River Forest District 90
October 1, 2019  
Upcoming Meetings
 
Roosevelt Middle School
7560 Oak Avenue
Library Learning Center

Board of Education Meeting
October 21, 2019
7:00 p.m.
 
Town Hall Forum/Committee of the Whole Meeting 
Topic: S ocial Emotional Learning in District 90
November 5, 2019
7:00 p.m. 
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Committee of the Whole  Meeting Highlights

Presented by: 
Mr. Rich Moore, District 90 Board President
Dr. Edward Condon, Superintendent

The Committee of the Whole meeting was called to order by Board President Rich Moore at 7:02 p.m. in the Roosevelt LLC. Katie Avalos, Cal Davis, Judy Deogracias, Barb Hickey, Rich Moore, Nicole Thompson, and Stacey Williams were present.
 
The meeting adjourned at 7:49 p.m.
 
Below is a summary of the Board of Education meeting highlights. Board Packets containing meeting details are posted on the   District 90 website prior to each meeting. Full meeting minutes will be posted on the website once approved. A video recording of the entire Committee of the Whole meeting can be viewed at this link.
Recognize Visitors and Public Comments
Diana Jacquez shared her thoughts about the new Five-Year Strategic Plan. She posed several questions about the strategic planning process, including how members for the committee will be selected, how parents can provide input, what cross-section of the community will be represented, and how work on developing the strategic plan will be shared.
Approval of Agenda

Board members approved the agenda
Board Governance, Rich Moore, President
District 90 Strategic Planning Overview (2020-2025)
Dr. Condon and Dr. Alison Hawley, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, presented information on the purpose, expectations, and process for developing the District's 2020-25 Strategic Plan. Additional information can be viewed in the  Board Packet. 
 
Highlights from the presentation include:
  • The strategic planning process will be conducted in conjunction with the Consortium for Educational Change (CEC). This organization helped with the development of the the 2015-20 Strategic Plan.
  • The strategic planning process is designed to bring forth the shared principles that will guide the District and Board of Education's decisions through 2025.
  • There will be five meetings: The first and last will be two hours long (6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.), the remaining three meetings will be all day sessions (8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.). All meetings will take place on weekdays. The dates for the meetings are: November 12, December 5, January 16, February 13, March 5.
  • The Strategic Plan Team will include approximately 40 participants, with representatives from the staff, administration, District families, community, Board of Education, and District 90 graduates attending OPRF High School.
  • The community will be provided with ample updates and opportunity for engagement throughout the process. There will be a web page set up specifically for this project.
  • The deliverable at the end of the project will be twofold: 1) a one page strategic plan including vision, mission, values/beliefs, goals, and strategies; and 2) a support document containing details related to the on-page plan.
  • The draft for Board consideration is expected to be delivered in early March 2020
The full presentation can be viewed on the District's website or by clicking this link: Strategic Planning Overview
Board Discussion
There was ample discussion about the process to develop the 2020-25 Strategic Plan. Some highlights from the discussion follow.

Rich Moore commented that the process for the 2015-20 Strategic Plan was quite successful. The initiative resulted in measurable and notable accomplishments, such as the District's current use of technology.   
 
Cal Davis asked Dr. Condon and Dr. Hawley, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, to define "community" as it pertains to this process. According to Drs. Condon and Hawley,  community represents more than District 90 parents, but incorporates all River Forest stakeholders, including Village residents, businesses, and representatives from civic agencies, government officials, and other taxing bodies.   
 
Judy Deogracias reiterated that the Strategic Plan was the tool that provided the lens through which decisions by the Board would be made. As the District 90 Board of Education makes decisions and changes, it will reference the Strategic Plan. The Plan provides accountability to stakeholders, including parents and community residents. 
 
Katie Avalos asked how the parents on the team would be identified. The main conduit is the PTO at each school, and word-of-mouth.
 
Cal Davis reflected on his role on the Strategic Plan Team during the 2015-2020 plan process as effective and enlightening.