NCLB Waivers

President Obama took action granting waivers to 10 states freeing them of the burdens of NCLB as long as there is a plan to continue to address achievement goals.  IL is applying for such a waiver and you can learn about the details of the IL plan at an informational meeting at Morton West on Thursday Feb. 16 at 7:00 pm.  The meeting is hosted by the IL PTA and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).  


The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was signed into law on January 8, 2002. It was intended to improve learning experiences for all children, set higher performance standards for schools, and increase the number of highly qualified teachers working in communities with the greatest needs.

Yet ten years after its passage, its promise has remained unfulfilled. States have lowered their academic standards in order to increase the percentage of children they can report as "proficient." The high stakes of reading and math tests have led to a narrowing of the curriculum, squeezing out time for history, science, art, music, civics and physical education. Many excellent schools have been unfairly branded as failures, while struggling schools like Morton West have not been improved, much less "turned around," by years of sanctions, threats, and unfunded mandates.

While there is wide agreement that NCLB needs to be rewritten, Congress has yet to create a plan of action that will help all schools and students succeed.

In the meantime, the U.S. Department of Education has offered to waive some of the requirements of NCLB for states that submit an alternative system of accountability for approval by the department.

Illinois will be submitting an application to the U.S. Department of Education in the second round, with a due date of February 21.

The Illinois PTA is sponsoring two informational presentations on our state's waiver application, one of which will be held in Berwyn on Thursday, February 16, at Morton West.

This is an excellent opportunity for our community to understand more about the requirements our schools will need to meet, and the resources that are available to help our students succeed in school.

Berwyn CARES invites you to join us in learning about education in Illinois and how upcoming changes may impact our community:

Thursday, February 16
7:00 pm (doors open at 6:30)
Morton West High School
2400 Home Ave.

The waiver would affect all schools in our state, not only Morton West. Please forward this invitation to friends, neighbors, and fellow community members who may be able to attend.

CARES, BUNGALO Host Candidates Forum

Every child deserves a great public school. Every family wants to live in a great public school district.

What are our elected representatives doing to help Berwyn strengthen its schools?

Please join Berwyn CARES and BUNGALO for a Candidates’ Forum on March 10, 2012 at 1:00 p.m. at the Berwyn Library.  We have invited our district’s candidates for seats in the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois Senate.

The candidates will be invited to give short presentations, and then will take questions from the audience. The first part of the question-and-answer session will focus on issues in education.

If we want families to settle and stay in Berwyn, and if we want their children to grow up to be responsible and productive citizens, we must provide our public schools with the support and resources they need to meet children’s needs.

Our state legislators can help, but they need to hear a strong message from constituents about the importance of education and services for our children.

We hope you will join us in taking this message to the Berwyn CARES/BUNGALO Candidates’ Forum.

Donors Choose Berwyn Projects Expire Soon!

There are only 3 unfunded projects left on our 2011 Berwyn Challenge.  With only hours left before one expires (and days for the other 2), might you be able to help save the day by making a small (or large!) donation?  Click here to read about these wonderful proposals.  (Books for Boys, Resources for Reluctant Readers and Let's Cooperate)  Together we can make a difference!

Lessons from Hoffman Estates

Loved this video made by the Hoffman Estates CUSD 300 fighting for their fair share of tax dollars in light of a 23 year committment to tax relief for Sears.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8zXm2eal_o

Looking at District 201 and the huge amount of tax dollars that are generated by TIF districts, there are lessons to be learned from the folks in Hoffman Estates.  District 201 is severely underfunded, yet most of the  businesses in the area are in tax increment financing districts, reinvesting tax increments into the businesses and away from public education.  While our students go without textbooks, technology and opportunities, businesses get renovated.  According to the cook county clerk website, Berwyn's TIF districts generated $4.6 million dollars in 2010.  Cicero's generated $12.4 million and Lyons brought in almost $1 million.  A portion of those dollars would have gone to Morton.  Perhaps some relief from the municipalities could have prevented the massive teacher lay-offs and the cuts to academic courses (School Board voted to reduce credit hours required for graduation last year in order to deal with a budget crisis).

Of course, there is the theory that TIF districts will create revenue and attract businesses by reviving those districts.  Hopefully, that will result in a windfall for the schools SOMEDAY.  Question is:  Will it be too late?