Berwyn CARES Puts Books in the Hand of Students!

One of the best things about donating to Berwyn teachers through The Berwyn Challenge at Donors Choose is getting the heartfelt thank you notes from the teachers and students. Here is one example:

Dear Berwyn CARES:

"This is just a small token of my gratitude for your generous donation to my classroom. The books you have donated will help every eighth grader in our school, and for years to come! We will be using them this spring in every reading class and I just can't thank you enough.

Enrichment is a new program for our school. This will be a wonderful way to end the year with our readers.These books will allow them to implement what they have learned. We will be using a variety of reading strategies and incorporating activities while we are reading our books.

I am so very grateful that you chose to donate to my project. Without donors like you, my students wouldn't have these books. Thank you so much."

With gratitude,
Mrs. T.

Berwyn CARES is proud to support teachers like Mrs. T. whose dedication to Berwyn children is shaping the future of our community. You can help! Go to The Berwyn Challenge and pick a project. Many are expiring soon and may go unfunded. Please! Together, we can make a difference!

School Board Votes on Uniform Policy

District 100 School Board voted against a uniform dress code for K - 5 students at last night's well attended board meeting. After spirited debate, the vote was 4-3 with Dawn Rinehart, Tony Harris and Carol Frankovic voting yes, while Joanne Zendol, Jim Swicionis, Joanne Zaworski, Ann Marie Suter voted no. Audience members, who spoke passionately about the issue, waited anxiously, especially for Suter's vote who hadn't expressed an opinion in opening statements.

Arguments for uniforms included (1) the will of the people (an informal survey conducted during school registration), (2)uniformity with Morton, middle schools and D98, (3) not caving in to "Oprahish" concepts like individual expression through dress.

Arguments against: (1) there is no empirical data supporting efficacy of uniforms, (2) if uniforms serve to reduce learning "distractions" and distractions don't exist (as reported by teachers, principals, and admins), then - as logic would indicate, there is no need for uniforms, (3) uniforms are not a DACEE recommendation, and thus, not a characteristic of top performing schools.

It was an interesting civics' lesson. Is it a board responsibility to bow to the preference of the community (Majority of parents surveyed at registration preferred uniforms) or is it their responsibility to make decisions based on sound educational research and emperical data (Neither support a need for uniforms in our community, nor indicate that uniforms would increase student achievement)?

Such a close vote reminds us how important the upcoming School Board elections will be. We will be voting for candidates who will make decisions that have a direct impact on the quality of life in Berwyn. Please be informed about the serious issues facing our schools and ask the candidates about their positions. Check back on this blog for information as the election nears.

CARES Pledges Support to Morton West Teachers

I had the opportunity to speak to the teachers at Morton West today about Berwyn CARES and opportunities through Donors Choose to get funding for classroom proposals. Berwyn CARES is donating $100 toward the funding of the first 5 proposals from Morton teachers that are submitted.

This is our way of showing our support for their hard work, innovative ideas and
dedication to engaging students in meaningful learning experiences.

I hope readers will join us in supporting these hard working teachers by donating any amount. We will be grouping the Morton West proposals into a new "Morton West Challenge" within the next few weeks. Stay tuned/check back for the link! Together, we can make a difference.

Is the Game Rigged?

In recent discussions with Berwyn CARES members, we've tackled this question:

Is the test score game rigged against us?

With all of the attention given to the score on a test taken on ONE DAY as a way to measure a school's (or community's) success, have we lost sight of the actual value in the learning experiences that happen throughout the rest of the year? Here is a 6 minute video about a school that places the emphasis on the learning! Many parallels to our own school population! Please watch.

Statistics show that minorities score lower on the standardized test scores. Statistics show that kids from low-income homes score lower on the standardized test scores. Statistics show that kids from non-English speaking homes score lower on the standardized test scores. Is this game rigged against Berwyn? Perhaps.

Where we might stand out as different, is in the methods and philophies that guide our teaching and learning experiences. What if Berwyn were known as the place where schools are innovative? What if Berwyn were knows as the place where critical thinking and creativity are the top considerations for curriculum planning and evaluation? What if Berwyn were the destination in suburban Chicago for families who value the other 179 days of the school year when learning experiences are rich and children are nurtured to become great thinkers. Maybe we can start by emphasizing and articulating what is really important! Is it only our test scores?

Consider joining a CARES committee to explore innovations in education. We'll be learning together about which of these innovations are present and practiced in Berwyn classrooms today and which might be considered.

Can One Parent Make a Difference?

I read with interest this New York Times article about a group of parents who circulated a petition requesting that their local public school add more play time to the kindergarten school day. Without commenting on that actual subject (ok, I will, I'm a proponent of play based kindergartens and think that kindergarten has become way too academic.), what struck me as remarkable about this school was how a small group of parents were able to organize and affect change on such a small (not so small to those 5 year olds! But small compared to the massive obstacles that school administrators are facing...) issue. I am impressed with the compromising spirit of the principal, who likely had to weigh the reality of the increasingly academic demands put on students as young as 5 to perform for the standardized tests and their need for creative play and physical exercise.

So in Berwyn, in your school, what is your "small" issue? Are there other parents who feel the same way? Is there a forum for you to bring up those issues? What is the best way to communicate parent concerns to your administration? How can parents be part of the solution, feel empowered rather than discouraged? Can one parent make a difference? Probably not. But 2? 10? 50? Absolutely.

Together we can make a difference. Contact CARES at info@berwyncares.org to join one of our many committees that will be forming soon.