A Class Act

Superintendent of Elgin District U-46 Rejects Salary Increase

From District 100 Watchdog



The superintendent of Illinois’ second largest school district informed administrators and non-union staff members that he will not be accepting the 3.7 percent salary increase that is called for in his contract for the 2009/2010 school year.

In a message to U-46 administrators and non-union employees, Dr. José M. Torres wrote, “Due to the difficult finances that we find ourselves in as a country and as a state, I have informed the Board of Education that I will not be accepting the salary increase for the 2009/2010 school year that I had negotiated with the Board when I was hired last year.”

In the same message, Torres announced that he will also not be recommending salary increases for administrators and non-union employees for the upcoming school year.

“The decision regarding salary increases for employees who do not have negotiated salary increases has been very difficult to make. I think we can all agree, though, that foregoing our salary increases at a time when so many families in our communities and across the country are struggling is the right thing to do,” Torres wrote.

The savings from not providing salary increases for administrators and non-union employees is estimated at $1.5 million next school year. “While this savings will not fix our fundamental revenue problems, it will help,” says Torres.

In his e-mail, Torres emphasizes that he, and the U-46 Board of Education, value the commitment of all staff members to the district, its students, and communities. He further notes that he and the Board will remember that administrators and other non-union employees sacrificed a salary increase.

Under the terms of his original contract, Torres is to receive an annual pay increase equal to the average annual percentage received by teachers. Had the raise been accepted, Torres’ annual salary would have increased from $220,000 to $228,140 next school year.

Pay vs. Performance: Is the money right for your superintendent?

By Annie Reed and Brian Hudson
Suburban Life Publications
Wed Sep 23, 2009, 12:20 PM CDT

In many communities, school district superintendents are among the highest-paid public employees, pulling in close to $200,000 or more in salary and benefits.

Yet despite a decade-old law, some taxpayers are still hindered from seeing how their school boards review superintendent job performance, according to a recent review of contracts.

Three months ago the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that the public has the right to see superintendents’ contracts, including the goals that school districts are required to set for them.

After the court’s decision, Suburban Life Publications collected and reviewed some three dozen superintendent contracts from suburban Cook, DuPage and Kane counties. The analysis suggests that in many districts, the contract’s performance goals — which Illinois schools boards must set according to a state law — do not have the teeth lawmakers intended.

Since 1998, a state law has required that multi-year superintendent contracts be “performance based” and set goals. The idea was that salary and compensation should be closely tied to improvements in the district.

While many school boards use the goals to chart a clear course for the district’s chief administrator, at least several set only broad or vague objectives — in some cases one or two sentences that amount to little more than a job description.

Measuring superintendent performance against such indistinct goals can be difficult, at least for observers. School boards regularly review superintendent performance, but it is done in closed-door meetings — which means in some cases taxpayers can be shut out of directly evaluating their schools’ head administrator.

EVALUATION

Given that superintendent contracts all achieve essentially the same purpose, the districts’ agreements can be considerably distinct. After all, the contracts tend to be written by different lawyers and legal counsels, and even in the rigid confines of a legal document, an author’s pen can show through.

Likewise, the 34 districts that Suburban Life Publications looked at take varying stance on superintendent performance goals.

The most common approach was to list roughly a half-dozen goals, ranging from the broad — “curriculum review” appeared often in some form or another — to specific district initiatives.

Some districts were more precise than that and included a dozen or more specific goals, indicators and the actions taken toward them, updating the goals each year and making them accessible to the public.

In St. Charles Community Unit School District 303, officials compiled Superintendent Donald Schlomann’s goals for 2008-11 in a report that details how a goal has been met or what plans are underway to meet them in the future.

Some districts’ contracts, however, were scarce on goals.

Sandra Doebert is superintendent of Lemont High School District 210. When her five-year contract was signed in 2007, it included both a performance goal and an indicator of success. But neither are very specific.

The 19-word, one-sentence goal says Doebert must implement and evaluate curriculum improvements “determined to foster improved academic achievement.” She must report to the board on those improvement programs by June 2011.

In Glen Ellyn’s Community Consolidated School District 89, Superintendent John Perdue has just three goals in his contract. He is required to evaluate student performance, review both the curriculum and instructional services and report his findings on all of them. The goals are completed with the last requirement — the report to the school board.

District 89’s school board president, Lori Gaspar, admits that the contract goals are nebulous. But that does not mean the board doesn’t regularly define and direct Perdue’s job, she said.

At several points during the year, Perdue and the school board meet to discuss job performance, Gaspar said. Once a year, the board members each offer a list of critiques. The lists are compiled and, after synching them with the objectives for the entire school district, lead to the superintendent’s yearlong goals.

Administrators in Lemont District 210 also create yearly goals, which are compiled in an operational plan, which defines the district’s work for the upcoming year, School Board President Beverly Marzec said in an e-mail. In addition to Doebert’s end-of-the-year review, the board checks up on the plan twice each year.

The year-to-year process is more flexible than creating goals just once when the contract is signed, Gaspar said. Being too specific could hem in the superintendent.

“It’s not really practical to put every goal in the contract,” said Mike Kiser, a Downers Grove-based education lawyer.

While it might be more flexible, it also allows for less public scrutiny.

Most districts conduct an annual or quarterly review of their superintendent, but it is done in closed-door meetings. Discussions about personnel are not covered by open meetings laws — regardless of whether the contract includes specific goals, Kiser said.

Still, detailed contract goals give insight into superintendent progress.

In Downers Groves’ Maercker School District 60, for instance, Superintendent Catherine Berning’s contract last year included, in an appendix, a spreadsheet listing 15 goals and what steps were taken each quarter to address them.

But it would be difficult for the public at large to review superintendents directly, said Gaspar, the school board president in District 89, because so much of it is based in interaction with educators, administrators and the elected officials.

Instead, she said people should sound off on the schools and the district as a whole — as well as their elected officials.

“How are they going to evaluate John Perdue? They don’t work with him on a daily basis,” she said. “But they certainly can rate the district and the schools. … If the school district wasn’t doing well, it would reflect on John Perdue.”

ACCOUNTABILITY

The 1998 “performance-based contract” law gives school districts wide latitude in how to define a performance goal, said U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert, R-13th, of Hinsdale, who co-sponsored the bill when she represented the 81st district in the General Assembly.

She said the goal of the contract was not “vague or watered-down performance measures” but to ensure that top administrators are being held accountable.

So is that happening? Education attorney Kiser said he’s not so sure. “The law doesn’t make a lot of difference in my opinion.”

This year, Illinois lawmakers passed another law requiring transparency for superintendent contracts, this one targeting compensation. By Oct. 1 each year, districts must publish reports online showing not only salary, but also benefits, perks and bonuses for all administrators.

“We are trying to demand greater accountability,” said state Sen. Kirk Dillard, R-24th, of Hinsdale, who co-sponsored the bill, “to make the evaluation of a superintendent’s worth and cost more transparent to taxpayers and school board members.”

Dillard, who is running for governor, said he might also push for further changes to the 1998 legislation.

“If we determine there is no basis for a good evaluation of a superintendent’s goals or values, we will do what we often do, which is massage or enhance the law we passed,” he said.

“One mandate I will give (school boards) is to make them more accountable.”

VIEW CONTRACT AND GOALS CREATED FOR YOUR LOCAL SUPERINTENDENTS

COMPARE COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS OF TOP DISTRICT ADMINISTRATORS

READ Q&A WITH YOUR SCHOOL BOARD OFFICIALS ON HOW THEY SET GOALS

Chalet Renovation a Waste

Letter to the editor
The Doings Western Springs

September 22, 2009

I see by the paper (The Doings Sept. 17) that Pleasant Dale Park District is going to pump in another $270,000 to renovate the Chalet.

What a waste of money!

It was a mistake to buy the Chalet in the first place; it has consistently lost money and now the park district is going to spend more.

It is time to sell it or shut it down. Divest.

Dolores Cizek, Countryside,
former Burr Ridge village trustee


Renovations set to begin at the Chalet

September 14, 2009

By ROB SIEBERT rsiebert@pioneerlocal.com

The Pleasant Dale Park District's Chalet fitness center will undergo roughly $270,000in renovations before the end of September.

Using $100,000 in capital funds, and revenue funds set aside for the Chalet, 19,000 square feet of the 66,000-square-foot facility will be altered.

