Pushback Against Proposed Hinsdale South History Course

DARIEN, IL – Even though students' registration period has ended, a Hinsdale High School District 86 board member on Thursday called for adding a new course for next school year.

At a board meeting, member Jeff Waters said the district should offer World History Honors at Hinsdale South High. It is already available at Hinsdale Central. His recommendation followed several residents who pushed the course at South as a matter of fairness.

Waters' proposal prompted immediate pushback.

In the fall, the school board rejected social teachers' recommendations for curriculum changes, a move the teachers union denounced. The teachers' curriculum work was paused.

One of the goals was to eliminate the gap in course offerings between the two campuses. The larger and wealthier Central has long offered a greater course selection.

In response to Waters' request, Jason Markey, assistant superintendent for academics, said adding a course now was nearly impossible because of tight deadlines.

With the registration period over, he said, the district is now assigning teachers to courses. Then officials must inform which teachers are no longer needed. State law requires this to be done by spring.

"I've been scheduling buildings for 15 years," Markey said. "I understand the timeframe that is needed. Every district has to run this way."

Waters asked, "Is it possible or are you maintaining it is impossible?"

"I'm saying it's not possible to do it well," he said.

Board member Terri Walker backed up Markey.

"Students have already selected classes for the fall," she said. "If we want to micromanage and dictate curriculum, we can sit here and write it tonight. I don't think that's our role."

Waters said he feared he was somewhat responsible for the lack of a World History Honors course at South, saying he favored the pause in curriculum work.

"I apologize to the community for voting for the pause," he said.

Greenspon, though, said no apology was needed because World History Honors was not among the teachers' recommendations.

At the meeting, the board voted unanimously to end the pause in curriculum work for social studies. In January, the entire board supported ending the disparity in courses between the two schools – a process that officials call "alignment."

At the meeting, residents during public comments said they opposed social studies teachers' recommendation last year for Human Geography for freshmen. They called such a course "unpiloted."