PROPOSED BOARD MEMBER 227 AGENDA ITEMS THAT WERE DENIED AN OPEN HEARINGS IN FALL 2009
THESE PROPOSED AGENDA ITEMS THAT FOLLOW WERE DENIED TO A SITTING BD. MEMBER IN FALL 2009. THEY WERE NOT ALLOWED TO BE PUT ON THE AGENDA, DISCUSSED, AND PRESENTED AT AN OPEN BOARD MEETING. THEY INCLUDED (1) CURBING ANOTHER DECISION TO AWARD A $30,000 BONUS TO A SITTING UPERINTENDENT UPON RETIREMENT BEFORE THE SEATING OF NEW BOARD MEMBERS IN APRIL 2009. (2) WITH DECLINING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT LEVELS, A PROPOSAL TO DEVELOP A SUPERINTENDENT EVALUATION DOCUMENT USING DATA, TO PROFESSIONALLY EVALUATE THE SUPERINTENDENT, AND TO FOLLOW A MONTHLY REGULAR PROCESS TO REVIEW STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT DATA TO ENSURE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT AND ADOPT BOARD POLICIES TO SUPPORT CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT. (3) PLANNING TEAM CONSIDERATIONS FOR DEVELOPING A PLAN FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT.
FOLLOWING THESE PROPOSALS, I WAS THREATENED WITH ARREST FOR SPEAKING BY THE BOARD CHAIR, SONYA NORWOOD, AT BOARD MEETINGS IN AN EFFORT TO CLEARLY COMMUNICATE THAT I WAS, INDEED, COMMITTED TO A PLAN OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT IN OUR BOARD ROLES TOWARD IMPROVING STUDENT ACIEVEMENT LEVELS AND DEMOCRATICALLY ENGAGING THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY IN ACHIEVING THIS GOAL. TODAY, FULL BOARD AND COMMUNITY INPUT IS STILL NOT WANTED IN DISTRICT 227 BY THE SCHOOL BOARD MAJORITY.
OVER THREE YEARS LATER, WITH LESS THAN THREE OUT OF EVERY TEN CHILDREN PERFORMING AT GRADE LEVEL IN THE 2010-2011 SCHOOL YEAR, THESE PROPOSALS ARE STILL BEING REJECTED BY THE SCHOOL BOARD WHO SAYS "NO TO STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT." TODAY, WE STILL NEED A SCHOOL BOARD WITH VISION, IS GOAL FOCUSED WITH knowledge ON HOW TO ACHIEVE OUR GOALS, ACCOUNTABLE AND RESPONSIBLE, COLLABORATIVE WITH INTEGRITY AND FAIRNESS, ENCOURAGES FULL SCHOOL BOARD AND COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION, ENCOURAGES OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITY INPUT IN KEY DECISIONS, PROMOTES HIGH STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AS THE TOP PRIORITY, VIEWS COMMUNICATION WITH COMMUNITY AND STAFF AS A TWO-WAY PROCESS, AND TREAT EACH OTHER, THE SUPERINTENDENT, THE COMMUNITY, PARENTS, STAFF, AND OTHERS WITH RESPECT.
OVER THREE YEARS, TODAY, THE BOARD MAJORITY OF "NO TO STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, " HAS INSURED THAT WE STILL DON'T HAVE A PLAN OR ANY PLANNING TEAM CONSIDERATIONS FOR DEVELOPING FOR MEETING TO EVALUATE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, DEVELOPING SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT POLICIES Going FORWARD, AND THEN MEET WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT TO DISCUSS OUR FINDINGS. TODAY, WE ARE STILL LACKING A CULTURE OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT BEGINNING WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD, NEITHER IS IT ALLOWED TO BE DISCUSSED AT OPEN BOARD MEETINGS. TODAY, THE SCHOOL BOARD CHAIR STILL DISCRIMINATES AND BLOCKS FULL BOARD AND COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION EFFORTS WHO WANTS BETTER FOR OUR STUDENTS. SHE HAS CONTINUED TO TRY AND STRIP TARGETED BOARD MEMBERS OF THEIR ROLE TO SERVE AS PUBLIC OFFICIALS IN OPEN SESSION IN BLOCKING THEM FROM TAKING TURNS IN SPEAKING, CHALLENGING, AND DENYING TARGETED BOARD MEMBERS IN THEIR RIGHTS TO PLACING ITEMS ON THE BOARD AGENDA.
AS A RESULT, OUR PUSH FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT, TRANSPARENCY, AND FULL SCHOOL BOARD AND COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION encouragement HAS GONE NOWHERE IN OVER THREE YEARS WITH A NON-TRANSPARENT AND NEGLIGENT SCHOOL BOARD MAJORITY. BUT PROMOTING CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT SHOULD BE AN INTEGRAL PART OF EVERY POLICY AND DECISION. IN SUMMARY, CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT IS NOT JUST A PROCESS. IT IS AN ATTITUDE THAT MUST BE CULTIVATED AND REINFORCED.
TODAY, WE NEED A SCHOOL BOARD WHO IS PREPARED TO CARRY OUT OUR RESPONSIBILITIES FOR CREATING AND RESTORING DEMOCRACY, EQUITY, AND EXCELLENCE IN PUBLIC EDUCATION AND FOR LEADING THE COMMUNITY IN PREPARING ALL STUDENTS TO SUCCEED IN A RAPIDLY CHANGING GLOBAL SOCIETY.
