Resolution: TAKE ACTION!

As a mediocre and inconsistent blogger, I feel the obligation to write the "New Years Resolution" post. Each New Year's Eve brings with it the hope for new beginnings and the promise of better days. Like opening day at Wrigley, we can envision a turning point in education in Berwyn. This could be the year. But, where to start?? Here are some ideas for parents or community members, resolutions that will not only improve YOUR life, they may improve the quality of life in Berwyn through an impact on our education system:

1. Read to your kids. Duh? How many times is this simple task is at the very top of the list of how to help kids succeed in school. But, it bears repeating. If you are not reading enough to your kids, make it a part of your DAILY routine and be sure the whole family is held accountable. Reading before bedtime is a MUST in our house...the kids don't let me get away with trying to skip this nightly ritual (believe me, I've tried!). Of course, they use it as the stall tactic of choice because it is pretty hard to resist a 5 year old with a book in his hands. Honestly, it works in reverse, though. Kids are soothed and calm while listening and more likely to fall asleep faster once in bed if they've been read to (not scientific, just anecdotal from my house). Other tips: weekly trips to the library, a subscription to a kids magazine, turn off the electronics and have reading material accessible and varied.

2. Educate yourself. Find a way to keep up to date on the educational news of our community, state and country. Subscribing to blogs, reading newspapers with an eye for education and going to your school district websites regularly will keep you informed. One of my favorites is the SSNS where subscribers get regular e-mails covering topics that are being considered at the state legislature.

3. Attend a school board meeting. School board meetings are open to the public and attending the meeting is a great way to get first hand information about the finances, curriculum, and accomplishments of your school district. Agendas and meeting times can be easily found on the district websites linked on the CARES website www.berwyncares.org.

4. Volunteer. If you have regular time to give, call your public school and ask what opportunities there are for volunteering. I know there are several community members (with and without kids of their own!) who read 1:1 with children in a school library once a week. What a gift! For the kids and for the volunteer. This would have a huge impact on a child's life.

5. Say thanks. If something is going well, say so! There are countless people involved in educating the kids of Berwyn. Send a thank you note to a teacher, teacher's aide, principal, administrator, maintenance man, school board member, school nurse, or anyone that deserves a little recognition for the hard work it takes to make a difference.

6. Donate. Check out these great projects and make a donation today. You'll get thank yous in the mail from the very kids you helped! CARES has funded tens of thousands of dollars in classroom grants through Donors Choose impacting thousands of kids. You can be part of this easy solution!

7. Write a letter. Maybe you've never considered writing your elected officials before. Well, now is the time. Every elected official from your school board to your alderman to the mayor to the state legislators to the governor on up needs to hear that quality education is important. Encourage your state lawmakers to better fund education.

8. Buy in Berwyn. Supporting Berwyn businesses will help create a healthy business environment in Berwyn. These businesses are often called on to support schools through fundraisers and donations. Even in a tough economy, our businesses have continued to support education. They deserve our thanks for that! Tell them CARES sent you:)

9. Attend an event. CARES will be hosting events throughout the year including a spring concert for scholarships, a summer reading or writing program, a back to school picnic, Oktoberfest and our Fall kids concert. These are great opportunities to socialize with others who care deeply about education. JOIN US!! Your free membership includes regular updates/e-mails about upcoming events.

10. Back to School: Parent University. I've attended this Parent University for a few years and have never been disappointed. I am a better parent for it and my kids definitely benefit from the things I learn. This year it is Feb. 5th. If you are interested in helping to plan a similar event in Berwyn, please send a note to info@berwyncares.org.

What Do Teachers Want for Christmas?

Inspired by this blog post, I thought I would write a similar article unique to Berwyn. Perhaps there are teachers out there that will comment and include more ideas. I asked a few and here are some of their responses:

1. Gift Cards. Give the gift of choice! Chances are they'll spend it on your kids! Office Depot in Cermak Plaza or Target (you can use your Target card and Target will give a percentage to YOUR school!) are good choices! Organizing a whole class contribution may make this affordable for everyone!

2. Gift Certificates to local shops. Buying locally will help our community! The Depot District, Ogden, Roosevelt Road and Cermak are full of small, independent businesses. Stop in today and get a few small gifts or gift certificates. Wishbone restaurant, Fly Right Gifts, Urban Mutt (for dog lovers!), and countless other shops would be great discoveries for our Berwyn teachers.

3. A heart felt note of thanks from you or your child. I don't think we can say thank you enough to teachers. If there is something you or your child LOVES about your school, tell it!

4. Classroom supplies. Ask your teacher for a supply wishlist. Short on glue sticks? Need more books? Board games/puzzles for indoor recess? Maybe there are some in your home game closet waiting for new life! Donate some gently used items to your child's class along with #3.

5. Food and drink! Make cookies, wrap up a chocolate bar, gourmet coffee in a mug (forget the mug, they have enough of those!). Have your child casually ask what the teachers favorite treat or candy bar is. Your child will be excited to give a personal gift!

6. Contribute to Donors Choose Berwyn Challenge! Perhaps your teacher has a project submitted!

Any other ideas? Post a comment to this blog post. Let's hear from some teachers!

Putting Highly Effective Teachers in Berwyn

I read with interest this article about the challenges and failed attempts at putting highly qualified teachers in the neediest schools (like Morton West, for example). Read the article and think of some questions about teacher quality in Berwyn schools to ask the superintendents of District 98, 100 and 201. They will be taking questions at the Town Hall Meeting on Dec. 7th at the Berwyn Public Library. How do we measure quality teaching? What do we do to incent the best teachers to work at our schools? What mentor support opportunities are there for new or struggling teachers? What professional development programs are required?

See you on Dec. 7th!

Deal of the Day!

