A look at educational philosophies

Before attending school in District 150, my children attended private school. When deciding upon what private school to send them to, we of course, considered the educational philosophy of the school.

After enrolling them in public school, we never really thought much about educational philosophy anymore. It wasn’t until recently that we began to realize that even within public education, parents need to be aware of the educational philosophy of the person running the building in which their child is attending school.

Recently a commenter who posts regularly to local blogs, raised the question of the educational philosophy of the new Superintendent, which piqued my curiosity, as it is a good question.

In my quest to assuage my curiosity about the new administration’s educational philosophy, I began to realize that not only does the Superintendent have a philosophy; so does the Assistant Superintendent, the Director of Curriculum, the principals and each individual teacher. But that's okay, because there is room for more than one educational philosophy in a school district.


There are many philosophies of education; one that I found particularly interesting was the philosophy behind the Lyceum Movement. The Lyceum Movement started in the 19th century in the United States to foster adult education. It took its name from the Lyceum, a school near Athens where the Greek philosopher Aristotle lectured to students.

The movement promoted adult education through lectures and debates in which several transcendentalists participated. The movement also promoted activities to encourage the building of libraries and general participation in other reform movements.

The Lyceum Movement in the 18th Century
The lyceum movement was conceived by Josiah Holbrook in New England in the 1820s. Holbrook, born in Derby, Connecticut, and graduated from Yale in 1810, became a traveling lecturer who first spoke on science and technology, then formed industrial and agricultural schools for young men. Holbrook intended the lyceum to be a local study group which met at weekly intervals. He based his lyceums on the belief that education should continue all through life, regardless of age and gender, and that learning helps stave off the temptation of alcohol.

Besides the goal of education, lyceums also promoted the establishment of libraries, museums, and public schools. Holbrook and other lyceum devotees believed that universal, free education could right the illnesses of society, preserve democracy, and dissolve the oppressive caste system.

Most lyceum experts agree that the early days of lyceums, before the Civil War, were the most education-oriented. In these first days, the members of the lyceum took turns lecturing to each other and met in houses, churches, and schools.

Although lyceums flourished most in New England, by 1839 four to five thousand had popped up as far south as Florida and as far west as Detroit. Easterners flocked west and brought the lyceum movement with them. In the South, however, lyceum activity never caught on with the same fervor because southern aristocrats feared that education of poor whites and slaves would damage the economy. Also, the South lacked a large middle class, the main patronage of lyceums.

As lyceums grew in number and attendance, lecturing became a profession for some traveling teachers who collected fees for their speeches. Lyceums attracted famous writers, historians, explorers, and religious philosophers including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Wendell Phillips, and Horace Greeley.

In the early twentieth century, lyceums slowly died out, but the lyceums’ lasting effects are visible even today. First, the teaching profession raised its standards for teachers and students, and teachers became more widely appreciated. The lyceum movement also brought about state control over education.

Josiah Holbrook’s vision of lyceums spreading knowledge to young and old, male and female was a resounding success, the Lyceum Movement lives on in the changes it brought about in American public education.

The Lyceum movement in the 21st Century
The Lyceum Academy, Wilmington, NC
A school within a school, the Lyceum fosters a thoughtful place where a community of learners (both teachers and students) develops essential habits of mind.

A fully integrated, multidisciplinary curriculum is at the heart of the Academy with each unit of study drawing upon all four core disciplines: English, Math, Science and Social Studies. This two-year program allows the faculty to develop a strong advisor/advisee relationship since they will not only serve as instructors, but they will also assume homeroom responsibilities for these students as well.

Assessments will require students to demonstrate their mastery of both knowledge and intellectual skills. These demonstrations are multi-dimensional and multi-disciplinary. In essence, students offer evidence in portfolios and oral presentations that prove their acquisition and application of essential knowledge.


This, however, does not mean a complete abandonment of traditional testing. Because these students are college-bound, test-taking skills will be important to their future successes. Pencil and paper tests are still utilized, but they no longer serve as the primary indicator of a student’s success.

Students attend the Lyceum from 7:30 AM until 11:40 AM on traditional school days. After Lyceum, students are released to take electives. This is crucial to provide them the opportunity to take not only a foreign language, but to mix with their other classmates as well. While we believe that group cohesiveness will be an important factor in the success of the Lyceum, we also believe that it is important that the students not become isolated.

The Lyceum Academy is neither ordinary nor elitist. It is a rigorous, interdisciplinary program designed for the adventuresome student in pursuit of an academic journey “off the beaten path”. Due to the nature of our program, The Lyceum has abandoned the block scheduling approach in favor of year long classes in order to provide more comprehensive and challenging coursework.

While most schools offer AP and Honors classes, the Lyceum goes beyond that by also integrating these courses through projects, oral presentations, and travel opportunities.

Sounds like it was a Staff Meeting

As a working professional, I cannot tell you how many staff meetings I have been summoned to over the course of my career. Sometimes it was to introduce a new leader, or a new product and sometimes - if we got lucky they feed us food...




More than 2,000 district employees, ranging from administrators to teachers to cafeteria workers, converged on Peoria's Civic Center.

District officials and city leaders touted the new catch phrase for the school year, "tapping into remarkable." They spoke about ways employees can improve the atmosphere in schools.

"The point is that everyone is a district employee. Everyone plays a role. We are a team here, and so all team members need to know what is expected of them. If they don't hear it in one message sometimes the message can be clouded or maybe turned around," said 150 superintendent Dr. Grenita Lathan.

Among other changes, administrators spoke about financial adjustments the district plans to make during the upcoming year.

Source

Will there be other videos of this type this election season?

