LaVonne Sheffield, Broad Superintendents Academy Class of 2002

ROCKFORD'S SCHOOL CHIEF SHEFFIELD RESIGNS; April 8, 2011; WNIJ News 

ROCKFORD, IL (wnij) - Rockford's school superintendent is resigning. LaVonne Sheffield announced Thursday she will be out by the end of the month. So change is afoot in the Rockford School District. On Tuesday, voters chose newcomers over incumbents in School Board races. And now, the woman in charge of the district is saying goodbye two years before her contract ends. In an emailed message to the community, Superintendent LaVonne Sheffield said she was hired as a "change agent" for the district: now she feels the district is no longer "moving forward." She says some of the biggest challenges ahead for Rockford Schools include racial imbalances in achievement and discipline, as well as all-over financial uncertainty.

Sheffield has been criticized for her leadership style, especially during the recent round of school closings and program cuts. The head of the Rockford teacher's union, Molly Phalen, calls Sheffield's upcoming departure "a positive development" that offers the "opportunity to build a better school district."…

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LAVONNE SHEFFIELD SERVED WITH DEFAMATION LAWSUIT; April 7, 2011; The Rock River Times (Rockford, IL) 

Rockford Public School District 205 Superintendent Dr. LaVonne M. Sheffield was served with a defamation lawsuit Thursday morning, April 7.

The suit was filed in Winnebago County Circuit Court by Attorney Dan McGrail on behalf of education researcher Noel Hammatt.

While Hammatt was in Rockford speaking to District 205 parents in February, the lawsuit alleges Sheffield publicly accused him of being racially biased toward minority students.

According to the suit, Sheffield falsely stated that Mr. Hammatt, “distorts data and he believes minority students aren’t as bright, that they can’t learn, and that efforts to teach those children, quote,  ‘those children’, and close the achievement gap are essentially a waste of time.”

The complaint alleges that Sheffield recklessly disregarded the truth and placed Hammatt in a false light…

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MAYOR LARRY MORRISSEY QUESTIONS SCHOOL CLOSINGS, DEEPER CUTS DELAYED; March 9, 2011; The Rock River Times (IL)

…The audience roared with applause as Morrissey questioned the process the board has taken to usher-in Superintendent Dr. LaVonne Sheffield’s $45 million cost-slashing plan.

“I’ve received many phone calls, e-mails and personal visits from concerned parents like my wife and I and Rockford taxpayers,” Morrissey said. “I’m here tonight to help give them voice and help echo their questions: ‘Why these schools and why not involve our community?’”

Morrissey cited steps the City of Rockford has taken in the last two years in implementing community campaigns while it mapped the 2010 and 2011 spending plans. A similar system of public input while district officials close at least six schools and make deep program and staff cuts, Morrissey said, has been void.

“Here’s my problem tonight,” the mayor continued. “Does anyone really understand the criteria for the building closings and program cuts? What are the criteria, who set the criteria and why wasn’t our community invited to help set the criteria?”…

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SUPERINTENDENT DR. LAVONNE M. SHEFFIELD SPARS WITH WATCHDOG GROUP, PLAYS RACE CARD AGAINST RALLY SPEAKER; February 23, 2011; Rock River Times (Rockford, IL)

After the school board delayed its vote surrounding $45 million in budget cuts at the Tuesday, Feb. 22 meeting of the Rockford Board of Education, Superintendent Dr. LaVonne M. Sheffield used time for her Superintendent’s Report to spar with a watchdog group official.

During public comment, Watchdogs for Ethics in Education (WEE) official Jane Hayes addressed the board, charging district officials with keeping the community in the dark during its decision-making process regarding the budget…

Hayes cited Noel Hammatt, keynote speaker at Monday’s “Rally to Save our Public Schools,” saying communities do not prosper because of the prosperity of a particular group. When schools fail, she said, it’s not the fault of teachers–but administrators who pit one group against the other.

As if she was prepared to square-off with Hayes, Sheffield fired back, accusing WEE members of manufacturing information regarding her past relationship with Noel Hammatt.

Sheffield also accused Hammatt of distorting data and holding the belief that minority students are not teachable, and attempting to educate them is a waste of time…

“She accused me of saying minority students–black students–couldn’t learn,” Hammatt said of the exchange. “I told her, ‘That’s not what I said.’ I noted that there are differences in how students learn because of socio-economic and several other factors. But, she immediately pulled the race card.”…

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The Broad Report makes it on YouTube!

