Overview

Teachers and school administrators in Thornton High School District 205, a low-income district in Chicago’s south suburbs, were desperate to provide effective education to students. However, a toxic culture of misunderstanding and mistrust had taken hold among the school board, district administration, and the teachers’ union. Teachers were without a contract, the district had four superintendents in 18 months, and the school board couldn’t pass a motion on any single substantive issue. CEC knew that creating a collaborative culture was an essential first step to improving student achievement.

Client: Thornton High School District 205
Impact Area: The role of trust and how important it is to make a difference.
Related Services: Labor Management Collaboration PLCs, effective teaming, school transformation

This video captures how CEC guided Thornton High School District through a school transformation process. CEC’s expertise in supporting districts to build collaborative cultures led the district to create realistic goals, mission and focus with stakeholders’ input. A District Transformation Council and a School Transformation Council were established and supported with comprehensive training and coaching.

Trusting relationships were built among the three anchors and the District Transformation Council and the School Transformation Councils were ready to begin addressing specific student achievement goals.