CPS would seem to have its Priorities Backwards

CPS appoints an apparent Racists Principal Katherine Konopasek to Adlai E. Stevenson Elementary School.  It would appear that the Board of Education of the City of Chicago has really lost all concept of what they are doing or rational thought.  It would seem that in 1998 Katherine Konopasek wrote an internal memo that didn’t remain internal for long.  This memo was about Hispanic students and their parents at Benito Juarez High School were Katherine Konopasek made some very upsetting racist comments as school parents called them.  The memo saying among other things that numerous female students at the mostly Latino school were being “beaten by their male relatives” and that they failed to report the beatings because of "cultural mores." Half of all Juarez girls were suicidal according to the memo.  The Chicago Tribune reported “Chicago school board officials said they would launch an investigation into the author of the internal memo, Katherine Konopasek, who works in the board's Department of School Quality Reviews.”

It would appear that Katherine Konopasek attempted to blame nurses and the social worker for the school.  These staff members apparently deny the comments saying most was taken out of context or misinterpreted in the memo.  In this five page memo one excerpt was found to be very offensive and over the line.  "Besides the gang problem, the school nurse and social worker see numerous students, mostly females, who are beaten by their fathers, brothers, and boyfriends. Many male family members are heavily involved with alcohol. Mothers and daughters suffer from the abuse this addiction brings. Many female students, at least 50 percent, are suicidal and experience bouts of depression. Mental illness exists and many young ladies are placed on medication for this. The community will not face or acknowledge this endemic problem. There are only a few Alcoholics Anonymous programs in the community, mostly for males and attended by few. Cultural mores do not allow females to verbalize their feelings and needs to stop the abuse they experience daily. The school must be proactive. An Alanon program must be instituted in the school. The curriculum as a whole must implement an alcohol awareness and abuse prevention program for all students."

This may have something to do with the fact that Katherine Konopasek’s father was a severe alcoholic and would seem to have been abusive to her mother according to court divorce records.  Maybe Katherine Konopasek just sees alcoholic child beaters everywhere due to her own past and experiences?  No one can say what causes someone to say or think things like this but it seems clear from the memo that Katherine Konopasek is harboring some past resentments.  I can’t speak to what Katherine Konopasek thinks or feels but one must wonder why CPS would make her a Principal of Stevenson Elementary School which is largely Hispanic in its student population.  Maybe they assumed because the children are younger that the “abuse this addiction brings” has not started yet.  When one internet searches Stevenson School reviews by parents the results seem to start to make sense.

Chicago Public Schools Chief Paul Vallas said he would take no disciplinary action regarding an internal memo written by Katherine Konopasek.  However, Katherine Konopasek will no longer conduct academic audits of schools Mr Vallas states.  Mr. Vallas also said that her reassignment to another unit within the Chicago School Board's Office of Accountability had nothing to do with the internal memo that had become public.  Although this may have happened some time ago people do not just change their personal opinions and ideologies no matter how much time passes.  It would seem that Katherine Konopasek’s Mother was stern and some would argue as abusive today.  It is ironic that she seems to be observed as being a by the book person that is stern and unwavering.  I have tried to reach Principal Konopasek for comments but have received no reply, and I was unable to reach her by phone.

I bring this up because it would seem that CPS and Katherine Konopasek has still not learned a lesson from the past as her current actions at Stevenson Elementary are questionable at best.  Recently refusing to allow a homeless student to enroll and after forced to allow him to be enrolled she has retaliated against the 4^th grader and his Mother.  One teacher said that she was yelled at humiliated by Konopasek because she told the mother of this student the truth.  It involves an incident where the mother was called and told her child smelled like urine and feces.  I guess she has strong feeling about the homeless as well, unfortunately for her the student has clean clothes and a bath every day.  Once it was discovered that it was not the 4^th grade student Konopasek not only did not apologize she was angry at a teacher for telling the truth.  This is confusing as the mother upon picking up her son would have realized that he did not smell and as the school has refused to provide uniforms he was in his same cloths.

If all this is not bad enough it would seem that Principal Konopasek then called the CPS Law Department where she had her friend Lee Ann Lowder (Attorney) further attempt to harass the family herself violating several laws to do so.  The Advocate for the mother had been in contact with Ms. Lee Ann Lowder for some time then when this violation was brought to her attention via email her replies abruptly stopped according to Glen Presnell the Child Advocate.  Mr. Presnell also says that he has contacted everyone he could at the Board about this from Jean-Claude Brizard, Patrick Rocks (Boards General Counsel), and many, many more.  To date CPS has been silent and no response has been given to the Parent of the Student or the Advocate.  I will keep you up to date about future events and what is done if anything by CPS in this matter.

By: Jason Glenn

Bullying at CPS it must STOP!

