tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5961215159419443702.post2264591763968176493..comments2023-05-05T03:15:17.710-05:00Comments on D181 Parents for Accountability and Transparency: UPDATE: Superintendent Survey Now "Live" on D181 Website and Focus Group to be Held on 3/24 at Elm School-- No Notification from BOEUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5961215159419443702.post-7352638199665318642014-03-21T15:28:51.502-05:002014-03-21T15:28:51.502-05:00Thank you, HMS Parent. Although I have no idea wh...Thank you, HMS Parent. Although I have no idea who you are, I appreciate your recognition. I just wish my children's teachers, the BOE, and administration would recognize it, <br />too.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5961215159419443702.post-50763438522346837312014-03-21T14:49:09.097-05:002014-03-21T14:49:09.097-05:00Well said Anonymous.Well said Anonymous.HMS Parentnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5961215159419443702.post-81766028045752625172014-03-21T12:37:47.439-05:002014-03-21T12:37:47.439-05:00In defense of whomever was confused about the chap...In defense of whomever was confused about the chapter, if the district could be a bit more proactive and explain to parents what is going on, then parents would not have to ask their friends or post on blogs to find out what they are doing. <br /><br />It is great to see that our district is starting to finally show come consistency among the schools. Please understand that there is no way the district ever would have ever voluntarily shared this information with us if it were not for parents being forced to take such an active role in what the plan for math is this year. When the district chooses to not be transparent, which they are obligated to be, they force parents to, as you say to "gossip", as we say, find out what the truth actually is. Parents can not be expected to support and support all the time, yet never be included in the process.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5961215159419443702.post-15058187500253663252014-03-21T12:18:15.464-05:002014-03-21T12:18:15.464-05:00Oak Parent, is your child doing fractions and rati...Oak Parent, is your child doing fractions and ratios?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5961215159419443702.post-71260675938631728832014-03-21T11:40:14.377-05:002014-03-21T11:40:14.377-05:00Just to clarify. UofC labels study links 5.8 meani...Just to clarify. UofC labels study links 5.8 meaning UNIT 5, LESSON 8... This in no way means 5th grade, unit 8! Oak is on unit 5, lesson 8 which places them right where some of the other schools in the district are as well. I talked to my child's teacher about this and I suggest you do the same before spreading gossip. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5961215159419443702.post-68186165494470657552014-03-20T20:26:55.789-05:002014-03-20T20:26:55.789-05:00Starting from the bottom up, here is my follow up ...Starting from the bottom up, here is my follow up question, Ms. McGuiggan's response and my reply. I copied the board. Personally, I don't think it's fair that Ms. McGuiggan "fall on her sword" and assume responsibility. I find it unbelievable that no one in the administration would have followed up with her in 4 months and asked her where the parent data report was, and ask that she bring it back to the board for discussion. Just doesn't add up, if you ask me.... <br /><br />Email chain -- read from bottom up:<br /><br />Subject: Re: 5 Essentials Survey Question<br />From: ymayer@msn.com<br />CC: boe@d181.org<br />Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 20:00:34 -0500<br />To: bmcguiggan@d181.org<br /><br />Ms. McGuiggan: You state that you made an error by not posting them or bringing them to the Board's attention. While I appreciate you assuming responsibility, I have a hard time understanding how this much time elapsed (4 months) and your error was only discovered when a parent (me) asked for the data. That is very disappointing as a parent, tax payer and community member. The Administration and Board express anger at community members who question the lack of transparency, however, this is a perfect example. <br /><br />Thank you for your attention to this matter.<br /><br />Respectfully submitted, Yvonne Mayer<br /><br />Sent from my iPhone<br /><br />On Mar 20, 2014, at 7:51 PM, "McGuiggan, Bridget" wrote:<br /><br />I just replied to your prior message, but did not answer this question specifically. We did not follow up with the Board in posting this information after our November meeting. That is my responsibility and my error for not sharing the information with them sooner. We have notified the Board that the information was being posted today and being publicized tomorrow.<br /><br />Thanks again,<br /><br />Bridget McGuiggan, APR<br />Director of Communications<br />Community Consolidated School District 181<br />6010 S. Elm Street, Burr Ridge, IL 60527<br />630.861.4924<br />www.d181.org<br /><br /><br />On Thu, Mar 20, 2014 at 7:44 PM, Yvonne Mayer wrote:<br />I just looked at the D181 website and found the results were posted today. Thank you. Can you please explain why the administration waited four months (since the November meeting at which you said they were being compiled) to post them for the public? Why weren't they posted sooner?