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Outgoing Superintendent Art Fessler received a mixture of praise and criticism this week at his last Elk Grove Township Elementary District 59 board meeting.
“I like to think that we’ve moved the needle to District 59. That we’ve done a lot of amazing things,” Fessler said in his closing remarks. “I personally know that I have learned a lot of very good lessons, none better than the one that change is difficult.”
He thanked his management team for “trying to really do what we thought was best for the kids. Truly teaching learning through the application of skills, knowledge and content versus repetition. And I am proud of this work. “
Former school board member Sharon Roberts said she was proud to have voted to hire Fessler as superintendent in 2012.
“(Her vision) allowed our students to explore and discover for themselves what their interests and passions were,” she said. “A vision that didn’t see them just as a standardized test result.”
She read a prepared statement that listed some of the district’s accomplishments during Fessler’s tenure, including support for staff and concern for the social and emotional needs of students.
Other speakers, however, criticized recent controversies, including a scuttled deal for Fessler to take a stand with the Northwest Suburban Special Education Organization.
The Daily Herald reported last month that the position was created to allow Fessler to work the remaining 170 days he needed to get a full pension. Officials at the Northwest Suburban Special Education Organization canceled the deal less than a week after the report.
As part of the deal, District 59 Council agreed to give the special education organization nearly $ 40,000 to pay off Fessler’s unused vacation days. With the work not happening, the district will instead pay that amount directly to Fessler, triggering a penalty of at least $ 10,000 for the teachers’ pension system. The fine is due to a 2005 law designed to prevent districts from increasing the pensions of retired teachers and administrators.
Resident Mary Vicars questioned the movements.
“Well, this deal is dead, but what can we learn? ” she said. “I learned that some people, who are all supposed to work for taxpayers, were more interested in helping someone get a job so that they could get their full pension.”
She called the arrangement “disheartening” because she believes in government.
“The agreement between NSSEO and District 59 is an example of local government at its worst,” Vicars added.
Dan Makowski said the deal made the district look bad.
“Was that few thousand dollars worth all the bad publicity the neighborhood has received and the bad reputation it has?” said Makowski. “We have enough issues with test scores and education reputation. It wasn’t necessary.
“In 24 days, July 1, we will have a new superintendent. The neighborhood deserves better.”
Terri Bresnahan, currently a superintendent in the western suburbs of Berkeley 87 Elementary District, is expected to take over as District 59 superintendent next month.
“I think Dr Bresnahan is going to do an amazing job, sort of picking up, cleaning up some of the mess I’ve created and doing some great things,” Fessler said.
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