'Virtue-Signaling' Or Action At Hinsdale D86?

DARIEN, IL – Hinsdale High School District 86 may lift the pause on changing the social studies curriculum to help ensure equal offerings at Hinsdale Central and South high schools, an official said Thursday.

Meanwhile, a resident suggested the board was "virtue-signaling" on equality between the schools, but not taking action toward that goal.

In November, a majority of the school board rejected teacher-recommended changes to social studies offerings. That drew the teachers union's condemnation.

At Thursday's meeting, board President Catherine Greenspon said the board's academic committee would likely discuss lifting the pause for social studies changes later this month.

The changes are part of a larger "alignment" between Central and South – a 5-year-old effort to equalize course offerings.

For years, the larger and wealthier Central has provided a greater selection of courses.

During public comments, Burr Ridge resident Adolph Galinski noted Greenspon said at a meeting last month that the board would discuss social studies changes in February. But he said he had seen no sign of that.

At a minimum, he said, the district should expand the popular World History Honors course from Central to South. His son pushed that issue at a board meeting last month.

In his comments, Galinski also acknowledged board members agreed in January that alignment remained a goal.

"Is this Board of Education going to do something more than virtue-signal the importance of curriculum alignment?" Galinski said.

Later in the meeting, Hinsdale resident Linda Burke countered that the board has made progress on alignment over the years.

"I just think it's not accurate to say that if the decision hasn't been made on new social studies courses, people are resisting alignment," Burke said. "I don't know of very much, if any, opposition to alignment as a goal."