Thoughts on Unit Four in 2009

Been meaning to post on IP for some time on the sate of Unit Four from my personal viewpoint and have not been able to find the time. However IP’s recent post “Be It Resolved” managed to get me moving – so here go my thoughts – and they are ONLY MY THOUGHTS – and I have no power by myself to seek for the Board of Education.
 
First and foremost – I am not hanging out any sort of a MISSION ACCOMPLISHED banner and taking a victory lap. As a historian of sorts – the only messages I could see flying might be Nelson’s ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY, though most days Beatty’s comments at Jutland of “SOMETHING SEEMS TO BE WRONG WITH OUR BLOODLY SHIPS TODAY” seems to ring true. In my opinion – the district has a long way to go to get where I would like to see it – but we have made some steps in 2009.
 
Consider
 
THE CONSENT DECREE IS OVER: Yes the final legal costs have to be settled by the judge- but the days of the district producing a 3300 page quarterly report (that’s a three thousand and three hundred page report four times a year) are over. And since the report was sent to Boston to be analyzed by graduate students at district expense – and sent back to Chicago to be poured over by lawyers – after which the district had to answer any questions and report back and repeat the process. The bottom line is that said reports were
Often not formally released until almost a year after they were submitted – and then recommendations had to wait till the next school year – by which time a new report would have come out. That process – with costs in time and money is OVER – though more then one person doubted that it would ever end.  
 
THE COUNTY WIDE SALES TAX PASSED: This year the Board of Education for Unit Four did not levy any taxes to pay for the building bonds for Barkstall, Stratton and Central. Everyone in Unit Four will not pay that amount in June. Since Unit Four does NOT control the Property Assessment system I will not state that your Unit Four taxes will be less in all cases – but for most homeowners in Unit Four you should see less of a tax bite in June from Unit Four.
 
          In addition without adding to property taxes the district is able to rebuild Booker T. Washington and add an addition on to Garden Hills – build a new school in Savoy due to open in August of 2012, and renovate Bottenfield, Kenwood, Robeson and Westview over the next seven years – and no I don’t know the order of renovation yet. These will be “green” schools –with additional savings to be seen in the long run through energy savings as we add geothermal systems, insulation, and modern windows.
We still have to deal with issues at Edison, Central, Dr. Howard and Southside – but we are moving in the right direction of proving schools for the 21st Century.
 
EDUCATION EQUITY EXCELLENCE COMMITTEE IS UP AND RUNNING: We not only have ten good community members on this committee to represent all elements of Unit Four, but we have set specific terms of office. Five of the members will be up in 2011, and the other five in 2012. That means that any future School Board, starting with the next Board elected in 2011, will be able to appoint members and ensure that the EEE committee remains attuned to the school system of today.
 
OTHER COMMITTES AND GROUPS: The district has set up a long term planning group to get that vision we have lacked in the past. We are working with the City of Champaign Planning Office to provide services (for a fee). There is now a Promises Made and Promises Kept Committee to oversee the district pledges for the Sales Tax Income. The district has been reaching out to get more community involvement – instead of being a self center group off on its own (IN MY OPINION)
 
WHAT COMES NEXT – IN MY OPINION!!! 
 
          When I was elected to the Board in 2009 I wrote down seven goals – which I grade myself at the end of each year. Here are my goals – as well as my grades – you may disagree
 

1. Establish a Long Range Building Program – including funding

2008 Grade Inc = Incomplete
2009 Grade C
 
Rationale: We have started on the elementary buildings – will still have some way to go – especially at the secondary level.
 
2. Building Level Administrative Compensation and Assignment
2008 Grade C
2009 Grade B
 
Rationale: Elementary principals are now on a year round contract – which should help us get better candidates. Athletic directors at the high schools are now administrators, so that they can evaluate their coaching staff properly. Elementary principals now have real administrative assistants who can also do teacher evaluation.
On the down side – we have upped everyone’s title at the secondary level – even though it will mean more money in the long run for the same amount of work.
 
3. Central Office Administrative Compensation and Assignment
2008 Grade F
2009 Grade F
 
Rationale: Too many “stealth administrators’ – that is too many “teachers” in non teaching administrative positions so that they are not counted as administrators. No system for individual accountability or merit pay – and if we can’t do it at central office how do we ever get it into the buildings. Many of the “stealth administrator” jobs are necessary and needed – but in their current status they make little sense.
 
4. Alternative Schools
2008 Grade B
2009 Grade C
 
Rationale: The Academic Alternative School is off and running well an is helping it’s students succeed. But it is NOT designed for all students – nor should it be. Students at the Academic Alternative School must meet criteria to attend – and removing or reducing that criteria will be fatal to the program.
We need a program for other students with issues. We send secondary students to READY, which does an excellent job in my opinion, but I worry about overloading them. I am also concerned about how do we reach students in the elementary levels. When one spends Sunday afternoon reading ALL of the district suspension letters one worries about what is happening out there in the buildings, and my monthly attempts to visit every school in the district often confirm my concerns.
 
5. CFT Contract      
2008 Grade F
2009 Grade D
 
Rationale: I wanted to see it done as soon as possible. We got it done in the end – and if I were giving the CFT leadership a grade it would be far higher – again MY OPINION!!
 
6. District Libraries
2008 Grade D
2009 Grade C
 
Rationale: This one is personal as I used to be a Unit Four Librarian and know what is needed. The district libraries were well supported from 1997 to 2002 – and its been downhill. Some progress has been made in MY OPINION – more needs to be made.
 
7. Building Budgets
2008 Grade C
2009 Grade B
 
Rationale: Again, this one is personal as I used to serve on my Building Council – and were tight fisted as our building had a long term plan where any surplus went into capital items such as new classroom furniture. Because we were tight fisted – we got hit the hardest in the budget cut as we proved we could live on less.
We now have a building budget that looks at the makeup of buildings and gives them more funding based on student indicators. Its getting better but there is always room for improvement.
 
OVERALL GRADE FOR NOVAK – HIS OPINION
2008 Grade D
2009 Grade C
 
Rationale: Effort is nice – but results count
 
 
THE PRECEDING IS THE EXPRESSED OPINION OF GREG NOVAK. COMMENTS ON UNIT FOUR AND GREG NOVAK WILL BE APPRECIATED, REMEMBER I’M ONE OF SEVEN, AND INDIVIDUALLY HAVE NO POWER OF MY OWN
 
Respectively submitted
 
Greg Novak