D28 Board News: 12 new staff members, strategic plan

Volume 21, No. 7 | February 27, 2018

News From the February Board Meeting

12 Staff Members Hired for Special Ed Programs

The District moved a step closer to transitioning special education services from the North Suburban Special Education District program to an in-district program by hiring 12 new staff members.

The new Foundational Program and Early Childhood Structured Language and Learning Classroom will launch next school year.

The 12 staff members approved at the Feb. 27 Board of Education meeting represent highly qualified professionals, many of whom are familiar faces in District 28 having worked in the NSSED program.

The Foundational classes will maintain the high level of services that students received under the NSSED program and will offer more opportunities for students to experience a blended environment with their home school peers.

Read the full story on our website and the staff bios on our 2018-19 New Staff web page.

Board Reviews Strategic Plan Proposal

The work of the Navigate 28 Strategic Planning Committee has resulted in a proposed plan that includes a mission, vision, values, goals and strategies to help guide the district for the next five years.

The committee, made up of 30 members representing staff, parents, community members, administration and high school students, met five times since September to formulate the blueprint for continuous improvement. In addition, surveys and public forums gathered nearly 2,000 additional comments and feedback along the way that influenced the plan.

Once the Board has a chance to digest the plan and offer input, the plan will be adopted at the March 20 meeting. When the plan is adopted, the administration will create action plans to accomplish the goals and strategies, said Superintendent Larry Hewitt, Ed.D. Monitoring the progress of the goals will also be an integral part of adopting the plan.

The District will work to communicate the new plan through a variety of venues to staff, parents and community when it is approved. View the Proposed Strategic Plan

English Learner Program Continues to Grow

Students who enter District 28 with language backgrounds other than English are provided with support to learn to speak, read and write English for academic and social emotional success.

The number of students requiring English Learner services as well as the variety of languages spoken at home continues to grow. In 2015, there were 104 students receiving English Learner services. This year there are 139 students enrolled. Seventeen different languages were spoken at home among English Learner students in 2015 compared to 24 languages this year.

Of English Learners, their predominant language backgrounds remain the same: Korean (30% of 2018 EL students), Russian (25%), Polish (8%) and Spanish (7%).

Director of Student Services Rosanne Dwyer said the district continues to collaborate with Northbrook elementary Districts 27 and 30 on ways to better meet the needs of our EL families. There are six EL teachers in the district. One more EL teacher may be added next year at Westmoor School, where there are over 20 students who qualify for EL Services, she said.

District Happenings

Northbrook Junior High Presents 'Guys and Dolls Jr.'

From the bright lights of Times Square to the nightclubs of Havana, Northbrook Junior High students will bring gamblers, their girlfriends and missionaries to life in the spring musical “Guys and Dolls Jr.”

Performances are at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 15 and Friday, March 16, and at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 17. Tickets are $7 and can be purchased in the school office or at the door. Read more

Community Invited to Family Fun Day Benefit for Kenya

The PTO Council presents the Family Fun Day from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. April 7 at Athletico, 1900 Old Willow Road, Northbrook.

Activities include: inflatables, games and food.

Tickets are $15/child or $40 for a family pass (adults are free!). Tickets will be sold in advance at fredouta.org or at the door.

Proceeds benefit the Fred Outa Foundation. This year’s fundraising will help sponsor the education of four children who live in the Kibera slum of Kenya.

#TLC28

District 28’s official hashtag! You can search the hashtag on Twitter or Facebook to monitor posts from teachers, administrators and the district accounts. This hashtag helps us tell the story of Teaching, Learning and Caring in District 28.