ETHS Graduates 2008 (PDF)

District 202 Ratifies New Four-Year Teachers' Contract

by Jenny Berkson

The Evanston Township High School Board of Education approved a new four-year teachers' contract that keeps salaries and benefits competitive with neighboring districts and still allows ETHS to maintain a balanced budget for the next four years without resorting to budget cuts.

The teachers' union overwhelmingly ratified the contract on May 21.

The agreement, which takes effect July 1, 2008, ties teacher salary increases to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the next four years.

Under state tax-cap laws, the CPI determines the amount of revenue school districts can raise from property taxes. Specifically, teachers will receive a 3-percent raise in year one; a 3.75-percent in year two; a 2- to 4-percent plus .75-percent in year 3; and a 2- to 4-percent in year four, depending on the CPI.

William Stafford, ETHS's chief financial officer, said this salary structure is similar to that of other North Shore high school districts such as New Trier and Stevenson. ETHS teacher salaries will start at $47,589 for new, inexperienced teachers (up from $45,202) and top out at $107,593 for those with graduate degrees and 20 years of service.

In addition, over the next two years, close to 14 percent of the ETHS faculty will retire under an early retirement incentive in the current contract that expires in June. Toya Campbell, ETHS human resources director, said, "This agreement keeps salaries and benefits very competitive at a time when we¹ll have to do a lot to recruit and retain teachers. We all know there is a direct correlation between having an outstanding faculty and high student achievement."

ETHS has experienced several years of fiscal disruption due to the cumulative negative affects of property tax caps on District 202 revenues, fluctuating interest rates that impact the District's return on investments, and declining federal aid, among other factors. Since 2004, ETHS has cut approximately $3.85 million in educational programs and physical plant costs to bring the budget into balance.

"Both sides were aware of the need to be fiscally responsible," said ETHS Superintendent Eric Witherspoon, adding, "We reached an agreement that is affordable and within the resources of the District. This contract positions us to maintain a balanced budget for the next four years without further cuts."

David Futransky, president of the teachers' council union, said, "Teachers are concerned with the rising cost of living, including the price of gas and food. We are comfortable with a fair economic package that recognizes the efforts our faculty puts forth to assist the students of ETHS."

D65 AD Hoc Green Committee Recommends Numerous Conservation Measures

By Larry Gavin

The Ad Hoc Green Committee concluded in a report presented to the District 65 School Board on June 9 that there are many good environmental efforts underway in the District, but the Committee identified many ways the District could improve recycling, reduce energy, and make conservation a way of life in the District.

Many of the proposed changes are "low hanging fruit" and can be implemented immediately by changing habits, said Katie Bailey, a member of both the School Board and the Committee. Other proposals "are put on the table to look at, and may take 10 to 20 years to implement," said Dick Peach, a Committee member and president of Keep Evanston Beautiful (KEB).

The Ad Hoc Green Committee was established by the Board last July to develop a comprehensive environmental policy for the District. The Committee is composed of one School Board member, administrators, teachers and parents.

Reduce/Reuse/Recycle
While the Solid Waste Agency of Cook County called District 65 a leader in its solid waste management program, the Committee concluded "our most immediate impact can come from improving our recycling/solid waste management."

The Committee's main recycling concerns focused on the lunchroom. The Committee found there was very little or no recycling of the cardboard boxes used to deliver lunches to the schools; there were few recycling bins in the lunch rooms; and the District uses polystyrene lunch trays - 500,000 per year - that are not recycled and do not degrade in a landfill for hundreds of years.

The report recommends that large recycling bins be placed in the lunch rooms, a recommendation that is already being implemented. The Committee also recommended switching the lunch trays to bio-degradable trays, a recommendation that may need to be evaluated by the Board's policy and finance committees because of the additional cost. A long term goal is to establish an in-vessel composting program.

Numerous other recommendations are made. On a big picture basis, the report says the goal is to "transition from simply recycling" to reducing consumption, reusing products, and recycling.

Energy Conservation
Ms. Bailey said District 65's part-time energy manager, Lee Kulman, has implemented changes since the 1996-1997 school year that have kept the District's energy use at approximately the same level as it was ten years ago. Some of the practices include installing timers for flushing urinals, which has reduced water use by about 20 percent in the last few years; putting water faucets on timers; installing motion sensors in many rooms to turn off lights when no one is in the room; and changing lighting from T-12 to T-8 bulbs.