<br /><br />Thank you in advance for your answer.<br /><br />Yvonne MayerYvonne Mayer, D181 Parent and Former Board of Education Membernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5961215159419443702.post-91925440373132074722014-03-20T19:48:57.035-05:002014-03-20T19:48:57.035-05:00I just received the following email response from ...I just received the following email response from the D181 Director of Communications to my inquiry about the parent results for last year's 5Essentials Survey. Looks like the district posted the results today on the D181 website. You can access them at the link she gives in her response to me. When the window opens, go to the right side of the screen and scroll down for additional links to the 2012-2013 survey results. I've replied back asking her why the administration waited four months to post them (after telling the board in November 2013 that the parent results were being compiled). I'll let you know if she answers that question.<br /><br />Email from McGuiggan:<br /><br />From: bmcguiggan@d181.org<br />Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 18:25:52 -0500<br />Subject: Re: 5 Essentials Survey Question<br />To: ymayer@msn.com<br /><br />Good evening,<br />Thank you for your message and for completing this year's 5Essentials survey. The items you referenced with the parent survey data from 2012-13 are attached here and are posted online. <br /><br />http://www.d181.org/resources/il-5essentials-survey/index.aspx<br /><br />There were two categories of survey questions. The two attached files represent each school's parent responses in those categories. We chose not to compile the responses (i.e. adding "mostly and completely" together) for more transparent and statistically accurate data. <br /><br />These files were added to the website today as they are being referenced in my all-family and Key Communicator e-newsletters going out tomorrow, in which we are alerting community members that the surveys are posted and again encouraging parent participation in this year's survey. <br /><br /><br />Sincerely, <br /><br />Bridget McGuiggan, APR<br />Director of Communications<br />Community Consolidated School District 181<br />6010 S. Elm Street, Burr Ridge, IL 60527<br />630.861.4924<br />www.d181.orgYvonne Mayer, D181 Parent and Former Board of Education Membernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5961215159419443702.post-59999799975672613432014-03-20T19:47:13.424-05:002014-03-20T19:47:13.424-05:00Superintendent Search Focus Groups
When: 7:00 PM ...Superintendent Search Focus Groups<br /><br />When: 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM<br />Where: Elm School<br /><br />Board of Education - Special Board Meeting<br /><br />When: 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM<br />Where: Elm School<br /><br />No Board docs or agenda...posted on the d181 calendar. One would assume this meeting is planned to vote on the administrators contracts.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5961215159419443702.post-51905702956638217242014-03-20T19:40:48.598-05:002014-03-20T19:40:48.598-05:00Anonymous: The agenda is not posted on Board Docs ...Anonymous: The agenda is not posted on Board Docs yet. How do you know this meeting has been scheduled? Is an agenda posted somewhere and if so, what is described on the agenda as the purpose? Perhaps this IS the focus group. If board members are going to participate, then they have to notice it up, don't they? Or might this be the meeting at which they vote publicly on the administrators' contracts?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5961215159419443702.post-46371122938373635712014-03-20T19:27:46.178-05:002014-03-20T19:27:46.178-05:00Isn't that during the focus group?Isn't that during the focus group?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5961215159419443702.post-40961310454307388282014-03-20T18:29:03.665-05:002014-03-20T18:29:03.665-05:00Board of Education - Special Board Meeting
When: ...Board of Education - Special Board Meeting<br /><br />When: March 24, 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM<br />Where: Elm SchoolAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5961215159419443702.post-6355257471531400692014-03-20T16:23:27.868-05:002014-03-20T16:23:27.868-05:00I did not receive any response from Ms. McGuiggan ...I did not receive any response from Ms. McGuiggan to my request on the parent survey data from last year's 5Essentials Survey, so I have now filed a formal Freedom of Information Act Request. I don't understand why she didn't respond quickly with the information. If it was prepared, it should be readily accessible and posted on the D181 website. Very disappointed.Yvonne Mayer, D181 Parent and Former Board of Education Membernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5961215159419443702.post-43194559670002980442014-03-20T10:22:09.810-05:002014-03-20T10:22:09.810-05:00Did Dr. Russell mention at the science meeting