grades at the HS

[bruce]

Dont worry most teachers do leave as fast as they can. And the cycle has repeated itself for the last twenty years.

[OhBrother]

Dont worry most teachers do leave as fast as they can. And the cycle has repeated itself for the last twenty years.

more proof that tenure ensures we get stuck with the dead weight who can't get a job anywhere else

[freedomisntfree]

I became involved with WPS when the administration, board and board attorney repeatedly lied and repeatedly violated district policy, state law and federal law. This isn't hearsay. I personally witnessed this and put it in writing to the administration, board, board attorney and everyone on this site. I went to the Regional Superintendents, Lake County State’s Attorney and the Illinois Attorney General. One person standing up against the administration, board and the board's lawyer and law firm isn't going to be successful. That is why I asked for your help to stop the violations of district policy, state law and federal law.

I again ask for the help of everyone concerned about violations of district policy, state law and federal law including pressuring teachers to falsify grades to step forward and help stop all of these violations for the sake of the district’s students, teachers, taxpayers and parents. If a full investigation is completed, be prepared to find out that the senior administration, board and board attorney are all involved, on the same page and working together despite their best efforts to make you believe otherwise.

I am seeking justice for everyone at WPS. Let's demand an outside investigation conducted in open meetings with full details of these matters reported to the public and the appropriate authorities. Anyone that is worried about false accusations in what I have reported or false accusation about what the teachers have reported should not be. Those accused will get their day so they have nothing to fear from an investigation or justice. Let's get to the bottom of this corruption in a just way. I don't believe that falsifying grades, budget documents, head counts, time sheets, destruction of documents, fraud and forgery, etc., etc., should be allowed at Waukegan Public School and ask for your help to stop it.

[Snoopy]

Bruce, your original post states,
"Allmost every teacher I talk to mentions that they are under EXTREME pressure to give students higher grades then they deserve. Is this what we want in out town? Our HS principal handing out grades to undeserving students and lowering our towns standards so his resume looks better. THis may need a news sun invesitgating reporting. Wow this is defintily not the old WTHS I attended!!"
I ask you now was this a call to action or an informational report? Have you presented this information to the NewsSun, or were you hoping they would be reading this informative, yet not frequently visited website? This item has not been in the paper, so I think I would be safe to assume that you were blowing off steam with the creation of this thread.
I am known to talk a lot and not say much, but I am not fearful to be a loud mouth for things that help others. I will be contacting a certain person recommended on this thread, to see if I can help fill a void that many of our educators are concerned with.
Let me know how I can help make my children's and their friends school a safer and more pleasant place to learn.
Any solutions to your report?
Shawn White
(224) 381-2834

[freedomisntfree]

If your child’s report card lists an A does that now mean they really earned a C, lists a B does that mean they really earned a D and if it lists C does that mean they really earned a F? Were the grades changed at a fixed rate or did the amount of grade tampering depend on the teacher, child and class involved? Has the students been notified? Have the parents been notified? Has the administration been notified? Has the Regional Superintendent been notified? Has the State Superintendent been notified? Have the police been notified? Has the Lake County State’s Attorney been notified? Has the Illinois Attorney General been notified?

What would happen to the teacher that went along and changed the grade? What would happen to the principal that pressured the teacher into changing the grade? Does anyone think that the principal did this without pressure or approval from above? If no one above the principal was involved what has been the reaction of the Superintendent and Board of Education? Do teachers already inflate grades or will ensure they do it in the future to avoid the grade tampering meetings with the principal?

What is the legal liability that the teacher, principal and others that either knew or were involved have now incurred for the district? What is the further legal liability that will be incurred if the school district does nothing to address this issue ASAP? Can every single high school student that got a low grade sue because they were discriminated against? Can every single student that got good grades but did poorly on placement tests now sue because of the grade fraud? Don’t students and parents expcect that good grades are an indication of good performance on placement exams and at college?

I have reported all of the allegations of violations of district policy, state law and federal law. Everyone heard the Superintendent blame the board for the guidance and direction he got to continue to violate the law despite his efforts. Why would allegations of grade tampering really be a surprise? If the district is bold enough to break the law, why would they care about putting pressure on teachers to falsify student’s grades?

Budgets are corrupt. Grades are corrupt. If we only had the Superintendent on tape stating that he “tried” to fix the grade tampering but the board gave him guidance and direction not to do that. If we only had a board member on tape stating that the board was behind the Superintendent 100%, after the Superintendent just blamed the board for not letting him correct the grade tampering.

If only…

[freedomisntfree]

Superintendent Dr. Donaldo Batiste, with the board’s approval, hires a principal accused of and under investigation for allegedly grade fixing and intimidation. When the accusations about the new principal become public, Superintendent Dr. Donaldo Batiste is reported in the Chicago Tribune to state that “he stands by Guerra and won't get "caught up in the hype." Additionally, it is also reported that ” Two board members said they found the allegations troubling and, if substantiated, could jeopardize the job offer. So it’s reported that most board members don’t comment, the ones that do only say it might affect the offer and Batiste is clear that he stands by him and his opinion is it’s all hype.

Now reports come in that a second principal hired by Superintendent Dr. Donaldo Batiste is accused of allegedly grade tampering and intimidation by teachers. Could it be that the board and superintendents need someone at the high school that can do these things so they can stay in office or satisfy their performance based contracts? Is it possible that the pressure for grade tampering didn’t originate with the DC or the principal but rather the board or administration?

In the past Superintendent Dr. Donaldo Batiste has made it clear that he works for the board and they give him guidance and direction. He has also made it clear that he will follow their instructions even if they are against district policy, state law or federal law. Is it possible that the pressure is coming from the board all the way down the chain to the teachers?

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[sunny]

Grades are grades. To an extent they are always subjective. Compare how Waukegan does with other schools on standardized tests like the sats or acts. If our scores are way below then that should tell you something.

[bruce]

Any word on the average ACT score of the high school. Failure rates were better........so that means that the kids learned more and the ACT scores should be better, right?

[countymounty]

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