LM Nov-Dec_2023

Education Elevat g

Palzet ... cont’d. Dr. Palzet said the district has focused on a combination of factors to improve student outcomes, including adopting a new curriculum, applying targeted interventions, family outreach and improving climate and culture. “We’re proud of what we have accomplished because of how hard everyone has worked to implement programs and interventions that lead to high level student outcomes,” Dr. Palzet said. “We focus on how we can incrementally get one step closer every day to reaching our goals.” A unique trait of Pleasantdale SD #107 is its emphasis on student voice. The elementary district in Burr Ridge involves students in strategic planning conversations and even has a student on the interview committee for administrative positions. “We try to implement student voice in everything that we do,” Dr. Palzet said. Dr. Palzet is also active outside his school district. He serves as President of the Suburban Superintendent Association and West Suburban Consortium for Academic Excellence. Leaders in the consortium of 14 school districts come together to celebrate student successes and provide different opportunities such as civic action opportunities, leadership conferences and an art expo. “We recognized that our individual districts could not provide these enrichment opportunities on our own, but we could expand opportunities for students if we came together and pooled resources,” Dr. Palzet said. In addition, he serves as Region President for the IASA Cook West Region and is an ISAL Fellow.

Darnell ... cont’d.

rated Exemplary and the other two buildings Commendable. Students scored among the highest regionally on the state’s Science Assessment. The reason for the success comes back to dedicated, passionate and knowledgeable teachers, Darnell said. That’s why the district has continuously made strides to cultivate a positive work culture. For example, as part of its last labor agreement, Gibson City Melvin Sibley CUSD #5 added six weeks of paid maternity leave (12 total) to the birthing parent and two additional weeks of paid maternity leave to the non-birthing parent. “We value making our community a place where you can work and grow your family,” Darnell said. “We think you should be able to do that without sacrificing compensation.” Furthermore, Gibson City-Melvin Sibley CUSD #5 made the decision to provide all staff with a $1,000 cost of living bonus in November. Additional positions have also been added in recent years. The district has added two social workers, bringing the total to four, and a Director of Instructional Technology. Investments in the staff and improvements to the district have come with the taxpayer in mind. For the past seven years, Gibson City-Melvin Sibley CUSD #5 has reduced its tax rate, despite also completing $14 million in facility improvements. “We’ve made a concerted effort to spend money wisely by doing the most we can with the resources we have,” Darnell said. Darnell also serves as Chairman of the Illinois Educators Risk Management Program, a 34-district insurance cooperative, and is a former Region President for the Corn Belt Region. He currently is in the ISAL VII cohort.

ISDLAF+ Monthly Update Click here to view the most current ISDLAF+ rates, economic indicators and general economic news brief. To obtain additional information regarding this IASA sponsored service, contact Fenil J. Patel, Senior Vice President, Investment Services/ISDLAF+ at 630–657–6437, or email: fpatel@ pmanetwork.com. Website: www.pmanetwork.com.

13 LM Holidays 2023