Some community members have demanded that the Chalet be shut down or sold, as the park district has struggled to maintain it in recent years. However, park district Director Katherine Parker said the board is determined to keep the facility open.

"Transforming most of (the Chalet's) space into a family oriented sports facility seems to be the one avenue to ensure that it will go forward without draining more tax dollars," Parker said.

The racquetball courts in the back half of the building will be torn down to make room for a new indoor multipurpose field, which may be used for soccer, basketball and volleyball.

The flooring for the field will be done by Sport Court, a company which specializes in athletic flooring that resists impact shock, thus creating a safer turf for athletes. The park district has high hopes for the new field.

"It is hoped that the facility will bring in revenue from tournaments, as well as classes," Parker said.

Lighting is also expected to be installed above the field.

The Chalet's weight room equipment and exercise machines have already been moved on to its basketball court, which will become its new gym and weight room.

The district also hopes to paint the interior walls surrounding the new construction, as well as the facility's female restroom. The district is looking for companies to donate 55 gallons of eggshell-colored paint and finish to the Chalet.

Chalet manager Nancy McKenna said construction is expected to begin this week, and end by the first week in October.

"We want people to know that there's room for everybody, and we're going to make use of all the space we have," McKenna said.

McKenna said after the talk about the Chalet in the community and in board meetings, to see change finally coming to fruition is a good feeling.

"To finally see it all come together is truly gratifying," McKenna said.

Fireworks!

Looks like we spoke too soon...

You don't have to wait until the 4th of July to see fireworks, they are going on almost daily at the Pleasant Dale Park District.

Apparently things are not going so smoothly with their renovation plans. There was another special meeting on September 15 and again on September 16. What's going on over there?

Here are some questions we have for our park district leaders:

• Who exactly is in charge over there?
• Why, oh why isn't Katherine Parker's name listed on anything?? It's not on your website, it's not on the community needs assessment survey that Katherine herself sent out and it's not on your brochure. Why are you trying to hide her?
• Why are your employees not informed of board meeting dates and times? On two different occasions we contacted the park district and spoke to two different employees to inquire about the special meetings and neither person could give us any information. Why don't you tell your employees when you have special meetings scheduled? Don't you want the public to know?
• Why doesn't the park district post all their special and continued meetings on their marquis? Don't you want the public to attend them?
• Why all the secrecy, and story changing and half truths about this renovation project?
• Why is your one and only confirmed tenant pulling out of the Chalet renovation? Who do you have lined up to replace this loss of projected income?
• Isn't there a conflict of interest when board president Brad Martin plans to spend $300,000 on a renovation project to house his sister-in-law Sue Keck's volleyball leagues and programs? Spending tax dollars to directly benefit a family member doesn't sound right. Doesn't she already have signed contracts elsewhere for this year?
• Why is your website not current? Why isn't the Chalet renovation project on the website? In some areas Rosalyn Wendt is still listed as the director, the Extra Innings after school program is still listed at the Chalet and Savoy Park is non-existent. Rather than renovate the Chalet, why not start with your website?

It's great that you are trying to make things better, but be honest, forthright and on the up and up!

Remember, you were elected to serve your community, not yourselves.

Brad Martin can be reached via email at martin8210@comcast.net. Try emailing him to get some answers.

A Shame

According to the Board of Education Meeting Minutes from August 19, 2009

Action Item:

By a vote of 5-1, (1 abstention) the Board approved upholding the Superintendent’s disposition to Mrs. Campos dated June 4, 2009; upholding the decision of the Superintendent requiring H1N1 testing of Mrs. Campos’ daughter; and to upholding the denial to reimburse Mrs. Campos for medical expenses relating to influenza H1N1 testing of her daughter.

Watch out folks, your kids could be next!

Well Done!

It was nice to see Pleasantdale Park board members Carol McMurray, Ernie Moon and Colleen Pettrone along with Park Director Katherine Parker work together for several hours to read through proposals, share discussion and reach an agreement on the renovations at the Chalet Fitness Club.

It was also refreshing that they allowed input and answered questions from those in attendance.

While there is much work to be done, it is hoped that by working together and keeping the lines of communication open, this project will come together to benefit the community.

Good luck to you all on this endeavor!

Highlights, Lowlights and Pieces

Highlights and lowlights from the Pleasantdale Park Board meeting last night...

Only three people at the park district can sign checks: Brad Martin, Wade Brewer and Colleen Pettrone. Last month, two of them signed a check for a payment of $941 for a TOILET SEAT! Is it made of gold?

For the third time in six months, representatives from auditing firm Virchow and Krause attended the board meeting to present the state of affairs. In April they said the park was doing very well. In June the park was broke. Now, it's September and the financial picture is still up in the air. They did admonish the park board about the necessity of a check and balance system to secure any remaining funds that they have. Let's hope the board heeds their warnings...but don't hold your breath.

After discussion of several items, some that were on the agenda and some that were not, talk turned to the Chalet Renovation. Remember that survey you got a few weeks ago that asked you what kind of programming you would like to see there? The responses must have been overwhelming because construction begins this Saturday, September 12!!

You might be wondering what they plan on doing. Here is what they released. Click on the image to enlarge it.



Now you might be wondering what all this is going to cost a park district that is broke, right? Well, based on discussions at last night's meeting, they really aren't sure. They are hoping to spend between $100,000 - $125,000 on a 19,000 square foot renovation!

They are not going out to bid on this project because they are going to 'piece meal' it together. Retired local contractor Joe Jura is working on the project. Per his presentation, he is soliciting contracts from various companies. "If it's too much money, (he will) bring in people he knows."

The cash strapped Village of Willow Springs was kind enough to waive all permit fees. Board president Martin is in good with the mayor and finance chairman over there. Let's hope they aren't kind enough to waive inspections, especially an asbestos inspection.

So far, demolition is expected to cost about $19,000 but this does not include removing the debris. That will cost another $16,000-19,000. The flooring will cost $96,000 for colored flooring and $120,000 for maple.

They did not discuss the cost of moving the weight room equipment, repairing the racquetball courts, repairing the heating and air conditioning, replacing the carpet, cleaning the area, installing new lighting, painting the walls, purchasing the equipment needed for an indoor soccer field, two basketball courts and four volleyball courts and striping to regulation size which is all part of this renovation project.

You might be wondering if the Park District is going to go out to bid on a project of this magnitude. Nope. They don't have to because each 'piece' will be under $20,000. As for the Sport Court(TM) flooring, they don't have to get bids on that either because only one company sells it.

The interesting part of this discussion was when two board members said they were never given the document posted above. They appeared to be in the dark about this entire project other than the fact that it has been discussed in bits and pieces.

Board member Carol McMurray stated, "It would be nice as a board to see the figures in print. We have nothing in writing. We don't have any numbers in front of us. We owe that to the community." Amen sister!

Board member Ernie Moon added, "Definitely. It's only fair to the community that we do our job right instead of just guessing (the cost).

We are not opposed to this project. It could work and bring the park district out of their financial debt. Board member Martin said he has several volleyball leagues ready to come in, although nothing is in writing.

The problem with this project is all the pieces. Piecing together the renovation; releasing pieces of information to the community and even fewer bits and pieces to the entire park board. There are so many unanswered questions.

When you are spending the community's money, you have to be on the up and up; cautious, prudent and sure of what you are doing. You have to use companies that are secure, insured, licensed and bonded. With a project of this magnitude, you should go through a proper bidding process. You need to have all the facts and figures in front of you. You cannot guesstimate how much it will cost.

This project has potential, they just need to do it right. Maybe they can ask their neighbors across the street how the process works to get a project done right. After all, they are just finishing one and that was only 800 square feet, not 19,000.

If you want to weigh in or get more information on this project, the board announced to the audience that they will continue discussion at a "special meeting" at the Chalet on Friday at 7 p.m. At approx. midnight, after all in attendance had gone, the meeting was changed to Thursday, September 10th at 3 p.m.

Oh and in case you are wondering, yes we feel that meeting is in direct violation of the Open Meetings Act.
http://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/government/openmeet.pdf

Like we said, when you are spending the community's money, do things right and on the up and up. Please.

Dollars and Sense

The kindergarten enrollment at Pleasantdale is at 86 children. 54 of the children attend half day and 32 attend the extended day program.

