Illinois
2024 Illinois School Safety Conference to Be Held October 2
Heighten your safety awareness and hear from experts in school safety and crisis prevention at the 2024 Illinois School Safety Conference. The October 2 event will assist district and school administrators, police and fire departments, transportation directors, safety managers, and emergency managers enhance the safety and security of their K-12 campuses.
The information provided at the conference will be practical and easy to apply and there will be time for questions. Ample parking and Wi-fi will be available.
The 2024 Illinois School Safety Conference is FREE for school personnel, police, emergency preparedness personnel, and public safety officers. It will include a free continental breakfast and lunch and exceptional vendors onsite. Professional development paperwork will also be provided to attendees.
You must bring your school or agency ID to enter.
——Article Continues Below——
Conference Information:
School Safety Panel Speakers:
- Randy Braverman, School Safety and Threat Assessment Specialist, West 40
- Rich Wistocki, President, Be Sure Consulting
- Officer Kevin Regal, School Resource Officer, Niles Police Department
- Jeremy Duffy, Deputy Executive Director, Illinois Association of School Boards
- Cordelia Coppleson, Illinois Attorney General’s Office, Law Enforcement Training Project Coordinator
- Michael Kindhart, Safety Education Unit Manager, Illinois State Police
- Cathy Stashak, Section Chief Technical Services Division, Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal
- James Ford, Protective Security Advisor, U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
- Cassandra Carnright, FBI, Threat Assessment Coordinator
- Katie Harris Lord, U.S. Secret Service, Domestic Security Strategist
- David Saitta, NIMS/ICS Program Manager, Illinois Fire Service Institute
- Kimberly Lohse, Assistant Superintendent for Administrative Services, Addison District 4
- Danielle Stevens, Director of Safety and Security, Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95
- Bridget Heroff, President of the Illinois Association of School Nurses
Related Article: Campus Safety Conference at EDspaces Agenda Is Now LIVE!
Featured Speakers:
- Paul Timm, PSP, Director of Education Safety, Allegion, “Perspectives on Security.” This presentation will explore school safety efforts at three levels – Superintendent, Director of Security, and Director of Facilities.
- Missy Dodds, Former Teacher & Survivor, “Choosing to Survive: Lessons learned from Red Lake School Shooting.”
- Richard Santana Ed.M., “Homeboy goes to Harvard.”
- Ken Cook, Director of National School Safety and Advocacy, Allegion, “Door Failures and Lessons Learned from Robb Elementary, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, and other School Shootings.” This presentation will help you avoid pitfalls by taking simple actionable steps towards improving school safety.
- Willie Spears Ed.M., Educator and Coach, “Safety Matters.” This presentation will focus on fostering safe and secure campus environments while reminding staff members of their value. Mr. Spears provides proven strategies on Student Behavioral Analysis/Prevention, Threat Assessment, Reducing Risk with Strategic Planning and Active Defender.
- Eric Arnold, Illinois School and Campus Safety Program Director, This presentation will explore the Illinois School mapping program and other Illinois School Safety initiatives.
- Jeremy Flood, Board President, ISROA and SRO for NCHS, “The SRO: A Vital Component of School Safety.” This presentation will explore how an SRO works effectively in a school setting.
Click HERE to register.
Illinois
Illinois' best elementary schools revealed in new report. Here are the top 25
A number of schools from Chicago and the suburbs were recognized as among the top elementary schools in Illinois, according to a new list.
The “2025 Best Elementary and Middle Schools” list from U.S. News and World Report examined more than 79,000 public schools in all 50 states, a press release revealed. Editors used publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Education to analyze mathematics and reading performance at the state and district levels — while accounting for student background and achievement in core subjects.
For a school corporation to receive a district-level ranking, at least two of the top performing schools must rank in the top 75% of the overall elementary or middle school rankings, according to the website. In all, 47,573 elementary schools and 23,861 middle schools were assessed.
In Illinois, a total of 3,421 schools were ranked. Seven of the top 25 schools in the state were Chicago Public Schools, including the top school, Edison Elementary Regional Gifted Center.
Almost all of the top 25 schools were in either the city or suburbs — except for No. 10 – Thurgood Marshall Elementary School in Rockford and No. 22 – Congerville Elementary School in downstate Woodford County.
Following behind Edison Elementary Regional Gifted Center was Hinsdale’s Oak Elementary School and Naperville’s Meadows Glen Elementary School at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. Lenart Elementary Regional Gifted Center, a Chicago Public School, and Brook Forest Elementary School rounded out the top five.
Here’s a look into the top 25 elementary schools in Illinois, according to the report.