las...Did Dr. Russell mention at the science meeting last night that there would not be any collaboration with FermiLab, at all, if it had not been for a group of moms from The Lane School who went there to secure materials and speakers for their own Science Olympiad? Mridu Garg spearheaded the Science Olympiad last year, and she and her committee stumbled upon an entire library of STEM (math, science, and technology) books and materials there. Furthermore, there is a woman on staff there who, for free, consults with school districts in order to help them update to current STEM and common core standards. The only thing districts have to do to receive her help is make an appointment, and pay her gas money out to Hinsdale from Fermilab! <br /><br />Incredible that our district had no idea about this information until we parents pointed it out to the board, in surveys, to teachers, and to principals. We must thank the parents on last year's Science Olympiad committee at The Lane, especially Mrs. Garg, who took it upon themselves to help our schools create a 3 hour evening of interactive science experiments. To see parent volunteers, many who were doctors and scientists, getting our children excited about science was something that schools across the country have been doing for years. Our own PTO vice president, an OB, brought in laprascopic instruments to show how surgery is performed. This year, an orthopedic doctor showed children to cast up fingers. A grandfather of a student, who was a former medical school professor even brought in a human brain, and Fermilab hand delivered a whole truckload of huge, hands on materials (for free), with thick teacher's guides! It was amazing. None of us parents on the Science Olympiad Committee have Phds in education, but we were able to provide a fun, educational, and common core supported event for around than a thousand dollars. I really wish our district would take more advantage of the free resources available at Fermilab, too, so they could help our kids in <br />math. Who would not want someone to come out to help our schools choose the best math materials? Or let us know if compacting Everyday Math books is really such a good idea? If we all work together cooperatively to find the best resources for our children, the whole community benefits.<br /><br />Fay Demakis, The Lane School <br />(One of the Members of the Science Olympiad Committee who visited FermiLab last year.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5961215159419443702.post-73008359569013030132014-03-20T09:52:30.488-05:002014-03-20T09:52:30.488-05:00On the issue of the 5Essentials Survey and the boa...On the issue of the 5Essentials Survey and the board/admin's refusal to do any kind of parent satisfaction survey, here is an email I just sent to Bridgett McGuiggan, the D181 Director of Communications. I couldn't find the parent results anywhere on board docs or the D181 website. Has anyone else found them? <br /><br />From: ymayer@msn.com<br />To: bmcguiggan@d181.org<br />Subject: 5 Essentials Survey Question<br />Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 09:43:27 -0500<br /><br />Good Morning Ms. McGuiggan:<br /><br />Parents have been asked to complete the 5 Essentials survey. I have done so. Last year, we were asked to do the same thing and at the November 18, 2013 board meeting (the survey results were on the agenda for discussion), Dr. Schuster and your Report to the the board made the following representation:<br /><br />"State Report Cards, released October 31, include the participation rates of eligible teachers and students on the Illinois 5Essentials Survey, as well as a link to each school’s summary responses. School districts were able to determine independently if they wanted to release parent survey results. We are choosing to release the data, and we are currently working on compiling the responses ourselves, as the State left that work to schools and districts to be completed because the parent data reports were otherwise not publicly released."<br /><br />I have highlighted in red the sentence in which you told the board that D181 was choosing to release the parent survey results data and was "currently working on compiling the responses." <br /><br />Has the work you represented to the board would be done been completed and if so, have the parent survey results been published anywhere on the D181 website or presented to the board at a subsequent meeting and are available on board docs? I could not find the parent survey results anywhere and would like to see them, especially if I have now been asked to complete a second survey.<br /><br />I look forward to hearing back from you with the link to where the parent survey results can be accessed.<br /><br />Thank you.<br /><br />Yvonne Mayer<br />D181 Parent, Taxpayer and Community Member<br />Yvonne Mayer, D181 Parent and Former Board of Education Membernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5961215159419443702.post-64356210811840575572014-03-20T09:50:47.757-05:002014-03-20T09:50:47.757-05:00Can the bloggers move all the science comments to ...Can the bloggers move all the science comments to a free standing post please with some kind of science title so people can more easily follow this topic? Thank you.