Peoria Public Schools will switch its safe schools alternative for Grades 6-8 to a district-developed program, following a split vote Monday by the Board of Education.
Four of the seven members approved the proposal from District 150 leadership to implement its NOVA Academy program as a replacement for the “Game Changers” offering provided by Elite Community Outreach.
Board member Sarah Howard said while she sees value in the Game Changers program, a deciding factor for her was a need for the district to meet compliance standards required by the Illinois Safe Schools Act.
“Elite is Elite; they've been here for 20 years. They have saved lives, they care. These are amazing people,” said Howard. “But I can't just discount the problems that are hanging over our heads because of these ongoing compliance issues.”
The switch moving at-risk students into to the NOVA program will take place when the next semester begins in January, with the Elite partnership set to end on Dec. 18.
In a memo to the board, Deputy Superintendent Renee Andrews said NOVA Academy brings “guidance and oversight of the curriculum, instructional structure, student activities and programming support” to meet the needs of students assigned to the safe school setting.
“I would, as a member, think that NOVA Academy is the way to go because it's developed by administration,” said board member Andres Diaz. “It's developed by certified teachers who understand what it is that our kids need.”
Howard and Diaz were joined by fellow members Christina Rose and Brenda Wilson in approving the change to NOVA Academy, leaving board president Paris McConnell, vice president Martha Ross and former president Gregory Wilson in the minority voting against the switch.
“I will not be supporting the disruption of the lives of our students in the middle of the year. I can only imagine how devastating it will be for them,” said Ross. “These students are very special. They have been expelled or suspended or tossed out of their classroom for their behavior simply because they are misunderstood.
“These are students that may not have housing, they may not have parents, they may not have clothing, food or shelter, or the necessities that we all have, but when they come to in come to into the Elite building, they know they are loved, they are safe, they are accountable.”
At a news conference last week, Elite founder and CEO Carl Cannon and NAACP Peoria President Marvin Hightower urged the board not to abandon the Game Changers program.
“We are living in a day and time where we have nontraditional students trying to be taught in a traditional way, and the result often shows up in their behavior. This requires a nontraditional solution,” Hightower said during the at times contentious 2-1/2 hour school board meeting.
“Now, this is not solely about Peoria Public Schools or Elite as an entity. This is about our children, their future and the future of our community.”
Howard said efforts by the school board and the district administrators to engage Elite leadership in conversations to continue their partnership in some way proved to be difficult.
“It's either been brushed off or taken as an insult,” she said. “I ran out of ways to say that these are problems that we really need to face.”
But Hightower said the relationship between Elite and the district, specifically Superintendent Jerry Bell, likely has been damaged beyond repair.
“This whole situation could have been handled in a much more professional way,” said Hightower. “The bridge you are burning with this change is the same bridge you and Dr. Andrews will need to run across when they are ready to throw you away, and we won't be there.”
The district originally considered discontinuing the Elite partnership and switching to NOVA before the start of the current academic year. In August, the board agreed to fund Elite through the first semester for $312,000, but delayed a decision regarding the rest of the year.
Andrews indicated staffing costs for NOVA will be covered by a grant from the Peoria County Regional Office of Education instead of the district’s education fund. Additional grants have been secured for mental health services, transition support and additional programming.
Diaz said he puts his support behind the teachers working for Peoria Public Schools.
“It's insulting to them to say that they would throw a child out. It's insulting to them to say that they don't care about every child in this district,” he said. “It's insulting to our teachers and our administrators to make them the enemy when we have a program that we can improve the lives of all of our students.”
