An Open Letter to Township High School District 113 Parents, Staff, Students and Community

The global COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed the world as we knew it, significantly impacting how we work, play and learn. Every one of us has needed to cope and adjust, and like all school districts across the nation, in District 113, this has included a transition to remote learning.

Remote learning has required many of us to step outside of our comfort zone to lead, teach and learn in new and different ways. This has been very difficult for many on both sides of the equation – for our teachers, some of whom never expected to have to deliver online instruction and had little time to prepare for the transition to it, and for our students and families, who worry about how it will impact what is already feeling like a very uncertain future.

Emotions have run high all around, and we have seen them spill over onto social media and in our most recent Board meetings. On behalf of the Board, we want to apologize to our teachers, families and community for some of the comments made during these meetings. The intentions were good, but some of the word choices were not as sensitive and thoughtful as they should have been.

Our teachers are valued partners and we have a shared priority of wanting the very best education possible for our students, even in these most difficult times. It is the Board’s intent to work collaboratively and positively with our teachers to effectively resolve the challenges before us. As a District, we must do better and communicate better all that is being done to deliver a high-quality education and support our students and educators in this remote learning environment.

Whether onsite or online, the Board also reaffirms its commitment to ensuring that each student has access to the resources, support and activities needed to achieve their learning goals. As a District, we are committed to continual improvement, particularly in the areas of academic performance, student social-emotional well-being and equity. These efforts need to be District-wide, coherent and focused. While it may be more challenging if some or all learning has to take place remotely, we must continue to support student improvement, both academically and emotionally.

REMOTE LEARNING IMPROVEMENTS

From April 24 to April 29, we conducted an online survey of District 113 parents, teachers and students to learn more about everyone’s experience with remote learning since it was launched March 31. Results from this survey were shared at the May 18 Board meeting. According to the survey, a majority of parents and students thought the amount of school work was either the right amount or too much. Parents want more synchronous instruction and confirmed that remote learning presents huge challenges for students with disabilities. There was a lot of variance around assessment practices, how engaging assignments were, and how connected students felt to their school, teachers and other students. Although staff also reported increased stress and anxiety, many indicated they felt positive about the transition to remote learning, the level of student engagement and their ability to handle the workload and new expectations. This survey report and the full data set can be found on the Remote Learning page in the COVID-19 section of our District website. These valuable insights will help us strengthen our approach to remote learning for our online summer school classes and if we find ourselves needing to rely on remote learning when we return to school in the fall.  

As you are aware, at our May 4 meeting, the Board approved the Superintendent’s recommendation to suspend final exams and to conclude the academic year four days early on Friday, May 22. This will allow District and building administrators to collaborate with our teachers during nine days of intensive planning to develop a remote learning plan that is as strong, interactive and productive as possible. In addition to insights from our District-wide survey, we will also consider best practices from our own and other school districts as we work together to build out curriculum and develop a plan that includes clear expectations for students and educators, more frequent student and family touchpoints, and increased oversight and accountability. 

The Board expects to review the full plan at our June 15 Board meeting and share the plan with our school community soon after.

CLASS OF 2020 GRADUATION

We congratulate our Class of 2020 graduates and wish them well in their future college and career plans.  While we share their disappointment that we cannot commemorate this important milestone in our traditional manner, we will host virtual graduation ceremonies for Deerfield High School on Tuesday, June 2 at 5:00 p.m. and on Wednesday, June 3 at 5:00 p.m. for Highland Park High School.

Graduates and their families will also have the opportunity to celebrate in-person at drive-in graduation events that will be held June 8 and June 9 at Deerfield High School and June 15 to June 18 at Highland Park High School. Details of the events for Deerfield High School and Highland Park High School  are posted on the schools’ websites.

GRADES FOR SPRING SEMESTER

The Board has provided clear direction that our District’s assessment practices for Spring semester grading must be fair and equitable for all students and consistent across our schools and classrooms. Next week, the Superintendent will be providing specific guidance to all teachers to ensure their understanding of this Board commitment and to support them in fulfilling this mandate. 

Spring semester grades are expected to be sent home to students and families on or around June 5. This will include additional information about how we will handle transcript requests and any questions or concerns about grades.

IN CONCLUSION

Moving forward, we will continue to ask tough questions and set high expectations to ensure that District 113 continues to deliver a high-quality education, while also operating with the highest levels of professionalism, integrity and fiscal responsibility. 

Every Board member, our Superintendent and administration are united in a shared commitment to provide strong and proactive leadership. Our students, parents, teachers and community expect and deserve nothing less.

Sincerely,

Township High School District 113 Board of Education             

Jodi Shapira, President

Ken Fishbain, Vice President

Stacey Meyer, Secretary

Gayle Byck

Elizabeth “Lizzy” Garlovsky

Michael Perlman

Dan Struck

Una Carta Abierta a los Padres de Familia, al Personal, a los Estudiantes y a la Comunidad del Distrito Escolar Township High School District 113