By: Parent

CPS Meeting?

Teachers of Prescott, please let us know how the meetinng went. Are they even going to try to start the removal process? They already know mr.roches past with Ravenswood, dont they see what he did there? and compare it with what hes doing at prescott?

By: AL

Kiss Him Goodbye--Ick!

"The limits of tyrants

are prescribed by the endurance

of those whom they suppress."

Frederick Douglass

Even though we've told the story of Roche many times this year, it is just being heard for the first time by some. The endurance of those he has attacked, just so that he would not be fired again, was monumentally underestimated by Roche. If the story has to be told every day forever until he is merely a very bad memory, we will do it.

The layers of bureaucracy are many and everyone at the Board would like one of us to go away--the teachers or Roche.

Don't worry Parent, we will never let the Board or the Union forget who the bad guy is here. It actually works to our advantage to have all these clone principals make the news because as soon as the Press and the TV stations pick up on a potential scandal brewing: "Out of Control Principals CPS's Version of the Swine Flu", the mayor's office will panic.

We're in it for the long haul.

By: To Prescott

?

Someone please tell me how I can see these teachers records for myself?

As a new parent coming to Prescott I want/need to know what type of teachers are working there?!

I'm sure their has been reports filed against them from parents? Co-workers? students?

Please someone help me!!

By: BMW

Sounds expensive but its not!!

So did Marilyn Stewart confirm that the teachers are simply BMW?!

By: Monodontidae

Roche Supporter Wants Help Blaming Teachers

Taken from PURE online

At 4 pm tomorrow, Tuesday, June 9, Prescott teachers, parents, and students, members of CORE and others will be protesting outside of Prescott Elementary at 1632 W. Wrightwood.

Reports of problematic behavior by the school's new principal -- who became available when his contract was not renewed by the Ravenswood LSC last year -- are detailed on the Substance website.

PURE has no inside information about the Prescott situation, but there are far too many cases where a new principal gives a great interview and then turns into what can only be described as a psycho after signing the contract.

"New CPS Principal Syndrome" is characterized by extreme paranoia, secretiveness, and delusions of grandeur.

The syndrome is so well known to CPS that the Law Department developed a workshop for new principals called "How not to be a one-term principal," which, among other things, advised principals to cooperate with the LSC -- what a concept.

Also, CPS does not give LSCs the kind of information they need about principal candidates, including why they left their previous position, and too many LSCs fail to do even the most basic background checks, such as ask a previous LSC about the candidate.

We have long supported independent, professional mediation in these kinds of cases by a group such as the Center for Conflict Resolution. Instead, CPS chooses to interfere in its characteristic heavy-handed and biased way, leaving schools nearly paralyzed by conflict

By: Narwhal

Roche Supporters Springing Up Everywhere, Ooooh Nooo!

Ravenswood Teachers please send all the negative reports filed against you by parents, co-workers, and students to the desperate ("Please someone help me!!")Roche supporter. The teaching universe is conspiring to get Roche fired once again and she's not going to stand for it.

He's such a little sad sack, carrying around his shiny perfect education plan and no where to put it, because incompetent teachers in two schools won't let him save the children.

Here's some more help for the new

parent coming to Prescott. How come she didn't ask the principal about his teachers? He's so eager to tell everyone about his bad luck, he'd be sure to slander them readily.

Riled Up At Ravenswood - New Principal Ousted

Catalyst Chicago Feb. 5, 2008

By: The truth be told

The present Principal of Ravenswood came into a school that was already doing well, he has brought some of the scores for the school up, but he is not a people person.

He disrespects his teachers and he bullies his parents who are not middle class. The teachers have always been excellent at Ravenswood and he would have done a lot better to treat them with respect instead

of disdain. No school can attribute success or failure to one person. But all of a sudden the LSC is the villain.

Most of these people who are so upset have never even tried to attend an LSC meeting or find out what the teachers are going through because they want to work with someone who will respect and work with them.

Mr Roche is a bully in the worst form. He cannot be corrected. Perhaps if he had tried to work with the teacher and the parents who needed help the most, he would have gotten more votes.

By: parent

to: ? by:to prescott

why are you so worried about the teachers? what you should be worried about is if Mr. Roche will be replacing your childs teacher with a substitue parcially half way through the school year. why would you be a future parent of prescott with all that is happening with the teachers and students. I would'nt even think of tring to put my child there until the school has permanent teachers and a good principal. which I dont think he was such a good principal if he was Fired from Ravenswood. you should be careful of your decisions with your child and Prescott or you will regret it later. If your a good mother or father take a sep back and look at what is happening.

By: new leaders MUST be successful

teacher

dont you see that CPS cannot afford to have new leaders be a failure. There is too much money put into it already and has the mayor's backing. It must succeed at ANY cost!

By: What a loss for parents

Talk about a true model

In watching Brenda Chandler work with children who have special needs over the years, all I can say is that the children and parents who need her help and expertise will suffer from the closing of her program. She has dealt with children who have significant disabilities and behavioral problems, and runs a classroom that operates like clockwork. She has saved an unbelievable number of children from the path of staying in instructional or "self-contained" programs, and pushes them to develop skills that even amaze pediatricians. The majority of her students transition to general ed classrooms, leaving negative behaviors and delays behind. She works to assist parents in developing their skills, to assure that there is follow-through at home...and the kids adore her. They thrive in her structured environment and she teaches them to take pride in their appearance and work. Besides academics, she teaches self-help skills and independence. She had a perfect record until Roche decided to rittle her file with notices, suspensions, and lowered scores. This is a teacher who has been in the system for years, who raised money when she worked at a low income school to take kids with little opportunity on a trip to Washington DC. This is a teacher who receives letters from ex-students thanking her for believing in them.

