Congratulations to Students and Staff of HC for an Outstanding School Report Card!

Interim Principal Tom Paulsen sent this great message out to our staff.

The state has released test score data from the 2012-2013 school year for public consumption and Hinsdale Central is once again ranked among the top schools in the state.  In fact, in one category, we are at the top.  The partnership of staff and parents working with remarkable students is what makes this kind of achievement possible.  So, congratulations, Faculty and Staff of Hinsdale Central, for continuing the tradition of excellence at the corner of 55^th and Grant.
  ACT Scores:  26.4 composite, 4^th in the suburbs
 PSAE:  89% meets or exceeds, tied for 2^nd in the suburbs                                                                                    
 Chicago Sun-Times Ranking:  4^th in the state; 1^st outside Chicago (based on the Sun-Times particular method of ranking based only on Prairie State Reading and Math and other factors – see the Sun-Times web site for detail regarding the method used)
  It’s a great day to be a Red Devil! 

Another demonstration of the dedication and hard work of students and staff!

Hinsdale Alum at Stanford Creates Pre-Professional Society

Stanford University junior Julia Quintero, pursuing majors in
history and human biology, formed a campus club for
undergraduates who aspire to careers in K-12 education, particularly
teaching. Photo by Chris Kenrick.

Hinsdale Alum Julia Quintero (HC '11) is already making headlines.  She is the founder of the Stanford Pre-Education Society (SPREES).  The debut event of SPREES, held Tuesday, focused on how to attract students (especially the best and the brightest students) to a career in education.  

According to an article published last week in The Stanford Daily, Quintero anticipated the event would generate a new discussion surrounding education reform.

“I want this event to create [a] really important conversation that is not being had about education reform,” Quintero said.

The Palo Alto Weekly published an article about the conference and Quintero's leadership.  It reported: 

Stanford junior Julia Quintero, an aspiring teacher who formed an undergraduate pre-teaching club on campus last year. 

Quintero, who is pursuing majors in both history and human biology, said, "I was in the human bio core, which is mostly pre-meds, and everything was pre-med this and pre-med that and I thought, 'Why not pre-ed?' 

She said her organization is "trying to spark a national movement towards drawing the most talented college graduates into careers in education, particularly teaching."

Hinsdale Central teacher Jared Friebel, who served as Quintero's teacher for two years, was invited by Quintero to Stanford to participate in the event.  Quintero references Friebel in the Palo Alto Weekly article:

Quintero said she initially dismissed the idea of teaching when Jared Friebel, her English teacher at Hinsdale (Ill.) Central High School, suggested she consider it as a career. 

"He helped me realize that the reasons I was brushing it aside weren't good reasons, like: 'Why should I go to Stanford just to become a teacher?' 'Why would I waste this degree to become a teacher?' 

"It just comes from pressure from society. You go to an elite school and teaching just doesn't have any prestige," she said. 

"If I say I study public policy in education, that sounds really prestigious, like, 'Wow, you're making a huge difference.' And it's true. Policymakers do make a big difference, but I've come to alter my views on that. 

"It's teachers that really make the biggest difference. Studies show that, and any student could tell you that. What matters most in a successful class, hands down, is the teacher. It's not technology, and funding's important, but at the end of the day it's really the teacher that matters most."

Two Groups of English Teachers Present at State Educational Conference

This weekend, two groups of teachers gave presentations at the Illinois Association of Teachers of English 2013 Conference in Bloomington, Illinois.

Angelique Burrell, Jared Friebel, and Heather Ferhman, all teachers of Honors Seminar in Writing, presented on "Creative Nonfiction and Authenticity: Re-energizing and Celebrating Student Writing."

Michael Palmquist and David Lange spoke about formative assessment and the Common Core in a presentation entitled, "Getting Better: Quick, Easy, and Honest Ways to Show Student Growth."

Presenting at state and national conferences is one way that demonstrates teachers' professional commitment to continual growth and another sign that English teachers at Central are at the forefront of English educators.