Lately I watched a show on CNN, “Anderson Cooper Special Report – Bullying: It Stops Here” I live in Chicago and deal with CPS all the time.  Though this show was about children bullying each other I found the irony that the biggest bullies I have found at CPS are the Administrators and Lawyers.  I have had many dealings with CPS as a Special Education Advocate, a Parent, and as a Community Member.  It seems like the Chicago Public School District has no accountability and even when you have evidence against them they are allowed to “deal with it”.  I have some horrible stories but the truth is that the worst are still out there and I am shocked by CPS’s actions every day. 

At present in Chicago the Chicago Teachers Union a.k.a the teachers are being bullied by what seems to be everyone.  Ironically we ask these very teachers training them to watch out for bullies and bulling in their school.  The whole time these very teachers are being bullied by the Board of Education for the City of Chicago including the Politicians and Parents.  The Board is allowing Principals more absolute powers over there Schools with little to no accountability other than their contract renewals.  The reason for this is of course to cut costs by any means necessary.  This includes tenured teachers with cheaper inexperience teachers, cutting Special Education forcing teachers to prove every little reason.  Even when they do the Principals try everything to deny the services and when the teachers complain they just get rid of them.  Then you have the Principals who for whatever reason just simply does not like a teacher they E-3 them and get rid of them.  If that’s not bullying enough not only do the principals get rid of them but make sure they are put on the no-hire-list for the future.

Then the Board changes and some appointee(s) decide to bring their friend(s) in which then they decide to change the curriculum.  This is done without any teacher input, then when the teachers are struggling trying to teach a new way and system they are yelled at and bullied.  So when Parents find out that their children are not doing so well or have extra homework they complain to the teacher.  This is the one person who has nothing to do with the curriculum or situation the teachers.  Then the teachers are asked to work more hours for less money and haven’t received adequate raises due to the large student loans most still have.  So the teachers decide to March or strike and the parents get mad at the teachers because they make well enough money, they get the summer off, they have it made.  I dare one of those parents to do a teachers job for one month and see how easy it is to teacher an overcrowded classroom of children of all kinds and needs.  All the time being bullied and worrying weather you will have a job next week or next month. 

Recently after attending an IEP meeting at Adlai E. Stevenson Elementary School I was shocked once again by CPS.  The Principal Kathleen Konopasek recently appointed to the position has a very interesting past I have come to learn.  It was no surprise to me that her Mother Dorothy Dillon once sued her own daughter Karyn for visitation rights.  The daughter she sued was Kathleen Konopasek’s sister who would also become a teacher.  A school teacher also at one time, Mrs. Kathleen Konopasek stated that her sister was "My sister is an angry woman who blames my mother for everything, from not giving her braces on her teeth to not paying for music lessons," says Katherine Konopasek in an interview by William Plummer.  This seems to be the flippant attitude that she has about her own sister and a huge court battle that is on the verge of breaking her sister and her husband financially and emotionally. 

This would be the type of things I would expect to hear from someone who was abused by their mother and possibly father in my opinion.  Music lessons and Braces is no reason to battle your mother in court refusing her access to your child yet this is Kathleen Konopasek’s rationale.  This is also the Principal of an Elementary School which is why I should not be so surprised by her actions and the way she is willing to allow children to be abused and/or neglected under her care or lack thereof.  I have spoken to several teachers at Stevenson school as well as some parents who all said the same thing she if tough and unfair not seeming to care about children but rather the rules and her own job.

This is a Principal that was brought in after the school failed to meet AYP (Annual Yearly Progress) for three years or more in a row.  So this is not a principal that was elected by an LSC, but rather an appointee from the Board to make sure the school looks good to the books and media.  Principal Konopasek even has admitted that she has made real efforts to encourage good and positive media coverage.  Since most media don’t have children who attend the school or attend LSC meetings the truth is left to people like me to expose to the light of day.  This is a woman who refused a homeless child, which is becoming more frequent, an education or admittance to “her school”.  Then when she was forced to follow the law what does she do, she gets the law department one Lee Ann Lowder to harass the parent and Advocate who keeps putting her in her place.

I have requested numerous requests for an interview with both women to ask some hard questions about their actions in this case to no avail.  The advocate has told me that he has requested to observe his client and both the principal and Lee Ann Lowder from the Board law department have refused.  He has assured me that he will be observing his client or force the school to have him arrested for trespassing.  I will be doing a later interview on this Advocate who is a priest and a man who accepts no money from the parents that need his help.  He states “I do it for the children so in fact I work for them and they cannot afford to pay me except with smiles and a good future”.  I also wished to ask if the rumors that Principal Konopasek and Lee Ann Lowder are in a relationship and do they feel this would be a conflict of interest.  Again no reply to my many requests but I am willing to have an interview with them to hear their sides whenever they choose to respond.

By: Jason B. Glenn