There are four sections of kindergarten. One section is afternoon kindergarten and three of the sections consist of half day morning kindergarten followed by afternoon extended day playtime.

In the half day sections, there are 22, 22, 22, and 20 respectively. In the extended day classes there are 9, 10 and 13 kids.

Does it make any sense that we cram 22 kids in a class when they are there to actually learn, but when they extend their day to play there are considerably less kids?

Shouldn't we have less kids in the half day program when learning is taking place by giving the kids a more favorable student to teacher ratio?

Wouldn't it make more sense to have six sections of half day kindergarten and two sections of extended day?

It would look something like this:

Teacher A would have a morning and an afternoon class. The morning class would have 14 kids, the afternoon class would have 13 kids.

Teacher B would have a morning and an afternoon class. The morning class would have 14 kids, the afternoon class would have 13 kids.

Teacher C would have a morning/extended day class. This class would have 16 kids.

Teacher D would have a morning/extended day class. This class would have 16 kids.

Many parents request morning kindergarten, but we are confident they would be just as happy sending their children in the afternoon if the class sizes were smaller.

It all boils down to dollars and sense. Common sense. Superintendent Fredisdorf hopes that the half day morning students will add on the extended day option so he can charge them money. It really is all about the money. If it wasn’t, he and the school board that allows this, would not be doing such a disservice to the kids in kindergarten.

Undoubtedly, you have heard of Dr. Fredisdorf's "fiscal prudence." As far as fiscal prudence goes, are they really being fiscally prudent when they pay three teachers a full salary to be there but are not allowed to teach anything? Can you imagine how much more the kids would learn if the teachers were allowed to teach?

Do the research and the math...kids in smaller classes will gain more in their early formative years of learning. Oh, and you can bet that any kindergarten teacher you ask will tell you the same thing.

It's time to wake up and ask our superintendent and board of eduction members to do what's best for the kids in our district!

Editor's Note:
Our figures are wrong. We heard there are even more kids currently in the half day kindergarten classes than we previously reported. :(

Hats Off...

"Hats Off" is a new feature where we will showcase someone or something positive in our school community. So, without further adieu...

Hats off to the Pleasantdale School Board of Education for allowing the Pleasant Dale Park District to move their "Extra Innings" before and after school care program to the elementary school for the 2009-2010 school year. We think this is a great idea and will directly benefit the families and students that take part in this program.

Hats off to Kim Freislinger and the Middle School SEL Committee for inviting motivational and anti-bullying speaker, Jim Jordan of Reportbullying.com to come and speak to students and parents on September 14. The event for parents will take place on Monday, September 14 in the middle school gym from 6:30-7:30 p.m. It's not to be missed!

Hats off to PTA committee chair, Lisa Uckerman for the outstanding job she did on the teacher and staff back-to-school luncheon which was held on the first day of school. Lisa was assisted by her mom, Jan Crnkovich and Pdale alumni, Linda Petrasek in this endeavour. Hats off to you all!

If you have someone or something that deserves recognition, please email us at pleasantdaleschoolblog@gmail.com.

Testing hurts teaching, poll finds

Award winners say reliance on results harmful to learning

August 19, 2009
BY MAUDLYNE IHEJIRIKA

Some of the area's best teachers -- most of them from public schools -- say increased focus on standardized testing has negatively impacted the way they teach, the way students learn and education overall, a study released Tuesday said.

In a survey of winners of its prestigious excellence in teaching award, the Golden Apple organization found 72 percent of respondents believe so-called high-stakes testing has hurt education.

"One thing remains constant with standardized testing. It is a way to categorize students. It is not about students learning. It is not about teachers teaching," said one winner, Griselle Diaz Gemmati, a teacher at Norwood Park Elementary. "It is about allocating or refusing or denying funding."

Like Diaz Gemmati, 55 percent of the top teachers said the reliance on test results in the controversial No Child Left Behind Act has hurt teaching and learning.

According to 80 percent or more, it's more important to teach their students the skills of critical thinking and problem solving, communication and collaboration and creativity and innovation and flexibility and adaptability.


Our comments:

At Pleasantdale, kids are not taught to own knowledge. They are merely taught to rent it. The focus is on test prep. The students are taught how to take tests and how to choose the correct answer. They do this over and over and over again.

Why is it that students at Pleasantdale take so many standardized tests? They take the ITBS not once, but twice every year. They take the DIBELS three times each year. They take the GATES-MacGinitie test. They take the CogAT. They take the SSIS test. They take the EXPLORE test. They take the ISAT which is the only mandated test.

All these test require preparation; all this preparation takes away from actual learning.

Our district pays Dr. John Wick, a statistician, approx. $25,000 per year to teach teachers and administrators how to prep students for tests. He then analyzes the data and tweaks his instruction so the students will do even better the next time.

"It is a way to categorize students. It is not about students learning. It is not about teachers teaching." This statement epitomizes exactly what is being done in our schools. It is why students at Pleasantdale can get a perfect Explore score but never make the honor roll.

Desplaines Valley News

Willow Springs to add more sidewalks for children’s safety
By James Pluta

A former public works director in Willow Springs is being credited with helping convince state and federal officials of the need for sidewalk improvement surrounding and leading to and from the many schools where village children attend.

James Chevalier, who was replaced by Mayor Alan Nowaczyk earlier this summer, was one of two people — including administrative assistant Gina Scaletta-Nelson — responsible for the $399,530 grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation, a federal grant administered by the state.

The Illinois Safe Routes to School grant program, which urges and enables students to walk and bicycle to and from school, will impact families whose children attend Willow Springs Elementary School on Archer Road, Trinity Lutheran School on German Church Road and Pleasant Dale ElementarySchool on Wolf Road.

Students from the Sterling Estates Mobile Home Park on Frontage Road east of La Grange Road near Justice, have to be bused to and from school because highways separate them from their school at Nolton Avenue and Archer.

In addition, students from nearby Indian Head Park attend Pleasantdale.

The grant funds will be directed to the construction of concrete sidewalk salong German Church Road, School Street, Archer Road and Nolton Avenue, as well as flashing beacon lights and more signs in school zones on NoltonAvenue and German Church and Archer roads.

A new reflective striped crosswalk with safety signs is also being installed on German Church Road.

Village officials and those in School Districts 107 and 108 hope the sidewalks will save money by cutting down on the need for so many bus routes and also improve air quality as a result.

The state program awarded $13.1 million in federal funds statewide to encourage walking to school.

Roadway, lot changes at Highlands Elementary to ease traffic

http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/lagrange/news/x772306078/Roadway-lot-changes-at-Highlands-Elementary-to-ease-traffic

The changes at Highlands Elementary, 5850 Laurel Ave., are intended to make it safer for pedestrians coming to or going home from school for the upcoming year.

The overall goal of the plan is to increase student and motorist safety, provide safer walking or biking access, decrease auto trips by encouraging walking or biking to school, establish a new mindset regarding drop off and pick up locations and to create less obtrusive stacking of cars in the rear of school.

At least they see the importance of making things safer, decreasing traffic and encouraging fitness. Way to go LaGrange Highlands School District 106!

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Oh, in case you were wondering, yes, they did apply for and received funds in the SRTS grant program.

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LA GRANGE HIGHLANDS ELEM SCHOOL, HIGHLANDS MIDDLE SCHOOL
District 106 Phase I - Host International Walk to School Day or other special event
$3,690

Quotes for the day...

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.

Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.

~Martin Luther King Jr.

Open Forum Comments to Pleasantdale School Board

Last spring I was on the communication committee with board members Mark and Karen and several other teachers and parents. One of the things we discussed was the lack of communication between the school district and the community.

Over the last two weeks I have seen that the lack of communication in our district has not changed and probably will not change.

On August 5th, the village of Willow Springs was awarded $400,000 to build sidewalks to our schools. Not just sidewalks, but a paved and striped crosswalk and a school zone with flashing lights and signs.This grant, called the Safe Routes to School grant, will help our district and the kids in our community in many ways. It will enable children that live close to the school to walk or bike ride to school. This in turn will promote health, fitness and combat childhood obesity. With more kids walking, there will be fewer cars on the road. This will mean cleaner air and less traffic. We will be on our way to a greener community. It will also, in the long run, help the district to eliminate some bus routes which in turn will save the school district and its taxpayers thousands of dollars every year.