 

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CHARTER INITIATIVE BORROWS FROM NASHVILLE PLAN; March 3, 2010; Rockford Register Star (IL) 
Rockford Charter Schools Initiative made a hard push two years ago to bring charter schools to town as an alternative to the traditional public school model.*

The group has found success: Two elementary charter schools opened here last fall and there is evidence students are making academic gains.

Supporters say their work isn’t finished. More charter school proposals may come in 2011, said Laurie Preece, the volunteer leader of Rockford Charter Schools Initiative…

For now, though, Rockford Charter School Initiative’s goal “is still to support charter schools and their network with a goal of expanding education options in Rockford,” Preece said…

*In August 2010, Superintendent LaVonne Sheffield formed a budget committee to work on balancing the 2012 budget. It consisted of members of Sheffield’s cabinet plus eight community members, four of which are on the steering committee for the Rockford Charter School Initiative (RCSI). No elected board members were included on the committee. Concerns have been raised about Open Meetings Act violations. Read here, here, and here.

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2 SUPERINTENDENT FINALISTS: MUCH PRAISE, SOME CONTROVERSY; February 20, 2009; Rockford Register Star (IL) 

…Sheffield continues to be dogged by questions about a 2002 investigation into the misuse of school district money while working as a Detroit school administrator, [Paul] Vallas holds Sheffield in high regard and considers her among the top educators in the nation…

The board will meet Tuesday with the search firm Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates to decide its next step. An announcement about the candidates could be made next week, but the board won’t introduce the candidates in a public meeting until the week of March 1 at the earliest…*

Vallas has helped behind the scenes to shape the School Board’s search for a new superintendent…

While she served as chief academic officer for Detroit Public Schools in 2002 and 2003, Sheffield became embroiled in an investigation into whether she billed the school system for personal items.

Sheffield repaid the district $5,861 in expenses for which she did not have receipts, after media requested debit card bills and receipts from the School District, according to a December 2002 story in The Detroit News.

But Sheffield denied the charges — for a $1,200 donation to the Detroit Institute of Arts Founders Society, $846 for a Skymall catalog purchase, $278 to Mario’s Restaurant and $344 for flowers bought for staff — were personal purchases…

When Vallas hired Sheffield in Philadelphia, questions continued to swirl about her involvement in the financial controversy…

Vallas told the Inquirer that an investigation of the incident by Detroit school officials cleared Sheffield of any wrongdoing…

*Jerry Chapman, a Senior Associate at Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates, has been a guest speaker at Broad Superintendents Academy training sessions. 

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EDITORIAL: SHEFFIELD’S CREDIBILITY SHOT, ROCKFORD SCHOOLS DESERVE BETTER; December 9, 2009; The Rock River Times (Rockford, IL)

When Dr. Lavonne Sheffield assumed her superintendent post this year, the biggest news surrounding her arrival swirled around whether her certification would come through by the time the school year began…

Fast-forward to the halfway point of the 2009-2010 school year. Many things have changed. Sheffield’s presence is known. Teachers certainly know she’s here. District employees have been personally made aware of that and that she’s in charge. She’s demanded teachers cease and desist voicing their concerns regarding their livelihoods.

Sheffield also ambushed veteran Rockford educator Molly Phalen, president of the Rockford Education Association, in a letter she released to the media instructing Phalen to stop talking to reporters about events–violence–that has recently occurred in at least three Rockford schools.

In the letter, which Phalen was oblivious to until it was distributed to media, Sheffield stated no gang activity, riots or unsafe conditions were being experienced in our schools, in particular East High, where a recent series of chaos resulted student arrests…

According to Mark Bonne, chief communications officer for District 205, the incident at East High School was a figment of the collective imagination of the community.

It is quite obvious, at this point, who is giving District 205 marching orders and why Bonne is suddenly tight-lipped, calling certain allegations about school violence “anonymous” and not worthy of discussion. The stifle obviously comes from the top  of the 205 chain of command…

It’s time to call Dr. Sheffield to the carpet. Her credibility is nothing short of destroyed. The school board made a monumental mistake with the hire. It’s time to bring in a leader who will at least acknowledge the problem, something Sheffield has chosen to conceal, especially when given the opportunity to shine. She blew it and brought other district employees with her down the trail.

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FOLLOW THE EVOLVING STORY at Stakeholders United for Education Excellence and on the Facebook page, “Wanting a Resignation of LaVonne Sheffield.”

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