2020-21 School Year Planning
Superintendent Advisory Panel
On Oct. 23, District 97 Superintendent Carol Kelley announced that she was convening a new advisory panel to provide input on the district’s draft plans to safely transition students and staff back to in-person instruction. Information about the panel can be found below.
Meeting Recaps
Charge of the Superintendent’s Advisory Panel
The Superintendent’s Advisory Panel meetings will have the following goals:
- 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.
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.
Timeline
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| 10/29 (6 p.m. - 8 p.m.) | 1st meeting of Superintendent’s Advisory Panel: Discuss goals/plan for working together |
| 11/5 (6 p.m. - 8 p.m.) |
2nd meeting of Superintendent’s Advisory Panel: Present findings from community conversations |
| 11/10 (7 p.m.) | BOE Meeting (Special Report - Share Update of SAP’s progress) |
| 11/13 (8 a.m. - 10 a.m.) |
3rd meeting of Superintendent’s Advisory Panel: Provide guidance for plan that will be presented to BOE |
| 11/19 (6 p.m. - 8 p.m.) |
4th meeting of Superintendent’s Advisory Panel: Provide guidance for plan that will be presented to BOE |
| 12/1 (7 p.m.) | Superintendent’s Advisory Panel (with full BOE) discusses revised plan with BOE |
| 12/15 (7 p.m.) | Superintendent’s Advisory Panel (with full BOE) anticipates BOE endorsement of plan |
Communication Archive
An archive of the district's communication about 2020-21 planning is included below.
- MyD97 Weekly Wrap-Up: Nov. 20, 2020
- D97 Superintendent Advisory Panel: Nov. 13 Meeting Recording and Highlights
- District 97 Family Survey Results - November 2020
- District 97 Adaptive Pause Extended to November 30
- MyD97 Weekly Wrap-Up: Nov. 13 2020
- D97 Superintendent Advisory Panel: Nov. 5 Meeting Recording and Highlights
- MyD97 Weekly Wrap-Up: Nov. 6, 2020
- MyD97 Weekly Wrap-Up: Oct. 30, 2020
- D97 Superintendent Advisory Panel: Oct. 29 Meeting Recording and Highlights
- Adaptive Pause for District 97 On-Site Programs Beginning Oct. 28
- MyD97 Weekly Wrap-Up: Oct. 23, 2020
- District 97 Forming New Advisory Panel for School Reopening Plans - Oct. 23, 2020
- MyD97 Weekly Wrap-Up: Oct. 16, 2020
- Update on School Reopening Plans - Oct. 14, 2020
- MyD97 Weekly Wrap-Up: Oct. 10, 2020
- District 97 Framework for Reopening Schools - Oct. 9, 2020
- MyD97 Weekly Wrap-Up: Oct. 2, 2020
- FAQ: District 97 Guiding Metrics and Phased Attendance Approach - Oct, 2, 2020
- Statement from D97 Superintendent Carol Kelley - Oct. 1, 2020
- MyD97 Weekly Wrap-Up: Sept. 25, 2020
- D97 Planning Update: Guiding Metrics and a Phased Attendance Approach - Sept. 25, 2020
- MyD97 Weekly Wrap-Up: Sept. 18, 2020
- Updated Remote Learning FAQ - Sept. 18, 2020
- MyD97 Weekly Wrap-Up: Sept. 11, 2020
- MyD97 Weekly Wrap-Up: Sept. 4, 2020
- D97 Back to School Updates: Aug. 28, 2020
- D97 Back to School Updates: Aug. 21, 2020
- D97 Board Approves 2020-21 Calendar with Modified Winter Break (Aug. 21, 2020)
- D97 Back to School Updates: Aug. 14, 2020
- District 97 to Continue Weekly Meal Distributions through Aug. 24 (Aug. 6, 2020)
- Information from Community Child Care Providers for 2020-21 School Year (Aug. 2, 2020)
- 7/27 Remote Learning Town Hall - Recording and FAQ (July 28, 2020)
- D97 Reopening Update - July 23, 2020
- District 97 Back-to-School Update - July 9, 2020
- District 97 Board to Hold Special Meeting on Fall 2020 Planning (July 2, 2020)
- D97 Planning Update - June 30, 2020
- Illinois Releases Guidance for 2020-21 School Year - June 23, 2020
- Remote Learning Feedback from Spring 2020 - June 19, 2020
- An Update from Superintendent Carol Kelley - June 12, 2020
- Update on Summer Programming in District 97 - June 5, 2020
- Presentation: COVID-19 Transition Planning Update - May 26, 2020
- Presentation: Preparing for the Potential Financial Impact of COVID-19 - May 26, 2020
- "Planning Update for the 2020-21 School Year in District 97" - May 20, 2020
COVID-19 Transition Planning Team
In May 2020, District 97 assembled a transition planning team that is tasked with implementing a safe, efficient and equitable return to school in the fall. The team is focused on five key areas: Safety Protocols/Operations, District Calendar and Schedule Options, Learning Models, Social Emotional/Wellness Supports, Financial Impact.
