District 158 Parent Union to host a fall picnic event
HUNTLEY – A Facebook group that calls itself the District 158 (D158) Parent Union announced on Sep. 27 that a group of area parents “working to support parents’ rights and further change in area schools,” will be hosting a fall picnic on Saturday, Oct. 2 at Deicke Park in Huntley at 12 p.m. at the Hilltop Shelter next to the park’s Discovery Zone.
The group stated that the event is free and attendance is open to anyone. The Parent Union will be serving hamburgers, hot dogs, and beverages to attendees of the event. Individuals are also encouraged to bring their favorite foods or snacks as well as provide their lawn chairs or blankets if they wish.
Locals who have attended D158’s Board of Education (BOE) meetings may already be familiar with the outspoken Facebook group as some involved parents have made the group’s motives clear when speaking during public comments.
The D158 Parent Union states that the Oct. 2 event will provide community members the opportunity to learn more about the group and “the issues affecting children’s educations in District 158, such as biases in the classroom and in curriculum, teaching of controversial methodologies, and engaging parents in local district issues and concerns.”
More recently, a hot topic of discussion for the Parent Union group has been their concerns regarding the school district’s COVID-19 response and protocols.
The group said in a statement, “Each time a District 158 student is quarantined, the student loses 5% of his or her in-person education for the entire school year. The D158 Parent Union believes that in-person education is crucial and is working to further efforts to ensure that healthy students are able to return to normalcy as soon as possible.”
Other community members, however, have been quick to voice their opposition against the D158 Parent Union Group’s ideologies, noting that many parents have been in support of the district’s decisions.
Huntley resident and activist Peter Atterberg had previously told My Huntley News that he was concerned for the wellbeing of children in the district and considered himself a voice for parents in support of D158’s COVID-19 mitigation strategies.
In light of some concerns over the district’s educational practices, D158 Superintendent Scott Rowe announced at the Sep. 16 BOE meeting that district administrators plan on hosting four community engagement sessions throughout the school year.
“Topics we intend to cover will deal with the academic interventions, the social-emotional learning, our equity action plan, as well as the continued innovation and operational efficiency in [the] district for some of the topics we’ve been discussing,” said Rowe. “[We want to] really engage in this open dialogue with our community and ensure we can return to that two-way dialogue that we find so valuable.”
In a follow-up statement posted to D158’s website on Sep. 21, Rowe said, “I hope this opportunity to engage with our district’s goals and gain a more in-depth understanding of the strategies in place to realize our students’ potential is one you will consider. In the midst of immense challenges and change in education and across the world, we look forward to reconnecting with our most important stakeholders and reaffirming our commitment to the pillars of excellence that truly make Huntley 158 a Destination District.”
While the D158 Parent Union began as a private Facebook group back in 2020, the group comprised of approximately 900 members, hopes that they can continue to use more public events and discussions to invite parents to voice their opinions on topics relating to local public education.
To learn more about the Parent Union, individuals can visit their website at district158parentunion.org