Out of all of the elected officials who need to be removed from office come November, only the Honorable Judge Mary McDade has garnered her own little kick her behind out of office election video. Why do you think that is?

One Million Fathers Asked to Lead the Nation Back to School this Fall

An estimated 650 cities could participate in the largest, organized back-to-school effort in U.S. history.

On Sunday, August 29, 2010, Illinois Fathers along with affiliate Black Star Project USA are sponsoring the Million Father March 2010 for the first-day-of-school in nearly 500 cities across America.

Peoria will hold their march at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 29, 2010 and leave from three different launch sites. Marchers will leave from Woodruff High School’s parking lot, Central High School's Parking lot and City of Refuge. They will march to Liberty Park where a short rally will be held and a call out will be made to fathers to accompany their children on the first day of school. We are asking that at least 1,000 fathers participate from Peoria.

Past. Spencer Gibson and Carl Cannon will speak on the importance of fathers involvement in their children’s education and the integrity singers will perform. Light refreshments will be served.

Participants in the event include fathers, grandfathers, foster fathers, stepfathers, uncles, cousins, big brothers, significant male caregivers and friends of the family. Although this event is created by Black men, women and men of all ethnicities are also encouraged to take their children to school on their first day.

Businesses are asked to give fathers and men two hours off that morning (with pay) to take their children to school. Participating men will also be encouraged to volunteer at schools throughout the year.

The 2010 Million Father March is sponsored in part by Peoria School District #150, The Black Star Project, Heart of Peoria Neighborhood Association and Illinois Fathers. You may also email general.parker@illinoisfathers.org or call (309) 696-7930 for more information.

Information submitted by General Parker

Is the Antoine Dodson success story "cultural tourism"?

For over a week now, the video of Antoine Dodson, the brother who saved his sister from being raped by an intruder, has been playing on black blogs. I didn't post it, because I didn't think it was funny and I was slightly embarrassed for Antoine and his sister that people were laughing about it. Well, today, Twan made the morning news, sans the head scarf, instead his hair was long, flowing and beautifully silked.

Personally, I still don't find this story in the least bit funny, because what resonates with me is the fact that a woman was being raped. Antoine's sister, Kelly Dodson: "When I first seen it, I was very upset about it because they were taking it as a joke and I was feeling like they were not looking at the part where I was the victim."If Antoine wouldn't came in, I probably would be dead."

What's So Funny About Antoine Dodson?
by Tamara Winfrey Harris

One night, an intruder broke into the Huntsville, Alabama, home of Kelly Dodson and attempted to rape her. Her screams alerted her brother Antoine, who came to the rescue. The intruder escaped and in local news coverage of the incident, Antoine Dodson expressed his anger and issued a warning to the community. The resulting video of a young man frustrated by the violence in his community and his sister's near assault has reportedly generated more than 2 million hits, a Facebook page and a remix by Autotune and it is available on iTunes.

I can't help thinking that Dodson's new-found popularity is not about shared frustration over crime or violence against women. On threads around the 'net, Dodson is branded "hilarious." But what is so funny about Antoine Dodson? Part of the Dodson meme is, I fear, about laughing at mannerisms that the mainstream associates with blackness, gayness and poverty. There is nothing amusing about a young woman assaulted in her home. And so, I worry that people are laughing at Antoine: his flamboyance and perceived gayness; his use of black colloquialisms, like "run tell dat," his grammar and accent.

I agree with Baratunde Thurston of The Onion and Jack and Jill Politics, who is quoted in a recent NPR report: "As the remix took off, I became increasingly uncomfortable with its separation from the underlying situation. A woman was sexually assaulted and her brother was rightfully upset. People online seemed to be laughing at him and not with him (because he wasn't laughing), as Dodson fulfilled multiple stereotypes in one short news segment. Watching the wider Web jump on this meme, all but forgetting why Dodson was upset, seemed like a form of ‘class tourism.’ Folks with no exposure to the projects could dip their toes into YouTube and get a taste."

I say it is cultural tourism.[end]

Today Antoine is making lemonade out of the proverbial lemons and he is getting paid for the remix, t-shirts and other stuff. Antoine is doing so well, that I hear he and his family no longer live in the projects. At least Twan is getting paid, right? What of Kelly - how she doin?

Chicago police lieutenant disciplined for blogging about his superiors

Sounds like it's past time for the President of the Illinois NAACP to head to Chicago and give them a pass to save their City...

Police Lieutenant Blasts Department Superiors

A Chicago police Lieutenant is under fire for an Internet post that blasts the department’s leadership and the mayor.

“We are tired of a leaderless department. We are angry at an unsupportive mayor,” Lt. John Andrews wrote in a fiery critique of the department.

The post is titled, A City at War with Itself: Chicago - Fast Tracking to Anarchy.

Andrews argues that staff shortages, corruption and a leader he says the rank and file doesn't respect have all made the job of policing the streets of Chicago almost impossible.

"This is the very worst that I’ve seen this department.” Andrews said Tuesday in an interview with NBC Chicago. “We don’t have the capability of maintaining the social order in some of the Chicago neighborhoods. It’s taken its toll. Our people are tired, beat up, they’re undermanned, outgunned. It’s dangerous.”

Department brass didn't take too kindly to the post and hit Andrews with disciplinary action, claiming he "brought discredit to the Chicago police department."

"I don’t think leaders should sit and throw rocks at their respective agencies or at those who are actually trying to address those challenges," said Supt. Jody Weis

The president of the Chicago Police Lieutenants Association, however, is standing by Andrews.

"This is a constitutional issue infringing on his freedom of speech," said Bob Weisskopf in a written statement. "Just about every lieutenant believes in the spirit of what he wrote.”

