Mitchem Kicks Off 'New View' Community Forum Series in Romeoville

ROMEOVILLE—Jim Mitchem is taking nearly 100 years of educational principles and throwing it in the waste can.  He’s starting over.  

And his reputation is more or less on the line.

The Valley View School District’s believes the current system is flawed—inconsistent in the way it approaches and educates its students.

“I’m not a really big believer in our system of education,” Mitchem said.

His new system will move more quickly to adapt to a students’ need on an individual level and, if all goes to plan, make Valley View one of the top school districts in the state.

Mitchem showcased his plan during a community forum at the Romeoville Recreation Center Monday night. He’ll hold another at the Sara and Joseph Levy Center on Thursday at 6 p.m.

The presentation covered the gamut—everything from Mitchem’s test retake policy and assessment plan to the that students will be held to, all of which will be implemented this school year.

The new view comes down to five components: beliefs, rigor, instruction, assessment and accountability—beliefs being first and foremost.

“It’s my belief, and I hope to make sure it’s the belief of the district and community, that all of our kids should be provided the opportunity and choice to go to college … and if not college, enter the workforce,” Mitchem said.

“But none of them, and I mean none of them, should not have the opportunity to make decisions about their future based on an education system that did not meet the needs of every child.”

Through beliefs, Mitchem hopes to draft a more rigorous curriculum. The district will eliminate two of the subpar tracks that students have been placed on in the past. Beginning this school year, students will be placed on one of two tracks: standard or challenge/honors.

The standard track’s minimum expectation is to be college ready by the time a student leaves high school. And that plan begins in kindergarten, where establishing the building blocks of learning is essential.

“Beliefs drive our rigor,” Mitchem said. “What we believe about our community and kids can prevent us from having equal rigor for all of our kids. I firmly believe that external factors—demographics or social status—may have an impact on a child’s motivation to learn, but not on their aptitude to learn.

“Whether rich or poor, black or white, fat or skinny or anything in between, a child’s capacity to learn is not necessarily negated from factors beyond our control”

Mitchem’s plan calls for differentiated instruction based on the belief that all students can learn the minimum of what the school system has deemed important—essentially, enough to get into college and become a productive member of society.

Real-time assessments will play a vital role. Daily formative assessments—not formal tests—will ideally catch those falling behind early enough and address those needs as quickly as possible.

The new assessment model means district-wide standards that separate compliance issues from learning issues—this is the 90-10 plan, where 90 percent of assessments will be based off what you know (i.e. final exams, presentations, writing assignments, etc.) and 10 percent on compliance (homework, effort, social behavior, etc.)—and a retake policy that will ensure students at least meet the minimum requirements for proficiency in a given subject.

Above all, Mitchem will be held accountable.

He says if the district has not made improvement in three years—the end of his contract—he should be blamed and scrutinized.

Mitchem’s faith in the system, however, is addictive and he’s insulated himself with other administrators and principals who share his view.

The new system undoubtedly will put pressure on teachers, who will need to up the ante as well.

Mitchem’s expectation that students be ready for the grade they are going into—something that hasn’t exactly been standard practice in the past—will force teachers to often times make extra effort.

One thing’s for sure: the days of standard practice are over. It’s Mitchem’s way from this point on.