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Chicago Tribune
6 days ago
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
‘Business isn't just for boys': All-girl team wins Oak Park and River Forest High ‘Shark Tank' for third straight year
Teagan O'Carroll, 18, has worked for two years as a coordinator at the James Anthony Salon in Oak Park. During that time she has trained a few new employees. But she was struck by how long it took to get some people proficient in their new jobs. 'I just found that the onboarding process and the training experience was incredibly inefficient and it took way longer than it should have, not necessarily for me, but for a lot of people that I personally trained,' O'Carroll said. 'Traditional training methods like listening to your manager talk for hours and taking notes just is not effective for everyone.' So when O'Carroll, of Oak Park, had to come up with an idea for a business for the Business Incubator class she took this year as a senior at Oak Park and River Forest High School, she thought of developing an interactive onboarding and training app that would customize the onboarding and training process. 'I just wanted to create a platform that makes it easier for people with a variety of different learning abilities or styles to train efficiently in the workplace,' O'Carroll said. O'Carroll and classmates Symone Archie McWhorter, who like O'Carroll graduated from OPRF on June 1, junior Michayla Marks and sophomore Cheslynn Ash, called their business Orbit. Orbit was one of 18 teams from the three sections of the Business Incubator class at OPRF that squared off in a months long 'Shark Tank' style competition during the school year. After the final round on May 22, Orbit emerged with a narrow victory. The prototype for the Orbit app consisted of a reading module, a testing module and a video module that businesses could customize to individually guide new employees. 'It feels unreal,' O'Carroll said. 'The competition was incredibly tight.' Each of the Orbit team members receive a $1,000 scholarship. O'Carroll is headed to Central Michigan University to study business communications and marketing while Archie McWhorter is headed to San Diego State University. The money for the scholarships is provided by the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation. O'Carroll had the title of visionary for Orbit, Archie McWhorter handled creative design, including designing a company logo, Ash was the chief financial officer, what Orbit called Keeper of the Coin, while Marks was the customer champion handling customer relations. 'We all connected very well and worked very well together,' O'Carroll said. O'Carroll said that Business Incubator class, which is a dual credit class with Triton College, just further fueled her passion for entrepreneurship. Her interest in entrepreneurship comes, in part, from her father, Fergus, who has developed a marketing podcast called On Strategy Showcase. Her mother, Gayle O'Carroll, is vice president of digital sales at Univision. 'I thought I knew what I wanted to do but this class made me positive of what I want to do,' O'Carroll said. 'It really taught me so much.' She loved the class. 'I would take it a million times over,' O'Carroll said. O'Carroll said that she learned a lot about teamwork and working with others. 'This class has taught me so much,' O'Carroll told the OPRF District 200 School Board at a May 22 meeting where the Orbit team members were recognized right after their victory. 'It has taught me how to collaborate well with others.' O'Carroll and her classmates' confidence as public speakers grew during the year as they learned how to make pitches to potential investors as they raised capital for their businesses. 'They grew in their confidence and skills as future business people,' said OPRF business teacher Melissa Martinez who taught two of three sections of the Business Incubator class including the one that the Orbit team members were in. One of the four local business people serving as judges in the contest was School Board member Graham Brisben. 'The Orbit team demonstrated that they really put the work in and these business plans are never going to be perfect but they did a really thorough job of presenting well, doing the research, talking to people in their intended market and also their business derived from some of their real world life experiences because a number of them had part time jobs in small businesses,' said Brisben who owns a supply chain consulting firm. The class was just one of a number of business classes O'Carroll took at OPRF. 'I really love the business courses at OPRF,' O'Carroll said. 'They're so beneficial.' This was the third consecutive year that an all-girl team won the Business Incubator class's 'Shark Tank' competition. This year all the all-girls teams made it to the finals of the competition. 'The girl teams were lethal,' Martinez said. Martinez, who worked in marketing for 13 years before becoming a teacher, is actively recruiting more girls to take business classes at OPRF. 'We're trying to recruit more girls and open their minds, you know, that business is not just for boys,' Martinez said.
