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Do Johnny and Jane do their homework?
Daily Southtown - September 2, 2004
Scott Phillips' sons have a math quiz Friday.
Phillips, who has two seventh-graders at Huth Middle School in Matteson, learned of the quiz earlier this week, even before his sons did, by logging onto his Edline homepage.
Edline, a Web portal, is a communication tool being piloted in Huth's magnet gifted program this year.
The program's teachers are posting a wealth of classroom information on the Internet for parent and student access.
Roger Prietz, a technology consultant and retired Chicago Public Schools administrator, presented the Edline system to School District 162 officials, administrators, teachers and parents during a recent board workshop.
District 162 has schools in Matteson, Richton Park, Olympia Fields and Park Forest.
Given the continuing growth of the district, "a strong backbone in communication between school and home is important," Prietz said. Edline gives parents an immediate way to actively participate in their children's education.
Once logged onto the system, a parent can read school news, verify attendance, review grades, check calendars and look at homework. Teachers design and control their classroom Web pages.
Teachers also have the option of e-mailing parents and/or students.
"We're moving communication from good to great," Prietz said, playing off the district's "moving from good to great" motto.
Supt. Blondean Davis said when she hears a parent complain, it's always in reference to communication, so to enhance communication is "a luxury."
Seventh- and eighth-grade social studies teacher Tom Rock, who already has designed his classes' Web sites, has found that Edline not only enhances communication, it's also teacher-friendly.
"I'm finding I can do it. There's nothing to be afraid of," said Rock, who calls his knowledge of the system "a work in progress."
Prietz said Edline uses software that teachers already know and makes the most of the Internet capability all Huth teachers have in their classrooms.
As far as Huth students are concerned, 90 percent have reported they have after-school Internet access, Davis said. This could mean they are accessing the Internet from home or from the library or other public places, she said.
About 65 Huth parents had activated their accounts as of Tuesday, said Prietz, who implemented Edline at Chicago's Whitney Young Magnet High School last year. Prietz said that up to 80 percent of Whitney Young parents access Edline.
Use of Edline at Huth this year is voluntary, but Davis said she hopes it will be used district-wide next year.
Prietz said having Edline as a resource makes parents a real "stakeholder" in their child's education and provides an opportunity to head off bad grades.
Edline also can allow for meaningful dinner conversations, Prietz said, as parents already know what their children did at school for the day.
Or as in Phillips' case, it allows parents to field the moans and groans that come with their children's knowledge of an impending math quiz.