Hinsdale D86 Official Disappointed In Rejection

HINSDALE, IL – A Hinsdale High School District 86 board member said last week she was disappointed that her colleagues rejected changes to social studies courses in October.

The member, Terri Walker, said the board should give teachers a "productive path forward" on what to do with the social studies curriculum.

Last spring, the board first heard about the changes to the social studies courses, which officials said were teacher-led. They were proposed during Superintendent Tammy Prentiss' administration.

After the board ousted Prentiss in the summer, acting Superintendent Chris Covino continued to back the teachers' proposal. After he left in July, the current interim superintendents, Linda Yonke and Ray Lechner, stuck with the teachers, who revised their plan in response to board concerns.

Despite that, the board voted 4-2 in late October against the changes, with Walker and Asma Akhras dissenting.

The changes were part of the long-term plan to align classes at Central and South high schools. The idea is for all students to have access to all courses offered in the district; for years, South has gotten the short end of the stick.

Now, influential voices in the Central zone are casting doubt on whether alignment is a worthy goal, saying students on the two campuses are "very different."

Walker said the social studies changes would have allowed the district to offer the same courses on both campuses. They also would have ensured the district met state standards, she said.

"I'm asking this board to trust the administration and teachers to do their jobs that they are so capable of doing," Walker said.

She requested the board revisit the social studies proposal, "so that we can bring forward an approach that meets the needs of all of our students."

None of her colleagues responded.

The teacher's union has condemned the board's rejection of the social studies changes.