U-46 superintendent outlines next steps

A mile wide, an inch deep isn't the way to go about examining the state's second-largest school district.

Not from any perspective. Especially, Elgin Area School District U-46 Superintendent Jose Torres said, from the top.

On Monday, Torres spoke to board members about his first 100 days in the position, outlining a plan for the remainder of the school year.

Torres said he's visited each of the district's 53 schools at least once and has met with mayors and legislators and leaders in the 11 communities the district encompasses.

He touted his letter asking dropouts to return to class and the district's 10 Boys mentoring initiative as major accomplishments.

Priorities for the remainder of the school year, Torres said, include "accelerating academic achievement" at the district's five high schools, which will face state and federal sanctions this year if test scores do not improve. He said he's planning to meet with each high school's principal to address the issue in the coming weeks.

Torres said he also plans to review the district's planning cycle, its communication methods and the way it gathers and uses resources.

One of the biggest tasks the district faces, Torres said, is beginning "to define what we believe a successful school and a successful graduate looks like."

He advocated looking at measures beyond state test scores "to show that we are moving in the right direction."

Torres conceded that the priorities outlined will require further assessment on his part.

"We need to look deeper than an inch, and focus on an area that is less than a mile," he said.