April 15, 2016
 Our Vision: Ignite Passion. Inspire Excellence. Imagine Possibilities.

Making Decisions Today...Educating for the Future

Dear District 41 Community
,

At a recent DuPage IASB (Illinois Association of School Boards) meeting I was part of a discussion with board members and superintendents from other DuPage districts about the lack of a state budget and the precarious impact on funding for pre-kindergarten through higher education. Larry Dietz, president, Illinois State University, was quoted in a Chicago Tribune article, "My overall concern is the tarnishing of the brand of higher education in the state of Illinois that this budget impasse is creating. Every day, every month that we have this uncertainty is another day and another month that tarnishes the brand." (April 3, 2016)

Illinois colleges are under pressure and in jeopardy of pulling apart when educators at all levels and community members who care about education must be unified. 

Elementary and secondary education prepares children and young adults for college and vocations open to the imagination, a D41 Learner Characteristic, as our country and world is shifting and unpredictable. Every week there are multiple articles in the Daily Herald and Chicago Tribune about educational activities and programs that lay the foundation for students to explore and push self or other-imposed limitations to find interests they were unaware of until they were exposed to them. The prospects for vocations and careers that students have before them are vast. The graphic below (LinkedIn February 2016) shows how employee work life and options have evolved. We all experience this in our organizations where adapting to these changes is expected.



The D41 Board of Education and the Administration are in the midst of budget planning for 2016-2017 and the state's inaction on a K-12 and state budget is a local DuPage County educational community concern. Our unified voice as board members for exceptional learning experiences in pre-school/elementary and middle school supporting a challenging high school curriculum is crucial. All school districts are connected and represent children and parents who believe that education is the key to a hopeful and successful future that must always be growing and evolving along with our students. Education is not static. Education is transformational.  

This call to action to think about and beyond D41 requires parents, community members and advocates for education to speak up - our schools are pivotal in preparing our children for their own diverse future.


Sincerely,
Erica Nelson, President
Glen Ellyn School District 41 Board of Education
 

 
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