Andrews began writing about a month ago, when Officer Michael Bailey became the third officer to be killed this summer. He claims morale in the almost 13,000-member force has hit an all-time low.

An internal affairs hearing scheduled for Friday will determine whether Andrews, a 26-year member of the force, will be able to keep his job. Source

Read Lt. John Andrews' entire post here.

Guess who

Appointments to the City's Police-Community Relations Committee have been deferred for one month. According to Councilman Clyde Gulley, the deferral was needed to look at the makeup of the committee again and to potentially include some people who were left out.

Interesting, like who?

I will admit, I was surprised that Pastor Burnett's name was not on the list. Just from reading this blog, you can get an idea of how involved he has been in trying to work with the City and PPD to stop crime.

Just saying.

See current appointee's Volunteer Profiles here.

The Sisyphean task that is "Race[ing] to the Top"

Have you ever heard the story of Sisyphus? Sisyphus was a very crafty king who defied the gods and tried to elude death. His punishment in Hades was to endlessly roll a huge stone up a hill -- as soon as it reached the top, it would fall back to the bottom. The poor king spawned his own adjective, Sisyphean, meaning an impossible task.

Today the U.S. Education Department has announced that nine states and the District of Columbia will receive money in the second round of the $4.35 billion "Race to the Top" school reform grant competition.

Once again, Illinois did not make the cut.

Department spokesman Justin Hamilton says the winners are: Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island and Washington, D.C. The amounts of the grants are expected to be announced later.

The competition has instigated a wave of reforms across the country, as states passed new teacher accountability policies and lifted caps on charter schools to boost their chances of winning.

Winner's of the first round of the competition are to share $600 million. Today's winners will share $3.4 billion. Another $350 million will be disbursed in a separate competition for states creating new academic assessments.

Low key mediation, yields results

For the past 18 months, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division (“DOJ”) has been meeting with Police Chief Settingsgaard, NAACP President Donald Jackson, unnamed community representatives and city officials. The group has under gone DOJ mediation, which was originally borne out of NAACP complaints alleging police brutality and racial profiling.

The result of the mediation, was the recent approval given by the NAACP to the Peoria Police to do racial profiling in "hot spots" and the rebirth of the Police-Community Relations Commission.

The Commission’s newly appointed members are:
Steve Settingsgaard, Peoria Police Chief
Don Jackson, NAACP
Savino Sierra, first district
Sharon Draper, second district
Douglas Lindstrom, third district
Erica Baird, fourth district
Howard Williamson, fifth district
Larry Ivory, at-large representative
Agbara James Bryson, at-large representative
Whitney Lawson, under-25 age group representative
George Azouri, under-25 age group representative
Scott Moore, City Manager
Eric Turner, at-large council member
Sgt. Greg Collins, District 150 representative
Bill Ordaz

In January of this year, the City of Peoria donated property located at 101 N. MacArthur Highway, to the NAACP, Peoria Branch, which has helped the NAACP establish a much needed presence in the community. Prior to that, NAACP work was handled out of NAACP, President, Donald Jackson's law office, which is located at 456 Fulton Street.

Beginning in January, 2011, the DOJ will conduct workshops on racial profiling and cultural competency, specifically designed for the Peoria Police. The workshops will be led by the Civil Rights Division, which is the same division that mediated the talks that led to re-establishing the Police-Community Relations Commission.

A tentative look at what Schau started

At tonight's BOE meeting, BOE members got a look at a tentative budget for the 2010-2011 school year, which is said to show a deficit of more than $7 million.

In past years, District 150 provided the media with a full copy of the budget and held an informational meeting the Friday before the budget was presented to the BOE, with the caveat not to make it public before presentation to the BOE. This year, the media only received a skeletal outline of the budget. Do you think it has anything to do with trust?

Interim Comptroller-Treasurer, David Kinney has until the end of September to present the final budget to the BOE. Source

Prerequisite to remarkable - understanding the urgency of the situation

We've seen the tag line, "Peoria Public Schools, Where remarkable happens everyday". Many read it and just chuckle, because we figure it's just a tag line and of no consequence.

Perhaps it's time to rethink just what "remarkable" can mean for Peoria Public Schools, because on August 30th, the new Superintendent is going to be instructing her employees on how to tap into it...

ALL-DISTRICT STAFF EVENT
Monday, August 30, 2010
Peoria Civic Center • Exhibit Hall D

Starting at 8:00AM
(optional continental breakfast 6:30AM – 7:45AM in Exhibit Hall B)

PROGRAM

8:00AM
“Tapping into Remarkable”
Dr. Grenita Lathan, Superintendent

9:00AM
Employee Group Meetings

10:00AM
Return to individual buildings for work day

10:30AM
Staff meetings begin at individual schools

I like the thought of the Superintendent getting employees amped up and giving them their marching orders. What a great way to start the year.

Cindy Morris - 150 power under the radar

In July, the Peoria Public Schools Foundation's Board of Directors appointed Cindy Morris as it's new president. Morris began her job immediately and replaces Linda Sahn who retired this spring.

Morris had previously served as the Adopt-A-School Manager for Peoria School District 150, coordinating partnerships between schools, businesses and organizations. In her position as Foundation President, she will oversee leadership of the non-profit corporation through financial contributions that support student achievement.

Cindy is the wife of former City Councilman John Morris.

The *Shirley Sherroding of Noah

Back in the day, I used to watch All My Children. It was during the time when Noah was running around throwing his braids and flexing his muscles. Oh yes, I watched, even though it irked the hell out of me that all he did was run around saving that white girl.

The other day my sisters and I were just talking about girl stuff, you know, like who’s the finest brotha on TV these days. Anyhow, dude’s name came up. Well seeing how we are living in the days of Google, we goggled him (of course).

