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CAT Tracks for August 21, 2009
WHO'S IN CHARGE? |
In 2003, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) "suggested" that Cairo School District Number One needed a Financial Oversight Panel (FOP). This followed the Cairo BOE's "bad decision" in not making up the days of school lost during the strike of the previous year. By taking that action, the Cairo Board of Education threw away over $500,000 of federal and state funds...placing it on the brink of bankruptcy.
With the FOP came an influx of cash...a loan of approximately $900,000.
Under the supervision of the FOP, the District's bank account has grown...surpassing $3 million dollars during the 2008-2009 School Year.
In September of last year (shortly after signing his new contract), Cairo Superintendent Leotis Swopes made it known that he needed/wanted an assistant. The Cairo BOE thought that was a fine idea. I didn't...penning one of my scathing catty commentaries.
Fortunately, the FOP turned thumbs down on the request (in the midst of delicate negotiations.)
Fast forward...
Summer of 2009...BOE-CAT Contract signed, sealed, and delivered.
Time to spend money...
The Cairo BOE created a new position at the Central Office...the assistant administrator that Superintendent Swopes longed for last September. (Granted, being familiar with the "history" of the individuals involved, this would be one of those examples of "be careful what you ask for.") However, a position is a position is a position...
Superintendent Swopes gave the assembled employees of CSD #1 all the gory details of the "move" on August 13th...the first day of the new school year. According to attendees, Superintendent Swopes went on and on and on...
Not being content with that maneuver, the Cairo Board of Education voted to create ANOTHER new position...an Assistant Principal for Cairo Junior/Senior High School. A Principal, an Assistant Principal, and a Dean of Students for a building with maybe 250 students...AND a new professional security team!
(DAMN...did the terror alert status go to red??? I missed the Cairo Boil Water Order until Thursday afternoon! Somebody needs to tell an old, retired CAT about these life-threatening events!!!)
Okay...wait a minute. That's not true...at least about the THREE "administrators" at CJSHS. Superintendent Swopes went on and on and on about THAT (embarrassingly so, according to attendees) during his extended August 13th remarks.
The Dean of Students won't work at CJSHS anymore...he will go (has gone) to Bennett Elementary.
(DAMN...confirmation of LEVEL RED???)
I didn't hear anything about a major increase in discipline problems at Bennett...that would necessitate the adding of an administrative position, a position that would cost in excess of $50,000. I mean...Bennett Elementary was able to fight it's way off of the state's academic bad list without a Dean of Students. So, whassup with that?
And, if it IS true about the increased danger in Cairo attendance centers...what about Emerson Elementary. Shouldn't we hire a Dean of Students for them too. I've heard it from reputable sources...you can get bit at Emerson!!!
As you have surely guessed...I have drifted off into "catty commentary".
An assurance to parents...
There is NO INCREASED DANGER in the Cairo Public Schools. Do NOT fear for the safety of your children.
Nope...it's all about the money...SPENDING IT...FREELY!!!
It is a CSD #1 TRADITION...
Once the Cairo BOE settles its contract negotiations with the teachers union, it always ignores it's claims/lies of being BROKE, BROKE, BROKE...and spends money like water.
Returning to the subject of this post..."Who's In Charge?"
Monday will provide the answer...
Last month, the Cairo Financial Oversight Panel voted 3-0 NOT to create the Assistant Principal position at Cairo Jr/Sr High School!
Did this stop the Cairo Board of Education?
Apparently not...NOT according to the aforementioned remarks by Superintendent Swopes. The former CJSHS Dean of Students has packed his bags and headed off to Bennett Elementary. During the remarks made at the August 13th Teachers Institute...officials "struggled" with a name for the new position...but they did NOT back off. A new position has been created...call it what you will...if it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, it's a duck.
Hmmm...what part of "NO" does the Cairo BOE not understand?
The Cairo Financial Oversight Panel meets on Monday afternoon at 1 p.m. (a change from their normal 10:45 a.m. meeting time.) FOP meetings are held in the Board Room at the District's Central Office.
On their agenda is the approval of the minutes of their July meeting...when they voted 3-0 NOT to create an Assistant Principal position at CJSHS. Also on the agenda (closed or open) will be whether or not to allow the Cairo Board of Education to "create" a new position of Assistant Principal at CJSHS...or whatever title that they come up with to try to disguise the DUCK. (I put the quotation marks around create because they've already implemented their will in defiance of the FOP.)
Folks, if the Cairo FOP allows the Cairo BOE to create TWO new administrative positions after pleading "broke" to the teachers - a plea that the teachers accepted even though they knew it was bogus...for the good of the community - well, it will be time for the Cairo Financial Oversight Panel to go. They will have burned their credibility...
If the FOP is not going to do its job, then they should step aside.
Allow one and all to see who is really behind the curtain...
