Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
District 99 board approves two‑year pilot to restructure parent‑teacher conferences to family‑initiated virtual model
Loading...
Summary
The board approved a two‑year pilot to move November teacher conferences to a family‑initiated, primarily virtual 4‑hour window, requiring teachers to provide a minimum of two hours of outreach logged in Infinite Campus and allowing in‑person meetings by request.
The Community High School District 99 Board of Education voted to authorize a two‑year pilot to restructure parent‑teacher conferences beginning in the 2026‑27 school year. Under the approved model, the district will hold a family‑initiated, primarily virtual conference window (four hours during the week of Thanksgiving), and teachers will be required to provide and log at least two hours of two‑way outreach to families during that period.
Administrators said the proposal was developed after staff and family feedback: 109 staff respondents and 407 family respondents contributed to the district’s qualitative and quantitative review. Staff said most operational concerns raised by families were logistical and that a committee of teachers and administrators will work through implementation details should the board approve the change.
During discussion trustees asked about scheduling, teacher professional development, in‑person access, and alignment with feeder District 58’s calendar. Staff said the district would shift some in‑service days to provide planning time, that Meet‑the‑Teacher in August would remain available for families who want to walk student schedules, and that in‑person meetings would continue to be available by request. The district also said it will log outreach in Infinite Campus for accountability.
The board debated potential risks — including families who prefer in‑person meetings and the possibility that the same small group of parents could book limited slots — and asked staff to track outcomes during the pilot. Administration described the goal as making family‑teacher communication "less performative, more informative," with additional outreach and FAQs to help families adapt.
The motion to approve the pilot for a minimum of two years was moved, seconded and passed on a roll‑call vote.
Votes at a glance: the motion to approve the restructuring passed on a roll call with all voting trustees recorded as "Aye."