Imagine our surprise when we came across this statement:

“They paired me with a white actress, which upset the black community. It was hard, as the actress and I had to play lovers. It drew on my acting talent. Rather an ego deflater for her when I had to force myself to kiss her. She begged them to kill off my character, and I was happy to leave.”

Oh my gosh, is dude a racist? I always wondered why he left the show. Noah? What!

Read the entire article here.

*Shirley Sherroding

Manual High School awarded $6 million 1003(g) grant

Per a comment posted by BOE Member, Jim Stowell last night, Manual High School has been awarded the 1003(g) grant, which is $6 million dollars over a three year period.

Peoria High, Woodruff and Manual High School were all eligible to receive the funding because of their inability to meet state and federal academic performance standards. However, in April of this year, the District decided to forgo applying for 1003(g) grant for Peoria High School, because it would have required them to remove Principal Randy Simmons.

There are four mandatory options for receiving the grant: close the school; convert it to a charter school; replace the principal and half the staff or more; or replace the principal and initiate a series of changes that include removing low-performing staff and instructional reform.

Manual High School, which is considered a Tier II school, was initially federally mandated to restructure in 2008. Under the restructuring plan, Manual was required to initiate changes that called for replacing the principal and removing a large number of staff members.

Some of the changes Manual has undergone so far, include adding seventh and eighth grades at the high school and instituting program changes based upon research by Johns Hopkins University.

Amidst calls to end the John Hopkins program, because it is too costly, just recently Dr. Lathan made the statement that Manual would be continuing with the program. Many in the educational community are concerned with the monies spent on the John Hopkins program. Hopefully, the awarding of this grant will ease some of those concerns.

Congratulations to Manual High School and Principal Kherat.

Is Peoria's Mayor developing a model?

I can just see it now, it's budget time in the City of Peoria, Il, the Mayor and Council are faced with the tough decision of laying off firemen, policemen, teachers and/or lunch ladies...

In the Monday, August 16, 2010, issue of the Wall Street Journal, Mayor Jim Ardis was quoted in an article about mayoral control of schools.

After reading the article, I found myself wondering; if Mayor Ardis controlled schools, what exactly would that mean? Would he conduct business for the schools along the lines of how he conducts business for the City?

The pjstar reposted this article from the WSJ. Since it sounds like Ardis is saying that they are in fact developing a "Peoria model", perhaps the pjstar should take it a step further and ask Ardis to clarify exactly what his intentions are.


Taking Schools Into Their Own Hands
More Mayors Seek Control as Washington Presses for Action on Failing Institutions; Setting an Example in Rochester

ROCHESTER, N.Y.—During the last weeks of the term, third graders at School 58-World of Inquiry School created an oil spill in a bowl. Under the guidance of teacher Alyson Ricci, they tried to clean it up. Cotton swabs worked.

The school last year won the national Excellence in Urban Education Award, with all students meeting state proficiency rates in science and social studies. It's an exception, though, in a Rochester system where fewer than half of the 32,000 public-school students graduate on time.

Rochester Mayor Robert Duffy wants to set up more schools that produce results like World of Inquiry's. But he says the superintendent's efforts to close failing schools and open new ones have been hobbled by a school board mired in minutia. He is pushing to dissolve the elected board in favor of one appointed by the mayor and city council for a five-year test period. New York's state legislature is considering the bid.

As cities come under increasing pressure to fix failing schools, more are, like Rochester, trying to take matters into their own hands—or at least those of their mayors.

"People are desperately seeking a model that can be duplicated and used in different communities," said Jim Ardis, the mayor of Peoria, Ill., who is considering such a move. He argues that a Peoria model—yet to be developed—is more likely to fit smaller cities across the Midwest than existing systems in larger urban areas.

Detroit and Milwaukee recently launched bids to assert mayoral control, although those have stalled amid opposition from lawmakers, unions and school boards. And in California, where a court has deemed mayoral control unconstitutional, Sacramento's mayor is figuring out unofficial ways to be involved.

Read the entire article here.

Related articles...
Governor Quinn wants to explore having more influence in the City of Peoria
A new charter school - Peoria City Academy?
Oh, how wonderful

Back to School Immunizations

Peoria City/County Health Department
August 20, 2010

Peoria City/County Health Department is having special back to school walk-in immunization clinic for all children at the Peoria City/County Health Department, 2116 N. Sheridan Rd, Peoria on Tuesday, August 24, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.

A parent or guardian must accompany the child.

Cost is $10 per immunization or a Medicaid/All Kids card is accepted.

Lead poisoning screens will also be available for $15.

No appointment is necessary for these special walk-in clinics.

Source

If you are a parent and a coach - this is for you

EVERYTHING IS PRACTICE"
Spike Lee and son...

“Everything is Practice” is a short film, which documents filmmaker Spike Lee coaching his 13-year-old son Jackson Lee’s soccer league. The film (4:16 min. in length) takes place in Chinatown, NY and gives viewers a new perspective on coaching and parenting.

We are all entitled to a community that cares about our children

Thanks to Dennis Eggemeyer from the PCCEO, we are beginning to get a better understanding of a hard working, single mother who questioned the powers that be last night at the meeting between the school district and the city which was held at Friendship House.

The feeling appears to be that this woman is suffering from a sense of entitlement. After looking at the video and listening to her plea, it is clear, this woman is not sitting around looking for a hand out.

It IS the job of the City of Peoria to provide a safe community so that children can go out and play. This mother is hardly the first person to ask the City to prioritize and think of what the people in the community need before giving handouts to developers.

Sure, there was a time when kids could go outside to play in their neighborhood and not worry about being hit with a bullet. However, I think we all can agree that those times have passed.