Look at the schools in LaGrange School Districts 102 and 105, Western Springs 101 and Highlands 106. Almost every kid in these districts walks or bikes to school. I realize that our district is spread out and many kids here can’t walk or bike. But there are many who would if given the opportunity.

On August 5, an email was sent to everyone on the Safe Routes to School team including Mr. Vandercar. I telephoned Mr. Vandercar that day and left a voice mail but never received a phone call back. How’s that for communication?

When I spoke to Jennifer Zimmerman of the Doings, she told me she contacted Mr. Vandercar about this grant and he said he knew very little about it, that a couple of parents worked on it and he just that he signed off on it. He directed her to contact Dr. Fredisdorf for more information. So she did. She left 5 messages and did not receive a single call back. How’s that for communication?

Last Thursday, the village of Willow Springs discussed this grant at their monthly meeting. They were asked if they had received any type of communication from the schools involved and they said that only school district 108 in Willow Springs sent a letter of thanks and congratulations. They had not heard Pleasantdale. How’s that for communication?

Last week, a resident emailed Dr. Fredisdorf to ask about this grant and he got no answer to his question. The resident also contacted school board president Leandra Sedlack to discuss this grant and the fact that no one from the school has reached out to Willow Springs and she told him she didn’t know much about the grant to answer any questions. How’s that for communication?

Why didn’t Dr. Fredisdorf inform the school board members about this grant? Why isn’t this posted on the school website? Why hasn’t the school district reached out to the Village of Willow Springs?

Where is the communication in our school district?

Isn’t this grant money something you want to celebrate or isn’t Pleasantdale interested in making the route to school safer for our kids?

Kindergarten Cram

The Way We Live Now

By PEGGY ORENSTEIN
Published: April 29, 2009

About a year ago, I made the circuit of kindergartens in my town. At each stop, after the pitch by the principal and the obligatory exhibit of art projects only a mother (the student’s own) could love, I asked the same question: “What is your policy on homework?”And always, whether from the apple-cheeked teacher in the public school or the earnest administrator of the “child centered” private one, I was met with an eager nod. Oh, yes, each would explain: kindergartners are assigned homework every day.

Bzzzzzzt. Wrong answer.

When I was a child, in the increasingly olden days, kindergarten was a place to play. We danced the hokey­pokey, swooned in suspense over Duck, Duck, Gray Duck (that’s what Minnesotans stubbornly call Duck, Duck, Goose) and napped on our mats until the Wake-Up Fairy set us free.

No more. Instead of digging in sandboxes, today’s kindergartners prepare for a life of multiple-choice boxes by plowing through standardized tests with cuddly names like Dibels (pronounced “dibbles”), a series of early-literacy measures administered to millions of kids; or toiling over reading curricula like Open Court — which features assessments every six weeks.

According to “Crisis in the Kindergarten,” a report recently released by the Alliance for Childhood, a nonprofit research and advocacy group, all that testing is wasted: it neither predicts nor improves young children’s educational outcomes. More disturbing, along with other academic demands, like assigning homework to 5-year-olds, it is crowding out the one thing that truly is vital to their future success: play.

A survey of 254 teachers in New York and Los Angeles the group commissioned found that kindergartners spent two to three hours a day being instructed and tested in reading and math. They spent less than 30 minutes playing. “Play at age 5 is of great importance not just to intellectual but emotional, psychological social and spiritual development,” says Edward Miller, the report’s co-author. Play — especially the let’s-pretend, dramatic sort — is how kids develop higher-level thinking, hone their language and social skills, cultivate empathy. It also reduces stress, and that’s a word that should not have to be used in the same sentence as “kindergartner” in the first place.

I came late to motherhood, so I had plenty of time to ponder friends’ mania for souped-up childhood learning. How was it that the same couples who piously proclaimed that 3½-year-old Junior was not “developmentally ready” to use the potty were drilling him on flashcards? What was the rush? Did that better prepare kids to learn? How did 5 become the new 7, anyway?

There’s no single reason. The No Child Left Behind Act, with its insistence that what cannot be quantified cannot be improved, plays a role. But so do parents who want to build a better child. There is also what marketers refer to as KGOY — Kids Getting Older Younger — their explanation for why 3-year-olds now play with toys that were initially intended for middle-schoolers. (Since adults are staying younger older — 50 is the new 30! — our children may soon surpass us in age.)

Regardless of the cause, Miller says, accelerating kindergarten is unnecessary: any early advantage fades by fourth grade. “It makes a parent proud to see a child learn to read at age 4, but in terms of what’s really best for the kid, it makes no difference.” For at-risk kids, pushing too soon may backfire. The longitudinal High/Scope Preschool Curriculum Comparison Study followed 68 such children, who were divided between instruction- and play-based classrooms. While everyone’s I.Q. scores initially rose, by age 15, the former group’s academic achievement plummeted. They were more likely to exhibit emotional problems and spent more time in special education. “Drill and kill,” indeed.

Thinkers like Daniel Pink have proposed that this country’s continued viability hinges on what is known as the “imagination economy”: qualities like versatility, creativity, vision — and playfulness — that cannot be outsourced. It’s a compelling argument to apply here, though a bit disheartening too: must we append the word “economy” to everything to legitimize it? Isn’t cultivating imagination an inherent good? I would hate to see children’s creativity subject to the same parental anxiety that has stoked the sales of Baby Einstein DVDs.

Jean Piaget famously referred to “the American question,” which arose when he lectured in this country: how, his audiences wanted to know, could a child’s development be sped up? The better question may be: Why are we so hellbent on doing so?

Maybe the current economic retrenchment will trigger a new perspective on early education, something similar to the movement toward local, sustainable, organic food. Call it Slow Schools. After all, part of what got us into this mess was valuing achievement, speed and results over ethics, thoughtfulness and responsibility. Then again, parents may glean the opposite lesson, believing their kids need to be pushed even harder in order to stay competitive in a shrinking job market.

I wonder how far I’m willing to go in my commitment to the cause: would I embrace the example of Finland — whose students consistently come out on top in international assessments — and delay formal reading instruction until age 7? Could I stick with that position when other second graders were gobbling up “War and Peace” — or at least the third Harry Potter book?

In the end, the school I found for my daughter holds off on homework until fourth grade.
(Though a flotilla of research shows homework confers no benefit — enhancing neither retention nor study habits — until middle school.) It’s a start. A few days ago, though, I caught her concocting a pretend math worksheet. “All the other kids have homework,” she complained with a sigh. “I wish I could have some, too.”

Peggy Orenstein, a contributing writer, is the author of “Waiting for Daisy,” a memoir.

Congratulations to the Gumdrop Girls!!

Blair Candy Contest - First Place $250 Gift Certificate!

”The Gum Drop Girls” from Willow Springs, IL. These sweet little girls dressed up for the part, made props, sang their hearts out and danced to the beat. Ranging from age 5 to 8, their mom told us they practiced many days for this.

Catherine, Sierra, Ceara and Caitlin congratulations, you can pick a lot of candy!

To see their video entry, click on the link below.

http://blog.blaircandy.com/2009/08/candy-contest-winners-announced-at-blair-candy-company/

Mr. Woltman would be proud!

Forest Grove School District v. T.A.

Facts of the Case:

In 2003, T.A., a former student in the Forest Grove School District, sought to be evaluated for suspected learning disabilities. In 2004, the Office of Administrative Hearings for the State of Oregon determined that T.A. was disabled and eligible for special education under the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. As T.A. was no longer enrolled in the Forest Grove School District, but attending private school, the hearing officer ordered the school district to reimburse T.A. for the private school tuition ($5,200 per month), determining it had failed to offer him a free and appropriate public education.

The school district appealed the order in an Oregon federal district court arguing that reimbursement was not appropriate because T.A. unilaterally withdrew from school, never received special education services while enrolled, and withdrew for reasons unrelated to his learning disability. The district court invalidated the order. On appeal, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed the district court and upheld the order. It reasoned that IDEA provided the courts broad discretion in order to achieve "equitable relief" for disabled students, including reimbursement for private school tuition.

Question:

Under IDEA, can a federal district court order a school district to reimburse its former student for his tuition at a private school when the student unilaterally withdrew from school, never received special education services while enrolled, and withdrew for reasons unrelated to his learning disability?