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5961215159419443702.post-34973779396955308062014-03-20T09:47:55.947-05:002014-03-20T09:47:55.947-05:00After last night's depressing "presentati...After last night's depressing "presentation" about Next Generation Science Standards I watched some sports and the Blackhawk's win put me in a decent state of mind.<br /><br />Unfortunately I started using google again this morning.<br /><br />Here is middle school in Pennsylvania -- <a href="http://www.scasd.org/Page/19126" rel="nofollow"> State College PA Middle School -- MakerBot </a><br /><br />Another story about a Middle School in San Diego that teamed with UPS <a href="http://blog.ups.com/2014/02/20/3d-printing-is-the-prize-for-middle-school-design-class-contest/" rel="nofollow"> UPS 3D Printing Middle School Design Contest </a><br /><br />Nearby Lisle Middle School is hosting a mini-conference this Saturday, one of the presenters from Fremont Middle School in Mundelein will be relating his experiences with 3D printing in the classroom <a href="https://www.iceberg.org/icecold/mini" rel="nofollow">Illinois Computing Educators is the leader in supporting and promoting innovative education for all.</a><br /><br />Another story from Edina Middle School in Minnesota <a href="http://www.stratasys.com/resources/case-studies/education/edina-public-schools" rel="nofollow"> Edina School District has placed a high priority on “twentieth century literacy,”</a><br /><br />I would ask a simple question: What has our district identified as our "high priority"?jay_wickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13432309250544319696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5961215159419443702.post-56257842558180838792014-03-20T09:07:21.879-05:002014-03-20T09:07:21.879-05:00The inconsistency among the schools is a definite ...The inconsistency among the schools is a definite problem, but the real issue is whether or not these students in schools who are so far ahead are actually retaining the information. Common Core means diving deeper and Oak, for example, has plowed through the 5th grade curriculum. There's no depth and certainly things have been skipped. That's what compacting means and that's what has been done. Compacting should not be applied to entire populations of children. Oak parents (and all of us for that matter) should be concerned as to whether or not their children have in fact learned what they need to out of the 4th and 5th grade curriculums. Time will tell....PARCC starts next year based on Common Core and this district is not aligned in any way, shape, or form to Common Core. Whether or not we agree with what Common Core is doing to education, if this state has adopted it, then this district has to implement it. And they have not done so correctly. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5961215159419443702.post-86022289199897864822014-03-20T08:53:54.198-05:002014-03-20T08:53:54.198-05:00Oak identified students who would benefit from the...Oak identified students who would benefit from the 4th grade tutoring program after school, but those parents declined the service for whatever reason....could be they are already tutoring their children after school on their own dime.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5961215159419443702.post-85836493822904523742014-03-20T08:46:44.245-05:002014-03-20T08:46:44.245-05:00I don't know if it's actually true that Oa...I don't know if it's actually true that Oak has no 4th graders doing the after school tutoring. At least 10 kids were offered tutoring and all turned it down. Then what I have heard directly from a parent at Oak is that another "round" of kids were offered tutoring. I don't know if any of the second round kids accepted the free tutoring. Why was a second group identified only after the first group said no? How many in the first group are getting tutoring privately or having extended after school homework help from their parents? There are multiple ways to get tutoring. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5961215159419443702.post-91571487077786159102014-03-20T08:42:05.876-05:002014-03-20T08:42:05.876-05:00It is not the iPads. Third graders do not have iPa...It is not the iPads. Third graders do not have iPads. Oak's compacting success is mainly in third grade. It is something else.