Mundelein High School is one of many sites throughout Illinois where officials of the Illinois State Board of Education [ISBE] will host “listening tours” concerning new state education standards set to go into effect next school year. The event will take place from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Mundelein High School Auditorium Thursday, Sept. 15.

The federal government recently passed the Every Student Succeeds Act [ESSA] to replace No Child Left Behind. “While No Child Left Behind changed the conversation about schooling in positive ways by ensuring that states used data to discuss groups of students from every background, somehow the US Department of Education forgot how to see and talk about the whole child and the interrelated systems where they actually live,” said Tony Smith, Ph.D., state superintendent of education.

ESSA provides the opportunity to contemplate what is meant by “the whole child” and, from this, consider the type of programming that will support the strengths and needs of each and every child. ESSA is explicit in requiring that stakeholders within each state work together in developing a plan for the singular purpose of supporting the whole child, from early learning through post-secondary success.

“Your feedback is essential as we continue to refine a draft and post it for review [later in the fall] before ultimately bringing it to the Illinois State Board of Education for their vote,” Smith explained.

State Representative Carol Sente, along with other area legislators, will be on hand during the presentation.