changes coming at Morton High Schools

[Paul Fuentes]

Hey..what is da problem here.  Dominick knows.  He is the prime evample that an IQ below 85 can be a success.  What are you all worked about? 

Who controls your schools?  Ask yourself that question, research it, and let us know if the answers suit your expectations. 

Once again, shit that goes on without anybody here knowing, UNTIL IT IS TOO LATE TO REACT. 

Once again, history repeats itself.  The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and roiund, round and round.

The parents in Berwyn go wah, wah, wah,...wah, wah. wah....wah, wah, wah, all through the morn.

Sincerely,

Brown v. Board of Education

Where is Korbos on this issue?? 

[Ted]

Where is Korbos on this issue??  

Huh???  Where am I on what issue?  On the issue of whether the school should be broken up into 4 mini-schools, I don't have an opinion.  I don't really know whether it would be a good thing or a bad thing.

   As for the issue of whether there should be one sport team or two sports teams, I think there should be two sports teams - one for Morton East and another for Morton West.

  Which issue are you referring to, vre?

take care
  Ted

[mom]

This is what I understood from the meeting.

They want to have smaller (800 students) in "schools" that will all be part of Morton West.

It will only be the freshmen.

The kids will have to choose what track they want to follow for the  next 3 years during this time.

Dr. Cunneen stated that there is no chance to switch "schools"  if a student's interest changes during the 3 years, but another speaker said that it is flexable enough to allow for some changes. I am still confused about this.

The state standards have gotten tougher and there is very little chance for students to pick electives anyway.

As for test scores, I wasn't surprised, but it was good to have the superintendant point out that the school's score is based on TWO TESTS (1 of which is the ACT), TAKEN OVER 2 DAYS, BY ONLY THE JUNIORS.

Parents have to become more involved and take an active role. Please attend the board meeting and write your legislators about the inadequate school funding in Illinois and the failure of NCLB to truly help our kids and schools.

Dr. Cuneen also admitted that the web site is an embarassment and technologically the school is behind.

I had to leave to pick up my kids. What else happened?

[Shelley]

I have two real concerns about the plan. 

1.  Like I stated before, I am all for "smaller" but 800 does not seem small.   If it is only freshman at Morton West, how do they come up with 800.  I believe the enrollment each year is around 1,000.  Are they talking about bringing all district 201 freshman and if so, will they all be at West.  Surely, not,

2.   Also, having a 13 year old pick a "path" is ridiculous.  The placement in the smaller schools should be random.  If not, we start to put kids on tracks that the school admits are inflexible.  I think all of the kids should be on the same path...to a decent education that will prepare them for the future.  13 is too young to decide that you do or don't want to go to college, what you might want to study, etc.  In the middle school model of teams, all kids on a "team" have the same core teachers (math, science, social studies, and English/Language).  Those teachers are provided with plenty of "team meeting time" during the school day to plan units of study, discuss the students, and support each other.  The students can take their electives outside of team such as band, art, foreign language, etc.  I worked at a middle school in Oak Park that followed this model.  The personal attention that the kids got was the greatest benefit, IMHO.  Other benefits include teachers who are able to communicate and support each other in order to help the kids.  Don't know what changes would be needed to translate this model to the high school level. 


On a totally other topic:  Do you/we/ anyone think it is a real possibility to separate the sports programs?  Is is a realistic possibility to separate Berwyn and Cicero into two different districts either at the high school level alone or into unit districts that include the grade schools??  Could these two issues be brought up to the school board for discussion, research, etc.??   Would this require a referendum??  Could it be put to a vote by all of the residents?   

[OakParkSpartan]

From what I heard, the Superintendant is against the splitting of the school district.  Supposedly a negative impact to funding.  Likewise, against the formation of a Unit school district.  Smells to me like someone wants to preserve their empire.

I'd like to see an outside INDEPENDENT consultant analyze the options. 

I'd also like to see it go before the voters.  Can't imagine Lyons and Stickney are any happier about supporting Cicero.

Cheers,
Brian

[Suzy Q]

If there is any "splitting" to be done, let's start with splitting Morton East and West.  Then lets make sure that recruiting by coaches of Chicago kids is stopped.  Also, it sounds like there needs to be more proof of residency. 
I would like to know how these 4 schools will benefit our kids.  It sounds like they are just buying time as a result of NCLB.
I don't think its fair to ask kids to choose a track and then get stuck in it.  They don't have much flexibility now in choosing electives.  WIth only 6 classes a day(other schools offer 7 or , they are not able to experiment with trying out new things.  Maybe we should start there.

[mom]

So, did anyone attend the school board meeting last night?

[ruffian]

mom, I did not attend, but would like to see these guys put something on paper to be distributed.  A statement if you will.  Something someone can pull out of a drawer months from now to quote what was said.

