North Cook ISC
September 2020 News Chat
North Cook Intermediate Service Center
LOOK to NORTH COOK for the latest news and updates!
A Message from Executive Director Kevin Jauch
In March, when patients with Covid-19 first appeared in our hospitals and quarantining began, the world of education changed in Illinois and the North Cook region led by example. Several school districts took wise, preemptive steps to try to control the outbreak.
On a conference call with Regional Superintendents and ISBE staff on March 12, I adamantly told anyone who would listen that school districts in our region were going to close their doors and begin e-Learning to protect students and staff, regardless of whether it was mandated. The following day Governor Pritzker suspended in-person learning.
Over the last five months, I have been working closely with North Cook Superintendents and couldn’t be more proud of their dedication, care and perseverance. Their tremendous leadership, grace and patience in the face of adversity are to be lauded.
I’ve witnessed teachers and administrators nimbly navigate the ever-changing Covid landscape, and seen facilities, maintenance and custodial staff go above and beyond expectations to prepare for a healthy, safe environment.
During this unprecedented time, it’s reassuring that in our North Cook school districts the overwhelming belief is that we are all in this together, everyone’s role is essential, and we are determined to provide our students with the very best educational experience we possibly can. Good luck to all as we kick off what is sure to be an exceptional school year!
As always, if we can be of service, do not hesitate to reach out.
kjauch@ncisc.org / 847.824.8300
Meet Sam!
Covid-19 Information
Professional Development
In-District (virtual) PD
NCISC can bring one-time or ongoing, customized PD to your district and/or schools. We cover a range of topics, such as:
Priority Standards
Remote and Blended Approaches to Learning
Trauma Informed Practices
Restorative Justice
Mental Health Training
EL Instructional Strategies
Standards-Based Grading
Administrator Academies
We can also bring an Administrator Academy (AA) to your team. Pricing is scaled depending on group size. Here are some of our most popular AA's:
Evaluator Retraining
Initial Evaluator Training (2 days)
Leading for Equity and Excellence
Adaptive Leadership for School Administrators: Dealing With Change
Manage Your Time or Time Will Manage You
Leading a Comprehensive Instructional Coaching Program in Your School or District
NEW! Asynchronous, Self-Paced Online Courses & Book Studies
Did you know that North Cook ISC offers self-paced online courses and online book studies? Course titles and descriptions can be found under Educator Workshops on our website. Courses are continually added, so check back frequently!
Current Online Courses
Using Bibliotherapy in the Classroom: The Right Book Can Make a World of Difference
Manage Your Time or Time Will Manage You
Unlearning Leadership - Based upon the Unlearning Leader: Leading for Tomorrow's Schools Today
Student Voice: From Invisible to Invaluable
Coming Soon
Action Research: Elevating Educators
How Implicit Bias Keeps You from Reaching Every Student - Learn Better Then Do Better!
The Joyful Teacher
Being the Change: Lessons and Strategies to Teach Social Comprehension
Engagement By Design
The Teacher Clarity Playbook
In addition, as part of North Cook ISC's partnership with the Illinois Online Academy, educators have access to a wide variety of topics and courses anywhere, anytime that can be counted toward PD hours. Graduate credit can be earned for some classes. For more information, go to North Cook's website for ONLINE LEARNING.
North Cook ISC's Illinois Online Academy offerings are made possible in partnership with the Kane County Regional Office of Education.
Administrator Academies @ North Cook ISC (virtual through October 2020)
- Leading For Equity and Excellence
- Manage Your Time or Time Will Manage You
- Leading With Collective Efficacy
- School Security: A Proactive and Holistic Approach
- Proactively Dealing With Difficult Conversations: Bringing Out the Best in People at Their Worst
- Compassion Fatigue: Is Your Staff at Risk?
Educator Workshops (virtual) @ North Cook ISC
October 13
October 14
November 3, 10, 17
Networking Series Continue
- Buildings & Grounds
- Curriculum & Instruction
- Instructional Technology Coaches
- Student Services
- Technology
The networking meeting schedule is available at Networking Meetings.
*NOTE: All sessions will be conducted via Zoom until further notice.
If you'd like to be added to the email distribution list for meeting schedules, agendas and summaries, specify which networking group when you email Dr. April Jordan at ajordan@ncisc.org.
