Oswego Community Unit School District 308 Board of Education met March 6.
Here is the agenda provided by the board:
The Board of Education of Community Unit School District 308, Kendall, Kane and Will Counties, Illinois, met in a regular session in the Cafeteria at Plank Junior High School.
Note for file: All roll call votes are shown in alphabetical order in these minutes; however, during the Board Meeting votes are called out in accordance with Board Policy 2:220
1. Call to Order
The Public Forum was called to order at 6:32 p.m. by President Simelton
1.1 Roll Call:
Upon Roll Call the following members answered present:
Dominick Cirone, Jared Ploger, LaTonya Simelton, Alison Swanson
Members Absent (at roll call):
Lauri Doyle, Eugene Gatewood, Jennifer Johnson
Administration Present:
Associate Superintendent of Educational Services, Faith Dahlquist
Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Heather Kincaid
Assistant Superintendent/CSBO, Dr. John Petzke
Director of Communications, Theresa Komitas
Others Present:
Employees of the District and members of the community
Recording Secretary:
Ursula Studer
1.2 Pledge of Allegiance
Pledge of Allegiance was led by Board President LaTonya Simelton
2. Welcome
2.1 Welcome from President Simelton
President Simelton thanked everyone for making the time to be present tonight. An important aspect of the Board members is to connect with our community. An open forum is a way to accomplish that through conversation, deliberation, dialogue and collective speaking. The purpose is to allow the Board to hear and understand the communities educational aspirations and desire for our district. We will be having a robust conversation around our Mission.
Faith Dahlquist, our Associate Superintendent, explained the format of tonight’s forum. It will be an open conversation and dialogue with some structure. The discussion will revolve around four questions that you will find at each table. As we get towards the end, please select someone from each table to summarize and share out. At the end we will also have opportunity for public comment.
3. Small Groups
3.1 Community Input in Regards to Empowering, Supporting and Motivating all Students in District 308
There was a total of 4 tables with 1 Board member on each and at least 3 administrators along with parents and community members.
The following questions were discussed at each table
• What does “Thrive along their unique educational journey” mean to you?
• What are our district’s strengths in empowering, supporting and motivating all students?
• What are our district’s opportunities for improvement in empowering, supporting, and motivating all students?
• How can we work together to improve?
Mr. Cirone shared out from table #4 –
1) Stressed flexibility and catering to student’s individual needs.
2) The skills of our teachers; student ambassadors and student voice and choice.
3) Improving transportation and communication; self-advocating and social emotional learning; improving white noise communications; IEP resources and building a relationship with an adult.
4) Assuming positive intent; we all want our students to succeed regardless of their position; we want to be sure the curriculum is evidence based; work together on transitioning students for example from elementary to junior high school.
Mr. Ploger shared out from table #3 –
The table discussed growth being individualized; genius in all kids; the student who is defiant and how to change that mindset; tapping into student’s genius; each student having something unique. We talked about vulnerability and that we can’t ask students to do something if we can’t do it. Staff are in different places so are students and we need to allow ourselves some grace. Problem sharing versus problem solving; safe space for kids where they can thrive; skill based versus performance based.
Mr. Gaston shared out from table #2 –
1) Make sure that students have the resources they need to be successful in school, not only on the academic level, but the social level as well. We need to reach our students at whatever learning level they might be at.
2) Some teachers allow redo’s for assignments, especially if they know the student knows the material. It gives the student the confidence and the knowledge that the teacher cares about their success. Education is not about a test result, it’s about empowering the student. Would like to see more policy driven structure to our educational system. Students like to have voice and choice, it allows student to live more confidently. Accountability and support; there are many groups that help students and parents feel involved.
3) Opportunity for improvement; more vocational skills and information about trade schools; opportunity for military to come into our schools and speak to students; differentiated instruction; dual credits should be separate from AP classes.
4) More community involvement just like this public forum of getting together and talking. Discussing our student’s best interest and our districts best direction. That can only get us closer. District sanctioned events at the schools to support a community structure, a community closeness. Make a difference every day.
Mr. Jameson shared out from table #1 –
1) This table focused a lot on the students and the teachers. Ensure that we cater to every student’s unique learning style. He mentioned his own educational journey and how things could have been done differently. Making sure that teachers have resources needed.
2) The importance of student voice, makes for more participation and involvement. Teacher’s strengths, opportunities that are provided to our students, like clubs, sports and music.
3) Safety for students; communication between teachers and families and students; motivating students; listening to students.
4) Being vulnerable, the importance of trust, accountability, a standard of dialogue from the students to the teachers to the parents and the school board. If we have that honesty, that openness, that trust, then we have that commonality. That can only bring good things. Despite differences, we can stand with one another.
4. Public Comment
4.1 Opportunity for the Public to address the Board of Education
There was no public comment this evening
5. Final Comments from the Board
5.1 Final Comments from the Board
Mr. Ploger thanked everyone for attending. President Simelton spoke to the different structure of the forum and that it seems evident that we are moving in the direction that the community would like to see.
6. Adjournment
6.1 Adjourn
A motion was made by Mr. Jared Ploger, second by Mr. Dominick Cirone, to adjourn. All were in favor unanimously to adjourn
Final Resolution: Motion Carried 4-0
Aye: Mr. Dominick Cirone, Ms. Lauri Doyle, Mr. Eugene Gatewood, Ms. Jennifer Johnson, Mr. Jared Ploger, Ms. LaTonya Simelton, Ms. Alison Swanson
Meeting Adjourned at 8:02 p.m.
https://www.sd308.org/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=9932&dataid=78534&FileName=03.06.23%20Public%20Forum%20Minutes.pdf
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