Shame on you, Mr. Roche.

Thank you Ms. Chandler, for being an example by fighting for what you know is right and refusing to be silenced or intimidated. You are truly an example for independent women.

You are an assest for special education, and in your fight, you have taught me a great deal.

-Get a grip

By: Ravenswood teacher

How many times do you need to be told that Roche did the same thing at Ravenswood?

This is so rediculous!!!!! To the fools who are placing their children into the lion's den, how many times do you have to be told that this is not the first time that Roche has had these SAME problems, it is the SECOND time. Two totally different schools with EXACTLY the same story!!! The difference now is simply that we are rid of the cochroach forever!! Unfortunately, Prescott has a lot more to go through with this idiot.

Let me state it AGAIN for the record of some of the incompetant things Roche did at Ravenswood that are not heresay. These are FACTS that have been documented.

1) Roche lowered 6 teacher's ratings during his last year at Ravenswood. Unfortunately for him, Roche only took the time to observe these 6 teachers, while ALL others (during a rating year) were not observed. For this foolishness (which amounted to him going after teachers who were "challenging" him), the lawyers for the administrators at the Board forced these bogus ratings to be rescinded.

2)During the last year Roche was principal at Ravenswood, he gathered the ISAT tests, put them in the vault (for nearly 3 months) and then forgot about them until the State contacted him about it. Totally incompetant!

3) Ravenswood was being reviewed by ISBE for our LRE (special ed) and it was founded that he misappropriated funds to purchase silly reading programs that were not related to special ed in any way. Result...RAVENSWOOD was forced to pay back the State, not just last year, but again this year. Administration 101.

4) In his last year as principal, he ORDERED 14 teachers to change classrooms (while the children were in front of them) and MADE us move prior to the end of the school year (even though he knew that he was not going to be prinicpal any longer). Bully.

5) While being principal at Ravenswood, Roche had 3 teaching positions that were to be used for our bilingual children. Roche instead used 2 positions for classrooms and gave 1 bilingual teacher a case load (daily) of over 100 students to service (many of these students needing all content areas to be taught in Spanish). The norm for both bilingual and special ed at our school.

6) During his last 2 years as principal, Roche REFUSED to approve NCLB parent money and BAC money to be used for parent training. As a result, each year they LOST ALL of the money. (He did not get along with the Hispanic parents at all). Due to his agenda against the Hispanic and poor families.

7) Roche tried to fire 2 Nationally Board Certified teachers, 1 Golden Apple finalist(this teacher also was the Illinois Art educator of the year) and had countless disciplinary acts against these SAME teachers. Ironically, this year, the prinicpal has not found these same "weaknesses" in their teaching. In fact, one of the teachers has just been recongnized by Academic Enhancement for her work throughout the city in the Arts. Great judgement Roche has.

8) During Roche's tenure, the school was given a grant to purchase 10 laptops for our building. Roche had them put into the library to be housed. Suddenly, 7 of the 10 disappeared. When the staff inquired about them, Roche put them off over and over again. Finally, nearly a year later, it came out in a staff meeting that the computers must have been stolen. He claimed that the workmen who were there to work on the library must have stolen them. Never mind that a police report was never filed. The computers were never reported as being missing to ANYONE!!! Again, incopetance AND poor judgement. Lack of knowing protocol. Administration 101.

9) There are MANY other specific incidents regarding our internal accounts, lawsuits against Roche specifically, as well as discriminaction acts that simply can't be discussed in detail because they are still being investigated.

ALL of these things are documented FACTS of what types of things occurred at Ravenswood. Prescott still has 3 more years left of his ineptness!

To all of you who are supporting him or thinking he is a wonderful guy, I ask you... Are these things that a competent principal would do? After all that you have been told, seriously, how can you still support him? You must be out of your minds!

It's ok to acknowledge that you may have made a mistake about his abilities. Do it now before you get in so deep that you embarrass youselves like our middle class parents did. They will ALL tell you now that Roche is unfit to lead a building. How do I know this? Because we all have had several conversations regarding this info as the documentation began to surface this year.

GET HIM OUT BEFORE HE DESTROYS YOUR SCHOOL!! THIS IS YOUR CHILDREN'S FUTURES YOU'RE MEDALING WITH!!! Is it worth even maybe gambling with it? What if you're wrong? Then what?

By: We Are Family

Thank You Ravenswood Teacher!

Thanks for taking the time. Remember, you did the groundwork. We can use your nightmare to put a final seal on his file at CPS.

His hiring at Prescott smacks of Promises Made, Deals Done. He brings so much baggage with him, it is breathtaking that he is so asocial about human psychology. He lost at Ravenswood. No one has cowered in the face of his poor mafioso impersonation at Prescott. And, his unethical, unprofessional behavior is adding to the case for schools in crisis with which the Board is being inundated.

We have a pretty good idea who writes those transparent, worried letters from parents about the evil teachers at Prescott.

Thanks again.

By: anonymous

teacher

They are changing all the schools to get rid of the union and tenured teachers. LSC members must be better informed about these Principals and look into their experiences befre they provide themwith a 4 year contract to mess everything up.

By: painhertz

Elementary FAIL.

Wow...that was pretty much unreadable. Tough to report on schools and not have enough facility with grammar, syntax and spelling to write a comprehensible article. By the way, who ARE the principals in question?

