Latest news with #RegionalOfficeofEducation
Chicago Tribune
20-05-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
DuPage Regional Office of Education moving education center from Addison to old Indian Plains School building in Aurora
The DuPage Regional Office of Education is moving its Center for Student Success, which provides alternative education programs to students in the county, from its current location in Addison to Indian Prairie School District 204's old Indian Plains School building in Aurora, officials said. The agreement was approved by Indian Prairie's school board at its meeting Monday. Classes will begin at the new location on Aug. 20, according to a news release from the DuPage Regional Office of Education. The Center for Student Success hosts several programs for students, including Rebound, Partners for Success and the Alternative Learning Opportunities program. The Rebound program allows students who have received out-of-school suspensions of four to 10 days to continue doing school work rather than remaining at home, said DuPage Regional Office of Education Regional Superintendent Amber Quirk, while the Partners for Success program places students out of school for longer periods of time. The Alternative Learning Opportunities program helps individuals looking to earn a high school equivalency prepare for the exam needed to earn it and look into postsecondary options. In the new facility, the Regional Office of Education also hopes to host workshops for educators, Quirk said, as the Indian Plains building is bigger than its current space in Addison. The DuPage Regional Office of Education operated programming out of the Old Mill School in Addison for more than two decades, Quirk said. She said the current building needs renovations, and that they're looking for more space. The move to the Indian Plains building is temporary, however. The lease agreement is set for a two-year period starting July 1, per Monday's meeting agenda, with the option to extend for a third year. The DuPage Regional Office of Education has said it is continuing to look for a permanent location for the center. The Indian Plains building at 1322 N. Eola Road in Aurora has not been used for student programming by the district for several years, according to a memo from District 204 Chief School Business Official Matt Shipley. It is currently being used for professional development, offices for a few district staff and storage for the district, all of which will be located to other facilities when the Regional Office of Education begins using the space. The building is 'near the end of its life,' per the memo included in Monday's meeting agenda, although it has been maintained up to code. The district is developing a plan for eventually divesting itself of the building. The first year's annual rent of the space is set at $175,000, per the lease agreement between the district and the DuPage Regional Office of Education, with increases to $185,000 for the second year and $195,000 if the office extends the lease for a third year. That covers all operating and maintenance costs for the facility, the memo from Shipley said, and the Regional Office of Education is to reimburse the district for custodial, maintenance and utilities services, as well as use the district's food service program.
Chicago Tribune
11-05-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
East Aurora's David Ballard recognized for work as school administrator at annual Kane County education awards
David Ballard, East Aurora School District 131's associate superintendent of staff and student services, was recently recognized for his work as a school administrator by the Kane County Regional Office of Education. Along with other teachers and staff from districts in the county, Ballard, supported by family and district employees, received an award by the county Regional Office of Education on May 2 at the Q Center in St. Charles, according to a press release from the Kane County Regional Office of Education. The Kane County Educator of the Year Awards are a reminder of 'what is worth advocating for in education,' Regional Superintendent for Kane County Patricia Dal Santo said in the office's news release. Nominations for the award, the press release said, are reviewed by a group of student teachers, retired teachers, university representatives, business representatives, national board certified teachers and Kane County Regional Office of Education staff members. Gemma Gurney of Central High School, part of Central Unit School District 301, took the top award, while a number of other teachers and staff — from districts in Aurora, Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles and more — also went home with awards. Ballard has worked in education for 30 years, he said, and spent 13 of those years at East Aurora. He previously worked as a principal at Johnson Elementary and Fred Rodgers Magnet Academy, as well as served as the district's executive director of secondary education. Now, as the associate superintendent of staff and student services, Ballard oversees the district's human resources department and student services, which includes special education and related services. A lot of his work involves recruitment, hiring and retention of teachers and other staff, he said. But his team also, for example, helped plan a district-level awards event held on May 8 that recognized staff members and retirees. The team Ballard oversees put together a book with recommendation letters from teachers, staff, parents and students that was submitted to the Kane County Regional Office of Education as part of his nomination. He said it was emotional to read the letters written in support of him. 'I think I got about halfway through and I was getting a little choked up, and another administrator came and knocked on my office (door),' he recalled. 'I said, 'Oh, thank you, gosh, I'm glad you're here … I was about to just break down.' And he said letters from students from his time as a principal stood out. 'I always tried to be visible as a principal,' Ballard told The Beacon-News on Friday. 'I never wanted them to view having to come to the principal or talk to the principal as being a bad thing.' Nominees for the Regional Office of Education awards at East Aurora are collected via an internal, anonymous vote, according to district officials. A committee within the district determines one person to be nominated for each award category, which is then submitted by the HR department to the Kane County Regional Office of Education. But, though his team is responsible for submitting the nominations, Ballard didn't know that he would be chosen by the Regional Office of Education this year, and said he was surprised when his name was called. Ballard was not the only nominee from East Aurora — three teachers and two other staff members were also nominated for different categories, according to the Kane County ROE's website. Now, his work in the district will continue on as usual — if not busier, Ballard said, noting that the end of the school year and summer are the busiest times for recruiting and hiring staff for the coming school year. And, as he works with his team on hiring for next year, among other responsibilities, Ballard noted that his win this year was a recognition of a group effort. 'I didn't feel it was just my award,' he said on Friday. 'I felt it was something that recognized all of us collectively.'