In certain neighborhoods, the parents who are trying to save their children from the street are forced to keep their children in the house. Paying for tumbling or traveling to extra-curricular classes is just not an option for most who are struggling just to get by in the inner city.

I guess one could say that I have a certain sense of entitlement. You see, I feel that I too am entitled to a community free from crime, safe places to play and schools where my children can get a decent education. My needs may be articulated a little more in keeping with what the majority is used to hearing, however, the mother in this video has just as much right to feel that the City owes her and her children a safe place to live and play as we do.

Bloggers blog ad nauseum about what they feel they are entitled to: the museum, the trail, the IMAX... need I go on? Just because we have the blog for a platform to speak about what we feel we are entitled to, does that make us any better than her? I think not.

Awaiting District 150's new organizational chart

Although I don't recall ever seeing an organizational chart for any of District 150's previous Superintendents, developing the organizational chart was something Norm Durflinger was asked to come in and do when he was the Interim Superintendent. Reportedly, the move was promted by the retirement of administrators who held at least six positions on the organizational chart.

Over the past two years, the district's administrative structure has been in flux, moving from two associate superintendents to one and from two academic officers to one. Also, a number of faces rotated in other positions, including the district's student affairs director.

Durflinger said some jobs could be combined, and others possibly eliminated.

I ASSume that the new organizational chart will be revealed in the 2010-2011 budget, which needs to be approved by September 30th.

Chicago Public Schools has revealed it's 2010-2011 budget amid concerns of "outsiders running most key departments". Sound familiar...

New Organization Chart for CPS Shows that Educators Are No Longer Welcome in Huberman's Executive Ranks
August 16, 2010

click image to enlarge

One of the many major political changes in Chicago revealed in Ron Huberman's 2010 - 2011 proposed budget for Chicago's public schools is that trained professional educators are definitely not welcome in the executive ranks of Chicago's public schools. The unprecedented and radical change in governance amounts to a virtual coup d'etat against professionalism in public education in the city that has been pioneering much of what has become the national model for corporate "school reform."

A few details are necessary for the reader to fully understand what is taking place in Chicago. On Page 314 (print edition) of the Proposed Budget, 2010 - 2011, Huberman, for the first time, provides the public with his organization chart. The chart shows that while claiming a budget "deficit" for the past seven months, the Chief Executive Officer of Chicago's public school system has been adding to the ranks of unqualified outsiders running most key departments — and almost all of the ever-expanding "Area Offices."

In a dramatic shift that even goes beyond what his predecessor, Arne Duncan, tried, Huberman has relegated those with classroom and school-based principal experience in Chicago to the sidelines.

Read the entire article here.

Is "reverse racism" real?

Readers may recall that there is currently a group of eight (8) current and former teachers suing District 150, for what they allege is reverse racism. Although the group of 8 is well represented, no trial date has been set. The suit seeks unspecified damages.

TheGrio.com spoke to leading academics and sociologists for their take on the term "reverse racism," and found that the concept is deeply rooted in the idea of race in the context of power and privilege in society, and has been internalized by Americans both black and white.

"When whites talk about reverse discrimination, I feel that they are making a silly argument, because what they really want to say is that we, people of color, have the power to do to them what they have done to us from the 13th century," said Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, professor of sociology at Duke University and author of Racism Without Racists, a book which examines how racism has evolved since the collapse of the Jim Crow era. Silva acknowledged that some minorities are prejudiced against whites, but said reverse racism implies minorities in the U.S. have the power and privilege to wholly discriminate against white people.

"The idea of reverse racism or reverse discrimination is non-sensical," Silva said. "If that by whites believe that we, people of color, have the power to enact and carry systematic policies against them -- because we don't have that."

"We do not control the economy," Silva added, "we do not control politics -- despite the election of Obama. We don't control much of this country."

The notion that racism is commingled with power was borne in part out of African-Americans defining the context of the national discussion on race following the collapse of the Jim Crow system and the end of the civil rights movement, according to Samuel Richards, senior sociology lecturer at the Pennsylvania State University. Political correctness and white guilt are also factors, Richards said. Richards, co-director of the "World in Conversation" at Penn State, which facilitates discussions on race between students across the university, said many Americans now believe if one race has power and privilege in society, they can be racist, but it's something else if you lack those things and still believe in the superiority of your race over another.



"Truthfully," Richards said, "they bought into that perspective." And although generally, it's conservative whites who use the term "reverse racism," "those same white people are accepting the debate--the assumption that only white people can be racist, or you wouldn't call it reverse," Richards said. "You'd call it racism."

The phrase "reverse racism" has been in the public lexicon since at least when the first pointed attacks on affirmative action as being discriminatory to whites began, said William A. Darity Jr. Ph.D, professor of Public Policy, African and African-American Studies and Economics at Duke.

"The folks who were constructing the critique of affirmative action definitely wanted to deliver the message that whites were being unfairly penalized by affirmative action," Darity said. "One way to do that is to inaugurate the concept of reverse racism."

And while Darity said it was not clear whether "reverse racism" was being used more frequently today than in years past, he said some in the U.S. believe the country is now a post-racial society -- epitomized by President Obama's election -- yet blacks still cling to race issues, and that the only real racists left are African-Americans.

Darity and Silva said President Obama has had to govern his administration with reverse racism in mind. Silva said that's one of the reasons why the White House and the NAACP were quick to originally distance themselves from Sherrod.

"[Obama] is so afraid of being tainted, of being viewed as the 'race man,' she didn't even get her due process," Silva said.

Reverse racism also could be why Obama may not want to be perceived as taking actions to specifically benefit African-Americans, Darity said.