By: George - proof before you post

Poor English

Yeah, come on George, you loose credibility with all your grammatical and spelling mistakes in the article!\r\rand you had the audicity to lecture al bloggers on a different Prescott ppst about using correct English.

By: Minke

This is a Joke, Right?

"you loose credibility" ?

"audicity" ?

"al bloggers" ?

"Prescott ppst" ?

Thanks for making us laugh, Roche supporters. Every time you try to be Pecksniffian, you make such priceless mistakes.

People who have limited education or limited English are welcomed and encouraged to post

any of their opinions.

It's the Roche elitist wannabes, who immediately mock the English of those speaking out against Roche's unprofessional and unethical behavior.

It's so amusing that one of them in particular keeps taking on George Schmidt and Substance. She thinks that if she can shut down Substance, the charges against Roche go away.

As with all petty dictators, information about their abuses is so needed to be covered up. You can't unring this bell, Roche supporter. Say goodnight.

By: George N. Schmidt

Write on!

When I read that silly thing "to George" I realized that some of the sillier people from other blogs are migrating here. So be it. As long as they don't get extremely and offensively obscene or outrageously libelous, their stuff stays up. I'll let the rest of the people here out them and deal with them.

And I like the fact that many people here are being supportive of the ones who want to blog and express their opinions in less than Enron-perfect and Bear Sterns- perfect grammer, spelling and punctuation. (Notice "grammar" is misspelled in the previous sentence. Enjoy!).

By: HJ

Time To Go

If you read the De La Cruz story in Substance, your heart will break,but please don't miss the line that talks about Area 10 principals coming in to tag books and equipment to take to their schools.

Roche threw out all the textbooks at Prescott last summer. Morally bankrupt. At least he could have sent them to some poor schools or poor countries.

Roche's car was in the Prescott schoolyard at 4:15 on Wednesday afternoon. Wonder what he was throwing out this time? The kids' desks?

By: Margaret Wilson

Throwing out textbooks?

Even the richer schools are saying that they don't have enough textbooks for their students esp. when parents request a set of textbooks to have at home as a 504 accomodations. When this was discussed at a staffing, the parent was told they could purchase a set!!!!!!! AND HE HAS NERVE ENOUGH TO THROW THEM AWAY!!!!!!!!!! Likewise with the desks, I remember in one Catholic school, they offered the parents the desks to use for computers or homework. It's criminal to throw these kinds of things away.

By: teacher

this is how they teach principals

at new leaders for new schools! throw the stuff away--get rid of all evidence, get rid of all teachers, do NOT talk to parents.

By: Gale Suwe

Parent

No surprise that Erin Roche, Amy Kotz, and other principals throw out old textbooks and equipment. They are trying to throw out all of the "old" teachers too. Anything goes in the name of "progress".

By: George N. Schmidt

Public participation at CPS. Photograph those dumped books, equipment. June 24 Board meeting.

I'm going to deputize any parent, teacher or student who wants to get their "Lois Lane" or "Jimmy Olson" level reporter badge for photographing all those discarded books (and other stuff) at all these schools. Reporters are people who report facts. We here at SubstanceNews can't get to every place where this stuff is going on (wait until you read our upcoming story about Coonley's toxic principal, for example), but if enough people think of both the pictures and the narrative, I think we can expand coverage.

The sign in for next Wednesday's Board of Education meeting will be from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. at 125 S. Clark St.

Michael Scott is going to try to choke off public participation from now on, limiting it to two hours per month no matter how many people sign up. He'll do it with that Bull Conner smile and starched white shirt look, but unless people are ready to insist that "public participation" means all the public, he will get away with it. He telegraphed his punch last month by stalling as long as possible during some of the narratives, then dumping the last six speakers (I was one of them).

If 200 people sign up to speak at a Board of Education meeting, then 200 people should get to speak.

Michael Scott and the Board are being paid $36,000 per year (Scott) and $24,000 per year (the other six of the seven dwarfs) "expenses" now for going to one Board meeting a month to rubber stamp the Mayor's wishes. That's more than thousands of the people who work for the Board are paid, some (security people) for risking their lives in the line of duty.

Yet they try and choke off any public participation, insisting on civility while they are destroying lives and wasting millions of dollars each month. (The pinstripe patronage from the bond issues they will approve next Wednesday will be in the hundreds of thousands; the contracts millions).

The least the public can do is demand that they listen to the reality they are creating and overseeing.

By: Mildred C

When Is the June LSC Meeting?

On the Prescott Parents website which is the stealth school official website, the June LSC meeting is TBD. Since time is running out for us to find the cave that they are planning to meet in, once again we have to rely on Roche’s published words.

Roche has a letter on Prescott Parents website that says “My two goals in the strategic plan are to increase student enrollment and student achievement.” Duh! Is that what New Leaders for New Schools is all about? Even the most old-school, rugged principals that all the current corporate automatons would scoff at had those two goals.

He says “Last year, when I arrived at Prescott, CPS insiders were considering closing Prescott.” Who were these insiders? Prescott has been rumored to be closing for years, because Burr and Burley schools are right down the road and the area no longer has the large families it used to. Certainly when they heard that Roche the Wonder Boy was taking over, that thought would have been instantly erased from all records.

He says “This clear strategic plan contributed to convincing them to remove our school from the closing list.” If only all those schools like De La Cruz had had such a clear strategic plan – increasing student enrollment and student achievement- they would still be alive today. Why won’t anyone listen to Roche? He’s such a trailblazer.

He says “The school has a clear strategic plan to increase student enrollment and student achievement. Toward those ends, the school has:

Spent $65,000 toward new, rigorous curricula in science, math, reading, and writing.”

