And the Winners are……

The money raised at the fall kids concert at Fitzgerald’s has been used to fund several projects for Berwyn teachers. Berwyn teachers were asked to submit proposals for mini-grants up to $500 via the web site DonorsChoose.org and BerwynCARES chose favorites to fund. We hope that we are able to provide a little relief to teachers who face budget struggles on a daily basis. There are currently 30 proposals worth $13,111 on The Berwyn Challenge and 14 have been fully funded! In part, because of BerwynCARES promotion and solicitation of private donors like you, the $4,292 raised so far will impact 727 Berwyn students.

In addition, we’d love to spread the word about DonorsChoose. We encourage teachers to continue to use the web site to promote future projects to their friends and families, as well as their students’ friends and families. Thank you again to our caring supporters who made this possible by generously giving us your precious time, incredible talents and, by sponsoring and attending the event.

The following 9 projects were fully or partially funded by BerwynCARES up to $500 per project totaling $3586.18

There are currently 16 proposals totaling $8,819 that have yet to be funded on the Berwyn Challenge. Please consider supporting our schools through the Berwyn Challenge. A button link to the challenge is located on the right side of this page.


Kids Doing Yoga – Fully Funded
Kids exercising before school? This is the norm at our K-5 building, where 79% of our 330 students are low-income and many eat breakfast at school. This year, students come in for 30 minutes of breathing and stretching exercises before having their nutritious school breakfast. What a healthy and energizing way to start our day! Although I am the K-5 ELL (English language learning) teacher, I know most of the students in our small, tight-knit school community by name. For that reason, Yoga Club is open to all students, ALL AGES (classroom teachers sometimes join in the fun, too.) Our students love doing yoga and learning to move their bodies in different ways. They're using muscles they didn't know they had! Unfortunately, they have to do it in bare feet on the cold gym floor, which can be a shock first thing in the morning! Some kids bring in towels or blankets for the end of class when they lie on their backs, but those blankets can be slippery to stand on. If each child had his or her own exercise mat for yoga, then they would not have to stand on the cold floor anymore. The mats will not slip and move when they stand on them, and they will cushion their backs when the students lay on them. You can help my students maximize their first yoga and fitness experience by helping us get these mats! In order to do our exercises properly and accurately, we need the right equipment. The mats will help cushion our backs and joints and they will help us keep our balance when we stand on them in our yoga poses. My students need 30 exercise mats.

Therapy for At-Risk Students Using BOOKS! – Fully Funded
My special needs and at-risk students need books to aid them in dealing with the "hands they've been dealt". I am a school social worker and I facilitate groups of students who are dealing with struggles that range from having a disability, living in poverty, having parent(s) who are in jail, living in single-parent households, to things such as drug and gang activity. My students are ages 6-12. They come to school with so much on their mind already that they often miss out on the academic content because they are worrying about whether dad will be home when they get there, or whether mom will be arrested again for a probation violation. I have started a few bibliotherapy groups at school that have really taken off with the students. We are using fictional stories to aid the students in understanding their own problems through a character that they can identify with. We read the book, discuss the obstacle and the characters' solutions, and the students get a chance to implement this into their own lives as a result. We have seen a lot of progress through this delivery, and my students are becoming more and more creative about how they can deal with their own everyday issues. The problem that we currently have is lack of reading materials. Students are showing up day after day with an interest in participating in these groups, students who have never cared about reading in their life, and we don't have the materials to take them on. More of these books will allow us to address these issues in a way that is not like the traditional "therapy" model, and in a way that the students have clung to and really taken off with. Your help will make it possible for my students to see that they can't change their situations, but they can control how it affects their life. My students need a collection of books, including 5 copies each of 10 titles, from "Bridge to Terabithia" to "Skin I'm In".

Creating a Completed Classroom – Fully Funded
If we equip the classrooms of America with the supplies they need, we are equipping the students with the tools they need for the future. I am a first-year 7th grade Language Arts teacher in an area of poverty in Illinois. Since many students cannot afford to bring in school supplies of their own, I would like to equip my room with the necessary supplies so they can succeed both in my classroom and in life. My students come from very hard-working families, yet sometimes that is not enough to provide everything they need for school. Since many of my parents cannot afford to get their kids the supplies they need, I want to equip my classroom with those necessary materials. Basically, I need a starter set of supplies (markers, scissors, rulers, glue, etc) in order to provide my student with the basic things they need in order to be successful in my classroom. By contributing to my classroom, you are making a commitment to these students by saying that you are willing to help them achieve what we know they are capable of. With the help of these supplies, my students will be able to embrace learning and ignite the spark that will light their lives with learning for many years to come. My students need 25 glue sticks, 48 mini erasers, 10 stackable bins, a classpack of crayons, colored pencils, a class pack of markers, 25 rulers, 25 scissors, construction paper, and large construction paper.

Show Me the Art – Less than 50% Funded
I teach art at a wonderful middle school, grades 6-8, we are a high poverty, Title I school. One of the most exciting aspects of my school is how everyone’s goal is to provide our students with new learning opportunities and experiences everyday to make their education exciting and meaningful. My students are enthusiastic, talented learners who are always eager to discover more about the world. Art is a class where they have the chance to see the world in so many unique and creative ways while at the same time being encouraged to develop their own artistic interpretation of the world to share with others. I am fortunate enough to teach very talented, creative students who are always ready for new artistic inspiration. My goal is to be able to provide my students with knowledge and inspiration about art and the world in order to fuel their desire for exploration. To do this I need to incorporate art history images into my lessons. Studying art history provides glimpses of significant works of art by various artists, techniques, mediums, artistic styles, and also requires the exploration and understanding of historical events, places, cultures/societies, and people. Students are able to see and discuss how artists can communicate important events and ideas through their art in a positive, meaningful, and creative way. Through studying art history students will develop a base of understanding which will allow them the tools to develop their own unique, personal artistic style. The obstacles faced when trying to present art images to students involves struggles with a shortage of funds and technology. Buying art prints is very expensive especially when trying to build a comprehensive selection of images. Fortunately, the Internet provides many resources for art educators to retrieve and present valuable images for lessons. Unfortunately, to properly present these images to a class a quality LCD projector is necessary. Currently, in such a large school it is a challenge to secure an available LCD projector as frequently as needed. Additionally, many of the LCD projectors are dated and do not have a high quality resolution so the images are blurred making it difficult to identify details when observing works of art. To make the world come alive in my classroom and inspire my students through art a quality LCD projector, that is always available for use, is necessary. Having a quality projector will allow my students to further explore works of art, details and all! Discussions will broaden, inspirations will flow, imagination, and creativity will expand beyond the walls of the classroom. The world will be our museum! Your support will allow my students the chance to view the world past and present while creating their own unique images and ideas that can shape their futures and possibly our own. Art is a common tool of expression throughout cultures and time, what a wonderful gift you will provide for my students, the chance to truly experience the world through art. My students need 1 LCD projector.

My Turn! My Turn! – Fully Funded
My class is a first grade class of wonderful 6 and 7 year old students. They live in a community that is diverse and made up of mostly low income families. I try to make the learning process as engaging as possible for the kids. They think that an overhead projector is "magical" and they beg to use it. They want to write on it and "catch" the words with a piece of paper. (They also want to make hand puppets, but that's another story:)) The one I have now is very old and difficult to manipulate. I hesitate to let them use it independently. A new projector would allow the kids to work independently on writing, making words, and a huge variety of skill work. You will be giving my students another tool to make learning a special, magical, engaging activity. It will also give them the independence they crave! My students need an overhead projector.

Getting Ready to Read – Almost 50% Funded
Sometimes I feel like Old Mother Hubbard with all the children and she doesn't know what to do! I service 14, below grade level kindergarten through third grade students, all at one time for each hour of the day. Each child is at a different reading ability level. I want to read one on one with each child every day to monitor his/her growth or needs. I have a limited amount of space in the classroom, which used to be the custodian's closet. I purchased books and supplies for our room's library at garage sales over the summer because the district has a limited budget. These reading Centers can be taken to their desks and are student friendly creating high interest and motivation. These reading Centers will allow me to create and enhance an individualized lesson for each student. They can have fun while learning, be independent, and watch their confidence soar. My students need multiple Reading Centers to enrich their reading ability, allowing them to be able to work independently on components of reading, allowing me to work one on one with student at their level. Your generosity for my students this year will be "Paid Forward" for many years by the continuing flow of children that sit down by my side and say, "WOW, this is fun! Look what I can do!" My students need a complete set of Linking Language Cubes Instant Centers and 2 sets of Instant Literacy Centers.