"He recognizes the nature of the climate," he said, "and the climate is that it's almost worse for a black person to be called a racist than it is for a white person. Initially, it cost Shirley Sherrod her job, in the context of a complete misunderstanding of what actually occurred."

What do you think? Is "reverse racism" real?

Laura makes like a big girl and exits

The longtime AM radio fixture says that she will pull the plug on The Dr. Laura Program at the end of the year, a week after repeatedly using the N-word while taking a call on the air from a black woman who wanted to discuss her interracial marriage.

She made the announcement during an appearance on Larry King Live.

Here's her rationale:

"My contract is up for my radio show at the end of the year and I've made the decision not to do radio anymore," Schlessinger told King, who also happens to be on his way out this year (for less incendiary reasons).

"The reason is I want to regain my First Amendment rights. I want to be able to say what's on my mind and in my heart and what I think is helpful and useful without somebody getting angry, some special interest group deciding this is the time to silence a voice of dissent and attack affiliates, attack sponsors. I'm sort of done with that."

She's not retiring or quitting, she added, but rather, hopes to be "stronger and freer to say the things that I believe need to be said for people in this country."

Schlessinger apologized for her verbal gaffe the day after it happened, admitting that she did "the wrong thing."

"I didn't intend to hurt people, but I did. And that makes it the wrong thing to have done...I was attempting to make a philosophical point, and I articulated the N-word all the way out—more than one time. And that was wrong. I'll say it again—that was wrong." Source

Not everybody excited to see rib joint come to the East Bluff

Neighbors on the East Bluff are all abuzz about the Hick'ry Stick Restaurant coming into the neighborhood and are crossing their fingers hoping for the best. The opening of this restaurant is very controversial for many of the neighbors who live close by.

The homeowners in the neighborhood surrounding the new restaurant all signed a petition because of the potential parking problems and how dangerous it is exiting their street and getting out to McClure Avenue.

Tread carefully when you are visiting the area, as the business minded Councilman Riggenbach seems to have forgotten about the children and families who live in the area; many of whom walk everywhere they go. Unfortunately for the neighbors, the vast majority of Hick'ry Stick’s clients don’t live in the area – they drive.

Tuesday was reportedly very busy in the neighborhood with cars pulling in and out all day. Considering the Neighborhood Store Code is supposed to promote walking within the neighborhood, this use of the Neighborhood Store Code is a stretch.

In December, there was a rather contentious hearing before the Zoning Board of Appeals, where several concerned residents turned out to speak against this restaurant. The ZBA decision was split with a vote of 3 to 3 and after a decision by the City Attorney that Hick'ry Stick could go forward under the Neighborhood Code, they have finally opened over a year after first breaking ground.

Recently, in a move that wasn’t considered very neighborly, Hick'ry Stick requested and received, a loading zone on a residential street, which took away four parking spaces in an area where long standing residents were already struggling to find parking.

Neighbors are put out because they are running into not being able to find parking close to their homes, because a restaurant was allowed to open without sufficient parking, under the guise of the Neighborhood Store Code. From what I understand, this business fought against EVERY protection that the Neighborhood Store Code provided the neighbors. As a result, variances from the City were abundant and never ending - right up to opening day.

Welcoming business into the older neighborhoods is good – but it shouldn't be to the detriment of the homeowners in the surrounding neighborhoods.

BOE unanimously approves Schau replacement

Will he get points for being a Brookhart recommendation? We have heard people complaining about retirees coming back to work in 150 as consultants; will he get slammed for being retired and coming to District 150? Will he be considered an "outsider"? And the most important question of all, can he hit the ground running?

************************

The Peoria Public Schools Board of Education held a special meeting on Monday, August 16th to appoint an Interim District Comptroller/Treasurer. Board Members unanimously voted to name Dr. David Kinney to the post.

Kinney retired in June 2009 as Superintendent of Illinois Valley Central School District 321. During his 36-year tenure at IVC, he had extensive experience with school finance and curriculum planning; and was involved with several new building projects. He has both a Ph.D and Master's degree in Education Administration; and a Bachelor's degree in Music Education, which were all earned at Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois. Dr. Lathan and the Board of Education appreciate the recommendation of Dr. Kinney by Dr. Gerald Brookhart at the Regional Office of Education. Source

The moderator is in

In another piece that in my opinion, is written to incite rather than inform, the pjstar has posted salary information about District 150's new hires. They even did a little in depth and researched why one principal was making more than another by posting resume information.

Even though the piece was entitled District 150 Board: Give Lathan hires time; it talked about how “some think it seems suspicious” and left it there - thereby inviting suspicion.

If they really wanted to introduce these new people to Peoria positively, they would have done a little in depth on each individual’s background/accomplishments. Perhaps even go so far as to show photos, so the general public can see the diversity of Dr. Lathan's team and thereby possibly alleviate some suspicion.

Today, I'm not as worried that the troglodytes will show up. The piece about the Lathan hires appears along with a couple of other short pieces. Once again, from the looks of it the pjstar appears to be doing some type of comment moderation now, take a look:

Did you watch this tonight?

Feel free to live blog your thoughts...

NBC Channel - This Sunday, August 15, at 6pm, Lester Holt shares what happened when Dateline NBC traveled to Chicago to learn about its gang violence.

Changing fashions and the new high school dress code

I tried to attend the Parent Advisory Committee Meeting wherein they talked about modifying the dress code. I went to the Administration building at the time that was specified on the District’s website, but apparently that was the wrong time, because when I got there, the meeting was over.

Had I been in attendance, I would have imparted some of my knowledge on what’s in fashion and what trends the youngster’s are wearing these days. I know Carl Cannon was contacted, but he is not exactly what I would call a fashionista.

