UPDATE: Superintendent Survey Now "Live" on D181 Website and Focus Group to be Held on 3/24 at Elm School-- No Notification from BOE

The online Superintendent survey that the Board of Education is conducting to gather information from the community is now "Live" at the D181 website at the following link:  http://www.d181.org/board-of-education/surveys-and-engagement/index.aspx. When the page opens, scroll down to the paragraph titled Superintendent Search and click on the word "here" to access the survey.

The survey window is from today through March 25, 2014.

We want to express our disappointment that as of this morning, no official notice to the parents or community members has been issued by email.  Nor did the board announce the survey dates during last Monday's (3/10/14) board meeting.

Does the BOE really care what the community thinks?  Their lack of TIMELY notification speaks volumes.

With respect to the actual survey, we have just taken it.  We are surprised that BWP did not include a "comments" question that would allow the responders to explain any of their answers or express concerns about the current leadership that they do not want to see repeated.  BWP does provide the address below that people can mail additional commentary to, but in this age of technology, how many people are really going to MAIL a letter to the search firm?  Why didn't they at least provide an email address?

BWP address:

BWP & Associates - Community Consolidated School District 181
872 S. Milwaukee Ave. #221
Libertyville, IL 60048


So we have taken the liberty of providing our readers with the email address available on the BWP website:

Email: bwpassociates@live.com

In addition, the D181 website page with the survey link has been updated to announce the Focus Group BWP will be hosting to gather more input on the qualities the community is seeking in a superintendent.  The announcement states:

"A community focus group is being held March 24 at Elm School (7pm). All residents are welcomed to attend. BWP anticipates presenting a slate of candidates to the Board of Education in April."

We encourage you to spread the word on both the survey and the focus groups yourselves, rather than wait to hear from the BOE.  Overall, a very disappointing start to the superintendent search.

UPDATE on Superintendent Search -- Search Firm to Conduct Survey from 3/17 - 3/25

The D181 Website has been updated with the following information:

"Superintendent Search

District 181 invites the community to complete a survey to assist in the District’s search for the next superintendent. The survey asks respondents to consider the District’s strengths, issues facing the District, and skills and characteristics to seek in a superintendent. The survey will be open March 17 through March 25 and can be accessed on this webpage once it is live on March 17. The Board accepted the resignation of current Superintendent Dr. Renée Schuster on February 10, with the resignation effective June 30, 2014. On February 24, the Board approved the hiring of BWP and Associates to lead the superintendent search process. The firm developed the survey and will lead focus groups to further capture staff and parent input in the search process. The firm anticipates presenting a slate of candidates to the Board of Education in April."                                             (Source:  http://www.d181.org/board-of-education/surveys-and-engagement/index.aspx)

We look forward to the Board of Education sending out official notification to parents and community members of this Survey prior to the response period commencing on March 17.  We also hope the Board of Education will create a LINK on the D181 website (similar to what other districts have done*) that will keep the community updated on the search process and include the following information:

• Timeline of the search process
• Information about the "focus groups" referenced above that will also explain if the focus groups will be open to all, or limited in number (and if so, what method will be used to select the participants.)
• Superintendent Leadership Profile developed by BWP after the survey and focus groups.
• Regular updates.

In the meantime, the following information is available on the BWP (the search firm D181 is using) website:

"Community Consolidated School District 181 Hinsdale, Illinois

Announcement of Superintendent Vacancy

The Community Consolidated School District 181 Board of Education, Hinsdale, Illinois, announces the commencement of a search for a new Superintendent of Schools who will assume responsibilities on either May 30th or July 1, 2014. This is an outstanding professional opportunity for a qualified and experienced educational leader to work with an enthusiastic and supportive community, staff and Board of Education.

The Hinsdale Elementary School District 181 is located in highly desirable DuPage County, approximately 19 miles west of downtown Chicago. District 181 includes seven elementary and two middle schools. The K-8 student population of almost 4,000 is characterized by high academic achievement. There are also numerous programs that support the academic and social emotional needs of all the students in the district. Parents are involved and are supportive. The community takes great pride in its schools.

The schools are supported by a strong administrative team, a dedicated Board of Education, and a devoted staff of teachers and support personnel. District 181 has proven to be a great place to work and live.