First Grade Class Needs the Write Stuff – Fully Funded
Our school is a low income school with limited supplies. We need resources to assist in writing and to develop our language skills. First grade is a very important year in which students begin writing. When a student has the proper resources to develop their skills they can be successful in school. First grade is the most important year because our students are developing confidence and lifelong writing skills. We need your help to develop these wonderful students into life long learners! They need white boards and markers to be used in the classroom to show if they understand how to spell a word or write a sentence. By using the white board we do not have to use our limited amount of paper and I can immediately recognize who needs assistance. YOU can help make these 28 students achieve academic success! With your donation you can supply each of my students with their own white board and instructional materials that will develop their writing skills. Please note that these resources will be used each year to develop the writing skills of an endless amount of students. Thank you for your consideration to a very important class of 28 terrific first graders. You can make our New Year a year of writing and learning. What a great gift you can give- the gift of learning! Thank you!! My 28 students need 30 dry erase boards, dry erase markers and sentence strips.

What's an Oboe? Who Is Beethoven? (Posters) – Fully Funded
I teach music in a HOUSE that the school purchased because they were full to capacity. I love teaching in my house and would love to make it seem more like the music classroom through posters WHILE using those posters to teach music. I give each grade a family of instruments to learn. We listen to excerpts of the instruments, learn the names and then are tested on it later in the year. Students enjoy learning about the instruments, especially if they are expecting to learn one of the instruments later in 5th grade. The pictures on the posters are BEAUTIFUL and they show the instruments so well. The composer posters are also beautifully well done and students are better able to remember WHO composed a piece of music if they see the composers picture while listening to the piece. I would love to have a set of the musical instruments posters from woodwind and brasswind so that students can learn their instruments (as is a state requirement). In addition I would love to add the pictures of modern and classical composers to my classroom to help students SEE the people who composed the great music literature You will help me better serve the needs of my students by empowering them with visual aides to go with my auditory examples. Students learn better with multisensory techniques and YOU can help me make that happen with music. My students need the opportunity to SEE who it is we are learning about in music class. Students ALWAYS appreciate seeing who it was that composed the music. In addition to SEEING the composers, students love to see the instruments. The posters will give students a clear picture of WHAT the instrument looks like.

Tip Top Learning for First Graders – Fully Funded
”The most important thing about education is appetite.”
- Winston Churchill
I teach first grade students that for many of them, school is the consistent safe place they are look forward to every day. Many families in my school are low-income and the children eat breakfast and lunch at school. My students have an appetite for learning centers. I have been using reading centers three days a week and math centers once a week. A learning center is an activity that two students do independently in order to practice skills that I have taught them. For example, I have little wooden train cars of the alphabet that the students hook together in alphabetical order. Another center is a listening center where the students listen to a story on tape. Another favorite is ABC stamps to help learn how to spell words. So there are several learning centers going on all at the same time. Getting ready for centers is difficult in my room because of the desks. The desks are not all the same and are different sizes. Tables would be a tremendous help for the students and would help increase instructional time. Time is lost while I am setting up centers on the floor and moving desks around to make spots for the centers. With your help, my students will have more time at learning centers and more opportunities for team building if we had tables in our classroom. I have seen the excitement on each child's face during centers and the amount of learning that goes on during this time. Thank your for making this happen for my first graders. My students need 2 rectangular tables.

Looking for the Perfect Holiday Gift? (click image to enlarge)

Library to Consider Sunday Hours

As a result of budget cuts and lay-offs of library workers by the city, the library Board of Directors voted last fall to continue summer hours (closed on Sundays and closed at 5pm on Fridays). Petitions have been circulated by residents to reopen the library on Sundays during the school year when students are likely to need the library for school projects. Last night, City Council voted against re-hiring the laid-off workers and the issue has been tabled until the mayor meets with the Library Board. No other alternatives were discussed. It would cost taxpayers $50,000 to open the library on Sundays.

In an e-mail to Bill Henesley, the director of the library, I suggested changing the library hours to accomodate Sunday hours by cutting weekday morning hours, thus eliminating the need to re-hire workers and increase the budget. Has there been any kind of formal study to determine what hour cutting would have the least impact on our community? Could the Library Board cut some services without cutting hours? For example, allowing just circulation and computers on Sundays without staffing audio/visual and other departments? During this economic crisis in our city we must think creatively about spending. My suggestion of opening the library at noon 2 days per week in exchange for a noon-5pm schedule on Sundays will be considered at the Library Board meeting on Dec. 15th.

If you would like to make a suggestion to the Library Board, please e-mail it to berwyncares@yahoo.com and we will compile the e-mails and present them at the Library Board Meeting.

Our library should be open for students to use in the afternoon, evenings and weekends during the school year when they need it most.

Do You Want To Run For Your Local School Board?

If you are interested in learning more about running for your local Board of Education, now is the time to act!

The Candidates' Guide from the Illinois Board of Elections is one place to start. If you have questions about what it takes to run for a School Board position, please e-mail berwyncares@yahoo.com. BerwynCARES is a 501c3 organization and does not endorse individual candidates, rather we encourage participation and would like to provide information to citizens interested in serving on the local school boards.

There are School Board seats up for election in April 2009 in all 3Berwyn School Districts (North Berwyn District 98, South Berwyn District 100 and Morton High School District 201). Board of Education members serve for 4 years. Although the election isn't until April, there are deadlines to follow to get your name on the ballot. Please e-mail berwyncares@yahoo.com for more information.

Foreclosures Impact Schools

The recent housing crisis will impact our community in many ways. Often overlooked, our schools may be greatly affected by the thousands of foreclosures in Berwyn. Concerns include a rise in homeless children, an increase in the mobility rate, increased stress level on students and families, less funding due to lower EAV and tax revenue and likely many unanticipated consequences.

This Thursday evening at 7p.m. at City Hall (6700 26th Street), the All Berwyn Committee hosts a forum to discuss the Foreclosure Crisis. I encourage all who can to attend, but especially those who are facing foreclosure. If you know of someone, a neighbor or a friend, who might need this information, please urge them to attend. There will be a Spanish translator participating. Here is the line-up of speakers:

Ruben D. Feliciano
Housing Policy Analyst & Outreach Coordinator, Latino Policy Forum
PowerPoint presentation “An Overview of the Foreclosure Crises” with information from the Center for Responsible Lending. Terms to help you, Prime Loans, Government Insured or Guaranteed Loan, Subprime Loan, Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARMS), Pre-payment Penalties, Interest Only Loans, Low Doc/No Doc Loans or Lack of Stated Income Loans, (Negative Amortization Loans, Option ARMs, Deferred Interest Loan), High Debt Service-To-Income Ratio Loans, Piggyback Mortgages, Jumbo Loans, Broker Steering, Predatory Lenders, High-Risk Lender Loans, (Service Fees and High Cost of Refinancing Loans), Individual Tax Identification Numbers (ITIN) and No/Low Doc Loans, and Latino Foreclosure Filings

Robert E. Dwan
Director of the Department of Community Development for the City of Berwyn will speak to the impact of the Home Foreclosure Crisis on Berwyn

Jay Reves, Attorney at Law, Riverside Law Group, LLC, 161 North Clark Street, Suite 4700, Chicago, IL 60601 will speak regarding rights of the individual in the foreclosure process. According to a judge, when a mortgage company appears in court, 80% of the time, the individual is not present and/or not represented.

District 201 Meeting

Here is a summary of last week's District 201 School Board Meeting written by Ted Korbos. Click here to read the discussion of the meeting on Berwyntalk:

This is a summary of the District 201 board meeting that occurred on November 12, 2008. The meeting started at 8 PM and ended at 9 PM. All board members were present except for Max Flores, who yet again was missing in action.

1. Old Cicero Town Hall is new District 201 headquarters - The board voted tonight to approve a lease with the Town of Cicero to lease Old Cicero Town Hall as the new headquarters for District 201.The district will move its headquarters from its current location, which is 32nd street and 55 avenue. Board President Jeff Pesek stated the district was moving its headquarters to gain more room for all the new administrative staff that the district has hired in the last few months (Curriculum Director, Curriculum Leads, Supports Services, Business Manager, etc.)


2. Building a Freshman Center in Berwyn ? - The board approved a feasibility and funding study to see if it is possible and necessary to build a new Freshman Center building to serve the Berwyn, Stickney and Lyons communities. Acting Superintendent Senters stated that the district would be applying to the state to be put on the state's school construction list. The board president stated that Morton West has become over crowded and that alternatives need to be looked at. Alternatives that will be looked at is expanding just the cafeteria; bringing in mobile units; sending some students to Morton East; and building a new building to act as a Freshman Center. The acting superintendent stated that the Cicero Freshman Center cost $30 million dollars (a figure, I believe, is too low based on my looking at actuals spent on building the Freshman Center)


3. Teacher's contract - The board approved new contracts for the teachers, teacher assistants and clerical staff. The new teachers contract calls for an increase in salary of 3.4% over the next three years. Teacher assistants will receive an increase of 3.5% over the next 4 years and clerical staff will get a salary increase of 4% over the next 3 years. The district lawyer claimed that Lyons Township just negotiated a teacher's contract that was an 8% increase in years 1 and 2; a 5% increase in year 3 and a cost of living increase in year 4. The lawyer stated that the District 201 contract compared favorably to the LT contract.

