IgKnight Conference 2025 Call for Proposals

We will once again be hosting our own internal professional development conference on November 24, 2025! We will continue to offer a variety of sessions to meet the diverse needs of Kaneland staff. We are seeking internal staff who are interested in sharing their knowledge, experiences and resources with colleagues by hosting a session. If you would like to host a session, please complete this FORM. If you have a session topic request but do not want to personally facilitate the session, please still submit a proposal and we will try to find a presenter knowledgeable on the topic of interest. Proposals are due by September 26, 2025. Sessions will be approved, and presenters will be notified if their session is running, by October 3, 2025. 

For your reference, the negotiated in-district presentation rates are below. 

• Initial Lead (# of presentation hours x 2 plan hours x $40) *a maximum of 2 initial lead presenters will be considered per session 
• Subsequent Lead (# of presentation hours x 0.5 plan hours x $40) 
• Initial Support (# of presentation hours x 0.5 plan hours x $40) 
• Subsequent Support (# of presentation hours x 0.25 plan hours x $40)

MTSS Coordinator Meeting (K-5)

 The MTSS Coordinators met today for the final meeting.  The following was discussed:

1. KIPLA structures update and planning for next year

2.  Handbook revision process for next year, along with MTSS structure updates.  Some changes include:  Coordinators with students interaction, flexibility in groups, simplified request for assistance, huddles will be required monthly, and buildings can determine the assignment of the MTSS Co-Teachers. 

3. Other in general topics were covered during the meeting on the sport as well.  It is a reminder that MTSS will not be having radios next year unless they are the acting AP interim while the Principal is out.  The Coordinators will have a daily interaction with students next year.

4. Spring data collection and presentation of the final data for the BOE.  The K-5 final data for the school year will be presented in end of August.  

5. The discussion of Kindergarten at KME and KBK using Early Bird as a grade level screening for students was held with the Department of Educational Service as well.  

6. The team also discussed the process of vetting online assessments for future years. 

Thank you to Shaun, Chris, Kristi, and Catherine for all of their hard work and dedication this year!  Truly amazing work in MTSS!

Math Summer PD (K-5)

 Please remember if you signed up for June 10th of July 29th math PD the session is held at KMAC from 9:00-12:00.  Please be prepared to engage and enjoy learning about the great new tool!  Please bring your IEIN number for sign in and sign out.  

Thank You! (EC-12)

 I wanted to share with all of the Kaneland Community a thank you for my experiences for the past 21 years.  I have enjoyed being part of the Kaneland community and learning along with many of you.  I truly wish you well and look forward to following the Kaneland journey from afar!  Thank you for all the hard work and dedication for our students.  Please take time to enjoy your summer! 

-Dr. Sarah Mumm 

Puzzle Connection Winner (EC-12)

 Here we are at the end of the year, our final drawing for the all the 28 puzzle connection submissions for the second semester was done today.  The winner is..... Samantha Maurer!  Congratulations!!!!!  

MTSS Committee Meeting: Joint Statement (K-12)

 Joint Statement

The first meeting of the district-wide MTSS committee took place on Thursday, May 8th. Committee members include:

K-5	6-8	9-12
Kindra Schumacher (KST)	Kerri Jass	Becky Rothecker
Kathy Ronzio (KME)	Jess Ahlman	Kylene Bratner
Nicole Full (All)	Sarah Linden	Jessica Cielak
Stephanie Ortegel (KSS)	Laurie Villalobos	Jen Larcher
Kelli Scardamaglia (KSS)		Erin Shore
Kristi Purnell (KBK)
Stacie Salzman (KME)
Stacey Gacek (KST)

The team worked to establish member norms and responsibilities, discussed the purpose of the committee, and reviewed foundational MTSS information from the IL MTSS Network including, the history of MTSS, as well as core principles and essential components of MTSS frameworks. While this information outlined a unit district perspective in regard to MTSS, the team acknowledged the importance of ensuring that structures meet the unique needs of each grade span. 

In grade span teams, members conducted an in-depth review of the district-wide MTSS survey. From the data, each grade span identified strengths they wanted to maintain, as well as opportunities for growth and improvement. Needs were prioritized in order of importance, with the most pressing issues to be addressed first and remaining topics to be addressed into the 25-26 school year. Key information from each grade span’s work is included below:

K-5: 

• Simplified Request for Assistance Form

• Increased flexibility for buildings regarding Push in/ Pull out Interventions

• MTSS Co-Teachers assigned based on student needs- increased building autonomy

• Grade Level Huddle Meetings- approx. 1x/month: PD, data review, tier 1 trends, etc.   

• MTSS Coordinator will have direct, daily student contact time 

• Future Topics- progress monitoring and intervention resources, PD needs, parent communication, enrichment services, clarification of tier 1 level of support

6-8: 

• Establish communication structures between MTSS and classroom teachers

• Identification of Students- streamlining process, i-Ready data

• Scheduling- determined each grade level will be assigned a consistent interventionist with 1 serving as a floater based on student needs

• MTSS Coordinator will have direct, daily student contact time 

• Future Topics- Balancing skill gaps and homework support, progress monitoring tools, system for tracking student data

9-12:

• Scheduling for 25-26 school year- discussed how we might service more students

• Assignment of interventionists- final decisions pending

• Investigating how to best support students with IEP and ELL needs

• Discussed what constitutes tier 1 level of MTSS support

• MTSS Coordinator will have direct, daily student contact time 

• Future Topics- Supporting tier 1 needs, building positive culture around MTSS, additional tools and resources to support intervention

Any questions regarding the committee work can be directed to Laura Garland at 10166@kaneland.org or any committee member. 

NIU Cooperating Teacher Symposium (ec - 12)

Please see the following from our partners at NIU: Hello District Partners: I hope this message finds you well! I wanted to share an exciting professional development opportunity for your teachers. The Fourth Annual Cooperating Teacher Symposium, hosted by Northern Illinois University, will be held on July 30, 2025, from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the Barsema Alumni and Visitor Center in DeKalb, IL. This free event offers educators the chance to: Engage in breakout sessions led by fellow Cooperating Teachers and NIU Faculty Earn Professional Development Hours (PDHs) Receive a Digital Micro-Credential Connect and collaborate with other educators We would be grateful if you could pass this information along to your teachers who have served as or are interested in becoming Cooperating Teachers for our teacher candidates. It’s a great way for them to connect, learn, and grow in their mentoring role. The following is a Promo Video for the event: YouTube - NIU CT Symposium Promo Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_UQTKbx6RM&t=3s The NIU Cooperating Teacher Symposium video highlights the event's focus on supporting and celebrating Cooperating Teachers. It offers professional developme... www.youtube.com Here’s the link to register: NIU CT Symposium 2025 Registration Link https://forms.gle/A6eFgWQM7BLzQDz59 Please let me know if you have any questions, and thank you in advance for sharing this opportunity with your team! Best, Dr. Rachel Warren, EdD, NBCT, ACUE Director of Teacher Preparation and Development | Pronouns: she, her, hers Office of School Partnerships and Clinical Experiences | CLAS Zulauf 626 | DeKalb, Illinois 60115 815-753-0325 | rwarren1@niu.edu http://niu.edu/clas-educator-licensure/