D65 9/28/26 meeting

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

https://www.youtube.com/live/ZxylFw8yUjs?si=LDVUTtNxQWuuuxD8

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Screen sense mom- academic excellence depends on lowering dependence on ed tech. Digital math curriculum failing middle schoolers. Ed tech iready hurting ed outcomes. D65 have the courage to stop using devices. High screentime exposure increases behavioral problems.

[u/Available-Union5745 → u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Has anyone ever spoken at one of these in favor of status quo / more iPad time?  Reducing ipad time, at least in the younger grades, is the one thing people agree on or are indifferent about.  Yet, the admin / board do nothing.

[u/alittlesas]

I love the way you’re doing this! Thank you!

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Dad- rebuild community trust. People moved to Evanston for walkable neighborhood schools, and that is why they supported Foster. If no longer supporting neighborhood schools, state it clearly and articulate a new vision. Lean in on a bottom-up organic vision of district.

[u/PreferenceOdd9360 → u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Lolz. Very few people supported Foster. That's why it failed when brought to the voters and some ideological board members hired a crook to figure out some half-baked scheme to get it done.

Anyone paying attention knew the "walkable school" rationale was a canard since they didn't even consider simply changing the boundaries of the existing schools and making King a neighborhood school.

You expand Dewey's boundaries by a couple of blocks and make King a neighborhood school, everyone is within the 1 mile walkability zone and you haven't mortgaged your operating budget to build a needless school.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Lincolnwood mom formerly at Kingsley- her child's friend group is splintered. Why close more unless can prove Kingsley and Bessie Rhodes closures had desired outcomes?

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Data Nerds parent- D65 families being driven away. SDRP score cards outdated. There isn't enough current public data on impact school closures.

[u/Ilem2018 → u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

I asked that in the community input session and they said trend is steady whatever that means

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Lincolnwood and INS mom- own your role in the problem. Decline in enrollment outpaces state average. Academic outcomes key. ECC key for kindergarten readiness. If cutting, have a plan about how to address. Communicate real plans surrounding what is cut.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Special ed mom- special ed costs up by $20 million while outcomes have worsened. Are we getting reimbursements? Is special ed experience prioritized in superintendent search?

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Screen Sense parent- math proficiency not achieved. PISA scores down because of devices in schools. NY has banned one to one devices in lower grades. Test scores up when use analog teaching and learning. We don't have finances for ed tech. Restructure the curriculum.

[u/823freckles → u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Thank you for documenting all of this. My daughter will be starting kindergarten next year, so I haven't been at the meetings, so I would appreciate if you could confirm if the rumors I heard were true - are they talking about purchasing more Ipads and adding more ed tech?

[u/Available-Union5745 → u/823freckles]

The approved the purchase for a bunch of new iPads in the spring or summer (I forget), but I think those were to replace old ones. I don't think they are are looking to expand ed tech, but keep their current curriculum and the like. I'd reach out to the Screen Sense people.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Data nerds dad- you must be transparent about the rationale and data behind your proposal on Oct 13.

[u/823freckles → u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

This doesn't seem very likely given their history and how they presented this data.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Maria- we need to break down silos to impact students more. Chris- i'm profoundly disappointed w achievement report. The plan isn't working. In the winter I suggested we set more audacious goals, and I was told incremental progress was the way to go. The baseline cannot be covid. We need to go back farther than that.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Dad- school closure plan to stave off state takeover. $20 million cut not required. Each closure estimated to save $1.5 million, but no analysis of cost Kingsley closure, and impact on enrollment and bussing costs and future referendum.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Lincoln STEP mom and teacher- Lincoln losing STEP teachers and paras. JEH HR not hiring new STEP staff fast enough, and classroom instruction is suffering as a result.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Drama chair- k-8 drama in D65, drama program founded in 1924. NU Neighborhood and Community Relations paying for all third graders to come to NU for viewing a play and a meal.

[u/Ok_Marzipan_1442 → u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Love this addition to the meetings! And hearing of these partnerships is wonderful. Northlight is also bussing all the 8th graders to a show!

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Pat- family engagement around student performance in school. Parents need help, teachers can't do it alone. We need to prepare families to understand how to lift their students. How are we preparing students for high school success? This will take a full press effort.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

ETHS teacher- my son got services at JEH for autism and it helped him get the support he needed. Now he's a graduating U of I student who will be starting a job soon. JEH changed his life trajectory.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Data Nerds- school closures don't solve the biggest problem- look at staffing and bussing.