In addition, the union agreed to increase health benefits deductables by $100 and co-payments by $250. That will save the district $350,000 per year. The union also agreed to a professional attire clause that requires teachers to wear business casual (no jeans) Monday through Thursday with jeans allowed on Friday as long as the teacher also wears Morton spirit wear. Teachers will also now be required to attend Open House (apparently in the past attendance by teachers to Open House was optional).

Finally, the union agreed to increase the length of the school day with the school day going from 8 AM to 2:35 PM. There will not be an extra period. However, each period will be increased by 5 minutes and announcements will be limited to home room time. Split classes have been eliminated and home room time has been increased by 10 minutes. The lawyer stated that the total increase in instructional time would be 45 minutes and in other time by 25 minutes. One mother who was sitting behind me said the numbers did not add up based on the start and end times.

The union also agreed to require that teachers take more instructional workshops and increase orientation time to 3 days.


4. Financials - The board approved a property tax levy for the next fiscal year of $32.1 million dollars with the actual levy expected to be $31.9 million because of PTELL (a state law that limits the increase in property taxes to the cost of living). The increase in the levy was under 5% so no public hearing was required. Revenue has been coming in slowly because of the lateness of the property tax bills this year and because the state of Illinois has been slow in providing money. In the first quarter, revenue was $9.9 million dollars (11.3% of budget) and expenditures were $14.6 million dollars (16.6% of budget). The district has also been receiving less than expected revenue from the replacement tax (an income tax that is in lieu of property taxes for certain types of corporations). In the first quarters, the replacement tax was down by $400,000. The budget is expecting the year's replacement tax to be $7 million dollars.


5. Expulsions - There were 16 expulsions tonight, with 2 being permanent expulsions and 6 of the other 14 expulsions without service at the alternative school. The acting superintendent stated that one of the expulsions was due to a charge of drug possession on school property. This is the highest number of expulsions that have occurred in quite some time and it is also the highest (8 out of 16) that I can remember where the student was expelled completely out of the district (i.e. not sent to the Alternative School). Most of the audience attendees at the board meeting appeared to be parents whose kids were getting expelled.


6. Skyward Software - The board asked the principals how the take up was of the new Skyward software that allows parents to go online via the internet and see how their child is progressing. The Morton East principal claimed that 20% of the parents had logged in at least once. The Morton West principal claimed that 25% of the parents had logged in at least once and that 15% to 20% of the parents were regular users. The district also announced the replacement of its current Food Service software with the Skyward module for tracking food service, at an additional cost of $13,000. The Food Service software tracks food usage to get re-imbursements from the federal government. The current software was crashing a lot so the district was losing information that would be used for submitting re-imbursement data to the federal government.


7. Morton West news - Morton West principal John Lucas stated that there had been an increase in parental attendance at the Parent/Teachers conference of 150 parents. A MW baseball player has received a baseball scholarship to the University of Missouri; another student was one of 30 students nationwide to participate in a program last weekend in Washington D.C.; the Morton West theatre department will be presenting Guys and Dolls on November 13th, 14th, 15th, 2oth, 21st and 22nd.

Also, an MW parent told me that the group Iraq Veterans Against the War will be coming to Morton West on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving (on November 25) at 2:30 to discuss their opposition to the war in Iraq. This group picked Morton West in particular because of the protest against the War in Iraq that occurred a year ago at Morton West.


8. Student presentation - The book club at the Freshman Center gave a presentation to the board about their activities (including going to see a new movie called Twighlight and getting donations from Borders book store in Oak Brook over the holidays to expand reading at the Freshman Center). The book club also spoke about bringing in a prominent Mexican author to speak to both the student book club and an associated parent book club.

Another group called TAG (Teens Achieving Goals) talked about their activities, including food drives and gift drives for the holidays for poor families; writing letter and doing other things to support the troops in Iraq and acting as "ambassadors" at school events such as the Open House.


9. Usual business - The usual business of paying the bills and payroll; personnel hiring, firing (one person), resignations and retirements; Staff travel (Illinois Board of Education conference in Chicago); Student travel (Operation Snowball retreat in Oregon Illinois, Theatre festival in Champaign Illinois); approval of contracts (one of which was a contract to adminster the 403b retirement funds program); facility requests; and sundry other matters.


10. Next Board meeting - The next board meeting will be on December 10 at 7 PM at the Alternative School in Cicero.

I Heart Berwyn

There are limited "I love Berwyn" T-shirts and Totes available for purchase at Flyright Gifts in Berwyn. These would make great gifts! They are only $10!! ALL proceeds go to support Berwyn teachers through The Berwyn Challenge at Donorschoose. You can see a photo at the blog for Flyright Gifts, a GREAT Berwyn business! Scroll down to Thursday, Oct. 30th to view (boy am I late in writing this post!). Thanks to Flyright for supporting our Fall Kids Concert!!

Illinois releases 2008 School Report Cards

The Illinois State Board of Education released to the public the 2008 report cards this week. Report cards give valuable information about student population, academic performance and school district finances. Click here to view your school or district report card.

Freedom Students Participated in Underground Railroad Simulation

Click here to read more facts about District 100.

General Membership Meeting

BerwynCARES will hold the annual General Membership Meeting on Monday, November 3rd at 7:30 pm in the Berwyn Public Library. At this meeting we will open the ballots and announce the new Board of Directors. We will also discuss plans for the year. We would like to hear from our membership! Please attend! We would like to hear about what you think CARES is doing well and what your think CARES should change. You can help shape the direction of our organization. See you there!

Can't Go to The CARES Concert This Weekend?

If you can't attend the BerwynCARES kids concert this weekend, how about buying 5 tickets for some needy family? There are 9 elementary schools in Berwyn and we'd love to be able to give 9 families the opportunity to rock out for education!

Are there 9 people out there who will donate $50 TODAY?

If you are interested in sponsoring a family, please make your donation today! E-mail berwyncares@yahoo.com to arrange payment and we will drop off the tickets at a public school. See how easy it is to make a difference?

How Could We Make This Happen in Berwyn?

Click here to learn about a Charter School model that would make such a difference in our community. Click "Listen Now" when you get to the page.

SBEF Dinner Dance

The South Berwyn Education Foundation invites you to their 14th Annual Dinner Dance/Auction!

Frieday, October 17th, 2008
Skylight West Banquets
7117 W. Ogden
Doors open at 6:30. Dinner served at 7:30

Music, Dancing, Beverages, Silent Auction, Raffles, Split the Pot!
Donation: $50 (supports the students of School District 100)

For info call: 708-795-2300 TODAY!!

Seeking New Board Members

If you are a paid member of BerwynCARES and would like to serve on our Board of Directors, please e-mail berwyncares@yahoo.com and request that your name be put on the ballot. Ballots will be mailed out to all members within the next few weeks. We will have a general membership meeting at the end of October to announce new board members.

If you are not a paid member of BerwynCARES, what are you waiting for? Scroll down to LINKS on the right side of this page and click BECOME A MEMBER. Or go to www.berwyncares.org and click the paypal link. Thanks!

BerwynCARES at Czech Oasis, Volunteers Needed

It's a special year, Houby Fest celebrates its 40th ANNIVERSARY on
Saturday and Sunday, October 4th and 5th on Cermak Road!

Whatever else you do during the festival, a visit to the “Czech Oasis” is a MUST! Showcasing Berwyn’s Czech heritage and its inextricable link to the humble Mushroom, (or “Houby”).

The Czech Oasis is brought to you by Berwyn Main Street (berwynmainstreet.org) and their generous sponsors.

Please check out www.houbyfest.com for a great entertainment schedule, food vendors, and more.

BerwynCARES will be offering the very coolest crafts for kids: The now famous "I heart Berwyn" T-shirt and totes!! We need volunteers to help the kiddies on Sunday the 5th from noon-6pm. If you have an hour or two that you could give, please e-mail berwyncares@yahoo.com for more details. Thanks!

Connections Program needs Volunteers

Youth Crossroads, Inc. presents the Connections Program. The Connections Program is an after school program for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade youth focused on social skill and relationship development, academic improvement and personal growth plus having FUN!

The program will be held on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:30 pm to 6:00 pm at Freedom Middle School ( 3016 S. Ridgeland Ave. , Berwyn , IL ) starting October 6, 2008 and running through May 13, 2009. Components of the program include Homework Help, a sequenced Social Skills Curriculum, Active Learning Projects, and Recreational Activities. Monthly Parent Nights will be held on the last scheduled Monday of the month from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm.