What a bargain! Only $65,000 to learn how to sit in a circle and read to the kids!

“Spent $10,000 toward teacher professional development classes to learn the new, rigorous curricula.”

So innovative! Only $10,000 for session leaders to read from the teachers’ manuals to the teachers!

“Provided over 300 hours to coach teachers to learn the new, rigorous curricula.”

So helpful! Roche asks teachers to predict what the students will say after they read a story. Teachers, who are not clairvoyants, have to waste their time making up answers.

“Dedicated over 48 hours of in-school faculty teacher professional development time to learn the new, rigorous curricula.”

Truly 21st century leadership, especially the day teachers had to carry 10 teaching manuals to the library and rewrite already existing pacing charts.

“Hired four excellent teachers this year.”

His mantra which he enjoys printing next to the empty space about the 14 teachers he inherited. Those teachers are so hurt. Boo Hoo. He applied the excellent teacher term to all the teachers he hired right away in August, even though one of them was a first-year teacher and no one knew how she would perform.

Roche, you’re such a card!

By: Board insider

Erin Roach for CAO

Hey Prescott. I just heard last week that Erin Roche is planning to apply for the new CAO position since he is such an egomaniac with ties downtown.

Can you imagine what he would do as the person in charge of 40 - 50 schools? Watch out Chicago! Apparently his old boss (oh and I guess current boss) James Cosme is a shoe-in for one of these new CAO positions and is going to advocate for him (along with Melissa Megliola - AMPS AIO). This should be very interesting! Prescott could get rid of him but could possibly get him back as the BIG boss!

By: kugler

what about me

do i have a chance? for the CAO job? i applied. i am trying reverse psychology on them. they hire me to be their lackey, i shut up and tow the party line. heck, in that position they could get rid of me forever, even easier then they are trying now.

OOPS, now they know my plan.

HiHo

By: Could It Be?

At Least He'd Be Spread Out

Why does James Cosme still have a job? He's a do-nothing and probably worse. He finessed Roche into Prescott. Why? He aided and abetted Roche when the teachers appealed to him for help.

AIOs are totally unnecessary. They should all be fired. Flavia Hernandez is even more unnecessary. Her department should be closed down.

To stop Roche from destroying the careers, health, and finances of the faculty and staff at Prescott is a first priority. It would be justice sent from above if he gave CAOs a taste of the torture he's been dishing out to teachers for 5 years.

Where is the online petition to draft him to the majors?

By: any news?

Any word from Prescott on the date for the June LSC meeting?

Do we know yet when the June LSC meeting is? Has it been posted publicly? Open Meetings Act!!! I want to attend.

By: XXX

Shame on the Board

You know that they are terrified to hold another LSC meeting. Roche had an 8 month run with that members only party of his because none of the teachers were attending. Now he can't believe that he is being watched.

Schools in North Korea and Darfur have more democracy than Prescott. When you think about the destruction Roche has brought to 2 schools because of a personal agenda and/or personality disorder you have to wonder if we are living in an alternate universe.

On the Prescott Parents website is the following message:

"Join us for our first annual service day on Saturday, June 27th [9-3] powered by Alliant Credit Union. Help us jazz up the parking lot/playground with some colorful designs, plant flowers in the two garden areas and beautify the classrooms with a fresh coat of paint. This is a great opportunity to partner with Alliant parent volunteers and get involved in the school."

This is a great opportunity for Roche and his elitist band of merry men to pretend that they are on the Gold Coast. Painting over a structure with a rotten center!

Wonder if Roche will cower inside the building in case someone comes by actually wanting answers to substantive questions?

By: Patience

It's All Coming Home

On the Prescott Parents website the following hypocrisy can be found:

"A top education at a reputable school should be a 'right' for all children living in Chicago. With energy, motivation and a little hard work, we can make the changes that will elevate Prescott to a dynamic institution of higher learning."

The "right" that they speak of applies only to those children who don't have special needs. There were 2 highly-successful, well-organized, well-run Special Education programs in place, taught by 2 teachers that Roche despises. He cut the programs to get rid of the teachers.

Collateral damage was the 16 children with special needs. Their "right" to a top education was not as necessary as the "right" of the preschool children new to the neighborhood.

By: George N. Schmidt

Prescott claims about special ed cuts

On July 1, 2009, we will begin out July Home Page with several stories, one of which will be an update on the cuts at Prescott in Special Education. Our reporter is simply waiting for a call back from Erin Roche to clarify some things he said and did prior to our reporting extensively on what may well be not only a violation of simple decency, but also of federal and state law.

This being Chicago, what's the surprise. However, this story is still developing and we are trying to report is completely and fairly. While wiping out special education programs in order to create "elite" schools near Lake Michigan has been going on for some time (e.g., LeMoyne) and gives principals in those schools an edge during the first year of NCLB test score reporting (think about what happens to your AYPs when you get rid of special needs kids), it's one of those things that nice people aren't supposed to do.

Even in places where the LSC has been taken over by people who think their birthright is to own a million dollar townhouse or two and evict the lower classes.

This eugenics-based approach to school management is waning now, although it has not been eradicated. Last time it was hugely popular in the USA (and elsewhere) and promoted by my Alma Mater (the University of Chicago) it took some very nasty turns and had to be uprooted with extreme violence -- defeated on the world scale.

As a result, it didn't make a comeback until the 1980s, and take root in most places where democracy reigns (i.e., mot of the USA. In Chicago, as usual, eugenics and social Darwinism found a happy home, and legions of highly paid "scholars" and "researchers" to promote it.

