Dist. 111 advisory committee gives report, recommendations

KANKAKEE — Kankakee School District 111 has a lot to work on, and last week the Kankakee School Board heard exactly where some of the problem areas are.

In their final presentation, the superintendent’s transition advisory committee co-chairs reviewed the district’s strengths and challenges and provided recommendations for improvements.

The committee’s findings will be used to inform the district’s strategic plan.

Gloria Davis and Sheila Harrison-Williams, both educational consultants and retired superintendents, led the committee that worked with Superintendent Teresa Lance during her transition into the district this school year.

“The whole thought and context behind this concept is that we can move from this transition committee into a strategic planning process to continue to move the district forward,” Davis said.

The committee of 38 volunteers met from September through November and was divided into four subcommittees: community and family engagement, educational equity, operational efficiency, and teaching and learning.

The committee reviewed recent ThoughtExchange surveys and other data during the process.

FAMILY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

The diversity of staff and students was identified as one of the district’s strengths. Strong community partnerships and athletics cultivating pride and unity were also highlighted.

However, the committee found that the district struggles with a lack of trust and a sense of division among stakeholders, as well as negative or inadequate communication and limited family involvement.

“Many individuals feel disconnected, which can hinder collaboration and create barriers to engagement,” Harrison-Williams said.

The family and community engagement subcommittee discussed adding family support specialists for grades K-12.

“Their thinking is that these specialists could serve as liaisons, helping to address concerns and facilitate communication between these groups,” Harrison-Williams said.

The subcommittee also suggested increasing cultural competency to foster trust, for instance, by continuing to build the dual language department to build rapport with the Hispanic community.

Another recommendation was to create a dedicated communications department focused on family and community engagement.

EDUCATIONAL EQUITY

The educational equity subcommittee also identified community partnerships as a strength, noting that collaborations with institutions like Kankakee Community College, Olivet Nazarene University and the Kankakee Area Career Center should continue.

The district’s extracurricular activities and its Montessori magnet and early childhood programs were highlighted as well.

But challenges exist when it comes to teacher staffing and retention and trust in the human resources department.

Davis noted that 37% of Kankakee teachers were non-licensed instructors based on the recent Illinois School Report Card.

“The thought is we need to have those that are fully licensed and qualified in their respective areas,” Davis said. “So teacher staffing, it was a critical area that the equity committee highlighted as a challenge.”

The subcommittee stressed that it is “critically important” to student success to have teachers remain within the district for years.

In addition, the lack of trust in the human resources department poses a challenge.

The committee’s recommendations were to establish policies procedures for the human resources department and to ensure they are communicated on a regular basis.

OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY

The operational efficiency subcommittee analyzed the district’s finances and facilities, looking at a facilities assessment conducted by DLA Architects in 2017 as well as the board’s latest financial report.

Safety measures were identified as both a strength and a challenge. Surveillance camera equipment is present at Kankakee Junior High School and Kankakee High School, but it is not present throughout the district.

The main challenge identified was having outdated school facilities which are in need of upgrades.

Additionally, a challenge frequently identified in the ThoughtExchange surveys was a lack of transparency and fiscal responsibility.

“The concerns were raised regarding the management of the grant funds and transparency in their use,” Harrison-Williams said. “There [were] also excessive payments to consultants mentioned as an issue that should be explored.”

District communication and procedural clarity was yet another challenge.

The committee recommended a new feasibility study and comprehensive plan for facilities improvements should be completed, as well as a cost-benefit analysis of the district’s use of consultants.

It also recommended an employee handbook is created that clearly outlines staff expectations and responsibilities.

TEACHING AND LEARNING

Some of the district’s strengths in the area of teaching and learning were noted as student diversity, program opportunities such as dual-enrollment and AP courses, and committed staff members.

Challenges included low academic performance and ineffective instructional support.

“There is a Herculean effort that is needed in making sure that students are receiving the highest quality education that they can receive,” Davis said.

Davis said that conducting a district-wide curriculum audit would be a great help with those efforts.

The board approved sending out a request for proposals for companies to conduct a curriculum audit later in the meeting.

The shortage of licensed teachers was mentioned again as a challenge in the area of teaching and learning.

Davis said the district has 83 non-licensed teachers and 177 licensed teachers.

“We know the human resources department is working very diligently to improve this statistic, but that was mentioned as a severe challenge within the district,” Davis said.

The structure of the district’s elementary schools also came up numerous times, she said.

Some students attend four to six different schools before reaching high school.

“Too many students have to go through too many different buildings before they hit high school,” Davis said.

The committee therefore recommended a restructuring of elementary and middle school buildings.

Lance said students’ low academic performance and other issues are not just the result of one factor or one person, but rather are the result of a “systemic problem.”

“We are talking about years of our students underperforming, so this is not on one individual person or persons,” Lance said. “This is a systemic issue. It starts from my level all the way down.”

https://daily-journal.com/news/dist-111-advisory-committee-gives-report-recommendations/article_7948f9f4-d83f-11ef-8dfb-9fe530e0ed37.html