Chicago Tribune
27-05-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Oak Park and River Forest High School teacher quits, alleges discrimination
A special education at Oak Park and River Forest High School who left her job and classroom with just two weeks left in the school year said in a public comment at a School Board meeting that she was forced to resign. Kiah Brown, who had taught at OPRF since 2019, addressed the OPRF District 200 school board at its May 22 meeting just six days after she abruptly left her job. In her approximately four minute statement at the meeting, Brown said she was forced to resign and that she believed her resignation constituted a 'constructive discharge,' a legal term meaning that conditions are so bad at a job that an employee has no alternative but to resign and is essentially fired. Brown told the board her experience at OPRF fell far short of the school's professed values of equity, inclusion and academic excellence. 'Unfortunately what I experienced and what I witnessed undermined those values,' a tearful Brown said at the meeting. 'Across departments and especially within the special education department, I observed inequitable treatment of students and staff and lack of support which led to the increase in turnover particularly among African American employees since the most recent change in administration. They reflect a pattern fueled by poor leadership practices, misrepresentation and the protection of internal leadership alliances over equity and accountability.' 'I've come to the point where the moral challenges I face within OPRFHS's system are no longer something I can ignore without compromising my own health and well-being,' Brown wrote. 'As much as I love the students I serve, I've realized that love cannot come at the cost of my own peace and professional integrity.' Brown also accused unnamed OPRF administrators of fostering a hostile work environment and inflicting psychological and professional harm on her. 'What I've endured is not isolated; it's part of a collective pattern of targeted attacks carried out by what I would describe as individuals operating like 13th graders,' Brown said. Brown, a math teacher, urged the board to look into what has been going on at OPRF and 'stop allowing image to outweigh impact.' 'You cannot continue to market equity by indirectly supporting those who perpetuate the antithesis and inadvertently punishing those who advocate for it,' she said. According to her LinkedIn page, Brown has just been hired as a case manager at Whitney Young High School in Chicago. 'Please be advised that Ms. Brown resigned for personal reasons,' Roberts wrote. Roberts told them a full time substitute who is a licensed learning behavior specialist at OPRF would take over Brown's assignments for the last two weeks of the school year. 'We would like to assure you that we have taken the necessary steps to ensure continuity of instruction for your student,' Roberts wrote. The School Board met in closed session at the meeting for 45 minutes with the district's human resources director Roxana Sanders and director of Special Education Andrea Neuman. After the meeting Sanders, Neuman and Superintendent Greg Johnson all declined to comment when asked about their reaction to Brown's public comment. New School Board president Audrey Williams-Lee had a short answer when asked about her reaction to Brown's comments. 'Everyone has the right to express their opinion and share their perspective,' Williams said. 'That's what our country is all about.' In April, Seneca Johnson, a Student Resource Center monitor at OPRF who has been on leave for the entire school year after filing a complaint with the federal Equal Opportunity Commission accusing administrators of discrimination, told the School Board that many top administrators, some of whom are Black, had discriminated against Black employees at the school. 'I want to speak on the disturbing reality of systematic injustice at Oak Park and River Forest High School,' Johnson said in a public comment at the April 10 school board meeting. 'For far too long the school has tolerated discrimination based on disability, age, sex and race, workplace retaliation, creating a hostile work environment that had disproportionately affected Black women and men.' The morning after the School Board meeting an OPRF spokeswoman said she couldn't comment about specific cases. 'We take them seriously and we do look into them,' said Karin Sullivan, the school's executive director of communications. 'It's a HR process and we follow our policies and procedures when it comes to investigations.' Two School Board members said that they want the school to look into what has been going on. 'It's obviously very concerning, it is something that needs to be looked into,' said Fred Arkin, the board's senior member. Arkin said that it was very unusual that a teacher would quit with just two weeks left in the school year and not finish the semester. Arkin was asked if he thought there was a problem with the workplace culture at OPRF. 'I think that has to be investigated,' Arkin said. 'Do I think there is a problem? I don't think there is a problem but I think we do need to dig into it and learn more about what's going on to determine if there is a problem.' But at a school with around 500 employees, 'It's difficult to make everybody 100% happy,' Arkin said. 'Obviously the two statements that we had from the two employees were very passionate, very emotional, but if there is something underlying that's a problem we've got to look at it,' Arkin said. New board member Josh Gertz said he has 'expressed concern toward the administration.' 'It's certainly something I intend to follow up on with the administration,' Gertz said. 'The other thing I would say is that it did seem that they had already begun a process of looking into the allegations and doing their due diligence which was welcomed, it was good to hear.'