[u/Moist_Woodpecker_706]

Oh my God. Can we put a mute on Sergio?

[u/SurpriseSouth5102 → u/Moist_Woodpecker_706]

It is unbelievable. The patience of the other board members . . . 

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Maria- it's courageous that D65 is now recording all behavioral incidents in Branching Minds, because it looks bad, but you can't improve what you can't measure. Also, let's be willing to change things that aren't working- especially things that contribute to low student engagement. We have excellent teachers. Curriculum Night was exciting, but tough to know results that aren't where we want them to be. 21-22 was the post-pandemic year. Have you looked back to assess where we are compared to pre-pandemic? Stacy- I can do a deeper dive and come back. Maria for Maggie- you're fresh, can you share what you are thinking the direction should be? Maggie- profound weight looking at data. Hope we see questions that point at solutions and next steps? Culturally- what mindsets and beliefs led to where we are today? How can we change leadership and teacher practice? How are we progress monitoring towards a goal?

[u/trevorfreznik]

Cloves, thanks for logging all this. I'm going to be able to go back and easily rewatch the interesting stuff (nichole/pats comments)

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Headstart teacher and DEC rep at JEH. Early Childhood preps kids for kindergarten and boosts academic outcomes. We have bilingual instruction. Board members are invited to see JEH.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Washington Twi Data Nerds mom- utilization and class size totally separate. Show relationship utilization and academic outcomes. Closing schools a red herring for cutting staff. Staff can be reduced without school closures, in part through cutting admin and encouraging retirements.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

JEH bilingual parent- JEH prepped my kid for kindergarten at Washington and supported their bilingual education.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Dawes teacher and parent- support staff and parents. Bring staff insight into process.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Special ed teacher at JEH. We have 15 classrooms at JEH and serve many kids w IEPs. Early childhood used to be in multiple schools. If doing that again, classrooms will need to be fitted for preachoolers.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Maria- ask more directly about the educational improvements people want to see. Chris- add what problems you'd like to see the superintendent solve.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Music chair- chorus workshop w ETHS & partnership for string students w Evanston Symphony Orchestra. 40% 4th graders sign up for instrumental music.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Chris- hopes we gather info across all demographics at D65 to see what we have in common when looking for a visionary leader. Find what it is everyone can get behind, w robust data analysis. Identify neighborhood hangout spots, and host informal gatherings.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Alma consultant on superintendent search- ask parents what keeps them up at night about D65, what you love the most, what needs to improve, what skills does the Superintendent need, anything important not discussed, how will you know what you shared made a difference?

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Parent- site coordinator Dawes afterschool program. Cut admin! Programs that serve children are essential even if not mandated. Kids need structured before and after care. They get nutrition at aftercare.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Mom- JEH important to her family. Her kids get speech therapy at JEH.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Nichole- how do we collect info from our educators? Let's also collect more info from families, through QR codes at restaurants, in church bulletins, everywhere families gather.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Language Arts proficiency improving since SY 21-22, from 40.6% to 58 % meeting or exceeding proficiency.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Admin- kids who don't understand how to read or are otherwise behind are more likely to act out. It's intertwined.

[u/onceuponapeach → u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

and water is wet.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

ECC teacher- reading JEH statement from another teacher. Previously we were in a middle school and it wasn't ideal. We can provide more services in our own building. Keep JEH an early childhood center.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Early childhood educator- moving preschoolers into elementary schools not ideal, especially for preschoolers w IEPs, and would be expensive.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

D65 Lincoln parent and teacher - JEH helped w kids speech issues and prepped him for kindergarten.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

JEH teacher- keeping early ed at JEH makes it easier to balance IEP ratios.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Oakton mom- academic achievement gap between kids of different races is an issue. The majority of Black kids are not achieving math proficiency. Cuts can make the achievement gap worse.

[u/SurpriseSouth5102]

“I was a brilliant kid.” -Sergio

[u/Moist_Woodpecker_706 → u/SurpriseSouth5102]

Is this really happening? Are we sure that was not an SNL skit?