[Suzy Q]

My son did attend the meeting and a written statement by the person representing the teacher's union was passed out.  It seems as if the teacher's union is disappointed that they weren't included in the decision making.  THey seem to feel that there are more cons than pros to the dividing of Morton.  This is possibly due to lack of information and much confusion as to how this will work.  I am disappointed at how this all came about.  I don't know if it will be a good or bad thing because the real reasoning from the board hasn't been announced. They ignored answering the question as to how this will benefit the students.  I also heard that Ms. Fortunato appeared to be dozing off in the meeting.  I think we have a board that represents..........someone.....but it's not me.  I wish they would take their position more seriously and the students best interest.

[mustang54]

  The schools cannot be split into seperate school districts in Illinois. East and West must stay as one district. The issue they are discussing is small schools inside existing schools.
They have it in middle schools,and at the freshman center in Cicero. So essentially they want to send high schoolers back to middle school. They complained about the mandatory tests juniors have to take. Yet all the schools have the same standards and their kids arent failing. Whats scary is how can you trust these people to implement something new when they have failed at a system thats been around forever.
  Will it reduce class sizes? NO! Will it quarentee every child the electives they want? NO!
Can a 14 year old really choose a career at that age? NO WAY! They will have all the same problems that now exist. So why go into a system that you cant explain yourselves? Its another attempt to cover up the failures of adults at the expense of childrens education.

[OakParkSpartan]

The incompetence and corruption in EVERY elected body (though I think the city is pulling out of that dive) around here reminds me of fungus on a forest floor...You look around, and you don't see it.  You move some leaves and there it is...and every where you look, there is more and more. 

Cheers,
Brian

[Ted]

 The schools cannot be split into seperate school districts in Illinois. East and West must stay as one district. ...

Why not?  Why can't we (Berwyn residents) lobby the state legislature to create a new school district that includes only Morton West and only Berwyn?  If we scream and yell and stomp our feet loud enough, maybe that will happen.  The state legislature can define whatever they want as a school district.  

  We have a good opportunity this year, in fact, if enough citizens push for it.   We know Sandoval is going to have a tough fight in the primary against Garza and another tough fight in the general election against  Roberto Hernandez or whomever the Cicero Republicans put up against him.  Given that Garza is going to get a lot of votes from the Burke family in the 14th ward and given that the Republican oppponent is going to get a lot of votes from Cicero in the general election, it is obvious  that Sandoval needs Berwyn in both the primary and the general election.

 So, maybe now is the time to press the state legislature for a separate high school district for Berwyn. We should strike while the iron is hot.

 Maybe what we ought to do is bring back Klingenburger!   Look at how many Berwyn voters came out in the 1991 election because of the Klingenburger fiasco.  I think in the 1991 election Berwyn overwhlemed Cicero in the vote (for once!) because so many people were pissed off.  We need to get that pissed off feeling again, just like we did in 1991.

Take Care
 Ted

[Suzy Q]

I agree with Ted.  I think the first split should be with Ciciero.  They don't bring anything to Berwyn's table except for more gangs.  Maybe then we could attract back to MW more of the kids who went elsewhere.  I don't see why we can't do that with a referendum.  People want it.  Let's get these school board members to represent us like they are supposed to and not for their own agendas(of which I'm not sure what that is either).

[Just Me]

Is it really that we "can't" split the schools, or they WON'T split the schools??  I think when they talked about joining the sports teams of two seperate schools 20 years ago, people said, "they can't do that."  They did that.  Now that the schools are so big we hear, "They can't seperate the sports teams."  I hear a lot of CAN'Ts. 

[mustang54]

  Yes its real you cant split the schools. It was brought up at the Wednesday meeting.
Cicero my freinds is not the problem of the schools. If you people attended meetings or spent real time around the schools you would know that. The high schools are just as much Berwyns fault as Cicero's. Berwyn has no gangs? Nepotism in the school district is the fault of BOTH former administrations. Dont blame O'Connor or Dominick. They have inherited this mess. Too many people in Berwyn pretend they live in Riverside or River Forest and cant face the real issues EVERY town has including Berwyn.
  Quit day dreaming about a Starbucks on Windsor and start attending school board meetings. Go sit outside the West campus when the bell rings and see the teachers that exit before the students. Notice that the teachers need an enforced dress code worse than the students. Notice the large number of students walking home who have recently moved in from Chicago's west side. Morton West is the most unhappy work place i've ever seen. Its sickening. School board meetings have 3 or 4 people at them.
   At the West meeting on Wednesday night parents out numbered teachers. At the Thursday meeting at East the teachers out numbered the parents. Residents of all the Morton served towns need to start attending school board meetings,and then going to town board meetings where they live and demand action!
  Maybe the best thing that could happen would be the state takes the district over. Most say it wont happen they really dont want to do it. Well i wouldnt be surprised in an upcoming election if some politician made failing schools a battle cry and force the takeover of a school district thats failing. And what better to draw publicity with the media than use the names of Cicero and Berwyn for them to set an example.

