Hinsdale High School Teachers Association

During the October 4 Board of Education Committee of the Whole Meeting, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Dr. Bruce Law updated the Board on the following question:

“Have we extended the Hinsdale District 86 tradition of excellence?”

The answer was presented in data for student achievement. Student growth was measured in the difference between Explore testing taken in 8th grade and ACT testing taking in a student’s junior year:

Hinsdale South did not make AYP last year. However, it is important to observe that over the past five years the doubling at Hinsdale South of those sub- groups that historically and generally have under-performed has not always had the predictable, downward effect on PSAE scores or academic growth. Moreover, Hinsdale South juniors for whom the school has both an Explore test (taken in eighth grade) and the ACT (taken in eleventh grade) consistently made as much progress as national norms of progress for nearly every sub-group, even in those sub-groups that did not make AYP.

Students at Hinsdale Central also grew beyond national norms, which is striking because Central students started with higher Explore scores. The PSAE tells us how academically tall students are; we use the Explore and ACT tests to see how much they grew, regardless of their original academic stature. Thus while we clearly see more students in certain sub- groups need to be lifted up to state standards by their junior year, the amount of growth at both Hinsdale South and Hinsdale Central strongly suggests that our students work very hard under the instruction of highly effective teachers.

Where differences in Explore and ACT tests showed growth, AP classes were used to demonstrate rigor:

AP classes are more demanding than regular courses in the same subject area and thus serve reasonably well as a proxy for curricular rigor. Although the percentage of students taking at least one AP course during their four years rose only slightly at Hinsdale Central and decreased at South in 2010 over 2009, both schools had more students taking AP courses in 2010 than five years ago. Compared to 2006, six percent more students at Hinsdale Central took an AP course in 2010, and the percentage of tests of Central students earning at least a three on a five point scale on AP examinations—and therefore passing, according to the College Board—rose slightly. That is remarkable.

How do District 86 students compare to other students nationally on AP exams:

Compared to 2009 results, the most recent year the College Board makes data available, 13 percent of students in the US who took an AP course scored at least a three, compared to 48 percent at Central and 37.1 percent at South. For students to learn at high levels in rigorous courses, teachers must offer an instructional program to empower students to succeed, and the percentage of students who consistently pass AP exams indicate the strength of the instructional program.

After a long process, District 86 announced a new principal for Central next year:

On Monday, December 14, 2009, the Hinsdale Township High School District 86 Board of Education unanimously approved the appointment of Mr. Michael McGrory, Principal of Ames High School in Ames, Iowa, as the next Principal of Hinsdale Central High School for the 2010-2011 school year.

Mr. McGrory brings much experience, energy, and excitement to this position, having served most recently as the Principal of Ames High School since 2001. In this role, he manages budgetary, operational, and personnel aspects of a high school with a very diverse and high achieving student population of 1,500, and oversees 105 certified teachers, and 65 support staff. In addition, he implemented a High School Reform recommendation and oversaw a $13 million building renovation project. Ames High School is comparable to Hinsdale Central in that it is a state leader in its number of National Merit Finalists and 93% of its students attend a postsecondary institution. Professionally, Mr. McGrory serves on various district and state committees, and he participates in community committees and volunteer opportunities, as well. Prior to his principalship at Ames High School, he served as Principal of a Middle School for three years, and Principal of a K-12 school for two years.

Mr. McGrory was introduced to the faculty and staff on Tuesday morning, followed by a short reception for us to begin to get to know him. I look forward to continuing the productive and collaborative relationship that has been developed over recent years with our current and former building leaders. We wish him well, and look forward to working together at the start of the 2010-11 school year.

Congratulations and welcome to Hinsdale Central, Mr. McGrory!

The following are the prepared remarks presented at the Regular Action Meeting of the Hinsdale High School District Board Meeting, Monday August 17th, 2009:

On behalf of our members I’d like to take this opportunity to share with you a piece of history I found when going through files in our relocated Association office as we start the new school year.

Our organization has its roots in the Hinsdale Teachers Association, which served both District 181 and District 86 teachers in the early days of Hinsdale schools. However, in fall of 1956 members of the Professional Committee contemplated forming a separate high school organization, resulting in the first official meeting of HHSTA being held the following spring. Today we are proud to begin our 52nd year as the professional Association advocating for the teachers of our two high schools. Such an established history within our tradition of excellence is inspiring to me, as are the many individuals associated with our history.

For example, individuals like Harvey Dickinson often carry multiple connections within this tradition. A legendary coach; a nationally recognized Athletic Director; Harvey Dickinson is a HCHS Foundation Hall of Fame inductee in whose honor Central’s Dickinson Field is named.

In 1957, Harvey Dickinson was also the first president of HHSTA.

Too often individual connections such as this can be overlooked or forgotten if we view each other as separate entities: “the Board” or “the Association”. It’s easy to be wary of a faceless organization, to paint a group with a broad brush, or to tarnish the majority based on the minority. In reality we’re part of the same organization and far greater together than these labels imply separately.

