District 300 Outlines Changes in Administration

District 300 Superintendent-Elect Michael Bregy has announced plans to eliminate at least five administrative positions, and create new posts meant to better support the district’s plans to prioritize teaching and learning.

Bregy met with administrators and support staff on Feb. 17 to outline phase one of his plan to shift the district's top priority to teaching and learning, according to a Community Unit School District 300 press release.

"Because our financial resources are increasingly limited, we must ensure that administration's energy is focused on our core mission of teaching and learning," Bregy said.  "My plan will shift our top priority to this area, which our students need and deserve."

At the heart of the shift are the elimination of some administrator positions and the creation of others, as follows:

Positions to be eliminated for the 2011-2012 school year:

• Director of Assessment and Accountability, now held by Carole Cooper, who is retiring this summer.
• Director of Pupil Personnel Services, now held by Dr. Barbara Kelley, who is changing districts.
• Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction, now held by Tom Hay. Hay will move this summer into the new position of Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Services, which assumes some Assessment and Accountability responsibilities and oversees alternative education programs and summer school.
• Assistant Superintendent for Operations, now held by Sarah Kedroski. Kedroski will be promoted this summer to Associate Superintendent, a position held this year by Bregy, making her second in command for the district.
• Assistant principal and dean positions, to be determined.

Positions to be created for the 2011-2012 school year:

• Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Services, Hay’s new position.
• Four Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning positions.

The new job positions are equals on the organizational chart and will report to the superintendent.

Three of the posts will be grade-specific: Elementary, middle school and high school.  The fourth will cover "Education Services" including special education, nursing, counselors, homeless and other duties.

Bregy noted that this structure will allow District 300 to capitalize on being a unit district as all grade levels from preschool through 12th grade are included. 

The Teaching and Learning Assistant Superintendents will serve as a team, ensuring there are more consistent expectations and support between grade levels across the district. 

"Now is also a perfect time to shift our priorities to mirror the national shift toward common core state standards," Bregy said in the press release.

"Illinois' newly adopted common core standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn in the areas of language arts and math."

More information about common core state standards is available on the national website or the state website. 

According to the press release, Bregy does not anticipate numerous layoffs to office staff in the schools or the Central Office, citing the administration's lean staffing structure relative to the size and scope of the district.

However, Bregy may decide to eliminate a few positions, or he may reassign job duties to support the priority shift.

Interviews for the new positions will be conducted this month and next. Bregy plans to have his 2011-2012 administrative team in place, including any support staff changes, for public announcement by May 2, 2011.

Changes to the Special Education Program

The May 2 announcement will officially introduce Phase II of the priority shift, which also will specify details of an overhaul of the District 300 Special Education program.

District 300 leaders are developing a long-range plan to reprioritize the district's resources to better support special needs students, and more effectively mainstream these students, when appropriate, into the general education setting.

As part of this process, an outside firm called the Urban Special Education Leadership Collaborative is currently finalizing an audit of District 300 special education programming and staffing levels. 

On Feb. 16, the District 300 School Board informally expressed support for the administration's proposal to cut the special education budget by about $400,000, with the specifics determined after the audit is completed this spring, according to the press release.

Bregy cautioned parents against interpreting this cut as a negative.

"The special education program is not being reduced,” Bregy said. “Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) will not be negatively impacted, but the current design of our special education program is not conducive to student success so we will be making significant changes with student achievement as our top priority."

A recording of the work session meeting will be posted to the District 300 website under "Audio Recordings of Board Meetings."

Over the years, fewer District 300 students have IEPs, even as the district's enrollment has grown by 350 to 550 students a year, the press release stated.

According to the district, more students are successfully being served in a less restrictive environment among their regular education peers, as follows:

• December 2007: 3,158 students with IEPs
• December 2008: 3,150
• December 2009: 3,093
• February 2010: 3,029

"Even as the number of IEPs continues to decline, this segment of our student population remains as important to us as ever," Bregy said. "But the decline does mean that the quantity and types of special education staff should be studied."