School District 57

Dear District 57 Parents/Guardians,

Today is School Board Members Day in Illinois. We are so fortunate to have seven dedicated Board members guiding and enhancing the quality of District 57. On this special day, we extend our deepest thanks to President Kim Fay, Vice-President Corrin Bennett-Kill, and Board members Vicki Chung, Jen Ciok, Eileen Kowalczyk, Chris Lettow, and Pam Nelson. Their leadership, passion, and collaborative spirit have been instrumental in fostering a positive and enriching educational environment.

What does our Board do?

Each of our seven Board members was elected to champion the educational needs and aspirations of children in our community. Their responsibilities include policy development, budget oversight, hiring & evaluation, curriculum & education programs oversight, community engagement, and legal & ethical compliance.

Deciding to dedicate what little free time you have to the betterment of your community takes true commitment and personal sacrifice. Today, let us take a moment to reflect on the profound impact these individuals have on our community. Their selfless dedication and countless hours of service ensure that our schools remain a beacon of learning, growth, and opportunity for all our students.

If you have the chance, consider sending them a special message here to convey your appreciation for the positive changes they help bring about in the lives of our children.

Last night, the District Board of Education met in an open session in the Fairview Multipurpose Room. You can view the meeting in its entirety here. Here are a few highlights from the evening.

Principal Danielle Crandall highlighted special STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) programming in the Learning Resource Center at Westbrook School for Young Learners. Librarian Carol Capra, Instruction andTechnology Coach Kim Stortz, Instructional Assistant Darshana Shah, and classroom teachers Melissa Grossmayer, Amanda Bruns, Carly Fergus, and Kristi Zakula all partnered to fill October with incredible STEAM programming meant to engage, immerse, and challenge these young students. Check out this District 57 Spotlight video to learn all about it!

Dr. Kristin Vonder Haar, Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning, presented the 2023 Illinois School Report Card and the Fall Benchmarking Data. I’m excited to share that all four of our schools are performing near or above the score for the Exemplary status, the top designation given to a school on the Illinois School Report Card. This reflects the hard work of our staff and students - I couldn’t be prouder. Additionally, District 57 and District 214 have partnered to share data that will underscore how our students perform at Prospect High School. We are very excited about this partnership - it will help inform decisions at the District-level that will have a lasting impact on student success beyond our four schools.

I gave the Board an update on the District’s new Principal Advisory Committees (PAC). These committees focus on expanding student voice and engagement, a goal of our Strategic Plan. Each school invited interested students to join the PAC to provide their building administrators feedback on various items and to share ideas for improving student experiences at these schools.

As we head into the holiday season, I want to thank you for all the school support you provide your child/ren and our staff. District 57 is truly a special place and I am deeply grateful each and every day to be a part of it.

In the spirit of education,

Dr. Mary Gorr

Email: mgorr@d57.org
Website: https://www.d57.org/
Location: 701 West Gregory Street, Mount Prospect, IL, USA
Phone: 847-394-7300
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dist57/
Twitter: @dist57