Morton West Teacher Thanks CARES; Students Head to State Science Fair

Mrs. Stokes, a science teacher at Morton West was able to guide 5 students to the state level science competition thanks in part to CARES members generous donations at The Morton West Mini Challenge at Donors Choose. Here is a note of thanks from Mrs. Stokes to CARES members:

Dear Berwyn CARES:

Thank you all for giving to this project and for supporting the scientific process.
My students gain so many benefits from participation in the science fair that I can't image not providing them this opportunity. Your donations have made this a little easier.

We have 5 students that moved on to the state level of competition this year and we hope to increase that for next year. I can't wait to share my students' thank you notes with you next fall so you can hear about their ideas for their projects.
Science education isn't just about learning facts but about using information to solve problems and make our world a better place. It's also about using data to make well informed decisions. These are skills that everyone needs not just scientists. The science fair project helps my students hone these skills.

Thank you again, I'm so glad I found donorschoose.org. It's a heartwarming experience to find a community of wonderful, giving people like yourselves.
With gratitude,
Ms. S.

Berwyn CARES also helped fund a classroom set of high interest books for students to use during Silent Sustained Reading. Teachers give students time to read in class for pleasure, but many did not have a good book in which to get lost! Now they do, thanks to you.

There are still 3 unfunded project in the Morton West Mini-Challenge. Please consider making a small donation today!

There are classrooms in need of digital cameras, printers, calculators and other supplies that will make the learning environment rich and the lessons much more engaging for these deserving students! Together, we can make a difference!

Berwyn CARES Asks School Board to Demand Resignation of President

BERWYN CARES CALLS ON DISTRICT 201 TO DEMAND RESIGNATION OF JEFF PESEK FOR TIES TO ORGANIZED CRIME, ASKS BERWYN POLITICIANS TO EXPLAIN RECENT ENDORSEMENT

April 11, 2011 (Berwyn, IL) The education advocacy organization Berwyn CARES today urged the J. Sterling Morton High School District 201 Board to demand the immediate resignation of President Jeffry Pesek for ties to drug dealers, organized crime figures and other illegal business practices exposed in published testimony from the federal criminal trial of his childhood friend and employee.

According to an article published in the Chicago Sun Times, among other dubious business relationships, Mr. Pesek partnered with a convicted cocaine, marijuana and heroin dealer in opening businesses that include a nightclub and liquor store and was recorded by the FBI discussing the 2007 mob-ordered bombing of a Berwyn business.

“The overall quality of our schools, both now and in the future, rests with decisions made by the board of education. Due to his involvement with convicted drug dealers and organized crime, and the fact that his businesses have failed to report wages, violated liquor laws and failed to disclose investors in his nightclub business, we find him unfit to lead. We call on the District 201 board to join us in demanding that Mr. Pesek resign immediately," said Robert Pauly, President of Berwyn CARES.

Cited by the Chicago Sun Times as a ‘key player in Cicero politics’, Mr. Pesek through his family and companies has contributed or loaned about $100,000 to elect Cicero Town President Larry Dominick. With Mr. Pesek’s re-election to a new term last week, CARES is also joining residents in questioning the rationale used by elected officials in Berwyn, including Mayor Robert Lovero to send out mailings endorsing Mr. Pesek, referring to him among ‘candidates which share the same interest in moving Berwyn forward.’

“With graduation rates and test scores that significantly lag the state average and a potential state takeover looming, the District 201 Board already faces a strained relationship with this community. We want the best and brightest in charge. Mr. Pesek’s federal testimony demonstrates he lacks the qualities and qualifications that students need. Now is the time for a jury of Mr. Pesek’s peers on the District 201 Board to take immediate action to remove him and for Berwyn’s elected officials to explain their endorsements,” said Mr. Pauly.

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, & 201 schools. More information is available online at www.berwyncares.org.