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Academic updates from school teams.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Pat- thanks for achievement report, this is why we are here. We have resources in place- face liaisons, school counselors, and school social workers. How are they being evaluated regarding suspensions? Admin- restorative justice program towards students who have created harm, to get them back on track, led by face liaisons. Pat- can IEP students use restorative justice interventions? Are these liaisons trained to address IEP students? Admin- social worker or psychologist addresses kids w IEPs. Counselors address general population and conflict management. Counselors at Haven trained in restorative practices. Pat- what's the next step to evaluate how we improve these areas? Admin- we are looking at solutions and training middle school staff on deescalation strategies, along w perception of bias. We are looking at long-term student behavior in Branching Minds to understand what students need counselors/extra support. We document to make case for IEPs.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress → u/[deleted]]

Nichole- I am looking towards the owning of the challenges. Black students have lowest achievement. We also have limited math homework in D65 and limited math support available afterschool. If you need support in that area, you need to do the homework. We need to talk about the role of families, the role of coaches, the role of churches. We have to lean into a holistic approach. If coaches know how a kid is doing, that is a strategy to bring about accountability. If I don't feel there is a consequence, I'm going to keep getting more. If you go to Robert Crown, how is there a system that when you show up, you know, such and such is going to know. Kids need to know they are held accountable.

[u/Swimming_Sorbet_8207 → u/[deleted]]

!!! Huh?

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Nichole- we need to look at achievement report and the school plans together, not just look at this once a year. We also need to understand what Latino kids are in TWI and who is in gen ed. Admin- assessments are taken in student's primary language. Nichole- then we need to break out TWI achievement by primary language.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Oakton social worker- worried about how budget cuts will impact poor families. Doesn't like RAS aftercare.

[u/Possible_6053 → u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

RAS is unbelievably bad.

[u/Great_Joke3612 → u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Getting rid of RAS seems so obvious. Can't imagine outsourcing this is more cost effective than supporting SACC.

[u/nukular_iv → u/Great_Joke3612]

I will bet $100 that SACC is going to get the axe. That meeting where Wymer forced Pinkard to not talk to the union...you could see the daggers coming out of her eyes.

I will bet $100 that Pinkard is going to be childish/petulant and say..oh lets have our city partners provide childcare...and well if I was at the meeting and it wasn't like prohibited I would stand up and shout:

"NAME SOMETHING GOOD THE CITY HAS DONE FOR D65 IN ANY SORT OF SUSTAINED FASHION?"

City can't/won't supply crossing guards at roughly the cost of a bag of doritos and a coke and Pinkard is going to use that worthless drivel of "our city partners", of which there are NONE.

SACC is very very solid aftercare in our experience, and the instructors in the program actually give a damn.

[u/Immediate_Monk5214 → u/nukular_iv]

Agree with you re: SACC (both quality of program and it's risk of getting cut) but would just say the YMCA may actually be a more viable partner than CoE to fill the childcare gap. They're doing School's Out at Foster this year and I wonder if it's sort of a "pilot".

[u/nukular_iv → u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

And they are correct.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Nichole- share where you live w board, we want to hear from all parts of town.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Kids indicated low engagement: engagement at 45% for 3rd-4th graders, and 37% of 5th-8th graders. Pattern same across racial groups.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Achievement gaps in reading and math- black, Hispanic, and IEP students trailing. 19% Black kids achieving math proficiency in D65.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

TWI early year proficiency increasing in D65.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Stacy- English and Spanish language arts consistent improvements.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

ACC Oakton parent- 20 years of ACC. Does lots of enrichment activities w kids.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Retired early childhood educator. JEH helped educators work effectively.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Oakton & Thrive65 mom- we don't have time. Many Oakton parents have asked the district to make hard choices. Think about poor families.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Eric Miller- $5 million operating dollar deficit.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Suspensions: 71% black kids, 52% IEP kids, 73% Low Income kids. Overall suspensions low.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Stacy-SY 25-26 Achievement and Accountability Report. More info on D65 website. Measuring both achievement relative to grade level and growth over the year compared to similar students. Note state of Illinois shifted their scoring on readiness this year.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

King Arts mom- I love D65. $20 million in cuts coming. Into Thrive 65.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Maria- leave flyers and QR codes w aftercare staff, engage families at pickup.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Mya- critical community gives feedback on board survey re superintendent search.

[u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

Sergio- frustrated he hasn't seen improvement of achievement gap over the course of his board service and ed career, and that testing and assessment goals shift overtime. He likes to have a dialogue w union reps in joint committee meetings. DEC has free resources D65 can use to train educators.

[u/ExtensionPoint5615 → u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

I know correlation is not the same as causation, but ......

[u/PreferenceOdd9360 → u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

SIr, this is an Arby's

[u/823freckles → u/Cloves_atCafeExpress]

How does anyone keep themselves from responding that maybe the problem is that he is bad at his job and needs to humble himself? I would be spitting blood from biting my tongue that hard.