HINSDALE TOWNSHIP
High School District 86
Board Briefs Logo
February 13, 2020
Committee of the Whole Meeting
Student Recognition
The board recognized Herbert Wang from Hinsdale Central, who was one of 300 high school seniors who were named scholars by the Society for Science & the Public in conjunction with the organization's annual science and math competition. The board also recognized teacher Matt Doll, who nominated Herbert for the honor.

This year's competition drew nearly 2,000 applications from more than 650 schools. The scholars were chosen based on their "exceptional research skills, commitment to academics, innovative thinking and promise as scientists."

You can access additional information about Herbert's accomplishment by visiting http://bit.ly/2w8GICe.

Update on the Goal 1, Strategy 1 of the Strategic Plan
A group composed of the department chairs for math, the assistant principal for curriculum and instruction from Hinsdale South, and the principals from both high schools gave a presentation about some of the work being done in conjunction with Goal 1, Strategy 1 of the strategic plan, which is aimed at "ensuring that course and instructional units include common critical competencies, aligned assessments between the two high schools and multiple measures of success."

The building principals began the presentation with an update on the work the Learning Leadership Team (LLT) has been doing with teachers to align the district’s grading and assessment practices. The update included:

  • Information about the purpose of the work - provide consistent communication about the academic standing of students; align course team grading practices; provide parents/guardians with consistent communication regarding student progress; increase equity in grading and reporting practices.

  • The names of the people who are serving on the LLT.

  • Details about the work the LLT has done or is scheduled to do - met five times to plan each Flex Learning Day, during which the teachers study best practices in grading and assessment through the lens of different researchers (Alex Bowers, Ken O'Connor, Myron Dueck and Thomas Guskey); will decide during its meeting on Feb. 18 which practices it will recommend be included in the District 86 Grading and Reporting Philosophy that all teachers will adhere to at the course team, department and district levels; will establish a timeline and process for designing professional development and creating streamlined procedures for implementing district-level unified practices.

  • Pre-decisional questions that have helped guide the work and address topics (e.g., grading summative versus formative assessments, use of zeroes, allowing test retakes, use of factors such as extra credit and attendance to determine a final grade, etc.) that might be considered for inclusion in the District 86 Grading and Reporting Philosophy.

  • Next steps - the LLT will use teacher feedback collected during the Flex Learning Days to determine which practices it will recommend for inclusion in the District 86 Grading and Reporting Philosophy (Feb. 18); the LLT will present its recommendations to the district's executive cabinet team on March 2 and members of the Parent-Teacher Advisory Committee on March 6; teachers will receive the LLT's recommendations during the Flex Learning Day on March 18 and begin talking with their department chairs about the plan for fully implementing them by the start of the 2024-25 school year; the LLT will present its recommendations to the board of education on March 26.

After sharing the information about grading and assessment practices, the principals were joined by the department chairs for math and the assistant principal for curriculum and instruction from Hinsdale South for an update on the district's math curriculum alignment work. This update included:

  • Information about the purpose of the work, which is to "develop the vision of our District 86 math program and determine what course pathways will allow us to realize that vision."

  • The names of the people who are serving on the Math Pathways Team, as well as the list of courses they previously taught or currently teach.

  • Details about the communication efforts that have been undertaken in support of the work.

  • Information about the meetings that have taken place or are scheduled to occur by the end of the school year.

  • Information about the tasks that have been or will be completed in conjunction with the work, including getting feedback from the math teachers, counseling and special education departments, Parent-Teacher Advisory Committee, Principal-Student Advisory Council and the district's feeder schools.

  • An overview of the structure that is being used to support the curriculum-building process.

  • Information about why the district's math curriculum and courses are being reviewed/examined.

  • Examples of the role that math plays in different aspects of society and everyday life.

  • Summaries of what the Math Pathways Team discussed during its meetings on Jan. 23 and Feb. 6, which included feedback that the math departments from both schools shared regarding what they want math learners to acquire and experience during their time in District 86. 

  • A list of the math program's current strengths.

  • Information about the math model/pathway currently being used by both high schools.

  • Information about how the math department's process will be used to guide the work of other departments going forward.

You can access the PowerPoint that was presented in conjunction with the update by visiting http://bit.ly/2wgjHxq.

