Welcome to the second edition of the EDUCATION MATTERS newsletter, where we share the important work of the DuPage Regional Office of Education (ROE), DuPage students, and DuPage schools and educators.
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YOUR REGIONAL OFFICE OF EDUCATION...
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At the Crossroads of AI and Education
Summer Conference Prepares Educators to Ethically Use AI in Education
This summer the DuPage Regional Office of Education (ROE) is teaming up with the Illinois Learning Technology Center and Addison School District 4 to host a conference on Artificial Intelligence (AI). The conference aims to build a community of educational professionals who are prepared to traverse the ever-evolving landscape of AI, especially as it pertains to education.
The conference will take place on June 11 at Indian Trail Middle School in Addison and will feature nearly twenty presenters and more than thirty breakout sessions.
DuPage Regional Superintendent Amber Quirk says she is excited to offer this opportunity to the DuPage educational community.
“The ROE is always looking ahead to emerging trends in education. Our primary goal is to support DuPage schools by supporting, preparing, and equipping our teachers and administrators—and this is one important way we are doing that,” Quirk said.
DuPage Assistant Regional Superintendent Dr. Vickie Trotter says the conference title was important because they wanted the name to reflect their purpose. “We chose Unleashing the Power of AI because the conference will give educators a framework on how to use AI so it benefits their classroom, guides their students, and impacts their community powerfully and positively,” explained Trotter.
Trotter believes there are a lot of misconceptions about AI. “When some people think of artificial intelligence in the school setting, they imagine a high school student asking Chat GPT to write their research paper,” explains Trotter. “While that is one facet, AI goes far beyond that in the school setting. At this conference, our presenters will be covering topics such as how to optimize lesson plans and student engagement using AI, how AI can support social-emotional learning and mental health, how to supercharge early childhood learning with AI, and how AI can be used to foster equitable and culturally responsive learning environments.”
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As with all educational endeavors, the safety of DuPage students and staff is a high priority. Conference organizers say that’s why they’ve included breakout sessions on how administrators can create a strategic roadmap for safely implementing AI into their curriculum, as well as creating student and staff policies for ethical integration of AI into the learning environment.
Due to the popularity of the workshop, registration filled up quickly. However, Quirk says talks are already in progress about holding the conference again in the near future.
“AI is here to stay. It’s the way of the future, and it’s moving forward at break-neck speeds,” said Quirk. “As we navigate AI’s impact on education, it will be critical to couple artificial intelligence with emotional intelligence so we can guide our students to use AI ethically. The DuPage ROE is committed to offering support, information, and guidance to our DuPage schools as they navigate the possibilities and power of artificial intelligence.”
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Schools Prepare for Potential Crises by
Holding Practice Exercise
Full-Scale Emergency Drill Took Place in West Chicago
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On Monday, May 6, the DuPage ROE, West Chicago School District 33, and the DuPage County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (OHSEM) staged a full-scale reunification exercise to ensure schools are ready for any sort of emergency in which parents or guardians would need to be reunited with their children.
John Heiderscheidt, DuPage Regional Office of Education School Safety Specialist, says emergency preparedness is paramount to school safety. “There are many things we can’t control, but once an emergency occurs–whether it’s a weather-related incident, an act of violence, or something else–we can control how we respond. By creating a systematic method of response, we can bring a degree of order and calm to the situation,” explained Heiderscheidt.
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The practice exercise envisioned what would happen if a hazardous material situation took place at Leman Middle School. During the drill, twenty-five buses were dispatched to the school, and all students and school staff were "evacuated" to a local church building.
The recently-formed DuPage County School Mutual Aid Response Team (DuSMART) was activated, and twenty school administrators from around the County arrived to assist D33 with reunification efforts. The “Standard Reunification Method” employs protocols so each student is accounted for and requires every parent/guardian provide identification before being reunited with their child. The goal is an orderly flow with minimal drama and anxiety. (More details on this process can be found here.) The day ended with the participating parties debriefing, taking a survey, and offering feedback on the day's events.
This event required the collaboration and cooperation of not only D33, DuSMART, and OSHEM but also the West Chicago Police and Fire Departments, the Carol Stream Police Department, the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office, the Milton Township Community Emergency Response Team, the local bus company, and more.
The ROE appreciates all who took part in this important practice drill. We are also grateful that DuPage County Board members Lucy Evans, Greg Schwarze, and Yeena Yoo attended and observed, as well as Bob Berlin, who is the DuPage County State’s Attorney and helped create DuSMART.
