Guest Essay by each Superintendent

Expecting Another Good Year at District 65

Dr. Hardy Murphy, Superintendent of District 65

On Sept. 2 when District 65 students begin the 2008-09 school year, I start my 10th year as District 65's Superintendent. During this time a lot of good things have happened.

We are a financially stable, award-winning District that attracts high-quality teachers. This did not happen by chance. Effective planning and preparation, leadership and training, and high-quality curriculum and instruction yielded dividends that can be seen in the achievement of our students, and the awards and recognitions of our schools and teachers.

I am as excited about our future as I was on the first day I walked into this District because I have the good fortune to be in a school community that believes in the infinite possibilities for the young minds that enter our schools and classrooms.

Believing that children come first and that to teach them is to nurture their spirit, satisfy their curiosity, and challenge their intellect is how we create this bright future.

This year, two major initiatives, Response to Intervention and Differentiation and Enrichment, will define our instructional efforts. These initiatives will be characterized by an even greater concentration on the development of engaging and challenging learning experiences where instruction is tailored to your child's talents, interests, capabilities.

We know that children get excited about learning in different ways. They are naturally curious and imaginative. These priceless gifts spark learning and create opportunities for teachable moments in the passage from childhood to adulthood. And the journey is unique to each child.

This concept, the uniqueness of each child and ensuring that they experience success in some way every day, is at the center of the professional development our teachers will receive across the District throughout the school year.

We want your child to pursue excellence and experience success without being afraid to fail.

We want your child to know that at the heart of creative excellence is the courage to try something different, over and over again.

We want our students to understand that their efforts will be seen and appreciated; that neither they nor their work will be judged harshly or unfairly.

This characterizes our differentiation and enrichment and response to intervention initiatives as we redefine instructional experiences in our classrooms.

Both initiatives will be designed to foster confidence in children and the joy of learning in challenging and meaningful instructional activities.

Teaching in the 21st century offers opportunities and challenges never considered a generation ago. Students literally have at their fingertips, at the click of the mouse, access to the world body of knowledge and the keys to the mysteries of the universe.

To take advantage of the exciting possibilities for teaching and learning that many could not have imagined a generation ago, our schools are being prepared with marvelous technology tools and our teachers are being trained to use them.

This new world of educational technology with Internet access and interactive environments enhances our ability to enrich your child's classroom experiences. It transforms teaching and learning much as the steam engine, electric light, spaceflight and wheel changed lives throughout history.

Just as we want students to be excited about their classroom learning, we also want to enrich their experiences beyond the school day.

Virtual learning is one of the enrichment programs on our horizon. In this cutting-edge enrichment initiative we plan to present teacher-led topics of interest for children to explore in a variety of virtual learning environments.

The opportunity horizon of the 21st century truly is boundless. District 65 is committed to helping our students pursue excellence in each and every thing that they do along their pathway into a future of limitless possibilities.

As I write this essay I can barely contain my enthusiasm for the day the children return so that we can continue our journey together.

Making the Most of the School Year

Dr. Eric Witherspoon, District 202 Superintendent

One of our seniors told me this summer, with excitement in her voice, "I want to make the most of my senior year."

I enjoyed hearing about the classes she will be taking and how much she enjoys participating in extracurricular activities. Hearing her enthusiasm, I am sure this is going to be a great senior year for her. Fortunately, she represents thousands of ETHS students who want to make the most of this school year. And there is no better school for getting a great education and having memorable experiences.

Evanston Township High School has a well-deserved reputation as one of the premier high schools in the country. With over 300 course offerings, and countless opportunities to participate in quality fine and performing arts, sports, and clubs, there is something for every student at ETHS.

Students of all races and many different nationalities find their own niche and make lifelong friendships at ETHS.

Our goal at ETHS is to have a caring school community, a school where academic success for every student is paramount. We celebrate that each student comes to us as a unique human being, and our teachers and staff strive to make sure every student has a personalized experience.

System of Supports is a school-wide commitment to support each student academically and personally. Our teachers and counselors strive to know each student and personalize support with timely interventions.

We have academic support programs like AVID, EXCEL and STAE tailored to specific student needs. We offer AM Support, departmental study centers, a homework center, one-on-one tutoring, a seminar for getting organized, academic contracts, and other personalized interventions aimed at helping all students achieve their best. Plus, beginning this year, parents and students will be able to go online to check grades, attendance and assignments, as well as communicate more readily with teachers.

But we can't do it alone. Teenagers need support at school, at home and in the community.

Our dedicated School Board has established parent and community involvement as a high priority, and our School Board actively participates in community outreach.

