D-86 Officials Argue Over Central Vs. South

Darien IL

02 November, 2021

3:41 PM

Description

DARIEN, IL — A Hinsdale High School District 86 board member last week contended one of his colleagues was calling for shafting one of the district's two schools. The other disagreed. Member Jeff Waters, the subject of the accusation, has repeatedly objected to the district's proposal to move all students to a track of physics for freshmen, chemistry for sophomores and biology for juniors, rather than the traditional sequence with biology first. South has followed this track for more than a decade. It would be new for Central, but many parents protest it. In 2019, the old board unanimously approved the new sequence, while three of the seven members of the new board object to it. At last week's board meeting, member Jeff Waters and two other members questioned the new track. They argued it would reduce content in physics. And they took issue with adding earth science concepts to the three main science courses, which they said would mean the end of Central's respected earth science program. Waters noted the district wasn't following the College Board's recommendation for Advanced Placement Biology. But member Erik Held said South has succeeded in how it has handled the course. Held noted South Principal Arwen Pokorny Lyp's statements just minutes before Waters'. Pokorny Lyp said South students had done well in AP Bio after taking physics. In general, she said, the sequence of classes has been "wildly successful" at South. Held said the district must hold South equal to Central. South, he noted, had spent years putting students through the reverse of the traditional sequence of science classes. "And at the same time, the school has not melted into the ground. And kids are still graduating and going into (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) majors in college," Held said. He told Waters, "What I heard is Central wants this, so let's slap South in the face and say they've been doing it wrong." Waters objected, saying he did not say that and that Held was putting words in his mouth. He said both sequences are "phenomenal" tracks," but he disagreed with the "swirl of earth science." Six of the seven board members live in the Central zone. Member Cynthia Hanson is the exception. The board is expected to decide on the science curriculum at its Nov. 18 meeting. Waters, Debbie Levinthal and Peggy James question the proposal on the sequence, while Held, Hanson and Hirsman back the idea and voted for it in 2019. Board President Terri Walker has not indicated her position. Tensions appear to be rising over the issue. A week before Thursday's meeting, Levinthal's husband, Dan Levinthal, publicly suggested District 86 families may want to move to another district or enroll their children in private schools because of the science curriculum proposal. He accused the district of making its students "lab rats" in a "race to mediocrity." Debbie Levinthal's statements have not been so dire.