Schools
HINSDALE, IL – Hinsdale High School District 86 board members this week criticized the superintendent's targets for student performance.
They said Superintendent Michael Lach should aim higher.
At Wednesday's meeting, board President Catherine Greenspon questioned why it took so long for Lach to present his numbers to the board.
"It's unfortunate that we didn't start talking about this in February or March or April or May," she said. "That is a shame. All of us could have been working really hard for the last couple of months together. That is highly unfortunate."
She noted the board has held two special meetings on the issue in July. The board originally planned no meetings this month, which is traditionally the slowest of the year for schools.
For next year, Lach presented 1 percentage point increases in student performance in a variety of categories.
For instance, Lach aimed for 84 percent of Hinsdale Central students to be proficient in the English part of the ACT next year, up from 83 percent. At Hinsdale South, the target would be 62 percent, up from 61 percent.
Board member Jeff Waters differed with Lach.
"Don't you want to shoot for the stars and be happy we wind up somewhere south of there?" he said. "There is no motivation to these targets."
Member Mary Satchwell agreed.
"It's disappointing to say the least," she said. "If we don't set a high bar, we're bound to be disappointed. I would rather see us aim high and miss than aim low and make a target that we should be able to make easily."
Member Baron Leacock said the 1 percentage point increases mean little, saying they could be the difference between "a handful of kids getting up on the right side or the wrong side of bed in the morning."
Member Liz Mitha said the "lowball" numbers "deeply upset" her.
She pointed out that one of the goals would be a drop from where Hinsdale Central is now. Last year, 98 percent of Central freshmen met the "freshman on track" standard. Next year's goal is "95% or better."
"That is a decline in expectations," she said.
Asked about the goals, Central Principal Bill Walsh said he "concurred with much of what (Lach) said."
He said he would be honored to set higher benchmarks, adding he likes working at Central because of its historically high expectations.
He said he probably should have asked more questions about what the board wanted.
"I interpreted this meeting about comparing me honestly from last year's numbers to this year's numbers. So I did. So if that was a poor interpretation on my part, I will own that," the principal said. "I only set those metrics, I'll be honest, probably out of a little fear and trepidation, but it was not meant as a backward step for District 86 or Hinsdale Central Red Devils. It was not that."
The board then asked Walsh and South Principal Kari Peronto to provide targets. For the various categories, they upped the benchmarks by a few percentage points.
Greenspon said it was important for administrators to understand what the board wants.
"Superintendent Lach, I hold you responsible and accountable because it's very clear you created this document," she said.
At a meeting a month ago, the board pressed Lach for quicker action on drafting a list of goals and ways to achieve them.
He proposed that the board come back to him at its August meeting with feedback on "where we need to go" and "how we can get there." This is reaching the district's "north star," Lach said.
He proposed getting the work done from August to January.
Greenspon and other board members disliked the timeline.
"If we wait until August, we're going to be spinning our wheels because, quite literally, we're missing another year," Greenspon said. "I'm not trying to rush the work. But if we could provide some feedback and direction right now, it would be great."
Board member Asma Akhras agreed.
"You've had a whole year," she said.
District 86 is missing a key official who would be involved in the process. The position of assistant superintendent for academics went vacant July 1.
The former assistant superintendent gave the district five months' notice. Officials now say it could take another year to get the post filled permanently.