[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6120827,"mediaKeyId","2705989-e323ccd332736c59292cd38b579169ef","parentId",2705989,"title","East St. Louis SD 189 recognizes teachers, staff and student athletes at March 18 meeting","audioSeconds",284,"startMs",328000,"endMs",612000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2705989-e323ccd332736c59292cd38b579169ef&start=328&end=612","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2705989-e323ccd332736c59292cd38b579169ef/thumbnail_328000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6120827/Illinois/East-St-Louis-SD-189-recognizes-teachers-staff-and-student-athletes-at-March-18-meeting","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6120827-c79dc1e7d3f1a9c12b80bcc825c19aca/orig.mp4?Expires=1776561398&Signature=ViCZjEMUSVo~PY0IhR50Zjcmy-62JKjelAuJ83lhHVKSNCiXixnNNm2zOy9fQOVwWl9Am-mf14tCze8qXpm9d34QoZvFiLCEg-ljh5hCITCrMnid6AyvUMOlwYWyD7xj6dqrYbTs2NnnEiasB9NDry0SqxlPX6JmM1t6z58FNPXc-InkRxhC0Y1QhshyE4t4Dsh-P3UvZttyP3PcZef0Z12N5hMcHQ~i7pL1ikUsJoYQ054HAtNyizQkrrZ0RRnr2wZ8~XnLmjgrIUBpyDR~BGldSUolwKupysqpMpnEn3HZM40dyzSQqNbBlN5JOoLu7ihbRwMCH7lrX7XW5B~Teg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","East St Louis SD 189","date","2025-03-19T08:24:33Z","article","Board President and district leaders used the March 18 meeting to recognize staff and student accomplishments across East St. Louis SD 189.

Nicholas (Nina) McLean of James Adrian Elementary School was announced as a 2025 Southern Regional Teacher of the Year selection by the Illinois State Board of Education and named a finalist for 2025 Illinois Teacher of the Year. The board also noted 13 staff members who will be recognized by ISBE at the Those Who Excel awards in May, including members of the instructional learning team at Avant Elementary and individuals from East Saint Louis Senior High School and Gordon Bush Alternative Center.

The board recognized multiple student achievements: Pierre Walton won the 2025 IHSA Class 2A wrestling state championship at 165 pounds, the first state wrestling title for East Saint Louis Senior High School since 1943; the East St. Louis Senior High boys basketball team won a Class 3A regional championship; Lincoln eighth-grade boys won the IESA Class 8-3-8 state championship (with Teddy Prince setting a state record of seven 3-pointers in a state-tournament game and tying a tournament total of 10 threes); and other middle-school teams and coaches were acknowledged for regional and state successes.

Superintendent Culver and board members encouraged applause for the honorees and noted the forthcoming Those Who Excel banquet and other community recognition events. No formal action was attached to these recognitions; they were recorded as ceremonial items in the meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","School Board Meeting - 3/18/2025 - Part 1","oneSentenceSummary","The board praised staff and students for state-level awards and athletic achievements, including teacher Nina McLean's selection as a Southern Regional Teacher of the Year finalist and Pierre Walton's Class 2A wrestling state championship.","taxTitle","East St Louis SD 189, School Boards, Illinois","taxId",55222,"location","Illinois","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6120831,"NAACP and youth group invite East St. Louis SD 189 candidates to March 27 candidate forum",219,731000,950000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2705989-e323ccd332736c59292cd38b579169ef&start=731&end=950","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2705989-e323ccd332736c59292cd38b579169ef/thumbnail_731000.jpg","/articles/6120831/Illinois/NAACP-and-youth-group-invite-East-St-Louis-SD-189-candidates-to-March-27-candidate-forum","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6120831-9a6a0d8179b317dc85959cacc680765b/orig.mp4?Expires=1776561398&Signature=V9zotm-dR8KJ0YMBk2XTToAvCVIUTwItn25p1IBq70H4VJG4xeGID-BUIaCc83MKpK30WE7ks9v6DBkr9~tsO-zsf58KWlXUc9IOqodZ9gXwXUSK9u8H9gFMlD9LAPJLrmyc8XZ7p4V4UMinsouHa-BhdvTuBP2szAx54i2-LamaCIYwytcXzBoQ0ERdnxuVyqFRWrWKle77D9NNlFrAdaMw3e43aA787zzPL8dxpi4Tk8rSjwyMu02J9paGjwokAxq9LJbVfkg-sepj3jlFL0uCffgqkw916o7HpfAM59QGXWqRvEIbNe0CTuv6arHt02SiCAjQ8VcqO8wBZl18~A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Members of the East St. Louis NAACP and the youth group Leaving Our Voices Everywhere delivered public comments at the March 18 board meeting inviting school-board candidates and board members to a candidate forum.