Conclusion:

Yes. The Supreme Court held that IDEA authorizes reimbursement for private special-education services when a public school fails to provide free appropriate public education (FAPE) and the private school placement is appropriate, regardless of whether the child previously received special education services through the public school. With Justice John Paul Stevens writing for the majority and joined by Chief Justice John G. Roberts, and Justices Anthony M. Kennedy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen G. Breyer, and Samuel A. Alito, the Court relied on its decisions in Burlington v. Deptartment of Ed. of Mass. and Florence County School Dist. 4 v. Carter to reach its conclusion. There, the Court had found that courts had the power to reimburse parents for private school tuition when a school district fails to provide FAPE and a private school placement is appropriate.

Justice David H. Souter dissented and was joined by Justices Antonin G. Scalia and Clarence Thomas. He argued that the 1997 Congressional amendments to IDEA limited reimbursement for private school tuition when the public school had provided FAPE and the student's withdrawal was unilateral, and then criticized the majority for not recognizing such limitations.

Pleasantdale Grant Means Sidewalks for Students

THE DOINGS
August 17, 2009
By JENNIFER ZIMMERMAN

Following the work of two local residents, students walking to Pleasantdale Elementary School will soon have a safer route.

Recently the village of Willow Springs was awarded $399,530 from the Illinois Department of Transportation's Safe Routes to School program to enable and encourage local students to walk and bike to school.

Students from portions of Indian Head Park and Burr Ridge attend the school.

The grant money received will be used to construct sidewalks along German Church Road, School Street, Archer Avenue and Nolton Avenue. It will also be used to install flashing beacons and signs in school zones on German Church Road, Archer Avenue and Nolton as well as help construct a crosswalk on German Church Road with safety signs and reflective striping.

Former Willow Springs Public Works Director Jim Chevalier and Administrative Assistant Gina Scaletta-Nelson applied for the grants with the help of local officials and residents.

The recipients of their grant effort will be the children who attend Pleasantdale Elementary School in unincorporated La Grange and Willow Springs School in Willow Springs.

They hope the sidewalks will help Pleasantdale School District 107 eliminate bus routes and in turn save the district and local taxpayers thousands of dollars each year while improving air quality.

"We hope the community will rally around our efforts to keep kids safe while affording families the opportunity to walk to school. It's a win-win situation," Scaletta-Nelson said. "Less traffic will mean better air quality, families walking will mean better health and fitness and fewer bus routes will mean the money can be used in other areas."

The Illinois Safe Routes to School program provides schools and community groups with funding to build safer routes to schools and to provide programs helping students become safer walkers and cyclists. These improvements include engineering solutions, safety education, encouragement, enforcement and evaluation programs.

The program awarded $13.1 million in federal fund statewide to encourage walking to school.

"With Illinois ranked fourth in the nation for childhood obesity rates, providing children with safe and secure means of walking to school is an important tool to improving the health of our children," said Gov. Pat Quinn.

Kindergarten Rx: More Play, Fewer Tests -- Politics Daily

Kindergarten Rx: More Play, Fewer Tests -- Politics Daily

by Linda Kulman
06/18/09

One morning a couple of years ago, when my child was newly installed in kindergarten, I dropped him off in the school cafeteria, hugged him goodbye, and started to leave as teachers filed out with their students in tow. That's when I heard the principal announce, "Parents, if your child is crying, you need to stay."

I turned around.

For the next month, each school day started with our then-5-year-old clinging to my husband or me, as we alternately tried to comfort him or pry him loose. It took concerted bribery -- M&M's, sticker charts, and trips to the toy store -- for the daily drama to end.

It wasn't that he suffered from sensory issues, had been mismatched with his teacher, or any other of the myriad possibilities we considered during those weeks of misery during which he talked of dropping out.

It's that kindergarten is a lot to adjust to. Too much so, according to a report called "Crisis in the Kindergarten: Why Children Need Play in School," recently released by the nonprofit research and advocacy group Alliance for Childhood. A survey commissioned by the group of 254 kindergarten teachers in Los Angeles and New York revealed that they spend two to three hours a day teaching and testing their young charges in reading and math, while play or "choice" time accounts for 30 minutes or less.

As playtime dwindles, what's being lost is the one component crucial to the development of creativity, emotional stability, and empathy. Young children "try on every aspect of life while they're playing," Joan Almon, a co-author of the report, said at a recent briefing before Congress. "They use play to discover themselves and the world around them." Roberta Gollinkoff, an educator and expert on how children acquire language, added: "It's not play or learning. And playful learning is how children learn best."

Far from being a waste of time, play, in fact, is essential to a child's development-physically, intellectually, and psychologically. Marguerite Kelly, co-author of The Mother's Almanac, who writes a parenting column in The Washington Post called "Family Almanac," says, "You want them to do as much play as they can. Rolling a ball into a hole in the ground or pitching a penny into a wastebasket. You want them to climb up and down, up and down. They're in the housekeeping corner working out relationships."

There's a long list of lessons that children were once expected to learn in kindergarten, notes Edward Miller, co-author of the "Crisis" report. "A lot of them had to do with being a good citizen, learning to consider other people, learning to get along, learning to give in sometimes, learning to take turns."

One reason for the increased emphasis on academics and testing at such a young age is the push by politicians and educators to close the gap between rich and poor, white and minority students. Along with the No Child Left Behind Act, and its call for greater accountability in the classroom, unprecedented emphasis is now being placed on early childhood education to bring at-risk kids up to speed. Barack Obama's 2010 budget seeks $1.78 billion for early childhood education, a 78 percent increase over 2009. Other programs such as Title I bring the overall total to approximately $2.1 billion. And billions more have been requested for Head Start.

Another reason academics are being accelerated is the U.S. phenomenon known to marketers as KGOY -- kids growing older younger -- driven in part, by moms and dads, who, as Peggy Orenstein points out in the New York Times Magazine, "want to build a better child." Why else would expectant parents wire the womb for Mozart?

But the problem, says Miller, is that expectations for young children have changed, but children themselves have not.

Among the factors that remain the same is that children younger than 8 are notoriously unreliable test takers, according to the National Association for the Education of Young Children. They might be able to recite the full alphabet one day and recognize only five letters the next. While anyone taking a test can be affected by external circumstances, the number and variety of things that may affect a young child on test day are "hugely larger" than what may affect an adult, Miller says. The result is a 50 percent chance of an erroneous outcome -- "the same," he adds "as flipping a coin."

The second problem with testing young kids is one of validity -- does the test actually measure what it's supposed to? Miller says the answer is no. The relationship between a child's ability to recognize a certain number of syllables, say, at age 5 and progress toward becoming a reader "is really, really tenuous."

Besides faults with the testing process, whatever advantage kids might accrue early on -- the kind that makes moms and dads crow over Junior's ability to whip through Harry Potter while still in Pull-Ups -- doesn't make them better readers in the long run, according to a study conducted by the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation.

In Germany, where education reform in the 1970s transformed traditional kindergartens into centers for cognitive achievement, researchers found that children in play-based classes were not only more advanced readers and mathematicians by age 10 but also excelled in creativity and their ability to express themselves orally. They were better adjusted socially and emotionally. As a result, Germany switched back to "old-school" kindergartens. And in Finland, which outscores other industrial countries, children begin first grade at age 7 after six years of play.

On the other hand, adults who put too much pressure on children before their natural love of learning has clicked in risk setting the kids back, even burning them out. "The child gets the idea that they're not actually good at it," Miller says. "If you're told that you're not good at something, it's a self-fulfilling prophecy. People who are told that they're tone deaf have a very hard time after that learning to sing."

The trend of loading up on phonics, math, and standardized tests is slowly pushing downward to preschool, with unsettling consequences. Almon reported at the congressional briefing that the expulsion rate for preschoolers is growing, with 4.5 times more boys being expelled than girls. "For me, as an early childhood educator, it's a red flag that says 'Too much sedentary time.'"

"Enough," says Kelly. "Watch children play. Let them set the routine. That's what they should be doing. If a kid goes to school semi-regularly and has even mediocre teachers, he will learn how to read and write by the third grade."

Great News!

The Village of Willow Springs approved a contract last week for the grinding and re-surfacing of School Street. Work is expected to begin in the next month or so. Thank goodness because that street sure needs it! And thanks to all the residents who came out and supported this effort.

