February 2019
Dear District 67 Community Member,
 
To keep you informed, we will be sending you the District 67 Board Report on a monthly basis. Please note: These are not the official minutes of the Board of Education. Minutes once approved, all board agendas, packets, and videos can be found here. 
President's Report
Mike Borkowski opened his remarks by defining success as the combination of doing your best and pursuing your passion. He also commented that the District measures its success by evaluating to what degree its Vision has been achieved. Rather than rely on the media’s school rankings that often don’t measure our District’s priorities, the Board, in collaboration with the administration, have created seven Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), along with various other secondary measures to evaluate progress. Mike described each indicator.
 
  • 3rd Grade Reading: 100% students reading at or above grade level by the end of 3rd grade, using the Fountas & Pinnell defined reading levels (2018 Baseline: 86%)
 
  • 8th Grade Algebra: 90% of students complete Algebra I by end of 8th grade (2018 Baseline: 83%)
 
  • Student Academic Growth: all students will meet or exceed their individual growth projections as defined on the NWEA MAP assessment (2018 Baseline: Reading 84%, Math 85%)
 
  • Grade 5 Connectedness: the Grade 5 School Connectedness indicator on CSCI will be above a 4.0 aggregate median (2018 Baseline: 4.3)
 
  • Grade 7 Student Engagement: the Grade 7 School Engagement indicator on the Gallup Poll will be above a 4.0 aggregate mean (2018 Baseline: 3.97)
 
  • Inclusion: 100% of students will spend 80% or more of their day in General Education (2017 Baseline: 79%)
 
  • Bond Rating: the district will achieve the highest AAA Bond Rating, as determined by S&P (2018 Baseline: AAA achieved)
 
Mike concluded his remarks by stating that the seven KPIs are not perfect and do not tell the entire story, but they do highlight a few of the most important criteria that defines success in our District. The KPIs will be reported on a District Dashboard that will be visual, objective, and easy to understand. Mike noted he hopes stakeholders find this information valuable and, as always, welcomes feedback.
Superintendent's Report
Mike Simeck also discussed the KPIs and the District Dashboard. He presented the Board with some options for visual representation of the KPI metrics. Mike asked for Board member’s feedback and suggestions. The Dashboard will be posted on the District website in the near future.
 
Mike announced a new communication initiative to keep School District 67 community members engaged and informed about the great things happening in our schools. Mike commented that we know our families are involved and informed when their children are in school. However, reaching out to our "non-user" community members who care about the District's well-being, but do not currently or never had in a student in District 67 is also very important to us. In an effort to keep ALL interested stakeholders abreast of topics and trends at our schools, the District will be sending out a brief, informational e-newsletter, the Key Communicator , on a periodic basis. In this communication we will include some interesting educational information, and an occasional short survey to help us continually improve our local schools. We will also be inviting this group to participate in a Superintendent’s Roundtable to hear our community members’ ideas and meet with our educational leaders. Mike encouraged everyone to contact at least ten people in their email address book that may be interested in subscribing to the Key Communicator Newsletter . The link can be found on each school's homepage or copy this URL: https://tinyurl.com/d67enews View video
Education Committee
Jeff Folker reported that Committee members visited elementary school classrooms to observe how co-teaching is being implemented within District 67. They were able to see teachers and Learning Behavior Specialists work together in the classroom, and gained some perspective as to how various co-teaching models are being used in our schools. Following their time in the classroom, the Committee met to share observations and learn more about how the use of co-teaching is critical to achieving the District’s vision of inclusive practices .  Jeff noted a variety of observations including: co-teaching allows for a lower teacher-to-student ratio and more opportunities for small group instruction, and this practices provides multiple teaching styles and personalities in the classroom, which gives students options when they have questions or need support. Jeff thanked the teachers and administrators for this opportunity to see co-teaching in the classroom. View written report View video
Policy Committee
Jeff Folker reported that the Committee met and discussed PRESS Issue 99 that will be reviewed later on the Board’s agenda. He commented that these policies are all legislative in nature. View video
Compensation Committee
Rob Lemke reported that the Committee met to discuss Shared Services compensation. View video
North Suburban Special Education District (NSSED)
Suzanne Sands commented that NSSED leaders met with all 18 member districts to understand each district’s priorities and goals and to ensure alignment with the needs of the member districts. A follow-up survey was implemented to better define areas of focus. Suzanne announced that NSSED is in the process of hiring a new Chief School Business Official and she hopes to announce this at the next meeting. Suzanne commented that the NSSED Strategic Plan update indicated significant progress across all areas. View written report View video
Spirit of 67 Foundation
Suzanne Sands reported that district-wide family participation is just over 64%. The Sheridan and Cherokee communities have each reached a participation rate of 80% or greater and as such have earned a $1,000 Founder’s Grant. Everett is at 76% and DPM is at 59%. Donor revenue for the year thus far is $146K. The Grants Committee is currently in the process of vetting the submitted grants and will present a recommendation to the full board in April. Upcoming events include the Faculty Talent Show on March 20 at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. benefitting Spirit of 67 Foundation, and Night at the Casino – Bet on 67 on April 26 from 7-10 p.m., more details coming soon. View written report View video
Association of Parents and Teachers Executive Board (APT)
Jeff Folker reported that the APT Annual Meeting is scheduled for March 13 from 9-11am at CROYA. Larry Potash, Lake Forest resident and WGN-TV news anchor will be the guest speaker. Superintendent Mike Simeck will present the State of the District. APT Executive Board Nominating Committee is pleased to announce the slate for 2019-2021:
APT Executive Board President - Kristen Lee
APT Executive Board Communications - Lacy Fidler
APT Executive Board Treasurer - Julie Benda Helms
Deer Path Middle School APT President - Megan Engelberg
Everett Elementary APT President - Jacey Rhoads View written report View video
For complete information:
 
Next Meeting
Tuesday, March 19, 7:00pm, Administration Center/West Campus, Board Room