‘Fairness’ school rally not about Sheffield
Lisa Jackson
By Jim Hagerty
Online Editor
About three dozen people gathered outside the Booker T. Washington Center Monday night for the “Rally for Fairness in Our Schools.”
While early reports said the event was an attempt by supporters to sway outgoing District 205 Superintendent Dr. LaVonne M. Sheffield to withdraw her resignation, officials and speakers suggested otherwise.
While several voiced their concern about the state of the city’s public education system, Sheffield’s name was largely mentioned in passing.
Winnebago County Board member George Anne Duckett organized the event and addressed the crowd several times. Each time she took the megaphone, her message was clear.
“We don’t need Dr. Sheffield here tonight,” Duckett said. “We have each other. We have ourselves.”
Although school board member Lisa Jackson (Sub District A) said many of the changes Sheffield made in two years have been positive, she also noted the focus, moving forward, must remain on children.
“It’s a ’save our children’ rally to me,’” Jackson said. “I would say that’s what it is. The community is really concerned about some of the proposed changes that have been happening.”
However, National Council of Negro Women President Aprel Prunty said Sheffield should stay and finish the work she started.
Former Board of Education President Mike Williams, who was on the board when Sheffield was hired, said the community must have a voice while the board looks for her replacement.
Williams also said many of Sheffield’s changes were done at a time when the community was not unified.
The school board is scheduled to vote on Sheffield’s resignation and severance package at tomorrow’s public meeting. According to word from the board, Sheffield will receive approximately $105,000, three months worth of health care benefits and unused sick and vacation days.
If the board agrees to those terms, Sheffield’s last day will be April 30, four days after three new members are seated.
Tuesday’s school board meeting will be at Ellis Arts Academy, 222 S. Central Ave. As of this report, the meeting is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
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3 Comments
Rockford’s eyes are wide open and we are listening intently and the community expects the school board seated on April 28th to do the same.
For some it will be an opportunity of redemption, for others the chance to step up to the plate for the first time and deliver what the community elected you to do. It is not the mayor’s, Alignment Rockford, Next Rockford, or any other group’s goals that need to be considered.
What our school board needs to needs deliver is safe and quality education without making sacrifices to please others at the expense of our children.
Thank you Rock River Times for giving us something other than your cross town rivals slant. It is intersting that your number of nearly 3 dozen is far less than your cross town rivals of more than 50. But then the cross town rival never showed up for the event that had more than 500 but that was not in favor of Sheffield. As for Williams comment that the community must have a voice, we do it is called an election. Williams was part of that voice that brought in Sheffield. Time for other voices, time for someone with local ties and with an ability to communicate and work with all parties, students, parents, community at large and especially those charged with making a difference the teachers. No matter what we do they are a part of the solution it is time we engage them and utilize their expertise and experience. If they are not on board nothing anyone does will make much difference.
Hi, Lisa my name is Cheryl Thurman, and we’ve actually met before back when you were working for wic, and you came out to my house i had two foster children, and we lived on Prescott dr. since i’ve moved twice but the reason i’m trying to contact you is because i’ve been following the news and what’s going with the school system, it’s terrible but it’s not just the school system that sucks, because of racism it’s everywhere in rockford, i’d like to meet with you on some racial issues, something needs to be done, i listend to you this morning on the news 4/13/11 as you read something that your child wrote and that you would be the only black person on the school board, sad but true and i’m ready to take these issues to higher place, i have issues about how things are handled in rockford period, the problem is that “we don’t stick together when these issues arise” i’m hoping you’ll help me in my venture to get some resulution to these racial profiling in this city on every level it needs to stop!!!! and i think you can help. I so hope you will respond to this email and my phone # is 815 703 3085 i really and truly hope to hear from you soon, i know you’re a busy person you have always been….I’ll be waiting on a response one way or the other.
Thank you Lisa, in advance
Cheryl