Berwyn CARES is proud to support Berwyn teachers through our Berwyn Challenge on Donorschoose.org. Here is a link to a groupon that is ONLY TEN BUCKS for a $25 donation to a worthy project. PLEASE pick a Berwyn project and let's show Berwyn kids that Berwyn CARES!!! Purchase the groupon and then go to www.berwyncares.org to link directly to the many Berwyn projects that need your help!! It's ONLY TEN BUCKS!!!

Town Hall Meeting to Discuss Test Scores Dec 7th

BERWYN C.A.R.E.S. TO HOST TOWN HALL MEETING TO DISCUSS TEST SCORES
Event Details:
December 7, 2010, 7:00 PM
Berwyn Public Library

Background: On October 30th the State Board of Education released school report cards for each public school in the state of Illinois. In an effort to provide clarity to parents and local residents, each year Berwyn CARES prepares a summary of school report card data for Berwyn's 13 schools along with an analysis of where each school ranks within the State of Illinois.

“In 2009 when school report cards were released, Berwyn CARES summarized the data, ranked the schools and surveyed local superintendents for feedback which we published on our Web site. With community concern for our schools growing, this year on December 7th we are hosting a town-hall style meeting to address the ‘State of the Test Scores’. Last year, both District 100 and 201 participated in our survey,
and this year, we hope to have all three districts participate at the meeting,” said Shelley Titzer, outgoing President of Berwyn CARES.

Berwyn C.A.R.E.S. (Citizens Aligned to Renew Education for Students) is a community-based organization created to improve the local education system by encouraging more family and community involvement. Since 2006, C.A.R.E.S. has established itself as the leading resource for up-to-date, reputable information on Berwyn's District 98, 100, and 201 schools. More information is available online at www.berwyncares.org.

Meet the Boogers! November 20th

Our Annual Fall Concert benefits Berwyn schools directly through support of The Berwyn Challenge at Donors Choose. Berwyn teachers ask, we help, students learn! It's that simple. Tickets ONLY $5. Order TODAY!

District 100 Accepting Applications for Board Vacancy

The Board of Education of School District 100 announces an immediate vacancy on the Board of Education due to the resignation of Elizabeth A. Pechous. The term of office will run through April, 2011 at which time the seat will be filled in the April consolidated election.

Registered voters who reside in South Berwyn and wish to apply for the vacant Board position should forward a letter of interest to the Board Secretary by November 8, 2010. Please include a brief personal summary.

Joanne A. Zaworski, Secretary
School District 100 Board of Education
LaVergne Education Center
3401 Gunderson Avenue
Berwyn, IL 60402

Electronic submissions may be sent to bdofed@bsd100.org Please include Board Vacancy in your subject line.

Sick of Political Commercials?

The results of the upcoming November 2nd election will have a great impact on education and the general health of our great state of Illinois. Voters may find it increasingly difficult to get good, unbiased information about the candidates and their positions because it is so easy to get biased, negative information from the media images we are bombarded with daily. Berwyn CARES is a 501c3 organization and we will not endorse any particular candidate. The following is information about the candidates for Governor regarding education. Click on their name to go to the individual candidate's webpage related to education.

Quinn: http://www.quinnforillinois.com/issues/education

Governor Quinn supports a tax increase to help balance the budget and adequately fund education and other social services programs. On his profile page he states:

"As part of that effort, I also believe we must invest in education at every level, from early childhood programs through college. I believe that children who come to kindergarten ready to learn and excel are far less likely to take the wrong path as they grow up. As those students move through our public education system, they deserve safe, secure, well-maintained school buildings and well-trained, dedicated teachers, so they can graduate with a solid education. I further believe that we must invest in our community college system, the gateway to the middle class, so that new graduates have affordable access to higher education and older workers have opportunities for training to help them succeed and prosper in the 21st century workplace"

Brady: Bill Brady supports reducing or eliminating the State Board of Education in favor of a smaller department responsible for dispursement of state funds to school districts. Brady plans to cut taxes and spending and supports voucher systems if deemed necessary by the school district. From his website:

"The Bill Brady plan to reform education in Illinois starts with a clean break from the rigid educational structure of today with the transformation of the State Board of Education. Doing so will give local school officials, teachers and parents a greater voice in the operation of their local schools.

Bill Brady will create a downsized department under the Governor to administer the financial disbursement of resources, helping school districts in a way that will ensure more dollars go to the classroom and not to educational administration expense."

Please do your homework! The Berwyn Public Library offers some non-biased resources on their webpage. To see a sample ballot for your address, go to evoter.com.

Berwyn Schools Are Getting Better!...Or Are They?

Education zealots like us pay close attention to ISAT scores. We wait for the data to be released each fall (any day now) so that we can analyze, compare, and draw conclusions about our schools, teachers and students. However, we know that there is so much more at stake. Trends in property values are directly tied to test scores. So, it seems, is our own self esteem. Ask anyone who has recently moved about their choice of town and within a few sentences you'll hear about the "good schools". If you don't, it is probably because "their" scores aren't up to snuff.

But do these scores really mean anything?? A recent Tribune article outlined the suspicious practice by the Illiniois State Board of Education of "dumbing down" the tests, requiring LESS of students to be considered proficient, therefore, inflating the scores to make it LOOK like there is improvement. For example, Back in 2006, it took 36 of 56 points — about 64 percent — to pass the fifth-grade reading test. Now, it's 31 points, or 55 percent. The state explains that a statistical process called equating is the reason for the trend and that the questions are harder, so requiring fewer questions right to pass is justified. That makes sense, but the fact that the questions are harder (or significantly different) and the proficiency score is reduced means that comparing scores from one year to the next may be comparing apples to oranges. Maybe even apples to chicken legs. This is all so that we can say "No child was left behind!"