Call for Volunteers - THAT MEANS YOU!!

The Connections Program is looking for teen-age, college-age, and adult volunteers who have an interest in working with 6th, 7th, and 8th grade youth. Volunteer responsibilities include building healthly relationships through interaction in activities with youth, assisting youth with homework, role modeling positive behavior, helping to coordinate group activities. Volunteer requirements are being at least 16 years of age, committing to at least 1 day a week, completion of an application, references and training, and completion of a criminal background check (for volunteers 18 years of age and older).

If you are interested in volunteering please contact Amy Barth at either (708)484-7400 or abarth@youthcrossroads.org .

3rd Annual BerwynCARES Kids Concert

SAVE THE DATE!!! SAVE THE DATE!!!

The 3rd Annual BerwynCARES Kids Concert will be on Saturday October 25th at 3pm at Fitzgeralds featuring local bands, The Boogers (check this out)and The Atomic Gumdrops!! All proceeds will go to fund this year's Berwyn Challenge at Donorschoose.org. What can you do to help?

*Reserve your tickets by going to www.berwyncares.org. Click on the Kids Concert graphic. The show sells out so be sure to get your tickets early! Tickets are $10

*Invite some friends!

*Use paypal at www.berwyncares.org to give a donation to buy tickets for Berwyn school children. Or send a donation to: BerwynCARES, PO Box 397, Berwyn, IL 60402

CARES Meets with New District 100 Superintendent

Recently, Dr. Stanley Fields was named the new Superintendent of South Berwyn District 100. On Friday, August 22, CARES members met with Stan regarding our concerns with the district, the various achievement gaps that exist within the district and the importance of establishing high expectations for all students. It is our hope and desire that Dr. Fields will lead District 100 to become a national example of a world-class educational system for a diverse population.

The following concerns were expressed by CARES to Dr. Fields:

• That 65% of Illinois elementary and high schools rank ABOVE the District 100 average on standardized testing
• That only two District 100 schools, Emerson, at the 40th percentile, and Irving, at the 47th percentile, rank in the top half of Illinois schools
• That while 77% of District 100 students meet or exceed expectations, 23% do not
• That while our district is proficient in helping students achieve mediocre test results, defined on the ISAT tests as “meeting expectations”, our district is not proficient in helping students achieve excellence, defined on the ISAT tests as “exceeding expectations”
• That 53% fewer District 100 Latino reading students exceed expectations than their White counterparts
• That 36% fewer Latino math students exceed expectations than their White counterparts

It was also communicated to Dr. Fields that the mentality “we’re doing well given our demographics” be abolished from Berwyn’s lexicon, and that we provide a world-class education for all students, regardless of race, color or creed. This bias hurts the district in two ways: we end up expecting less of the children that fall into “that demographic” (whatever that may be!) and drive young families away from Berwyn who fear that the culture of modest expectations will diminish their children’s educational experiences.

To provide the world-class education we all want for the children of Berwyn, CARES members suggested revisiting some of the recommendations offered by the strategic planning committees that met last year. Included in those recommendations are proposals for serving more children through early childhood education services, including offering full-day kindergarten. Research indicates that starting early is a wise strategy, as studies show that the achievement gap between children of color and their non-minority peers is already in place when children start kindergarten.

The importance of outreach efforts to engage Berwyn families in the education system was also discussed. Support for parent engagement was a part of last year’s strategic planning recommendations, and CARES echoed the need for meaningful and effective systems of communication with families. Members encouraged the Superintendent not to fall victim to the misplaced idea that minority or lower-income families do not value education or want to participate in their children’s education. In fact, research shows that all parents are concerned with their children’s education, and their involvement helps to raise student achievement, regardless of parents’ own educational attainment or academic success. (for research on parent involvement, see the report Building trust with schools and diverse families at http://www.nwrel.org/request/2003dec/trust.pdf).

It is our greatest hope that Dr. Stan Fields, along with Mr. John Belmont at District 98 and the administration at District 201, will be able to lead the Berwyn education systems to excellence. CARES supports their efforts to raise expectations for all Berwyn students.

Berwyn Reads

Berwyn Reads is Berwyn's first One Book, One Community initiative, a city-wide reading and discussion program that encourages all our residents to read the same book at the same time. The book is Paul Fleischman's Seedfolks and the kick-off (FREE BOOKS!) will be this Saturday, Sept. 20th from 1-4pm at Proksa Park. There will be hayrides between Proksa and the Depot District Oktoberfest.

About the Book:
In Seedfolks, Newbery Medal winner Paul Fleischman creates an urban garden that brings a new sense of hope and community to a bleak Cleveland neighborhood. Seedfolks consists of a series of first-person vignettes, each told by a different character.

Kick-off Activities:
The Proksa Park Garden Club will give tours of Proksa’s gardens from 3-4 p.m.

The Berwyn Park District will offer nature-inspired crafts for the kids 1-3 p.m.

Face Painting with Pamela Durkin A family performer of over 3 decades, Pam has traveled far and wide to be an Ambassador of good humor and good will. She thrives on coloring moods and attitudes. 1-3 p.m.

*Jerry Pohlen and Rita Maniotis will present their ideas on implementing recycling, renewable energy and energy conservation at all levels of state and local government. 1-2 p.m.

The Berwyn Public Library will hand out free copies of the novel and reading guide.

The Friends of the Library will serve refreshments. Enjoy a strolling violinist while visiting with neighbors and Friends.

The library and the Berwyn Art Council will host an auction of the centennial birthday cakes from 2-4 p.m. Proceeds will go to Berwyn schools’ art education programs. Cakes will be publicly displayed at Proksa Park September 15-20. Check out the cakes you might have missed displayed throughout Berwyn

Related Programs at the Berwyn Public Library:

*Reduce, Reuse, Recycle with Kay McKeen, Oct 9 at 7pm
*Composting with the University of Illinois Extension, Oct 23 at 7pm
*PBS Film and Lecture on Social Entrepreneurship, Nov 6 at 6:30pm

16th Street Theatre's adaptation of Seedfolks
Sat. November 15th at 11:00 am at the BPL
Sat. November 15th at 2:00 pm at the 16th Street Theater

Please consider inviting neighbors to a book discussion! The Berwyn Public Library can provide book discussion questions!

A Million Bucks?

BerwynCARES would like to see more students from Morton West go to college. This year, we offer a T-shirt with a strong message about staying in school.

Did you know that a college graduate could earn $1,000,000 more over a career than a high school drop-out?

You do now! And all the kids in Berwyn will know if we sell enough of these T-shirts at the Depot District Oktoberfest next Saturday the 20th from noon-6pm. ONLY $10. We'll also be trying to sell them to MW teachers, students and parents. If you'd like to buy a T-shirt, e-mail berwyncares@yahoo.com.

District 201 Projects Budget Deficit by Ted Korbos

This is a summary of the District 201 school board meeting that occured on September 10, 2008. The meeting started at 7:40 PM (40 minutes late) and ended at 9:15 PM. Absent from the meeting were Max Flores (who has missed a whole lot of meetings since he was appointed to the school board one year ago) and Jeff Pesek (who was in Springfield and who the board tried to conference call into the meeting).

1. School uniform problems - Several parents and students spoke out about problems with the school uniform policy. One problem that is the students were detained and not allowed to go to class because they were wearing ties. Students and parents pointed out that there is nothing in the dress code prohibiting the wearing of ties and that students who were wearng droopy pants and 10 gold chains around their neck were allowed in the school while students wearig neck ties were detained.

Another problem occured because a girl was not wearing white underwear. When this girl was changing for gym class, the teacher noticed that she was not wearing white underwear and a white bra. The teacher told the student that that was against the uniform policy and made the girl sit in detention until her parents came to pick her up. The parent speaking was furious that his daughter was embarrassed in this way and pointed out that there was nothing in the school uniform policy about the color of underwear or bras and that his daughter should have been at least been able to go to classes for the day rather than be sent home.

Another set of problems involved gym shoes not being all one color. Even black gym shoes with a white Nike swoosh or white toes are not allowed. One student stated that the administration made him put black duct tape over his gyms shoes to make it acceptable and he was allowed to wear gym shoes with black duct tape!! Another problem was that kids wearing gym shoes with shoe laces that were not white or black were also sent home.

Another parent was mad because her daughter had been detained because her white polo shirt had 5 buttons on it and the Dean of Students stated that polo shirts could have only 3 buttons on it. The parent displayed the polo shirt to the audience. The parent pointed out that there was nothing in the uniform policy that stated that a polo shirt could have at most 3 buttons on it. The parent stated that the Dean he was speaking to was wearing tight black spandex pants and a low cut blouse showing lots of cleavage.

