Superintendent

Message from Superintendent Fessler

As our final activities draw us to the close of the 2010-2011 school year, I wanted to take one last chance to express my gratitude to the entire school community for the support provide to our school district throughout the course of the year. I simply couldn’t have asked for a better first year as a superintendent, and it is an honor to have this opportunity to work together as we seek to create the best learning environment possible for our students.

Looking ahead to next year, we have exciting opportunities for both staff and students to move closer to a 21st century teaching and learning model. I believe this model, over time, will create a more irresistible learning environment for our students and staff. We will begin the year with further training in the use of the Understanding by Design (UbD) template and the integration of 21st century instructional strategies. It is critical to note the strategic and purposeful instructional decisions connected to the backward design model are the most important elements to planning. The end result creates a 21st century learning environment that features the development of strong critical thinking and problem solving skills, instruction that becomes increasingly interdisciplinary, integrated, project-based, and student-centered through teacher facilitation.

Since professional development should be continuous, there is not a timeline for completion of this work, and it is certainly not a race. Like our students, we all learn at a different rate and bring our own unique set of skills and contributions to the classroom. My expectation is that over the course of the next 3-5 years, all staff will become proficient in the use of 21st century teaching strategies and the use of 21st century tools, including technology.

This past spring, each building staff participated in a UbD training facilitated by building administration that included an introduction to the UbD template. The expectation was for teachers to experiment with the use of the template over the spring in preparation for use in the fall. I would ask that all staff have a working knowledge of the instrument prior to the start of next school year. We will begin the year with teacher in-service in the area of instructional planning using the UbD template as a guide. The expectation is that over the course of the school year, teachers become proficient using the tool, adapt as necessary to make it their own, and then continue using the model to guide collaborative planning with teammates or grade level partners.

I believe we will be engaging in challenging work next year, and it is important that we get off to a good start in order to be successful. I have asked principals to spend more time in the classroom next year in order to support staff in the development of 21st century instructional pedagogy and purposeful planning using the UbD approach. I believe that our 21st century approach will, in the end, better prepare our students with the skills necessary to be successful in an increasingly dynamic, interconnected, and complex world.

I’ve listed further updates regarding finances, Common Core, staffing, and technology below.

Finance Update: he District 123 Board of Education will be asked to approve the Tentative Budget for 2011-2012 at their meeting on Monday, June 27, 2011. The Tentative Budget includes approximately $850,000 in budget cuts. The administrative team and the Board of Education were able to accomplish the reductions to the 2011-2012 budget primarily through reducing operations costs and staffing efficiencies due to declining enrollment and support services no longer necessary for students leaving district programs.

The final budget will be approved at the Board of Education meeting scheduled for September, 2011. Since the 2008-09 school year, the Board has trimmed roughly $3.6 million, mostly in recurring annual expenses to offset deficit spending.

A Vision of Learning: Creating a 21st century education for D123 students: Over the course of the 2010-2012 school years, D123 will create a K-8 standards based curriculum that will address the New Illinois State Learning Standards Incorporating the Common Core. These new standards provide benchmarks for academic progress (skills and knowledge) that students should have at the conclusion of each grade level. Included in the adoption and implementation of these new standards is the process of defining ‘power standards’ for each content area and grade level. These power standards will represent the most essential “big ideas” from the New Illinois State Learning Standards and we will determine as the ultimate learning goals for all students to achieve. Beginning this summer, D123

Instructional Staffing Impacted by Budget Reductions: In an effort to reduce the budget deficit and yet maintain instructional programming and elementary class sizes, this year’s staffing process included not only the reduction of instructional and support staff, but also the reclassification of five certified staff members to various instructional coaching positions. Instructional coaches in the areas of Math (K-5), Instructional Technology (K-8), and Assistive Technology (K-8) will work with the district’s classroom teachers in support of student achievement in each area. Support staff reductions were made as a function of reductions in case load sizes.

Technology Updates: The summer will bring a variety of technology upgrades, professional development, and preparations for the fall technology implementation. D123 will be receiving and setting up over 1,900 netbooks, 75 MacBooks, 125 iPads, and 27 SMART Boards. The district will also upgrade a number of technology services, including email, web filter, servers, and wireless infrastructure. You are invited to please check on the technology pages of the district website often over the summer as updates will be provided and helpful documentation posted about the fall technology implementation.

Staff Updates: The following updates in staffing will be in effect for the fall of the 2011-2012 school year.

Assistant Superintendent for Business and Operations: Mr. Mike Loftin will join the D123 staff as the Assistant Superintendent for Business and Operations. Mr. Loftin has worked in education for over 15 years as a teaching assistant, substitute teacher, school psychologist, and in administration.  For the last 9 years, he has worked as business manager and assistant director for two special education cooperatives, most recently at ECHO Joint Agreement.

Kolmar School Principal: Mr. David Creech will join the D123 staff as the building principal for Kolmar School.  Mr. Creech has 19 years of experience in education serving as a science teacher prior to moving into an administrative position at York Community High School in Elmhurst District 205. He is currently serving as assistant principal for curriculum and instruction, a position he has held for seven years.

Chief Information Officer: Mr. Ben Grey will become the Chief Information Officer for District 123. Presently, Mr. Grey oversees the district’s technology and communications, and the change in title will further align his duties and responsibilities in his role overseeing the district’s information services in all capacities.

Math Coaches: Maureen Finnegan and Susan Whited will be the district Math Coaches for next year. They will provide support and job-embedded professional development specific to math instruction in the classroom.

Assistive Technology Specialist: Rose Chalil will be the district Assistive Technology Specialist. Rose will provide support to all staff regarding assistive technology and providing students with tools and applications to best support their learning needs through the use of assistive technology.

Instructional Technology Coach: Peggy Keiner and Laura Ferrell will be the district Instructional Technology Coaches. They will provide support and job-embedded professional development specific to using technology in the classroom. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or suggestions. My email address is afessler@d123.org.

Sincerely,

Dr. Art Fessler