Parents, family, friends and teachers working together can make a meaningful difference in the life of a young person.

Before the 2008-09 school year begins, I encourage you to have meaningful discussions with students.

Talk with them about the importance of an education, how much you value education, and how the quality of their education will have lifelong benefits.

Talk with them about the myriad opportunities they can explore at ETHS. Talk with them about being a leader at school and modeling for their friends and classmates the importance of learning.

Talk with them about how much their teachers care about them and how hard their teachers are working to provide more personalized support for each student.

Talk with them about how they, too, must work hard to do well in school. Talk with them.

Soon, the hallways, classrooms, labs, gyms, theaters and music rooms at ETHS will be filled with students.

The Class of 2009, our seniors, will lead the way. The freshmen Class of 2012 will begin their high school journey and will become an important part of our high school.

This is a community of learners, a school focused on students and their growth. With the support and involvement of parents and community members, each ETHS student can make the most of this school year.

D65's Tentative Budget: $90.8 Million Operating Expenses, $115.9 Million in All

By Larry Gavin

The District 65 School Board unanimously approved a tentative budget for its fiscal year ending June 30, 2009 (FY '09) at its Aug. 18 meeting that pegs operating expenses at $90.8 million and total expenses at $115.9 million.

On a big-picture basis, the operating budget is balanced; and no cuts are projected. Key assumptions include that the District's student enrollment will remain stable at 6,101 students, that the District will add ten new teaching positions, and that the District's program offering will remain stable.

Two wild cards are that the District's property tax collections are based on estimates, and the tentative budget does not reflect final salary increases negotiated or being negotiated between the School Board and the District Educator's Council (the teachers' union) and other employee groups. Kathy Zalewski, comptroller, said if these numbers firm up before the development of a final budget, they will be reflected in the final budget.

The Board will hold a public hearing on the tentative budget on Sept. 22, and it is scheduled to adopt a final budget that same evening.

The Operating Budget
Operating revenues are projected to grow at a slower pace than operating expenses, but the budget is balanced. Operating revenues are projected at $91 million, up $1.3 million, or 1.4 percent over the prior year. Operating expenses are projected at $90.8 million, up $2.1 million or 2.3 percent over the prior year. The tentative budget shows a surplus of about $200,000.

Property Taxes:
On the revenue side, the District increased property taxes by 2.5 percent, the maximum allowed under state property tax caps, in its December 2007 tax levy. In addition, the District plans to increase property taxes by 4.1%, the maximum allowed under state property tax caps, in its December 2008 levy, Dr. Mary Brown, chief financial officer, told the RoundTable.

Despite these increases, Dr. Brown said the District is projecting that the property tax revenues it collects for operations in FY '09 will be $67 million, down by 1.1 percent from the prior year. The projected decrease is caused by the way installment payments are calculated by Cook County and how the installments match up in the District's fiscal years.

Dr. Brown said the installment payments made in the fall of 2007 and the spring of 2008 (the two payments made in fiscal year ending June 30, 2008) were each unusually high and resulted in a 7.2 percent increase in tax revenues collected in that year. See sidebar.

Property taxes make up about 75 percent of the District's operating revenues. State and federal grants, which account for 18 percent of the District's operating revenues, are expected to be about $17.3 million, about 15 percent more than last year. A substantial part of the increase is due to receiving $1 million in late payments that were due last year, in this fiscal year.

Salaries:
On the expense side, salaries are pegged at $62.3 million, up 4.4 percent over last year. Employee benefits are projected to increase to $10.7 million, a 5.2 percent increase. Salaries and benefits, together, account for 80 percent of the District's operating expenses.

Kathy Zalewski, District 65 comptroller, said the tentative budget assumes that teacher salaries will increase by 3.7 percent (2 percent on the base and 1.7 percent for the step). While a tentative agreement containing a new salary structure has been reached between the negotiators for DEC and the School Board, the terms of the agreement have not been publicly disclosed. A School Board letter dated June 10, however, said the Board had offered teachers on average a 5.7 percent salary increase (3 percent on the base, and 2.7 percent for the step).

If the tentative agreement with DEC is approved before the development of the final budget, Ms. Zalewski said the new salary structure will be incorporated into the final budget. The tentative agreement will not be presented to members of DEC until Aug. 28, and under DEC's by-laws teachers may not vote on the agreement until Aug. 31. It is anticipated that the School Board would vote on the agreement after that.