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Yahoo
Transcript: Talk-Line with Steve Marco interviews Charlene Bielema on Thank You Teachers, more
May 7—Read the transcript from our Talk-Line podcast: Shaw Local Editor Charlene Bielema on our Thank You Teachers section and more local news in the Sauk Valley. Bielema also talked about the announcement made by the Whiteside County Sheriff on his seeking a third term of office and the retirement of Dixon Police Chief Steve Howell and the process of finding the next chief. Plus: The Regional Office of Education's efforts to help homeless children with their education. Like what you hear? Be sure to visit WIXN, part of Shaw Local Radio. We're also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Chicago Tribune
28-01-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Will County uses cannabis funds for bullet-resistant laminate on school windows
A $70,000 allocation from the Will County Board's cannabis fund will help outfit entrances of 21 high schools with a protective bullet-resistant window laminate. Will County Regional Superintendent of Schools Lisa Caparelli-Ruff said her office is working with Clear-Armor, a Grayslake-based company that creates a customizable security laminate to reinforce glass, to create a shatter-resistant barrier to withstand the impact from bullets and forced entry attempts. The company works with schools, colleges, universities, financial institutions, government buildings, medical facilities and places of worship to enhance their windows and doors. 'Seeing the warehouse, seeing the live demonstration, is believing,' Caparelli-Ruff said. 'We took a gun at point-blank range and were shooting at this film. The bullet was not going through the other end.' The endeavor is part of Caparelli-Ruff's platform to improve school safety, she said. As part of that effort, the Regional Office of Education, its director of security, Theresa Ward, and the Will County School Safety Task Force has met with school resource officers from 34 districts to put together a needs assessment. Caparelli-Ruff said she is grateful the Will County Board is funding the first phase of the glass reinforcement initiative. Her team said they studied how best to roll out the security enhancements and chose high schools because, while there are exceptions, shootings are frequently carried out by high school-aged students and at high schools. The county also has fewer high schools than middle or elementary schools. Since the 1999 shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado, more than 338,000 students in the U.S. have experienced gun violence at school, according to the Sandy Hook Promise, a national nonprofit organization founded after the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Caparelli-Ruff said the protective film is in addition to other security measures school districts already have in place. 'It's just one more tool the schools have,' Caparelli-Ruff said. 'I just want to give our kids the best safety and security that we can possibly give them.' Caparelli-Ruff said Clear-Armor technicians measure and install their product, which will be put at building entrances and exits. 'I don't want them gaining access to the building,' she said. 'Bullet resistant film, it may take you five to seven minutes to get through, but it buys the good guys five to seven minutes to either go and hide, have the SWAT team there, have police there, someone to protect our youth and our staff,' she said. 'We've then given them a fighting chance.' The Clear-Armor product also works in extreme weather events, such as tornadoes, keeping glass in the frame and preventing it from flying into the building, Caparelli-Ruff said. 'This was a good way, I thought, to spend cannabis money to give some people not only peace of mind but a real fighting chance at not having a bad guy coming into our schools and harming our children and staff,' she said. Caparelli-Ruff said the response from area superintendents has been positive. 'While some of our entries are already bulletproof protected, we are excited to partner with the Will County ROE to install even more,' Lockport Township High School District 205 Superintendent Robert McBride said in a statement. Lincoln-Way High School District 210 spokesperson Jen Vujosevic said the district is grateful the office of education secured the funding and is excited to partner with them. 'Putting school safety first is always important to us,' she said. Will County Board member Raquel Mitchell, a Bolingbrook Republican, along with former board member Natalie Coleman, a Plainfield Democrat, reviewed the office of education's request for cannabis funds that was included in the 2025 budget. Mitchell said it was a 'no-brainer' to support this initiative. 'Dr. Caparelli-Ruff really cares about the kids,' Mitchell said. 'You can tell her passion.' Mitchell said in addition to helping those affected by the war on drugs, cannabis funds have been allocated for the Children's Advocacy Center, the county's housing stabilization program, workforce services, problem-solving courts, court-appointed special advocates, early childhood development programs, small businesses and nonprofit organizations. 'I'm so proud of what we've done,' Mitchell said. Caparelli-Ruff said she hopes to continue to roll out the initiative to other Will County schools.