Application Procedure

Interested candidates are urged to complete the online application process at www.bwpassociates.com as soon as possible. This will be a “ROLLING SEARCH”, with applications being screened as they are received. Applications will be accepted from February 27, 2014 until the new Superintendent is selected.

An Application should include: 􏱕 A completed online Applicant Data Form 􏱕 A letter of application indicating qualifications and reasons for interest

in the position 􏱕 A current resume 􏱕 A brief description of major professional accomplishments 􏱕 College/University transcripts 􏱕 Four to six letters of recommendation 􏱕 Evidence of eligibility to be a Superintendent in Illinois

All of the required material should be submitted online at www.bwpassociates.com. Application materials will be treated confidentially. Applicants are requested not to contact members of the Board of Education.A regionally competitive compensation package will be offered to the successful candidate. The Board is willing to work with the candidate concerning issues generated by the Illinois Pension Cap.

Each candidate will be informed of the Board’s selection and appointment of the new Superintendent. The final selection and appointment is the sole responsibility of the Board of Education.

BWP and Associates, Ltd.

872 South Milwaukee Avenue, #221 Libertyville, Illinois 60048

For additional information, contact BWP search consultants:

Dr. Mark Friedman Dr. Anne Noland Mr. Steve Griesbach Dr. Phil Ehrhardt

847-975-8393 630-624-3336 708-822-8706 630-514-7003

An Equal Opportunity Employer"

Source: http://www.bwpassociates.com/uploads/Hinsdale%20181_WebWords_2-27-14.pdf

________________________________________

*  Examples of another district website's Superintendent Search link (this district is also using BWP):

Frankfort District 157-C:  A link called "Superintendent Search" is on the District Office homepage: http://www.fsd157c.org/static.asp?path=3038.  This link opens up to the following page (which has sub-links to detailed search information):   http://www.fsd157c.org/static.asp?path=3038,6769

Recap of Remainder of 2/24/14 Board Meeting: Superintendent Search, Performance Data, Approval of a Project Manager and Skyrocketing HMS Mold Remediation Costs

Monday's Board Meeting lasted 4 hours 5 minutes, not including a bathroom break and adjournment into Executive Session in the middle of the meeting. Before we address the substance of the agenda items, we want to express our disappointment in the length of the agenda and the declining attention Board Members paid to important items as the evening wore on. Anyone who listened to the entire meeting, either live or via Podcast, will realize that the Board increased the speed at which it plowed through the second half of the agenda items and decreased the thoroughness of the questions asked or discussion held. Frankly, to hear the way the board handled the latter agenda items was embarrassing, because rather than take the responsible course and suggest that some of the agenda items be tabled, multiple items had absolutely no discussion as board members or Dr. Schuster stated that there was not even a need for some of the scheduled administrative presentations, or that the important MAP data and math performance data presentation by Dr. Russell could be shortened.  Such a lackadaisical approach to the agenda was, in our opinion, unacceptable because the community has a right to expect more care and consideration from its elected officials on matters that impact our students --  curriculum, budget and facilities.

So what else besides Dr. Moon's "presentation" was on the agenda?

Superintendent Search Firm Hired:

The evening kicked off with presentations by 3 superintendent search firms:  Ray & Associates Inc., BWP and Associates and Hazard Young Attea and Associates.  (Hazard was the firm that identified Dr. Schuster as a candidate in 2009.)  After hearing presentations from the three firms and adjourning later in the meeting to Executive Session to discuss them, the Board voted in open session to retain BWP and Associates.  During its presentation, BWP assured the Board that they could complete a superintendent search by July 1.  In fact, they were the only firm that said they could complete a search within 8 weeks and explained that the Board should shoot for a hiring date of May 31, 2014.  May 31 is apparently a date of some significance because the salary of an administrator on May 31, the day before the new Illinois Pension Benefit law takes effect, will be "capped" for some of the future pension benefits. As a result, the implication was that now is the time to search for a new superintendent because there may be a greater willingness by sitting superintendents to make a move, especially if their new salary will be higher than their current one.  In fact, BWP was the only firm who brought this information to the Board's attention.  In addition, BWP will "guarantee" the superintendent hire for a period of 2 years. If the superintendent does not work out, then BWP will conduct a "free" search for a replacement.  While the community has not seen the proposals that set out the search process, all three firms said the first step would be developing a superintendent profile and that at some point input from the community will be solicited.