All of the parents complained about the fact that 100 kids were sent to a room and made to sit on the floor all day for minor violations of the dress code. In general, parents believed the administration was "being picky" and "going overboard" and that the administration should care more about educating the kids and less about things that don't matter. One father complained that he had gone out and bought polo shirts that were green and maroon and was angry that he found out two weeks before school started that green or maroon shirts would not be allowed.

Two students read from a Supreme Court ruling that they claimed showed that the school uniform policy was an infringement of their civil rights. One parent has contacted the ACLU and has registered a complaint with the Illinois State Board of Education.

Acting superintendent Frank Zarate made a statement that the school uniform policy has had a "dramatic impact.". Freshman Center principal Joe Gunty stated that he believed he has seen less behavioral problems this year than last year in the first few weeks of school and claimed that the lessening of behavioral problems in the first few weeks was due to the school uniform policy.

Zarate did admit that the uniform policy had met with mixed reviews from parents and students and admitted that several parents were angry about the lack of communication on the change in the school uniform policy from what it was in October and about the attempt to add the logo as part of the school uniform.

Parents were angry with the attitude that they perceived from Zarate and board members. One parent called the reaction of board members to their comments as "smug". Another threatened to defeat them in the next election. The irony was that this parent apparently did not even know who the board members were because the person he was talking directly to and who he thought was a board member was actually the board attorney.

It was also announced that the Morton Scholarship League had given the district money so that needy families could buy school uniforms.

2. No tables or chairs in the cafeteria - Another issue that came up and which parents complained about was that there were not enough tables and chairs in the Morton West cafeteria and that kids were eating on the floors. Another parent claimed that tables and chairs were being put in the hallway outside the cafeteria and that students were eating there. The administration stated that they realized there was a shortage of tables and chairs due to broken tables and chairs being moved out and the replacements had not arrived yet. The administration claimed the new tables and chairs were on their way and would be in the cafeteria in the next few days. The administration also admitted that there would be still be an over-crowding problem because the enrollment at Morton West is much much higher than they expected.

3.Unexpected higher enrollment - The district has experienced a much higher than enrollment this year than they had expected or projected. The administration claimed it would have to hire more new teachers and administrators to meet the higher than expected enrollments.

4. Bad news on the budget - The projected budget deficit for the coming fiscal year (fiscal year 2008/2009) will be more than double the actual deficit from fiscal year 2007/2008. Last year, the actual budget deficit was $2.5 million dollars with revenue of $85.3 million dollars and expenses of $87.8 million dollars.

The budget for 2008/2009 projects revenues of $87 million and projects expenditures of $93 million for a projected deficit of nearly $6 million dollars (compared to the actual deficit last year of $2.5 million).

This is occuring even though General State Aid has increased by nearly $5 million dollars in the last 2 years due to changes in the foundation level and funding by the state, changes in the state aid formula and use of census data to identify low income children. The increase in state aid between 2007 to 2008 was $1.6 million dollars due to more funding by the legislature. The increase in state aid between 2008 to 2009 will be an additional $3.3 million (from $22.9 million to $26.2 million) due to another increase in the foundation level as well as a change to the funding formula and the use of census data to identify low income children.

The one things I don't understand is this - in 2005, 2006 and 2007,the deficit (excludng one time building costs for the Freshman Center and Alternative School) was between $5 to $6 million dollars all three years. Between the 2007 budget to the 2009 budget, the state has increased its funding to district 201 by $5 million dollars. Yet rather than reducing the deficit to below $1 million dollars with the increased state aid, the budget deficit goes from $2.5 million to almost $6 million!! I don't get it. I would have thought the increase in state aid of almost $5 million dollars would have closed the budget deficit.

Last year, the actual deficit was lower than expected because of less insurance claims (which decreased the actual deficit by $1 million dollars) and the last amount given to the district by the state for building the alternative school ($900,000). This year's budget also has some capital expenditures in it for some much needed maintenance but no corresponding dollars from the state. The district has put out RFPs to fix the green house at Morton East, the pool filtration system at Morton West and to put air conditioning into the superintendent's office at Morton East.

There are expected to be cost savings in the budget due to transportation and other contracts such as the copier contract. The district is saving around $400,000 by switching transportation companies and will save around $11,000 per month in switching copiers to Ricoh.

The starting balance on all funds will be $43.2 million and the ending balance is expected to be $37 million dollars (a net loss in the funds of $6.2 million dollars). In the operating funds (which is what the state looks at for deciding whether a district should be put on the financial watch list), the starting balance will be $35.6 million dollars and the ending balance will be $30.5 million dollars, a loss in the operating funds of $5.1 million dollars.


5. Bad news on Township District 39 dissolution - The board approved the payment of $185,000 for amounts invoiced to District 201 by Education Township District 39, which was dissolved last April. When DIstrict 39 was dissolved, it was expected that around $715,000 was "missing" from the assets and funds. However, District 201 (and the other school districts affected as well) has found out that the missing amount may be closer to $1.5 million dollars. The other school districts have decided to not pursue the discrepency and just get the matter over with. District 201 instructed its law firm to file a malfeasancelawsuit against the auditors and District 39 bond to get the money back.


6. Fixing Algebra I - The new curriculum director gave a presentation on things they would do this year to improve scholastic achievement.

One thing they have done is identify 3 critical courses that are make or break for a student's success in high school. Those courses are Algebra I, English 9 and Biology. The curriculum director cited statistics that students who fail Algebra I are 4 times more likely to fail future courses and drop out of school than students who pass Algebra I.

They are going to change the way Algebra I is taught. They are going to make sure all teachers in Algebra I are teaching the same thing and are testing for the same thing. Similar changes will occur in English 9 and in Biology. There will also be programs to reduce the number of 5th year seniors and reduce rententions. They will also be looking to more use of the new Skyward software that was purchased last year.

7. Contracts and bids - Contracts and bids were approved by the board and once again the amounts of all bids was not stated publicly. Only the amounts of the contracts or bids that were awarded were announced publicly. A new fireworks company was contracted for homecoming because the old contractor did not do a good job of cleanup. A copier contract has been awarded to Ricoh for $11,000 per month; a contract for 5 digital video recorders for an amount of $28,050 and a contract for video cameras in the amount of $25,460. The amounts for contract for homecoming items were not announced except for the fireworks contract, which was $2,000.


8. New interim school superintendent - The district hired Clyde Senters as the new interim school superintendent while the district does a search for a permanent superintendent. Mr. Senters used to be the superintendent of the Cicero Elementary School District 99.

In other hiring news, the district is hiring "lead teachers" to act as a liason between curriculum content leads and teachers. Another significant hire was a new Building and Grounds Director, James Zundell.


9. Usual business - The usual business of approving payroll and payables; approving previous board minutes; expelling students (two students were expelled); personnel hirings, resignations and releases; staff travel to a whole bunch of conferences; student travel to MIller Dunes National Seashore in Indiana (for biology) and to New York City for the band to participate in the Music in The Parks Festival; facility requests and submission of paperwork to the Illinois State Board of Education.

10. Next board meeting - The next board meeting will be on October 8, 2008. Location was not stated.

The Kelly Miller Circus

The South Berwyn Education Foundation is sponsoring the 2nd Annual Kelly Miller Circus. All proceeds benefit and support the students of School District 100.

The Circus will take place on Sept. 4th, at Janura Park, at 4:30 pm and 7:30 pm shows.

Tickets purchased today at LaVergne Education Center, and the YMCA are $5 for children and $10 for adults. Tomorrow, tickets will be $6 for children and $12 for adults at Janura Park.

Everyone is welcome. Come and see this well known traveling Circus under the big top.

For more information contact Irving School, Dan Lane @ 708-795-2334.

Today is the Day!

Dear Berwyn CARES member,

Thank you for being a member of Berwyn CARES! We appreciate your support and could not have existed without the support of people like you.

Over the course of the last year, we have continued working toward our mission of uniting residents interested in renewing and sustaining an enthusiasm, interest and passion for the education system in Berwyn. In the past year, we initiated the Berwyn Challenge with Donors Choose to fund projects in Berwyn schools. CARES as an organization donated over $3,500 to Donors Choose projects. In the spring, we gave three $1,000 scholarships to students graduating from Morton West.

In addition to this, we sponsored and organized children's activities at OktoberFest, put on a children's concert in the fall to raise money for school projects and hosted on a concert in the spring to raise money for college scholarships.

This year, we started the Berwyn CARES blog and posted articles that would be of interest to education efforts in Berwyn. We have continued to attend school board meetings and make our voices heard on issues of importance to the school districts.

In February, Berwyn CARES voiced our concern to District 201 that no action was being taken on a consultant's report that showed only 6% of the students in District 201 are completing the core curriculum and that 30% of the students in District 201 were failing math. Within a month of voicing our concerns and writing a letter to the editor of the Life newspaper (and reading the letter in the open forum of a school board meeting), District 201 announced the hiring of a curriculum director and curriculum leads.

