parenting

Viewpoint: Time for teacher training?
Jan 7 2011 - 2:49pm  |  Rhonda Present

Over the holidays I read an interesting Newsweek interview with the head of the American Federation of Teachers, Randi Weingarten, and philanthropist Bill Gates.

Opinion: School Holidaze
Dec 11 2010 - 1:45pm  |  Rhonda Present

While at the grocery last week I ran into a fellow D65 parent who, knowing of my years of advocacy around calendar issues, expressed her frustration with the dizzying number of days our children are off or released early from school. She went on to tick off the latest round: Nov. 3 (half day), Nov. 11 (Veteran’s holiday), Nov. 24-26 (Thanksgiving break), Dec. 1 (half day), and lest we forget, the two-week winter break that is fast approaching.

Viewpoint: D65 needs to work for families
Feb 26 2010 - 1:56pm  |  Rhonda Present

I've been saying it for years:  District 65 hasn't caught up with the needs of today's working families.  From a calendar with still too many holidays and early releases to the latest registration debacle that left parents in line for hours trying to nab a coveted kindergarten spot for their little ones, it's clear that something has got to change.

A new year for school calendars
Jan 6 2010 - 2:30pm  |  Rhonda Present

Well, another winter break is over and just as District 65 students were settling back into class, they were dismissed early today so teachers could participate in professional development training.

School Holiday Hoopla
Feb 17 2009 - 6:19pm  |  Rhonda Present

On the heels of middle school conferences and an elementary staff in-service last Friday, thousands of Evanston-Skokie District 65 students were off from school yesterday in observance of Presidents' Day.  And, they would’ve been home last Thursday too were it not for a waiver that allows us to take this holiday in lieu of Lincoln’s Birthday.

D65 Dismissal Day #1
Sep 17 2008 - 11:17am  |  Rhonda Present

Just 12 days into the start of a new school year, District 65 students will be released early today as part of a plan to give teachers more time for professional development training.

D65 Parents' Movement in the Making
Jun 10 2008 - 1:49am  |  Rhonda Present

As I walked in the door around 11:30 p.m. tonight, after returning home from the four-hour-long D65 School Board meeting, the first thing I saw was the sign my daughter stood holding earlier in the evening which read, “I matter.”  It made me sad to think that after hearing the powerful testimony of parents on how school hours impact them and their families, that D65 leaders would stand by their decision to move Lincoln, Lincolnwood, and Oakton to a later 9:00 a.m. start time beginning next year.

School Schedule Change Dismisses Parents
May 27 2008 - 1:09pm  |  Rhonda Present

If they haven’t done so already, the next time parents of Lincoln, Lincolnwood, and Oakton schools open their children’s backpacks they will find a letter from D65 Superintendent Hardy Murphy informing them that school hours will change next year. 

D65 Should Partner With Parents
May 22 2008 - 11:04am  |  Rhonda Present

Last Monday night, after getting my daughter to bed and doing the dinner dishes, I tuned in to the D65 School Board meeting.  It was around 9:30 p.m. and the public comment was just getting underway.  As I listened to the members of Citizens for Appropriate Special Education describing their struggles in getting services for their children with special needs, and heard some of the disparaging remarks being made toward them, the scene seemed strangely familiar. 

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