In my opinion, some knowledge of what is actually in style is important before you try to institute a dress code. A few examples:




The dress code says pants may be denim – some restrictions should have been placed on ripped jeans. Ripped and deconstructed jeans are all the rage and students will be wearing them come Fall.

The dress code says pants must be fitted. Oh, you will see some fitted pants alright. Have you see the young men busting a sag in skinny jeans (which are fitted). Skinny jeans are hot and catching on.





The dress code says no pants with writing across the back. Have you see the pants with writing across the front and down the leg? You will.











The dress code did not include any restrictions on young men wearing over sized clothing. If your shirt is long enough, it’s difficult to tell if you are busting a sag.








This dress code is too subjective. Administrators will have to work way too hard to enforce it. Ideally, the dress code will need to change with the seasons and fashion, because what youngsters decide is cool and worthy of wearing is constantly changing and you can’t think of everything.

PHA residents report abuse to the pjstar

On Monday, August 8th, the pjstar ran an article entitled Snarky comments about Taft residents hurt. It was a good article and very revealing. The Peoria Housing Authority Director of Public Relations exposed the vulnerable side of PHA residents, when she went on record about the hurtful and often racist comments that appear on a regular basis on pjstar.com.

I thought that Peoria Pundit had already covered the issue sufficiently when he posted this: Journal Star addresses concerns that many PJStar commenters are ignorant, racist troglodytes, so I kept it moving and went on to other things.

But today, I had to do a double take... compare the comments on Monday's Snarky piece, to the comments on today's piece about the District 150 dress code. Notice anything different?

Has the pjstar decided to actually moderate hateful comments? If so, kudos to Ms. Lundeen and the PHA residents, for getting the pjstar to step up and do something they should have done a long time ago.

Pam Schau - The Making of a Victim

It’s amazing to see PIAien’s come to the defense of “outsider” Pamela Schau. Schau, the former Treasurer/Comptroller of District 150 was let go this past Monday in executive session immediately following a regularly scheduled BOE meeting.

Today, the pjstar has actually done a background story on Schau being let go, as if to imply that the District did something wrong in cutting Schau.

Even though Schau was hired by the former administration, she has supporters in Peoria who are coming out of the woodwork. Would there have been any controversy if former interim Superintendent Durflinger had let Schau go? I doubt it.

The controversy is because Dr. Granita Lathan (a black woman) cut Schau with the swiftness of a professional/executive/administrator who knows when an employee is not up to par.

Let’s look at a little bit of what Schau was up to while in Peoria...

From the May 24th Board Meeting minutes (hat tip to Jon):

“Ms. Schau reported that when the budget was adopted in September it was based on the prior year and had some flaws and now we have documented all needed changes. An amended budget has been prepared that shows our best estimate of how the district will end the year. Administration is recommending that the amended budget be put on display for 30 days and a hearing be held on June 29, 2010.”

When comparing the revised budget presented at that June 29 meeting with the original budget dated the prior September, one of the prime differences was that “Purch Serv” (an expense) from the operating budget was $4MM higher than budgeted, with no real change in operating revenues (thus the operating budget as a whole was $4MM worse than previously expected). The natural question is how much of that difference was an admitted error and how much was due to overspending, presumably by others in authority?" [*under Schau's watch]

Additionally, there were at least two occasions that Schau gave the Superintendent erroneous information regarding spending for summer school and adult education. Oh, and let us not forget when ten (10) clerical workers were given raises, even though Durflinger said he knew of and approved "three to four people" but no others [*under Schau's watch] .

But for some reason the Journal Star didn’t raise any of those issues. They chose to phrase the article in a light that invites commenters to make this a black and white issue.

Pandering to their audience has paid off, because the commenters on pjstar.com are rising to the occasion and the fear of the black lady from North Carolina, who is bringing all of her “friends” to take all of the District’s money and brainwash the children of Peoria continues.

Today, Pam Schau is an unwitting, hard working victim, who was “fired for reasons unknown”. Karen McDonald et al, has done such a great job of painting Schau as a victim, one would think they were hired to do her pr.

*[under Schau's watch] = my words.

UPDATE @ 3:00 p.m.: Interesting, do my eyes deceive me? What happened to the usual race baiters in the pjstar speaking on the Schau issue. Take a look - not one racist comment is appearing today. HOW RARE IS THAT? Great moderation.

UPDATE II, August 14, 2010:

speakmymind1, 1 day ago, Report AbuseReport Abuse
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Geeze... did Schau get the axe for another african american female from North Carolina? And how did that Lathan asskisser/cheerleader Debbie Wolfmeyer ever get on the school board in the first place?

Guess I spoke to soon.

Do people in Ann Arbor use Google?

Chase Ingersoll, former City Council gadfly, whose goal was to destroy State's Attorney Kevin Lyons' career, is now living in Michigan and is running for the 53rd District Michigan House of Representatives. The 53rd District represents portions of Ann Arbor, Pittsfield and Scio Township.

Ingersoll ran unopposed in the August 3rd, 2010, primary on the GOP side of the ticket and in November he will face Jeff Irwin a Democrat, who won in the August 3, 2010 primary runoff.

I remember well the joy Ingersoll took in taunting City Hall when he was the owner of the now defunct Grandview Hotel. I also recall when Polly Peoria shared with all what she felt about him when she posted this In my humble opinion: Chase Ingersoll is an evil bastard, and this post ... the PollyPeoria Golden Cockroach Award Goes To.... Chase Ingersoll (of course).

A little bit about his platform:

Chase Ingersoll
Office sought: 53rd District Representative, state House.
Political affiliation: Republican.
Place of residence: Ann Arbor.
Occupation: Small business, labor and consultation.
Previous elected office: None.
Community service: None.

