The Examiner U-46 News FeedU-46 teacher asks board to ‘step in’ for students good By Seth Hancock
School District U-46 has wasted $18.5 million in taxpayer funds, according to one district teacher.
José Rosa, a dual language teacher, submitted written public comments to the Board of Education at its Sept. 27 meeting. In it, Rosa describes the reaction of teachers after an all-day training on Sept. 24 with Learning Sciences International (LSI).
Rosa stated the training left teachers with confusion as “nothing we heard… at the training is new, nothing we practiced at the training is groundbreaking, nothing they suggested at the training is unknown.” Every technique and strategy has been in place in U-46 “for more than a decade,” Rosa wrote.
The board unanimously approved of the $18.5 million LSI contract, which runs through 2025-2026, in April. The work, described by LSI, is based on theories with Penny Sell, LSI’s executive director, stating it’s to “align on our thinking” on a “theory of action.”
The district, in a memo at the time, stated the contract was needed because the administration is “not organized to support principals as the instructional and operational leaders of their schools.”
Rosa stated that Superintendent Tony Sanders is spending time “promoting an apparent million-dollar initiative” and ignoring real issues.
“I understand that the Superintendent with his staff is in charge of making all these decisions and this is the reason why the Board puts him there,” Rosa wrote. “But when mistake after mistake keeps happening, and the district keeps getting worse, that’s when the Board, as a governing school entity, must step in and make decisions for the good of our students and the school system. Staying quiet and not doing anything at all is not an option. You as part of a ruling entity have an obligation. The decision is in your hands, it is not very complicated. I implore you to listen to what the teachers have to say. Please, just listen to those in the classroom who are dealing with the problems of our system on a day-to-day basis. It's really not that difficult.”
Bruce Phelps, director of business services, said in April that the district can end the contract “with no penalties with a 30-day notice.”
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