After almost 2 years without a Superintendent, the District 201 Board of Education announced its intentions to contract with a search firm. The Board expects to hire a new Superintendent by March or April of this year. Previously, the Board of Education had decided to allow interim Superintendent, Clyde Senters, to review the resumes that were submitted internally, before involving a search firm. The current vacancy is posted on the Illinois Association of School Administrators, which partners with the Illinois State Board of Education. The vacancy was posted on Dec. 7, 2009.
Hopefully, the posting on the IASA website and the involvement of a search firm specializing in Superintendent searches will increase the number of resumes submitted. The hiring of the Superintendent is the most important job of local school boards. Indeed, the changes that need to be made at Morton West will only become a reality with a strong leader at the top. Berwyn CARES will announce the choice of the District 201 School Board on this blog as soon as the information becomes available.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Illinois Racing to the Top
Illinois is one of many states competing for federal dollars by applying for Race to the Top grant dollars. Last week Illinois State lawmakers passed a bill that includes linking student "growth" data to teacher evaluations. The quick passing of SB 315 may make Illinois eligible to receive some of the billions of dollars tied to The Race to the Top initiatives of the Obama administration. States wishing to apply for those funds by today's deadline must show that their policies are aligned with the education reform efforts put forth by the administration.
Though the bill does not require that any district participate in the new evaluation system unless paid for by federal or state dollars and the time line to implement for the entire state is not until 2016, requiring that at least 50% of a teacher's evaluation score reflect student growth is an important step toward getting the most effective teachers in the neediest classrooms.
In an editorial, The Chicago Tribune points out the state law's limits:
Though the bill does not require that any district participate in the new evaluation system unless paid for by federal or state dollars and the time line to implement for the entire state is not until 2016, requiring that at least 50% of a teacher's evaluation score reflect student growth is an important step toward getting the most effective teachers in the neediest classrooms.
In an editorial, The Chicago Tribune points out the state law's limits:
"The bill makes some excellent demands, including that the performance of students be used as a measure of teacher performance. In some ways, though, it is a missed opportunity. It doesn't require that schools use the evaluation results in tenure decisions or that consistently underperforming teachers be fired. So we're going to have to count on school administrators to make good use of this tool."
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Top 10 Education Issues for 2010
After reading this blog post which reacts to a Top 10 list created by the non-profit American Association of State Colleges and Universities, we were inspired to create our own list of the top 10 education issues facing Berwyn:
1. The State Financial Crisis: Our schools are directly affected by the dire situation of our state finances. With over a quarter of our education dollars coming from state aid and other state funding, the state financial crisis is sure to be felt in the classrooms of Berwyn.
2. Achievement Gap: The achievement gap is alive and well in Berwyn and with the explosion in minority and low-income population that has occurred in the last 10 years, our education systems will be challenged to address the achievement gap deliberately in ways that assure that ALL children will achieve.
3. Standardized test scores: Our school districts are under great pressure under the No Child Left Behind Law to continually make adequate yearly progress (AYP). Last year's ISAT scores were solidly mediocre in the elementary grades with a few schools showing some promising trends. However, Morton West continues to struggle to show increased achievement with only 32% of Juniors meeting or exceeding standards.
4. Parental Involvement: Research shows that kids with involved parents achieve at higher rates. Schools need to find ways to reach out to parents and engage them in ways that benefit their children's academic success.
5. Higher taxes: Berwyn city council recently voted to raise the tax levy by 15%. None of that will go to our schools. The tax increase on a population that is already struggling to make ends meet means it will be very difficult for our school districts to pass any kind of referendum to increase revenue to schools.
6. Housing Crisis: Berwyn has been hit hard by the recent housing crisis with foreclosures hitting all time highs, many of those losing their homes with children in our schools. That family stress spills over into the classroom daily in many ways. The housing crisis will likely mean the continued high mobility rates that our educators have been faced with in the past 10 years, at some schools as high as 20%.
7. Technology: Kids are learning in dramatically different ways than in the past. The use of technology in our classrooms is no longer considered an "extra" or a luxury. It is absolutely a necessity if we are to prepare our children for the higher education that is increasingly mandatory in today's job market. But, of course, technology is expensive.