Lifelong Learning Not Stopped by Covid
In spite of Covid-19, during the last five months North Cook ISC/ROE #5 delivered
45 Virtual Professional Development Sessions
Reaching 750+ Educators
- 17 Administrator Academies
- 12 In-District Learning Opportunities
- 16 Networking Meetings
In addition, we welcomed 16 individuals to our year-long principal and assistant principal mentoring program for 2020-21, with 12 first-year administrators and 4 second-year participants.
Join us and continue your lifelong learning!
Teacher & Principal Evaluator Training Grant
TEACHER EVALUATORS
North Cook ISC offers AA-2001, a two-day Administrator Academy, to satisfy the requirement for those who will evaluate teachers.
PRINCIPAL EVALUATORS
For initial Principal Evaluator Training, individuals required to evaluate principals must complete two Administrator Academies: AA-1865 and AA-3000.
TEACHER AND PRINCIPAL EVALUATORS
Those who will evaluate both teachers and principals are required to take three Administrator Academies. Choose from AA-1448, AA-1451, AA-1452 or AA-1801 and the required AA-1865 and AA-3000.
See more information on our website under PERA Training and a complete list of our Evaluator Training and Retraining courses at Administrator Academies.
Licensure Update
As with all things 2020, nothing is “normal” and educator licensure is no exception. ISBE implemented numerous exceptions or waivers through Executive Order to allow teachers and administrators who were unable to complete all program or testing requirements to get licensed and begin the school year. ISBE has even made available short term approvals, through September 24th, for individuals with only a high school diploma to be able to work as paraprofessionals for three years until they are able to take a test. You can view the many changes at https://www.isbe.net/licensure.
One of the North Cook ISC’s primary functions is advocacy for our school districts with a keen focus on “what is best for the children” that we serve. Therefore, it should not be a surprise that one of the most significant licensure accommodations was not made through Executive Order, but rather through Emergency Rules.
Bilingual Teachers Emergency Rule
The emergency rule for teachers in bilingual education grew out of a discussion with school district personnel about the need for bilingual teachers and the inability for individuals to take the language proficiency test due to testing center closures.
Until December 17, 2020, school districts can employ an individual who holds any type of license and who also has a bachelor's degree to work as a bilingual teacher for the 2020-2021 school year as long as certain other conditions are met. The school district must confirm writing, grammar and speaking proficiency via an interview. The school district employing the individual must then file the Bilingual Education Emergency Assignment Assurance Form 92-82 with their ROE within 10 days from the date of hire.
Several school districts are already taking advantage of the emergency rules, and hundreds of bilingual students in our region and throughout the state will reap the benefits. We will continue to monitor the number of these emergency assignment forms that are submitted to our office as well as other offices to monitor the number of students being served. It is not only a benefit to those students, but also to their siblings, family members and extended families as well. Please consider this alternative if you have the need.
Contact Shirley Bloom sbloom@ncisc.org / 847-803-3704 or Izabela Kuczek ikuczek@ncisc.org / 847-803-5614 with any questions or concerns, and best wishes to you as we all try to do our best to navigate through this together.
Attendance & Truancy
Welcome to a challenging new school year and dealing with many things, including attendance and truancy. Student attendance is expected no matter what type of instruction and learning is provided in your district: in-school, virtual or hybrid. If your district has changed its attendance policy due to the pandemic, please send a copy of it to Dr. Paula Miller at pmiller@ncisc.org.
Virtual Interventions
Referrals should be made only after all local resources have been exhausted. Suggested local interventions, many that can be done virtually, include SST meetings, parent meetings, IEP development, home visits, calls home, social worker involvement, liaison officer contacts and DCFS calls if other home issues are evident. Once these have been attempted, please go to the Student Services page at NCISC/truancy to review procedures and complete the Truancy Student Referral form, if needed.
Contact Dr. Paula Miller to schedule a meeting with your school and a truant student's family at pmiller@ncisc.org / 708-280-3670
REMINDER: AFR's Due
Annual Financial Report (AFR) due dates are just around the corner. Please submit two (2) signed paper copies by the due date listed below to: North Cook Intermediate Service Center/ROE #5, 1001 E. Touhy Av. Suite 200, Des Plaines, IL 60018
If needed, extension requests can be sent to Terrie Simmons, Business Manager, at tsimmons@ncisc.org.