So back in 2006, 76.1% of District 100 students were proficient according to ISAT scores. 69.1% of District 98 students were proficient compared to 77% of students in IL. (This is back when you needed to get 64% right to pass the 5th grade test). In 2009, the percentage of proficient students was 72.4% at D98, 76.0% at D100 compared to 79.8% of students in IL. (Remember, this is now that you only need 55% to be "proficient") So, Berwyn students show steady improvement in proficiency rate, but still lag behind the state. However, if the test is harder (or different) and the scoring is easier, is there any way to even tell if there has been any real growth? any real improvement?

"What Would It Cost..."

"to fund every California's teacher's wish list?" That is the question the caller asked Charles Best of Donorschoose.org. Within 24 hours $1.3 million bucks was donated to fund ALL of the California projects!!

Could there be this type of guardian angel right here in Berwyn?? Probably not, but we could all collectively be the wish-come-true for our Berwyn students if we each gave what we could to the Berwyn challenge. On a smaller scale, we could accomplish for our own kids what one generous donor did for California. Go to the Berwyn Challenge and pledge as little as $10 TODAY!!

Northwestern University Looking for Gifted Students

Northwestern University's Midwest Academic Talent Search (NUMATS) program strives to identify and advise gifted/talented students in the midwest. Surely, there are some of those right here in Berwyn! Attend a webinar on Wednesday night at 7:00 pm (or future dates listed here) to learn more about the program.

This webinar is geared toward school administrators, but I'm sure some parents of high achieving kids would be interested in this opportunity to learn more about the program. The webinar includes information about scholarship/financial aid support for students in financial need.

To learn more about the NUMATS program, click here.

Have the District 201 Cuts Changed Anything?

District 201 made some drastic cuts in the spring including laying off many teachers (mostly electives like arts education) and reducing the number of credits required to graduate. Students, parents, teachers and community members spoke out about the cuts, but offered few alternatives since the district is broke, the state is broke and the system is broken! So, our community that voted down a tax referendum 3 times to better fund our high school system, raised a fist in outrage at a few meetings before being told "We told you so". A few weeks into the school year and we're already used to the lower expectations, with hardly a peep out of us about the low standards we've set for OURSELVES!! I'm reminded of the grieving process stages: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance. Have we completed these stages in our grieving of the idea of educational excellence in Berwyn? Have we accepted that hope is dead? We MUST fix this. Our high school students are now in study halls that are unproductive and are at risk of rejection from colleges and universities because there is no opportunity to take the classes necessary to get in. Please read the following comments written and spoken at a District 201 meeting last spring by a current senior at Morton West. He gets it!

Hello, my name is Justin Wych and I am currently enrolled as a Junior at Morton West. I am ranked 8th in the Junior Class and I am currently taking 4 Advanced Classes, Gym and Theatre Studio. I am also a member of NHS and President of the Thespians Guild. Next year I plan on using my three electives to take Theatre Studio, for preparation for my major, AP Chemistry and AP Calculus, to strengthen my college resume.

According to pages 3 and 12 of the Budget Reduction Plan, Seniors are only going to be allowed to take 4 classes, one and half of which are electives. With my projected schedule of 3 full year classes, I am forced to choose one of the classes. All three are going to benefit me in college and look great, not only for a Theatre major, but also acceptance into a selective college. I am not the only student with this sort of dilemma. While I accept that the district is acting on the large budget deficit and applaud the general action taken, I cannot agree with the idea that students are being deprived of classes that are going to help us later in life. I fear that without the option to take the aforementioned classes, students like myself are going to be at a disadvantage to competing students who were able to take and pass such classes.

I did some research and found college acceptance recommendations from collegeboard.com. Let’s say that I am an extremely fortunate freshman and I already know from the get-go that I want to go to the University of Illinois. While, with the new schedule plan, I can scrape by the minimum requirements, it is difficult to even come near the recommendations. The University of Illinois recommends a student take 4 years of each Science, Social Science, Math and Foreign Language. While such a feat is difficult with the current schedule, it becomes impossible with the updated version. After calculating a possible outcome, eliminating any college major/minor specific electives, I graduate with 3 Science credits, 3 Foreign language credits, 3.5 social science credits, and 3 math credits. All in all, I come 3.5 credits short of the college’s recommendations. Other schools such as University of Michigan, Boston University, Northern Illinois University, and Purdue all have similar recommendations.

What I ask of the board is to modify the budget reduction plan so as students such as myself can take these essential additional without an extra cost. The idea of strengthening a student’s chances to be accepted into a prestigious college should out-weigh any cost issue. With our phenomenal teachers and staff who truly care for us students, and with an array of Advanced Placement classes to choose from, there is no doubt in my mind that we, as students, have the opportunity to receive as good, if not better an education here at Morton than anywhere around. However, with a tight restriction on our class choices, I feel my doubts beginning to grow. Thank you.

PLEASE reread this note every time the urge to accept the current standards (and the death of high expectations) creeps into your mind. The kids at Morton only have ONE SHOT at high school. They deserve the same chance as kids in other suburbs who get to take one or two more classes EVERY DAY! The specifics of the plan Justin refers to in his comments may have been modified. But the reduction of credits required WILL prevent some students from the opportunity to take classes that are preferred/recommended for acceptance into universities. Our community needs to get out of the Acceptance Stage, go backward through the grieving process and realize that the patient is not dead! Bleeding, yes! In critical condition, yes! But hope is still alive. We need solutions and those solutions need to come directly from the community. Get involved. Be informed. District 201 School Board Meetings are on the 2nd Wednesday of the month, usually at about 7:00 pm.

CARES Meets Community at Oktoberfest

CARES members offered crafts for kids and membership information for the community during this year's Depot District Oktoberfest. This was a great opportunity for teens and adults to talk about the many educational challenges our town is facing while young children made puppets and spelled words with magnetic letters. We thank those that took the time to stop by and join the conversation and especially the many who decided to become members of our organization! Together We Can Make a Difference.

Race to Nowhere

There is an opportunity to view a new documentary being screened at the Lake Theatre in Oak Park on Saturday, October 2 at 10 a.m. It's called Race to Nowhere and it highlights the intense pressures that American kids are facing today. Tickets are $8 at the box office. The film is sure to inspire and open up a dialogue about education between those who watch it.