Additionally, village trustee Annette Kaptur announced at last week's meeting that the Village of Willow Springs wants to construct a second entrance to the school, it will be located north of the school and will be a one way street. Hmmm, do the residents on Howard, Bielby and 80th know this yet? There will be lots more traffic in their neck of the woods!

Not too sure how this is going to happen though. That area really isn't Willow Springs over there and doesn't the park district own that green space?

Finally, the mayor stated the village must conduct a "needs assessment" in regard to the money for infrastructure improvements awarded to them by the Safe Routes to School Grant. This will not begin until sometime next Spring. Guess the needs assessment that was submitted with the grant didn't really count, or maybe they never watched the slide presentation.

Infrastructure must be completed within 3 years of their notice to proceed (signed and executed agreement) with IDOT.

Contact the Village of Willow Springs at 467-3700 for details on the new entrance to the elementary school.

Finally, why didn't anyone (ie. Mark Fredisdorf, Matt Vandercar, the school board) from Pleasantdale contact the village in regard to being awarded this grant money like Willow Springs School District 108 did? Don't they think the safety of our students is something worth celebrating?

Oh yeah, that's right, it has nothing to do with test scores...

Safe Routes to School Video for Pleasantdale Elementary School

This is the video that was submitted for the Safe Routes to School grant for Pleasantdale Elementary School. The Village of Willow Springs was awarded $152,280 to make improvements for the kids that attend Pleasantdale.
Thanks to Abagail, Kenny and Isabel Carlson and Sierra and Aubri Nelson for their help in making this video.

Safe Routes to School Video for Willow Springs School District 108

This is the video entry that was submitted for the Safe Routes to School Grant.

The Village of Willow Springs was awarded $247,250 to make improvements on the routes to school for the kids that attend Willow Springs School.

Pleasantdale Elementary and Willow Springs School are Safe Routes to School Grant Winners!!

A year of hard work and countless hours by former Village of Willow Spring Public Works Director Jim Chevalier and Administrative Assistant Gina Scaletta-Nelson has finally paid off!

Pleasantdale Elementary School and Willow Springs School are the beneficiaries of over $399,530 in grant money to build sidewalks and safe crosswalks on the routes to schools.

The grant money for Pleasantdale Elementary School is to be used as follows:

• Sidewalk construction is on the west side of School Street from German Church Road to the school and on the south side of German Church Road from Wolf Road to Willow West Drive.
• Flashing beacons/lights to slow traffic on German Church Road east and west of School Street.
• A striped crosswalk on German Church Road at School Street.

The grant money for Willow Springs School is for the following:

• Sidewalk construction on Nolton Ave. from Archer Ave. to Prospect.
• Sidewalk construction on the south side of Archer Ave. from Nolton to Willow Lane.
• Flashing beacons/lights on Archer Ave. in front of the school and on Nolton alongside the school.

A big thanks to the following Safe Routes To School team members who were a part of this grant effort:

Jim Chevalier, Gina Scaletta-Nelson, Matt Vandercar, Bob Mesec, Abagail Carlson, Brad Martin, Sharon Rak, Kenny Carlson, Linda Thorell, Karen O'Halloran, Roger Alexander, Isabel Carlson, Sierra Nelson, Aubrianna Nelson, Rosalyn Epting-Wendt, Karen Triezenberg, Frank Patrick, Stephanie VanWagner, Joan Jenkins, Alexandra Baczynski, Nick DeFronzo, Kaitlin Krzos, Katie Casper


Please contact the Village of Willow Springs at 708-467-3700 for a timeline on these construction projects.

Pleasantdale Elementary School To Get Sidewalk Up School Street and Along German Church Road!!!!

Gov. Quinn announces $13 million is awarded
to communities to create Safe Routes to School

Program is designed to promote a healthier, more active lifestyle for children in grades K-8

CHICAGO – Governor Pat Quinn today announced $13.1 million in Safe Routes to School grants to schools and communities across the state. This 100 percent federally funded program is designed to enable and encourage children to walk and bike to school.

"This innovative program reaches out to our youth, instilling in them the healthy habits of physical activity," said Governor Quinn. "With Illinois ranked fourth in the nation for childhood obesity rates, providing children with a safe and secure means of walking to school is an important tool to improve the health of our children."

The 171 funded projects include projects encompassing everything from sidewalk repair to safety training for students and equipment for police and crossing guards. Safe Routes to School encourages a holistic approach to make it safer and more practical for children to walk to school, using the Five E’s: engineering, encouragement, education, enforcement and encouragement.

IDOT Secretary Gary Hannig stated that the agency received almost 200 applications adding up to $27.9 million in requests," Hannig said. "Safe Routes to School has become a part of many Illinois schools and communities, and we encourage anyone who is interested in implementing Safe Routes to contact the Department for information on how to bring Safe Routes to your community."

Safe Routes to School is a program of the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration. The program is designed to:

• Enable and encourage children, including those with disabilities, to walk and bicycle to school;
• Make bicycling and walking to school a safer and more appealing transportation option, encouraging a healthy and active lifestyle from an early age; and
  more
• Facilitate projects and activities that will improve safety and reduce traffic, fuel consumption, and air pollution in the vicinity of primary and middle schools
  (Grades K-8).

The complete list of grants in Illinois is available on the web at: www.dot.il.gov/saferoutes.

"I am not an idiot."

By Annie Reed, Suburban Life Publications, Tue Jul 07, 2009, 06:04 PM

Swine flu precaution comes with hefty price tag for Pleasantdale family

When swine flu fever first hit the United States at the end of April, panic about a potential pandemic left many schools agonizing over how to respond.

For one family at Pleasantdale Elementary in Willow Springs, the school’s decision to err on the side of caution has resulted in more than $2,000 of medical bills for a swine flu test the family claims was unnecessary.

Now, the Pleasantdale School District 107 Board of Education must decide if the district will reimburse the family for any of the $2,031 influenza A (swine flu) testing, which the superintendent required against the opinion of the family’s doctor.

Flu back and forth
On April 15, kindergartner Lizzie Campos and her family traveled to Mexico to visit family. Lizzie did not attend school because of illness on the four days preceding the trip, according to school records.

Before making the trip, Lizzie was seen April 12 by Dr. Luis Osorio, a physician at the Family Medical Dental Center in Berwyn. Medical Assistant Luce Martinez said Lizzie was treated for dyspepsia, a gastrointestinal ailment akin to indigestion, according to medical information given to Suburban Life with the family’s permission.

When the family got back from Mexico a week later, the school requested that Lizzie’s mother, Ana, bring a doctor’s note stating Lizzie could attend school. Lizzie saw the doctor, and he wrote the note April 23.

Three days after she returned to school, however, the school nurse called Campos asking if Lizzie had been tested for swine flu. She had not been, Campos said, because the doctor had said Lizzie was healthy.

Within the hour, the school called Campos again to say she needed to pick up her daughter from the nurse’s office because Lizzie had flu-like symptoms.

In a letter signed by school nurse Lisa Penrod and Principal Matt Vandercar, Lizzie had been “complaining of a headache, stomach ache and a cough,” with a temperature of 99.6 degrees.

According to the nurse’s log provided to Campos by the school, Lizzie had also visited the nurse’s office the first day she returned from her trip and “complained of a stomach ache.” Her temperature was recorded as 99.6 in the log. She also visited the nurse on the 29th to use her inhaler before PE class.

Campos disputes the school’s diagnosis. She said that when she arrived, Lizzie was not displaying those symptoms, but District 107 Superintendent Mark Fredisdorf said he did not want to take any chances.

He said Lizzie would not be allowed back in school until she was tested for swine flu.

Wary of risks
At the time, in light of the potential pandemic status of Influenza A-H1N1, the Illinois Department of Health was issuing daily news briefs with guidance for the public.

Fredisdorf said he made his decision to require Lizzie be tested based on a release from April 27: “For people who have flu-like symptoms and have traveled to areas where swine flu has been confirmed, they should seek medical attention.”

By April 30 news sources were reporting more than 100 swine-flu-related-deaths in Mexico, where the virus first broke out.

“With the information we had at the time, we decided the testing was necessary,” Fredisdorf said. “It was the height of the swine flu alarm, and we had over 400 students in that school who would be at potential risk. That’s a chance we couldn’t take.”

Testing for swine flu requires a doctor’s order, so Campos took Lizzie to the family physician. However, when she got there, the medical assistant questioned the order.