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Ethan Moore becomes MLB draft prospect while leading OPRF baseball
Ethan Moore becomes MLB draft prospect while leading OPRF baseball (Image Source: Getty Images) Oak Park-River Forest High School (OPRF) high school senior Ethan Moore is making big-time headlines. Not only is he finishing up his final high school baseball season, but he's also splashing across the country. A switch-hitting shortstop with phenomenal ability, Moore has become one of the top 100 MLB draft prospects. With a college scholarship in hand from Tennessee and pro scouts closely monitoring him, Moore's baseball career is one to follow. This article examines what made him such a stand-out player. Ethan Moore paces OPRF with skill and determination Ethan Moore is the foundation of the OPRF baseball team . A shortstop, he rules the infield with ease and has a way of making the hard look easy. But his switch-hitting makes him special. Moore can hit from both sides of the plate, which makes him dangerous in any batting order. Colleagues and coaches alike characterize Moore as not just good, but one of a kind. Some call him a "generational player," the kind of player that appears once in a blue moon. With impressive batting averages and fielding abilities, he's helped OPRF have a good season going into the playoffs. Despite all the spotlight, Moore stays focused. He works incredibly hard and puts the team first. He leads from the front and keeps getting better game after game. Tennessee commitment and MLB draft spotlight raise stakes Moore's already made a monster choice; he's playing college baseball at the University of Tennessee, one of the top programs in the country. But now there's another monster question on everyone's mind: Will he skip college and head straight to the pros? MLB scouts are keeping an eye on him. Being ranked in the top 100 draft prospects means that teams are seriously contemplating drafting him early. If that happens, Moore would have a tough choice to make to remain with Tennessee or enter professional baseball straight away. Regardless of what he does, Moore is ready. He's diligent, humble, and still trying to get better. His future is bright, and fans can't wait to see what he'll do next. Also Read: Tree 'More Than I Could Have Expected'- Phillies' Pitcher Mick Abel Opens Up After Stunning MLB Debut Against Pirates Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
Chicago Tribune
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Tennessee recruit Ethan Moore, a ‘generational player' for OPRF, becomes a top-100 MLB draft prospect
Oak Park-River Forest senior Ethan Moore has a lot on his plate these days. First and foremost is his final season of high school baseball. But as the playoffs approach, much more competes for Moore's attention. The switch-hitting shortstop has gained a national profile with his considerable skills. 'I'm just taking it one game at a time, trying to have fun and be a good leader for my team,' he said. 'With me and the scouts and the opportunities I have, I'm enjoying the process. I realize I'm blessed to have these opportunities, and I know all of that stuff will take care of itself.' 'That stuff' includes Moore's commitment to defending Men's College World Series champion Tennessee and the 2025 MLB draft that begins July 13. The opportunity to play Division I baseball has been available to him for years — he committed to another national power, Louisville, as a freshman before switching in the fall — but the potential to play professionally sooner rather than later is a newer development. Moore, who was batting .430 with four home runs, 31 RBIs, 38 runs scored, 22 stolen bases and just six strikeouts for West Suburban Silver Conference leader OPRF (23-9, 12-4) through May 14, made favorable impressions at several national showcase events last summer. He ranks No. 91 on MLB's recently unveiled list of the top 150 draft prospects. 'In the years prior, I was always focused on developing mentally and physically,' he said. 