21 U-46 administrators cut in two days, including all at Larkin High
Larkin High School's principal and a dozen of his administrators were informed Friday that they would not be returning next fall.
It was the second round of cuts in as many days for leaders in Elgin Area School District U-46, bringing the total number of administrators looking for jobs to 21.
Friday's housecleaning at the school on Elgin's west side included Principal Richard Webb; Assistant Principal Lori Rollins; athletic director and drivers education Chairman Jim Juliano; math and science department Chairwoman Mary Henk; English Chairwoman Mary Ellen DeRicco; special education Chairwoman and dean Joan Riedel; bilingual Chairwoman Theresa Ulrich; social studies Chairman Robert Talbot; guidance Chairwoman Laurel Puchek; and deans Jesse Rangel, Angela Earwood, Christopher Capps and Richard LeBron.
School faculty and staff were informed of the cuts at a 6:45 a.m. meeting with Superintendent Jose Torres.
Torres said the move was made after six months of assessment.
"I've been out there talking to parents, students, teachers," he said. "I think at the end of the day it's a judgment call. I would have liked to make even more changes, but this is all I can handle at this time."
Larkin has had a troubled history as of late.
Last January, Larkin social studies teachers filed a union grievance accusing the district of inadequately training them to conduct a computer training session designed to increase scores on the Prairie State Achievement Exam. Teachers said targeting their class diminished the value of their subject.
Last spring, Larkin High School music supporters launched a campaign to keep Damon Carlson, the school's choral director, claiming he was unjustly asked to resign.
Larkin has failed to meet state standards in reading and math for the last six years, and is currently undergoing mandated restructuring.
"It wasn't just the numbers," Torres said late Friday. "It was a personnel issue at that point."
He declined to elaborate.
Torres plans to handpick a new principal by spring break. That principal will then set out upon building his own administrative team. Larkin administrators who were let go can apply for new roles, though Torres said he's sure not all of them will attempt to come back.
Juliano, when reached Friday afternoon, said that despite the news, "the job doesn't stop."
The athletic director, a U-46 employee for the past three decades, said he plans to concentrate on hosting the upcoming IHSA girls' basketball supersectionals, and getting the school's spring sports teams going. He's currently unsure of whether he'll reapply for a position at the school.
At Canton Middle School in Streamwood, Principal James Hawkins and Assistant Principal Mirian Contreras-Allen will also be removed in June. U-46 will begin to look for their replacements in the coming weeks.
Like Larkin, Canton has also failed to meet federal No Child Left Behind benchmarks for the past several years.
A letter informing parents of the changes was sent home with students Friday afternoon.
On Thursday, district officials announced that seven administrative positions in the central office were being eliminated.
Those positions include the district's assistant superintendent for administrative operations, Lalo Ponce; its chief academic officer, Barb Bonner; its executive director of programs and accountability, Deb Dimke; executive director of secondary education, Tom Donausky; executive director of elementary education, Tina Radomsky; coordinator of staff development, Sherry Hullinger; and coordinator of instructional technology, Janine Shelley. Bonner will assume a new role as an assistant superintendent.
Torres said Thursday's and Friday's housecleaning concludes the district's changes to its administration for next school year.
"I hope it's very clear now that this is an era of accountability. We don't do these kinds of things normally, but these are not normal times. Students are failing, we have to do better," he said.
•Staff Writer John Radtke contributed to this report.