Finley's Loss

Sorry to hear of another good teacher up and leaving Finley Jr. High. Mrs. Spencer was liked by the students, experienced and friendly. Salzar, Ritzma, now Spencer????

Is being liked by students a bad thing at this school? My son attended Finley and now is at Richards. Mr. Ritzma was his favorite teacher and believe me my son had very FEW favorite teachers! Mr. Ritzma saw something in my son no other teacher saw a smart kid who did not care. He called him on it stuck to it and became best friends with my son. Every night I got a new story of Mr. Ritzma and believe me it was a great change. Sorry to tell you but Richards is even worse than Finley. If I would of known then what I know now we would of relocated before high school. Chicago Ridge and the SW subs just do not get it!

Administration (Mrs. Hamacher and the board) should consider that a student learns more if they like and respect their teachers. How about getting rid of the ones that are just there for a paycheck and could care less if our kids learn anything. Without naming names . . . there are several at Finley. They act like our kids are going no where and treat them as such - a burden to their day. Mrs. Spencer was quite the exception to this in her calling.

who knew wrote:

Administration (Mrs. Hamacher and the board) should consider that a student learns more if they like and respect their teachers. How about getting rid of the ones that are just there for a paycheck and could care less if our kids learn anything. Without naming names ... there are several at Finley. They act like our kids are going no where and treat them as such - a burden to their day. Mrs. Spencer was quite the exception to this in her calling.

I agree with teachers that could care less about our children at Finley. A paycheck and acting like they are a burden. As Apartment Queen stated the school districts in this area are below what I expected.

It seems like everything changed when they forced Mary McDonald out of Finley and Hamacher took over.

I am beside myself at the continued mistreatment of the dedicated teachers at Finley. In the past few years since the new administration has come in it seems like the great teachers are beaten down. Every year the kids leave school and bring stories of teachers and other staff that just disappear from that building. Not the ones I personally think should have been made to go away, but the hard working and dedicated ones. Where are the school board and community members? Are any of you asking questions? Is anyone going to the meetings and saying that the awful adminstration is drving away people who care about the students? We can't just complain online. Get ahold of the board members and tell them there is a common factor in the disappearance of allof the good teachers and that common factor is the new administration!

Salzer retired. Period. The gym teacher, while nice, was rather adolescent himself. As a former parent, I've seen both in action, and Mrs. S. was a great teacher and is enjoying her time at home. Ritzma was known for making 'off color' comments. Something was said, whether about students or administration, that was inappropriate.
The teachers in our district have a pretty lame contract - the good ones go where they need to go - starting salary in the Ridge is close to poverty level. Check thechampion.org
I have had a great experience over the years at Richards. The reality is, not everyone has a great high school experience. Many spend four years waiting to get out. Sad, yes, but reality.

Agree with the poverty level but make sure you check the sweet paychecks the admin gets. All three Super, Finley principal, Dean of students all from the same district prior to coming to our district. So complaining to the principal or super about anything is useless. That principal has little expericence to be recieving a fat 90,000 plus paycheck. Then you have the cow kissing principal who I heard just insulted the people who had to go back to work and had time just enough to see their kids in costume but had to go back to work and could not stay. I hope those people let the board know of her pathetic remarks. I have to go to work now so I can pay the hefty salraies of these people. Politcs rule it just amazes me the board is sold on those people. The have free reign to do what they like.

Ridge Resident wrote:

Salzer retired. Period. The gym teacher, while nice, was rather adolescent himself. As a former parent, I've seen both in action, and Mrs. S. was a great teacher and is enjoying her time at home. Ritzma was known for making 'off color' comments. Something was said, whether about students or administration, that was inappropriate.
The teachers in our district have a pretty lame contract - the good ones go where they need to go - starting salary in the Ridge is close to poverty level. Check thechampion.org
I have had a great experience over the years at Richards. The reality is, not everyone has a great high school experience. Many spend four years waiting to get out. Sad, yes, but reality.

