Record Number of Warning Resolutions against seven Principals at December 16 Chicago Board of Education meeting
The complete agenda of action for the December 16, 2009 meeting of the Chicago Board of Education was finally available to the public on January 12 or January 13, 2010, the longest time between the Board's votes and the publication of the official record of that vote in at least 30 years. When the Agenda of Action was finally published, one month after the Board meeting, it was possible to see some other interesting information that had not been on the public agenda.
One significant series of actions taken by the Board was an unprecedented number of Warning Resolutions against principals. On the recommendation of CEO Ron Huberman, the Board approved warning resolutions against seven CPS principals. At no time in the past has Substance observed more than four Warning Resolutions in one month. A Warning Resolution is an action by the Board of Education directing the principal to correct problems that have been observed, but it does not specify what those problems are.
The eight principals are: Patricia Costello (Morrill Elementary); Mary McNair (Guggenheim Elementary); Paul O'Toole (Marquette Elementary); Robert Pales (Henson Elementary); Erin Roche (Prescott Elementary); Patricia Surgeon (Herzl Elementary); and Patricia Vaughn (Chalmers Elementary).
The Warning Resolutions approved by the Board on December 16, 2009 against CPS principals were the following (the first one is quoted verbatim; the rest are cited without quotation unless the Warning Resolution has different wording from the first):
BOARD REPORT 09-1216-EX10. WARNING RESOLUTION — Patricia Ann Costello, Principal, Morrill Math & Science Elementary School. TO THE CHICAGO BOARD OF EDUCATION. THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER RECOMMENDS THE FOLLOWING:
That the Chicago Board of Education adopt a Warning Resolution for Patricia An Costell and that a copy of this Board Report and Warning Resolution be served upon Patricia Ann Costello.
DESCRIPTION: Pursuant to the provisions of 105 ILCS 5/34-85, the applicable statute of the State of Illinois, the Rules of the Board of Education of the City of Chicago, and Board Report 04-0728-PO1, a Warning Resolution must be adopted and issued to Patricia Ann Costello, Principal, to inform her that she has engaged in unsatisfactory conduct.
The conduct outlined in the Warning Resolution will results in the referring of dismissal charges against Patricia Ann Costello pursuant to the Statute, if said conduct is not corrected immediately, and maintained thereafter in a satisfactory fashion following receipt of the Warning Resolution. Directives for improvement of the conduct are contained in the Warning Resolution.
Respectfully submitted, Ron Huberman, Chief Executive Officer
The content of each individual Warning Resolution is not on the public record of the Board.