Click here to watch the trailer.

New Morton Website

I was thrilled to visit the new Morton High School Website and hopeful that the school will build on this important step toward improving communication with our community! This is a promising sign of improvement! Check it out.

http://www.morton201.org/

It would be helpful and exciting if the district extends this to individual websites for each unique school.

Teachers, It's That Time of Year Again!

Dear Berwyn Teachers and Administrators:

BerwynCARES (www.berwyncares.org) is happy to present a “2010 Berwyn Challenge” to help fund classroom projects in Berwyn schools through DonorsChoose.org. DonorsChoose uses the internet to connect individuals who want to support education DIRECTLY with classrooms in need. Indeed, the website is frequented by donors with as little as $1 to give AND donors with deep pockets looking for a place to make a difference. The website is easy to use, and accessible by the general public.

How can you use DonorsChoose.org to help promote your classrooms?

Berwyn schools are underfunded compared to the public schools in surrounding communities.

However, BerwynCARES has found that the residents generally support the teachers and would like to contribute. There truly is an enthusiasm and passion for education in our community!

DonorsChoose.org allows individuals, organizations, and businesses to choose which projects to fund and what amount (small or large) to give. The past Berwyn CARES Challenges have brought tens of thousands of dollars to Berwyn classrooms through our own fundraising efforts and promotion of The Berwyn Challenge outside our membership.

2010 Berwyn Challenge

BerwynCARES has created the 2010 Berwyn Challenge including all of the current proposals by Berwyn school teachers. This will help rally our membership to focus on our Berwyn teachers and classrooms and to hopefully direct funds to those projects. But why stop there? You can spread the word to the families of your students and to your PTAs that they can make a difference by donating as little as $10 to their own child's classroom or project!

Next Steps:
(1) Submit a proposal. Go to http://www.DonorsChoose.org
(2) Let us know you've submitted a proposal. Please e-mail info@berwyncares.org alerting us that your proposal has been submitted to donorschoose.org! We will then add it to the Berwyn Blogger Challenge.
(3) Click this link to The 2010 Berwyn Blogger Challenge and join us in widely promoting the Berwyn Blogger Challenge. Perhaps there are grandparents in other states looking to fund the project in their grandchild’s class. Include the information in PTA newsletters. Suggest that the businesses that support your school consider donating directly to classroom proposals. We can all promote the 2010 Berwyn Challenge to our memberships, the media, and beyond.

We sincerely hope this will help supplement your classroom needs and bring resources to your classrooms and to our Berwyn students.

Best,

Susan Crowe,
BerwynCARES Board Member

District 100 to Implement DACEE Recommendations

On June 9, the six DACEE Best Practices Committees presented “Recommendations for Success” to the Board of Education. Since that time, the District has been evaluating these recommendations, and many have been implemented or are scheduled for near-future implementation. In fact, internal (District 100 staff) team leaders have been assigned to each set of Committee recommendations, as follows:

· Early Childhood Education: Jane Bagus

· Literacy Development (formerly Intervention Strategies): Laura Massarella

· Accelerated and Magnet Programs: Laura LaSalle

· Staff Development: Marilyn McManus

· School Community Engagement: Stan Fields (interim)

· Technology: Jim Kloss

On Wednesday, August 25, 7 PM at the LaVergne Center, each of these leaders will be reporting on their implementation strategies to the Board of Education. I urge all to attend this meeting, first, as a matter of interest and concern for our school district, and second to hold the district accountable for those thoughtful, research-based recommendations that were a direct result of our School Board's stated vision of being in the top 25% of school districts in Illinois. Please read the recommendations! If each comes to fruition, there is nothing to stop District 100 from being a model for excellence in Illinios!

I hope to see you next Wednesday.

Be Heard! Tell YOUR Story!

Jim Broadway of the State School News Service is providing a GREAT opportunity for us regular folk to testify to our legislators about the very local and personal impact that state budget cuts have had on OUR community. PLEASE take a moment to fill out this form and submit.

From Jim Broadway:

"Chances are strong that policymakers will enact revenue increases by early January and begin to restore funding to many education programs. Those with the strongest stories to tell will stand first in line for funding. Help us make sure your program is one of those."

Fill out the form today and PLEASE copy Berwyn CARES at info@berwyncares.org. We would LOVE to hear from you.

Click HERE to see the budget cut line items. How have these cuts changed the quality of YOUR school? Tell your story and hope that YOUR line item will be restored. Together we can make a difference!

Meet the Scholarship Recipients

This year Berwyn CARES was able to award 6 scholarships to deserving Morton West seniors headed to college. Read their profiles and know that together we made a difference!

District 201 Seeks Advice from YOU

The District 201 Board of Education Finance Committee has recommended the creation of a citizens advisory committee. No qualifications were spelled out, other than the desire to help. Anyone who is interested can contact Dr. Kuszniewski, Superintendent at 708-222-5701. Please get involved!

Teachers Union Walks Away from Talks, Next Year's Schedule Uncertain

I read with great interest this article about a new movie, "The Lottery", a documentary about the battle between powerful teachers' unions and education activists for control of the future of education. The story takes place in New York, but a similar battle is being fought here in Berwyn over the recent budget cuts made by the District 201 administration and the stakes are the same: the quality of the day to day educational experience of THOUSANDS of kids.

Basically, our Morton District 201 adminstration is proposing a change in the bell schedule to accomodate the hole made by the laying off of over 100 teachers. The new schedule calls for eliminating teacher prep periods in favor of keeping kids learning in class rather than study periods. The current teachers union contract would need to be revised and union reps walked away from talks according to this Berwyn Life article, rejecting the administration's proposal. Watch how this one plays out, folks. The day to day conditions at Morton West will be directly determined by the decisions currently being made.

