Morale Deflator? Hinsdale D86 Teachers At Odds With Board

HINSDALE, IL – The Hinsdale High School District 86 board appears poised to do away with planned changes for social studies courses, but teachers responsible for them are warning that doing so could hurt morale.

Under the district's long-term plan, Advanced Placement European History will no longer be a part of the honors track for sophomores. It is being replaced by AP Modern World History. AP European History is set to become an elective for juniors and seniors.

In a statement released Thursday, nine social studies teachers said they have worked on the plan for three years. They said the changes were not made on a whim or done based on one teacher's desires.

"We would also like to express, with sincerity, the deleterious effect to morale that certain changes will have on many staff members who spent countless hours on the alignment plan and its implementation," they said in the statement.

They said the changes are expected to increase enrollment in the social studies honors track in the sophomore year. Now, 18 percent of Central High sophomores take AP European History, compared with 28 percent of freshmen for World History Honors and 42 percent of juniors for AP U.S. History, the teachers said.

The lower rate of sophomores in an honor social studies course has a negative impact on their performance in AP U.S. History, the teachers said.

If the board reverses the changes, it would mean a continued lack of compliance with the Illinois Social Studies Geography standards and an ongoing inability to offer some social studies courses at Hinsdale South because of low enrollment, the teachers said.

Board member Debbie Levinthal has criticized the planned changes, saying the AP European History course is "legendary." At a meeting last month, other board members agreed with her, with member Jeff Waters saying the teachers failed to provide data.

At the same meeting, Acting Superintendent Chris Covino, who is leaving at month's end, pushed back against the board, saying a reversal would be "very rash."

He said no local data was available because the district does not offer AP Modern World History. But he said the district has plenty of data from other schools.

At last month's meeting, Central teacher Christopher Freiler, who teaches AP European History, disagreed with a social studies colleague's statement at a March meeting. The colleague said the changes are being made partly because some students "don't see themselves at all" in the social studies curriculum or see themselves only through the lens of oppression.

Freiler said that position "seems based on an ideological rather than a pedagogical perspective that approaches historical studies with predetermined identities."

Board members praised Freiler for coming forward. However, member Terri Walker said any curriculum changes would draw some opposition among teachers.