If the salary structure with DEC is in line with the Board's June 10 letter, teachers' salaries may be 2% higher than assumed in the tentative budget. Ms. Zalewski said expenses could be reduced in other areas to accommodate an increase in salaries and keep the budget balances.

Cash Balances:
The District is reporting on an unaudited basis that it finished the 2007-08 school year with an operating surplus of $989,437. At fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, the District had a cash balance of about $20.5 million in its operating funds (which includes $11.4 million in the working cash fund). The cash reserves in the District's operating funds are equivalent to about 82 days operating expenses.

Capital Expenditures
The tentative budget projects capital expenditures of about $16 million. About $14.7 million of the capital expenditures will be paid out of the proceeds of bonds issued last year to fund capital improvements and technology. The capital expenditures are as follows:

• $10.3 million is allocated to make capital improvements to the District's school buildings. These expenditures are being funded with the proceeds of bonds issued last year.

• $3.4 million is allocated to replace aging computer equipment and purchase additional enhancements. Technology purchases have been transferred from the operating fund to a capital fund so they can be funded with the proceeds of bonds and not be subject to state property tax caps.

• $1 million is allocated to improve air quality in the schools. This is being funded by a state grant.

• $1.3 million will be spent on life/safety projects, incurred to keep school buildings safe and in compliance with safety and accessibility codes. This is being funded by about $400,000 in property taxes and the cash balance in the fund.

The budget also projects the District will pay about $9 million in debt service, which will be funded through property taxes. As of June 30, 2008 the District had outstanding debt of $37.8 million.

Expenditures by Function
Under the tentative budget, the District's total expenses for FY '09, including both operating and capital expenses, are projected to be $115.9 million. A little less that one-half of that amount is devoted to instruction. A budget summary prepared by Ms. Zalewski states that the $115.9 million will be spent as follows:

• $48.7 million, or 42%, will be spent on instruction, which includes general K-8 instruction, special education, bilingual education and remedial education.

• $19.3 million, or 17%, will be spent on support services, which includes social work, psychological and speech services, food and transportation services, staff development, curriculum improvement and education media services.

• $11.4 million, or 10%, will be spent on site improvement.

• $9 million, or 7%, will be spent on administration, which includes administrators, principals, assistant principals, secretaries, business services, human resource services, research and data processing.

• $9.8 million, or 8%, will be spent on facilities services, which includes building operation and maintenance services.

• $9 million, or 8%, will be spent on debt service.

• $2.9 million, or 3%, will be spent on community services, which includes community childcare and before- and after-school childcare services.

• $5.9 million will be spent on other miscellaneous items.

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D 65 Property Taxes

In its December 2007 tax levy, School District 65 increased the tax on the tax cap amount by 2.5% (the maximum amount allowed under state property tax caps), included a tax on new property (which is estimated in the levy and is not subject to the tax caps), and included a tax for debt service (which is not subject to tax caps). The amount of the levy which is allowed is paid in calendar year 2008.

The 2008 spring installment (which was paid in District 65's fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, FY '08) was calculated by dividing the levy allowed for calendar year 2007 by two. The 2008 fall installment (which will be paid in District 65's fiscal year ending June 30, 2009, FY '09) is the difference between the 2008 spring installment and the levy allowed for calendar year 2008. The spring 2009 installment (which will be paid in FY '09) will be one-half of the levy allowed for calendar year 2008.

The amounts of the 2008 fall installment and the 2009 spring installment thus depend on the amount of the levy allowed for calendar year 2008. The amount of the levy allowed for calendar year 2008 has not yet been determined and requires an application of tax caps and a determination of the assessed value of new property added to the tax rolls. Bill Vaselopulos, director of the Cook County Clerk's Tax Extension Department, told the RoundTable the determination would not be made until after Labor Day.

Thus, in preparing District 65's tentative budget for FY '09, chief financial officer Mary Brown said she estimated the levy allowed for calendar year 2008, and, in turn, estimated the 2008 fall installment and the 2009 spring installment, which are the two tax payments which will be received by the District in FY '09. Those numbers could change after the Cook County makes its determination of the levy allowed for FY '09.

The District will not receive the benefit of a 4.1% tax increase levied in December 2008 until the installments are paid in the fall of 2009 and the spring of 2010, which are both in its fiscal year ending June 30, 2010.

Flaws in Scoring 2008 ISATs Delay Results

By Larry Gavin

The Illinois State Board of Education is "re-equating and rescoring" the 2008 Illinois Standard Achievement Tests (ISATs), says State Superintendent Christopher A. Koch in messages posted on the State Board's website. He said the State Board noticed "unanticipated results" and "unanticipated shifts" when reviewing the original 2008 ISAT results. "There have been both noticeable increases and noticeable decreases in scores, depending on the grade being analyzed," he says.

