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Unit 5 told communication could be better
By Phyllis Coulter
pcoulter@pantagraph.com
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NORMAL -- The Unit 5 school district was praised Friday for the loyalty of its parents, teachers and students--and told it could do a better job communicating with them.

The district also has better academic results than might be expected by looking at demographics alone, officials were told.

A group of 24 “critical friends”--teachers, administrators and superintendents from across the state--visited the school district for three days this week and reported their first impressions Friday.

They were part of the Consortium for Educational Change, a nonprofit group that organizes such visits to help school districts by offering an outside assessment.

“We have things to work on--serious things--but overall I am pleased,” school board member John Puzauskas said about the initial report. “It will take some time to digest it all.”

Team leader Perry Soldwedel, a former Pekin school superintendent, gave an initial verbal report to school board members, administrators and the public on Friday. He said the district’s self-evaluation showed it was aware of its strengths and challenges.

“There’s no question there are wonderful things happening in your district,” he said.

A more in-depth, written report will be presented Nov. 3.

Unit 5 needs to create a stronger sense of shared vision that includes people outside the district’s central office, the group reported. The district needs to create a clearer decision-making process, give feedback to those who participate in the process and improve communication overall.

Soldwedel said the district tries to communicate with the people in the large district, “but it’s not working.”

Not everyone is getting the messages from e-mail, the Web site or public outreach meetings, he said. The group found the main source of district news was the news media, not the district itself, he said.

The review team participants from the Pekin, Springfield, Decatur and Chicago areas talked to 550 to 600 teachers, administrators, students and parents in the Normal-based district’s 20 schools for their report, Soldwedel said.

Some things, like the district’s strategic plan, got both praise and criticism, Puzauskas said.

“Clearly we have a good district,” he said.

Soldwedel said the report will include a two-page summary and be written from a “60,000-foot view.” The reports are helpful because they look at the big picture and don’t get bogged down in detail, he said.

“The key is what we do with the information,” said John Pye, assistant superintendent of operations and human resources.

That was an area where those interviewed expressed concern. Some people said they felt district officials didn’t follow through on the input the officials were given, Soldwedel said.

The district’s strengths include having school improvement plans, curriculum assessment and good opportunities for staff advancements, Soldwedel said.

The group’s review includes: the district’s self-assessment, which is done before the visit; input from district leaders; and personal visits to the schools by team members.

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Reader comments on this story - 5 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

WYC wrote on Oct 28, 2006 9:49 PM:

" This was very, very much union driven. The union continues to dominate the Board and top administration. If you knew what I knew, you'd agree it's not about children, it's about the union first. "

Woodford Pundit wrote on Oct 28, 2006 10:55 AM:

" I don't know a whole lot about the Consortium For Educational Change, but being "non-profit" doesn't mean being objective. I notice their management is noticably skewed towards the IEA and NEA with liberal sprinkings of ISBE flavorings. Their Executive Director is the Director of the Center for Educational Innovation for the Illinois Education Association. Their Director of Info Management was Educator in Residence with the ISBE. Their Central Illinois Co-ordinator was President of the Springfield Education Association-IEA/NEA. This seems a little like the fox consulting for the hen house. "

convincing??? wrote on Oct 28, 2006 9:02 AM:

" sounds like to me that Unit 5 is trying to convince others that they have a good district.... "

Chelly wrote on Oct 28, 2006 7:56 AM:

" I think this says it all:"The key is what we do with the information,” said John Pye, assistant superintendent of operations and human resources. So far from my experience Unit 5 loves collecting data but never seems to do anything with it. "

Geo. wrote on Oct 27, 2006 11:51 PM:

" whitewash? "
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