Educational Benchmark for Effective Educators Volume 11, Issue 1 www.roe41.org Regional Office of Education #41 Madison County Main Office Dr. Robert A. Daiber, Regional Superintendent of Schools 157 North Main Street, Ste. 438 Dr. Andrew Reinking, Assistant Regional Superintendent of Schools Edwardsville, IL 62025 Ph: 618.296.4530 Fax: 618.692.7018 A Message from Regional Superintendent Administration Robert A. Daiber, Ed.D. As the 2017-18 school year draws to a close, the Regional Dr. Robert A. Daiber Office of Education is proud to recognize one hundred and Regional Superintendent twenty-seven retiring educators. Among them are two superintendents, Dr. Cullen Cullen of Venice District #3 and Mr. Virgil Moore of East Alton Elementary District #13. Both Dr. Andrew Reinking exit their positions at the close of the fiscal year. This issue Assistant Regional of Educational Benchmark highlights the service of these Superintendent retiring educators. Also, in this edition, the ROE congratulates twenty-three Micki Watkins educators and two teams of teachers who have been Director, Transition recognized for outstanding education contributions to their Specialist Program respective districts. This edition is inclusive of complimenting three hundred and five young authors who participated in David Elson this year’s annual Young Author’s Award ceremony held Director, School April 28 at Edwardsville High School. A special thank you Improvement Services is extended to the committee who ensures the success of this event each year. Dr. Robert A. Daiber The Regional Office will again award scholarships to and high schools met to share their school project work School Improvement history teachers who wish to participate in the Madison for the initiative “Conversations for a Brighter Future”. Services Historical project. The classroom work of students at Civic The event was held at the Mannie Jackson Center for Ph: 618.692.5560 Memorial High School who are taught by Ms. Suze Gibson the Humanities. It was a continuation of a series of are featured in an article in this edition. Ms. Gibson was presentations by student groups as they are working a scholarship recipient last summer and implemented the to develop positive school climates. The presentations Madison History project in her teaching of U.S. History. I presented by the students can be viewed at mjchf.org/ encourage you to visit the Madison Historical website to page/brighter-future-new. see the results of the work accomplished this past year at Likewise, it is always good to read positive madison-historical.siue.edu. Other teachers who may be accomplishments of student groups in the news. My What’s Inside… doing exemplary lessons like this unit, please advise the compliments to Roxana High School students on their ROE so we may feature your work as well. community service projects. Nothing builds school On Friday, May 6, students from Madison County middle Page 2 See Daiber, page 4 Madison Historical Transportation District Superintendents Earn Retirement McKinney-Vento Cullen L. Cullen, My career in education Page 3 Ed.D. will be retiring as began in 1984 as a Retirees Superintendent of Venice teacher in the Cahokia CUSD #3 in June, 2018. School District. I was Page 4 Dr. Cullen has been the very proud to teach in Summer Workshops Superintendent at Venice the same district that I Olympiads CUSD #3 since July, 2009. had attended as a Directions Conference Dr. Cullen and the Board student. After ten of Education have worked years of teaching, I Page 5 collaboratively to improve went on to become an Retiring Administrators the financial standing assistant principal at of the district, improved Cahokia H.S. for seven Page 6 school facilities, and years. I left Cahokia Student Cafes most important, improved to serve stints as STEM Camp Cullen Cullen student achievement and Virgil Moore Principal of Centralia AG Camp Venice growth. East Alton H. S., Belleville East H.S, and Southwestern Page 7 The Board and Dr. Cullen have strengthened community Middle School. The last eleven years, I have had the and civic collaboration for the benefit of the students. Awards honor of being Superintendent of East Alton District 13. Collaboration between Mannie Jackson Center for the Page 8 Humanities Foundation, SIUE STEM Center, Principia I am reminded of just how incredibly fortunate I have TRASH-formations College, and the Madison County Housing Authority have been over the last thirty-five years to be a part of the lives Young Authors provided many enrichment opportunities for students. of children every time I have a former student tell me, The district began an Early Childhood Program (ECP) “Don’t have a great day, make it a great day. The choice in cooperation with the Madison County Regional Office is yours.” In my humble opinion, there is no greater of Education. The ECP was developed with seed funds profession than that of an educator. provided by the Illinois Department of Human Services My hope for my retirement is that I will be wise enough and continues today with local funding. to follow God’s plan for the rest of my life and continue Dr. Cullen believes that the future of our community is to make a positive contribution to society. If that does May 2018 determined by the home and school. Dr. Cullen said “We not work out, I am just going to relax and enjoy my ten are what we are taught, and our role as educators is to grandchildren. enable every child to succeed.” Dr. Cullen plans to spend retirement traveling with his family. Educational Benchmark • Volume 11, Issue 1 • Page 2 Civic Memorial H.S. Students Work Safe Transportation in Madison County With Madison Historical In recent reports, one too many practices each school year. The Over the past week, students who enrolled in Dual Credit U.S. school bus accidents have us State of Illinois requires districts History at Civic Memorial High School had the unique opportunity wondering what could have been to provide one on-site training to work with the historical team from Madison Historical: The Online done and many even speculate at each school for all students, Encyclopedia and Digital Archive for Madison County whose goal is a different outcome if certain so students understand school to document, preserve and share the rich history of Madison County, steps were taken. In Illinois, policies at each step of their Illinois. Madison Historical is coordinated by the Department of school bus drivers are held to daily transportation routine. This Historical Studies at Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville. higher standards than other includes expected behaviors professional drivers. Districts at the bus stop, when loading The team that visited Civic Memorial High School consisted of three and companies are required to and unloading a school bus and graduate students who were eager to share their experiences and love have licensing steps in place for while the bus is in motion. These for history with the high school students. Students enjoyed interacting continued monitoring for student trainings also include how to with the SIUE students and were surprised to find out about the many safety. Each fiscal year, Madison efficiently evacuate a school bus aspects and jobs historians are involved in. During the three day lesson County Regional Office of in the event of an emergency. sequence, the students analyzed how the local history of Madison Education trains over 800+ new As stated in the school code, County speaks to the larger narrative of the history of Bethalto and the and seasoned school bus drivers district staff and bus drivers United States in the 20th Century. Besides bringing history alive, the at some point during the year to work together to provide these project gave students a chance to work as real historians, rather than either gain or uphold their school trainings. merely as students bus driver permit credentials. of history. For many Madison County school These trainings typically cover students, this was bus drivers continue to show Illinois laws concerning student a great opportunity dedication to their students and transportation as well as to make real support for our schools. Their updates in best practices for the world connections success is the outcome of the continued safety of our school between what they safe transportation process that age children. Beyond drivers’ are learning in the includes the school districts, the bus permits, drivers also have classroom and the students as well as the parents other yearly testing, trainings resources available of the students who ride their and duties to uphold their CDL in their community. buses. Communication and driving privileges for Illinois. training for our districts, drivers, Students were Along with the school bus students and parents is key to asked to gather drivers monitoring and training a successful ride on the school and evaluate information they collected in the community. This meant for safe transportation and bus. that students had to go out and talk to family members, neighbors student safety, districts also or others within the community that could contribute a narrative or Kudos to all for another safe provide continued training to possessed an artifact that was significant of past experiences. Under year of transportation! their students in safe riding the guidance of the SIUE students, the CM students conducted oral interviews and analyzed the collected artifacts. The students were then given the tasks to consider the credibility, structure and context Madison County Schools Participate in of the artifact, and place it within the greater national or historical United Way’s Families Food Drive narrative. The collected items were scanned and became digitized The United Way of Greater St. Louis held their Third Annual Food artifacts by the Madison Historical team.