Hinsdale High School Teachers Association

In his new book, On Purpose: How Great School Cultures Form Strong Character, noted educational researcher Samuel Casey Carter names Hinsdale Central one of twelve top schools in the nation. From the Sun Times:

The private college prep in poverty-stricken Garfield Park and the Hinsdale public high school serving the 32nd richest zip code in the nation are both offered as evidence that schools that emphasize character development along with scholastic performance can dramatically improve student achievement.

“Those two could not possibly be more different, yet they enjoy the outcomes that can be harnessed by an extraordinary school culture committed to student character,” said Samuel Casey Carter, author of On Purpose: How Great School Cultures Form Strong Character, released this week.

[…]

Hinsdale Central too, has long ranked among the nation’s top schools — for its academics as well as athletics. The school in 2008 received a national award for its character education program that’s integrated into curriculum, student life and connections in its community, called “Character Counts!”

Carter researched over 3,500 schools and visited 40 during the research and writing of his new book. He visited Central multiple time last year. He will be on C-SPAN tomorrow November 25th to discuss his experiences:

We are very excited to let you know that in addition to your holiday festivities with family and friends, Casey Carter, author of On Purpose: How Great School Cultures Form Strong Character, will be on C-SPAN this Thursday from 8:30 - 9:15 AM for the Thanksgiving installment of C-SPAN’s Washington Journal — a live, national, call-in program.

Update: Here is the video

Congratulations to Central Physical Education teacher and coach Pat Richardson winning the IHSA 2009-10 Girls Track and Field Coach of the Year Award! Pat is now eligible for national coach of the year honors.

Congratulations Pat!

Paul Faeh, Social Studies Teacher at South, has been named a top three finalist in the 2010 Illinois History Teacher of the Year Award given by the Illinois State Board of Education and the Gilder Lehrman History Institute.

Congratulations Paul!

As has been done in the past, the principal at Central has written a letter to the editor of the local papers for American Education Week, sharing his thoughts on the faculty and staff at Central.

American Education Week is celebrated the week of November 15th through the 19th.  During this special week of recognition for educators, I would encourage students and parents of Hinsdale Central to take time to thank and show their appreciation for educators, sponsors, coaches and mentors who have profoundly impact their lives.

Often students will not realize the full extent of their appreciation until they leave Hinsdale Central.  Like most of us, they won’t understand how special something is until it is over.  Fortunately for both the students and the staff members, District 86 conducts a graduate survey.  While the intent of the district is to gather information from graduates that will help improve the education offered in our high schools, the survey often provides graduates an opportunity to express their appreciation for the staff,  at a time when they have fully realized the impact Hinsdale Central staff have had on their lives.

Continue Reading »

The Doings is on the story about award winning South Economics teacher Jeff Waterman:

Hinsdale South teacher Jeff Waterman has a lot of faith in his students.

So much faith he put up $50,000 of his own money for students to use on stocks when he started an investment club at the Darien high school. He also takes economics education from boring and dry to intriguing and interesting, using stories and memory tricks in the classroom.

Waterman’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. On Oct. 26, he received a 3M Star in the Classroom Award in Chicago, along with 12 other Illinois teachers.

[…]

“I was identified in the competition for the (National) Economics Challenge,” Waterman said. “We won state and finished 16th in nationals.

“With our students doing well, it put me on their radar.”

Winning state in its first try over competition such as Homewood-Flossmoor and Stevenson high schools was unexpected and rewarding, Waterman said.

[…]

“He was one of the best teachers I have ever had,” said Christine Miller, a freshman at the University of Virginia and a member of the state-winning Hinsdale South Economics Challenge team. “I have often heard of economics being referred to as, arguably, a boring and difficult subject, but because of his class, I plan on majoring in economics.”

Dan Zagri, a freshman at Harvard University, had Waterman as a sophomore at South, but returned as a member of the Economics Challenge team as a senior.

“He’s an unbelievable resource for students, and an astounding example of someone who truly enjoys doing something worthwhile,” Zagri said. “He’s not doing it for the recognition, but he certainly deserves it.”

For more information, see our previous post on Jeff’s success.

How well does D86 prepare students for their journeys into higher education? The ECRA Group was hired by the Board of Education to survey our past graduates to find out. The survey of District graduates is best explained by the ECRA group directly from their report:

Hinsdale District 86 partnered with ECRA Group, Inc., a leader in educational research, to garner perceptions of graduates’ high school experience and gauge a picture of the paths they took after high school.

[…]

In the winter of the 2009-2010 school year, quantitative and qualitative data were collected through an online survey of graduates from the years 2005 through 2009. The survey instrument was a modified version of the Graduate Survey instrument used in 2008, based on suggestions presented by District 86 administration.

[…]

During the survey process, an attempt was made to reach all graduates from the 2005 through 2009 classes. Results are compared to those gathered in 2008 from the 2002 through 2006 classes. A postcard mailing was sent to all 2005 through 2009 graduates at their last known address, and emails were sent to parents with the request that the survey access be sent on to graduates. ECRA also used the social networking site Facebook as a tool to recruit survey respondents.

The survey results generated responses from 493 former graduates of District 86 (compared to 345 in 2008), with a margin of error of three-percent according to ECRA.

Highlights of the data included 97% of graduates grading the quality of education received in District 86 an “A” or “B”, with 71% rating this an “A”. Regarding their high school preparation enabling them to compete with their collegiate peers, 90% rated their preparation as either “A” or “B”. Where it came to their own preparation for higher education, 94% rated the district as either “A” or “B”, with 64% rating their preparation an “A”. When grading their former teachers, 92% rated district teachers either “A” or “B”, with the majority rated “A”.

Regarding teachers, Principal Mike McGrory shared the following with the faculty ECRA’s report:

Hinsdale Central Graduates gave high praises to their high school. A major theme that emerged from the responses was the appreciation for Hinsdale Central teachers, who were described as amazing, encouraging, caring, passionate about teaching and learning, and always willing to help. Graduates felt well-prepared for a higher education, and the diversity of opportunities afforded students did not go unnoticed by graduates. Graduates gave high compliments to the athletic and music programs. The guidance services offered at Central were also noted as beneficial.

Some even said that they felt over prepared for college, which made adjusting to college coursework more manageable. Some felt that having experienced the rigorous and competitive environment at Central helps them compete with their peers today. They enjoyed the additional opportunities to excel and felt that the relationships they formed with other students, teachers and coaches were highly valuable. They also mentioned numerous teachers, coaches and administrators by name and praised the efforts these educators put in every day to help students reach their full potential.

Many students expressed that they did not realize the full benefit they reaped from attending Central until after they left. To quote one student, “When I got to school, I was shocked at how well Central had prepared me for college-level schooling.” Others noted that they felt a sense of the importance and closeness of community during their high school years, and this community support helped motivate them to succeed.

Friday, October 22 is the date for this year’s Hinsdale High School Teachers Association Spaghetti Dinner from 4:00 to 8:00PM, served in the cafeteria at Hinsdale South. You can bring your kids, your parents, your friends and enjoy all-you-can-eat spaghetti with your choice of meat sauce or vegetarian sauce, salad, bread, dessert and beverage, all for the unheard-of low price of $5.00 ($4.00 for students.)  All profit go directly to the HHSTA Scholarship Fund, which awards scholarships to Hinsdale South graduating seniors.  Over $20,000 in scholarships have been awarded in the last 3 years alone.  Please join us!