The sub-groups are meeting weekly to plan a number of viable scenarios for opening school. To learn more about each team's work, please click the accordian below.
Updated July 1, 2020
Charge
- Adapt all processes and timelines necessary to prepare for the new school year.
- Create safety plans to limit symptomatic and asymptomatic spread.
- Develop and implement strategies to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.
Key Priorities
Next Few Weeks:
- Determining if we have the supplies we need to maintain heightened prevention measures and placing those supply orders for all buildings.
- Finalizing how we will screen employees and what procedures they should follow for safety purposes
- Identify obstacles to social distancing and establish ways to overcome them.
Next Few Months:
- Determining if we have the supplies we need to maintain heightened prevention measures and placing those supply orders for all buildings.
- Develop school-level procedures to limit sharing of high-touch items (classrooms, desks, supplies, student cubby areas, tools, etc.).
- Develop awareness campaign/training modules for staff, students, and parents/guardians.
- Develop safety plan for when a staff member, child, or visitor becomes sick.
Charge
- Prepare for the possibility that the start of the 2020-21 school year may need to be delayed, and design various school calendars if the start is delayed.
- Create plans to restore operations in phases.
Key Priorities
Next Few Weeks:
- Examine various calendar options—remote, hybrid, on-site or combinations.
- Evaluate various start/end dates of school year.
- Determine professional development needs in terms of the number of Teacher Institute days.
- Flesh out various calendar models.
- Collaborate with other sub-committees to ensure practicality of models and alignment with their work.
Next Few Months:
- Continue to collaborate with other sub-committees to ensure alignment.
- Present various models to all stakeholders and get feedback.
- Determine challenges of each model and collaborate to resolve (food service, transportation, facilities, bargaining agreements, childcare, etc.)
- Examine information to determine best options and timelines for each.
- Collaborate with the Communications Department to create communication.
Charge
- Develop a variety of plans to blend classroom and distance learning as an alternative to school closures.
- Consider the precautions necessary to protect students with special needs relative to the threat posed by COVID-19.
- Create plans to assess and respond to the uneven outcomes created by school closures.
-
Develop a continuum of distance learning options (when we reopen).
Key Priorities
Next Few Weeks:
- Finalize the charge of the subcommittees (data gathering, learning models, accelerated learning plans, common assessments, professional learning, additional supports).
- Synthesize feedback from parents, teachers and students.
- Flesh out learning plans based on several return-to-onsite-learning scenarios.
Next Few Months:
- Develop scope and sequence with a focus on acceleration of student learning.
- Develop a diagnostic/common assessment system that can be administered flexibly.
- Deliver the professional learning needed for District 97 staff to continue to ensure that student learning models are reflective of our “new normal."
- Codify the strategies and supports needed to support students with disabilities and English learners.
Charge
- Develop plans to support the mental health of students and families.
- Continue/refine plans to provide access to school meal programs for qualifying students who are impacted by COVID-19.
- Develop procedures to identify and assist students who are experiencing homelessness.
Key Priorities
Next Few Weeks:
- Continue sub-team work with those members who are able to continue working beyond June 5.
- Engage teachers, school leaders, key community partners in providing iterative feedback on sub-team plans.
- By July 1, complete initial drafts from each sub-team.
- PBIS/Culture and Climate team planning days (June 15 and 16).
Next Few Months:
- Work with key community partners to determine how they will support the SEL needs of our students and staff.
- Based on district calendar, finalize meal delivery program.
- Finalize processes for supporting students and families experiencing homelessness.
- Make recommendations to Professional Learning Committee on SEL/Trauma-Informed Care professional learning for staff.
Charge
- Advocate with state legislators to provide funding to make summer acceleration programs available to all students.
- Collaborate with employee associations when developing plans that impact the work of their members.
Key Priorities
Next Few Weeks:
- Project financial impact of potential reducing funding from the state.
- Plan summer food services for the families. The current program expires on June 30.
- Identify potential barriers that are not allowing our families to access our services.
Next Few Months:
- Monitor Gov. Pritzker’s plan for reopening the state.Identify the employees who will serve in different roles to support students and families.
- Consider impact of more families deciding to pull their students out (virtual school district, homeschooling, private school).
- Consider financial impact of additional expenses due to pandemic.