Big News from YOUR Boards of Education

201: There will be a special District 201 Board of Education meeting this Thursday, June 3rd at approximately 6:00 pm at Morton East auditorium. A notice on the district website states: "The purpose of the meeting is to discuss with the community...the most current information available in regards to the 2010-2011 financial issues of the district..."

District 98: Tony Laureto, president of District 98 Board of Education for the past 15 years, is resigning as of June 4th. If there is anyone interested in serving this community as a member of the Board of Education, you must be a resident of North Berwyn for one year. Contact the district for details on how to express interest and submit your name as a candidate. The current Board of Education will fill the position with an appointed person until the next election.

District 100: At last week's Board of Education meeting, the District 100 Board approved Full-day kindergarten. Currently, kindergarteners are in school for 1/2 day (2 hr, 45 min). Offering full-day kindergarten follows the educational trend of more and more districts attempting to address the achievement gap and to best prepare students for the academic years ahead. In a survey of incoming kindergarteners, 95% preferred Full day. The district will hire 5 more full time teachers and all schools will create the space needed.

Together We Made a Difference

I'm lucky enough to be the one who receives the thank you letters from the dozens of Berwyn teachers Berwyn CARES has supported through our Donors Choose grants. I hope this thank you is read by the many people who deserve the thanks, the generous supporters of our mission. When the teachers write, "Dear Berwyn CARES", that means YOU! Click here to read just one example of the many letters that we at Berwyn CARES have received. Here is an excerpt:

"The way lessons are taught in school, and the ways we can engage our students are rapidly changing due to the far reaching grasp of technology. Thanks to your support, I can create lessons that will keep my students' attention by utilitzing the LCD projector...I will have the ability to show multimedia presentations, show video clips, model writing samples through a DVD program, use online grammar games and much more."

Together we MADE a difference!

CARES Awards 6 Scholarships to Deserving Morton Seniors

Berwyn CARES board members, Susan Crowe and Mark Titzer, attended the Morton Awards Night to announce the recipients of this year's Berwyn CARES scholarships. Thanks to our members' generosity and the sponsorships of the Lorraine X. Page Scholarship and the Democratic Citizens of Berwyn Scholarship, Berwyn CARES is able to support 6 students next fall. Congratulations to them for their hard work!

Check back on this blog for a profile of each student in the coming weeks.

CARES partners with Berwyn Public Library to Fight Summer Learning Loss

The Berwyn Public Library is joining CARES in efforts to keep kids reading and writing EVERY DAY over summer vacation. Research shows that kids can lose up to 30 % of the skills they learned during the school year. YIKES! We can't afford that. As a part of our Baseball Summer Writing Initiative, The Berwyn Public Library donated 50 books about baseball, 300 activity packets and suggested summer reading lists focused on baseball. They've also created some Baseball Reading Kits for parent volunteers to check out. Each contains 3-4 storybooks at appropriate levels for parents to use for a quick post-practice story time. Check them out today!

CARES Launches Summer Writing Initiative

Take Me Out to the Ballgame! Last Saturday CARES launched the 1st annual summer writing initiative to help encourage kids to continue learning during the summer months. Research shows that kids can lose up to 30% of skills gained during the school year over the summer if they do not continue reading and writing DAILY.

CARES, together with the City of Berwyn, the Berwyn Recreation Center and District 100, asked coaches and parents to encourage kids to read and write EVERY DAY this summer.

And to help, CARES passed out over 400 blank books to kids playing baseball at the Rec and talked to them about writing a baseball story.

Kids can write (or draw pictures) about their baseball experiences during the summer and submit their stories to their coaches. CARES will award prizes for the stories and the team w/ the most submissions will get an ice cream party at Over the Rainbow!

I was amazed at the response from the kids and adults:

One parent, when learning about the program for her 4 year old said, "But he's only 4, he can't write." All the more reason to start practicing. 3 and 4 year olds can absolutely write! Writing is just representing your thoughts and ideas on paper. Young children should be encouraged to draw pictures, symbols and other representations and adults can say, "Tell me what you wrote there." You'll be surprised at the detailed story you'll hear! Your child will be developing language skills that are the prerequisite for good writing skills. Next, you can encourage your young child to label their picture, form letters to represent words and write their name (a GREAT skill to practice for kindergarten readiness!). I realized that this writing initiative was a wonderful opportunity to educate the adults in our community about some early childhood development basics.

A 7 year old asked, "Can the story be fiction?" "What a cool idea!" I shouted. The other kids immediately wanted to know what fiction was. We talked to the whole team about fiction vs. non-fiction, poetry, picture books, songs, and all of the other creative ways to represent your ideas on paper.

Another player wanted to know what they should call their books. So, we got to brainstorming about titles. Some ideas the kids came up with: THE BIG HIT, HOMERUN, THE WORST PLAYER IN THE WORLD (note to coach: work on self-esteem!), and BASEBALL ROCKS.

CARES is super excited to read all of the entries later this summer and award the prizes. We will surely share some on this blog. If you see a kid in Berwyn playing baseball this summer, ask if he/she has started a baseball story. You can help by encouraging all the kids of Berwyn to read and write every day this summer! Together WE can make a difference!

Funding Reform: Call-in Today

To address a revenue shortfall of about $13 billion, Governor Quinn's proposed 2010-11 budget reduces education funding by 17%. This will translate into millions of dollars lost to Berwyn Schools. Our three districts are already suffering from long delays in state payments ($1M+ is owed to District 100 alone). Kids, families and our community need a balanced, responsible budget solution.

BerwynCARES is asking our members to support a statewide call-in day TODAY, Tuesday, May 4 to urge legislators to raise new revenues to prevent devastating cuts to education. This fiscal crisis, brought on by a long-standing budget deficit and an economic downturn, cannot be solved without significant new revenue.

