Monday, October 1, 2012
Parents to be included with administrators and teachers.
Parents of Deerfield Public Schools District 109 students who want to sit on a committee to help determine procedures to assure a full range of services to special needs children now have that opportunity and can apply for membership. This committee, which will include at least two parents as well as six administrators and six certified staff members, according to provisions set out in the collective bargaining agreement reached in April. Earlier: Update: Deal Good for Students: Jensen “We met with the DEA leadership and at this time have identified only one characteristic (for membership),” District 109 Superintendent Renee Goier said. “(The person must be the) parent of a child with an IEP (individual education plan) for at least one …
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
District 109 President Ellen London said some special education information cannot be legally disclosed.
The Deerfield Public Schools District 109 Board of Education is moving forward with its search for a replacement for retiring Superintendent Renee Goier, but parent Barry Grossman is still urging them to reconsider. Grossman, who is continuing to collect signatures for a petition asking the board to hire an interim leader until after the April election, pointed out at Monday’s meeting the board hired interim staff members this school year to fill vacancies caused by the resignation of the assistant superintendent for learning and the special education program coordinator. Earlier: District 109 Superintendent Search Move Forward “I want to thank you,” Grossman said. “This warms my heart to find that you're taking advice of most of the …
Monday, July 16, 2012
Leaders of petition drive to delay search for new superintendent were politicized by prolonged negotiations between Board of Education and teachers’ union.
Jodi Shapira never expected to become politically active. Neither did Robyn Whiteman After going to Deerfield Public Schools District 109 Board of Education meetings attended by hundreds during the labor negotiations between the District and the Deerfield Education Association teachers’ union that changed. Earlier: 109 Parents Ask Delay of Goier Replacement After District 109 Superintendent Renee Goier announced her retirement last month, the speeches at Board meetings by Shapira, Whiteman and others turned into action. Shapira, Whiteman, Mara Meyer, Katie Bittner, Barry Grossman and Patch blogger John Russillo are spearheading a petition drive to ask the Board to either delay the hiring process of Goier’s replacement or hold off making a …
Sunday, May 20, 2012
One reader suggested a more engaged school board. Now it is everyone’s turn to voice an opinion.
Some readers commenting on the story about the approval by the Deerfield Public Schools District 109 School Board of the contract with the Deerfield Education Association teachers’ union motivated today’s unscientific Patch Poll. Should the Board hold town hall meetings like Rep. Robert Dold (R-Kenilworth) state Sen. Susan Garrett (D-Lake Forest) and state Rep. Karen May (D-Highland Park)? These elected officials do it regularly to get feedback from their constituents. Earlier: Union, 109 Add Year to Pact Though there is time for public comment at every Board meeting, readers like John Russillo suggested efforts specifically for that purpose. “The only time the board hears the parents is at board meetings,” Russillo writes. “Board members …
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Special education provisions placed in labor contract for first time.
The contract ending a 10-month dispute between Deerfield Public Schools District 109 and the Deerfield Education Association teachers’ union was unanimously approved by the 109 Board at a special meeting Monday after it was ratified by the union May 4. With both sides seeking extended labor peace, the parties added an additional 12 months to the normal three-year length of past contracts. Earlier: Union Ratifies Pact With 109 “We added a fourth year,” Board President Ellen London said after the meeting. “We did it so we could have two and a half solid years,” she added referring to the nearly nine month long negotiation over the new pact. The new contract will run through the 2015 school year. The teachers have worked nearly the entire …
Friday, May 4, 2012
Board set to approve contract May 14
The Deerfield Education Association Teachers’ union Thursday ratified the tentative agreement reached April 13 with the Deerfield Public Schools District 109 giving the parties labor peace through the end of the 2014-2015 school year. On Monday, the District 109 Board of Education set a special meeting May 14 to approve the contract in the event the union gave it a positive vote. The teachers approved the pact by a comfortable margin, according to union President Dennis Jensen. Earlier: Update: Deal Good for Students, Jensen “Now that these long negotiations are over and we have reached an agreement, the teachers hope that this is the beginning of a collaborative relationship with the administration that is going to have a positive impact …
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
With a tentative agreement between the union and the District, parents at Monday’s Board meeting kept special education on the table.
Children with special needs may be the biggest winners in the contract talks tentatively concluded Friday between the Deerfield Education Association teachers’ union (DEA) and the Deerfield Public Schools District 109. Both District 109 Superintendent Renee Goier and union President Dennis Jensen were in agreement after Monday’s School Board meeting at Shepard Middle School the eight months of talks helped accelerate special education changes already in the offing. Earlier: 109 Board Grills Staff on Resource Periods When teacher picketing in October spurred intense community interest and involvement in School Board meetings, scores of parents spoke publically about their concerns over many of the issues separating the union and the …
Friday, April 13, 2012
Union leader thinks special education provisions will benefit community.
(Update at 10:10 a.m.) Students, particularly those with special needs, are beneficiaries of the tentative agreement reached earlier today between the Deerfield Education Association (DEA) teachers’ union Deerfield Public Schools District 109, according to union President Dennis Jensen. “This is good for the schools, the community and the students,” Jensen said. “This deal is the best we could do under the circumstances.” Along with compensation and teacher evaluation, issues surrounding special education were one of the integral topics needing agreement between the parties. Though not normally part of a union contract, the DEA decided to make it one this time. “The special education provisions we got will benefit the special education …
Thursday, April 12, 2012
These negotiations have jumped the shark for me.
It’s been mighty quiet. Maybe it’s the holiday weekend following Spring Break. Or maybe we are all just over it. The Deerfield Public Schools District 109 negotiations with the Deerfield Education Association teachers’ union have been going on for so long, with so little progress, that many, including myself are done. These negotiations have jumped the shark for me. This long winded, volatile, and frustrating turn of events in our community has put many of us in this district over the edge. I think I have successfully gone through all five stages of grief. Initially, I couldn’t believe talk of a strike was even a possibility-not in our town. No way could it happen in Deerfield. Denial—Stage 1. After my first board meeting, that …
Patch readers are almost evenly split on advice they have for union and District.
With the next mediation session between representatives of the Deerfield Education Association teachers’ union (DEA) and Deerfield Public Schools District 109 today, Patch readers are narrowly divided in the advice they have for the parties. Patch asked its readers to let the negotiators know if they should stay as long as it takes at today’s session to reach an agreement on all issues or take as much time as they need. Earlier: Patch Poll: Time to End the 109 Impasse? Of the 63 people who responded, 33 want the team members to conclude the contract talks tomorrow while 30 are willing to let them take as much time as they feel is necessary. On tap for discussion tonight is compensation including salary increases and benefits like health …
Curious Resident
12:57 pm on Monday, October 1, 2012
Unfortunately, with everything I've heard, seen, and continue to hear about with special education, I am not confident that this committee is going to make a difference. I'm happy that they are going forward with this, but I certainly believe that it should be less administration and more parents. Until the board and Goier leave nothing will change with special education. Used to be the district … more ›