In the spring, Berwyn CARES members participated in focus groups with District 100 on the selection of a new school superintendent and discussed with school board members our concerns.

As you know, our efforts are not without costs ... postage, envelopes, paper, copying fees, the P.O. Box and the website as well as funding grants and scholarships. We hope that you will renew your membership for this coming year! Please consider pledging at a higher level, knowing that Berwyn CARES is committed to our mission. You can make a contribution using paypal, www.berwyncares.org , or click here, print and send to:

Berwyn CARES
P.O. Box 397
Berwyn, Illinois 60402

Thank you again for your continued support.

Oktoberfest 2008!

Once again, Berwyn CARES will be sponsoring the kids' activities at this year's Depot District Oktoberfest on Saturday, September 20th from noon-6pm. Come enjoy a great day in Berwyn! There will be crafts, carnival booth games, face painting, and lots of other fun stuff for kids and families! If you would like to volunteer, please contact Robin Scharpf at rrammien@hotmail.com. See you there!

Now is the Time to Extend the School Day at Morton West

District 201 is currently in negotiations with the Teachers' union, along with several other unions, for a new contract. This is an excellent opportunity to make sweeping changes! And a great time to revisit a blog post from about a year ago that focused on the priorities of District 201. In that post, the goal of increasing the graduation rate was explored in this advice to the District 201 School Board:

Increase graduation rate. The current graduation rate is 69.4%. In addition to setting this goal, consider negotiating a longer school day (+50 minutes) for all students when the next teacher contract is negotiated. Though our students are held to the same standards as all others in the state in terms of how many credits are needed to graduate, they have less opportunity as they are only able to earn a total of 24 credits over the 4 years in the regular school day. While we have one of the shortest school days in the state, our neighboring districts give the opportunity for students to take one extra class each day (4 extra credits over 4 years). Extending the school day would be the most effective way to boost the graduation rate and every student in the district would benefit. The bottom line is that Morton students can take 6 classes per day, while OPRF, RB, LT and most other districts require their students to take 7.

I believe that Morton West's graduation rate of 69.4% reflects the number of students that are able to graduate in 4 years. I wonder about the other 30.6 % of students. How many do ultimately graduate by paying for an extra summer school class that in another district would have been free as a part of their regular school day? How many are too poor to afford that summer school class and, therefore, wait until the regular school year begins to finish up, even though that may mean ridicule from others for being a "5th year student"? How many young people, just a credit or two away from that diploma, just give up?

The formula for figuring out the graduation rate is complicated and varies from state to state, though Secretary of Education, Margaret Spellings, aims to change that with a federal formula. No matter what the formula, I believe that extending the school day will make a difference for some students in terms of their ability to graduate on time. It will make a huge difference for ALL students in terms of increasing their opportunities to learn...be it in an advanced math class for seniors (see this blog post) or an English class taken for the 2nd time to make up a lost credit.

Please urge the District 201 School Board and administration to consider negotiating a longer school day for students in any new union contracts. I once analyzed beginning teacher salaries for Morton West teachers compared to surrounding districts and found that they are, indeed, underpaid. Our teachers are paid about 7%less than beginning teachers at other districts, however our school day is about 15% shorter.

Our teachers deserve a raise. Our students deserve a chance!

Special District 100 School Board Meeting

There will be a special District 100 Board Of Education meeting on Wednesday August 20th at 6pm at the LaVergne Education Center, 3401 S. Gunderson. Agenda items include:

*2008 ISAT scores and preliminary school improvement strategies for 2009. Each Principal will make a presentation for their respective school, and district administrators, Tony Cundari and Jan Galbraith will address preliminary district initiatives.

*District 100 Mission Statement, Belief Statements and Goalsreview and discussion

* "School Finance 101"

The Board of Education will adopt the 2009 Budget and the District 100 Mission statements, Belief Statements and Goals at the regular Board of Education Meeting on August 27th.

If you've never attended a District 100 School Board Meeting, this would be a great start!

Meet a Scholarship Recipient

Meet Nadia Abbasi, an amazing student and one of our 3 2008 BerwynCARES scholarship recipients. Nadia has received the Jim Zacovek Memorial Scholarship in memory and honor of Jim Zacovek who died of cancer. A close friend of his donated the scholarship to BerwynCARES in his honor. Jim was a graduate of Morton West in 1987. Nadia is ranked in the top 10 of her class and will be attending Loyola University to study Nursing in the Fall.


How would you describe your high school experience in one sentence or less?
Very stressful, but none the less fun and an experience I would never forget.

What is/was your favorite subject?
I really loved AP Biology and all of the English classes I took.

Have you or your friends experienced any barriers to getting the best education possible and, if so, what were they?
I have not experienced any major barriers, and I generally believe that Morton West has provided me with a quality education. However, two of my friends took AP Calculus their junior year in high school and Morton had no higher level of math for them to take senior year. This was one limitation and barrier on their education.

What opportunities does Morton West provide that may not be available at other high schools?
Morton West provides a diverse student body so that I not only learned about science and history, but also about other cultures and beliefs. Also, Morton provided me with incredibly caring teachers who wanted me to go above and beyond, and did whatever necessary, be it coming in early or staying after, to make sure I did.

How do you think Morton West compares to other high schools?
I think that Morton West is an equally good school as other public schools in the area.

If you could change one thing about Morton West, what would it be?
I think that many students that go to Morton West don't care about their education and therefore drop out or fail many classes. This makes it seem as if Morton West doesn't have good teachers or cannot provide a good education for students. This however, is untrue and it is not fair that Morton has a bad reputation based on those students. If I could change one thing about Morton West I would try to change the attitudes of some students or Morton's reputation.

Describe the most challenging assignment you have done.
The most challenging assignment I have done was dissecting a cat in AP Biology. This assignment was difficult to me for many reasons, one being that I really love animals and the dissection made me feel guilty. Another reason was because the dissection itself was difficult; I have never dissected anything before so it was new to me. The last reason this assignment was difficult was because the cats smelled terribly like preservatives and decay which made it hard to even be near them. This assignment was very important however, for learning anatomy.

Is there a teacher you would like to thank? Why?
I would like to thank my sophomore year Honors English teacher, Ms. HP because she taught me how to write a well constructed essay and has really helped shape my writing style. I would also like to thank my junior year AP English teacher, Mrs Weinstein, for inspiring me to absolutley love literature. Her passion about the books we read in class was contagious and it made me passionate about reading and writing, a passion which has not left me even though the class has been over for over a year now. Lastly, I would like to thank Dr Bartone, my AP Biology for treating our AP class like it was a college class and helping to prepare me for my first year of college.

Do you plan to go to college? If so, where? What will you study?
Yes, I am enrolled in Loyola University's Nursing program.

Do you feel you were well prepared for college?
I think that college would be a drastic change, no matter where I went to high school, but I think that Morton has prepared me as well as any high school could.

What's playing on your iPod?
My favorite types of music are experimental, progressive, and indie, and my favorite band is Interpol.

What are you reading?
Currently, I am reading Atonement by Ian McEwan

Where will you be in one year? Five years? Ten years?
In one year I will be done with my freshmen year in college. In five years, I will be done with my undergraduate studies and I will be a nurse. I will probably also be taking classes in attempt to earn my Masters degree. In ten years, I will hopefully have a house and a husband. I will be working towards being head nurse and I will hopefully either have already adopted a child or be in the process of adoption.

Scholarships Awarded to Students

Tonight it was my pleasure to present 3 outstanding Morton West graduates with $1000 scholarships. These exceptional young adults represent the best of Morton West and, thanks to the generosity of BerwynCARES members, we were able to recognize their great achievements and their promising futures. We will be profiling the 3 recipients in the coming weeks on this blog. Thanks to Susan Crowe and the scholarship committee for all their efforts!

Summer Learning Loss

Summer Learning Loss refers to the decline in skills and achievement over the summer months when school is not in session. Typically, this loss is more significant in low-income children. While middle class and wealthy children often have age appropriate books in their homes, poor children rely on schools for their reading material. Poor kids lose over 2 months of achievement during the summer months. Middle class and wealthy students often make gains or remain at the same level of achievement during the summer. Summer learning loss contributes significantly to the achievement gap in our country and in OUR COMMUNITY.

The Berwyn Public Library offers a summer reading program to keep kids (and adults!) reading over the summer. There are prizes and special events and it really is motivating for kids. I encourage everyone who reads this to go this week and register. However, according to an article on the scholastic website, poor children are much less likely to have access to local libraries for a variety of reasons.

"Research shows that public library use among poor children drops off when a library is more than six blocks from their home, compared with more than two miles for middle-class children."

