Like most school districts statewide Cook County School District 166 is in need of more money and is faced with declining enrollment. And like most districts—if not all districts—programs and teachers and staff have been cut or reduced. So the question is, how do you give the kids the best education with less?
All of this was up for discussion the evening of May 24 at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts where more than 50 people turned out for the school district’s first annual “Table Talk.”
ISD 166 Superintendent Beth Schwarz said while she hoped more people would attend, she considered the event a success. “For the first time and given the weather (rainy, windy and cold) it went really well. I was pleased with the conversation. We received good information that the district can use.”
The first half of the meeting was conducted inside the theater where Schwarz presented a community report (covering June 10, 2011 through the present) that highlighted the district’s programs, achievements, and the district’s financial picture.
Once the information was presented, people were asked to go to the lobby and gather in groups of 8-10. Participants were then given 12 questions to discuss. A group leader and secretary were appointed at each table and the recorded comments and suggestions were given to Schwarz following the meeting.
During the discussion, some of the strengths identified at ISD 166 included giving individual attention to students; the amount of elective choices offered; the highly educated/experienced staff; the cooperation between upper and elementary and lower elementary departments; super volunteers Lyle Gerard and David Hahn; a committed PTA; and the arts, drama, and music programs. Sports were also mentioned with this comment, “We have lots of sports but kids need lots of opportunity.”
A question about declining enrollment and how to fight it elicited these responses: How do we market Cook County better? How do we recruit new residents? We need a community center for families/ kids. We need broadband. We need to develop and advertise for telecommunicating jobs.
Questions led to questions, and participants asked: Are we marketing [the area] enough? Where are our kids going—we lost eight seniors. If kids come into kindergarten, will they stay? How can we be more welcoming to the Native American community? The brainstorming sessions offered the following suggestions for the ISD 166 board and administration to consider: . Create a “problem resolution” board for parents and staff. . Exit/entry interviews should be done, along with calls to students/families who have left the district. . Investigate potential funding from copper/mineral mines. . Increase technology offerings. . Expand industrial arts department. . Build academics around what’s here—hotel administration, culinary and industrial arts and green gardening. . Explore building industrial arts facility in industrial park. Incorporate entrepreneurial training. . Update school website . Explore a joint tribal/community college . Explore building affordable housing on forfeit lands. . Before making decisions carefully consider/explore “How does this make a difference for our children?” . Could adults take classes (i.e. Spanish, welding) for a cost? . Work on retaining students we have. . Early childhood development is very important.
Schwarz said she would welcome more comments and suggestions and she said that plans are already under way for next year’s “Table Talk.”
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