Another Broad Foundation Ed Deformer Bites the Dust: Illinois

[Hannah Bell]

LaVonne Sheffield announces resignation

Sheffield was hired in 2009. Since coming to Rockford, she’s been under fire for a litany of radical changes within in the district. Last fall, Sheffield presented the Board of Education with a fiscal 2012 budget deficit of $50 million. The board closed six schools, fired more than 400 teachers, and eliminated and reclassified some 60 administrators to close the gap.

Meantime, the Rockford Education Association called for an independent review of the budget. Consulting firm Baker Tilly found that the district could receive more than $23 million in aid next year. Chief Financial Officer Cedric Lewis claimed he didn’t account for the subsidy because the district is likely not to receive it.

Hundreds of parents, students and others challenged the budget and subsequent cuts, pleading with the board to rethink Sheffield’s plan.

Sheffield was also named today, April 7, in a defamation lawsuit, filed by education researcher and public speaker Noel Hammatt. Hammatt alleges Sheffield publicly placed him a false light with comments made at the Tuesday, Feb. 22 school board meeting...

http://rockrivertimes.com/2011/04/07/breaking-news-lavonne-sheffield-announces-resignation/


She gets 6 months' salary & bennies as severance. Not bad, considering she makes $230/yr.

Her work history is a list of ed deform experiments & failures. I also note that the ed deformers who are so hot on "excellence" apparently can't spell or proofread.

LAVONNE M. SHEFFIELD
The Broad Superintendents Academy Class of 2002
Superintendent
Rockford Public Schools, Ill.


“I have but one passion—to be part of the revolution that must occur in order to transform public education in the United States. This revolution must not only overhaul how schools operate and how our children are educated, but also ensure educational access, equality and opportunity for all children.”


In July 2009, LaVonne Sheffield was appointed superintendent of Rockford Public Schools. Sheffield was previously the superintendent of the Recovery School District, East Baton Rogue. In this role, she oversaw schools in East Baton Rogue that are part of the special state school district administered by the Louisiana Department of Education.

Prior to joining the Recovery School District, Sheffield served as chief accountability officer for The School District of Philadelphia, the ninth largest district in the nation, with more than 192,000 students and 262 schools.

Sheffield has also served as the chief academic officer and chief of staff for Detroit Public Schools, where her responsibilities included management of a million operating budget and oversight of the offices of community communications, student information services, continuous improvement, institutional development, general counsel, community responsibility and internal audit.

http://www.broadacademy.org/fellows/57_LaVonne+M.+Sheffield.html?page_filter=0


Here's that defamation story:

Schools: LaVonne Sheffield served with defamation lawsuit

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.”

“Such public, defamatory statements cannot be left unchallenged,” Hammatt said. “The totally fallacious claims the superintendent made that night in February, during the televised school board meeting, were clearly designed to stifle public participation and to have a chilling effect on those who would dare to question her policies.”

“She accused me of saying minority students–black students–couldn’t learn,” Hammatt said of the exchange. “I told her, ‘Absolutely not. 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.

http://rockrivertimes.com/2011/04/07/schools-lavonne-sheffield-served-with-defamation-lawsuit/

She had her own facebook page

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wanting-a-Resignation-of-LaVonne-Sheffield/222207617791

Unhappy parents:

Guest Column: School District 205 in shambles under Dr. Sheffield

By Sara Bowers

I guess that the majority of you all have no idea exactly what has been going on behind the scenes since Dr. Lavonne Sheffield has taken over Rockford Public School District 205. Do you all really know these teachers have been putting their lives on the line on a daily basis to teach your children as well as mine? Can’t write them up for fear that you will lose your job. Don’t speak up, don’t do what’s right because Dr. Sheffield will call you down and make you explain, and then you get a permanent letter of reprimand placed in your file. Kids throwing chairs, threatening teachers that they will kill them. Bringing pellet guns, BB guns or real guns in and threatening other students and staff. You didn’t hear about that, did you? Or the fact that there was almost no reprimand for the student? How about being beaten by a student, and now the cops can’t be called, and you better not press charges. If you do, your job is on the line! Bullying tactics, threats and lies are what this administration operates in. There has not been one transparent day in this entire administration.

http://rockrivertimes.com/2010/04/14/guest-column-school-district-205-in-shambles-under-dr-sheffield/

There's also talk of financial irregularities...

[murielm99]

1. I live close to Rockford.

This woman and her ill-conceived policies were always all over the news. The teachers' union had issues with the amount of money the district said it was in the red. They insisted on an audit. The parents were always up in arms. I was glad to see so many parents objecting to Sheffield's high-handed tactics.

I did not know anything about the Broad Foundation until very recently. Thanks for mentioning it.

[xchrom]

2. recommend