The Federal Lord Judge has finally signed off on the negotiated end to the Consent Decree.
The Champaign school district’s consent decree case is officially over.
Federal District Court Judge Joe Billy McDade entered an order Wednesday afternoon approving the proposed settlement agreement reached by the school district and the plaintiffs this summer.
"The Consent Decree is hereby terminated in its entirety." Yea!
YEA! Now the consent decree can no longer be used as an excuse to do or not do thing that are in the best interest of the school district, its students, and residents. I didn't see the final amount of attorney fees that we tax payers are going to be forced to pay for the attempts to extend. It still appears that even with the decrease in attorney costs there will still be big budget problems for the district in the coming years. Further, it appears that the CFO is planning to use working cash bonds (back door tax increase) to address their budget issues. I hope that the board does not take us down a path toward property tax increases without a vote of the people.
Whether or not we agree with repealing or retaining the consent decree at this stage, I think it would be helpful as a community if we all took this moment to recognize the racial inequity that existed before the consent decree's inception, acknowledge the effects it had, and assess whether or not we have further work to do on issues of school equity in the community.
As the previous poster said, the important thing is that the district acts in the best interests of the students. This includes on school equity issues--consent decree or no consent decree.
Don't spend too much energy celebrating the end of the "consent decree." We now have a "settlement agreement." The plaintiffs still have an opportunity to come to court and file a claim that the "settlement agreement" has been violated. True, we don't have the onerous requirements to pay a monitor and to pay the plaintiffs' attorneys an unlimited amount of money every time they go to the bathroom to ponder the case, but you can be sure there will be further attempts to milk the taxpayers by claiming the board violated the "settlement agreement." There was no way that the consent decree would have survived Seventh Circuit scrutiny in any case. The board shouldn't have agreed to anything other than dismissal of the case, with prejudice. This zombie will be back.
VAV; This bill is going to be a whopper. Can you imagine how this money could have been used for new buildings and updating our current programs....unfortunately as KACICH has pointed out....tax dollars were wasted on
$150 for a phone call of 5 minutes on 11/2/06
$300 for a review of documents on 11/3/06 Sunday
$2,844 for a 7 hour review of documents 1/21/07
The list is endless with examples of waste and foolishness. PITIFUL...
You mean the interests of BLACK students before anyone else? As the mother of a special needs WHITE child I have been told over and over that resources are limited due to the issues of the consent decree. I have had to look elsewhere and pay for myself for services that should come from the school district. I am glad we moved out of these schools.
I am interested in seeing a list of the people who have stepped forward to be considered an applicants for this new Unit 4 committee as the follow up to the consent degree. Further, I would like to know the process being used to choose the "X" number for the committee from the now reported 27 applications. Maybe Greg Novak can elucidate.
Pattsi Petrie
Erza
The settlement agreement requires us to do what we have already promised to do - add strands at Garden Hills and Washington, keep "controlled choice" and the Academic Academy - or we could spend one to two years in court with more legal expenses BEFORE we could get to the Seventh Circuit and have the case dismissed. We have been bled enough for lawyers - so the choice makes sense to me..
As to whether we will be ever be sued again - I have no doubt that someone will file a complaint somewhere - whether they are African American, Hispanic, Asian American or other. However the district will not be required to pay the legal bills of those bringing suit - and should someone be willing to challenge the settlement agreement - then it may well end up at the Seventh Circuit - but they will need the pockets to pay for it - not the taxpayer.
Pattsi
I have not seen the list of candidates for the EEE - but I have publicily stated at a School Board meeting that I would like to see 10 communuity representatives serve on it. My personal thought - empohasis on MY - since I can't speak for the Board - is that I would like to have a cross section of the community on it.
The district is to make a recommendation to the Board for action at a special board meeting on the 16th of the month, so I expect to see the list early next week..
It's good to have the Consent Decree off our shoulders - because we have a lot of other work to do to make the educational system to work for ALL students
Greg Novak
Amen to Anon 10:45 - I have a child with special needs and all I hear is "no money in the budget for...." I am so sick of hearing about all the opportunities afforded to students who simply are not interested in being at school. I would love to have music therapy and a curriculum that is geared to severe and profound children like 116 has but Unit 4 has been too busy paying attorneys.
I say let's pair a typical child with one with special needs and show them how lucky they are. My child is being left behind because she certainly isn't considered an equal.
You want to see a fight - come sit in our IEP's. I'll show you what we fight for. Speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, music therapy, art, and life skills training.
Unit 4 has done the best they can with their hands tied and money drained for attorneys. My child has only had the "right" to be included since 1975 and we have a long way to go.
Good points about special needs. Sadly the district seems to put more concern in enthnicity than special needs. Good examples of one of the many reasons people leave a school district.
This type of divisive politics is completely antithetical to improvement. I don't understand why people think it's a zero sum game between treated kids of color equitably and those with special needs equitiably. They flow from the same place--all kids should be treated equitably.
The district mistreated BOTH students with special needs and minority children for the longest time. I don't understand why any right minded person would blame people of color for the mistreatment of those with special needs.
I would report the district to the ISBE and to the Department of Ed Office for Civil Rights if what you describe is occurring. It sounds like they are out of compliance in myriad fashion.
You want to see a fight - come sit in our IEP's. I'll show you what we fight for. Speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, music therapy, art, and life skills training.
Have you asked for mediation? I was a learn-as-you go advocate for two children with disabilites and must tell you, the school districts do not advise parents of all their options. If the district is not complying with provisions of the IEP or making progress toward said goals you may request mediation in writing. You also have the right to have an independent advocate present at your child's IEP meeting.
Believe me when I say we get most of what we need for our child. What worries me is the parents that don't know how to advocate or those who can't advocate without being adversarial. I work well with Unit 4 and they with me BUT I still want more basics without hearing "no money" and the curriculum MUST change and be more adaptive beginning in K for those children who are severe and profound. Unit 4 will pay for my child to go to 116 to attend their ASSIST program. Why not just create the program at Unit 4? Working on that with them now. The decree took the focus off of ALL children who are marginalized and directed it to African American children. You may not like the results of that Anon 7:48 but that is the reality. Money, time, energy, and focus went to the African American community. It was not all minority or special needs children which it should have been in the first place.
I continue to advocate for all children because your child will benefit from knowing mine and vis versa.