I am wondering why parents do not question the people running district 41. I find it frustrating that they talk about the problems and frustrations out on the street and with their friends but never actually go to the people making these choices and ask,WHY????

I want to encourage everyone in district 41 to speak up when something is of concern. If you are frustrated with a piece of new curriculum than ask your principal and then ask Ann Reibock. You should also attend board meetings and question those members as well.

The school district works for the people of this town and should be taking better care of them. They must stop riding under the radar until a parent gets angry and starts a petition.

I would like to know who in this district is responsible for walking through the buildings and observing what is actually happening in the classroom Who makes sure that all the teachers are teaching the same curriculum required for that grade level? Why do some teachers teach one thing and some decide to skip this or that? Who is in charge of monitoring that?

In my opinion it should be the principal and Anne Reibock. When I was a teacher I had people coming in and out of my classroom all the time, observing me, writing up reports on my teaching and I was held accountable.

I love teachers so this is not about most teachers, but there are some bad ones stuck in the system. Why are the rules at one elementary school different than they are at another?

When I ask around about these things I always hear "I have never heard anything about this." I do know that is playing the denial card, but it is also because we as parents need to keep asking questions and expressing things we feel are not right and we need to give suggestions to these people on better ways to coommunicate with parents and we must follow through with and make it happen.

One last thought...what happen to our kindergarten curriculum? I am embarrassed at what is going on in there when districts all around us have full day and are doing such elevated curriculum. I know the response will be we have no room, but forget the all day thing what about the learning in there right now?

Does anyone think the curriculum is strong there?

quote:

Does anyone think the curriculum is strong there?

Absolutely not.

I was a little stunned to find that Hadley Jr. High.....a school with about 1,100 kids....managed to get close to 800 on the "honor roll."

The vast majority of teachers in D41 are indeed extraordinary...but they don't seem to do a fabulous job of preparing our kiddies for the daily rigors and pitfalls of District 87. Like every single one of you, I have an ultra-smart kid. The concept of "studying"...not completing your homework or participating in class...was completely foreign to him in late August. I think 90% of the parents who have a kid in Bio H were surprised to see mid and low Cs after the first test.

Studying should be a major part of D41's Jr. High experience...but it is not. Why not use one of those idiot floating classes that last 8 weeks to prepare these kids for what they are about to run into?

Clam, like you I have an ultra smart kid at West this year. I was concerned that she would not be able to balance school and sports. She has surprised me, her mid-quarter report came and she has all 5's except for her last 2 classes of the day and she has 4's in those. I guess it depends on the kid. I was just wondering the other day if she will breaze through HS and college like she has elementary and junior high?

I guess I’ll be seeing you all at the D41 board meetings.

Monday's should be fun.

Finance & Facilities Committee Meeting Agenda

I've expressed (quite adamantly) with Dr. Dransoff that more needs to be done to encourage/force the 8th graders to "step it up" in terms of homework/studying expectations. I also discussed my concerns about test re-takes and how it covers up weaknesses....students do not fail unless they are desperately behind in their academic skills and/or doing absolutely no work outside of their school day to reinforce what they learn during the day. The new grading policy looks like it might improve things a bit. However, I do worry how my child will fair in high school next year. I've watched my older, more motivated, strong work ethic kid struggle in high school so it's hard to know what will happen with the next kid.

Amy, you are so right. Some of the issues I see at the elementary level which I am sure carry over to junior high are that "some" teachers step it up and challenge the kids and then the next year the teacher that get does nothing. Each year however, the child is supposed to live up to whatever they get. The teachers all need to be teaching the same curriculum and all be challenging in their own way. That is so not happening. Again, totally in support of all teachers but not the ones that slack.

I have a child in kindergarten and the curriculum is ridiculous. Writing letters each day that are not even written correctly and receiving a star which clearly shows the teacher did not even check them. Where is the reading instruction? Dot to dots?

Next year in first grade she will be expected to read and write from day one. First grade is very strong as our most of the teachers at that level. However, again in every grade there are at least 2 teachers that nobody wants because "their child won't do anything in there." We should be able to feel that of the 4 choices maybe one has a personality we do not choose, but academically, all four will do a good job and all the kids will be learning all the curriculum for that grade.

So not happening. Who is in charge of going to the schools and checking up on what is being taught in classrooms. Parents write letters every year about who they do not want. Administration knows who is not a good teacher, so those teachers should be monitored and made to get it together. The teachers and there are many, that are doing a great job and working hard all the time would not care about being watched.

In a regular job if you keep doing a crap job then you get fired or told to get it together. Why isn't this happening in 41?

Justsayin..Are you talking about a specific teacher your child has, or the curriculum as a whole? I would like to know as I have a K student and don't see the same thing.

Keep in mind that the teacher may have a class that has a large variety of skill sets that she has to teach to. I know it isn't fair to those that have attended a few years of Pre-school to be stuck in a situation like that.
Our first born did not attend Kindergarten here, however my second and third born have and I was very happy with my second son's teacher, the third not so much.

I don't know what the state mandated curriculum is, however I think Kindergarten's purpose is to develop social skills and listening skills. JMO

I think you have to recognize that, for the most part, public elementary schools are more concerned with getting the lowest achievers up to at least average than moving the more advanced farther ahead. The range of skills for students in D41 kindergarten and primary levels is extreme.

EDIT: side of FRYs - That was absolutely not my intent nor my assumption. Sorry to have upset you.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: GEmom2,

EDIT: Post removed by side of FRYs due to the removal of other referenced posts.

Some times we choose to fight for pieces of the pie, and some times we fight to make the pie big enough to feed all. Even if I fail while fighting for the rights and needs of the most modest of our fellow community members, I will at least know the fight was worth fighting.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: side of FRYs,

GEmom2, I agree with you!

