | 21 Comments »

Self-congratulatory blow-hard school board members are bored to tears by citizen’s brief comments

January 27, 2010
By Billy Dennis

Cry me a river for the poor, put-upon Peoria School Board: School Board President Debbie Wolfmeyer on Monday proposed changing the public comment sections at board meetings from two to one and limiting people to three minutes instead of five. “I’m just looking for ways to shorten the meeting and to let people still have a...
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Posted in Politics | 6 Comments »

Roger Ebert has a low opinion of District 150

January 24, 2010
By Billy Dennis

Movie maven and all-around pundit Roger Ebert attended Sundance Film Festival and saw two movies that cast light on American’s schools. And his blog post about them makes a valid point about how District 150’s latest attempt to screw up Peoria’s school system: In Kenya, they take a test. A high enough score will win...
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Posted in Local | 7 Comments »

Some new District 150 scuttlebutt

December 19, 2009
By Billy Dennis

I’ve heard from two different sources that there is a second reverse discrimination suit in the works. Bear in mind that with teachers so unhappy with administrators and the board over the threat of an imposed contract, that there are a TON of rumors going around.
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Posted in Local | 20 Comments »

Is ‘Friday Flu’ one of the issues in teacher contract negotiations?

December 10, 2009
By Billy Dennis

When I was a general assignment reporter in south eastern Illinois, there was a principal who was determined to cut down on teacher absenteeism. One day, a popular teacher took a sick day. But the principal was clued in enough to know that this teacher and her husband were opening a business out of...
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Posted in Local | 13 Comments »

Big, green park-like campus apparently NOT needed at Sterling Middle School

November 3, 2009
By Billy Dennis

There’s a semi-secret plan in the works to rebuild Bel-Wood Nursing Home next to Sterling School across the street from Newman Golf Course: Negotiations for the sale of property adjacent to Sterling Middle School are being hashed out by both sides, District 150 officials confirmed Monday. Both School Board President Debbie Wolfmeyer and Superintendent Ken Hinton...
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Posted in Local | 5 Comments »

Closing Woodruff will not fix District 150

September 22, 2009
By Billy Dennis

I loathe special pleading. You see it all the time in the creation of public policy. Politicians from corn states think ethanol is the sure for the energy shortage. Voters hate and detest pork, but want their Congressman to bring home the bacon. That short of thing. I hate it too. But I try to not be a hypocrite. This...
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Posted in Local | 18 Comments »

School Board special meeting tomorrow over negotiations

August 28, 2009
By Billy Dennis

I just learned that Peoria School Board is holding a special meeting tomorrow. Board of Education Special Meeting – Executive Session Agenda – Call to Order Motion for Executive Session 2(c)2 Negotiations Adjournment Location:...
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Posted in Misc | 1 Comment »

It’s official: All the smart people HAVE left District 150 for Dunlap

August 3, 2009
By Billy Dennis

Anyone prone to upset stomach or sudden bouts of projectile vomiting are advised to not read the following story: Jeanne Williamson, an assistant superintendent of school operations at District 150 before she left in 2002 to become superintendent of Dunlap School District 323, was hired as a consultant. She retired from District 323 at the...
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Posted in Local | 10 Comments »

Charter school initiative kick-off is Tuesday

July 6, 2009
By Billy Dennis

From my inbox: Community Leaders Form Peoria Charter School Initiative PEORIA, IL…July 6, 2009… Please join us Tuesday, July 7th at 10am at the Peoria NEXT Innovation Center at 801 Main Street in Peoria, as we announce details on the formation of the Peoria Charter School Initiative (PCSI). This combined group of business leaders, educators and citizens, led...
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