'Last summer was a lot of flying, traveling to face the best competition out there. It was pretty fun, and I had a pretty good summer with scouts watching me.' One event in particular — the Area Code Games, held each August in Long Beach, California — was especially significant for Moore. He hit .357 without a strikeout in 16 plate appearances and returned home with a different level of evaluation being cast upon him. 'After that, I realized I had a pretty good shot and that other opportunities might be ahead,' he said. Moore was right. A parade of professional scouts watched Moore work out individually in the fall, and he said representatives from 'almost all' of the 30 MLB teams have come to his home. 'It was two or three months of scouts watching and visiting, and it was a lot,' he said. 'After the first week, I got used to it, and it became a routine, meeting scouts and hearing all about their organizations.' Moore's entire family had to get adjusted to the attention. He's the second of three boys — Ezra, a 2023 OPRF graduate, played with him for two years, and Ian is a freshman on OPRF's varsity team — and their father Nate played at Southern University after a standout career at Chicago Vocational. 'When Ethan was younger, he did do some special things on the field, and when he got into playing for Team USA, you could see him separating himself,' Nate Moore said. 'But it's always been team-first, and he wants to not be the center of attention.' That's hard to do when your high school knows about you before you step foot on campus. OPRF baseball coach Kevin Campbell's initial reports about Ethan Moore have been reinforced over four seasons. 'He looks like a Division I running back, definitely a generational player,' Campbell said. 'But I'm most proud of how he's handled himself because it's definitely not easy. You would think a kid with the following he has would change, but there's nothing different about how he acts or prepares. He's so humble.' When Moore got into the lineup at second base as a freshman, he 'never flinched,' according to Campbell. The next season, Moore had an audience of MLB scouts when OPRF played Downers Grove North, which featured George Wolkow. The Chicago White Sox selected Wolkow in the seventh round of the draft that summer. The 6-foot, 190-pound Moore and the 6-7, 240-pound Wolkow are very different physically, but Campbell remembers coming away from that game believing Moore compared favorably from a talent standpoint. That was made more clear last season when the Huskies played York, whose pitcher Ryan Sloan was only weeks away from being selected in the second round of the 2024 draft by the Seattle Mariners. 'On the first pitch of the game, Ethan hit a ball right past Sloan's head,' Campbell said. 'We looked over at all of the scouts, and every one of them was writing in their notebooks.' Moore also remembers that at-bat, which gave him an indication of how far he had come in his development. 'That was one of the games that put me on the map,' he said. 'I didn't have the best at-bats against him sophomore year, but I focused, like always, on being aggressive but patient. I felt like I was in my element.' Moore is clearly in his element on a baseball field. He's a natural right-handed batter who began switch-hitting in seventh grade. Moore bats leadoff for the Huskies, where his line-drive, gap-to-gap hitting is a perfect companion to his top-end speed. 'Hitting-wise, I know what my game is, which is hitting the ball on a line and using my speed to turn singles into doubles,' he said. Moore is also a smooth fielder. He has mastered many of the little things that distinguish prospects of his caliber. 'When I was younger, my dad would hit us all ground balls for hours,' he said. 'I'm constantly moving my feet, which allows me to create my own hops and not need that little stutter step to get lined up.' Jaxon Clayton, a suburban Milwaukee native who played travel ball with Moore for several years, knows there's more than natural ability in those steps. 'You won't find anyone who works harder than Ethan, and that's what separates him,' Clayton said. 'There were times in the summer where we'd all be chilling in the hotel, and he's in the weight room, putting in the reps that others haven't. 'He sacrifices a lot, but there's no doubt in my mind that he'll achieve his goals and dreams.'