Martinez, who said Lizzie was asymptomatic for the flu, called the school.

“The school insisted she be tested for swine flu even though I called and spoke to the nurse,” Martinez said. “In the doctor’s professional opinion, there was no need for it.”

Campos’ doctor finally wrote the prescription for the test. Martinez said she told Penrod that the family’s health insurance probably would not cover the procedure.

Penrod did not return requests for comment.

Costly caution
Lizzie’s swine flu test, performed at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, came back negative later that day. Campos was sent a bill May 31 for $2,031, the cost of the test, and was informed that her insurance would not cover the test.

“Charges are not covered with given diagnosis,” the insurance claim read.

Campos, who is a licensed practical nurse at Advocate Christ Medical Center, believes the School District should cover the charges because the test was ordered by the school against her doctor’s medical opinion and because she disputes that Lizzie was sick.

“We would not consider paying for it,” Fredisdorf said. “There are a multitude of vaccinations and other related medical things students need, and that’s just something a parent is responsible for.”

The question of Lizzie’s disputed flu-like symptoms is complicated by her school medical records. In her 130 days present, she visited the nurse’s office 34 times, often complaining of stomach aches and chapped lips, according to the nurse log. Nine times the log says Lizzie had a temperature between 99.5 and 99.9, but she was not sent home. She also was absent 17 days for illnesses or medical appointments.

Fredisdorf confirmed he did require that Lizzie receive the test, rather than giving the Camposes the option of keeping Lizzie home from school.

“Given the potential danger, I needed unequivocal results for the well being of this girl and the entire student body,” Fredisdorf said. “This was a real and present threat.”

A spokeswoman at the Illinois Health Department said schools were especially cautioned at that time to be vigilant, and in some cases the department recommended school closures where swine flu cases were confirmed.

However, “it was never our guidance that anyone had to be tested for H1N1,” spokeswoman Kelly Jakubek said. “For schools in particular, the guidance at the very beginning was that if students had those symptoms and had traveled to those areas, they should be seen by a doctor, but it’s up to a doctor or a physician whether they’re going to administer a test.”

Fredisdorf said one other family at the school was also identified as a possible swine flu case, but the family volunteered to get the student tested.

“It wasn’t an issue,” he said.

He did not know whether that family got tested for H1N1, or just a regular flu test. Though the latter typically costs under $200, the cost of the specific test for H1N1 was $1,659 on Lizzie’s medical bill (additional rapid flu and respiratory screenings made up the remaining $400 in charges.)

Campos recently wrote a letter to the School Board requesting reimbursement for the flu-testing bills.

School Board President Leandra Sedlack said that the board has no policy regarding medical bill reimbursement but that it will discuss whether or not to give Campos a hearing at its July 15 meeting.

Regardless of whether the board decides to foot the bill, Campos already has removed Lizzie from District 107 for the coming school year.

She said Lizzie’s experiences at Pleasantdale have left her “upset beyond explanation.”

She said the school "implied that I violated the recommendation of state law and brought my child to school placing every child and faculty member at risk."

"I am not an idiot," she said. "I am a well trained health care professional and I'm very capable of recognizing any signs or symptoms of sickness in my children."

Timeline of events

April 8, 9, 13, 14 Lizzie Campos is absent from school due to illness

April 15 The Campos family travels to Mexico

April 22 The Campos family returns from Mexico

April 23
■The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announces human cases of swine influenza have been identified in California and Texas.
■ Lizzie is examined by her family doctor and is given a doctor’s note approving her return to school April 27.

April 27
■The Illinois Department of Health urges caution, and says people with flu-like symptoms who have traveled to areas where swine flu has been confirmed should seek medical attention.
■ Lizzie returns to school.

April 29 The IDPH announces nine probable cases of H1N1 flu in Illinois.

April 30
■Lizzie is seen in the nurse’s office. The school calls Campos at work inquiring if Lizzie has been tested for swine flu since returning from Mexico. Campos said she had been seen by the doctor and given permission to return to school, but had not been tested.
■ School calls Campos to pick up Lizzie to have her tested for influenza A-H1N1 (swine flu). The school said she complained of a headache, cough and had a temperature of 99.6. Campos said when she arrived Lizzie did not appear sick.
■ Campos takes Lizzie to the family doctor. The medical assistant calls the school because she is “asymptomatic” for the flu. Superintendent says she will not be allowed back until she is tested for swine flu. Doctor Luis Osorio writes a doctor’s order authorizing the test.
■ Lizzie is tested for swine flu at Advocate Hope Children’s Hospital. The test comes back negative.

May 1 The CDC and the Illinois Department of Public Health change swine flu testing guidelines. They recommend those with mild flu symptoms be treated without testing, to focus efforts on hospitalized patients with severe illness.

May 31 The Camposes receive a $2,031 bill from Advocate Christ Medical Center for Lizzie’s H1N1 flu test on April 30.

June 16 Campos writes a letter to the Board of Education requesting the district pay for the medical bills resulting from the flu testing.

July 17 Date School Board President Leandra Sedlack said the board will discuss Campos’ request for medical reimbursement


Editor's Note:

Any school district employee knows that if they tell a parent that their child needs to see a doctor for any reason, the district is responsible for the bill. It is something you learn the FIRST day on the job. That is why teachers can NEVER recommend that a parent take their child for testing of ANY kind. So why is this case any different?

This child WAS NOT SICK! She was barred from attending school until she received this test despite a phone call from her doctor stating SHE WAS NOT SICK! She was not even given the option to stay home for a few days, SHE WAS BARRED FROM SCHOOL!

We'd like to know how many families in our district went to Mexico (Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Cozumel, etc.) over Spring break? Were their symptomless children required to have a swine flu test before their return to school like Lizzie Campos was?

Our school board and superintendent needs to DO THE RIGHT THING by apologizing and compensating the Campos family for the medical bill that was incurred due to this unnecessary test.

And please, don't say this was another OVERSIGHT!!

Top Ten Signs of a Good Kindergarten Classroom

Kindergarten is a time for children to expand their love of learning, their general knowledge, their ability to get along with others, and their interest in reaching out to the world. While Kindergarten marks an important transition from preschool to the primary grades, it is important that children still get to be children.Getting kindergarteners ready for elementary school does not mean substituting academics for play time, forcing children to master first grade "skills," or relying on standardized tests to assess children's success. Kindergarten "curriculum" actually includes such events as snack time, recess, and individual and group activities in addition to those activities we think of as traditionally educational. Developmentally appropriate kindergarten classrooms encourage the growth of children's selfesteem, their cultural identities, their independence and their individual strengths. Kindergarten children will continue to develop control of their own behavior through the guidance and support of warm, caring adults. At this stage, children are already eager to learn and possess an innate curiosity. Teachers with a strong background in early childhood education and child development can best provide for children what they need to grow physically, emotionally, and intellectually.Here are 10 signs of a good kindergarten classroom:

1. Children are playing and working with materials or other children. They are not aimlessly wandering or forced to sit quietly for long periods of time.

2. Children have access to various activities throughout the day, such as block building, pretend play, picture books, paints and other art materials, and table toys such as legos, pegboards, and puzzles. Children are not all doing the same things at the same time.

3. Teachers work with individual children, small groups, and the whole group at different times during the day. They do not spend time only with the entire group.

4. The classroom is decorated with children's original artwork, their own writing with invented spelling, and dictated stories.

5. Children learn numbers and the alphabet in the context of their everyday experiences. Exploring the natural world of plants and animals, cooking, taking attendance, and serving snack are all meaningful activities to children.

6. Children work on projects and have long periods of time (at least one hour) to play and explore. Filling out worksheets should not be their primary activity.

7. Children have an opportunity to play outside every day that weather permits. This play is never sacrificed for more instructional time.

8. Teachers read books to children throughout the day, not just at group story time.

9. Curriculum is adapted for those who are ahead as well as those who need additional help. Because children differ in experiences and background, they do not learn the same things at the same time in the same way.

10. Children and their parents look forward to school. Parents feel safe sending their child to kindergarten. Children are happy; they are not crying or regularly sick.

Individual kindergarten classrooms will vary, and curriculum will vary according to the interests and backgrounds of the children. But all developmentally appropriate kindergarten classrooms will have one thing in common: the focus will be on the development of the child as a whole.


