Our school superintendent sent a letter home about today. Any other school?! At a recent prayer vigil about the ICE raids in Waukegan a flyer was handed out about today -so he probably felt he should say something.

I haven't seen any other news about today. Think it will be a bust???


Waukegan Public Schools
(Community Unit School District No. 60, Lake County, Illinois)
Office of the Superintendent
1201 North Sheridan Road; Waukegan, IL 60085
Donaldo R. Batiste, Ph.D.
Superintendent of Schools

September 11, 2007

Dear Parent/Guardian:

It has come to our attention that particular community organizations that promote civic and political interests have been encouraging parents to keep students from attending school on a particular date, as an expression of free speech to demonstrate their concern about current national issues. These issues are in no way or form, related to the schools or the educational interests of our students. While we acknowledge and respect the rights of community members and organizations to exercise their expressions of freedom that our constitution guarantees, we are also concerned when presented with situations that ask for our families to ignore the importance that attending school plays in the future development of our students.

Please know that it is critically important that parents, teachers, students, and administration always work together to ensure that our students attend school and classes every day. Anything that interferes with student attendance is never a reasonable option since it damages our most precious members of our community-- our children.

Moreover, advising children to be kept out of school also conveys the wrong message to students that school attendance and education are not important. I am confident that you will agree with me that such messages are completely undesirable. Regardless of the current situation, or those that might arise in the near future, I beg you to support the best educational interests of our students by making sure that attendance at school is a priority at all times.

It is the school district’s policy that students who are absent without appropriate excuses, will be marked with unexcused absences. Please support our mission of educating our children. Thank you for your cooperation in this important matter.

Sincerely,
Dr. Donaldo R. Batiste
Superintendent of Schools “ A New Day…A New Way in Waukegan Public Schools…onward and upward!â€