The State Board had its testing contractor, Pearson Education, and an independent consulting firm review the results, said Mr. Koch. "We have determined that we could obtain more accurate results. As a result, I have asked Pearson to move forward with re-equating and rescoring using a more appropriate process."

Matt Vanover, spokesperson for the State Board of Education, told the RoundTable that flaws in the scoring arose in scoring the questions from the Sanford 10, a nationally normed test. He said three years ago, the State began to include questions from the Sanford 10 on the ISATs, in addition to questions which are specifically based on the Illinois learning standards. Including questions from the Sanford 10 enables the State and school districts to compare how students are doing in comparison to other students throughout the nation.

Mr. Vanover said the Sanford 10 questions on 2008 ISATs differed from those on the 2007 ISATs, and as part of the scoring process, the State attempted to equate the difficulty of the Sanford 10 questions on the 2008 ISATs with the Sanford 10 questions on the 2007 ISATs. He said, "The standard equating process we used was not able to account for the differences between the 2007 and 2008 ISATs. We saw fluctuations outside the norm."

He said a new equating methodology is being used, and the 2008 ISATs are being rescored. The new scores will be sent to school districts within the next few weeks, he said.

Grant Allows ETHS to Expand Workforce Certification Programs

Technical education opportunities for students at Evanston Township High School will expand over the next four years, thanks to a major grant from the Owen L. Coon Foundation. The $100,000 grant, given to the ETHS District 202 Educational Foundation, will allow the high school to develop and implement additional certification programs in the fields of automotive technology, culinary arts, and early childhood education.

"We believe in offering our students the opportunity to earn employer-recognized certification in specific career areas because it greatly increases their ability to find jobs and move up on career ladders," said Shelley Gates, department chair for Applied Sciences and Technologies.

The grant is donated in honor of Owen L. Coon, Jr., a 1951 graduate of ETHS. Shortly after graduating from ETHS, Mr. Coon served in the Air Force, flying missions over North Korea and was decorated with several medals. Upon his return to Evanston, he rekindled his passion for cars and became a professional racecar driver. He recalls: "I'll never forget my automotive instructor at ETHS. He had us building racecars."

The Coon Foundation was incorporated in Evanston in 1946 with educational advancement as one of its priorities.

Richard Briggs, president of the Coon Foundations said, "We hope that our gift will encourage other institutions to contribute also."

NOLA Revisited

Volunteers from National-Louis University's Partnership with NOLA

(New Orleans, La.) Schools spent a week in the August heat and humidity of New Orleans helped set up a new K-8 charter school in the Ninth Ward, KIPP Central City
Academy.

Seventeen members from NLU's graduate programs and from surrounding communities worked side-by-side with teachers and staff preparing classrooms, multipurpose rooms and the central library as construction of the site neared completion days before opening day, Aug. 18.

In photo above, Angela D'Agostino, left, a recent graduate of The Ohio State University, helps her mother, Nina, sort out reading material for the central library of the new school.

Photo courtesy of National-Louis University

Turn Around and He's...

Off to Kindergarten

By Victoria Scott

Sitting beside last year's backpack, Max Miller tries on the new shoes he will wear to kindergarten.

When this year's 5- and 6-year-olds wave good-bye to their families and walk through the door to kindergarten - as early as next week at local parochial schools and on Sept. 2 at District 65 public schools - the little people clutching the crayons might not be the ones reaching for the Kleenex.

"I told my boss I needed to be in Chicago, not traveling [on the first day of school], because I needed my day to cry," says Cheryl Miller, who with her husband, will walk Max, their firstborn, to St. Athanasius School next Thursday.

"I'm sure I'll be crying," says Rebecca Finklestein, imagining saying good-bye to her oldest child, Joshua, at Washington School. Rachel Omundson, too, expects to tear up when she watches her son, Patrick, enter St. A's.

Kindergarten is an emotional change - and a leap of faith -- for many parents. Joshua Finklestein is enrolled at his neighborhood school because his mom, a product of the District 65 and 202 systems, says she is "very pro-public- schools."

Still, she explains, while she "paid for and chose his preschool," for kindergarten she says she feels she is "giving Joshua up to the School District, trusting that the teachers Washington chose will nurture and support him in the same way I would."

While acknowledging a certain sadness, each mom is quick to accentuate the positives of her child's transition. "It's exciting more than sad," says Ms. Miller. "Every year it's more fun [with Max]."

