It may have taken two decades, but Tony Laureto knows full-well the trials and tribulations his district’s teachers go through on a daily basis.
Laureto, a lieutenant with the Berwyn Fire Department and the department’s training officer for the past two years, has spent the last 16 years as school board president of North Berwyn School District 98.
“Now that I’m a training officer, I’ve gained a whole new respect for teaching,” Laureto said.
Laureto joined South Berwyn District 100 Board President Joanne Zendol as they were honored at the Nov. 10 City Council meeting for School Board Day in Illinois on Nov. 15.
Q North Berwyn School District 98 failed to make adequate yearly progress on state testing. How can the district improve to meet AYP next year?
A The district has had a strategic plan created by a committee of more than 40 board members, teachers and community members to look at what we can do to improve test scores. We’re constantly tweaking it and adjusting it as the statistics of these tests come in and revamp what we do.
One of the things that the district has been focusing on is getting the parents involved. We absolutely need our parents involved in the schools, helping students with homework and turning the television off when they need to study.
One of the problems is that the district has a high mobility rate of students. We’re sometimes testing kids that have been in the district six months, and no one knows what they were learning before they got here.
Q Why do you continue to serve on the school board?
A I truly have an inner drive that says I need to give back and volunteer to the community. I’m not going to tell you I’m the best person to be on the board and have all the answers and knowledge, but I think I’m doing a good job by participating and trying to be a problem solver and watchdog at the same time. I think that’s what everyone should do for their community.
I feel that everyone has an obligation to be active in their community. There’s a certain satisfaction at the end of every school year when I get to hand out diplomas and watch the kids graduate. It’s a thrill, and it makes me feel like I’m part of the solution and not part of the problem.
Q What can residents expect from the district in 2010?
A They can expect we will be fiscally responsible. Even with the uncertainty of government funding, we want to make sure kids of this community receive an education. We have some reserves, a balanced budget, will be debt free by 2013 and we have not had to cut any district services. We’re going to improve any way we can.