Ridge Resident wrote:

Salzer retired. Period. The gym teacher, while nice, was rather adolescent himself. As a former parent, I've seen both in action, and Mrs. S. was a great teacher and is enjoying her time at home. Ritzma was known for making 'off color' comments. Something was said, whether about students or administration, that was inappropriate.
The teachers in our district have a pretty lame contract - the good ones go where they need to go - starting salary in the Ridge is close to poverty level. Check thechampion.org
I have had a great experience over the years at Richards. The reality is, not everyone has a great high school experience. Many spend four years waiting to get out. Sad, yes, but reality.

Thats for the website. Driver's Ed, dist 218 ,$145,000. Who knew?

Salzer did not retire she took another position, but 5 people have been dismissed because of their disagreements with the admin. It is interesting that the SUperintendent brought over the people from her previous district and that they made more money starting than the previous admin made after many years there.(CHeck the Champion website). Bottom line here is that the residents of CHicago Ridge need to know that the feeling in the building is not a good one and that impacts the students. Why is the school board not acting on this? I think it is because we (residents of the Ridge) do not voice our opinons to them.

It is more than obvious to me.... the problem in Laura Hamacher. She suffers from Hitler/Napolian syndrome. Not only do we ALL need to look at the talented staffers that were released (AND her relationship/lack there of) with them, in addition... EVERYONE should look at how many STUDENTS she is champaigning to get rid of as well. If you don't "fit the box" or are any sort of discipline issue...she hides behind her "dean" and gets rid of the "problem". How many kids are gone now Mrs. Hamacher? Since you've been in charge? How many staffers? SHE is the problem and seems to sell the board whatever she wants. Its sickening....

The kids at Finley are under the impression she was fired for hitting a student. That is the rumor.

Rumorville wrote:

The kids at Finley are under the impression she was fired for hitting a student. That is the rumor.

Who's are you talking about?

Spencer.

All I have to say....it's all in my name!

What's funny is that you refer to the 'cow kissing principal' in your comment and bashed her. The funny thing is that principal kissed a cow, because she truly believes in kids and wants to make education a priority in their lives. That year she made a promise to her students that she would kiss a cow if they read 10,000 books and they did. They were so proud of themselves as they should be. Someone challenged them and they rose to the challenge...and actually, the principal should be proud to be the cow kissing principal, because do you know a lot of people who would do that if kids read a book? AS for her comment...I don't know what it was, but I am sure it wasn't meant in anyway to be taken negatively. She was there probably trying to control a huge mass of people, and it would be my guess, they weren't following directions or perhaps maybe students were not able to follow through with what was expected of them, because parents were in the way. She graciously lets parents be a part of the Halloween tradition of the parade. Many schools have gotten away with allowing parents come to such events...you should be thankful that she is still willing to take on such a challenge.

Spencer's issue has NOTHING to do with kids. No incidents have ever happened with kids. It is all because of the leadership not liking people who ask questions. None of the people who have been removed have hurt kids in ANY WAY!

just stood outside the meeting for spencer. wonderful teacher, wonderful woman. i can tell you that firsthand because i am a former student of her. just like cliques destroy kids in high school, the clique of chicago ridge destroys the school board, the adminstration, and ultimately.. the students. but i guess in this town, it doesnt matter if us kids suffer. as long as all of the clique is happy and follows orders, the town & school is "perfectly fine."

I waited for some time to post this message hoping that I would never have the need. I heard about the removal of Mrs. Spencer from Finley and I had to say something! Too many good teachers are lost.

I was a substitute teacher in District 127.5 for several years. I have worked at all three schools and I am happy to say that my experience with the students and parents was very positive! The teachers in the district are an incredible group of professionals and I learned so much from them.

