NEW SUPERINTENDENT:
The most unconscionable action taken by the board of D49 to date just occurred on Apr 20 2023. Gross injustice has been inflicted on the children of D49. After 10 years of lackluster performance and failing academics where kids were graduating without the basic skills to achieve success in life, Peter Hilts gets voted back in by the board as the new superintendent of D49. Sadly, Board Member Ivy Liu was the solo “NAY” vote against this horrendous move.
Peter Hilts had few achievements to show for his ten years in the single critical arena of educating our children. PERIOD.
Postsecondary & Workforce Readiness hits an all time low at 27% for D49. This means D49 failed 73% of our graduates! Academic Achievement scores have been in the low 50’s for the last 6 years, but the harsh reality is that low income, minority and Sed Education kids are failing at even lower percentages. Here is evidence:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/11xf9KQpv-94dwoBmowwgN_HnmMWDsaNxDJi8ppQQrWI/edit?usp=sharing
Board member Ivy Liu has consistently held Hilts accountable and demanded improvement since she became a board member in April 2021. Under the legal counsel of Brad Miller, Peter Hilts and Board Members John Graham, Lori Thompson and Rick Van Wieren have generated outrageous lies and allegations in attempt to get rid of Liu. She is “rocking the boat” by simply honoring her oath of governance.
The slanderous gang of five have failed to produce any evidence of wrongdoing since Nov 2022. These five initiated a spin doctoring spree that Ivy Liu caused staff to leave the district and new families to enroll their children outside of D49. Never mind the elephant(s) in the room of FAILING ACADEMICS AND HORRIFIC CULTURE OF “REPERCUSSIONS” against anyone that speaks out.
Despite the intentionally reduced search period that started way too late in the hiring season, a couple of well-qualified candidates applied for the role as superintendent. D49 desperately needs someone with strong knowledge AND accomplishments in organizational leadership that will bring solutions to D49’s failing history.
The dishonorable D49 board members unceremoniously rejected qualified Superintendent candidate(s) we desperately needed for an overhaul. They shoved Hilts through as the sole finalist in the very late hours of a special meeting WITHOUT COMMUNITY INTERVIEWS OR INPUT. Now they are pushing the contract through in another Special Meeting on May 4 2023 where public forum is not allowed. This is illegitimate, unethical, and most likely infringing on laws regarding fair hiring practices.
Do you want to stop corruption involving your tax dollars? There is corruption in D49.
Board Director Ivy Liu and a handful of constituents cannot do it alone. They need YOUR voice by showing up in person and/or write to [email protected]
Ivy Liu:
Highly qualified candidates who presented concise plans to get D49 out of the quagmire of failing academic scores were rejected.
Social Emotional Learning (SEL) with critical race theory tenets were brought in to the district without vetting and protection by Peter Hilts and approved as “Trusted materials” by Board members John Graham, Lori, Thompson, and Rick Van Wieren.
Everyone at every level in D49 are afraid to speak out due to fear of repercussions, namely, losing their jobs. Peter Hills has ordered that the staff does not talk to the board, and is currently making rounds to disseminate the “distrust of the board”. Does that work to distract from his 10 years of lackluster performance??
Highly qualified personnel who’s been with the district a long time are applying for jobs elsewhere!!! (We lost a Zone leader and a long time principal within two weeks).
The contract to hire a search firm was set up suspiciously late in the hiring season without public discussion or knowledge of at least two board members. The highly qualified candidates won’t even get a chance to meet the community for interviews, which is customary for such a high-level position with profound effects on the future of our children. They never had a chance. The “search” was a farce that cost the district thousands of dollars.
25000 kids. I cry for the children who do not get parental help at home, the special ed and low income kids who are failing even more than the rest. 🥲😫. I know i am not alone or defeated because God wins in the end but I can’t stop crying.”
See what Benghazi hero, a new D49 resident, has to say about Peter Hilts: https://www.youtube.com/live/daOpFGlbaG8?feature=share
WE NEED TO REVOLT THIS CRIMINAL AND CORRUPT MOVE AND START HEALING D49 AGAIN!
Don’t know why we are surprised at this. The bulk of the board have done little to improve conditions and scores within the district. The “good old boys club” strikes again. Scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours. All I can say is, I’m glad my grandkids don’t go to this district any longer.
I am very sorry to hear you took your grandkids out. Many families have walked. Our enrollment has not increased as a result of the numerous new homes sold in the area, but has in fact dipped. Peter Hilts and that pathetic board president Graham have actually tried to attribute it to Ivy Liu, the ONLY board member left standing fighting for the kids. What is going on with this D49 board, Peter Hilts, and sleazy shadow board Brad Miller needs statewide attention. More people are becoming aware thank goodness. But we need to keep spreading the word.