The report identified some areas for improvement, such as turning off computers when not in use and unplugging secondary power transformers for computers and other devices at night. The report recommends the District, "set a policy of zero increase in energy consumption." Some long term proposals include expanding the use of rooftop solar panels and considering the possibility of geothermal heating.

Idling Engines/Facilities
The report recognizes that idling engines waste gas and pollute the air. While acknowledging that the District's school bus company has an anti-idling policy for drivers, the Committee found that many buses still idle while waiting to pick up a child. The report recommends that the District establish an anti-idling policy, and that parents be encouraged to turn off their cars while waiting to pick up their children.

Other recommendations include creating summer garden programs, using rain barrels, and setting a goal to have all buildings LEED-EB (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design - Existing Buildings) certified. LEED for existing buildings addresses whole-building cleaning and maintenance issues (including chemical use), recycling programs, exterior maintenance programs, and systems upgrades.

Leadership and Other Issues
The report recommends that the Board adopt a vision statement and policies which support conservation and which support teaching students about conservation. Pointing to the success of the part-time energy manager, the Committee recommends that someone at the administrative level take responsibility for other environmental issues, especially solid waste management.

Board member Keith Terry raised the question about cost, saying, "We have a finite number of dollars."

Mr. Peach responded, "The bulk of the recommendations are free, no cost. Other things are put on the table to look at. It may take 10 to 20 years to implement them." He added that grants may be available to implement some of the changes.

Board member Andy Pigozzi said, "Some things have huge up-front costs, such as thermal heating, but they gener-
ate cost savings over a period of time."

He said in evaluating costs and environmental benefits, everything needs to be taken into account.

Next Steps
Ms. Bailey suggested that the report be put on the agenda for the Board's next meeting, at which time the Board would be asked to accept the report and to extend the Committee's term for another year so the Committee could ensure that changes capable of being implemented immediately are made. She said many of the Committee's recommendations will need to be reviewed by the Board's policy and finance committees before going to the Board for approval.

Administrators' Decision to Change Start Times at Three Schools Stands

By Larry Gavin

On June 9 parents and students protested changes start times for their schools.

About 75 parents and children packed the School Board's June 9 meeting to oppose a plan to change school start times next year at Lincoln, Lincolnwood and Oakton schools from 8:20 or 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Nine parents spoke in opposition to the change, saying the 9 a.m. start time would make it difficult and expensive for many families to coordinate work schedules and childcare arrangements.

After the Board refused to postpone the change for another year, Pam Daniels, Lincoln School PTA co-president, told the RoundTable that a coalition of parents would encourage parents at the three schools to withhold payment of student fees until their voice was heard. The rationale is the withheld fees would partially offset the cost of before-school childcare.

The Change/Parents Concerns
Currently, seven of the District's ten elementary schools start at 9 a.m. Under the administration's plan to change the start times of Lincoln, Lincolnwood and Oakton to 9 a.m., all K-5 schools would start at 9 a.m., and end at 3:20 p.m.

Superintendent Hardy Murphy said the changes would facilitate scheduling and providing professional development to all elementary grade teachers during early-release and half-day dismissals. He said the changes would also create greater efficiency in coordinating bus schedules and save the District approximately $100,000 a year in busing costs. Under the plan, magnet and middle school schedules will remain unchanged.

Rhonda Present, a District 65 parent and the founder of ParentsWork, said, "While consistency across the District seems in theory a good thing, the problem is that the later 9-3:20 schedule is difficult for many families when it comes to coordinating work and childcare arrangements. And, of at least equal concern is the fact that the change was made without the input of parents who are among the most important stakeholders in our school community."

She said more than 200 parents had signed either a written or an on-line petition opposing the change in start times.

Lyna Smith, an Oakton parent and a working single mother, told Board members she would need to obtain before-school childcare for her three children in order to get to work on time. She said she could not afford before-school childcare, which she estimated would cost $450 per month. "This decision bankrupts my family," she said. "It forces me to move out of Evanston."

Michelle Kemp, an Oakton parent, said to make the change without consulting parents is "insensitive and unkind." She said, "I'm already paying for childcare in the afternoon. To pay for childcare in the mornings would be overwhelming."

Mahesh Mohnalkar, a Lincoln parent, said "There's no office that starts at 9:30. ...With a 9 o'clock start time, it would be difficult for a parent to manage a job and childcare." He suggested the District should consider starting all elementary schools at 8:20, rather than 9. He said, "If you ask the seven other schools, they would also prefer an 8:20 start time."

While Board members said they empathized with parents' concerns, they did not postpone or overturn Dr. Murphy's decision to change start-times. Board member Andrew Pigozzi said most schools start at 9 a.m., and there are solutions to childcare. He added, "Our primary goal is the education of students. I have to trust this management decision."

