Teach to Lead Event to Take Place in Effingham

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Published on December 18 2017 10:37 pm
Last Updated on December 18 2017 10:37 pm
Written by Greg Sapp

We shared several months ago that a team of educators from Effingham Unit 40 School District were headed to Ohio for a Teach to Lead conference. The Unit 40 team, called "Leadership, Creativity and Innovation", was one of 30 teams that had been culled from hundreds of teams.

The group of eight from Unit 40 subsequently learned that of the 30 teams that attended the summit in Columbus, Ohio, Unit 40's team was one of only three selected to host a Teach to Lead Leadership Lab. The Leadership Lab will take place on April 12 at the Effingham Event Center.

The event is designed to share what has worked in Unit 40 through the process, and what those who attend might want to take back to their school districts.

As to what has been happening in Unit 40, students have been given more of a say in the learning process. They've also been allowed to make mistakes, but also learn that failure isn't fatal. 

It's been a time of growth for educators, too, as several are speaking at other schools about Unit 40's experience.

Charlie Schwerman, who has moved out of the classroom to become assistant principal at Effingham Junior High School, said it's been a time of growth for students. Schwerman said, "The kids know we care, because they had a voice...when they understood we were all in this together, they were more willing to try it."

The Unit 40 Board Monday also took time to congratulate the Effingham Junior High School 7th and 8th grade girls basketball teams, both of whom reached the state tournament. It's the first time the 7th grade and 8th grade teams reached the state tournament in the same season.

Information was also shared on the "coffee cart" initiative, where students with profound disabilities have seen success in using a coffee cart to sell beverages and healthy snacks. The coffee cart was utilized at Monday's meeting to sell items to board members to illustrate how the project works.

Representatives of the Effingham Classroom Teachers Association were also on hand to share about ongoing contract talks and to offer their hope that a new contract could be reached that is fair to all involved.

Assistant Superintendent Jason Fox said the net fund balance for the district is up 8.58% from the year before and that operating funds are up 12.59% from a year ago. Fox said the increase is chiefly due to the receipt of State funds that should have been received last year.

Board member Patty Russell asked for more detail on the bills the Board approves for payment each month. There were suggestions about the labor involved in printing out the bills, but Russell said a printout would be fine, as long as it provides the information she's seeking.

Also Monday, Unit 40 Foundation Advisor Todd Schuette said a good crowd attended the Breakfast With Santa fundraiser, that four new scholarships have been established through the Foundation, and that the Trick or Trivia event held in the fall generated $9,000.