The best remedy for summer learning loss is books in the hands of the kids, and once again, the kids who need the most get the least. From the same scholastic article:

>"We also know that teachers and librarians in the poorest communities, are the least likely to allow children to check out books because these schools can't afford to risk the loss of the few books they have. While economically-advantaged schools are able to buy multiple copies of favorite books, poor schools face serious limitations. High-poverty schools use what money they have to buy test-preparation packages, while middle-class schools buy books."

Of course, the solutions are not simple. If policy makers are serious about eliminating the achievement gap, they must realize that poor kids don't need the same as wealthy kids...THEY NEED MORE. We must offer kids quality summer reading programs in our schools. We must get appropriate reading material in the hands of the kids on that last day of school for them to TAKE HOME. We must keep them reading during the summer.

How Many Kids from Morton West Go to College?

BerwynCARES hopes to help increase the percentage of Morton West graduates that go on to college. We've created a new T-shirt design aimed at middle and high school students and teachers. The front of the shirt shows $1,000,000. The back features this message:

During an average career span, college graduates will earn $1,000,000 more than a high school drop out. IT PAYS TO STAY IN SCHOOL.

The T-shirts are for sale for $10. E-mail berwyncares@yahoo.com if you would like to order one!

At a BerwynCARES meeting last year, administrators estimated about 40% of graduates go on to college and about 1/2 of those go to 2 year community colleges. We hope to influence the current administrations of Districts 98, 100 and 201 to develop or strengthen programs at all of the middle schools and Morton West aimed at increasing the percentage of students who go on to 4 year universities. Programs like "Gear Up" are currently limited to the city of Chicago. A similar comprehensive program should be developed to unite the efforts of District 98, 100 and 201 to see that all Berwyn children reach their potential. Much of Gear Up's message focuses on the Middle School years as the ideal time to begin helping low-income, minority students and families to see college as a possibility. However, there is evidence that gains made early are lost without follow-up programs in the high school years. Another program that could be used as a great model for Berwyn is Admission Possible out of Minnesota. The copyrighted curriculum is for juniors and seniors who must apply to the program their sophomore year.
http://www.admissionpossible.org/AP_Curriculum.html

Our districts, indeed our community, must unite to see our children make it to the finish line. If our elementary school districts truly care about the success of their students (and I believe they do!), then the responsibility for those students CANNOT end at 8th grade graduation. And if our high school administrators and teachers truly care about the success of their students (and I believe they do!) then they must be invested in the early years of their future students. These 3 districts must come together, pool their limited resources, to offer hope to the students of Berwyn. Districts 98, 100 and Morton West must work together to offer a 6th-12th grade comprehensive program with the explicit goal of increasing the number of low-income, minority Berwyn students that go on to college.

Many Thanks!

Thanks to all who helped to make the 2nd Annual Rock the Vote Concert a huge success. We were able to raise enough money to offer 3 $1000 scholarships to Morton West seniors headed to college! Once we have notified the recipients, we will announce their names and a bit of info about their ambitious plans.

Special thanks to Shana Marshall who organized the Silent Auction which brought in over $1500! And to Susan Crowe who organized the scholarship committee and supervised the difficult task of evaluating all of the applications. Kudos to Matt Scharpf and Goat Rodeo for the great music. You guys rock! Also, thanks to Tiger O'Stylie, the Berwyn Police Union and Fire Department and all of the elected officials who supported and attended the event.

And a heart-felt thank you to all of those private donors out there who sent in donations to the scholarship fund! What a gift to these students. You have really made a difference. At least 3 young people in our community will know that Berwyn cares!!

Berwyn CARES Scholarship Fund

As many of you HOPEFULLY know, we will be raising money for college scholarships for Morton West High School Seniors headed to college at our 2nd annual "Rock the Vote" concert. Please reserve your tickets by e-mailing berwyncares@yahoo.com today! You will pay at the door.

If you cannot attend, but still would like to contribute to the scholarship fund, please consider making a donation in any amount to BerwynCARES via paypal at berwyncares.org or by sending it snail mail to: BerwynCARES P.O. Box 397, Berwyn, IL 60402. Any donations made between now and May 30th will go directly for scholarships. Any person or individual who donates $500 or more will have a scholarship named in their honor (The Joe Shmoe BerwynCARES scholarship). Pretty cool.

We have 13 scholarship applications. Our event will likely only fund 2 or 3, so it would be great to be able to fund more through private donations. Here are some examples of the scholarship applications we have received:

This kid is #2 in his class and wants to get a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He also works as a volunteer janitor at his church.

"After I have completed my education, I plan to work as an engineer to develop alternative forms of fuel, with the goal of helping rid the United States of its dependency on foreign oil."

This girl ranks # 12 in her class and wants to study Biochemistry. She's first generation American.

"As a Greek immigrant, my father came to this country to give his children opportunities never possible to him. Evan after making such a low income, he still strives to provide his children with higher education."

This guy's #1 in his class and wants to study Economics. He volunteers with Habitat for Humanity and feeding the homeless in Chicago.

"After finishing my undergraduate studies, I plan to make my mark in the business world. Hopefully I will find a situation that will combine innovation with practicality and profits, while still being able to help others."

This kid ranks #13 in her class and wants to study music.

"I am deeply interested in classical music and have spent many hours studying independently. I hope to study music history while in college."

These are only a few examples of the deserving and impressive students who applied for our scholarships. Our event alone will only allow us to fund 2 or 3 of our applications. Wouldn't it be great to be able to fund more through private donations? Please consider contributing today!

Thanks!

Meet your State Senator: Kimberly Lightford

In an effort to promote our "Rock the Vote" fundraiser, BerwynCARES will be providing profiles of state representatives and information on their impact on education in Berwyn.

Kimberly Lightford represents the 4th District which includes parts of Berwyn, Maywood, Oak Park and the city of Chicago. Did you know...

*She sponsored the Preschool for All Bill that increased spending for early childhood programs allowing more 3 and 4 year olds to attend quality preschools?

*Senator Lightford is the Chair of the Education Committee?

*Senator Lightford Voted Yes on the following bills: Public School Transfat Ban, Silent Reflection and Student Prayer, Gaming Expansion to fund Infrastructure and Social Programs, Funding for Schools, Universities, and Roads, and Bond Authorization?

*Kimberly Lightford has represented the 4th district since 1998?

Senator Lightford's contact information can be found at the Illinois General Assembly website.

CARES Recommends Continued Search for District 100 Superintendent

Dear District 100 Board of Directors,

Berwyn Citizens Aligned to Renew Education for Students (Berwyn CARES) is writing this letter to express concern about the two final candidates for Superintendent of South Berwyn District 100.

At a focus group conducted by the board a few months ago, hosted by the Illinois Association of School Boards, the community clearly articulated that the new superintendent possess the following qualifications:

• Superintendent experience at the elementary school level, with a proven track record for success at the elementary school level

• A proven track record of engaging and energizing the Latino community

• A proven track record of addressing the achievement gap between non-minority and minority students, and middle class and low income students

• A resume beyond reproach, that will exhibit a pattern of stability and logical career moves, in consideration of the recent short tenures of District 100 superintendents

We believe the board did the right thing in soliciting the input from the community via focus groups regarding the qualifications of an ideal candidate. However, we are concerned that neither of the final two candidates meet the criteria identified in the focus groups. We believe that the two candidates possess few – if any – of these qualifications.

One candidate does not appear to have experience at the elementary school level, and has exhibited a series of job moves that raise questions - with recent short-lived assignments and resignations in nearby school districts.

The second candidate’s background indicates little or no experience with the Latino community (present district is less than 1% Latino), and despite working with smaller class sizes and less minority and low income students, that district’s academic performance has not fared much better than ours.

Accordingly, it is the opinion of this organization's board, and it is our recommendation to the District 100 board, that the search continue, and that an interim superintendent be appointed until a qualified candidate can be found. However, we do recognize that it is ultimately the responsibility of the District 100School Board to choose the Superintendent. BerwynCARES is committed to working with whomever the Board chooses as Superintendent to eliminate the achievement gap in Berwyn and offer a world-class education for ALL students.

Sincerely,

Berwyn Citizens Aligned to Renew Education for Students
Shelley Titzer - President

Reserve your "Rock the Vote" tickets today!

Don't forget to reserve your tickets ASAP for the Rock the Vote concert! E-mail berwyncares@yahoo.com to reserve tickets. Pay at the door.

Contact Your Legislators!

If you agree that Early Childhood Education is a priority for Illinois, here is your chance to act. Below is the text of an e-mail I received from the Ounce of Prevention Fund. Visit their website to learn more about the organization and the benefits of Early Childhood Education.

Ask your legislators to support early childhood priorities in the FY09 budget!!

Recently, members of the Illinois House of Representatives were asked to prioritize important budget issues. These issues will be critical as legislators begin to negotiate budget priorities for FY09.