8. Mobility: Although mentioned above, this issue deserves its own spot on the list. With mobility rates as high as 25% at some schools, Berwyn education systems are becoming more responsible for the standardized test scores of students that were not previously educated in Berwyn. We must stabilize the community by making Berwyn an attractive place for families to establish roots. Many families choose to move out of Berwyn into better performing school districts. This is a strain on our resources as our teachers are faced with new students every year, even in the upper grades, that haven't benefited from the early education of Berwyn schooling.
9. Morton West: The performance of our local high school continues to be a strain on our community in ways that reach far beyond the classroom. On the last state report card, Morton West reported 32% of juniors meeting or exceeding standards. The average ACT score is 18 compared to a state average of 20.6. Property values and the quality of life are directly affected by the performance and reputation of the local high school, yet our community rejected a referendum 3 times to adequately fund education. As one of the CARES board members put it,
Which leads me to #10 on the list (should really be #1).
10. US: Summed up nicely by Pogo, "We have met the enemy, and he is us". It will take our entire community to effect change in the state of education in Berwyn. In the last school board elections, voter turn out was VERY low and the number of residents who stay involved by attending school board meetings and holding those elected officials accountable is even lower!
Berwyn CARES knows that it is tough to follow all of the issues facing our community. Please consider joining Berwyn CARES and spreading the word about our organization. We would like to increase our membership and our influence on the decision makers in the education systems. And we would like to help keep the busy residents of Berwyn informed about the most pressing educational issues facing our community. Together, we can make a difference.
1. The State Financial Crisis: Our schools are directly affected by the dire situation of our state finances. With over a quarter of our education dollars coming from state aid and other state funding, the state financial crisis is sure to be felt in the classrooms of Berwyn.
2. Achievement Gap: The achievement gap is alive and well in Berwyn and with the explosion in minority and low-income population that has occurred in the last 10 years, our education systems will be challenged to address the achievement gap deliberately in ways that assure that ALL children will achieve.
3. Standardized test scores: Our school districts are under great pressure under the No Child Left Behind Law to continually make adequate yearly progress (AYP). Last year's ISAT scores were solidly mediocre in the elementary grades with a few schools showing some promising trends. However, Morton West continues to struggle to show increased achievement with only 32% of Juniors meeting or exceeding standards.
4. Parental Involvement: Research shows that kids with involved parents achieve at higher rates. Schools need to find ways to reach out to parents and engage them in ways that benefit their children's academic success.
5. Higher taxes: Berwyn city council recently voted to raise the tax levy by 15%. None of that will go to our schools. The tax increase on a population that is already struggling to make ends meet means it will be very difficult for our school districts to pass any kind of referendum to increase revenue to schools.
6. Housing Crisis: Berwyn has been hit hard by the recent housing crisis with foreclosures hitting all time highs, many of those losing their homes with children in our schools. That family stress spills over into the classroom daily in many ways. The housing crisis will likely mean the continued high mobility rates that our educators have been faced with in the past 10 years, at some schools as high as 20%.
7. Technology: Kids are learning in dramatically different ways than in the past. The use of technology in our classrooms is no longer considered an "extra" or a luxury. It is absolutely a necessity if we are to prepare our children for the higher education that is increasingly mandatory in today's job market. But, of course, technology is expensive.
8. Mobility: Although mentioned above, this issue deserves its own spot on the list. With mobility rates as high as 25% at some schools, Berwyn education systems are becoming more responsible for the standardized test scores of students that were not previously educated in Berwyn. We must stabilize the community by making Berwyn an attractive place for families to establish roots. Many families choose to move out of Berwyn into better performing school districts. This is a strain on our resources as our teachers are faced with new students every year, even in the upper grades, that haven't benefited from the early education of Berwyn schooling.
9. Morton West: The performance of our local high school continues to be a strain on our community in ways that reach far beyond the classroom. On the last state report card, Morton West reported 32% of juniors meeting or exceeding standards. The average ACT score is 18 compared to a state average of 20.6. Property values and the quality of life are directly affected by the performance and reputation of the local high school, yet our community rejected a referendum 3 times to adequately fund education. As one of the CARES board members put it,
"Let's see - we've got 2000 kids leaving Morton every year - 75% of whom don't meet state expectations - that's 1500 kids per year with dim futures...I wonder what I should expect relative to Berwyn / Cicero's gang situation. It doesn't matter how many cops we put on the street - until we provide children with great educations - from the cradle through 12th grade - gang activity is here to stay. When we care about education as much as we do snow plowing or the Houby Parade (and when a 15% tax increase goes to schools rather than city services), we really might have something here, and people might be able to enjoy their porches again."
