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Heads up! We have scanned the upcoming agenda for Gurnee SD 56. We found 8 items that need your immediate attention before the vote.
| HIGH CONCERN (LEVEL 8) |
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District Spends $24,862 on IXL Screen-Time Software
The October Bills list (Item A.4.h) includes a $24,862.50 payment for an ‘IXL SITE LICENSE.’ This is a significant expansion of student screen time, replacing direct instruction from teachers with adaptive software.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND EVIDENCE: Contact the District Office (see the Official Agenda link): ‘Before approving the $24,862.50 payment for IXL Learning, please publish the independent, non-vendor-supplied evidence that this software produces academic gains, and state how much daily screen time this adds for each student.’
💰 Impact: $24,862.50
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| HIGH CONCERN (LEVEL 8) |
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District Buys ‘Creative Curriculum’ for Youngest Students
The district is paying $2,680 to ‘Teaching Strategies’ for its ‘CREATIVE CURRICULUM’ (Item A.4.h). This is a well-known early childhood curriculum heavily based on ‘whole child’ and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) principles, often at the expense of foundational academics.
Recommended Action Plan
PACK THE ROOM & DEMAND REVIEW: This is curriculum for our little ones. Contact the District Office (see the Official Agenda link): ‘Regarding the $2,680 payment for Teaching Strategies’ Creative Curriculum, we demand the right to review these materials in full before they are used in any classroom. Vote NO on this payment until parents can see what you are buying.’
💰 Impact: $2,680
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| NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 7) |
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District Pays for Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Curriculum
The October Bills list (Item A.4.h) includes a payment of $2,399.97 to ‘Everyday Speech LLC.’ This company provides video-based SEL curriculum that teaches social skills, often replacing academic instruction time.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND REVIEW: Contact the District Office (see the Official Agenda link): ‘Regarding the $2,399.97 payment to Everyday Speech LLC in the October bills, parents have a right to review all SEL curriculum. Please provide full access to these materials and explain how this purchase supports academic achievement before payment is approved.’
💰 Impact: $2,399.97
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| NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 7) |
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District Pays $5,248 for Seesaw Student Software
The October Bills list (Item A.4.h) includes a $5,248.75 payment to ‘Seesaw Learning Inc’ for student licenses. This is another digital platform that increases student screen time and collects student data and work in online portfolios.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND EVIDENCE: Contact the District Office (see the Official Agenda link): ‘Before approving the $5,248.75 payment for Seesaw Learning, please publish the independent evidence that this software improves academic outcomes and detail the parental consent process for the student data it collects.’
💰 Impact: $5,248.75
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| NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 6) |
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District Considers Partnership with ‘School Turnaround’ Group
Item B.5 proposes a ‘Potential Partnership with the Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL).’ AUSL is known for implementing top-down ‘turnaround’ models in other districts, which can involve major changes to school staff and curriculum without community input.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND ANSWERS: This is just a title on the agenda. Before this goes any further, contact the District Office (see the Official Agenda link). ‘Regarding Item B.5, what is the purpose of a potential partnership with AUSL? Parents demand a full, public presentation on this organization and what changes they would bring to our schools before any agreements are considered.’
💰 Impact: Loss of Local Control
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| NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 6) |
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District Spends $29,070 on Ideological Teacher Training
The district is paying ‘Kagan Publishing’ $29,070 for ‘Cooperative Learning Workshops’ (Item A.4.h). This specific methodology is often used to facilitate group-think and SEL-style classroom activities, taking focus away from teacher-led instruction.
Recommended Action Plan
ASK THE HARD QUESTIONS: Contact the District Office (see the Official Agenda link): ‘Regarding the $29,070 payment to Kagan Publishing, what specific content is being taught to our teachers in these workshops? Parents deserve to know what classroom philosophies are being promoted with our tax dollars.’
💰 Impact: $29,070
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| MONITOR (LEVEL 5) |
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District to Raise Taxes While Avoiding Public Hearing
Under Item D.2, the board will vote on the 2026 Tax Levy. The attached resolution shows the proposed tax increase is structured to be just under the 105% threshold, which legally allows the district to skip holding a specific ‘Truth in Taxation’ public hearing on the increase.
Recommended Action Plan
SPEAK UP: The board is raising your taxes without a dedicated hearing. Use the Public Participation time at the meeting to address Item D.2. ‘We see the tax levy is designed to avoid a Truth in Taxation hearing. We expect the board to publicly justify every dollar of this tax increase to the parents and taxpayers who fund our schools.’
💰 Impact: Tax Increase Without a Hearing
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| ALERT (LEVEL 4) |
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Vague Title — Manual Review Required
Item D.4 is for an ‘Intergovernmental Agreement for Special Education Services,’ but the attached document could not be read. These agreements can shift how services are provided to our most vulnerable students and involve significant financial commitments.
Recommended Action Plan
INVESTIGATE: Open the file ‘Intergovernmentalagreemnet.District27’ attached to Item D.4 in the Official Agenda (linked above) to confirm what changes are being made to special education services before the board votes.
💰 Impact: Undisclosed SPED Changes
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