TAKE ACTION!
Urge your legislators, Representatives and Senators, to talk with leadership about including the following early childhood investments in the FY09 budget:

Provide a $68 million increase to the Early Childhood Block Grant in the ISBE budget
Talking Point: A $68 million increase is needed in FY09 to ensure that we stay on track with our Preschool for All enrollment goals as well as to better respond to the overwhelming statewide demand for more infant-toddler programs.

Provide a $10 million increase to expand home visitation programs through the Department of Health and Human Services Healthy Families and Parents Too Soon budget lines
Talking Point: Home visiting programs in Illinois have not experienced an expansion since 2000 and serve only a tiny percentage of the at-risk children and families who could benefit from these services. Healthy Families, Parents Too Soon and other research-based parent coaching models effectively work with families, starting as early as pregnancy, providing support through the first years of life, to ensure that children at-risk of poor developmental outcomes grow up healthy and ready to learn.

Provide $30 million in any capital bill for early childhood facilities
Talking Point: Young children need safe, welcoming, and developmentally appropriate environments to stimulate learning. Yet, in certain areas around the state, families’ demand for early childhood services outpaces the availability of high-quality learning spaces.

Support increased investments in the Child Care Assistance Program
Talking Point: Support quality by maintaining the proposed FY09 IDHS Child Care budget. The budget includes $55 million to increase the child care reimbursement rate by 3% for all child care providers to meet the SEIU collective bargaining agreement and ensure parity. In addition, a budget increase of $45 million is needed to implement HB5297/SB 898 reducing parent co-payments to be no more than 10% of a low-income family’s income.

When contacting your legislators make sure they know how important these priorities are for the children and families in their districts. Urge them to talk with leadership about these early childhood issues and to include them in their list of priorities. If you can not make a call, please write an email or send a letter right away.

Click here if you need contact information for your legislators.

Thank you for all you do on behalf of young children and their families across Illinois .

201 Super put on Leave, Zarate Appointed Interim

Dr. Nowakowski, Superintendent of District 201, was put on paid leave until his contract expires at the end of this year. District 201 School Board appointed Morton East principal, Frank Zarate, interim Superintendent until a search is complete. Frank Zarate has indicated he will apply for the permanent position. Here is a promising article in the District 201 e-newsletter about the direction of our high school district in the near future with Zarate.

There is mention of CARES efforts to draw attention to the shortcomings of District 201:

"District 201 has been publicly criticized in recent months by residents and local education advocacy groups for not properly addressing serious challenges facing the schools' academics. Failing test scores and struggling graduation rates are among the district weaknesses that Zarate said he will broach during this transitory period."

The strong focus on curriculum and achievement hinted at in the article is very encouraging!

Rock the Vote Rescheduled, New Venue

Rock the Vote has been rescheduled for Friday, May 30th at 7pm at Tiger O'Stylies. Same plan: $40 gets you Open Bar, food, silent auction, live music, and a good feeling because you are giving to a good cause! We will be raising money for $1000 scholarships for Morton West seniors headed to college.

RSVP to berwyncares@yahoo.com to reserve your tickets!

Check back this week for blog posts related to elected officials and their impact on education in Berwyn.

Morton West Student named Golden Apple Scholar

Click here to read from the District 201 website about Morton West Student named Golden Apple Scholar. What an honor! Congratulations to her and her family.

At the Golden Apple website, the rigorous application process is described:

"Prospective Scholars must submit an application with seven essays, letters of reference, test scores and transcripts, and must interview at the finalist stage."

The award includes opportunities to study and train with master teachers during Summer Institutes, scholarships, and opportunities for paid internships and workshops. This program is funded primarily by the State of Illinois and some significant private donations.

Rock the Vote Change of Venue/Date

The 2nd annual Rock The Vote Concert will not be at Garv's. Due to circumstances beyond our control, we will need to change the venue. I will post the new location and possibly the new date ASAP.

Dual-language A Good Fit for Berwyn?

This article in the Chicago tribune highlights communities that are forward thinking about foreign languages. In Berwyn, though our diverse population makes a dual-language model ideal, this type of program is often dismissed. Perhaps it is time we started seeing our diversity and bilingual population as an asset. When CARES members brought up dual-language programming as part of the District 100 strategic planning, challenges such as expense and a level of commitment from families were discussed. However, in other communities, there are long waiting lists for such programs and districts are using pilot programs as magnet schools for families interested. From the article:

"Instead of a set class time a few times a week, 14 native-English speakers and 14 native-Spanish speakers will begin kindergarten in the same class, and another 28 will start 1st grade. Part of the school day, they will use English, but most of the instruction will be delivered in Spanish. That same group will progress together grade by grade, learning subjects in both languages.The result, experts say, will be students who truly are bilingual."

Perhaps our community and schools have been so focused on teaching the Spanish-speaking kids English, we've neglected to see that it benefits them to keep their Spanish speaking skills and it benefits English-speaking students to learn Spanish. Please read the whole article, but here is the part that struck me as most relevant to Berwyn:

"With the federal No Child Left Behind Act's focus on reading and math,
administrators worry about taking attention from those core subjects to provide time for languages and the arts, he said. But vocal parents who want their students to be competitive in a changing world can change minds."It's a matter of demand," Ackley said. "Parents are saying that this is important."Carole Davis, a mother of three Beebe students, said she excitedly submitted her 6-year-old daughter's name for one of the 1st-grade slots. She wants Lauren to become truly bilingual, a skill she said would make her daughter competitive in the workplace as an adult. But she also appreciates the larger message it sends to her daughter -- that learning other languages and cultures is worthwhile and valuable."

District 100 Technology Night

The 5th Annual Technology Night is Tuesday, April 8th at Freedom Middle School from 6:30-8:00pm. Student technology projects will be on display from all Dist. 100 schools. There will be a raffle and prizes!

Lincoln Middle School Teachers Receive Award

The Good News Report from District 98 included the following item. Congratulations!

"Two of our teachers at Lincoln Middle School have been named 2008 IMSA Award of Excellence Recipients. The award is given annually by the Illinois Math and Science Academy in recognition of educators who have challenged, inspired, and supported students’ academic and personal growth prior to their enrollment in IMSA. Two of our former students who are now enrolled full time at IMSA nominated Christine Crook and Stacy Goldman. IMSA believes the students that attend the Academy today are there because of the encouragement and support which Christine Crook and Stacy Goldman provided when they were students at Lincoln Middle School. On March 14th, the Academy held its “2008 Teacher Recognition Day” presenting awards to both teachers. We are proud of the students who are attending the Illinois Math &Science Academy, and we commend the work of such inspiring teachers as Christine Crook and Stacy Goldman."

Click here to read a previous post about the IMSA program at Lincoln Middle School.

BDC Asking for Support of Cermak TIF Extension

The Berwyn Development Corporation is asking all Berwyn school districts for support regarding a possible 12 year extension of the Cermak Road TIF. At a recent District 100 school board meeting, Tony Griffin, executive director of the Berwyn Development Corp., fielded questions from board members along with Phil McKenna, a financial consultant. Basically, the city and the schools will need to enter into an Intergovernmental Agreement that may allow for the TIF to "pay back" some of the incremental surplus to the districts over the 12 year extension. A conservative estimate for District 100 was $91,000 per year. The letters of support will be brought to Springfield and then the terms of the IGA will be negotiated this spring/summer. This is the first time in the life of the TIF that other taxing entities have been involved in decisions and the first time that the schools have been offered any kind of relief. Joanne Zendol clarified, "So, we used to get nothing, and now we'll get something?"


This article in The Berwyn Life hints that the Morton College Board may not offer the letter of support. District 201 Board of Education has not yet acted on the request from the BDC.

There are many residents and Berwyn officials who believe that the Cermak TIF is crucial in the economic development of Berwyn going forward. There are others who are concerned about the amount of funds that schools and other taxing entities "lose" during the life of the TIF, especially given the lack of economic development that has occurred under the TIF in the past 15 years.

At the District 100 meeting, Michelle Skryd of the Berwyn City Council accompanied by the new Main Street administrator pointed out that in the past year or 2, the TIFs have been audited for the first time and there is progress in the "Superblock" development. The Main Street designation for Cermak Road is just beginning to take shape in the form of marketing efforts and assistance to existing and new businesses. The extension of the TIF along with the success of the Main Street initiatives could have a great positive impact on the economic development of the area. If the TIF extension does bring about considerable economic development, the payoff for the school districts (and city) could be significant in the form of increased tax revenues and property values. Still, in a community with so many financial challenges, it is a difficult decision for these other taxing entities to make.

The BDC currently has 6 of the 8 letters requested, with Morton High School Board 201 and Morton College set to make a decision within the next few weeks. It is not clear whether the TIF extension will be possible without all 8 letters. The BDC will present information to the Morton College Board regarding the TIF extension at the April Board meeting on April 23rd.