Community High School District 128 teachers, parents and students in Libertyville and Vernon Hills will attend tonight’s high school board meeting to ask for the removal of Superintendent Denise Herrmann following a District 128 Federation of Teachers vote of no confidence last week.
In a news release issued Monday by the District 128 Federation of Teachers, 90 percent of the 293 teachers at high schools in Libertyville and Vernon Hills voted in favor of the no confidence vote.
District 128 serves more than 3,200 students in Libertyville and Vernon Hills.
“As educators committed to positive change and growth in our award-winning district, our members know that effective leadership is critical to student success,” said District 128 Federation of Teachers President Monica Caldicott. “During her nearly three-year tenure here, Dr. Denise Herrmann has repeatedly shown that she is incapable of leading our district at this important time.”
Attempts to reach Herrmann for comment were unsuccessful Monday.
District 128 graduate, parent of a future student and taxpayer Marnie Navarro said parents and taxpayers have a laundry list of items proving Herrmann should be ousted from her position, adding they intend to ask board members to remove the superintendent immediately.
According to a statement from Navarro emailed to the Lake & McHenry County Scanner, decisions made by Herrmann include a “track record of bad hires, extreme and reckless wasteful spending, and exposing District 128 to incredible liability by creating a toxic environment.”
Included among these decisions include a list of administrators and consultants Herrmann hired who cost the district hundreds of thousands of dollars over a three year span, Navarro said.
Sha also said in the statement the district and its leadership has “completely ignored and alienated our most valuable resources, our teachers, for well over a year, resulting in unprecedented low morale and complete lack of trust, all while going into a contract year.”
“Herrmann spent $17k+ on her personal, custom office furniture and another $17k on furniture for the new kitchen for the sparsely attended admin building, all the while LHS (Libertyville High School) is in grave need of serious, overdue repairs,” Navarro said. “The D128 Board of Education is elected to represent our students, parents and community and be responsible steward of our tax dollars, and to evaluate Supt. Herrmann and hold her accountable.”
The meeting was initially expected to take place in the Vernon Hills High School Library, but was moved to the school gymnasium due to the large crowds expected.