'Breakdown In Trust' In Hinsdale D86: New Leader

HINSDALE, IL – The "breakdown in trust is everywhere" in Hinsdale High School District 86, one of the district's new leaders said last week.

At a school board meeting, interim Superintendent Linda Yonke spoke about teachers' frustrations. She and Raymond Lechner started last week as interim superintendents.

"I would be remiss if I didn't mention that we've also heard all week the disappointment that occurs when teachers work on something for a long time and then it doesn't happen," Yonke said.

Earlier in the summer, the board held off on faculty-recommended changes to the social studies curriculum. Teachers objected, and so did then-interim Superintendent Chris Covino.

Like Covino, Yonke took up for the staff.

"If the board feels like they haven't had sufficient information or whatever it is, there are impacts everywhere," she said. "The breakdown in trust is everywhere, not just at the board or with the community, but it's also from the staff."

The district's major goal, Yonke said, was to re-establish trust.

Yonke spoke during a discussion about the board's new standing Academic Committee.

She proposed the board consider transitioning it into a superintendent's committee. That's because the board's policies state that academics and curriculum are administration-directed, she said.

She suggested the committee first develop policies and procedures for developing new courses and curriculum.

"This is to benefit you. This is also to benefit the people who are working on these things, so they also have a process they can trust," she said.

Board members generally agreed that the board committee could be converted into one headed by the superintendent down the road.

"Everybody has very hard feelings," board member Kay Gallo said. "It's very unfortunate, but with good process and communications and transparency, we can rebuild and put that (trust) back. Our staff needs to know how much we value them. Whenever we say no, I could understand them saying, 'You don't value us.' That's not at all our intention."

The first Academic Committee meeting is Thursday.