Experience:
12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. In the current political and social client, I would argue that this is more relevant than any other experience, offering in support such notion the undeniable collective insanity of legislative bodies and the public that denies that the vast majority of legislators obtained that status by lying.

Education:
WDYTTIR? Why do you think this is relevant? Are we to believe that someones opinion on a matter is better served by courses attended and degrees received, or should we consider that such may serve them a greater ability to lie and mis-inform the public about those issues to which they sound "more educated" and about themselves in general? Knowing what I know now about higher education, I am actually somewhat embarrassed how I naively participated in the "higher education racket" or "rat race".

Community Involvement:
What is "Involvement" and what is "Calculated Political Pandering" ? Was Myshkin involved in the community of St Petersburg?

… and she brought along all of her BFF’s

As has been alleged, around these parts, it is unprecedented for a Superintendent of schools to bring in so many new hires (known in certain circles as “outsiders”). After all this is District 150, a predominately black, urban school district, why are these people coming here?

Here’s why I think they are here: Dr. Granita Lathan.

I’m not saying Dr. Lathan is the best thing since sliced bread. But, I can tell you that one of the “BFF’s” that is relocating to Peoria, told me she was “surprised” and “honored” for Dr. Lathan to consider asking her to come to Peoria and work with her. She spoke very highly of Dr. Lathan as a colleague and peer; she was excited about the potential we have here (yes, she believed in our children, sight unseen) and she was ready to start educating some kids.

Move on people, there’s nothing to see here. This is what it looks like when a professional educator is running a school district.

Personally, I am pleased with some of the titles (with new faces) in the Lathan Administration – because it is clear the plan is educating children, as well as educators:

Chief Curriculum and Instruction Officer
Instructional Improvement
Early Childhood Programs
Literacy/Social Studies
Family and Community
Pre-K through Eight Curriculum

Oh, and let’s not forget the highly qualified Associate Superintendent who will be working along side Dr. Lathan.

Perhaps the real concern is that Dr. Lathan will become so insulated, that people can't get to her. I'm not worried about that, because I recall reading in more than one place that Dr. Lathan will be meeting with just about everybody [from parents to the Rotary to the NAACP] on a regular basis.

I hope that those who care enough about education to complain so much about it, would pause for a minute to look at the job titles and realize the possibilities for educating our children, parents, principals and teachers in this team that Dr. Lathan is assembling.

It’s not all rosy, but I do see possibilities.

See you at the Giant Screen Cinema Association's Meeting

International Conference and Trade Show
September 25-27, 2010
Tennessee Aquarium and
IMAX 3D Theater
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Giant Screen 101 and committee meetings on Sept. 24

The other day I was researching something/nothing on the computer. For some reason I was on the track of Bass Pro Shops. Anyhow, in just about every location Bass Pro Shops existed, there was an IMAX theatre near by. Interesting.

It had to really be difficult for the Mayor to admit no IMAX considering how hard they were on the people (CJ, Widmer, et al) who knew all along that the CITY over promised on the deal. But when I read the article in the pjstar, it sounds like the COUNTY over promised on the deal.

Good thing the Mayor is looking out for our best interest and checking the County on this IMAX switcharoo thingy AND bless the pjstar for keeping us informed with the facts.

The Lathan Administration is almost complete

The beginning of the school year is quickly approaching and it seems that District 150's new Superintendent hasn't stopped working since she got to Peoria. Other than needing to replace the recently ousted Controller, Pam Schau, Dr. Lathan's team is pretty much complete.

Administration (left to right)
Dr. Grenita Lathan, Superintendent
Dr. Michelle Ungurait, Associate Superintendent
Debra Dimke, Executive Director of Human Resources
Dr. LaToy Kennedy, Chief Curriculum and Instruction Officer
Interim Pending, Controller/Treasurer

Department Heads (left to right)
Bryan Chumbley, Accountability and Research
Otto Arcaute, Federal/State and Special Projects Compliance
Jeffrey Puckett, Purchasing/Textbooks/Warehouse Services
Michael McKenzie, Assistant Comptroller
Becky Goldman, Food Services
Greg Collins, Security
Carla Eman, Budget Analyst
Tim Delinski, Instructional Improvement
Jane Clark, Special Education
Russell J. Budzban, Building and Grounds
Revonda Johnson, Instructional Improvement Officer
William Salzman, Student Affairs
Ann Bond, Early Childhood Programs
Shameika Sikes-Patterson, Literacy/Social Studies
Scott Delawder, Technology
Geri Hammer, Employee Services
Stacey Shangraw, Marketing and Public Relations
Anthony Mendoza, Transportation
York Powers, Family and Community
Ava Hoffer, Pre-K through Eight Curriculum

Is Officer Greg Collins the new 150 Head of Security?

Sgt. Greg Collins, a Peoria police officer for a little over 30 years is believed to be the new head of Security at District 150.

Officer Collins is highly regarded in the black community and is considered a friend to many. He will be easily recognized and respected by many of the students who attend District 150.

For those who had complaints that the District would hire a candidate who was not qualified. What say you now? LOL

Great choice District 150, it appears this selection was made with the children in mind.

Thanks to Officer Collins for stepping up, he will make a difference.

District 150's new Director of Transportation

Apparently Pam Schau managed to oversee hiring a new Director of Transportation before being axed.

Anthony Mendoza is the new Director of Transportation for District 150 Schools. Mr. Mendoza was previously the Director of Transportation for a school district in Arizona.

What is this, the 12th person that District 150 has brought to Peoria? I find this highly positive considering the state of community affairs (crime, infrastructure, lack of cluture, etc...).