Dist. 46 board says sending group to Disney money well spent
Grayslake Elementary District 46 board members say they've seen positive effects of a consultant's work in their schools, which is why they are sending 10 employees to a convention at Walt Disney World in Orlando.
"What's great about it is you go to these conferences and you actually take something back, and you can meet the needs of 4,000 children using the data from the conference," District 46 board President Mary Garcia said at a meeting last week.
Six teachers and four administrators are to attend the Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence Inc. conference at Disney World from Dec. 8 to Dec. 12. It'll be the third consecutive year the district has sent employees to the company's warm-weather gathering in December.
Some parents have raised concerns about the trip at a district that eliminated 29 jobs as part of an effort to fill a $2.8 million budget hole before the 2009-10 academic year. Outside critics have questioned Blue Ribbon's services and District 46 touting awards from the paid consultant.
Officials expect the convention should cost about $9,315, plus expenses for substitute teachers over four school days. Last year, the district spent $6,800 on substitutes to cover for 17 teachers who went to Blue Ribbon's event in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
South Carolina-based Blue Ribbon's work for District 46 includes objectively judging technology integration, student focus and support, professional community and success indicators at schools.
When queried by Garcia at last week's meeting, District 46 board members Michael Linder and Karen Weinert said they have seen Blue Ribbon's imprint at buildings they have visited. They praised "data dens" now in use that track student performance and drive instruction.
In addition, a video at the meeting showed Blue Ribbon recommendations such as having grade-level teachers and specialists meet weekly to discuss student progress at Avon Center School in Round Lake Beach.
Board member Ray Millington said Blue Ribbon's suggestions have been tailored to meet the needs of District 46's seven buildings.
"It's interesting to see how there's a consistency, yet there's an individuality, among the schools," Millington said.
District 46's Blue Ribbon Schools-related expenses have totaled at least $73,654 since 2007. That amount includes consulting and conference fees, airfare, hotels, rental vehicles, food, gas and incidentals, according to district documents.
Blue Ribbon Schools founder Bart Teal did not return calls seeking comment. His private company has a name similar to a U.S. Department of Education program.
Grayslake's Woodview School is to receive the company's highest Blue Ribbon Lighthouse award at a banquet Dec. 11 in Disney's deluxe Contemporary Resort. Two other District 46 schools have received the same award from the paid consultant.
David Morrison, deputy director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform watchdog group, said District 46's affiliation with Blue Ribbon appears to be mostly a public-relations effort. He said the convention "is more icing than cake."
Concurrent presentation sessions total 14 hours, 30 minutes over the five-day convention, according to a tentative agenda. Also on the agenda are about five hours for an Epcot reception and four hours with companies that sell education industry products.
Morrison said given the administrators and teachers will be on taxpayers' time at Disney World, they should spend at least six hours a day in sessions with presentations from other educators.
"In general," said Morrison, "there is a fine line between a business trip and a junket."
District 46 Superintendent Ellen Correll countered that the convention's opening ceremony, concurrent education sessions, vendor workshops and other activities are all work for the 10 employees, some of whom will make presentations. That means, at minimum, district personnel would spend 26 hours on business over the five days.
Correll said the educators will be paid for what's considered professional or conference days.
<p class="factboxheadblack">Presentations at Disney convention</p> <p class="News">Grayslake Elementary District 46 is sending six teachers and four administrators to Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence Inc.'s convention from Dec. 8-12 at Walt Disney World in Orlando. Following are descriptions of some scheduled presentations at the event.</p> <p class="News">• Woodview School in Grayslake: "Making it All Add Up With Math Centers."</p> <p class="News">"In this session, you will learn different ways to implement math centers in grade levels one through four that engage all students. You will see each of the steps needed to incorporate math centers from how to group students, differentiate the content and maximize the resources that ultimately allow each child to be successful."</p> <p class="News">• Beech Hill Elementary School, Summerville, S.C.: "Video Conferencing Using SMART Board Technology." </p> <p class="News">"For under $100, you can have a famous person fly to your state and arrive in your classroom! Video and teleconferencing are more affordable than ever with SMART board technology and Skype."</p> <p class="News">• Spain Park High School, Hoover, Ala.: "Roadmap to Excellence."</p> <p class="News">"Set your GPS toward global recognition as a Blue Ribbon School and achieve true distinction for your students, parents, faculty, community and state. Learn from the experiences that brought Spain Park High School, a young school founded in 2001, into the realm of excellence."</p> <p class="News">• Haralson County School System, Buchanan, Ga.: "Implementing School Improvement Monitoring Teams in Your School System."</p> <p class="News">"Learn to bridge and/or avoid gaps that may develop between members of the central office administration and local schools by providing focused visits to individual schools which will highlight the importance of teaching, learning and a continuous improvement process."</p> <p class="News">Source: Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence Inc. Web site</p>