Time for a new Superintendent this time from the Peoria Area. Time for a change in the entire School Board System, One I suggested a number of years ago on this blog site. Since the early 1990's board members as a whole have not been able to successfully run Dist #150. Problem? Few qualified people want to run for board memberships for various reason listed below:
1. Candidates must be looked at favorably by (sadly) the only newspaper in the area that has a decent readership. Most important candidates must be highly favored by the Editorial Board of this paper, the Peoria Journal. If not favored by the JS, every negative detail about their lives will be circulated. Theie positives will be totally overshadowed by a negative or two. History proves why such qualified people as Glen Barton has shown any serious interest in running for a local elected position.
2. Candidates must realize that two terms (6 yearswill be needed to "right the ship).. I need not go in to detail as it would require writing a book but the recent poor handling of the situation at Charter Oaks should suffice. Two terms is 10 unpaid years. Few local of any quality would want to take 10 years of unpaid criticism from the parent, the union, state and federal government and the Journal Star.
3. Look at the qualifications of the current board, probably all well-meaning and good people but not one qualified to select the right type of superintendent. (Look back at qualifications of board members in the last 20 years)
4. Yes, some good things have been done at Dist #150 in 20 years at an expense of approximately $2 and one-half billion dollars. Probably far more. Far more than that when volunteer hours are added.
5. Criticism of the Superintendent reflects 100% on the elected board members. The Superintendent reports DIRECTLY to the Board, not the opposite as reflected the not only this board but many others such as the Museum Board where the Director was fired and the appointed board remains the same. And the Peoria Park Board who didn't have the funds to build the sports complex promised strongly by Superintendent Bonnie Noble and long time Board President Tim Cassidy back in 2002. This sports complex, (to be privately owned) is now under heavy criticism by residents and others who have many negative feelings about the location (origianl location was severa;iles to the north near the junction of Fox and RT. 91), and others like me who feel that though this supposedly privately supported sports complex will wind up as the Chiefs ball club and soon the museum and possibly the new downtown hotel complex.(among other failures like Cub Foods)
6. As I recommended that Dist.#150 should have a maxim of 3 well-paid ($150,000 a full time year) board members and be housed in the administration building sharing a common secretary.Terms would be three years, with the person receiving the least amount of votes would not run for reelection but replaced by a newly elected board member from the incumbents district,.After 6 years, a second board member would step down and an elected representative from this incumbents district would be the newest board member. After nine years, the remaining member of the three person board would step down to be replaced by the newest elected board member. After nine years, the first to leave the three person board, would be eligible to run for elwction but only for the seat being vacated in the incumbents district only
A complete turnover of the entire board in nine years. Excellent and now we are getting somewhere in Peoria's foggy bottoms.With a ordinary computer with input from reliable statistics such as demographics would the 3 districts be fairly balanced for citizens involvement.
This system would have few flaws that would be worked out by parents living in Dist #150.
,PTO's, present and past leaders of the school board (20 years back, maximum, leaders only) no outside consultant.but prominent "movers and shakers" active in #150 affairs.
This is a major start and can be accomplished despite the objections of the nay-sayers. Think outside the box? I have been a leader in that field for the past 50 years.Widmer One-Stop-Office was a fore runner of Office Depot, etc, In the past 50 years, few have thought more outside the box than I,:the majority of the :movers and shakers stuck in a rut as far was the major reason this country's succees will come from graduates of the criticized nationwide Public School Dist.#150, Many of the most sccessful high school graduates will come as a percentage from CHARTER TYPE PRIVATELY SPONSORED SCHOOLS.
Board member not reelected could serve as leader of say Transpration, School Security, ect.
I predict that as a long-time leaders that this basic bluepring will no get a second glance from the movers and shaker who believe all progressive ideas sho com from those who think they know beter than the rest of us,
So sad coming from a persn who believes the public schooL system MUST BE SAVED yet also believes CHARTER TYPE SHOOLS ARE A COMPETIVE NECESSITY.
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