- ISAT scores
- PSAE scores
- English Language proficiency indicators
- Implementation of guided reading in elementary classrooms
- Future goal setting and sharing that with the community
- Addressing the large state funding decrease
- Improving communication on district finances
- Reducing worker's compensation costs
- Recruiting and maintaining quality guest (substitute) teachers
Discussion centered on numerous topics such as:
- Relocating the Phoenix Experience
- District expectations of low income and minority students
- Special education aide proposed cuts and strategic planning
- Curriculum and teaching methods
- District finances
- District volunteer opportunities
Aside from the fact that guided reading is a blatantly inferior whole language methodology of teaching reading, the district has a fall 2010 goal to have guided reading fully implemented in at least 80% of elementary classrooms.
I asked Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education, Faith Dahlquist, what was taking place in the other classrooms that were not fully implementing guided reading. I frankly can't tell you what the answer was. And this is part of the problem. No one can really tell me what is happening in the elementary classroom, K-3, to teach a child to read.
I understand that different teachers may alter their teaching methods depending on the needs of a child. But that isn't good enough. If the district is requiring teachers to use guided reading and some teachers are partially implementing it, how can it's effectiveness be determined? Is it harming a child to mix guided reading with other teaching methods? How am I as a parent to determine if my child's needs are being met? If guided reading is never fully implemented, the district will always have the excuse that it was never fully implemented, so how am I to hold the district/teacher accountable?
Supt. Dahlquist said that implementing guided reading is "very difficult" to do and teachers have been given training. So, if guided reading is so difficult to implement, evidenced by the district's goal of 80% full implementation after 3 years, how many students have been ill-served as a result of this experiment? I know it didn't work for my son who developed reading problems.
And I know why.
Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education, Mike Perrott, made a comment during another discussion that "if students can read then they can learn". I couldn't agree more.
But if the district can't get reading right, then nothing else matters. And it's obvious the district is promoting a teaching method, guided reading, which is not grounded in scientifically based reading research.
I challenge the district to:
- Defend in writing the defective guided reading program they have sanctioned for use by teachers
- Produce citations of the experimental research on which the unsound guided reading program is based
Board President Quigley remarked, as he has done in previous meetings, that the union members in the audience needed to contact their state legislators and tell them to fund education (raise taxes). He said it would be tough, given this is an election year, and that legislators want to keep their jobs. I noted that unlike the US congressional legislators who voted for the health care reform bill against the will of the American people, Illinois lawmakers who vote against a tax increase will be voting the will of Illinois taxpayers.
Illinois private sector taxpayers are taking pay freezes, pay cuts, and losing their jobs. It is not too much to ask for teachers to take a pay freeze.
I told President Quigley that the real question audience members need to ask their state legislators is where did the money go that was supposed to fund education? If necessary, some people in Springfield need to go to jail for the outright theft of pension contributions and education funding in exchange for political patronage.
Teachers and taxpayers have been lied to again and again by Illinois lawmakers who make promises they can't keep and neglect their Constitutionally mandated obligation to properly fund education. The taxpayer alone should not have to suffer for this financial mismanagement.
Unfortunately, everyone in Illinois is going to have to suffer, including teachers and administrators. Most importantly, legislators who dug us into this financial abyss, need to be voted out of office.
Do You Believe Low-Income and Minority Students Can Learn?
This question was posed by a parent. She also said she was appalled at the low goals set for ISAT and PSAE proficiency targets. I agree.
Bureaucracy is Not An Excuse - This is an Emergency
This statement was made by a parent. She also said that she demands the best from her children's teachers and that other parents need to do the same. Her husband made the remark that these challenges need to be addressed as a unit district, grades K-12. I agree.
Special Education - Where's the Strategy?
Board Member Gougis asked this question regarding the action report to dismiss the special education aides. Member Evans remarked that the board had been in the loop during the process of reallocating special education aides. There was some agreement that the special education long-term planning does need to be better.
Supt. Dahlquist said a committee had been formed to examine the overall strategy. Executive Director of Student Services, David Hehl, said more information would be reported between the end of March and mid April.
The Phoenix Experience is Relocating Not Closing
This was the board's response to a parent who inquired about the timing and necessity of relocating the Phoenix Experience. The parent was assured that she could be included in the transition team. The details of the transition are a work in progress.
Special Education Aides Reduced While Bilingual Teachers Increased
Director of Bilingual Education, Ricardo Sanchez, explained that due to elevated requirements to exit the bilingual education program, 12 additional bilingual teachers will be hired. Bilingual students now need a score of 4.8 instead of 4.0 to transition to the general education population.