In our opinion, the Board made the right choice.  BWP's presentation certainly seemed like the most thorough and they presented information that neither of the other firms did.  Their aggressive timeline may prove to be a positive, even if it means ultimately paying the new superintendent a higher salary than the one he/she is currently paid at another district, in order to entice them to come to D181.  We would suggest that the Board consider "freeing up some money" by eliminating one or more central administrators, because in our opinion, the central office has grown and grown under Dr. Schuster's watch and is now top heavy. At the March 10 board meeting, Dr. Schuster will be bringing forward her recommendations on administrator contract renewals and salary raises.  In our opinion, there are certain administrators who are not adding value or pulling their weight.  We won't name names or positions here, but we hope the board carefully assesses whether one or more of them should be eliminated. We firmly believe that by eliminating one or two positions, there will be between $150,000 to $320,000 in salary and benefits that can be used toward paying a highly competitive salary for a new superintendent with experience in a high achieving district and a proven, successful track record, especially in the area of curriculum.

We wish BWP good luck in this important undertaking and urge the Board to continue to proceed in a responsible and transparent manner, seeking the most qualified candidate to replace Dr. Schuster.

Next up was Dr. Moon's presentation, which we have already covered in our last post.

Superintendent's Report:

Dr. Schuster then presented her superintendent's report. ( Click to open report.)  The report covered a recent visit to FermiLab by many of our science teachers and an "explanation" on the double acceleration of some 5th grade students who commute each day to the middle schools for math.  Unfortunately, no details of the actual "process" or "standards" required to be identified or be eligible for this double acceleration were described in her report which simply stated that "[t]he decision to have a student attend math class at the middle school is a data-driven team decision and is often included as part of a student’s Individual Learning Plan."  

Why can't the Department of Curriculum publish the process and standards?  To do otherwise reeks of yet another subjective decision made without any real consistency and that most likely results in students being overlooked or perhaps even, over-identified. There may very well be students who NEED double math acceleration while in elementary school, but without transparency and a process that is spelled out for all families to see, the Department of Learning is sliding backwards to the unfair and questionable identification practices that were criticized by Dr. Moon in her January 2012 report used back then to place students into the gifted programs and advanced/accelerated math tiers.  Has Dr. Schuster and the Department of Learning Administrators learned nothing?

Performance Data Presentation:

Toward a Better Tomorrow; Future Considerations for D181 and the Immediate Questions Moving Forward

With the district events that have transpired during this past week, we thought we would reiterate our mission and purpose in being volunteer bloggers in the hopes we have provided the D181 community with knowledge and facts related to the status of our district. While the dynamics of the posts and comments on this blog have been spirited and at times heated in the last week especially, we want to convey to our loyal readers that our purpose all along has been to educate and create an awareness of the many changes, some radical, that have been occurring in the district for more then two years. And while we are passionate about district educational issues, as are many of our readers and those who have posted comments, our interests in creating and maintaining this blog have been for the greater good; the greater good for our parents, teachers and children, which in turn impacts the overall well being of the community at large.

So, as we look to the future we are hopeful that a new leader, who has a proven track record of success as a superintendent in a comparable district, will take over the reigns and guide the D181 community to a better place. Yes, any potential superintendent candidate will probably conduct an Internet search on D181 and discover this blog. The candidates who have the experience and knowledge to make necessary changes that are research based, theoretically grounded and proven to be effective within elementary school settings, will be confident enough to rise to the many challenges this district now represents.

Though there are many parent and teacher concerns, some of which have been expressed on this blog, we thought we would take the opportunity to highlight those we believe to be among the most important:

1. We have yet to see the effectiveness of the Learning for All plan presented with data and analysis. Why hasn’t there been a formal presentation of the results so parents know how well Learning for All is working across the district? How are all of the needs of children across the district, regardless of ability level, being met?
2. We now know approximately 25% of fourth graders have been identified for remediation or tutoring twice weekly due to the math acceleration the administration has pushed. How can ¼ of fourth graders require remediation if Learning for All is supposed to reach every child every day in the classroom? What adjustments are being made to accommodate these students within the regular classroom?
3. The Department of Learning administrators stated that with the assistance of the University of Chicago (the origin of Everyday Math) that consistency would be defined and carried among all grades and schools. Why are we parents hearing and seeing students from our home school working on different chapters, lessons, etc than their counterparts in other schools?
4.  Since the district withdrew from LADSE, what is the current status of Special Education within the district? How are the needs of special education students being met across the district? How are special education students performing on the ISAT?
5. Enrichment materials for math and language arts were supposed to be implemented according to the Department of Learning. Our children have not been introduced to enrichment, despite the fact many students are complaining of boredom and lack of challenge within the regular classroom.
6. How is the RtI (Response to Intervention) program meeting the needs of students across ability levels? We have heard from parents who have completed RtI meetings only to have little to no follow up of instructional programming by the administration.

