Candidates forum-It's official and on the website

Monday, March 23, 2009 from 7p.m.–9p.m. at the East Aurora School Service Center there will be an East Aurora School Board Candidates’ Forum. Voters will have the opportunity to meet each of the candidates and to submit questions to be answered during the forum. Voters can also watch the forum LIVE on the East Aurora website, www.d131.org, and access it anytime thereafter in the video vault on the website. The forum is open to the public. Seating is limited. For more info visit the above website.

Digital curriculum

What do you know about a digital curriculum. The topic will be coming up soon in 131. Start educating yourself and others, so we may be prepared. I will give a brief explanation and update the posting in the very near future.

"Digital curriculum has many advantages over traditional, paper-based curriculum. If it is web-based, it can be readily accessible from any Internet-connected computer, can be accessible to people with disabilities, can be readily updated, and is often more current. Often and increasingly, it is free!"

Should this type of educational technology be implemented in our eastside schools?

What transparency means to me.....

During the last 2 years or so, "transparency" seems to be a term frequently used to invoke a sense of trust.
EA District 131 Superintendent used the term when trying to encourage voters to vote for a referendum. Our newly elected U.S. President has promised it, and most recently one of our Aurora Mayoral candidates promises "transparency & accountability."

*Definition of transparent:
1. obvious and easy to recognize: clearly recognizable as what it, he, or she really is
a transparent motive

2. frank: completely open and frank about things
was grateful for the transparent honesty of the reply

What do you see, or wish to see, be more transparent on the eastside of Aurora?



*Encarta ® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1998-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

From the 131 website-Board candidates

Seven candidates have filed the necessary paperwork to be included
on the April 7 ballot for the four open positions on the
East Aurora School District 131 Board of Education.

In alphabetical order, the candidates are:
􀂃 Samuel W. Carson III – 1126 Homer Ave., Aurora 60505
􀂃 Fernando Chapa – 541 Saddle Lane, Aurora 60505
􀂃 Stella Gonzalez – 1747 Briarheath Road, Aurora 60505
􀂃 Annette Johnson – 1050 Northfield Dr., Aurora 60505
􀂃 Anita Lewis – 322 Grant Place, Aurora 60505
􀂃 (Incumbent) Fernando Salinas, Jr. – 1262 Church Road, Aurora 60505
􀂃 (Incumbent) Juanita Wells – 1737 Indian Avenue, Aurora 60505

There are four open positions on the ballot; three 4-year terms
and one 2-year term.
Chapa, Gonzalez, Johnson, Lewis, and Salinas are running for the 4-year terms. Carson and Wells are running for the 2-year term.
Board Members Robert ‘Bob’ McCue and Ken Maurice are not seeking re-election.

Happy New Year to all my fellow bloggers

Family time, especially during the holidays, takes priority over everything in our home. So,I have no new discussion issues to post at this time. I thought I'd open a 2009 opportunity for predictions. Serious, silly, or knowledgeable insight....let's hear what our community looks for in the new year.

I am optimistic for the coming year. We have a new president. Elections are coming for our local officials and District 131 school board members. I feel confident, that a good mix for good government in Aurora will be in place this next year.

For fun, share your predictions for East Aurora.

131 Director won't blow his own horn......

So I will!

Kevin Kaisershot Wins Teacher's March Composition Contest

ASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers, is pleased to announce that Kevin Kaisershot of Aurora, Illinois has been chosen as the winner of the Teacher's March composition contest. His work will be debuted at MENC's Music Education Week in Washington on June 18, 2009.

MENC would like to thank ASCAP's members and all of the composers who submitted compositions to this contest, as well as the contest's judges who graciously donated their time to this endeavor.

(MENC: National Association for Music Education formally known as Music Educators National Conference)

Conference in Chicago this weekend, reps from 131 will attend

This is a letter to the editor from a paper in McHenry County, that was emailed to me. One man's POV on school board conferences. (May be seen at: http://www.nwherald.com/articles/2008/11/19/opinion/letters/doc4923ed1f7f70d289859069.txt )

Many professions have associations for workers with similar jobs to share ideas and successes. The government “public” school industry takes this concept to an incredible (and costly) level.

School boards, administrators, business officials, principals, public relations officials, nurses, science teachers, psychologists, transportation directors, special education administrators, superintendents, social workers, food service managers – to name a few – all have “associations.” For a partial list, visit www.chrisjenner.org/SchoolAssociations.htm.

Many of these associations maintain legislative agendas, some of which promote more and more revenue, while very few drive for responsible spending or improved student achievement.

The annual climax of school associations in Illinois is November 21-23. More than 12,000 school people swarm over three downtown Chicago hotels, all courtesy of Illinois taxpayers. No fewer than nine seminars are offered on how to raise taxes. More than 250 vendors will tout their architectural, financial, and legal services; carpets, roofs, bleachers, etc.

A handful will offer products and services actually related to learning.

Ask your local school officials what’s spent on this “conference” and how the improvement in our schools is measured. What did your public school district’s architects, accountants, and lawyers spend entertaining their “clients” – with what’s ultimately public money?