[Peace-discuss] Re: [Discuss] Consent Decree done

Thu Nov 5 14:52:30 CST 2009

Dear Mr. Chambers,

In response to the email forwarded to me, I would like to set the record
straight on Champaign Schools from the perspective of a student, educator,
and parent. Although I am in agreement that the Consent Decree should have
ended due to its being outdated, but not for the all the reasons Ms. Rosales
outlined. I remember prior to the Consent Decree, being in school watching
certain children being ignored and maltreated by administrators and staff.
I remember the redistricting lines busing northend students to southwest
Champaign schools.  I remember being called a nigger in middle school and
students not being reprimanded.  I remember hearing about how prejudice
our Mayor was while being a detective working inside Champaign schools.
I also remember in 1992 many well qualified staff members being demoted or
forced into early retirement in order to bring in teachers with milk stains
still left upon their upper lip.  I remember going back to same schools
during the Consent Decree, first as a volunteeer than as an educator
listening to a new crop of children alerting me to how they are not being
educated, not being accommodated, not being respected, and not being heard,
yet continuing to be punished because they are students.

So it behooves me that these so called speakers and leaders of this
community, can run around praising an administration who have absolutely
done nothing super fantastic.  They are here to do a job, one that involves
covering up the past mistakes of a community who do not have a divested
interest in African Americans.  Being that Champaign is nothing more than a
microcosm of society who devalues people of certain demographics, I ask
where exactly is this great change?  The fact remains, as stated by Arne
Duncan in August 2009, nationally 30 percent of the Nation's youth are not
graduating from high school.  If you are a minority that percentage is
higher, if you are person with a disablilty that percentage is higher; and
if you are a minority with a disability you might as well forget the whole
thought process.  The fact remains in Champaign enrollment numbers are going
down despite population increasing.  The fact remains that special education
numbers are increasing hence the increase in federal funding.  The fact
remains there are many minorities in special education, my daughter being
one of them, who do not receive adequate accommodations and services to
assist in the progression of educational, social and emotional developement;
despite the parent's best efforts.

So being one who has seen the development, progression, stagnation and
regression of a city gone awry, I applaud your efforts, Mr. Chambers, to
reveal the truth from the mouths of the people who matter most:  the
children.  I am redirected to the young man who wrote to you in in juvenile
prison stating, "yeah they been screwing me for years, but I can't do
nothing about it."  I am redirected to that young girl who sat in
educational limbo for two years at the knowledge of both Arthur Culver and
Dorland Norris, "they're jealous because autism kids like me are smart and
they're trying to kill our spirit so we won't be smart.

It was you Mr. Chambers who listed to these chidren, who advocated for these
chidren, who cared for these children when no one else did.  Oh and FYI for
those who do not know, yes it was you who went to all these so called
community leaders, all these politicians and all these federal agents on
behalf of these Champaign students no one cares about.

Best Regards,
Angela James

On Thu, Nov 5, 2009 at 1:58 PM, Devin Chambers
<devin.he.chambers at gmail.com>wrote:

> Response to my email...
>
> I like how she praised the current administration...lost all respect at
> that point
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Melodye Rosales <melodye at nitrogendesign.com>
> Date: Thu, Nov 5, 2009 at 11:22 AM
> Subject: Re: [Discuss] Consent Decree done
> To: Devin Chambers <devin.he.chambers at gmail.com>
> Cc: Danielle Chynoweth <chyn at ojctech.com>, discuss list <
> discuss at communitycourtwatch.org>, Peace-discuss <
> peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net>
>
>
>
> I couldn't disagree more.  You are mixing facts with lack of knowledge.  It
> is much more complicated then you have described.  I know because I had
> children in the system pre-Consent Decree and post-Consent Decree.  I have
> seen many Board members come and go as well as administrations---as well as
> those Leaders who stayed with the issues---and those who dipped in and
> out---and those who stood on the side both cheering and jeering.
>
> I was there during the Aber Report---and those subsequent ones----I was
> there challenging the administration and Board when I disagreed----and
> applauded them when they made efforts to do the right thing---and I was not
> one who earned a penny for what I did or am committed to doing.
>
> The Consent Decree needed to end.  Was I totally happy with the
> results---No.  But I also understood (not unlike what we are going through
> with trying to get a community police review) if you don't have the
> cooperation of those who hold the power of the pen---it matters not what
> token or self important agendas are put in place.  As a legal matter, the
> Consent Decree negotiations resulted in the best agreement possible for the
> situation at the time the Decree ended.
>
> When the Decree began, it was made with certain demands that became the
> core argument.  In a legal pleading you cannot change and or add items that
> are part of that legal pleading---unless an appeal or the court requests for
> more details--but always in support of the original arguments (which is why
> it is so important as we look at our current Kiwane situation that we have
> forward thinking instead of immediate gratification).  By the time the
> Consent Decree came to its end---our community's original pleading had
> changed in the form of needs---but remained dated because of when it was
> first argued.  So, what those who were not actually following the matter for
> the last decade---you wouldn't fully understand that by the end of the
> Decree---the community was really at the mercy of those at the table because
> we were asking for modification of the original pleading to incorporate
> current restitution given the original was no longer vital and demands were
> not going to move us forward at this time---nearly a decade later.
>
> As for the current Administration in its current evolution---I am very
> pleased because we all have sat down with the peace-pipe and started
> investing our energies on progress---not simply the illusion of.  And---for
> those who have worked on issues that have long-term effect---you'd
> understand you may not see them as they unfold---but you can feel the
> climate beginning to feel equitable.
>
> Regardless of the anointed committees and elected Boards----if you live in
> Champaign I would encourage you to get involved with the schools---you will
> find welcomed arms.  Go to the Mellon and fill out the proper forms for a
> background check so you can volunteer to create programs that mentor the
> youth and help prepare them for Higher Ed.  You don't need to be on a token
> committee or fuss about the what-ifs of the Consent Decree that the two
> folks who made it possible---are now dead and buried--and one of them
> financially made it possible, that without---we wouldn't even have the
> little progress that we can find agreement on.
>
> That said---I am the first to call folks out if they are veering off the
> progress path---as I am sure you and others monitoring will as well.
>
>
>  On Thu, Nov 5, 2009 at 9:59 AM, Devin Chambers <
> devin.he.chambers at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> The problem with the Consent Decree was collusion on all sides.  The
>> plaintiff's attorney was working with Unit 4 attorneys and self-appointed
>> black leaders were colluding with the District, and getting jobs out of it.
>> The minute Futterman & Howard brokered a deal with the District to begin the
>> watered-down, unaccountable Consent Decree, there was little hope for
>> progress as the community no longer had any power or say, regardless of how
>> many committees or task forces the District created to appease the masses.
>>
>> We got a Texas transplanted administration (Superintendent Culver,
>> McFarland, Dorland Norris, Dedrick Martin who recently left, Beth Sheppard),
>> so did we really expect the District to have a stake in educational progress
>> in this community??  Everyone is making money off of the miseducation of our
>> children, black and white, and I would bet money that there is
>> fraud/missapropriation of funding, I just have yet to prove so sufficiently
>> enough to get them in trouble (I had the Office of Inspector General do a
>> fraud investigation on the District last year).
>>
>> It's a welcome change that the Consent Decree ended. It opens the door for
>> real lawsuits to come forward and challenge the District's business as
>> usual.
>>
>> Devin
>>   On Wed, Nov 4, 2009 at 9:43 PM, Danielle Chynoweth <chyn at ojctech.com>wrote:
>>
>>> It would be worth talking to Imani, Rev. Underwood, and others who worked
>>> tirelessly on this to get a people's take on the Consent Decree - what was
>>> accomplished, what is left to do.  We have only gotten the NG version of the
>>> story for years and years now.
>>>
>>> - Danielle
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Wed, Nov 4, 2009 at 7:26 PM, Barbara kessel <barkes at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> I agree with Brian that it is such a lesson. Widespread outrage is a
>>>> short-range engine. To accomplish something it takes organization(s) to keep
>>>> the focus continuing.  Barbara K
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>   On Wed, Nov 4, 2009 at 5:33 PM, Brian Dolinar <briandolinar at gmail.com
>>>> > wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>  Anything in the print version about city council last night?
>>>>> Nothing on line.
>>>>>
>>>>> This anti-climactic ending of the consent decree.
>>>>> It should be a lesson on what happens when an effort loses grassroots
>>>>> support and becomes simply a matter left up to the courts.
>>>>>
>>>>> BD
>>>>>
>>>>> [image: The News-Gazette.com]   Final approval granted in consent
>>>>> decree settlement
>>>>> By Jodi Heckel <http://www.news-gazette.com/news/reporter/jheckel/> Wednesday
>>>>> November 4, 2009
>>>>>
>>>>> CHAMPAIGN — The Champaign school district’s consent decree case is
>>>>> officially over.
>>>>>
>>>>> Federal District Court Judge Joe Billy McDade entered an order
>>>>> <http://cdn.news-gazette.com/media/pdf/CD_settlement_approved.pdf>Wednesday
>>>>> afternoon approving the proposed settlement agreement reached by the school
>>>>> district and the plaintiffs this summer.
>>>>>
>>>>> The docket entry noting the approval of the settlement states: “The
>>>>> settlement agreement represents a significant bargain for Plaintiffs that
>>>>> outweighs the potential merit of Plaintiffs’ case and is not the product of
>>>>> collusion between counsel. The Court is convinced that the agreement
>>>>> represents the best method of continuing the progress made in the Champaign
>>>>> schools that was started by the Consent Decree. This Court further is
>>>>> convinced that the agreement places the future of Champaign school children
>>>>> in the hands of persons best equipped to educate: the administrators,
>>>>> teachers, and staff of the Champaign schools, the community they serve, and
>>>>> the parents that are part of that community. The Consent Decree is hereby
>>>>> terminated in its entirety.”
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Brian Dolinar, Ph.D.
>>>>> 303 W. Locust St.
>>>>> Urbana, IL 61801
>>>>> briandolinar at gmail.com
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>> Discuss at lists.communitycourtwatch.org
>>>>>
>>>>> http://lists.communitycourtwatch.org/listinfo.cgi/discuss-communitycourtwatch.org
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
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