Committee Reports
The Human Resources Committee provided the board with a report from its meeting on Jan. 28. During its meeting, the committee discussed the process the board will use to provide the superintendent with feedback on the performance of cabinet-level administrators. This feedback will be focused on the functions those administrators carry out in respect to their work with the board. The committee also decided to increase the frequency of its meetings to once a month.

The board voted to release the draft minutes from the committee's meeting as part of the consent agenda.

Good News
Principal Walsh introduced student liaison Jackson Hughes from Hinsdale Central, who provided the board with information and updates from his report that included details about some of the school's recent and upcoming events and activities (e.g., Pack the Place Week, the Mr. Hinsdale pageant, Forensics Showcase, Black History Month celebrations, the Winter Play and Kindness Week). It showcased accomplishments by some of Central's teams, including chess, forensics and boys swimming all qualifying for state. It also included student feedback about social emotional learning assignments and overcrowding in the locker rooms. You can access Jackson's report by visiting  http://bit.ly/2Sk7bp6.

Principal Pokorny Lyp introduced student liaison Nautica Kindred from Hinsdale South, who provided the board with information and updates from her report that included details about some of the school's recent and upcoming events and activities (e.g., Candy Day, assembling emergency preparedness kits, South Pride Days, the Mr. Hinsdale South event, Culture Tuesday during Winter Spirit Week, the Winter Spirit Assembly, the Talent Show and the Winter Athletic Awards Night). It also featured information about recent accomplishments earned by some of South's students and teams, including the speech team setting a school record by qualifying for the Sectional tournament in all 15 of the individual events, six wrestlers and the girls bowling team also qualifying for Sectionals, and the boys basketball team being named the Team of Week by Saint Xavier and picking up the 200th win of coach Brett Moore's career. You can access Nautica's report by visiting  http://bit.ly/39wxX3c.

Consent Agenda 
The board approved the consent agenda as presented. The consent agenda includes personnel, stipends, board bills and meeting minutes. Please visit http://bit.ly/31N6FmN to access the consent agenda items beginning under number seven.

Approval of Calendars for the 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23 School Years
The board approved calendar option D, which will enable the district to accommodate the work that is scheduled to be completed at Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South over the next three years (2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23) in conjunction with our Future Ready Facilities plans.

Option D, which was presented to the board during its meeting on Jan. 23, reflects a commitment from Pepper Construction to reduce the window for completing its work over the summer from 14 weeks to 13 weeks and one day. This will save the district from having to find an additional four instructional days to meet the mark of 180 days that has been the threshold in our schools the past several years.

You can access the calendars for the 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years that were approved by the board by visiting http://bit.ly/2SLaeWC.

Approve Executive Search for Assistant Superintendent
The board approved an agreement with the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) in the amount of $8,900 to perform an executive search for an assistant superintendent for academics. During the board meeting on Jan. 23, a representative from IASB presented information about the search process the organization utilizes to help districts fill cabinet-level administrative positions.

You can access a copy of the agreement by visiting http://bit.ly/31LATGO.

Approve a Resolution to Prohibit Sexual Harassment and Adopt Policies 2:105 (Ethics and Gift Ban) and 5:20 (Workplace Harassment Prohibited)
The board approved resolution 20.12 in accordance with the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act, which requires government entities to adopt a resolution establishing a policy prohibiting sexual harassment. The approval of the resolution also included/resulted in the adoption of policies 2:105 (Ethics and Gift Ban) and 5:20 (Workplace Harassment Prohibited).

Approve Student Settlement Agreements
The board approved the student settlement agreements that it discussed in closed session.

Board President’s Report
Board President Nancy Pollak shared a follow-up to the discussion the board had on Jan. 23 about the time and expense associated with processing requests that the district receives via the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). As part of this follow-up, President Pollak provided an update on the status of the Requests for Review and litigation that have been filed in conjunction with FOIA and the Illinois Open Meetings Act (OMA).

FOIA Request for Review – 2020 PAC 61326
Summary: A FOIA Request for Review was submitted to the Public Access Counselor by Dr. Ankit Patel on Jan. 13, 2020 requesting review of the district’s response and follow-up to FOIA R000733.
Status: The Public Access Counselor determined that no further inquiry into this matter was warranted and it was closed.