Well, in that context, the elimination of two highly praised special education teachers the gutting of two lovely classrooms, and the tearing out of a lift to help kids in wheelchairs get up the main stairs -- what's that when million dollar townhouses and "elite" school status are at stake?

We'll be answering those questions in the present tense within the next few days (and months). As to the history, it's personal, too, for many of us. My Dad served with the 44th Division -- combat infantry -- during World War II and helped eliminate some of the nastiest examples of where these odious notions of ranking and sorting land you in a tyranny. No, we'll wait for the answer to a couple of questions, then return to this story.

By: Ravenswood teacher

Waiting is wishful thinking

I have a feeling that if you are waiting for Erin Roche to get back to you regarding any questions you pose that MAY incriminate him, you will be waiting until eternity. Erin is a master of illusion. There is no way on Earth that he is going to speak with you when you have been doing stories that bring out the truth. He isn't concerned about the kids at Prescott, he is only concerned with his image. Answering these questions doesn't promote his image. By staying "silent" he can continue to claim being the "victim" which he is also good at doing.

I do want to set the record strait on "throwing out textbooks" to bring in a reading program without books. Believe me, I am anything but an Erin Roche fan; but the balanced literacy approach that he is bringing into Prescott is one based on research with proven results. This philosophy is based on Reading Recovery (and anyone who knows anything about this KNOWS that this works with kids).

The problem with Erin bringing this into Prescott isn't the approach or what happened to the reading basals (which in many cases the kids who are below level can't read anyway and the kids who are above level are not challanged enough because the reading is too simple for them), the problem is that Erin doesn't train teachers throughout the building on this approach. He "chooses" a select few to get coaching. The rest are on their own to figure it out (and in this approach, coaching is absolutely ESSENTIAL). So what happens is that teachers are left without a lesson plan to follow (like what is given in a reading basal in the teacher edition)and they have no idea what the scope and sequence should be. What this translates to is that the strategies and skills that are necessary to be taught in each grade by the end of the year aren't always gotten to or taught. It's up to the teacher to just "know" what is needed (unless you have a curriculum map of what the year should look like. FYI - In the 4 years at Ravenswood, one was never produced, so the teachers had to simply do the best that they could without any guide to follow). He is setting the teachers and the school up for failure by not giving them the curriculum map with the scope and sequence and coaching needed.

On another note, Erickson Institute (who he uses for teacher coaching) is an instutition for PRIMARY teachers. They do primary instruction, not intermediate and upper grades reading instruction. This is why the primary teachers always figure out this approach and feel comfortable with it before anyone else. THEY actually get coaching. THEY get the experts in reading, eveyone else doesn't.

So, I would be careful not to bash balanced literacy because it does work. Bash the fact that he has absolutely no clue how to implement something like this in a building at all.

You should check out the Prescott Parent website: www.prescottparent.com. It's a scream! What's even more funny is that everything on there has been stolen from Ravenswood (and stolen even prior to his time). I also noticed that under the TBPK tab that he says that this program is replicated by other successful programs like Blaine, Burley, and Audobon. Funny. When we were at an NPN fair in the fall, the brochure that OUR TBPK teacher made and built from the philosophy that HE is using was copied exactly as ours, pictures and all! The Prescott booth was set up first and then folks had to walk to get to ours. It was the parents themselves who actuallly noticed that the two brochures were EXACTLY the same (minus the school name). OUR TBPK teacher is absolutely amazing and he knows this. This is why he tried to replicate the Prescott TBPK room after US, not the others! It just makes me laugh that he has absolutely no original ideas for himself AND he loves to get ideas from others and then "claim" them for himself.

By: California Girl

His Days Aren't Going So Well

I agree that Roche will never answer Substance. He doesn’t answer to anyone. He will especially never answer any question from Jim Vail or George Schmidt because they published the fact that the arrogant little emperor has no clothes on.

What we like about this, is that the paper does its due diligence in asking for his comments, and for the only time in his life Roche keeps his big arrogant mouth shut, and the paper then gets to publish the facts that they have relentlessly pursued since April.

Teachers can agree to disagree about the reading programs that they like and dislike, and that is exactly why Roche is so unfit to be a principal. His enormous ego rolled into Prescott with The Way to teach everything. Basic Teaching 101: there is no one way to teach anything.

There is also nothing new under the sun. All of the so-called miracle reading programs are repackaged and recycled in order to put money on the table of enterprising teachers who write up new programs and publishers who publish them. God bless them. We live in the USA. Go ahead and make a buck.

Roche’s treachery in throwing out the textbooks revolves around at least 7 points: he didn’t bother to talk to his new staff about his plans; he didn’t bother to see how the teachers used their resources; he didn’t bother to donate the books—he put them in the dumpsters; he lied about throwing them out and sold that lie to AIO Cosme (just one of several lies that Cosme has chosen to make his own); he brought in those charming, but lightweight reading and writing programs; he pretends that the little trade books that he had his serfs from Erikson Institute and the New Leaders for New Schools resident principal program scavenge from rooms were designed to be part of a guided reading program; he criticizes teachers for how they make use of the only text that he left for the children.

Of course, all of the discussion about the RIGOROUS CURRICULA that Roche introduced is just intellectual gymnastics. There is not anything about any of his programs that a second year teacher couldn’t master immediately. His phony, bogus criticisms of the teachers he inherited were designed solely to lay the groundwork in order to get rid of them. So far he only managed to cut down 6 out of 14. His worst nightmares are stronger than he ever will be and they're all coming back.