Dr. David E. Morgan, Board Member
Rich Township High School District 227
Olympia Fields, Illinois 60461
(1) October 17, 2009
Dear Mr. Hunigan:
Pursuant to board of education policy 2.220, I am submitting to you and the board president, Sonya Norwood, the following items to be placed on the agenda for the upcoming October 20, 2009 regular school board meeting. That policy specifically states that items submitted by board of education members to the superintendent of board president shall be placed on the agenda. Please place the following proposed policies on the agenda for the October 20, 2009 school board meeting.
Sincerely,
David E. Morgan, Ph.D.
School Board Member, High School District 227
__________________________________________________________________________
(1) RECOMMENDATIONS FROM DR. DAVID E. MORGAN TO HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT'S 227 BOARD MEETING FOR OCTOBER 1, 2009 POLICY ADDENDUM TO SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT'S 227 AGENDA FOR OCTOBER 1, 2009 FOR APPROVAL AND ADOPTION TO BOARD POLICY AND PROCEDURES.
(1) ADDENDUM TO SCHOOL BOARD POLICY ADDRESSING DECISIONS TO AWARD BONUSES OR OTHER MONETARY REMUNERATION. IT SHALL BE THE POLICY OF RICH TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT 227 BOARD OF EDUCATION THAT NO DECISION BY CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS TO AWARD BONUSES OR OTHER MONETARY REMUNERATION TO ANY ADMINISTRATOR AND/OR OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYEE, WHETHER IN CLOSED SESSION OR IN OPEN PUBLIC SESSION, SHALL BE MADE PRIOR TO THE SWEARING IN AND SEATING OF NEW MEMBERS ELECTED TO THE SCHOOL BOARD AS THE RESULT OF ANY GENERAL ELECTION IN THAT SCHOOL YEAR.
(2) POLICY ON MONTHLY SCHOOL BOARD MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF INSTRUCTION AND OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH PROVISION OF MONTHLY STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT DATA FOR THE WHOLE SCHOOL DISTRICT. THE SUPERINTENDENT SHALL PRESENT TO THE BOARD, ON A MONTHLY BASIS, IN HAND, ONE COMPREHENSIVE PROGRESS TEST SCORE IN READING AND ANOTHER COMPREHENSIVE PROGRESS TEST SCORE IN MATHEMATICS FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ON A MONTHLY BASIS. THIS WAY, WE CAN MONITOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S INSTRUCTIONAL AND STUDENT ACADEMIC PROGRESS. THIS STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT DATA WILL BE PROVIDED TO EACH BOARD MEMBER, I N HAND, ON A MONTHLY BASIS IN ORDER TO FACILITATE OUR JOB OF INSPECTING, MONITORING, DELIBERATING, EVALUATING, AND SETTING SCHOOL DISTRICT POLICY AND TO DETERMINE IF WE ARE INDEED MEETING OUR TARGETED MONTHLY/QUARTERLY FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT ACADEMIC GOALS.
(3) INSPECTING, MONITORING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT DATA, EVALUTION OF SUPERINTENDENT AND POLICY DEVELOPMENT AS ROLE OF SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS. OUR JOB AND ROLE OF INSPECTING, MONITORING, EVALUATING, DEVELOPING SCHOOL DISTRICT POLICY AND SELECTING AND EVALUATING THE NEXT SUPERINTENDENT CAN NOT BE ACHIEVED IN THE ABSENCE OF AN ACTIVE EVALUATION COMMITTEE ON THE SCHOOL BOARD. THIS INITIATIVE IS EVEN MORE URGENT WHEN A SCHOOL DISTRICT IS ON ACADEMIC PROBATION. IT SHALL BE THE POLICY OF RICH TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT 227 BOARD TO EVALUATE THE SUPERINTENDENT AND TO INSPECT, MONITOR OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT'S ACADEMIC PROGRESS (FORMATIVE EVALUATION) ON A MONTHLY BASIS RATHER THEN WAIT UNTIL THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR TO LOOK AT STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT PROGRESS (SUMMATIVE DATA, OR AYP) AFTER IT IS TOO LATE. WE NEED ONGOING, PERIODIC, FORMATIVE EVALUATION DATA TOWARD ASSISTING THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN ITS EFFORTS IN ACHIEVING THE GOAL OF AYP (ANNUAL YEARLY PROGRESS).
The superintendent shall report and provide monthly INSTRUCTIONAL AND STUDENT PROGRESS reports, in hand, to the board on a monthly basis on instruction activities and student achievement PROGRESS data within the district. This can be in the form of one monthly progress report in reading and one monthly progress in math, which will move the district toward achieving its goal of (AYP) adequate yearly progress. All student progress data and instructional activities should be aligned with the SCHOOL DISTRICT'S VISION AND policy of "What is the district doing every month to meet AYP? " We don't respect what we don't inspect.
Dr. David E. Morgan, School Board Member, High School District 227
(3) October 17, 2009
Dear Mr. Hunigan:
This email is to confirm our face-to-face conversation held on October 8, 2009 in the district office. Based upon our conversation, it is my understanding that I am to attend a closed session school board meeting, thirty minutes prior to the regular school board meeting, to review and discuss my proposed school board policy addition in which I was prevented from presenting on October 1, 2009 at the regular school board meeting, under new business.
Please clarify and respond to this email to verify if my understanding of the October 8, 2009 meeting in your office was correct. Upon your response, I will review whether or not my attendance at such a closed meeting is appropriate.
Dr. David E. Morgan
School Board Member, High School District 227
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