One option under consideration is HB174 a comprehensive tax-reform package that includes funding reform for education. It will devote 33 1/3% of new revenues to the Common School Fund that provides general state aide to K-12 education, particularly in low and middle income communities across the state. To read the Center for Tax & Budget Accountability Fact Sheet on HB174, Click Here.

Please ask our elected officials to support education funding reform! Voice your concerns about how proposed budget cuts will affect your family's future.

You can call 1-800-719-3020 to be connected to your legislators (AARP sponsored line) or call their district offices:

State Rep Michael Zalewski, 708-354-2121
State Sen. Louis Viverito, 708-430-2510
11th Senate & 21st Rep Dist: S of 27th between Harlem & East*

State Rep Elizabeth Hernandez, 708-222-5240
State Sen Martin Sandoval: 708-656-2002
12th Senate & 24th Rep Dist: W of Lombard between 19th & 26th*

State Rep LaShawn Ford, 773-378-5902
State Sen Kimberly Lightford, 708-343-7444
4th Senate & 8th Rep Dist: N of 19th between Harlem & Harvey*

State Rep Daniel J. Burke: 773-471-2299
State Sen Martin Sandoval: 708-656-2002
12th Senate & 23rd Rep Dist: 33rd to 39th between Wesley and Lombard*

*district boundaries are approximate. Visit the Board of Elections site to search districts by home address. If you call 800-719-3020 you will be prompted to enter your zip code.

Sponsor a Scholarship TODAY!

Berwyn CARES is looking for sponsors for our spring scholarships! A $500 donation will be matched by BerwynCARES and will allow for a $1000 scholarship for a deserving Morton West senior headed to college in the fall. The sponsored scholarships are named (The Joe Schmoe CARES scholarship) and will be awarded in May. Sponsors will be invited to a reception honoring the recipients in June. Sponsors could be individuals honoring a loved one, local organizations or businesses reaching out to the community, or groups of alumni giving back to their alma mater. Now more than ever, the kids of Berwyn need our support! Please contact info@berwyncares.org for more information.

Read the profiles of last year's recipients and pledge today to help this year's hopeful graduates!

The Best of Broadway for Haiti

This was posted on the Berwyn CARES Facebook page. This is a great opportunity to support arts in education, Berwyn schools, and the good people of Haiti. Hope to see some familiar faces there!

Lincoln Middle School Presents

"The Best of Broadway for Haiti"

A two hour concert and play performance

to benefit The Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti

April 27, 2010 at 6:30 pm

Admission: $5.00

Morton Chooses New Superintendent

At the April 14th School Board Meeting, the Board of Education announced that Dr. Michael Kuzniewski will be the new superintendent of Morton High School District 201. Mr. Clyde Senters has been acting as interim superintendent since Dr. Nowakowski left the district about 2 years ago. Dr. Kuzniewski has served the district since 2008 as Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources and Grants. Prior to coming to District 201, Dr. Kuzniewski worked as an administrator for Rockford District 205. The choice marks the end of a 2 year vacancy in our district, which faces tremendous financial and academic challenges. District 201 recently announced the lay-offs of about 180 teachers due to the cutting of programs, decreasing the number of credits required for graduation and the elimination of the "Prairie State" program which required a lower student-teacher ratio for struggling students.

Dr. Kuzniewski will have his work cut out for him as our district strives to increase academic achievement and balance a budget that has routinely reported a yearly deficit, last year of about 2 million dollars. Only about 32% of Morton West students tested met state academic standards. Morton West students score an average ACT score of 18 compared to the state's average of 20.

In a press release by the district, School Board President Jeff Pesek said, "I, along with the entire Board of Education, look forward to working with Dr. Kuzniewski as we strive to provide each and every child in our charge with the best education possible."

Teachers Let Go, Meeting Tonight to Discuss 201 Cuts.

There will be a District 201 Board of Education Meeting at 7:00 pm at Morton East High School (2423 S. Austin Blvd...park one block east of Austin). Please attend the meeting in support of quality public education for the children of Berwyn. Yesterday over 200 teachers were given pink slips. The budget cuts specified will likely increase drop-out rates and limit the chances for college acceptance. Berwyn CARES wishes to partner with the District 201 Board of Education to establish an advisory committee to address educational and financial deficiencies. Please attend to support the students of Berwyn and to signal a willingness by our community to engage in real educational reform. Together we CAN make a difference.

Be Heard!

Last week, District 201 announced severe budget cuts that will significantly impact the quality of education in our community. Cuts include laying off teachers, reducing classes/credits required for graduation, increasing class size and eliminating many programs. The cuts are largely the result of a state financial mess and a system that relies on property tax to fund education. Many parents and teachers in our district favor HB 174 which, if passed, would provide property tax relief while raising the Illinois income tax level from 3 to 5% to more equitable fund education. Click here to read the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability's analysis of the bill.

After learning about the state budget crisis and the impact on education RIGHT HERE IN YOUR COMMUNITY, please click here and comment on the governor's proposed budget. Ask the governor to support public education by passing real education funding reform. THIS IS URGENT. Please take the time to comment today and ask your child's teacher to do the same. It only takes a few minutes and it will give 8000 kids in our community 4 years of quality high school education. You can't really put a price on that!

Vision, Breakfast, Instruction and Finances at District 100

If you missed the January District 100 School Board Meeting, you missed a lot! Lucky for you, CARES was there to take notes and report the most relevant items here.

1. DACEE: Bob Pauly gave a presentation on the DACEE committee. DACEE is the District Advisory Committee for Educational Excellence. It was formed 15 months ago and has 40 members. Its purpose is to advise and recommend to the district ideas on educational excellence. DACEE has gone through several stages:
a) Survey: DACEE sent out a survey to 200 community members asking people what they desired out of the Berwyn educational system. Ideas included more creative learning, turning the LaVergne center into an early childhood learning center, creation of a single K-12 district for Berwyn, create an environment where parents want to send their children to school in Berwyn, achieve high test scores, and create an environment where children will want to go on to college.
b) Vision Statement: DACEE proposed a vision statement to the Board of Education.