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Support grows for banning cell phones in classrooms across Illinois
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WGN) — Illinois Governor JB Pritzker's proposal to ban student cell phone usage during class is moving swiftly through Springfield with bipartisan support. And many educators are embracing the proposal. A survey found that 90% of National Education Association members support the policy. At Oak Park River Forest High School at similar policy was implemented two years ago, to tackle a growing frustration amongst teachers. As students enter their classroom, their phones are silenced and stored in a numbered pouch. Meghan Cahill is a school counselor at OPRF. 'The frustration was spending an additional, inordinate amount of time policing phones versus delivering what they love and passionate about which is the content of their class,' she said. Cahill was on the original committee in 2018 when they returned after Covid. The frustration only continued to build. Bill to block cell phone usage in Illinois classrooms passes Senate Principal Lynda Parker says the faculty banded together and with parents developed a new policy. 'Even with adults when it rings, when it buzzes, when it lights up, you feel compelled to check,' she said. 'The students are the same way. There is an urgency to know what just came in versus staying focused on the content that is being taught.' Countless studies have concluded wireless devices have transformed the school day. A 2023 Common Sense survey of students ages 11-17 found that 97% of students use their phone at school around 43 minutes a day. The survey said they pick it up anywhere between less then one time to 229 times during the school day. The median was 13 pickups. Thirty-two percent picked it up for social media and 26% for YouTube. State Senator Cristina Castro co-sponsored legislation that will ban the use of wireless devices in classrooms across Illinois during instructional time. 'When you look at students focus, it should be on classroom and what their teacher is teaching, not their nose in a phone,' she said. The legislation would ban all use of portable wireless devices during instructional time across the state. It does not apply to lunch time, recess, before or after school activities. School issued devices would be excluded. More News, Weather and Headlines at Schools would determine their own cell phone policies and punishments. The ban would be implemented at the start of the 2026 school year. And exceptions would include IEPs, students with disabilities, emergency use and other situations determined by the school. 'By setting the floor, it gives school districts some cover to implement the policy without fear of upsetting people. A lot of folks don't realize how many parents and teachers want this,' Castro said. Castro admits the policy has received lukewarm support from students. It's been a bi-partisan issue across the country- finding support from California to Florida, Arkansas to New York University of Southern California psychologist Dr. Ravi Iyer's work focuses on technology's impact on society. He supports a 'bell to bell' ban. 'The full day restriction is what gives teachers the ability to no longer be the phone police,' he said. 'So they can work on teaching and the phones are away the entire day and everyone gets a break.' But there has been some pushback, especially with a bell to bell policy. The National Parents Union recently completed a survey of 1,500 public school parents with children in kindergarten through 12th grade and found that 56% believe students should sometimes be allowed to use their phones in school- especially during lunch or recess, at sporting events or in class if approved by a teacher. While some schools have embraced lock boxes, that wasn't a popular option in this survey. Of parents whose children attend a school with a cell phone policy, 59% support keeping phones in backpacks, 15% in a central location, 14% in a locked cabinet in a classroom. The main reason parents want their child to have a phone at school is in case of an emergency. Parents really have a very visceral reaction to the idea that their kids not having access to these communication devices,' National Parents Union President Keri Rodiriguez said. Rodriguez says it comes down to trust. '(Parents think) Until you make our classrooms safe, whether it's from gun violence, bullying, mental health concerns, you are not taking my kids cell phone,' she said. 'They will find a way around these bans. They will send their kids to school with burner phones. Kids and parents don't trust the systems. And parents don't trust the system like that.' Proponents say they understand that viewpoint but also argue phones still don't belong in classrooms. Two years in, the biggest issues at Oak Park River Forest is students mistakenly taking the wrong phone, an error quickly corrected. Parker calls it a much needed break for everyone. 'Teacher said conversation buzz returned to the classroom. There were students asking each other questions, turning to one another, asking better questions, raising their hand to become involved,' she said. 'And the funniest part is someone passed an old fashioned note like they used to! I thought that was a cute. It was very much an active classroom around the learning.' Last month, the bill passed the senate in a vote of 55 to zero. It is currently moving through the house. Just last week, it passed the house education policy committee with one nay vote. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