OMA Request for Review – 2020 PAC 61373 
Summary: An OMA Request for Review was submitted by Ms. Debbie Vold Levinthal on Jan. 15, 2020 alleging that the District 86 Board of Education violated the Open Meetings Act.  
Status: The district submitted a response to the Public Access Counselor's request for additional information on Feb. 7, 2020. The requester has seven business days to reply. 
 
FOIA Request for Review — 2020 PAC 61589
Summary: A FOIA Request for Review was submitted by Dr. Daniel Levinthal and Ms. Debbie Vold Levinthal on Jan. 30, 2020 requesting review of the district’s response to FOIA R000757.
Status: The district received notice of the Request for Review on Feb. 11, 2020.
 
Case No. 20-cv-893
Summary: On Feb. 7, 2020, Dr. Meeta Jain Patel, Kara Kuo and Kim Notaro filed a complaint against the District 86 Board of Education and Board President Nancy Pollak with the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division.
Status: The district’s response to the lawsuit is due on April 13, 2020. 
 
President Pollak provided an update on the lawsuit filed by former board member Claudia Manley and her husband Noel Manley. She announced that on Feb. 3 the Illinois Appellate Court, Second District ruled in favor of District 86 and former superintendent Bruce Law on all of the remaining claims in the lawsuit filed by the Manleys nearly five years ago. She said that the Appellate Court affirmed the trial court’s rulings, held that the uniform grievance procedure was properly applied to Mrs. Manley, and stated that the dispute over policy 4:20 was moot. In addition, she said that the court rejected an attempt by the Manleys to "reserve" other issues, remedies and claims.
 
Board President Pollak shared that the district has incurred the following costs in conjunction with its defense against the Manley lawsuit:

  • Investigative costs: $20,964.15
  • Legal defense costs prior to insurance coverage: $24,603.92
  • Insurance total experience (paid and reserve): $106,001 ($10,000 paid directly by the district for the deductible); the district's insurance pool self-insurance reserve is $100,000 

President Pollak also mentioned the self-evaluation workshop the board held on Dec. 18, 2019.
She said that Dee Molinare, who is a director of field services for IASB, facilitated the board’s discussion about board governance. In addition, she said that Molinare assisted the board in developing draft protocols and board-superintendent expectations. You can access those protocols and expectations by visiting http://bit.ly/31SCjiB.

Superintendent’s Report
Superintendent Tammy Prentiss mentioned that there will be a meeting with representatives from various student, staff and parent groups (e.g., Parent-Teacher Organization, Principal-Student, Advisory Council, Parent-Teacher Advisory Committee and Boosters) on March 6. During this meeting, the group will discuss several topics, including dates and times for graduation.

Superintendent Prentiss also mentioned that there have been a number of meetings with end users in recent weeks that have been focused on the work that will be completed in conjunction with Phase II of the district's Future Ready Facilities plans. Representatives from Pepper Construction, ARCON and Cotter Consulting will present information about Phase II during the board meeting on March 26.

New Textbooks/Supplementary Material
Per policies 6:210 (Instructional Materials) and 6:220 (Instructional Materials Selection and Adoption), the administration provided the board with the new instructional materials the teachers are proposing for the 2020-21 school year. These materials include selections for English, math, social studies and world languages.

The materials will be put on display at the district's administration building for a month and a half starting on Feb. 14. Members of the general public will be able to review these items during normal business hours (Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

You can view additional information about the textbook selection and adoption process by visiting http://bit.ly/38n26SD. You can also view the list of proposed instructional materials by visiting http://bit.ly/2OMOJTU.

Operational Calendar and Future Agenda Items
The board reviewed and discussed its operational calendar for the year and possible agenda items for future meetings. You can view the operational calendar by visiting https://d86.hinsdale86.org/domain/435  and the log of future agenda items by visiting http://bit.ly/2mhjUeP .

The meeting adjourned at 10:27 p.m. The video of the meeting will be posted on the district website ( https://d86.hinsdale86.org/Page/556) as soon as it is available.
Future Board Meetings
Wednesday, February 26, 2020 at 6 p.m.
Regular Action Meeting
Hinsdale South High School Cafeteria

Thursday, March 12, 2020 at 6 p.m.
Committee of the Whole Meeting
Hinsdale Central High School Cafeteria

Thursday, March 26, 2020 at 6 p.m.
Regular Action Meeting
Hinsdale Central High School Cafeteria