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Schuler ... cont’d. issues. Dr. Schuler has shared the district’s approach to boosting teacher morale as a presenter at conferences. “We use that data to really prioritize strategies and supports to make sure our employees feel good and have a strong sense of efficacy in the job they are doing in our district,” Dr. Schuler said. CUSD #200 has also been proactive in strengthening social-emotional supports for students under Dr. Schuler’s leadership. The district built a program called the Living Room that is designed to support students returning from significant levels of crisis and mental health challenges. The idea was based on a community program developed by NAMI of DuPage County. “It’s a designated place staffed by a counselor or mental health specialist that serves as a drop-in space for students who experienced trauma and need support to develop some calming and regulation strategies,” Dr. Schuler said. Throughout his career, Dr. Schuler has been a leader in sharing effective communications strategies, especially in crisis situations. One way CUSD #200 improves responses to crisis situations is by actively engaging in conversations around emergency preparedness with first responders and community partners. “They often say in crisis situations that organizations tend to default to the level of training or preparedness their employees have,” Dr. Schuler said. “That’s always resonated with us, so the more we can do to be prepared for crisis situations, even if we don’t know all the details, the better response we will have.” Dr. Schuler and his staff have also been focused on developing a new strategic plan and utilizing a strategic dashboard, designed by ECRA, that provides quality data and benchmarks for student learning outcomes. “We are prioritizing our work around SEL and learning acceleration to make sure our students and staff are connected to our school environment so they can learn at high levels, making, at minimum, a year’s worth of growth each school year,” Dr. Schuler said. Outside of CUSD #200, Dr. Schuler serves as co-chair of LEND and will be President of the Large Unit District Association for FY 2024.

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to open a food pantry at the school. Two-thirds of students in Georgetown-Ridge Farm CUSD #4 are low income. The district also hired additional counselors and social workers, implemented equine therapy, had two staff members trained to be therapy dog owners and incorporated wellness strategies like yoga, meditation and breathing techniques into the school day. This past school year, Dr. Neal emphasized improving the morale of students and staff by scheduling fun activities, adding field trips and finding new ways to celebrate accomplishments. “I was hearing more and more about our students and teachers having anxiety,” Dr. Neal said. “We’re trying to give people tools and strategies to manage stress levels so it doesn’t interfere with their ability to teach or learn.” Georgetown-Ridge Farm CUSD #4 also offers students additional support through a rigorous summer school program and after-school programming. When federal funding to operate the district’s 21st Century after-school program was temporarily lost, Dr. Neal kept it afloat by finding an alternative funding stream. Also under her leadership at Georgetown-Ridge Farm CUSD #4, the district narrowed achievement gaps by providing students with targeted interventions and incorporated an internal assessment system that tracks academic growth. “We are really proud of the fact that our students have not experienced any major setbacks academically and are functioning at pre-pandemic levels,” Dr. Neal said. Georgetown-Ridge Farm CUSD #4 has also expanded FFA programs and agricultural education to the junior high level. Furthermore, the district continuously strives to provide ag students with more hands-on learning experiences, including opportunities to raise livestock. Lastly, Dr. Neal expanded the district’s Grow Your Own program to combat the teacher shortage. Georgetown Ridge Farm CUSD #4 offers tuition reimbursements to educational support staff and teaching assistants to go back to college and earn their teaching certificate.

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