With this in mind, I’d like to put a face to our Association. Certainly we are first and foremost the professional educators in our classrooms, student support networks, nurses’ offices, and our libraries. But our members are also the directors of school plays, variety show organizers, float builders, prom chaperons, and sponsors of a multitude of clubs and activities that take place before and after school.

Every year Association members flip pancakes and serve spaghetti to provide scholarships for our students. Every season, our members are the coaches that continue our highly recognized athletic traditions. And every day our members help students with their homework, their choice of college major or career, and through the ups and downs of high school life.

I’ll close by reiterating what leaders who have stood here before me have said: we look forward to working together to build upon our long tradition of excellence. By building our relationships and working together we will continue to achieve the best environment possible for our students.

Thank you and have a great year!

Shortly after the last contract negotiations ended in 2006, HHSTA filed a grievance charging that the school board ignored both the language and the intent of the contract clause pertaining to retired teachers’ benefits when it unilaterally increased - in many instances doubling or tripling -  the insurance contributions required of retired teachers.

The following are the prepared remarks presented by Kathy Wynn, Co-President at Hinsdale South, to the Board at the March 16th Board meeting:

On March 6, the binding arbitration between the Board and the Hinsdale High School Teachers Association was sustained in its entirety in favor of the Association.  Due to the decision by the Board that led to this arbitration, the district’s taxpayers will assume the burden of attorney fees, arbitrator’s fee, and interest payments associated with the Board’s action. This expense could have been avoided if the Administration and Board had honored the commitments it made to teachers who devoted their careers to teaching in District 86.

Now that the ruling has been made, HHSTA would like to move quickly to make whole all individuals affected by the Board’s unilateral changes in retiree insurance benefits. We believe that by working together we can move beyond the lack of trust generated by the Board’s actions which led to the arbitration case. With this in mind, HHSTA would like to reiterate the sentiment expressed repeatedly over the past several years: to resolve to work together on behalf of our students.

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The following remarks were made at Monday night’s School Board meeting:

Good evening, my name is Kathy Wynn and I am speaking as co-President of the Hinsdale High School Teachers’ Association. As we embark on a new school year, I would like to say that all 366 members of the HHSTA are looking forward to working collaboratively with each other and with our newly expanded Administrative team. We know that there are some issues that we would like to see resolved or implemented in a timely manner, and to do so will take cooperation between the Association and Administration.

We also recognize that last spring’s ECRA report painted a bleak picture when it comes to staff morale, and we would like to take an active role in any efforts that are being made to address that issue.

Open and frequent communication between the Association and the Administration is essential to realizing these goals. Our vision for this District, and more importantly, for its students, does not differ from yours. As education professionals, we would like to continue the “tradition of excellence”, the phrase that is so prominently featured on the redesigned District web site. There is so much potential for our schools, our students, and our communities. On behalf of the HHSTA, I am here to say, together we can make it happen. Thank you.

The Vision / Strategic Plan document, “A Future of Excellence,” was presented to the District 86 Board Monday night by the Board’s consultants, ECRA Group. The report contains the “fundamental goals and initiatives that were derived from the key findings of the strategic planning process” undertaken ECRA Group.

The Doings, in their article “Consultants: District 86 Great, Could Be Better” found the findings of low satisfaction among teachers and staff “startling”:

“Among the report’s more startling findings was a generally low satisfaction level among teachers and staff members.

“The faculty and staff don’t feel supported by the board and appreciated in their work,” John Gatta said. “These are the lowest levels we’ve seen compared to other schools.”

A year ago, dozens of Central and South teachers packed board meetings to voice a number of concerns centering on low morale and poor relations with the board.

“We hope to change that,” board member Dianne Barrett said.”

For more on all of ECRA Group’s findings, read the whole report by downloading a copy here.

MINUTES OF THE DISTRICT ROUND TABLE MEETING
BETWEEN THE HINSDALE HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION
AND THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
HINSDALE TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT 86
March 12, 2008

Call of Meeting. A District Round Table Meeting between the Hinsdale High School Teachers Association and the Board of Education of Hinsdale Township High School District 86, DuPage and Cook Counties, Illinois was called to order by Superintendent Dr. Nicholas D. Wahl at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 12, 2008, in the Administrative Center Conference Room, 55th and Grant Streets, Hinsdale, Illinois.

Roll Call. The following members of the Board were present: Secretary Dr. Janet Plate and Mr. Vinaya Sharma. Attending for Hinsdale Central were: Tom Ludovice, Kathy Gabric, and Valerie Ruth. Attending for Hinsdale South were: Troy Courtney, Tim Davis, and Rick Cazzato. Also attending was Superintendent of Schools Dr. Nicholas Wahl and Interim Business Manger Mr. George Attaway.

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