"District 100 will rank in the top 25% of schools in the state of Illinois as
evidenced by test scores."

The Board of Education approved the vision statement in March of 2009.
c) Research: The next stage was to conduct research and examine what successful school districts are doing. The committee broke into 6 sub-committees including Early Childhood Education, Community Involvement, Technology, Staff Development, and Magnet and Gifted Learning. Their methodology was to research best practices in that area, visit schools that implement best practices and then make recommendations. In the April/May time frame, the subcommittees will present recommendations to the DACEE committee and then will present their recommendations to the board in May.

2. School Breakfast Program: The district implemented a school breakfast program which aims to serve a "Grab and Go" breakfast during the first 15 minutes of class. Superintendent Stan Fields stated that each school and principal will determine the way that breakfast will be provided. Joanne Zendol, School Board President, stated that she had received several emails that were critical of the program. Dr. Fields stated that some people were concerned that there would be a loss of instructional time. Dr. Fields supports whatever approach that the principals chose for their school and he does not believe it will eat into instructional time.

3. One to One Access: The district will be implementing a pilot program where each student in a classroom will have their own laptop computer. It will be implemented for one 4th grade class at Piper (30 kids) and the 7th grade at Heritage (100 kids). A video was shown about how the children of today are used to receiving information via audio and video through devices such as iPods and video games. It was stated in the video that the tools schools use today (paper, pencil and books) do not match the way kids receive information outside of the school and that to engage the students of today, learning experiences must include video, audio, and other technologies. Computers being considered are Netbook and Apple.

4. Finances: Half way into the fiscal year, the district has received $23.5 million in revenue (58% of the budget) and has spent $21.5 (51% of the budget). The fund balances had $11.7 million dollars. ISBE has made some changes in the fund structures this year, requiring long term capital costs and other long term items to be segregated out from the operating accounts. The auditor believes the fund balance for debt was lower than he would have liked. Another change is that ISBE requires future liability due to health insurance given to retirees be documented. The auditor stated that the district would have a future liability of $500,000 due to this liability.

5. Instruction: The district is using a new assessment gathering technology for taking and analyzing test results. Many teachers praised the new system, saying it allowed them to see problem areas more quickly that they could then focus on and address in the classroom. For the entire district, scores have improved from 72% meets/exceeds in September to 82% meets/exceeds in January. Pershing School has seen a noticeable jump, going from 63.2% to 79.4% from Sept. to Jan. Emerson and Piper 4th grade math scores are over 90% meets/exceeds and Hiawatha was at 86%. Heritage was at 94% meets/exceeds in math for 8th graders and Freedom 6th graders were at 84%. In reading, the top scores were generally in the 80% to 90% range compared to 55%-65% range in September.

The next District 100 Board meeting is February 24th at Freedom School. Food is served and student awards are given AND you'll learn a lot about Berwyn Schools! Hope to see you there!

Does Poverty Equal Low Expectations?

In an article about poverty and education, Michelle Rhea, Chancellor of the District of Columbia Public Schools tells about some examples of successful schools that are overcoming the obstacles of poverty, while others with the same challenges fail. The primary difference between the successful schools and the failing schools is not the kids. It is the adults. Rhea explains,

"What is keeping us from bringing such examples to scale is not a lack of solutions, but a frailty of belief. We can absolutely replicate and expand success, and poverty does not have to mean low achievement and expectations."

In Berwyn, where about 70% of students are low-income and many children are faced with the challenges that come from living in poverty, her words are as relevant as any place. Do we accept low achievement and low expectations or will we implement the proven solutions and replicate the successes that exist elsewhere?

Read the full article here.

201 Hires Search Firm to Find Superintendent

After almost 2 years without a Superintendent, the District 201 Board of Education announced its intentions to contract with a search firm. The Board expects to hire a new Superintendent by March or April of this year. Previously, the Board of Education had decided to allow interim Superintendent, Clyde Senters, to review the resumes that were submitted internally, before involving a search firm. The current vacancy is posted on the Illinois Association of School Administrators, which partners with the Illinois State Board of Education. The vacancy was posted on Dec. 7, 2009.

Hopefully, the posting on the IASA website and the involvement of a search firm specializing in Superintendent searches will increase the number of resumes submitted. The hiring of the Superintendent is the most important job of local school boards. Indeed, the changes that need to be made at Morton West will only become a reality with a strong leader at the top. Berwyn CARES will announce the choice of the District 201 School Board on this blog as soon as the information becomes available.

Illinois Racing to the Top

Illinois is one of many states competing for federal dollars by applying for Race to the Top grant dollars. Last week Illinois State lawmakers passed a bill that includes linking student "growth" data to teacher evaluations. The quick passing of SB 315 may make Illinois eligible to receive some of the billions of dollars tied to The Race to the Top initiatives of the Obama administration. States wishing to apply for those funds by today's deadline must show that their policies are aligned with the education reform efforts put forth by the administration.

Though the bill does not require that any district participate in the new evaluation system unless paid for by federal or state dollars and the time line to implement for the entire state is not until 2016, requiring that at least 50% of a teacher's evaluation score reflect student growth is an important step toward getting the most effective teachers in the neediest classrooms.

In an editorial, The Chicago Tribune points out the state law's limits:

"The bill makes some excellent demands, including that the performance of students be used as a measure of teacher performance. In some ways, though, it is a missed opportunity. It doesn't require that schools use the evaluation results in tenure decisions or that consistently underperforming teachers be fired. So we're going to have to count on school administrators to make good use of this tool."

Top 10 Education Issues for 2010

After reading this blog post which reacts to a Top 10 list created by the non-profit American Association of State Colleges and Universities, we were inspired to create our own list of the top 10 education issues facing Berwyn:

1. The State Financial Crisis: Our schools are directly affected by the dire situation of our state finances. With over a quarter of our education dollars coming from state aid and other state funding, the state financial crisis is sure to be felt in the classrooms of Berwyn.

