A press release from Crystal Lake High School District 155:
Cary-Grove Teacher Nominated as Golden Apple Finalist
Josh Norten is one of 30 finalists for the 2016 Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching. Finalists were selected from 400 candidates who teach 9th-12th grade throughout the Chicagoland area. The award recognizes and honors outstanding teachers for their role in building a stronger, better-educated society.
After receiving a nomination letter in November, Norten worked to complete five essays and submit three letters from colleagues.
Josh Norton
“I’m honored, and I’m humbled, beyond humbled.
“I love that I work alongside wide-eyed students and am able to share my life wisdom with them.
“Being a Golden Apple candidate has forced me to reflect, and it has rejuvenated me,” said Josh Norten, Cary-Grove physics teacher.
This school year, Norten teaches AP Physics 1 and AP Physics C. He has taught science at Cary-Grove High School for 19 years.
“On behalf of the Board of Education and District 155, we are incredibly proud of Josh Norten for being named a Golden Apple Finalist. He is dedicated to our students, and he has a passion for teaching,” said Dr. Johnnie Thomas, superintendent.
Norten credits his high school teacher, Scott Beutlich from Crystal Lake South, and his interest in physics for pursuing a teaching career. From an early age Norten was interested in planets, lightning, and magnets, and enjoyed going to science museums. During his undergrad years he had the opportunity to work in a research environment and as an undergraduate teaching assistant. He said both were good experiences, but teaching won.
“I am surrounded by excellent, passionate teachers who pour their heart and soul into Cary-Grove,” said Norten. “My biggest cheerleaders are my family, Principal Jay Sargeant, and Division Leader Troy Bruley. I want to thank my colleagues who have mentored me, especially Therese Youel when I began teaching AP in 2001 and Scott Beutlich, who is now retired.”
The 30 finalists will be honored during a Celebration of Excellence on Saturday, April 2. There will be a final round of review and classroom observations prior to the selection of 10 award recipients.
Congratulations to Mr. Norton.
Too bad the District 155 teacher union, High School District 155 Education Association, IEA-NEA, protects the low performing teachers so every student cannot have a Mr. Norton for every period.
To see a teacher discuss the topic of teacher unions protecting sub par teachers, search on YouTube for Rebecca Friedrichs, one of the plaintiffs in Friedrichs v California Teachers Association (CTA) which is awaiting a decision in the US Supreme Court regarding agency fees / forced fees / fair share fees that are a mandated condition of employment for teachers in public schools in California, Illinois, and some other states.
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Crystal Lake / Cary / Fox River Grove High School District 155 still does not videotape school board meetings and indefinitely archive them on their website.
The CHSD 155 school board values secrecy over transparency.
No known watchdog in CHSD 155 willing to fight for that transparency.
Current CHSD 155 Board Members:
Ted Wagner
Gary Oberg, MD
Amy Blazier
Adam Guss
Rosemary Kurtz
Dave Secrest
Ann Somers
http://www.d155.org > School Board
The next school board election is April 4, 2017.
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CHSD also does not post the IMRF compensation report on its website, which is amazing, they are one of the very few school districts not do so.
Instead the district website displays the following message:
“The data from the IMRF Report is posted in the District 155’s Human Resource office and may be viewed in the office.”
http://www.chsd155.org > Finance & Operations > Compensation Reports > IMRF Report.
What a bunch of transparency losers.
The report should be posted on the district website.
The IMRF report can be obtained via FOIA request, one does not have to visit the District office, but they don’t bother telling the taxpayers that.
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Also, the EIS Administrator and Teacher Salary and Benefits Report in the same section of the district website does not include stipends (stipends are not included in “other benefits.”
Most teachers receive a stipend.
So the report is misleading, in that how many taxpayers know stipends are not included on the report and most teachers receive a stipend.
No school districts include stipends on that report, because the Illinois State Board of Education does not require them to do so.
There should be a column for stipends on the report, if the Illinois State Board of Education wanted to be taxpayer friendly.
Stipends are pensionable income.
So, stipends are included in the pay posted on OpenTheBooks, which wisely obtains the teacher and administrator compensation from the TRS pension system and not the school districts.