Support Our Schools Highland Park Platform
Support Our Schools Highland Park Platform
Commitment to All Children: We, as a Board, have worked and will continue to work to make sure every child in our district has the opportunity to reach his/her full potential. This is not an easy task, but we have made some important strides and are eager to see new initiatives take root. We have worked with administration to ensure that new programming, both during and after school, is equitable for all children. We have also asked the administration to look at student discipline, and to begin to develop restorative justice practices throughout the district. To this end, an Excellent and Equity Committee has been formed to address the issues of educational and discipline equity—two top priorities of the current Board.
Open, Transparent Governance: We are committed to engaging the public and school community in the Board’s decision making. We have welcomed several changes to how the Board conducts business to support this vision. Most importantly, the structure of Board meetings has been altered to include a Workshop Session followed one week later by a Voting Session. This gives Board members the opportunity to discuss issues in depth prior to voting, and gives the public advance notice of any issue to be voted upon. Board meetings are now live-streamed on the district’s website, which gives more members of our community the opportunity to participate in the Board’s process. In addition, Board members are active liaisons to other Boards and commissions throughout our community, and report back to the full Board on a monthly basis.
Accountable Hiring Practices: It is imperative that the district’s leadership reflect the goals of the community. To this end, the Personnel Committee now participates in the hiring of all Central Office positions. Personnel Committee members can then recommend candidates to the full board, and the full board can vote to hire new candidates with confidence. Candidates also come before the full Board before the Board votes, which gives candidates the opportunity to share her/his background and express a vision for the future of our schools.
Fiscal Responsibility: The Board’s process in planning for the 2016-17 budget was unequaled in recent years. Finance Committee members met frequently in the months prior to the first public budget discussion. All members of the Finance Committee went through the budget line by line with building and district administrators in order to have a thorough understanding of each and every line item. The Finance Committee also took the time to meet with members of the public at various locations around town to answer questions and seek input from taxpayers. We pledge to continue this level of diligence and transparency in future budget cycles.
Planning Together for the District’s Future: The Board and the District worked together this year to engage in a meaningful strategic planning process, called the Pathway to Excellence. The process gave over 60 parents, staff members, students, and community members the opportunity to work together to set mutually agreed upon goals for the future of the district. Participants will stay involved in the process as the goals are put into practice by the administration, to ensure that the community’s vision is maintained in the process.
Maintaining Respectful, Collegial District Relationships: This year the Board’s Negotiations Committee successfully negotiated a one-year extension to the Highland Park Education Association’s (HPEA) contract, and the Board and the District are very close to reaching settlement agreements in the four cases that arose from the 2013 Reduction in Force. The HPEA, the Board, and the District have all made efforts to put the tumultuous past behind us, and to develop strong working relationships moving forward. A school district is a system, and for the system to function well for the students it serves, all parts of that system must be treated respectfully, and must be given a voice. The Support Our Schools slate is committed to maintaining respectful, collegial relationships with our teachers, support staff, and administration.
As the Support Our School HP 2016 candidates, we ask for your support so that we can continue to lead our community in this crucial work. We are committed to ensuring that the Highland Park Public School District is well run, and that our school community, students and staff alike, are treated with respect.
Commitment to All Children: We, as a Board, have worked and will continue to work to make sure every child in our district has the opportunity to reach his/her full potential. This is not an easy task, but we have made some important strides and are eager to see new initiatives take root. We have worked with administration to ensure that new programming, both during and after school, is equitable for all children. We have also asked the administration to look at student discipline, and to begin to develop restorative justice practices throughout the district. To this end, an Excellent and Equity Committee has been formed to address the issues of educational and discipline equity—two top priorities of the current Board.
Open, Transparent Governance: We are committed to engaging the public and school community in the Board’s decision making. We have welcomed several changes to how the Board conducts business to support this vision. Most importantly, the structure of Board meetings has been altered to include a Workshop Session followed one week later by a Voting Session. This gives Board members the opportunity to discuss issues in depth prior to voting, and gives the public advance notice of any issue to be voted upon. Board meetings are now live-streamed on the district’s website, which gives more members of our community the opportunity to participate in the Board’s process. In addition, Board members are active liaisons to other Boards and commissions throughout our community, and report back to the full Board on a monthly basis.
Accountable Hiring Practices: It is imperative that the district’s leadership reflect the goals of the community. To this end, the Personnel Committee now participates in the hiring of all Central Office positions. Personnel Committee members can then recommend candidates to the full board, and the full board can vote to hire new candidates with confidence. Candidates also come before the full Board before the Board votes, which gives candidates the opportunity to share her/his background and express a vision for the future of our schools.
Fiscal Responsibility: The Board’s process in planning for the 2016-17 budget was unequaled in recent years. Finance Committee members met frequently in the months prior to the first public budget discussion. All members of the Finance Committee went through the budget line by line with building and district administrators in order to have a thorough understanding of each and every line item. The Finance Committee also took the time to meet with members of the public at various locations around town to answer questions and seek input from taxpayers. We pledge to continue this level of diligence and transparency in future budget cycles.
Planning Together for the District’s Future: The Board and the District worked together this year to engage in a meaningful strategic planning process, called the Pathway to Excellence. The process gave over 60 parents, staff members, students, and community members the opportunity to work together to set mutually agreed upon goals for the future of the district. Participants will stay involved in the process as the goals are put into practice by the administration, to ensure that the community’s vision is maintained in the process.
Maintaining Respectful, Collegial District Relationships: This year the Board’s Negotiations Committee successfully negotiated a one-year extension to the Highland Park Education Association’s (HPEA) contract, and the Board and the District are very close to reaching settlement agreements in the four cases that arose from the 2013 Reduction in Force. The HPEA, the Board, and the District have all made efforts to put the tumultuous past behind us, and to develop strong working relationships moving forward. A school district is a system, and for the system to function well for the students it serves, all parts of that system must be treated respectfully, and must be given a voice. The Support Our Schools slate is committed to maintaining respectful, collegial relationships with our teachers, support staff, and administration.
As the Support Our School HP 2016 candidates, we ask for your support so that we can continue to lead our community in this crucial work. We are committed to ensuring that the Highland Park Public School District is well run, and that our school community, students and staff alike, are treated with respect.
