Supporters Defend Regional Schools Offices

Charles Flowers serves in the only elected superintendent's job in the state.

As the Superintendent of Suburban Cook County Regional Office of Education -- yes, the title is nearly 10 words long -- he is charged with being the chief administrator acting as an intermediary between the Illinois State Board of Education and the 143 school districts in his area.

When the job is done right, the position -- and its lofty title -- can be valuable.

When investigators from the office of Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez raid the building -- as they did to Flowers' office and home earlier this month -- it's fresh impetus for critics such as former Cook County Board President Richard Phelan, who previously called it "nothing but a patronage haven filled with political hacks."

A two-month SouthtownStar investigation into the office revealed alleged financial and ethical misuse. Everything from plane tickets for family members to a trip to a hair salon showed up on Flowers' regional office credit card. He approved a salary advance for his sister, who is employed as his executive assistant, and a friend, who also works in the office, according to documents. A damaging state audit shows deputies were paid thousands of dollars for consulting work they did during working hours while collecting their taxpayer-funded paycheck.

After he defaulted on a $190,000 loan from Cook County, the board unanimously supported a resolution calling to abolish the office. There is a similar House bill in the state Legislature.

Flowers, who is said to drop his title when he goes out, refuses to return repeated phone calls seeking comment.

The regional office, known as ROE 14, is one of 45 in Illinois, said Marc Kiehna, who completed his term last week as president of the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools.

At a recent annual meeting of the organization, Flowers often was at the center of discussions.

"Certainly we're angry," Kiehna said. "We hate to see us go down because of the actions of one person."

Suburban Cook is the biggest ROE in Illinois in terms of size and numbers. The office is responsible for about 25,000 teachers and administrators.

"I really think they're overwhelmed," said Kiehna, who also is the regional superintendent for downstate Monroe/Randolph County Regional Office of Education.

"I'm extremely disappointed in what's happening in suburban Cook if everything that I'm reading is true," he added.

"If he is found guilty, then he should suffer the consequences, whether that means losing his certificate or going to jail."

The Illinois State Board of Education sent out a letter to district superintendents Thursday addressing concerns they may have about teachers and administrators getting their certification processed through Flowers' office.

Will County Regional Office of Education Supt. Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant said her office has fielded calls from worried educators as well.

"They ask if it should be taking so long," Bertino-Tarrant said. "Some are concerned about keeping their paperwork there.

"Our advice is just hang on to the paperwork," she added. "The state is aware of what's going on."

Will County ROE also is accepting calls and walk-ins from teachers seeking additional help. Even if they're not from Will County, staff will assist them online or advise them on what to do, Bertino-Tarrant said.

The main complaint from Flowers' office is that it's underfunded. When he took office in 2007, the ROE was facing more than $400,000 of debt. But instead of slashing expenses, the office initially added staff and approved raises for administrators. Salaries then ranged between $75,244 and $100,325, which in some cases was more than double the pay for the same positions under former Regional Supt. Bob Ingraffia. Payroll ballooned by $146,000 when Flowers took over and brought in his family and friends, according to the audit.

Since then, Flowers hasn't had enough money to pay rent for the office space, and he was late paying his employees on numerous occasions.

At the most basic level, regional superintendents enforce the rules that the Illinois Board of Education outlines after the Legislature passes an education-related law, Kiehna said.

"It's kind of like speed limits," he said. "We pass speed limits for cars, but without the police out there making sure we follow the rules, it's not as safe. It's kind of the same thing for the teacher and administrator certifications and administer programs like truancy prevention, GED testing, Safe Schools, life safety inspections of school buildings, bus driver training, school compliance visits and professional development."

Every ROE in the state gets some kind of funding from the county where it's based, except the suburban Cook office. Before there were regional superintendents, there were county superintendents, Kiehna said.

Kiehna's office, which is responsible for 10 school districts, received a combined $180,000 last year from the two counties it serves.

Will