By: Gage Park Girl

Retail Business For the Good of the Children

Listed on the stealth school website known as Prescott Parents is a new project cunningly called:

“Coffee—Prescott PERKS”

Project Description: Fundraising opportunity. Prescott markets their own brand of coffee and sells it to community and school families.

Timing: 2009/2010 school year

Resources Needed: Project coordinator to handle all details including marketing, keeping track of sales, communicating with supplier.

The best part of the Prescott Parents website, besides being hypocritical (we welcome all kids, except the Special Needs kids we displaced in order to have gentrified and moneyed better kids) is that it so obviously puts the lie to Roche’s pompous contention that the Responsive Classroom nonsense that he made teachers implement brought “community” to the school.

What Roche and his gang mean by community is a gated community. Only certain parents, certain kids, and certain teachers are welcome. All others need not apply. Wonder which 1 or 2 LSC members, speaking for the ALL PRESCOTT PARENTS sat with Roche in his inner sanctum and thought up this Whole Foods idea?

By: Ravenswood teacher

I couldn't agree with you more

To California girl and Gage Park girl, I couldn't agree with you more!!! I feel like I am experiencing Da Ja Vu from our situation to yours. what you are describing is EXACTLY what happened at Ravenswood (minus the "success" he achieved in getting rid of the special ed children.

Erin NEVER spoke to the staff regarding curriculum adoptions. In his last year (after he already knew that he wasn't going to stay at Ravenswood) he proceeded to just adopt a new curriculum for the 6-8 students in math. Funny, the SAME one that he adopted for you at Prescott...Connected Math. He just purchased it and I saw it sitting outside the office one day and inquired about it. He shrugged it off and told me that this was what we were going to have to use. Never mind, the "math administration at Prescott" in their infinite wisdom obviously don't understand the conflicting philosophy's between Everyday Math and Connected Math. They are completely different! On top of that, these math curriculums require replunishment EVERY YEAR!! Prescott parent group, get prepared for forking out funds over and over for his master curriculum!

Also...the coffee thing, also a rip off from Ravenswood. I'm telling you, EVERY project listed on this silly parent website (ironically the web master is none other than his cheerleader, Jennifer Lister) is the same as what Ravenswood either did or is doing now.

Has the Board committee come out to speak with you all yet? Just curious. I heard that there was going to be a "objective committee" come and speak to the parents, teachers, and school community about his antics. We also heard that they may possibly come and speak with us regarding this situation. We'll see.

By: Ravenswood teacher

Teachers, get his supporters off the LSC

Teachers at Prescott:

The best thing that you can do to help your cause is to vote Amanda off of the LSC just as soon as the 2 year term is up (I believe February will be the time someone will have to "run" for the LSC). Don't allow her to continue to be his mouthpiece for the teachers! You NEED to get someone on the LSC who can be the REAL voice for the teachers. On top of that, the next LSC elected will be the LSC who either votes for or against him in another contract. That's how we got him out at Ravenswood.

By: Still Wondering

LSC Teacher Elections

The Ravenswood camp follower had only been at Prescott for a couple of months and she was put up as a candidate for the LSC teacher representative. She ran against the counselor who had been an LSC teacher representative and the Union delegate. I remember feeling sorry for this little newcomer because she was going to lose and think that people didn't like her. It was still early days and we didn't know the full extent of the nightmare that was enveloping us, but we had the instinct that we needed an experienced fighter representing us.

Surprise! The newcomer won. Even when we counted up any possible votes against the counselor, there was no way this Roche girl could have won.

The election was run by the assistant principal and one of the teacher aides. There has been much hearsay about what was promised to the teacher aide. Fear for one's job always factors in. No vote count was ever published.

Coincidentally, when Roche's second projected schedule for the new school year was published, this teacher aide's name wasn't on it. As of 1:30 p.m. on June 11, she had no idea what her assignment was going to be. We wonder if she'll another one of the victims caught by his "We're going in a different direction" pogrom. Tying up loose ends, you know.

We finally got around to holding an election for the second teacher representative. Roche never pushed for a full council because, according to him, no teacher had approached him interested in running. Coincidentally again, as soon as the Union delegate said she was running, his newest hire woke up and discovered we had an LSC.

You would have paid money to witness the assistant principal setting herself on fire trying to block the Union delegate from poll watching. Since we are learning as we go, this time we also had Luz Lopez there and 2 parents, not in the bag for Roche, observing the election.

Whadda ya know? His candidate didn't win this time. Now his great big, oh-so-smart brain has to work overtime devising schemes to delay the seating of the newest member of the LSC. First, because he runs the LSC, he cancelled the June meeting the day before it was supposed to be held. Second, he didn't reschedule the June meeting. Third, Erin Petty, continues to list the second LSC Teacher position as "vacant” on his school stationery.

By: prescott

teacher

please make a formal complaint about these LSC illegalities to the Office of School and Community Relations on the 5th floor of 125 S. Clark. Write down what date/time you called and who your spoke with. geton it now, the principal, if guilty, can be disciplined for this.

By: CPS administrator

He can't just hold a vacant position for the teacher LSC rep

Prescott teachers,

You NEED to become schooled in the art of the LSC. Contact Bill Rice and he can help you with understanding your rights (he is down at the board and is head of LSC relations) He knows his stuff. As teachers, you have the RIGHT to be represented by 2 members, not 1. A teacher needs to fill out the paperwork. At any rate, Dr. Rice WILL help you with walking you through the process. Even if, for some reason, there is a loop hole that prevents you from successfully seating someone, make certain that you have your people in place for the new election coming in February. This is the important one. This new LSC will help determine whether the prinicpal will remain at the school with another term or will be let go.