George McClellan, vice president of the East St. Louis NAACP, presented a printed invitation and said the forum — scheduled for March 27 at the East St. Louis Higher Education Center — is intended as a \"nonpartisan, nonconfrontational opening\" for candidates to present platforms and answer questions about their visions for the district. McClellan said the event is aimed at centering \"children first\" in candidate discussion.

Shontay Ford, a community member and leader with the youth group, read a statement on behalf of Kayla Walker, a freshman at East St. Louis Senior High School and member of Leaving Our Voices Everywhere. The statement said the forum would run from 6 to 8 p.m. on March 27 and emphasized transparency, accountability and opportunities for students, parents and community members to hear directly from candidates.

McClellan and Ford passed printed forms to board members and asked that candidates attend. The board did not take formal action on the invitation during the meeting; the comments were part of the public-comment period.","Representatives from the East St. Louis NAACP and the youth-led group Leaving Our Voices Everywhere invited school-board candidates to a nonpartisan forum March 27 at the East St. Louis Higher Education Center and asked that board members attend.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6120836,"Board approves agenda, minutes and multiple action items; 4 student discipline placements included",792,287000,1079000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2705989-e323ccd332736c59292cd38b579169ef&start=287&end=1079","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2705989-e323ccd332736c59292cd38b579169ef/thumbnail_287000.jpg","/articles/6120836/Illinois/Board-approves-agenda-minutes-and-multiple-action-items-4-student-discipline-placements-included","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6120836-91a91ee7821a30bb38b30f860c45a128/orig.mp4?Expires=1776561398&Signature=UDJ7lLbdKJ073-w1~C9ZQ9nxTMK8JFn3Lfk5xdcvw7LjlQunCazsm5BXCHwGJvBCmvHnBNOaZae53qJVf-Vc79hGTCW5mGqyoizat6f7ddVItdFdD5h~Jlh1qmA9~rCHTKayykY99ADGhZtSkwmdgiw0yO5JiTpC-RlXhps2QQwIkOcYTFiKAlsPXynF9JJZwmI3N09U1IZVfPUBupknKiSLcp25u3WjRLCvtwy8DF9jNCxRXUY6wXsg1s5iBdToRp5lbxUx031s7CYXUaQ6JtL-VLR-YdKHFuMIBhYe08H-YPPGtM~lUddCpcbsP8h9CKyCLg-Zt1yIGokLeGiCzg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","East St. Louis SD 189 board members voted on several procedural and action items during the March 18 meeting. Motions were recorded and passed by roll call.

A motion to adopt the agenda (with the board president authorized to take items out of order on executive session) was made by Remedy Dean and seconded by Willie Ray; the board recorded unanimous \"yes\" votes from Remedy Dean, Willie Ray, Lonzo Greenwood, Walter Hood, Timothy Lockett, Danielle Moore and Latoya Mosley, and the motion passed.

The board then moved to approve the minutes of the Feb. 25, 2025 regular meeting; the motion (mover not specified in the roll call exchange but recorded as having been offered and seconded in the meeting) passed on a roll-call \"yes\" vote from the same members.

Later, the board approved a package of action items (12a, 12b, 13a, 14a, 15a, 15b and 15c) on a motion by Willie Ray, seconded by Walter Hood. The roll call recorded \"yes\" votes from Remedy Dean, Willie Ray, Walter Hood, Lonzo Greenwood, Timothy Lockett, Danielle Moore and Latoya Mosley and the motion passed.

The action items package included: a revised proposed calendar for the 2024-25 school year (12a); student-discipline placements (12b); the financial report for February 2025 (13a); and additional action items listed as 14a, 15a, 15b and 15c (not further specified in the record).

The student-discipline placements that were included in the approved packet were described in the meeting as follows (as read into the record by district staff): student number 88923013 (alleged threats and intimidation) to be placed at Vincent Gray through June 1, 2026; student number 89988920411 (physical confrontation without injury) to be placed at Bush Alternative School through July 1, 2026; and student number 89129644 (physical confrontation without injury) to be placed at the Regional Office of Education safe school through July 1, 2026. The record indicated four students in total were included in action-item 12b but only three student identifiers and placements were read aloud in the transcript excerpt.

All recorded motions in the transcript were approved by roll call with the members listed above voting \"yes.\" The meeting record does not show any motion failures or formal abstentions in the items presented in the excerpt.