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Parent University
Empowering Parents With Education and Resources
The DuPage ROE was honored to partner with Center Cass School District 66 to present their “Student Services Parent University” on April 11 at Elizabeth Ide Elementary School. This event featured presentations that empowered parents on their rights as parents and offered resources to facilitate successful parenting.
Rhonda Eubanks, who leads the Parents as Teachers (PAT) program at the DuPage ROE, was thrilled to showcase PAT. "Parents AsTeachers is a home visiting program where parent educators come alongside parents of newborn-3 year old children to teach them about child development and other pertinent topics. Our goal is to create healthy parent-child bonds and increase children’s readiness for school and ultimately success in school,” explains Eubanks.
Eubanks says she was able to connect with many parents at the event. “The parents who attended are committed to being the best parents they can. They are putting in the time and effort, and we’re happy to provide them with the tools they need,” Eubanks said.
Other presenters included Gilda Ross, Glenbard Student and Community Projects Coordinator for the GPS Parent Series; Social Worker Karen Roach, who talked about Social-Emotional Learning; School Psychologist Karen Travis, who shared how parents can advocate for children with disabilities; and Kathy Ekstrand, Director of Student Services at the Center for Student Success, DuPage’s alternate learning school.
Sean Rhoads, Director of Student Services at Cass 66, said the generous contributions and active involvement of the presenters not only played a crucial role in the success of the event, but also significantly enhanced the experience for all participants. He added that while this year’s Parent University targeted parents with children currently receiving services, the District has plans to expand it to all parents in District 66 in the fall of 2024.
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Illinois (and your ROE!) Reads
Statewide Initiative Encourages Families to Read
Community Unit School District 201 recently hosted the Illinois Reads program at Westmont Junior High School. Families heard from three distinguished speakers on the importance of reading: Assistant Superintendent Vickie Trotter from the DuPage ROE, Superintendent Jack Baldermann from CUSD 201, and Westmont Mayor Ron Gunter.
Eighteen authors also attended the event, reading aloud to families and signing copies of their books. This unique opportunity allowed families to interact and connect with the creative minds behind the books.
Illinois Reads is a statewide initiative by the Illinois Reading Council to promote a lifelong habit of reading. The initiative, which spotlights works by Illinois authors, publishes a list of six new books each year for six different age groups. Want to see what this year’s books are? Check it out here.
Are you interested in promoting reading at your school? The DuPage ROE Superintendent and Assistant Superintendents would love the opportunity to read to your students! Contact us to set up a date.
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York Mathletes Take Top Honors
International Competition Awards Local Students $5,000
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Students Nick Cifelli, Timothy Flisk, Jeffrey Lu, Taylor Melind, and Steven Piotrowski were tasked with choosing a region in the U.S. or U.K. and predicting the changes in the housing supply and homeless population in that region. The team was required to use modeling to devise a long-term plan to combat homelessness.
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After a grueling 14-hour online challenge in early March, the York team advanced to the finals. They traveled to New York City in April, where they ultimately placed sixth in the competition.
“What sets M3 Challenge apart from other math competitions is that it uniquely requires students to use math modeling as a process to represent, analyze, make predictions and provide insight into current phenomena,” said Dr. Karen Bliss, Senior Manager of Education and Outreach at the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, which sponsored the contest. “We pose big problems about real issues that many students may not know much about. They need to research, quantify the parameters, organize data, and use skills they’ve learned in math class but may have never related to something real.”
The DuPage ROE is proud of the York students and wishes them the best of luck in their future endeavors!
To read more about the competition and see the York students’ winning solution, visit here.
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Middle School Jazz Band Hits the Right Note with
Superior Performance
Band Director Says CWID Workshop Gave Him Practical
Classroom Tips and Strategies
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Louis Armstrong, the master jazz vocalist and trumpeter, once said, “If I don’t practice for a day, I know it. If I don't practice for two days, the critics know it. And if I don't practice for three days, the public knows it."
The Jazz Band at CUSD 200’s James Howard Monroe Middle School displayed proof of their faithful practice when they performed at the IGSMA (Illinois Grade School Music Association) State Level Jazz Festival on May 4.
Monroe Band Director Jeff Novak said, “I am so proud of the attitude of our jazz band members. They are so enthusiastic, and every practice felt like a party—a well-controlled party,” Novak clarified with a laugh. “We went into this competition hoping for the best but not really knowing what to expect, so we were thrilled when the judges gave us a Superior rating, which is the highest level possible.”
Participation in both Monroe’s jazz band and regular band program is larger this year than it has been in more than a decade, thanks in part to Novak’s leadership.