These are just some of the concerns we believe to be most important. These concerns, along with others, need to be addressed by the administration and board of education prior to the hiring of a new superintendent and then acted upon afterward to improve the state of our district. The mid point of the school year has come and gone; the future of D181 looks much different today than it did at the start of the school year. We have questions and concerns. We need answers. And ultimately, we need a leader who knows how to pick up the shattered pieces and make the district whole again. Yes, we believe the district is now fragmented, veiled in secrecy, and under performing as a whole. Like it or not, these consequences are a direct result of what an administrator recently admitted as, “Trying something new in the district that has never been done before.” Well, well. We finally have an admission that the Learning for All Social Justice Plan is a massive, unfounded, non-researched based experiment that our children have been subjected to for more than two years.

Bottom line: In order to erase the trends of overall lower test scores (ISAT and MAP), math acceleration leading to remediation, stagnation of learning within heterogeneous classrooms, etc. the administration and BOE will have to work to be sure there are accountability measures in place; the district should be moving toward a better tomorrow. This is a great challenge, no doubt, given the concerns articulated on this blog and also through parent comments at BOE meetings, engagement sessions, etc.

This is our perspective. You may agree or disagree. In the end, we only want what’s best for our children. That’s been the goal all along. In addition to the topics listed above that we hope will be addressed very soon at future board meetings, in the coming weeks we plan to address the following topics:

• The February 24 visit and report to the Board by Dr. Moon and Dr. Friedman.  Dr. Moon’s January 2012 report is now 2 years old.  She is returning to review and observe all of the changes that have been implemented since her recommendations.  We will address what those recommendations actually were, review the changes the administration has implemented instead and then raise questions and issues we hope Dr. Moon will answer and address during her visit and presentation.  And who is Dr. Friedman, yet another consultant hired by the administration? What is her purpose?
• The D181 teachers. We fully support the teachers in D181.  Over the last couple of years they have been put in a very difficult position.  Sweeping changes in the areas of curriculum have been imposed on them, not just through Common Core requirements that all districts in Illinois and in many other states have had to implement; they have also had to handle the additional acceleration and all-inclusive model that the D181 administration has pursued.  Teachers have expressed concerns regarding many of these changes in surveys conducted by the administration.  They also expressed facilities and health concerns.  Yet, until there was an actual crisis at HMS, their facilities and health concerns went unaddressed by the Board who, we believe, had not been made aware of them by the administration.  What kind of crisis will it take for the Board to act now on the teachers’ curriculum concerns?  Teachers in this district are outstanding, but they too are human and can only accomplish so much when faced with all of the changes they have had to manage during the past two years.
• Contract Negotiations.  The current three-year teachers’ contract expires at the end of this school year. The teachers made many concessions in their last contract, driven in great part by the downturn in the national economy.  With the economy in recovery mode, and in light of all of the increased challenges and demands that every teacher is now facing due to all of the changes brought forward by the administration, we expect the Board to acknowledge the value of all the D181 teachers during the contract negotiations.  We can ill afford to face a teachers’ strike that might shut down all of the D181 schools and negatively impact instructional time in 2014-2015.
• Superintendent Search:  We will closely monitor the progress made by the Board in conducting what we hope will be a comprehensive search for a superintendent to replace Dr. Schuster.  None of the current Board members was in office during the last search. The Board will need to act quickly to hire a national search firm to guide them through this critical task.

We will continue blogging and keeping the parent and teacher community updated on D181 events and issues.  We welcome relevant comments and feedback from all constituents district wide.  In keeping with our goal of transparency by the administration and Board, we hope the future will bring some much needed “sunshine” on D181 and a better tomorrow.