Which leads me to #10 on the list (should really be #1).
10. US: Summed up nicely by Pogo, "We have met the enemy, and he is us". It will take our entire community to effect change in the state of education in Berwyn. In the last school board elections, voter turn out was VERY low and the number of residents who stay involved by attending school board meetings and holding those elected officials accountable is even lower!
Berwyn CARES knows that it is tough to follow all of the issues facing our community. Please consider joining Berwyn CARES and spreading the word about our organization. We would like to increase our membership and our influence on the decision makers in the education systems. And we would like to help keep the busy residents of Berwyn informed about the most pressing educational issues facing our community. Together, we can make a difference.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Berwyn CARES Gives over $4000 to Berwyn Teachers
Berwyn CARES was able to fund over $4000 in Berwyn classroom projects in The Berwyn Challenge! Thanks to all of you who participated by attending our fall concert or making a donation directly. Thanks to your generosity, kids in Berwyn will have learning experiences they wouldn't otherwise have had. Materials purchased include:
*new poetry books to help middle school writers become poets
*an LCD Multimedia Projector to effectively use technology for writing instruction
*4 digital cameras for use in creating multimedia projects
*award winning novels for 8th graders participating in a reading competition
*percussion instruments for middle school students
*writing center manipulatives to help enrich the creative process for young writers
and much more!
If you haven't yet contributed, consider making a donation today! Read some of the thank you notes posted by the teachers who benefited. You'll realize the direct impact you will have by helping other teachers realize their dreams for the students of Berwyn. Here is one example:
*new poetry books to help middle school writers become poets
*an LCD Multimedia Projector to effectively use technology for writing instruction
*4 digital cameras for use in creating multimedia projects
*award winning novels for 8th graders participating in a reading competition
*percussion instruments for middle school students
*writing center manipulatives to help enrich the creative process for young writers
and much more!
If you haven't yet contributed, consider making a donation today! Read some of the thank you notes posted by the teachers who benefited. You'll realize the direct impact you will have by helping other teachers realize their dreams for the students of Berwyn. Here is one example:
I'll post other thank you notes as they come in, but check out The Berwyn Challenge for yourself and choose a project to fund. Together we can make a difference! We already have.Dear BerwynCARES,
Thank you so much for funding this project! Instruments are so important for music class and the students will be overjoyed to see so many new instruments to choose from! I see so many performance opportunities ahead with all of my students. Now, with a bigger variety of instruments, students will be able to choose many instruments to learn. I cannot wait to see the look on their faces, and we will definitely be taking pictures to post as soon as we get them. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
With gratitude,Ms. U.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
What it STILL Takes...
We've referenced the New York Times article, "What It Takes to Make a Student", many times on this blog and in our discussions at Berwyn CARES meetings. The day after Christmas, I read this front page Chicago Tribune article and was reminded of what it STILL takes to make a student.
The article, "At-risk kids: Successful New York program a possible solution for Chicago", highlights a Harlem-based program with elements consistent with the research cited in the What It Takes article like extended school day and year, highly qualified teachers, and programming beginning at birth.
Expensive? Yes, but President Obama has promised funds to communities interested in replicating the Harlem program. 3 neighborhoods in Chicago will apply for the funds. Berwyn is not one of them, but a good start toward making a difference for our neighborhood might be if our residents would take the time to read both articles and educate themselves about What It Takes to make a student...AND a community. Will you?
The article, "At-risk kids: Successful New York program a possible solution for Chicago", highlights a Harlem-based program with elements consistent with the research cited in the What It Takes article like extended school day and year, highly qualified teachers, and programming beginning at birth.
Expensive? Yes, but President Obama has promised funds to communities interested in replicating the Harlem program. 3 neighborhoods in Chicago will apply for the funds. Berwyn is not one of them, but a good start toward making a difference for our neighborhood might be if our residents would take the time to read both articles and educate themselves about What It Takes to make a student...AND a community. Will you?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)