If the things are happening at Prescott as what I have been reading, you owe it to the students at the school to get him out.

Another thing, make sure you have objective people monitoring the results of the election. It sounds like you learned the hard way about this.

Good luck!

By: White Rabbit

Come Out Come Out Wherever You Are

Prescott Parents website gets funnier by the minute. Check out the new feature. It's 5PM and the following message has popped up:

"Can’t wait for next month?

Send us an email to learn about what we have in store for July —prescottparents@yahoo.com"

Apparently, you'll have to try to ferret out when and where the July LSC meeting is going to be held by getting on the preferred mailing list.

Spelunking, anyone?

By: Ravenswood insider

LSC mtg and the Open Meetings Act

Prescott school community:

I have seen some of your teachers out on the playground with students this summer so you must have some sort of summer school happening. If so, you should ask one of the teachers to let everyone know when the July LSC meeting is posted so that everyone is aware. They MUST post it 48 hours in advance; however, also know that the LSC can choose not to meet over the summer. By law, an LSC only has to meet 2 times per year as long as they all agree and as long as nothing is needed for their approval (including money transfers over $1000 and any purchases over $1000.)

You should know that Erin was known for not getting the LSC's approval for any of these purchases over $1000 at Ravenswood, so the likelihood of the LSC NOT meeting over the summers seems pretty likely.

At any rate, they must POST the meeting to the school community at the school somewhere. It can't just appear on a selective parent list going out to certain people.

Good luck; however, it has been my experience with Erin that he won't meet over the summer. Why should he when he doesn't ask the LSC for their approval for funds he spends anyhow?

To the Prescott teacher reps. This is something to monitor from him. Ask him to produce the Oracle budget print out (not his self-created spreadsheets) showing how money was spent from month to month. He has the ability to do that (even if he tells you he can't). In this manner, the LSC will be able to see how much he does spend (behind their backs) without their approval. This was one of his FAVORITE illusions with us.

Even if you are a Roche supporter, just to prove your point that he is all that you think he is, monitor the budget with purchases just to "prove" to all of those against him that he is as stand up as you think he is. See for yourseves what you may find. Unfortunately, I can nearly guarantee you that this won't be positive for him. He does what HE wants to do, regardless of what the policies are. The LSC is the State's answer to checks and balances. It is the LSC's responsibility to monitor the budget. This is precisely why approval is needed for anything over $1000. If he NEVER asks you for your approval, soon you will see that he is shady.

By: ABC

They Are So Transparent

As expected, big old empty calendars for July on the stealth school website--Prescott Parents and on the under construction official Prescott website.

Keep on writing Ravenswood teachers. The accounts of his repeated misbehavior adds depth to the case against him at Prescott. He and his cronies think they are so slick. His kind of "leadership" is as old as mankind. Certainly, he's nothing new to Chicago style politics.

As with all tyrants surrounded by yes-men(in his case only yes-women) he has a misperception of his importance and his intelligence. The dumber they are the harder they fall.

For a little while longer he can skulk about in his self-made prison of the Prescott office. For a little while longer his victims have to give up their freedom to work tirelessly for his removal.

Soon.

By: ABC

Funnier and Funnier

Late afternoon and suddenly the July calendar on the stealth school website--Prescott Parents has reverted to June. In Roche's reality that means that it's not yet July and he can't be accused of hiding the July LSC meeting.

Summertime and the living is easy. The fish are jumping and the cotton is high. You're being watched and we know you don't like it. More fun is coming. Time to cry.

By: Candace

Hard To Believe

My husband is a principal on the West Side. I can't imagine his council would ever go along with the kinds of stuff this principal does. What kind of people are on your LSC?

By: Lady Luck

It is Hard to Believe

I am an administrator on the north side and the things we have witnessed this guy get away with boggles the minds of many of his colleagues. He defies Board policy, ignores state mandates regarding special education and bilingual education, spits on the CTU union contract and treats parents that he considers beneath him, horribly. Erin Roche is an arrogant, socially inept tyrant. He is connected to someone, somewhere. It is the only way to explain how he has been allowed to do the damage that he has done at two schools.

By: Hanson

Nowhere To Run Nowhere To Hide

July 2 in the world, but it's still June in the Never Never Land of the Prescott Parents website (the stealth school website). If it's never July, there never has to be a July LSC meeting.

Mr. and Mrs. Perfect never thought their happy little world of special interests and ruthless social engineering would ever be spoiled by the common folk known as teachers and parents. What to do?

How about you get the Oracle budget ready for all to see?

By: CPS administrator

There has to be a July meeting before July 15

Prescott parents, teachers, and community members: There MUST be an LSC meeting in the month of July because, by law, the LSC organizational meeting MUST be done by July 15. The other administrator is correct in saying that you need to fill that teacher position. This should be done at the organziational meeting in July. No other "business" has to be discussed; however. If Roche fails to have this meeting, you have another reason to get someone involved at a higher level, in order to inform them of the fact that he didn't follow the law (again).

Good luck! In area 6, we can't stand his arrogance!!!

By: LSC Meeting

Meeting date

Next LSC meeting at Prescott is July 14 at 5:30. My understanding is that there does not have to be a public participation time allotment as this is an organizational meeting. It has been requested though....