Votes at a glance: adoption of the agenda (approved); approval of Feb. 25 minutes (approved); approval of action items 12a/12b/13a/14a/15a/15b/15c including student-discipline placements and the February financial report (approved).","During the March 18 East St. Louis SD 189 meeting the board approved the agenda, accepted the Feb. 25 minutes and voted to approve a set of action items that included the February financial report and four student placements in alternative settings; all recorded motions passed by roll call.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6120841,"ISBE trainer briefs East St. Louis SD 189 board on school-improvement process; Lincoln Middle in implementation year",0,1304000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2705989-e323ccd332736c59292cd38b579169ef&start=1304&end=1304","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2705989-e323ccd332736c59292cd38b579169ef/thumbnail_1304000.jpg","/articles/6120841/Illinois/ISBE-trainer-briefs-East-St-Louis-SD-189-board-on-school-improvement-process-Lincoln-Middle-in-implementation-year","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6120841-c6771d1782915ac988cd4f5402ef8b75/orig.mp4?Expires=1776561398&Signature=iLcvT3iys3vUYjqiFYAE9CTwZHwqU4lrLlyFgPlC5-nYU8HfDyDJGbgIpsrDje8zJt0T8IhssxTv9riHpIX5CL8SRZ9rEFOBWC3FDHX5DwVjDY1jJ3yAsSoI1-RlsY6id5dXocaSUJvlU-HCmw4lGFrObL5nWXeoKH~wDTPj~ruT~wSf~knrBbDZQvDXEJNIiyDAADie3WvAyGu3bqHP6QhQMhTRWs-H-r300W4SMegEBxNP~2PsMB5Ew8OMqdjltOjKo3ENAfLoyam3kPvrhP4hXLzBN9ICELGIkd6l~d9ZmPnJFsib-4WdDRqo5NToPmDvsThWWHkb~oIQx9aJsg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","East St. Louis SD 189 welcomed Nicholas Heckel, supervisor in the Illinois State Board of Education's school-district improvement department, who delivered a detailed training on the state's school-improvement process during the board's March 18 meeting.

Heckel said the process is meant to change \"adult practices to improve student outcomes,\" not to \"change what kids do,\" and described a multi-year cycle of needs assessment, root-cause analysis, plan writing and multi-year implementation. \"Good school improvement, good solid school improvement is 3 to 5 years,\" he told the board.

The presentation concentrated on designations that appear on the Illinois Report Card (exemplary, commendable, targeted, comprehensive, intensive) and the additional steps and supports that follow when a school moves into intensive status. Heckel identified Lincoln Middle School as the district building currently in intensive status that completed a planning year in 2024 and is now in the first year of implementation; report-card results in October 2027 will determine whether it exits intensive status.

Heckel described two school-level needs assessments used during the planning year: an internally conducted Illinois Quality Framework review and an external, more rigorous needs assessment performed by the American Institutes for Research (AIR). That AIR review, he said, typically includes anonymous staff surveys, classroom observations, staff and student focus groups, and a 45-minute administrator interview. Heckel said AIR reports are often 50 to 75 pages and provide an outside perspective meant to identify both \"what's working\" and \"opportunities for growth.\" \"A root cause analysis tries to get to the bottom of what are the problems that are causing\" symptoms such as chronic absenteeism, he said.

Heckel explained state funding tied to intensive-designation status: in the designation year a school received $70,000 in Title I, Part A, Section 1003 funds; in the first year of implementation the grant rises to $100,000 and then decreases in later years to $65,000 and $35,000, respectively. He stressed districts should combine these funds with other federal and local sources as needed and plan monthly, measurable activities rather than producing a single, year-long action list.

He outlined required components of school improvement plans, including at least one ELA and one math SMART goal, monthly monitoring and a clear monitoring plan so principals and instructional coaches can verify implementation. He warned against over-reliance on interventions: \"If you're giving interventions to 80% of your kids inside of your school, we need to go all the way back to the classroom,\" he said, urging a stronger focus on core instruction when tiered interventions become ubiquitous.

Heckel also described supports available from ISBE: an on-demand learning series, a school-improvement helpline, an assigned school-improvement coordinator (currently Christina Kelly for East St. Louis), and a roster of 48 approved learning partners districts can contract with to provide targeted assistance. He said boards for districts with intensive schools must receive this kind of training; new state legislation will require school-improvement training for new board members as part of their initial credentialing.

Superintendent Culver introduced the presentation and provided meeting materials to board members; Heckel walked the board through a packet of templates and monthly checklists intended to guide school leadership teams and stakeholder advisory groups through planning and implementation.

Board members asked clarifying questions during the presentation and Heckel invited the district to decide how it wants intensive-school progress presented to the board three times per year (required under ISBE for intensive schools). He said the state will not mandate a single presentation format and that local districts should choose a format that works for them.

Heckel concluded by reiterating that school improvement requires sustained, monitored adult practice changes and that Lincoln Middle School has three implementation years remaining to demonstrate progress ahead of the 2027 report-card review.","An Illinois State Board of Education supervisor walked the East St. Louis SD 189 board through the state's school-improvement cycle on March 18, outlining needs assessments, required plans and available Title I, Part A, Section 1003 funds for districts with schools in intensive status; Lincoln Middle School is in its first year of implementation.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

East St. Louis SD 189 recognizes teachers, staff and student athletes at March 18 meeting

NAACP and youth group invite East St. Louis SD 189 candidates to March 27 candidate forum

Board approves agenda, minutes and multiple action items; 4 student discipline placements included

ISBE trainer briefs East St. Louis SD 189 board on school-improvement process; Lincoln Middle in implementation year