Don’t kid yourselves. To quote Jack Nicholson from A Few Good Men, “You have the luxury of not knowing what I know.”

The school district’s favorite students are the “B” students that show up every day, and never sign up for activities. The Dist is designed to service the majority.

I give you that the dist may not be doing a great job on the highest achievers, but if you think that the manner in which the dist handles the lowest achievers is so grand…

And Scotty, you should have read the whole post before it was edited.
Lake Ellyn, maybe we should just change it to Lake Wobegon.

My offer stands to you both. I’ll buy the coffee, you show up to discuss.

quote:

Originally posted by side of FRYs:
And Scotty, you should have read the whole post before it was edited.
Lake Ellyn, maybe we should just change it to Lake Wobegon.

My offer stands to you both. I’ll buy the coffee, you show up to discuss.

YES, I did read the entire post prior to editing and she was correct in that post as well.

uninformed opto uninformed res

This thread is disturbing to me.

We have our first child in the early years of D41 and wouldn't know a good teacher from a bad one or whether they are doing no, a little, plenty or too much work. I'm sure by the time #3 goes through the system, I'll be better informed, but what about us clueless first time parents?

What I'm hearing is all of the "informed" parents essentially choose their children's teachers because they preference "not to have so and so", and so that means that unless I befriend people I don't know (my circle of friends all has kids the same age, maybe 1st or second grade oldest and babies as youngest - not in 6th or 7th grade) my child will inevitably get a poor teacher because I am ignorant of the "word on the street"? That's very concerning to me.

I am speaking about my own school as I have no experience with the others, s Nika is correct. I have heard people from other schools express their concern with K but that is it.

I think Kindergarten is partly to learn social skills and make friends etc, but that can't be what it is anymore. Not in these times. It has to include more, because the next great job is enormous. When you go to first grade you do not ease into a situation where now you will learn academics. You are expected to read directions, write a ton and be academic. I do appreciate that there are many children who do not go to preschool and many that can't afford it. This community knows that something is missing in K because why would the park district begin doing a K enrichment program that is so full they opened another section and filled that one too. Al the Montessori schools and even Wesminister preschool this year all have K enrichment. It is VERY expensive too and people are finding a way to pay it. What does that mean? Some good money making for schools and the park district but also the demand for more and the realization that our public school isn't able to provide it for a variety of reasons.

I agree that the needs of the kids are diverse these days and I do not blame the teachers because how can one person teach 20 or 27 in the upper grades all with different abilities in a "perfect' manner. Especially for K which is about 1 hour of instruction time when you take out specials and such. So of course that is not possible.

I do think we could do more with the use of qualified aids, not just any person, but there are tons of retired teachers and stay at home moms who are teachers that could aid in all the classrooms and for decent pay be a huge help to the different learning abilities. Paying a well qualified mom or teacher to work half a day with no benefits can't be that expensive. You have to pay an aid something that allows you to get good quality people. There are also parents dying to get into the classroom to help their kids teachers but many teachers have no interest. I would have loved a mom in my room working with a group of kids for any subject. Maybe a mom doing a math lesson with a middle group so I could work with the lower or higher kids.

There are some great teachers but there are several that do not live up to the standards they should. For example, I have a 5th grader and when he was in 4th grade he had homework every night, but not too much. He had several wonderful projects and he learned all the states in the USA. My other friend, his teacher never taught the states. His teacher never gave homework and he never did any projects. Now, I unerstand different teaching styles, but every class should be doing states if that is in the curriculum. Why should my child have it down and her child never have learned it?

I think what the other mom mentioned is worth thinking about. Do parents who stay quiet and uninvolved get the slacking teachers? There should not be any slacking teacher and every child should have the chance to have a teacher that is "good." As I mentioned before, there should not be a "bad" teacher nobody wants. If there is a tenured teacher nobody wants, than te principal and Superintendent should be working with that teacher to bring them up to par and to remind them of their responsibilities. Tenure should be security but not a relief from being hardworking and dedicated.

I also think it is important to mention that I love the social part of kindergarten and think it is crucial, but there needs to be more. Teachers in this grade level should not be giving out worksheets from 5 years ago and doing the same exact activities. I was told the curriculum for K is supposed to be that your child learns to read. I was told that is done through several different activities. Not given any specifics..why not?

Liking or not liking a teacher is a different experience for everyone. A teacher I may like personality wise may be someone elses least favorite. That is just people. The quality and curiculum should be high for all of them. Teachers should not be hired as easily as they are and when they are tenured they should still be held to that high standard and someone should be watching them.

Has anyone on here ever expressed a concern about a teacher to Anne Reibock? If you have told your principal as you should, what have they told you? What can be done about a teacher that does not teach part of the curriculum but they are a great person????

Remember, I am pro-teacher totally as I am one myself, but I was never allowed to not perform at a high standard because I was monitored. When parents complained I met with them and my principal. Isn't that the way the real world job is? If my husband does not do his job, he gets in trouble. Someone is making sure he does it.

To the best of my knowledge, Kindergarten is not required by the state and therefore would not have any learning standards.

That may be true, but if you choose to put your child in it and the district claims to have a curriculum than they should be following it. If I am told something will be happening than it should be.

Side of FRYs,

What's the quote from the Incredibles?

"...and when everyone's super...then no one will be..."

Your right, you should not have to watch out for it, you should know it is being done without having to manage it. What you do at home is great for your kids. I still think that when I go into the hospital for something, I do not trust that everyone there is doing everything they should. I ask questions, check and double check. You really have to do that everywhere now.

Nobody is judging you or any other parent. I do not want everyone to be super, I just want the best education for my children. I pay enough taxes to hope for that!