Dear District 57 Staff and Parents,
May marks Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, a celebration of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States. I would like to formally recognize the rich cultural diversity and the historical legacy of Asian/Pacific Americans, especially those in our District 57 family. I am so grateful for such a culturally diverse community and all the richness this diversity brings with it.
Tuesday night’s Board of Education meeting began with a special treat - a Westbrook 1st-grade Chorus performance! Special thanks to the families who brought their child(ren) for this special event, the 1st graders for singing their hearts out, Julia Clarke for her hard work and commitment as Westbrook’s music teacher, and to Danielle Crandall and Karl Anderson for conducting the performance in Julia’s absence.
To view the entire May 16 Board Meeting, please visit this link. Below are some highlights from the meeting:
NSSEO Superintendent Judy Hackett and Assistant Superintendent Julie Jilek summarized NSSEO’s many successes this school year, along with their District 57 budget presentation for the 2023-2024 school year. District 57 procures special education services from NSSEO on an as-needed basis. NSSEO has been a long-standing, invaluable resource for our district, and we are grateful for their partnership. The Board approved the 2023-2024 NSSEO Budget.
Dr. Ivette Dubiel of Systemic Educational Equity presented the findings and recommendations from the D57 Equity Audit, which can be found here. District 57 proactively pursued this Equity Audit to better understand strengths and weaknesses in this area in order to continuously improve how we provide an excellent education for all students. The Equity Audit findings were reported across five key areas: Systems; Teaching & Learning; Student Voice, Climate & Culture Findings; Professional Learning; and Family & Community as Agency Findings. The next steps will include the Disrict Equity Leadership Team reconvening in the fall to review the audit findings and recommendations, consider how these recommendations may fall under the 5-Year District Strategic Plan, which will be presented to the Board of Education at the June 15 Board Meeting, and present any recommendations to the Board in the late fall/early winter of next year. Any actions the district makes as a result of this audit will be reported to the Board at a later date.
Thank you for taking the time to read this message. We are enjoying these last few days with our students and staff. This year has been incredible, and I continue to thank each of you for your partnership and commitment to the education of all our D57 students.
In the spirit of education,
Dr. Mary Gorr, Superintendent