2. Achievement Gap: The achievement gap is alive and well in Berwyn and with the explosion in minority and low-income population that has occurred in the last 10 years, our education systems will be challenged to address the achievement gap deliberately in ways that assure that ALL children will achieve.

3. Standardized test scores: Our school districts are under great pressure under the No Child Left Behind Law to continually make adequate yearly progress (AYP). Last year's ISAT scores were solidly mediocre in the elementary grades with a few schools showing some promising trends. However, Morton West continues to struggle to show increased achievement with only 32% of Juniors meeting or exceeding standards.

4. Parental Involvement: Research shows that kids with involved parents achieve at higher rates. Schools need to find ways to reach out to parents and engage them in ways that benefit their children's academic success.

5. Higher taxes: Berwyn city council recently voted to raise the tax levy by 15%. None of that will go to our schools. The tax increase on a population that is already struggling to make ends meet means it will be very difficult for our school districts to pass any kind of referendum to increase revenue to schools.

6. Housing Crisis: Berwyn has been hit hard by the recent housing crisis with foreclosures hitting all time highs, many of those losing their homes with children in our schools. That family stress spills over into the classroom daily in many ways. The housing crisis will likely mean the continued high mobility rates that our educators have been faced with in the past 10 years, at some schools as high as 20%.

7. Technology: Kids are learning in dramatically different ways than in the past. The use of technology in our classrooms is no longer considered an "extra" or a luxury. It is absolutely a necessity if we are to prepare our children for the higher education that is increasingly mandatory in today's job market. But, of course, technology is expensive.

8. Mobility: Although mentioned above, this issue deserves its own spot on the list. With mobility rates as high as 25% at some schools, Berwyn education systems are becoming more responsible for the standardized test scores of students that were not previously educated in Berwyn. We must stabilize the community by making Berwyn an attractive place for families to establish roots. Many families choose to move out of Berwyn into better performing school districts. This is a strain on our resources as our teachers are faced with new students every year, even in the upper grades, that haven't benefited from the early education of Berwyn schooling.

9. Morton West: The performance of our local high school continues to be a strain on our community in ways that reach far beyond the classroom. On the last state report card, Morton West reported 32% of juniors meeting or exceeding standards. The average ACT score is 18 compared to a state average of 20.6. Property values and the quality of life are directly affected by the performance and reputation of the local high school, yet our community rejected a referendum 3 times to adequately fund education. As one of the CARES board members put it,

"Let's see - we've got 2000 kids leaving Morton every year - 75% of whom don't meet state expectations - that's 1500 kids per year with dim futures...I wonder what I should expect relative to Berwyn / Cicero's gang situation. It doesn't matter how many cops we put on the street - until we provide children with great educations - from the cradle through 12th grade - gang activity is here to stay. When we care about education as much as we do snow plowing or the Houby Parade (and when a 15% tax increase goes to schools rather than city services), we really might have something here, and people might be able to enjoy their porches again."

Which leads me to #10 on the list (should really be #1).
10. US: Summed up nicely by Pogo, "We have met the enemy, and he is us". It will take our entire community to effect change in the state of education in Berwyn. In the last school board elections, voter turn out was VERY low and the number of residents who stay involved by attending school board meetings and holding those elected officials accountable is even lower!

Berwyn CARES knows that it is tough to follow all of the issues facing our community. Please consider joining Berwyn CARES and spreading the word about our organization. We would like to increase our membership and our influence on the decision makers in the education systems. And we would like to help keep the busy residents of Berwyn informed about the most pressing educational issues facing our community. Together, we can make a difference.

Berwyn CARES Gives over $4000 to Berwyn Teachers

Berwyn CARES was able to fund over $4000 in Berwyn classroom projects in The Berwyn Challenge! Thanks to all of you who participated by attending our fall concert or making a donation directly. Thanks to your generosity, kids in Berwyn will have learning experiences they wouldn't otherwise have had. Materials purchased include:

*new poetry books to help middle school writers become poets

*an LCD Multimedia Projector to effectively use technology for writing instruction

*4 digital cameras for use in creating multimedia projects

*award winning novels for 8th graders participating in a reading competition

*percussion instruments for middle school students

*writing center manipulatives to help enrich the creative process for young writers

and much more!

If you haven't yet contributed, consider making a donation today! Read some of the thank you notes posted by the teachers who benefited. You'll realize the direct impact you will have by helping other teachers realize their dreams for the students of Berwyn. Here is one example:

Dear BerwynCARES,
Thank you so much for funding this project! Instruments are so important for music class and the students will be overjoyed to see so many new instruments to choose from! I see so many performance opportunities ahead with all of my students. Now, with a bigger variety of instruments, students will be able to choose many instruments to learn. I cannot wait to see the look on their faces, and we will definitely be taking pictures to post as soon as we get them. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
With gratitude,

Ms. U.

I'll post other thank you notes as they come in, but check out The Berwyn Challenge for yourself and choose a project to fund. Together we can make a difference! We already have.

What it STILL Takes...

We've referenced the New York Times article, "What It Takes to Make a Student", many times on this blog and in our discussions at Berwyn CARES meetings. The day after Christmas, I read this front page Chicago Tribune article and was reminded of what it STILL takes to make a student.

The article, "At-risk kids: Successful New York program a possible solution for Chicago", highlights a Harlem-based program with elements consistent with the research cited in the What It Takes article like extended school day and year, highly qualified teachers, and programming beginning at birth.

Expensive? Yes, but President Obama has promised funds to communities interested in replicating the Harlem program. 3 neighborhoods in Chicago will apply for the funds. Berwyn is not one of them, but a good start toward making a difference for our neighborhood might be if our residents would take the time to read both articles and educate themselves about What It Takes to make a student...AND a community. Will you?