ABOVE: Former Schlarman Academy principal Mark Janesky addresses Fischer Theater audience during Monday night SAVE SCHLARMAN meeting.
A solid crowd attended the SAVE SCHLARMAN meeting at the Fischer Monday night (Feb 27th). State Rep Mike Marron served as moderator; a full panel spoke, including the recently departed Mark Janesky and Mark Croy. About 20 people stepped up to the floor mike to speak for two minutes, and there was some dissention of opinion.
One point that came up was the involvement of the high school students on the north campus in last week’s walkout, as well as in the issues themselves. Mary Patt Thomas has three daughters at Schlarman Academy; in 9th grade, sixth grade, and fourth grade. So she is connected to both campuses, and says the north campus has trouble. She says she doesn’t want to pick a side, but cares about what she calls “the third side,” the children. In Thomas’ eyes says south campus with the younger kids is just fine, but not the north.
ABOVE: Panel Assembled on the Fischer stage with moderator State Rep Mike Marron; Schlarman Academy parent Mary Patt Thomas questions teachers using students as pawns; North Campus Religion teacher Ann Underwood later stated that the stresses the students have already exist, and the teachers are there for them.
AUDIO: North campus has been in an upheaval for multiple years. With a lack of discipline, lack of communication, and disrespect. Disrespect and refusal of teachers to teach. There are teachers that are crying; and using our children during instruction time as their therapists. That is not okay. And to me that is using our students as pawns.
But north campus religion teacher Ann Underwood, who served on the panel says, not so. She says the students have been made upset by the turmoil, and the teachers are there for them.
FIRST PICTURE: Former Dean of Students Mark Croy, along with Mark Janesky, both received standing ovations after speaking. LAST PICTURE: Jonathan Myers from SA Consultative Board expresses concern about amount of Schlarman Academy teachers who may not want to return for 2023-24 school year.
AUDIO: And yes, I absolutely will talk to my students about their stresses. Have we brought them into it? No. Are we reacting to the stresses that they bring to us? Yes. The stress of not knowing what administration is going to criticize them for today. The fact that when administration comes in the building, (it) doesn’t know the students by name. It’s administration that’s causing the stress, and yet teachers are being blamed for it.
Recently departed employee and former principal Mark Janesky says this kind of disagreement is exactly what the Peoria Diocese wants as they govern, in his words, the wrong way, from a distance. Janesky says even if the Diocese claimed in a recent letter that they did not say “that’s Danville’s problem,” Janesky says yes they did say that to him, twice.
AUDIO: I’m just looking for the school to stay open. I just want to save this school. Schlarman Academy has a place in Vermilion County. And it serves a lot of kids; and it deserves to stay open and it needs to stay open.
Former north campus Dean of Students Mark Croy says the way the Diocese is acting right now, especially towards the north campus, is very concerning.
AUDIO: And they were actually in Danville on a couple of occasions in the last week or two. They spent no time at the north campus talking with teachers or students, and that was troubling.
Neither the Diocese nor Principal Barb Rew were present at the meeting, although they were asked to come. State Rep Marron says he has requested that the Diocese set up a meeting, to get communication going.