CARES Discusses Challenges, Opportunities with 201 Superintendent

Thanks to Dr. Kuzniewski, District 201 Superintendent and Joe Keating, District 201 Board member for their attendance at last month’s CARES board meeting. Their presence allowed for a great exchange of ideas and spirited discussion of many topics related to the education of students in Berwyn. Readers may recall at the CARES Town Hall meeting held in December, community members had the opportunity to hear Berwyn districts 100 and 201 respond to a CARES presentation about the 2010 standardized test scores. At the end of the 201 presentation, (which unfortunately was cut short due to time constraints) Dr. Kuzniewski was asked what the community could do to support their efforts to improve education. His response was to “send me your kids!” This, of course, called for some follow up conversation. My question to Dr. K and the team at 201 is “Why should I?”

CARES Board President, Bob Pauly and I had lunch with Dr. Kuzniewski to continue our conversation about the challenges and opportunities at District 201. While we kept coming back to the myriad of excuses for poor performance including a disengaged population, lack of adequate funding and students coming in as freshman without the skills they need to succeed, eventually we got around to some of the rays of hope that may be the key to turning around Morton West High School where only about 30% of students meet or exceed standards on the Prairie State Achievement Examination their junior year. Here are a few of the topics we discussed.

1) New leadership. Since Dr. Kuzniewski took over as Superintendent, there is a new administrative team in place working hard to align curriculum with state standards and make consistent the formative assessments across disciplines and across the district. For example, a test in Algebra at Morton East is the same as a test in Algebra at Morton West. District 201 was without a Curriculum Director for several years. During that time, there was little accountability for aligning the curriculum with the state standards, thus resulting in poor results on tests of those standards. The current assistant Superintendent for Educational Programs, Michael Perrot, oversees all academic programs with his staff of Directors of Instruction for content areas. These Directors of Instruction cover multiple disciplines due to budget limits. Visit the district website for a complete list of course offerings.

2) MAP testing. Morton is in its first full year of using a tool called MAP testing. MAP tests are computerized, individualized assessments given 3 times per year that allow teachers to know immediately what learning needs the students have and adjust instruction and classroom activities accordingly. Prior to this tool, teachers had little data about their students and were limited in their ability to differentiate for different learners. MAP testing will give excellent data to help teachers be more effective instructors and to help measure the progress of each individual student frequently rather than waiting for one test their junior year (The PSAE). The results of the PSAE are not readily available until the following October, when it is essentially too late to make a difference for those students. MAP assessments provide actionable data for every student, delivered quickly and correlated to their curriculum and standards.

3) Technology investments. Morton has received some federal funds for purchasing new technology. Dr. Kuzniewski explained that often the computers and other hardware he has been able to purchase with those funds are not fully utilized because of the limited infrastructure in the district. The community will need to make a large investment in the near future to update the old buildings with the infrastructure needed for 21st century learners. For now, while the rest of the country is purchasing smart boards, computers and other technology, our teachers are limited to overhead projectors that need frequent bulb replacement! It is unclear how much this infrastructure might cost, but in a district that has been forced to cut classes/teachers, reduce credit hour requirements and make due with a bare bones system, it will be a while before funds would be available for such an investment. The district has been able to greatly improve the website to offer better information to visitors and to update the phone service in order to save some money. But, the real changes that would directly impact learning are currently out of reach financially. This administration continues to look for creative ways to fund the improvements necessary to really educate our students in a way that is relevant in 2011.

So while the challenges are great, there is hope for improvement in District 201. Time will tell if these changes will impact learning. Currently the only measure used is student performance on the Prairie State Achievement Examination given each spring. Morton juniors take the PSAE on April 27th and 28th.

Correction

In this blog article, we incorrectly described April Wozniak as working in a finance department. Rather, Ms. Wozniak wrote us to explain:

"Just one correction – I currently work in Financial Development (which is the fundraising department) at the Y. Despite the confusing name, it is very different than working in a finance department. My specific skill set is in building donor relations with corporations and foundations, in order to retain multi-million dollar donors and encourage increased philanthropic giving to support key national programs at the Y."

April Wozniak is running for one of the 4 year seats up for election in District 100 on April 5th. We apologize for any confusion.