Beth Tucker, mother of Lincolnwood-bound Gwen, calls it a "double-edged sword: You want more time for yourself but will miss having her around."

"It's a big adjustment when your child is not around as much. You don't have the easy, daily time together," says Anne Viner, whose Brooke will join an older sister at Willard. "But it's good. Brooke is excited to be at the big school and be with her sister and learn to read," she says.

"He'll be okay; it's a healthy trend," Ms. Omundson says, preparing herself for "a nostalgic moment" the first day.

Beyond the sentiments of leave-taking, a child's starting kindergarten has practical ramifications for the whole household. Often the shift necessitates a restructuring. "I'm nervous," Ms. Miller says. "We both work, and [kindergarten] means a change of schedule. Kindergarten starts later [than preschool]. It means a whole new routine."

Max Miller started daycare when he was 11 weeks old. His day there began at 7:30 a.m.; St. A's, which starts at 8:45, does not open until 8:30. So Max's parents will take turns going to work late, and one day a week Max will go to a friend's house before school.

For Ms. Omundson, the 8:45 bell at St. A's means the opposite - an earlier start than for two-and-a-half-hour preschool. "It will be a challenge to get everyone [Patrick, a preschooler and an infant] ready in time to leave for kindergarten by 8," she says.

In District 65, school starting time has been a contentious issue for working parents. With all District elementary schools beginning at 9 a.m. this year (some previously began earlier), many families will need before-school daycare.

For Beth Tucker, stay-at-home mother of kindergartner Gwen, Lincolnwood School's change to 9:00 from the 8:20 a.m. of previous years poses a different, if less serious, problem: Gwen's brother "will be late to preschool every day - it starts at the same time," she says.

Ms. Viner says she is lucky to "have options" for work hours. While she previously engaged a nanny for Brooke during her three-day work week, she is considering working five shorter days now, in order be home in time to pick up both girls from school.

For kindergartners themselves the length of the school day can be the biggest hurdle. While some, like Max, are accustomed to full-day daycare, many new kindergartners will spend their first whole day in school this fall. "I'm worried about how exhausted Joshua will be at the end of the day," says Ms. Finklestein.

Ms. Omundson says "being away from home all day" will be a big change for Patrick after half-day preschool. But, she says, "He'll be okay. It'll be a healthy tired."

And although experience tells Ms. Viner to "expect Brooke to be a little wiped out," she says, "she's full of energy. And there is a rest time with mats."

Preparations for kindergarten vary. Parents say St. A's advises not heightening children's anxiety by making too much of it. Max Miller got a letter with his teacher's picture - and chose to put it on the refrigerator, says his mom. She and her husband took advantage of an online offer and ordered school supplies to be shipped directly to his classroom.

Rachel Omundson has been taking Patrick by St. A's and arranging play dates with new classmates. They will shop for supplies soon, she says, and "we'll let him choose and cross off items as we find them." He is excited about having different subjects, she says, but she and his dad are "trying not to over-prepare him...so we have just said he'll be going to a different place this year."

Brooke Viner already has her backpack and lunch bag and will be going to Willard for popsicles and ice cream - and to drop off supplies - on Aug. 27. Joshua Finklestein and his mom have been attending Friday picnics on the Washington playground this summer along with other incoming kindergartners.

Beth Tucker says Gwen's nursery school suggested that parents tell stories about their own kindergarten experience, including feelings like nervousness. For her summer birthday Gwen received a book Ms. Tucker has found helpful to calm jitters. "Wemberly Worried," by Kevin Henkes, tells the story of a mouse who is very anxious about kindergarten.

Many families have begun to make plans for the opening day of school. Brooke will be picking out a first-day outfit ("It won't be fancy," Brooke prompts her mom). Her dad will stay home from work so the family can walk to school together and do something special - ice cream or a dinner out - at the end of the day.

Everyone plans to snap photos. And in the Omundson household Patrick's father will be carrying on a tradition. "My husband's father made French toast on the first day of school and then walked the kids to school," says Ms. Omundson. Patrick's dad will do the same.

CommUNITY Picnic Aug. 24

Evanston residents are invited to gather with friends, family and fellow Evanstonians to enjoy an afternoon in the park with free food, games, activities and entertainment at the annual CommUNITY Picnic.

This event will run from noon to 5 p.m. in Ingraham Park behind the Evanston Civic Center, 2100 Ridge Ave.

Kids and adults alike will enjoy picnic foods; mouth-watering treats like cotton candy, popcorn and ice cream; games like the dunk tank; reality experiences in the Fire Department's Safety House.