Four candidates elected to Glenbrook's Board of Education

Four newly elected officials were seated to the Glenbrook High School Board of Education on Monday, May 6, during a special organizational meeting. All four candidates ran unopposed in the April 9 election and include returning members Scott Martin, Bruce Doughty and Karen Stang Hanley, and new member Cindy Wilkas.

Martin begins his second term, having been first elected in 2009. Last fall, Doughty and Hanley

New Board Member Cindy Wilkas

were appointed to serve the remainder of terms due to the unexpected vacancies left by Steve Hammer and Jeffrey Wolfson. This is the first elected term for each of them.

New member Cindy Wilkas and her family have lived in Glenview for the past nine years. She and her husband have two sons, both attending GBS. Cindy is very active in the school community. She has served on the GBS Executive Council, where she was on several subcommittees, including covering school board and legislative issues. She was also a member of the District 34 Middle School Task Force and has been a District 34 Caucus member since 2008.

In her professional career, Cindy has worked as a project manager in the healthcare, biotech and pharmaceutical industries. She has also been involved in clinical research, patient recruitment, technical marketing and medical education. Cindy earned her BA in biology from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

The Board of Education also recognized outgoing member Monica Regalbuto and thanked her for her contributions during the past four years.

Glenbrooks review feedback from digital pilot

At the Board of Education meeting on Monday, May 6, students, teachers and administrators shared feedback from the digital pilot and its impact on learning.

A total of 300 students and more than a dozen teachers were involved in a pilot program, which began at the start of the spring semester and concluded during the 4th quarter. After testing the Nexus 7 tablet and ChromeBook laptop, the group concluded that the ChromeBook best meets the needs of students for learning.

"The teachers and students selected to participate in this pilot represent a diverse population and are vital to us deciding as a district which device would offer the best educational experience," said GBS Coordinator of Instructional Technology David Jakes.

Students testing devices in the classroom.

The district is implementing a "one device for every student" philosophy, more commonly known as a 1:1 environment. To accomplish this massive undertaking, the district will expand the pilot program by providing every with freshmen and sophomore with a ChromeBook for the 2013-2014 school year.

"With at least half of our student population bringing a common device to class next year, our teachers will be able to build their capacity to infuse technology in the classroom," said GBN Coordinator of Instructional Technology Ryan Bretag. He added, "We've already implemented Google Apps, but the difference now is about access - every freshman and sophomore will have a device to utilize during class."

Teachers involved in the current pilot have shared their excitement about how mobile devices will increase student engagement and collaboration in the classroom. Having the chance to work with the devices in advance has encouraged some teachers to start brainstorming about the endless instructional possibilities that would exist.

"The pilot allows us to witness technology's impact on learning and the classroom experience of our students and staff," said Assistant Superintendent for Educational Services Dr. Rosanne Williamson. "As technology constantly changes, it will be up to us to continue to assess its long-term application to our curriculum."

The administration is recommending a ChromeBook for all freshmen and sophomores at a student cost of $40 per year for two years. The projected total cost to the district over the two-year lease agreement is $797,694. These costs would be partially offset by Title I, Medicaid, a decrease in overall technology budget for student devices, and copier/printer savings.

After the two-year lease expires, students would have the option to buy the ChromeBook for $50. The total cost for each ChromeBook is $300 and includes the device, management console and cover.