Letter from a Lincoln School Teacher

I have taught first grade at Lincoln school in River Forest for the past 17 years, and I have loved it. The current situation with the upcoming referendum has me deeply worried. Our district is very special and that uniqueness is at risk.

I cannot imagine not having the wonderful music and art programs we currently enjoy. I cannot imagine the tragedy of cutting those programs and losing those fine teachers. Even if the referendum were to pass at a later date, those fine teachers would, very probably, no longer be available. Teachers of such high quality could easily find employment elsewhere in districts that value their expertise.

The situation is also crucial at Roosevelt with the music and art programs there being on the block as well as the foreign languages and all extra curricular activities. For many children the extra curricular activities provide them with the food they need to make it through an academic day. Through these extra activities people often find their vocation or avocation. Art, music, and after school programs are often places that value creativity, a commodity our children and our world badly needs.

Through the years I have noticed a marked change in the kinds of issues faced by children, teachers, and families. When I began teaching here in 1989 we had only one nurse for both Willard and Lincoln and her job was primarily record keeping. Now we need a nurse on hand at each building to handle the many issues faced daily from diabetic children checking blood sugar to life-threatening allergies to broken arms to wet pants to upset stomachs and injuries. Without a nurse on duty who would take care of these issues?

In 1989 we had only one social worker for both buildings. Now we need at least one per building. Our wonderful social workers have their hands full. Kids are coming to school with more and more issues and the social workers are desperately needed to handle crises as well as everyday duties with individual students, meetings with parents and teachers, and much more.

The mostly small class sizes we have enjoyed over the past 17 years help tremendously to have a more hands-on approach to learning. Large class sizes require a more herd mentality and teaching style.

Because of the intimate size of our district and the trust given to educators we have enjoyed the opportunity to teach in creative ways to meet the educational goals of the district and the state. And we have obviously done well at that (according to test scores, anyway). Without the excellent teaching staff we now enjoy our schools will not continue to perform as well. New teachers leave the field at an alarming rate nationwide because of the difficulty of the job and the lack of support. We have been fortunate to find and keep excellent educators. However, in a situation painted by the cuts if the referendum fails, excellent teachers may well decide to go to a district that is more supportive of their teaching. We need planning time to provide good teaching. Cuts in special classes also mean cuts in planning time for classroom teachers.

I have been very impressed by District 90 over the past 17 years. The quality and commitment of our teachers and parents join to create a climate of excellence. I hope we do not lose this community of learners. Please do all you can to pass this referendum!

Susan Gittings
First Grade at Lincoln School