Message from D57 Board of Education President

On October 22, 2013, a joint press release was issued regarding the fact that negotiations between the Mt Prospect Education Association (MPEA) and the District will reconvene under the direction of a mediator from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services (FMCS) as we work towards a contract agreement.  The Board of Education would like to share with you the following information. 

The Board wants a contract that is FAIR for Students.

•         Our Vision Statement calls for District 57 to provide an “exceptional educational experience for all young learners.” The Board wants a contract that puts our students’ needs first.

•         Our students and their families have given through increased class size, reduced programs and increased fees. 

The Board wants a contract that is FAIR for Teachers.

•         The Board acknowledges and honors the outstanding job our teachers do each and every day preparing our children to learn and succeed in a changing world. 

•             The Board recognizes that the teachers have given through salary freezes, increased class sizes and increased workload that have contributed to the district’s financial position.

•          This Board wants a contract that recognizes and rewards our teachers of all experience levels and training for their hard work—and great success—moving our students forward academically.

•          This contract should include a salary structure that enables District 57 to attract and retain the best teachers.

The Board wants a contract that is FAIR for Taxpayers.

•          Our Vision Statement calls for the Board to be responsible stewards of the taxpayers’ dollars.    Like any family or company, we need to live within our means.

•          The Board wants a contract that minimizes the tax burden for the entire community, including those on fixed incomes.

•          This contract should respect and reflect the challenging fiscal times in which we live.

Welcome to the 2013-2014 School Year

Welcome to the 2013-2014 school year from the Board of Education.  It was wonderful to see so many parents and guardians at the back to school nights last week!

The Board consists of seven volunteer members who are elected by the community. Our primary work is to set the district’s mission and goals and monitor district performance.

Our district’s mission is “Preparing children to learn and succeed in a changing world”. Our district’s goals can be found in our Strategic Plan. The Board revises the Strategic Plan in the spring of each year. It is posted on the District 57 homepage, and I encourage you to read it. It is a short read and summarizes all the improvement work that is going on in the district. The Board also uses the Strategic Plan as the basis for monitoring district performance.

Now that you know the basics about what the Board does, I encourage you to contact us with your thoughts on district goals and performance. There are several ways you can share your perspective with board members.  Community members can address the Board at all of our meetings. The meetings are usually the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month in the Fairview Multipurpose Room; meeting details are always posted in advance on the district website.

You can also email the entire Board using the Board Feedback form on the district website. This form allows you to send an email to the entire board with just one click.   Individual board member email address are also listed on the website.

The Board of Education continues to work diligently to keep District 57 a premier district in the area. We couldn’t do it without the help of all of you, the parents and guardians, the teachers, the support staff, the administrators and of course the reason we are all here, our amazing students. The Board wishes you all a wonderful school year.