Holiday Thoughts

It has been a pleasure to work with you throughout the year. I am often reminded of the good of so very many; those of you who so generously and selflessly give of your time, money, and energy to the cause of those in need. You are the backbone of not only this organization but, whether you know it or not, you are often the group that provides tangible care to the most vulnerable among us so very close to our homes.

I am often reminded of your kindness when I open a donation envelope or get a note of encouragement. And it is not uncommon to be greeted by teachers and principals who wear a broad smile when our little yellow Penske truck pulls up to the door with some goodies for the students. I'm also reminded of just what it means for a child to get a new clarinet, a set of notebooks, a warm winter coat or a new basketball when I get a letter of thanks from students.

So, as I take a break from blogging/facebook - and sometimes venting - I want to extend my warmest wishes to you, your family and friends for a peaceful and joyful holiday.

Be well and see you in 2017!

Dick

A Final Plea

Hinsdale District #86 has two schools, South and Central, and we do have students who qualify for federal help because of low income in addition to having students who are homeless. In our area of abundance, I'd like to make one final request for you to join with us as we look to raise funds for these children.

Simply go to www.gofundme.com and type in the word 'pircon' where it asks for a search word. You will then see 'D86: Neighbors in Need.' You can donate any amount to this worthwhile initiative. At this time of the year, when others are struggling, often due to factors beyond their control, I can think of no better act of kindness than lending a helping hand to your neighbor.

Many thanks,
Dick

The Common Good

It is a cold, raw and cloudy day here in Orland Park, IL and what I have to share with you is not the typical meal of what is happening at CPS or the efforts of our charity elsewhere. And these few thoughts may seem to have little to do with our work, on the surface, yet I believe that have much to say about supporting public education.

Essentially, our country and our way of life was built around the idea of the 'Common Good.' This is not something I've made up, far from it. From the times of the ancient Greek city-states up to today, the essence or very idea of the Common Good has always moved the needle towards the advancement of procuring goods, security, and justice for a group. By a group, I'm referring not to one family or business but our collective nation, the United States of America.

But the 'Common Good' is only advanced by active participation, collective action and citizenship. This leads me to the following; it is all the more essential that our public schools and institutions of learning, at all levels, somehow summon up the courage and understanding to promote these essentials. It is why, in a very small but important way, our charity places an emphasis on helping those who need the tools to accomplish the above to work towards and for the 'Common Good.'

Dick

Funding Woes

The CPS Board of Education met yesterday and aside from approving the new teachers contract, members were faced with an onslaught of those who feel the Special Education needs and funding arrangement is a mess. As the Chicago Sun Times reported, 'individual schools were given a 4 percent reduction in 2016-17 special needs money than last year.' And many LSC people (local school councils) were none to happy with the move.

Why? Schools were given the ed. services money, mixed in with the general education funding. The idea by the CPS brass was that this move was needed, in part, to deal with the movement of special ed students. The rules allow schools to make their case, through an appeals process, to recover the lost 4 percent.

Here's where parents are coming from. They feel that by mixing educational services funds with general education funds, it pits two groups of students against one another. The parents, lots of them, don't think this is fair to any group. By the way, it puts plenty of pressure on the administrations in each school.

To me, it seems of the age old 'shell game,' Where the heck is the pebble under the shell or will we ever know if the pebble is under any of the shells?

Stay tuned.

Dick

Let Me Ask you a Question

Suppose you were hiring a mechanic to fix something on your Lamborghini. Respectfully, would you hire just any mechanic, someone who you had no idea of their experience or qualifications? Yes or no. Next, suppose you were looking for someone to refinish/restore a $15,000 12-seat 19th century oak dining room table. Who would you hire?

Let's say you are the Texas Longhorns or the Alabama Crimson Tide and you need a head football coach (neither school has an opening right now) where would you turn? Really, are you opting for someone who has never been a college head coach?

Now on to our Dept. of Education. The largest block of schools in America, K-12, that the Dept. of Ed. works with are our neighborhood public schools. Who are you turning to in order to run the Dept. of Education which oversees our neighborhood schools? I would want someone who has had a real connection to our traditional neighborhood schools...not necessarily, solely, but that would be an important component.

Where are we with Ms. DeVos?

Dick

Charters and CPS

As it turns out, tomorrow will be a big day at the CPS Board of Education meeting. Why? Well, one of the big things on the agenda will be voting on whether to extend, or not, the contracts of independently run charters into the future. There are a number of firms who now operate in the city.

Some of the firms are seeking a 5-year renewal while others are looking to extend their contracts for an additional 3 years. It will be interesting to see if the brass at CPS will take a deep dive and look at the performance of these schools and firms, one by one, prior to taking a vote. That is what ought to take place.

But taking a look at the performance of the school and charter firm running it shouldn't merely be relying on test scores. I realize that's the standard practice. I'd also be interested in teacher retention, student growth (not necessarily a standardized test score), whether the charters actually accept special needs students and the like. If a charter really is a public school then they are accepting these children.

I'll get back to you on the Wednesday CPS pronouncements.

Dick

A Day in the Life of a Teacher

Below is a statement from the Hinsdale District #86 resident regarding the work of his daughter in Ohio.   He was responding to a statement, below, from the Ohio Education Assn.   Thought you would find his story about the work of his daughter telling.

Parent:  "Never has a truer statement been written. I know because my daughter teaches a diverse class of second graders in a public charter school in Akron, Ohio. She works 11 hour days Monday thru Friday and puts in another 6 to 8 hours on the weekend. A portion of her modest personal paycheck is spent on supplies, books and classroom equipment for her kids. On many days, she may be the only positive experience in her students' lives."

From the Ohio Education Assn.   "Every school in America has teachers working for free on a daily basis. Go by any school parking lot early in the morning, late in the afternoon, or even at night or on weekends, and you will see them.   No overtime, no bonuses or promotions on the line - just doing it for the students!   Teachers are using their free time, and often investing their own money, for children's literacy, prosperity and future.   Re-post if you are a teacher, love a teachers, or appreciate a teacher."

Dick

Keeping Harvey Kids Warm

Yesterday we delivered 40 new winter coats to the staff at the Harvey District Office so that they can, in turn, get them to the children who have a need for a coat. Turns out that coats and other winter wear are just as important as having the proper school supplies and other resources that are required in order for the students to have the opportunity for success in the classroom.

You can be sure that the smiles on the faces of the staff are duplicated when the children put on their new coats. Makes for a great day at school and it brightens the holidays.

Dick

A Full Plate

Yesterday I said that the plates of teacher's are at full capacity and, well, they are. There are many attendant problems with the plate being TOO full. Two major ones. First, with so many additional non-direct classroom initiatives added to the daily routine of actually teaching, less time is available for teachers to focus on lesson preparation, sharing materials with colleagues, writing lessons, formulating evaluation tools and meeting with students.

A second major drawback to the 'plate being too full' is the very real problem of retaining teachers, most of them quite capable of making a positive impact on the lives of children. Aside from the issue of teacher retention is the very real and growing problem of people not entering the teaching profession. This isn't some 'conspiracy' notion...it is happening all over the country.

Don't for a minute wonder if the above isn't taking place, at least in part, because of teachers being asked and told to do too much.

Dick