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5961215159419443702.post-73096521901583157852014-03-20T08:36:43.689-05:002014-03-20T08:36:43.689-05:00Oak is the only school that does not have fourth g...Oak is the only school that does not have fourth graders being tutored after school. This suggests that they have less struggling learners. This makes it easier to move through the material because there are less diverse learners. Advanced learners are being held back at the larger schools and schools with struggling learners because the group cannot move on until all the learners are ready. One size fits all only works at a school like oak and is not fair yo the other schools. They are half a year ahead and that is not due to iPads Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5961215159419443702.post-3232079236513466282014-03-20T05:43:14.985-05:002014-03-20T05:43:14.985-05:00I couldn't agree with the above comment more. ...I couldn't agree with the above comment more. Well said. And, in re: the Oak kids, they have a couple of things going for them: many super involved and informed parents who have been active in these BOE issues for years, great teachers and a knowledgeable principal who put off Ipads and other teacher distractions to focus on the basics and all of the curriculum changes. He was severely criticized a couple of years ago by some parents for "holding our kids back" but, in hindsight, he did the right thing. Oak kids aren't tutored any more than any other school's students and their third grade class last year was the largest in the district. I hope that the newly purchased Ipads don't prove to be a distraction now and take precious teacher training time away from the new math curriculum, science and implementation of the common core.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5961215159419443702.post-31985264720436800022014-03-19T23:34:15.505-05:002014-03-19T23:34:15.505-05:00You are not alone in wondering why The Foundation ...You are not alone in wondering why The Foundation and PTO's are pumping in hundreds of thousands of dollars to D181, but our kids don't even have a a roof over their heads at HMS. Nor do they have science books or hot lunches in elementary schools. Why?? Oak Brook offers catered, organic lunches. Problems like this happen when there is not enough accurate communication between the community/donors and the administration. When no one listens to the teachers and parents complaining, and you only forge ahead with what's flashy and impressive rather than what's really important, a solid base of knowledge, problems occur. <br /><br />When The Foundation and/or PTOs invested so much money in iPads, for example, they didn't take into consideration that teachers would be spending their professional development time on learning how to use iPads instead of figuring out how to compact 2 years of math into 1 without consulting the University of Chicago Everyday Math folks. Nor did we donors have any idea that no one from the district level would ever try to create some modicum of consistency throughout the schools.<br /><br />Instead, a good superintendent should have insisted on teachers becoming experts in how to teach math, science, and language arts before lending shiny new toys to our 4th and 5th graders. Or that they would let a special ed administrator run around at conferences promoting a "social justice" agenda. 5th graders with atrocious spelling skills, not learning vocabulary words, or using the Write Source books? No problem! Pads can look up unknown words. Poor handwriting - so what, that's what keyboards are for! Too bad our high schools don't have iPads, though. And too bad our kids don't even have keyboarding skills before they leave 5th grade. Parents have been begging for more foreign language in elementary school, and especially Chinese. So why isn't the Foundation offering that? Instead, it is offered during our children's lunch time at expensive Language Stars rates. They should poll parents parents or, better yet, qualified experts on what the best things to invest in education are, not just allow themselves to be sold on the latest gadgets that sophisticated tech companies are hawking. And we certainly don't have to pay a fool from Virginia $50,000 to give us some clues.<br /><br />Dumping so many gifts on our undeserving administration has allowed them to funnel cash reserves to their salaries instead of towards books and building maintenance. The Foundation should cut off all donations to administration until the BOE starts taking its obligations more seriously. Because we all give so freely, we have created a district that is spoiled and irresponsible in its responsibilities. The price of privilege doesn't JUST affect children. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5961215159419443702.post-49036208333151219112014-03-19T22:38:47.831-05:002014-03-19T22:38:47.831-05:00Exactly correct, Jay Wick. For your own sanity...Exactly correct, Jay Wick. For your own sanity's sake, you probably don't want to start scrutinizing the language arts program anytime soon. Shocking how our district only turned to what last year, our administrators touted as the "new" balanced literacy, when other schools in much poorer districts have been teaching with balanced literacy techniques for over 15 years! HOW do our highly paid Department of Learning Administrators get away with this? Doesn't the Illinois State Board of Education monitor anything? Why isn't the ISBE out here monitoring why our board is allowing our administrators get away with such blatant incompetence? Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5961215159419443702.post-43901785756953178892014-03-19T22:06:49.941-05:002014-03-19T22:06:49.941-05:00Wic, that last sentence......you're so spot on...Wic, that last sentence......you're so spot on!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com