[Paul Fuentes]

Mustang:

I am at a point of complete ignorance as far as the school issues.  One the one hand, I read and post information that our grade schools are far too fractionalized in terms of administration.  Much of the information I have found indicates that not only are there logical incentives to get rid of double administrative overhead, duplication of efforts, and inefficient economies of scale, but the response is always that we "will lose funds" in the long run.  To date, I have not seen any evidence supporting the latter argument.  I am no "Google" master, so I will call on you younger intellects to help us find some relevant input available in cyverspace to educate us all.    Each day this issue remains inadressed, provides another impetus for people like me (father of 3) to seek a comminty that does have answers.

However, as far as the high schools, we need to separate from Cicero and have our own high school.  The only ones opposed would be our neighbors to the east.  Ted Korbos is right (which is why I wanted him in this discussion,,as he is very intelligent) we need to be pissed off enough to come out in force.  Although many here fail to realize, or do not want to "Face Reality", Cicero has and continues to control our high school and community college systems.  They feed first of the public teat, then let us get the scraps that remain.  They dictate our destiny and those of our children.

Let's expand and highlight Lombard.  Let's mark out our own territory. 

I seek a divorce from Cicero and even an order of protection to insure no contact.  Like Mustang points out, if our teachers at West do not meet our needs, CLEAN HOUSE.  Given Mustang's post, I seek to dissolve the union that binds us.  Let Jerry Marzullo practice a Socratic method with Larry Dominick's two retarded seeds, not OURS. 

Yeah, on this issue I can be a prick.  What else is new,

Rosa Parks

P.S.  Mustang....you are a refreshing source of input on this board.  Do not let anybody intimidate you on posting your perceptions and thoughts.

[Shelley]

We need to take back our school.  Even those of you who will choose private education should pay attention and get passionate about this issue.  Your kids may not be affected, but don't you want your sizable tax contribution to the high schools to be managed properly and efficiently?  Even if you don't have kids in the high school, improving MW may be the most effective way to significantly increase your property value.  I don't believe anyone who says it is not possible.  Paul's right, who can do the research?  Find an example of a district that successfully divided into two.  Where does this Kilingingberg (sp?) work now?

Here is a question/poll for Berwyn residents:

1.  Would you support a candidate for school board who ran on a platform to explore separating the sports programs first and eventually the school district?

2.  Would you vote yes for a referendum to fund the cost of a separation if needed?   

[mustang54]

 Great ideas Shelley but, A) by Illinois law schools in same districts cannot be split into seperate districts. If they could it would cost 16 million dollars a year more to operate the schools apart than it does as one. B) One independent candidate would be frozen out by other members if elected so what good would one candidate do.
Also our district gets the lowest amount of money from property taxes than any high school district in Cook County. But how can we support a much needed referendum when we know the dollars will be wasted. The problem in our high schools is not the students its the adults. Its the incompedent adults Morton chooses to hire. Too many employees are burned out or just dont like being around teenagers. They must be gotten rid of. And to hell with their union! Any unions that back poor employees should be should be repremanded by its own members. It makes all of their members look bad. And not just the teachers union. ALL of the unions at Morton. Too many people think because a political freind got them a job they dont have to work or cant be fired or repremanded. That practice has to come to an end.
  How many school board members are parents of students? NONE! How many went to Morton themselves? NONE! Did they send their kids to Morton? NO! There lies a big part of the problem.

[OakParkSpartan]

Also our district gets the lowest amount of money from property taxes than any high school district in Cook County. But how can we support a much needed referendum when we know the dollars will be wasted. The problem in our high schools is not the students its the adults. Its the incompedent adults Morton chooses to hire. Too many employees are burned out or just dont like being around teenagers. They must be gotten rid of. And to hell with their union! Any unions that back poor employees should be should be repremanded by its own members. It makes all of their members look bad. And not just the teachers union. ALL of the unions at Morton. Too many people think because a political freind got them a job they dont have to work or cant be fired or repremanded. That practice has to come to an end.
  How many school board members are parents of students? NONE! How many went to Morton themselves? NONE! Did they send their kids to Morton? NO! There lies a big part of the problem.

I don't think your third paragraph is necessarily a requirement. I'd suggest that some new blood in all aspects of this towns elected officials are good.  BUT, the problem lies in the second paragraph...with the corrupt and self serving individuals who are in office. 

Cheers,
Brian

[Ted]

... A) by Illinois law schools in same districts cannot be split into seperate districts.....

That is not true.  The city of Chicago split its large school district into several smaller school districts.   I also believe that when rural areas gain large suburban populations, the school districts also split. For example, the Morton school district did not exist 125 years ago, correct?  How was it created?  By an act of the legislature, recognizing that there was a growing population in the area.  Same with an area like Naperville decades ago.  Same is happening today in Kendall and Grundy county as the suburbs move out there.

So, it is NOT fixed in stone that a school district cannot be split and cannot change.  It simply takes an act of the legislature.

take care
ted