Peoria Standard

A teacher from Dr. Maude A. Sanders Primary School recently went to a Peoria Board of Education meeting to share her concerns about the status of her school and students.

At the Sept. 12 meeting, Maude Sanders teacher Caitlin Hale spoke to the board, noting that she had attended the previous board meeting and brought up safety concerns but had seen no changes since. She went on to describe the situation she perceives at the school, saying they are overwhelmed with students and their behavior, and that they have far too many kids who are high risk or have behavioral issues.

"We are short-staffed," Hale said at the meeting. "We need more people. It is not safe with the amount of children we have with high behavioral needs and the people who are there to watch them. We can't be everywhere all at once."

Superintendent Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat sympathized with Hale about the status of Maude Sanders. She gave some advice from her time taking over a difficult school with difficult children. She advised the team at the school to work collaboratively and not give up despite the difficulties, assuring that the board was supporting the school and would be helping them through the tough times.

Board member McConnell recalled her trip to Maude Sanders after the last board meeting. She noted that she visited the school for approximately three hours and went throughout the facility, going to the special-education room and several classrooms. McConnell said she could see things going well but that it was definitely a lot of work. She also said it was a huge reminder of how much attention and hands-on time young children need.