By: Ravenswood insider

No public participation at organizational mtg is correct

It is true that at the LSC organizational meeting that they don't have to put in public participation. Obviously, by this point, I can nearly guarantee that Erin won't allow it. He doesn't like to be questioned by others on his "turf". Once this organizational meeting has taken place, don't expect this LSC to meet for the rest of the summer. He will think that all the school community needs is to have a chance to "cool off" and then everything will blow over. Don't let this happen to you! It sounds like with this newest situation (the special ed situation) that folks downtown just may HAVE to listen if it goes any further.

I can't wait to see what happens with this! He may have just bitten off more than he can chew! Just as an FYI, at Ravenswood, he also landed himself in a lawsuit regarding a special ed student as well. This time it was because he wasn't servicing this student's needs AND (even worse) was allowing this boy to be tourchered by bullies in his class and wasn't doing ANYTHING to protect the poor boy.

EVERYONE knew it was happening and brought it up to him. Just like with all of the other discipline problems, he did absolutely NOTHING! He allowed the continuation of the bullying to take place at the expense of this student.

By: His Bullied Teachers Aren't Going Away

He's the Poster Boy for Bullies

July 3 and Prescott Parents website finally got up to date. They must have huddled and Roche decided he could risk the July meeting because for sure he's not going to allow public participation. It will sound oh so proper because it's an organizational meeting.

He misread his group of victims at Prescott bigtime. Since he deals only with the cosmetic and the scripted because he has no original thoughts of his own, he was unable to judge the character of his teachers and parents. (Just like he thinks that mosaic behind the garbage dumpsters is going to be his legacy. You can lay a diamond bracelet on a compost heap and the place will still stink.) He never for one moment thought that he'd get this level of resistance from the people whose lives he so casually tried to destroy.

He's going to be carrying out his box of stuff long before the teachers. And he can take his assistant principal with him.

By: Prescott teacher

Hey George, is Roche being investigated?

Hey, George...Is Roche being investigated for our special ed situation at the "higher levelS"? I have been reading about all of these recent events and am just wondering if you have any sense as to what is happening? Another poster made it seem that he is being investigated currently on several different fronts. What info do you have for us? I just hope that he gets what is due to him, considering what he did to Ravenswood and is now doing to Prescott.

By: Teacher CPS

Ravenswood lawsuit?

I wonder, why wasn't this alleged lawsuit mentioned during the time teachers/LSC members went to visit Ravenswood during the pre-screening of the Ever so Popular Golden Mr. Roche back in 2008?

Also, why wasn't this ever mentioned at the District 299 blog where the Roche "Nightmare on Ravenswood street" first set the Internet waves a blitz???

Secondly, I am sure that his staunch supporters, the teacher rep and parent reps who visited Ravenswood school would feel differently now in July 2009 if this allegation were true. Is this alleged lawsuit documented and validated as truth? Can anyone expound on this new arising bit of information?

I as a teacher, i am deeply saddened, shocked, and appalled to read about the potential bullying of any student!

But, then again, i am one of the OLD over 40 geriatric crowd that Mr. Roche so ardently stated is disingenuous and lacks sincerity, and appears to want to terminate or force out of Prescott!

Eventually, Mr. Roche and his LSC supporters, the truth will prevail.

By: teaxher

it is with the AIO

Roche support is from an AIO, Mr. Cosme. It also has something to do with new leaders. It is all very fidhy and hush hush, but Cosme keeps going to bat for Roche==don\'t know why, but Cosme needs to rethink his approach here or he too will go down with Roche. Plus, this does NOT look good with Cosme having to reapply for his job--or did he sell his soul to new leaders so not he will be a new CAO under Huberman. Rub my back and I\'ll rub yours...

By: Ravenswood teacher

To Ravenswood lawsuit?

To the post about why no one heard about this when you all visited in 2008, that's easy. At the time, the case was still on-going. The lawsuit hadn't been resolved at that time. I know that when the new principal started in July, she also had to deal with it because she was now principal and Roche was gone. I'll tell you how it resolved (and the Prescott staff will be able to know that what I say is true with this resolution...) Towsrds the beginning of the school year, one of the pieces of the lawsuit resolution was that Erin, Renee, and the staff that he was leading had to sit through an anti-bullying presentation (probably given by Kathleen Gibbons). Is this something that rings a bell?

They also made our staff go through the same thing. As of now, the lawsuit has been settled. I don't know all of the specifics; however, from my understanding, the lawsuit was mainly settled because the parents of this boy knew that the new administration had nothing to do with this bullying situation and the parents were't interested in pursuing anything further if it wasn't going to be Roche as the principal. Because he left Ravenswood, he basically no longer had to deal with the lawsuit any more. It was the new principal. That's why the lawsuit was settled so easily. The parents; however, wanted to make sure that Roche and Blahuta had to go through a few anti-bullying presentations. On top of what your faculty had to hear from downtown, Roche and Blahuta had a few more sessions that they had to sit through.

Just out of curiousity, does anyone on the Prescott staff recall an anti-bullying presentation?

By: suit

a different suit

My comment regards lawsuits in general. George is routinely lauded for his institutional memory. I seem to recall a lawsuit filed several years ago and defended staunchly by George, the father of one of the plaintiffs. The "gifties" at his school sued for their constitutional right to wear shirts they'd designed that the "tards" had rejected. Bullying? maybe. Legal victory? Hardly. Unless I've got the facts wrong... http://www.webloggin.com/gifted-morons-tie-up-courts-for-4-years-with-class-action-suit-over-tee-shirt/

By: Tina

Oh the Tangled Web They've Woven

I wonder how funny the LSC members think what Roche brought to them is now. It has been reported that that the Roche team and its groupies laugh when they hear new claims of teachers being ill. Keep sowing those seeds, people without no moral compass!