Education Matters US

Grayslake Elementary Schools is seeking community involvement to review math curriculum. They want 2 committees:

Kindergarten – 5^th grade
5^th grade – 8^th grade

Members of the community who would like to serve on a committee should send a letter of intent to Lynn Barkley by Jan. 23.

Be sure to include any past experience on curriculum or professional development committees, or what you feel you could bring to this committee.

Letters should be sent to Community Consolidated School District 46, Attn: Assistant Superintendent Lynn Barkley, 565 Frederick Road, Grayslake, IL 60030.

For more information, call, (847) 223-3650.

Please do not send them an email. Emails are too easily lost and you want to guarantee receipt.

For more information on the adoption cycle, visit “Curriculum Development and Textbook Adoption Cycle“. Their list of texts used can be found here. Currently, the curriculum is known as Everyday Math/Chicago Math/New Math. I have several examples of what this curriculum teaches can be found at these previous articles:

• Dance of the Math Lemons
• Why a Dad Wrote a Math Book
• Math Education: An Inconvenient Truth
• National Council of Teachers of Mathematics: Teach the Basics
• ‘Innovative’ Math, but Can You Count?
• Everyday Math
• Illinois Loop Information on Everyday Math
  • Issues in Math Education
  • http://www.illinoisloop.org/mathdist.html
  • Reviews on specific math programs and curricula

In addition, it is time to consider running for school board. Deadline for Registration to be on the ballot is Jan. 19^th – Jan. 26^th. For more information you can stop by the district offices or print the forms directly from the Lake County Web site. Here are those links for you convenience.

• Candidate’s Guide (School board – page 50)
• Petition Packet
• Other Election Information

Running for local school board is the best way to try and slow the increase in your property taxes. School districts usually get 65-75% of the property taxes you pay each year.