Jerome Summers said, "I don't like the way it was communicated, but I don't think it was a bad decision."

In response to questions by Bonnie Lockhart, Dr. Murphy said childcare would be available at the affected schools. Assistant superintendent Susan Schultz said the cost of before-school childcare would be $35 per week per child, and subsidies would be available for qualified families.

District 202 Board Reviews ETHS System of Supports

By Jennie Berkson

"This is the first time in my 15 years at Evanston Township High School that we have tried to provide support for all students," Assistant Superintendent/Principal Marilyn Madden told the District 202 School Board on May 27, prefacing a presentation that reviewed the accomplishments and challenges of System of Supports (SOS).

... 2,790 ETHS students, (85 percent of the total student body) were enrolled in AM support at some point during the year.

SOS began last fall, providing a "structure to assist all students in improving academically and becoming responsible, self-directed learners," according to the ETHS SOS User's Guide.

"We knew that the ideas we've had were going to take a lot of refinement and a lot of work to implement," said Superintendent Eric Witherspoon. "We've learned a lot. We've come a long way. We're already looking ahead. We have some pretty bold ideas about where we can go."

System of Supports has two major components: AM (before school) support and study centers. AM support is intended for students who are deemed to be "in danger of failing," that is, of receiving a grade lower than a C. Study centers in each core subject area have been established, and expanded opportunities are provided for students to seek teacher assistance to improve their class performance, even if they are not in danger of failing. A significant majority of the student body has used AM support, administrators say. SOS coordinator and science teacher Stephen Speight reported that, over the course of the year, an average of 1,366 students enrolled during each three-week cycle. In addition, 2,790 ETHS students, (85 percent of the total student body) were enrolled in AM support at some point during the year.

"I think that's an amazing number," said Board member Margaret Lurie. She asked if that meant that 85 percent of students received grades lower than a C minus.

Mr. Speight pointed out that the high percentage was due to the fact that teachers can require a student to attend AM support when they feel that a student is "on a trajectory ... to be at risk of failing." He said that the heavy usage indicates that "this is a school-wide program. If you're an AP [Advanced Placement] student who's struggling or falling behind, there is a system where you can get help with your teacher."

Although the majority of students who are assigned to AM support attend, about 15 percent do not, he said. "AM support is not a one-size-fits-all intervention," said Mr. Speight. He said the school needs to find other, more "personalized but systematic ways" to help students who are in danger of failing.

Study centers have seen a "steady increase in attendance over the course of the year," he added. The math center sees 85 students per day; science, 65 students; English/history, 45; and world languages centers, 15, Mr. Speight said.

During the year, faculty, safety staff, parents and students were surveyed "to monitor how System of Supports is working," he added.

Faculty members took part in two surveys twice, one early in the school year and another last December.

The first survey, which had a 63 percent response rate, found that, on the positive side, teachers felt that students were turning in more and higher quality work and that teacher-student relationships were improving. On the other hand, many teachers complained that some students were "not showing up;" that there was not enough time during AM support; that students were confused by the SOS process; and that some were not prepared for AM support sessions.

The second survey, which had a 75 percent response rate, asked teachers to report on their workload resulting from SOS. It found that teachers' "workload is less manageable compared to last year and that workload was having an effect on their performance and emotional health."

Parents were surveyed as part of the online parent-teacher conference sign-up process. Of the 374 parents who responded to the survey, 205 reported that their children had been assigned to AM support at some time during the year. Sixty-two percent of that group reported that AM support had been helpful.

Finally, 1,787 of 2,869 students surveyed this past March indicated that they would like more one-on-one time and more help from teachers. They said that they wanted AM-support-type assistance offered after school, during lunch or during a free period. Students were divided as to whether they felt AM support was helpful to them.

A steering committee composed of students, parents, staff, teachers and administrators has met regularly through the year to review information and make recommendations about improving SOS. A working group has been assembled and will hold three public sessions over the summer (see sidebar) to share and refine SOS with the community before it is implemented again in the fall.

SOS Meetings Scheduled

The Evanston Township High School System of Supports Steering Committee will hold a series of public meetings this summer to discuss proposed changes and gather community input.

All three meetings are scheduled for 1:15-3 p.m. on Mondays in N112 at ETHS, 1600 Dodge Ave.

The dates are June 23, June 30 and Aug. 11. Visit the ETHS website, http://www.eths.k12.il.us/ for more details.