Pam Adams, Journal Star

Pam Adams

Journal Star

Peoria, IL, United States

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Recent:
  • Unknown
Past:
  • Journal Star
  • SJ-R Breaking News
  • Govtech.com

Past articles by Pam:

Technology brings 21st-century learning to Princeville schools

PRINCEVILLE — Textbooks are almost a thing of the past in Princeville’s public schools.Students, teachers and teachers’ aides all → Read More

Peoria Promise was 'saving grace' for West Point graduate

PEORIA — Jareth Long-Garrett just graduated with a degree in mathematical science from one of the world’s premiere universities debt-free. → Read More

Ten years later, a changing Peoria Promise

PEORIA — A few weeks ago, students filed, one by one, into an office on Illinois Central College’s Peoria campus to complete surveys and → Read More

Peoria city councilman starts a fight over discipline at Peoria Public Schools

PEORIA — At a recent City Council meeting, Peoria City Councilman Chuck Grayeb’s blunt denunciation of the school district’s mishandling of in-school disruptions and after-school violence — caused, he acknowledges, by a fraction of students — open a strained, behind-the-scenes dialogue between city and school leaders.What Grayeb calls “eye-popping and regrettable” statistics on deteriorating… → Read More

ICC looking for students for paid job-training programs

PEORIA — The area’s low unemployment rate is making it tough for Illinois Central College to enroll students in job-training programs that lead to well-paying jobs, said ICC President Sheila Quirk-Bailey.The community college will have recruiting meetings Tuesday and Friday to inform prospective students about employer-sponsored opportunities available in mechanical and technical job-training… → Read More

Woodrow Wilson leaves the building

PEORIA — Signs are coming down all over the former Woodrow Wilson Primary School.Metal lettering near the main entrance was removed Thursday → Read More

Dunlap board members spar over attorney involved in Lisa Parker's departure

DUNLAP — Lisa Parker hasn’t been Dunlap School District’s superintendent since December. But Thursday’s board meeting swirled, yet again, around her forced departure.Board members voted 4-3 against removing the outside law firm that represented the board during negotiations for Parker’s mutual separation agreement, setting off heated responses from Parker’s three supporters on the board, Dawn… → Read More

A PPS class on making movies by cellphone wraps up

PEORIA — The judging was close.A dram-com, or dramatic comedy about mixed signals and gay teen romance, barely beat two other films for top honors, → Read More

ICC is helping GED students grow careers

PEORIA — When Bernell Harvey began thinking seriously about a career, he settled on something indispensable.“I figured I may as well get into something the world can’t do without and that’s food.”After Harvey earned a General Educational Development diploma, or GED, he decided to major in agriculture at Illinois Central College. He didn’t realize few GED graduates enroll in college or other… → Read More

Growing GEDs into careers

PEORIA — When Bernell Harvey began thinking seriously about a career, he settled on something indispensable.“I figured I may as well get into something the world can’t do without and that’s food.”After Harvey earned a General Education Diploma, or GED, he decided to major in agriculture at Illinois Central College. He didn’t realize few GED graduates enroll in college or other technical… → Read More

Peoria takes President Woodrow Wilson's name off school

PEORIA — After months of discussion and debate, Woodrow Wilson Primary School will be renamed after the late Maude Sanders, Peoria’s first black female doctor.Peoria Public Schools board members voted 6 to 1 Monday to change the school’s name. Board member Dan Walther, the lone no vote, said he supports naming a school after Sanders, but not Woodrow Wilson.Though board member Robert Davison… → Read More

PPS renames Woodrow Wilson Primary School in 6-1 vote

PEORIA — After months of discussion and debate, Woodrow Wilson Primary School will be renamed after the late Maude Sanders, Peoria’s first black female doctor.Peoria Public Schools board members voted 6 to 1 Monday to change the school’s name. Board member Dan Walther, the lone no vote, said he supports naming a school after Sanders, but not Woodrow Wilson.Though board member Robert Davison… → Read More

If Peoria Public Schools can't arm safety officers one way, they'll try another

PEORIA — Peoria Public Schools’ lobbying effort to revive what was once a full-fledged campus police force is dead. But the district may → Read More

PPS agenda includes renaming of Woodrow Wilson school

PEORIA — Other items on the agenda for Peoria Public Schools board meeting Monday include renaming Woodrow Wilson Primary School; a transfer of money from the working cash fund to two funds, the transportation fund and the operations and maintenance fund; a labor agreement with the West Central Illinois Building and Trades Council; and the amended budget for 2017-18. The meeting, which begins at… → Read More

Agenda includes renaming of Woodrow Wilson school

PEORIA — Other items on the agenda for Peoria Public Schools board meeting Monday include renaming Woodrow Wilson Primary School; a transfer of → Read More

Quest raising teacher salaries but staff turnover continues

PEORIA — Quest Charter Academy teachers no longer have to worry about earning bonuses based on students’ academic performance. Board members voted Thursday to replace performance bonuses with a general salary increase for the 2018-19 school year.But the change may have come too late to stop the exodus of teachers from the middle school. One middle school teacher who is not returning for the… → Read More

All about Bertram's bass

PEORIA — Bertram has his own bass.Several people stepped forward, including a retired judge, to help purchase a double bass for Bertram Goodman III, a protege of area classical music groups, who recently graduated from Peoria High School.Goodman’s high school musicianship got a substantial boost when the Central Illinois Chapter of Links Inc. selected him for its Classics Through the Ages… → Read More

Hult Center to hold '13 Reasons Why' forum

PEORIA — The second season of “13 Reasons Why” is only giving area mental health providers more reasons to worry. Hult Center for Healthy Living will once again host a community forum on how adults can help teen viewers deal with the Netflix series’ graphic depictions of teen dilemmas. It’s not just suicide this time, said Kay Blankenship, the center’s behavioral health clinical counselor. It’s… → Read More

Women to Women awards honors area leaders

PEORIA — Women with expertise ranging from engineering to global health were among those honored Wednesday with the annual Women to Women Leadership Award.A 2018 Richwoods High School graduate, Abigail Greene, received the Young Woman’s Service Award and a $500 scholarship.Other award winners include:Emerging Leader: Sowmya Nagesh, president of the Society of Women Engineers, and a founder of… → Read More

School ends, work begins with county schools sales tax

DUNLAP — When the school year ends, school work ends for many students. But a different kind of school work is gearing up this summer in Peoria County.Some of the largest school projects funded by revenues from the Peoria County Schools Facilities Sales Tax get underway.In Dunlap, middle-school students donned hard hats and grabbed shovels Thursday, the last day of school, for the ceremonial… → Read More