River Forest Public Schools - District 90

Dear River Forest Community,

Serving as Superintendent of District 90 truly is an honor. River Forest has a warmth and small-town feeling that is inviting to all—and it also offers a unique opportunity for children to learn, grow, and develop in their own unique ways in a caring, supportive environment.

As a learning community, our shared mission is to deliver excellence in education through an unwavering commitment to the whole child. The District has a long tradition of excellence in this regard, and our Board, administrators, teachers, and staff pursue this objective with enthusiasm and dedication. Guiding all our work, of course, are the goals and objectives of our five-year strategic plan. (To view the plan, please click here.) But as Superintendent, I also have several personal goals that dovetail with the strategic plan and that will guide my work for the 2011-2012 school year: 

1. To continue to support and implement programs and curricula focused on the development of the whole child. District 90 takes pride in its child-centered emphasis. In order to accomplish our mission, the stakeholder groups of students, parents, and educators hold each other to very high standards. While maintaining these expectations, we recognize that to best support student achievement, we must focus on children as individuals and tailor the curriculum to the purposes of each learner.
2. To foster open, transparent communication. As a District, we strive to keep the community informed through a variety of channels: our website, twice-monthly highlights of School Board meetings, a monthly e-newsletter, and monthly postcards mailed to each residence. To expand upon these efforts, I also hold open office hours from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on the days of regularly scheduled Board meetings (click here for the schedule of meetings). There’s no need to make an appointment, and I welcome community members to drop by to talk about any District-related issue.
   
3. To work collaboratively with the faculty and administration to continue to build on our foundation of academic excellence. While our schools are well known throughout the state for nurturing high-achieving students, we’re not content to rest on our laurels. We constantly must strive to find new ways to engage and challenge both our students as learners and ourselves as educators. 
4. To maintain financial stability and remain good stewards of the taxpayers’ investment. At a time when many schools in the state are struggling financially, we at District 90 do not take lightly the strong support the community has shown our schools over the years. Whether we are hiring new staff, considering purchasing new textbooks, or making improvements to our facilities, fiscal responsibility must always be part of the decision-making process. 

I look forward to an extraordinary year serving our schools and the community. If you ever have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Respectfully,

Edward J. Condon, Ph.D.
Superintendent