- Edison Elementary Regional Gifted Center – Chicago
- Oak Elementary School – Hinsdale
- Meadows Glen Elementary School – Naperville
- Lenart Elementary Regional Gifted Center – Chicago
- Brook Forest Elementary School – Oak Brook
- Elm Elementary School – Burr Ridge
- Forest Hills Elementary School – Western Springs
- The Lane Elementary School – Hinsdale
- Eisenhower Academy – Joliet
- Thurgood Marshall Elementary School – Rockford
- Skinner North Elementary School – Chicago
- Greenbriar Elementary School – Northbrook
- Westmoor Elementary School – Northbrook
- Ellsworth Elementary School – Naperville
- Prospect Elementary School – Clarendon Hills
- Walker School – Clarendon Hills
- Lincoln Elementary School – River Forest
- Highlands Elementary School – Naperville
- Bronzeville Classical Elementary School – Chicago
- George B Carpenter Elementary School – Park Ridge
- Madison Elementary School – Hinsdale
- Congerville Elementary School – Congerville
- Decatur Classical Elementary School – Chicago
- Lincoln Elementary School – Chicago
- Hawthorne Elementary Scholastic Academy – Chicago
Illinois
No I-Pass Sticker Yet? Illinois Tollway Extends The Deadline
Illinois
Northwestern wins dual season opener 29-8 over Northern Illinois
Redshirt freshman 125-pounder Dedrick Navarro’s gutsy decision win over No. 27 Blake West set the tone for Northwestern’s statement 29-8 victory over Northern Illinois Saturday.
NU entered its dual season opener with a point to prove, having lost to Northern Illinois 18-17 to start last year.
“After dropping a match to them that stung for a whole year, it was nice to go out there and not just win, but to really put it on them and win in dominating fashion,” coach Matt Storniolo said.
The night got off to a flying start as Navarro pulled off a stunning upset over West. An escape and a takedown by West put Navarro in a 0-4 hole entering the third period, but he battled back, scoring a takedown of his own before a trip with seconds left vaulted him to a 7-6 decision win.
Navarro said he tried to push the pace in the moment, and it felt good to get his first win of the dual season.
“We’ve only got a few years of this, so I’m just soaking it in and being grateful, having fun and putting on a show,” Navarro said.
The Huskies notched their first team points of the night in the 133-pound bout as redshirt sophomore Markel Baker won by major decision over sophomore Massey Odiotti. Three Baker takedowns in the first period cemented his 14-3 victory.
Graduate student 141-pounder No. 10 Chris Cannon made his NU homecoming with a 9-3 decision win over NIU’s Charles Curtis.
A two-time All-American for the Wildcats, Cannon transferred to Michigan before the 2024 season but missed nearly all of it after suffering a head injury in his dual season opener exactly one year ago Sunday. Storniolo said Cannon was not back to full strength yet, but that didn’t stop him from competing and winning.
“It was good for him to know that he’s still got that fight inside him,” he said.
No. 20. redshirt freshman 149-pounder Sam Cartella’s 15-0 win by technical fall put the ’Cats in the driver’s seat, and they didn’t look back from there. Dominant decision wins by No. 12 graduate student 157-pounder Trevor Chumbley and No. 16 redshirt senior 165-pounder Maxx Mayfield ran up the team score. Then, redshirt sophomore 174-pounder Joseph Martin secured his first dual meet win of his career, lasting nearly a minute underneath NIU’s Jake Evans without conceding a takedown and holding onto a narrow 4-0 lead.
Graduate student 184-pounder Jon Halvorsen secured extra team points by scoring a late takedown in his match, upgrading his victory from a decision win to a major decision win. He said his feelings after the win were unexplainable.
“The guys around me believe in me, and the coaches I have believe in me,” he said. “It’s just a reflection of my team and how awesome these guys are.”
A professional 19-4 win by No. 25 redshirt junior 197-pounder Evan Bates put the finishing touch on the NU rout.
Redshirt freshman 285-pounder Dirk Morley lost his match with NIU’s Jacob Christensen to end the night. An initially strong defensive performance unraveled in the third period, ending the night with a 12-2 loss by major decision.
In its return to the mat nine months after posting a 1-9 record, NU matched last season’s win total in one night. Storniolo attributed the team’s improvement to Cannon’s return to Evanston, Cartella’s continuing dominance in the 149-pound weight class and new faces like Navarro entering the lineup.
“Guys are hungry this year,” Storniolo said. “They feel like they really have something to prove after last year. They want to let the rest of Division I wrestling know that we’re a strong program, and last year doesn’t represent who we are as a team.”
The ’Cats are back at Welsh-Ryan Arena Sunday at 2 p.m. to take on Little Rock.
Email: [email protected]
X: @sidvaraman
Related Stories:
—Wrestling: Northwestern starts season with three second-place finishes at Michigan State Open
—Wrestling: Northwestern earns first win before conference championships
—Wrestling: Winless Northwestern drops weekend matches to Wisconsin and Minnesota
-
Business1 week ago
Ref needs glasses? Not anymore. Lasik company offers free procedures for referees
-
News1 week ago
Herbert Smith Freehills to merge with US-based law firm Kramer Levin
-
Technology1 week ago
The next Nintendo Direct is all about Super Nintendo World’s Donkey Kong Country
-
Business5 days ago
Column: OpenAI just scored a huge victory in a copyright case … or did it?
-
Health5 days ago
Bird flu leaves teen in critical condition after country's first reported case
-
Business2 days ago
Column: Molly White's message for journalists going freelance — be ready for the pitfalls
-
Technology1 week ago
How a researcher hacked ChatGPT's memory to expose a major security flaw
-
Politics1 week ago
Editorial: Abortion was on ballots across the country in this election. The results are encouraging