“I really enjoy working with middle school students and seeing them flourish in their music education and their skill sets,” explains Novak. He added that he has been able to incorporate some of the practical tips he learned at the County-Wide Institute Day (CWID) in March of this year.
"I attended the 2024 Music and Arts Clinic on County-Wide Institute Day. I was genuinely excited to see and attend many different sessions throughout the day that engaged me and challenged my teaching philosophy," says Novak. "Monroe has students from a variety of demographics and backgrounds, so it was helpful for me to attend the sessions that featured speakers and clinicians highlighting several new ideas for me to bring to my classroom."
Congratulations to Novak, the Monroe Middle School Jazz Band, and all the many excellent DuPage County bands, orchestras, and student musicians who performed and competed this spring.
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College? ... Or Career?
Educators and Legislators Provide Multiple Pathways
for Student Success After High School Graduation
It's an ongoing debate: Should all students attend college? Or are some kids better off learning a trade and starting a job immediately after high school graduation? Local schools are realizing it's not a one-size-fits-all situation.
Naperville District 203 is one of several DuPage County districts that has committed to the national ESSA mandate (Every Student Succeeds Act), which emphasizes equitable educational opportunities, so every student is prepared for success beyond the classroom. District 203 has done this, in part, by offering college and career endorsements that appear on the diplomas of graduating seniors from Naperville Central and Naperville North.
At a District 203 board meeting earlier this year, Jayne Willard, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, said endorsements provide a focused approach that aligns coursework with specific career aspirations. District 203’s multi-pronged strategy includes core academics as well as authentic learning opportunities that develop job-specific skills and employability skills such as resilience, collaboration, social-emotional competence, and independence.
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School District 88, which serves Addison Trail and Willowbrook High Schools, is also targeting post-secondary success. With a diverse student population that includes more than 50 languages spoken, District 88 says they strive to meet the needs of all their students and provide multiple and flexible pathways to success.
In addition to offering more than thirty Advanced Placement courses, they also offer fifty dual-credit/collegiate-credit courses in seventeen career areas including automotive technology, engineering, medicine, teaching, and culinary arts.
The DuPage Regional Office of Education is thankful for these schools and other high schools in DuPage that are allowing students to have hands-on opportunities to explore their interests and passions while assisting our community with the labor shortage—and giving students the tools they need to be productive, responsible members of our DuPage community.
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LOCAL EDUCATOR NAMED TEACHER OF THE YEAR
Dr. Rachael Mahmood Found Her Calling in Education
Congratulations to Dr. Rachael Mahmood, a fifth-grade teacher at Georgetown Elementary School in Aurora, who was named Illinois Teacher of the Year for 2024. Mahmoud has been teaching for nearly 20 years and was chosen by State Superintendent of Education Dr. Tony Sanders
In a press release issued by the Illinois State Board of Education, Sanders said, “Despite never feeling like she belonged in school as a student, [Mahmood] became a teacher and found her calling. Her journey fuels her passion for making each of her students understand that they belong. She has passion for the craft of teaching and embodies the qualities of an exceptional educator and inspiring leader.”
Mahmood stood out in part because of her passion for designing curriculum that affirms students' identities and engaging instructional methods that nurture their love for school. If a textbook does not adequately represent her students' cultures and engage them in identifying with the content, she does not hesitate to redesign the curriculum. Her fifth-grade students learn through exploration, hands-on projects, field trips to museums, and even by teaching kindergartners what they have learned.
Sanders went on to say that he “could not imagine a more qualified candidate to hold the title of Illinois Teacher of the Year and to serve as [Illinois’] ambassador for the teaching profession."
As the 2024 Illinois Teacher of the Year, Mahmood will share her knowledge and expertise by serving an ambassadorship beginning in July. Mahmood will take a state-funded one-year sabbatical for the 2024-25 school year. She will also represent Illinois on the national stage in the National Teacher of the Year program.
In her nomination materials, Mahmood wrote, “Our role as educators is to adopt an asset-based mindset, leveraging the strengths, funds of knowledge, and social/cultural capital that each student brings to the classroom. By harnessing our students' natural gifts, we inspire them to see that their ability to be successful, both inside and outside of the classroom, already lies within them. As we move with the natural gifts of our students, don't forget they ride on the coattails of the strength and richness of their families and communities. We must not only partner with our communities, but also learn from them."
We’re proud of Dr. Mahmood and the many educators in DuPage County who teach, inspire and give students the courage and tools to succeed.
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