Donors Choose Morton West! Will You?

Berwyn CARES is donating $100 to each of 5 Morton West classroom proposals posted on Donors Choose. The Berwyn CARES/Morton West Mini Challenge was set up by Berwyn CARES as a way to highlight some of the projects that need funding and give ordinary people the opportunity to make a difference. However large or small your donation might be, it will be GREATLY appreciated by these hardworking teachers and students. Please consider making a donation today! Together we can make a difference. Let's show Morton West that Berwyn CARES!!

Vouchers and Community Service

There are two bills proposed by our area legislators that they need to hear from constituents on :

1. HB1371 Is a bill sponsored by Rep. LaShawn Ford.
This bill is called a "school choice" act. Its a voucher bill that would give our tax money as scholarships to students from over crowded, urban (Chicago) schools. The student can put the money towards tuition at a private school. The amount of the scholarship would equal the amount of General State Aid for the student that would normally go to their neighborhood public school. This does not really give a choice to a poor family that could not afford the balance of the private high school tuition after the 6000.00 contribution of our tax money.

2. HB1243 directly affects our District 201 students. Rep Hernandez has proposed bill HB1243 , a state law requiring only District 201 to set up a program to provide students an opportunity to earn credits by doing community service. No mention in the bill about where any funding would come from for the District to run the program. No mention of any funding to area service organizations so they can train and monitor students. Reminder that District 201 cut the electives offered to students this year, laid off 100 teachers and many staff. This unfunded mandate may further burden our district without adding any class time or direct instruction from teachers.

Both of these bills are in the Elementary and Secondary Education Committees for hearings. The hearings could begin this Wednesday.

Please take the time to call or e-mail to your representative TODAY. As few as 5 calls gets the attention of a representative. They and their aids will answer specific questions and listen to feedback. Please call today. Below is the contact info for Representative Ford and Representative Hernandez:

Representative LaShawn K Ford, 8th District (D)
275 S Stratton Office Building Springfield IL 62706
217-782-5962
217-557-4502 fax
District Office 5104 W. Chicago Ave. Chicago, IL 60651
(773) 378-5902
(773) 378-5903 FAX Cook County
Email: lkf@ilga.gov

Representative Lisa Hernandez 24th Distrct (D)
86-S Stratton Office Building Springfield, IL 62706
(217) 782-8173
(217) 558-1844 FAX
District Office: 2137 S. Lombard Suite 205 Cicero, IL 60804
(708) 222-5240
(708) 222-5241 FAX Cook County
Email: repehernandez@yahoo.com

A Vision for Morton West??

During recent spirited discussions, Berwyn CARES members have been contemplating college prep vs. job training at Morton West. Do our demographics dictate that we offer a different kind of high school experience than wealthier communities? Are some students destined for college while others are destined for jobs? We ended up talking about the very definition of a "good education". Does a "good education" prepare you for college? for a job? Or does a "good education" prepare you to think critically, solve problems, collaborate with others in your community REGARDLESS of whether you apply those skills to law school or carpentry? Why do we continue to segregate kids rather than bring them together to inspire and challenge eachother?

The proponents of career and technical training (CTE) envision a curriculum that fuses career and college readiness, inviting students to see what the adult world looks like and to discover what roles they can take in it.

And while it may seem like CTE is just another educational buzzword (albeit a hot one, Arne Duncan recently gave a speech on it), there are schools that are doing some amazing things with this kind of fusion.

Here is a short video about High Tech High. WATCH IT!! The CEO of this amazing school has some fascinating things to say about high school.

The recent blizzard and High Tech High make me want to pack up and move to San Diego.

But then again, who's to say we couldn't create a school like this in Berwyn?

Now Chicago winters? That is a harder problem to solve!