Copyright: National Association for the Education of Young Children. Reproduction of this material is freely granted, provided credit is given to the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Pdale Family Camping Trip

Gas: $2.60 a gallon
Campsites: $45 a night
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Pleasantdale Family Camping Trip

The first annual Pleasantdale family camping outing was a huge success! Great fun was had by all! Photos coming soon...

Swine flu precaution comes with hefty price tag for local family at Pleasantdale School

Swine flu precaution comes with hefty price tag for local family

Sad. Sad. Sad.

Teen bullying: Tormented boy's short life ends in suicide
Death stuns suburb, raises awareness of link between bullying and depression


Chicago Tribune
By Gerry Smith Tribune reporter
July 1, 2009


The bullying seemed inescapable.

His family and friends say it followed Iain Steele from junior high to high school -- from hallways, where one tormentor shoved him into lockers, to cyberspace, where another posted a video on Facebook making fun of his taste for heavy metal music.

"At one point, [a bully] had told [Iain] he wished he would kill himself," said Matt Sikora, Iain's close friend.

Iain's parents know their son had other problems, but they believe the harassment contributed to a deepening depression that hospitalized the 15-year-old twice this year. On June 3, while his classmates were taking final exams, he went to the basement of his Western Springs home and hanged himself with a belt.

His death stunned the quiet suburb west of Chicago and unleashed an outpouring of support for his parents, William and Liz, who say greater attention should be paid to bullying and its connection to mental health.

"No kid should be afraid for himself to go to school," his father said. "It should be a safe environment where they can intellectually thrive. And he was, literally, just frightened to go to school, fearing what he would have to deal with on that day. And it was day after day."

A school spokeswoman said she did not believe Iain was bullied. Police are investigating the allegations.

Nearly 30 percent of American children are bullied or are bullies themselves, according to the National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center. Bullying can be physical, verbal or psychological and is repetitive, intentional and creates a perceived imbalance of power, said Dr. Joseph Wright, senior vice president at Children's National Medical Center in Washington.

This month, the American Academy of Pediatrics will for the first time include a section on bullying in its official policy statement on the pediatrician's role in preventing youth violence.

Wright, a lead author of the statement, said the decision to address the issue was due to a growing body of research over the last decade linking bullying to youth violence, depression and suicidal thoughts.

Last year, the Yale School of Medicine analyzed the link between childhood bullying and suicide in 37 studies from 13 countries, finding that both bullies and their victims were at high risk of contemplating suicide.

In March, the parents of a 17-year-old Ohio boy who committed suicide sued his school alleging their son was bullied. Instead of seeking compensation, they are asking the school to put in place an anti-bullying program and to recognize their son's death as a "bullicide."

'An easy target'

Iain Steele enjoyed riding his skateboard, his father said, but after hip surgery in 8th grade limited his mobility, he picked up the guitar and impressed an instructor with his musical talent.

He was revered by younger kids in the neighborhood, often fixing their skateboards, settling their disputes and including them in games. "He was a very gentle, kind kid, compassionate to a fault," his father said.

But Iain's embrace of heavy metal set him apart from classmates. He let his hair grow to shoulder-length and wore mostly black clothing, including jeans with chains and T-shirts of heavy metal bands with dark, sometimes morbid lyrics.

For this, his classmates at McClure Junior High School in Western Springs often called him "emo" -- a slang term for angst-ridden followers of a style of punk music, said Sikora, 15.

The bullying could also be physical, Iain's friends and parents said. In 8th grade at McClure, one bully pushed Iain into a locker while he was on crutches and accused him of faking an injury to get out of gym class. But Iain rarely shied away from his tormentors, his father said, and in this case, Iain punched the bully in the jaw.

"He was mainly bullied," Sikora said, "only because he was different, or hurt or stupid things like that. He never bothered anybody. ... It was all just because he was different and an easy target."

William Steele said his son had trouble ignoring the bullying because it "was just sort of relentless." It got to the point where the father sat down with the principal at McClure and with a bully's mother. But the harassment did not subside.

Steele said Iain "had a real trust issue because he felt like, particularly at McClure, the system let him down, that it didn't deliver on its promise to protect him from bullying."

McClure Principal Dan Chick said in an e-mail that "the District 101 community is deeply saddened by this recent tragedy of losing one of our children." Chick said he takes bullying very seriously but declined to discuss details of Iain's case because of privacy issues."

As with all situations, I investigated this specific matter and took appropriate actions within the limits of my authority," Chick said.

After graduating from McClure in 2008, Iain began attending the south campus for freshmen and sophomores at Lyons Township High School, where he found new friends -- and new tormentors. A new bully emerged who at first acted friendly, but then posted a homemade video on Facebook pretending to be Iain playing heavy metal on guitar.

"It was like a public humiliation to [Iain]," Sikora said.

The family of the student did not respond to requests for comment.

Jennifer Bialobok, a spokeswoman for Lyons Township High School, said "bullying is obviously not tolerated at LT," but added, "I don't think we're naive enough to think that bullying behavior doesn't exist."

Two years ago, Lyons Township created a "speak-up line" in which students can anonymously report "inappropriate or unsafe behavior," and the school hangs posters defining bullying and explaining how to report it, Bialobok said. If any student reported being bullied, a thorough investigation would take place, with consequences ranging from parental notification to out-of-school suspension, she said.

Bialobok said she could not discuss Iain's case because of student privacy laws, but "we don't believe that bullying was an issue while Iain was attending LT. Counselors and a host of other support personnel worked routinely to make his experience at LT a positive one."

Western Springs police have not documented incidents of bullying involving Iain but are still conducting interviews, Deputy Chief Brian Budds said.

Downward spiral

By this winter, Iain's mental health had begun a downward spiral, his parents said. In February, he told them he was having suicidal thoughts and asked to be admitted to a hospital.

He stopped going to school and began attending an outpatient program, seeing a therapist and a psychiatrist and taking medication for depression and anxiety. He tried returning to school on a half-day basis, but soon became overwhelmed with makeup work and inquiries from classmates who heard rumors he had tried to kill himself. After a few days in school, Iain asked to be readmitted to the hospital, where he stayed for a week, his parents said.

But as summer approached, he began showing signs of improvement. He was easier to communicate with, did his chores when asked, and his doctors believed they had found the right balance in his medication, his father said.

"He seemed to be in a calm, happy place," he said.

Iain's parents and friends say they do not know of any incidents that might have triggered what happened June 3, when his father found him in the basement. His death was ruled a suicide by hanging, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. He did not leave a note.

Looking back, Iain's parents wonder what factors besides bullying may have contributed to their son's depression.

Iain's favorite heavy metal bands, such as Lamb of God, Children of Bodom and Bullet for My Valentine, often have lyrics with dark messages. One Bullet for My Valentine song is about being bullied, and another song contains the refrain: "The only way out is to die."

Also, Iain was deeply hurt this spring after a brief relationship with a girl he met in his outpatient program. The two exchanged text messages, but her parents and therapists advised against them dating and about two months ago barred her from having communication with him.

Still, Iain's parents remain convinced bullying played a significant role in their son's depression. As Iain's story spread through the community, many people approached Liz Steele to describe their own experiences with bullying, depression or suicide, she said.

"A lot of people don't want to talk about mental health or bullying because it's a difficult thing to talk about, but we need to talk about it," she said. "It shouldn't be a stigma."

Meanwhile, the community has rallied behind the Steeles. In Iain's memory, his classmates tied white ribbons around hundreds of trees in the neighborhood. On June 10, about 500 people attended a memorial service at First Congregational Church of Western Springs.

Rich Kirchherr, senior minister at the church, said the community has felt a "deep and abiding sadness" since Iain's death. Kirchherr said few people seemed aware that Iain was bullied.

"There is an acknowledgment now, as people have discovered that Iain might not always have been treated with the respect that every person deserves," Kirchherr said. "Many people were surprised to hear that."

Friends have established several Facebook groups in his memory, including the "Iain Steele Remembrance Group," which has more than 700 members. The commentary on the group's wall was summed up by a Lyons Township High School student who said she did not know Iain but had learned an important lesson from his death.

"I'm learning to treat everyone with respect, even people who I don't know well or people who I might not get along with," she wrote. "If there is anything good that can come out of this tragedy, the responsibility lies with us to live with kindness and be aware that life is fragile."

gfsmith@tribune.com