District 150 Superintendent Grenita Lathan is responding to critics of her administration and what they say is a ‘culture of fear’. Peoria Public Radio's Alex Rusciano reports the comments follow the fourth straight meeting where parents are voicing concern:
Charter Oak Primary school parents continued to say Lathan and the administration has mishandled and concealed information about the recent testing investigation at the school, that led to the re-assignment of its principal, John Wetterauer. Lathan says the district has specifically made efforts to communicate about the investigation:
“We’ve shared more this time around with this particular situation than we’ve ever shared because people demand the information, we provide the information, and then it was thrown back in our face. We want to work together. People want to use the word collaborate. But collaborate doesn't mean that we’re always going to agree,” Lathan says.
The district did release a report of its own findings about testing at Charter Oak. The Board last night approved a leave of absence request from former Wetterauer. Lathan says the district has made changes also for state test training in all buildings. Some parents and teachers also say the district operates on a culture of fear - a theme that's continued to surface in recent years. Lathan says that feeling arises in part because some people are rooting for the district to fail, and from resisting the personnel and program changes she's made since 2010.