The Illinois State Superintendent of Education, Dr. Tony Smith, paid a visit last week to Evanston’s Dewey Elementary School and the Joseph E. Hill Early Childhood Center.
A guest of Evanston/Skokie School District 65 Superintendent Paul Goren, the state school official had the opportunity to speak with teachers and students about various programs in the district.
Assistant Principal Donna Sokolowski, Bilingual Special Ed. Teacher Christa Garcia, Principal Andalib Khelghati, Smith, Goren at Dewey School
At Dewey, Dr. Smith had engaging conversations with teachers, students, and administrators on academic supports, social and emotional learning, school climate, and professional learning and collaboration for educators.
Smith, Khelghati, and McKenna-Barreda
He spoke with veteran teacher Anne McKenna-Barreda about the impact of the Two Way Immersion magnet program that helps students develop strong literacy skills and language proficiency in both English and Spanish.
Goren, Smith, and Quirarte
At the JEH Early Childhood Center, Dr. Smith spoke with Melody Quirarte, bilingual teachers assistant, about the center’s wide range of programming and services for students and families, including home visiting, Head Start, special education programs, bilingual services, and parental support and engagement.
While in Evanston, Dr. Smith brought District 65 officials up to speed about services available to the district from the state.