Last week we shared with the community that District 97 Superintendent Carol Kelley would be convening an advisory panel to provide input on the district’s draft plans to safely transition students and staff back to in-person instruction.
The panel's first meeting was held Thursday, Oct. 29. Details and updates about the advisory panel will be shared weekly and posted to the district website at: https://www.op97.org/updatecenter/2020-21-planning.
Oct. 29 Meeting Recording and Highlights
Meeting Recording: Click here to view the Oct. 29 advisory panel meeting.
Panel Members
Click here for the full list of advisory panel members. The panel is composed of 72 members total, including 48 staff members and two representatives from the District 97 Board of Education. There are 30 parents total, including 10 staff members, seven medical professionals and our two board members.
The panelists represent all 10 of our schools, a wide variety of grade levels, student needs, demographic backgrounds and individual circumstances.
Highlights
The group went over the norms, commitments and objectives of the panel:
- Reflect on the current hybrid learning plan and identify areas for further clarification and improvement.
- Ensure that additional parent, staff and community input is reflected in the hybrid learning plan.
- Make recommendations to the superintendent and leadership team to refine the draft hybrid learning plan.
- Present updated hybrid learning plan to the District 97 Board of Education in the December meeting for approval.
The large group spent 30 minutes sharing general thoughts and discussing some of the major considerations regarding the district's hybrid learning plan. Panelists were then divided into six breakout groups for further discussion: Social-Emotional Learning and Support, Elementary School Learning Models, Middle School Learning Models, Health and Safety, Community Engagement and Family Support.
Next Steps
- The next advisory panel meeting will be held Thursday, Nov. 5, at 6 p.m.
- District 97 staff have developed a survey to send to families in early November. The draft will be shared with the panel and District 97 Board of Education for feedback before it is finalized and shared with the community.
- The district will continue to provide weekly updates on its progress. (Click here for the panel's charge and timeline.)