Your auditors should submit an electronic copy of the AFR directly to ISBE.
· October 15: AFR is due to North Cook ISC/ROE #5
· November 15: AFR (electronic & paper copy) is due to ISBE from Regional Office of Education
· December 15: AFR is due to ROE and ISBE if an extension is granted.
Homeless Students' Needs
Due to the pandemic, there is an increase in emergency needs for our McKinney-Vento families. North Cook ISC has set up an EMERGENCY FUND that school districts may use to help with the families in need. If you would like to contribute to this fund, please see: Homeless-Education-Fund. Feel free to forward the link to your staff or community.
Become a National Board Certified Teacher
North Cook ISC will be a cohort host for teachers and counselors pursuing National Board Certification during the 2020-2021 school year. The cohort will meet 12 times throughout the year and is led by a trained National Board Certified Teacher who will guide teachers through the process at no cost.
Teachers can earn 24 Professional Development clock hours as they complete their National Board components. The State offers a subsidy to pay for all fees associated with becoming a National Board Certified Teacher (there is a one-time $75 registration fee; this is the only cost an eligible teacher will incur).
Apply for the subsidy from September 1 - October 11, 2020.
Cohort support sessions begin statewide the week of September 13th, 2020.
small Talk. BIG Ideas.
Calling for more admissions to our smallTalk initiative!
We're asking educators to share tips, reflections or creative ideas in small, digestible video snippets (3 minutes max) using a cell phone or pc camera about what you're doing to navigate day-to-day school and home life, maintain routines, support students, peers and parents, and succeed during e-Learning. Or choose your own topic to share. Through small Talk can come BIG Ideas! Learn more.
NCYAA Open for In-Person Learning
North Cook Young Adult Academy opened its doors for in-person instruction in August. Students who require remote learning are being accommodated as well. Strict guidelines are in place to ensure the safest possible environment at the Des Plaines campus. Both staff and students say they feel fortunate to be in school together and understand the unique opportunity they have been given.
When asked about challenges faced during the 4th quarter of the last school year, all students said they lacked the motivation and structure to be successful in continuing their studies from home. There is a strong priority placed on student social-emotional needs with an emphasis on mindfulness and self-care. NCYAA staff believe it is advantageous for students to be with their teachers and social workers every day, and we’re happy to be able to provide them with that opportunity. Here's what a few students have to say:
“It’s better in school, because of the teachers.”
“I love going to school because it gives me motivation and the education everybody needs!”
“It’s a blessing to be back. We are privileged to have this resource and to be getting the help we need.”
“I’m grateful to be back in school because I want to get my life on track and this is the first step.”
Congratulations!
Dr. Coleman has spent three decades in education as a teacher and an administrator. She's presented locally and nationally on such topics as cyber bullying, multi-tiered systems of support, diversity in education, and behavior management.
She is also the author of Just One Click: the Eternity of Cyberbullying - What Schools Need to Know and co-authored The Suspension Question: Bridging the Gap Between Prevention, Intervention and Suspension.
Your Voice Your Vote
Vote by mail
- Request your mail-in ballot with a mail ballot application.
- Fill out the application completely.
- Submit the request to your local election office. You should request your ballot as far in advance of the election as possible. The deadline to request a ballot by mail is (received by) Thursday, October 29, 2020.
- When your ballot arrives, read it carefully and follow the instructions to complete and return it.
Visitors Welcome by Appointment Only
Visitors to North Cook ISC and North Cook Young Adult Academy are required to schedule an appointment (no walk-ins allowed at this time) and submit a Health Pre-Check Questionnaire beforehand. Masks must be worn at all times and social distancing maintained while on site. Read more and view the pre-check questionnaire at: Contact Us.
North Cook Intermediate Service Center
Monday - Friday 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
CLOSED October 12
CLOSED November 11
CLOSED November 25-27
Email: info@ncisc.org
Website: www.ncisc.org
Location: 1001 E. Touhy Av. Suite 200, Des Plaines, IL, USA
Phone: 847-824-8300