Being a substitute teacher, I have the unique advantage of experiencing different districts, schools, classrooms and teachers. For several years District 127.5 was my favorite district to work in for many reasons. Although I taught at all three schools in Chicago Ridge I spent a good amount of time at Finley. I enjoyed Finley because of the age of the students, the staff was so much fun to be around and the Principal, Associate Principal (now changed to Dean) and office staff were just fantastic. However, all good things must come to an end.

In the last two years I have personally witnessed the current Principal, Mrs. Hamacher destroy the school environment that the former Principal Mrs. McDonald worked for years to build. Believe me when I say that I have never seen the teacher’s morale so low. I have heard Mrs. Hamacher scream at teachers so loud that parents and students in the office could hear each word. In the last three years Ms. Hamacher has terminated, laid off or transferred approximately 20 – 25 employees at Finley. Teachers refer to Finley as “the black hole” where one day you come to school and co-workers are just missing. Please remember that schools are in the business of educating students and that education does not take place only between student and teacher. The interaction and relationship between a principal, the staff and the students is interrelated and in the end, I feel students suffer if the school environment is tense and teachers are afraid. A good example is this past year, a particular teacher wanted to implement a new idea in the classroom that she learned in her masters program, because of Mrs. Hamacher’s erratic and sometimes scary behavior, she felt she was better off not trying her new idea out of dread and fear. It is very important that teachers feel comfortable and supported taking risks to bring new teaching strategies and ideas into their classroom.

The student’s perception of their Principal is almost comical if it wasn’t so sad. I personally have reprimanded students because of the comments made about Mrs. Hamacher dressing like a pole dancer and many other derogatory names used to describe women with less than perfect moral character! Because she has a difficult time connecting with students as well as staff, her attempts to make these connections are obscure. The ongoing joke last year between students was a particular incident when a teacher was in the bathroom; the Principal climbed into a storage cabinet in that teacher’s classroom, and had a student lock her inside. She then stayed in the closet until the teacher started teaching, and then knocked to be let out! I am not joking! I was as dumfounded and shocked as the Finley staff when I heard about it. Of course students then walked around school asking if anyone heard about Mrs. Hamacher coming out of the closet and many other jokes. There is an enormous difference between laughing with students as you are fostering a relationship and being the butt of their jokes. This information spread not only through the district but to several other school districts as well. More than once I was put on the spot in other districts that I work in to tell the story about the principal that had a student lock her in a closet.

How did Chicago Ridge acquire this gem of a principal? If we look back over the last ten years, Mrs. Hamacher went from Homer School District to Westmont School District (only one year) to Orland School District as an Administrator (let go after one year) to Summit Hill School District (where she was turned down for the Principal position) to Chicago Ridge. You see former Chicago Ridge School Board member Beth Lind works as a principal in Summit Hill School District, Laura Hamacher was her assistant principal. The other person that worked with Beth Lind and Laura Hamacher was Dr. Joyce Kleinaitis Chicago Ridge’s current superintendent!

About three years ago Beth Lind moves to another school in Summit Hill and Mrs. Hamacher applies for Lind’s job but the School Board does not give her the position and chooses someone else. Just before this is going on, the parents of Summit Hill get a petition formed to remove Dr. Kleinaitis because of an issue with a child. So in a nutshell, Beth Lind talks the Chicago Ridge School Board into hiring a Superintendent that has a petition against her and a principal that cannot hold a job in some districts or get a promotion in another, to Chicago Ridge. What other districts throw away Chicago Ridge takes!! It gets better, there is a new Dean hired at Finley this year, and yes he is also from Summit Hill! Take a look at http://www.championnews.net/salaries.php Mrs. Hamacher makes more money than the other principals and has only been in the district three years. This district does not deserve nepotism such as this.

I have moved on and now have a permanent position in a wonderful district, but parents of CRSD wake up, get involved, run for school board positions and ask questions! Finley Jr. High is a nightmare; you just need to scratch the surface for the ugliness to rise. Good buy and good luck.

Oh and FYI, Mrs. Hamacher had nothing to do with the Blue Ribbon Award, it was based off of the past administrations and student’s accomplishments.