October 16, 2012	CARES Challenges D201 Improvement Claims  Three weeks ahead of the public release of 2012 Prairie State Achievement Examination results, the J. Sterling Morton District 201 Board of Education has released a pre-emptive statement claiming that an internal five year analysis of PSAE results shows “increased student performance in nearly all measured areas". Berwyn CARES has joined local residents in challenging whether these claims are typical of the smoke and mirror tactics from the 201 Board of Education who has lost the confidence of the community in overseeing 8000 students and a budget that exceeds $90 million dollars. “A Board that repeatedly uses the word success to describe a situation where more than 70% of students are failing has lost touch with the needs of this community”, said Bob Pauly, President of Berwyn CARES.  Read the Press Release
May 9, 2012	CARES Statement to D201 Board Regarding Board Leadership CARES President Robert Pauly attended the May Board meeting to express community concern regarding Chicago Sun Times reporting that has implicated Board Member Michael Iniquez for racially charged Internet posts and Board Member Jeffrey Pesek for 'having been part of criminal activities' (Source:  Chicago Sun Times).  "By their own actions Mr. Iniquez and Mr. Pesek have brought shameful controversy to our high schools and to our towns, controversy that makes them both categorically unfit to serve.  Moreover, by failing to publicly condemn them in this public forum tonight, and demand their resignation, the entire District 201 Board of Education is culpable for the staggering loss of confidence the community feels in your judgment and your ability to oversee a budget that exceeds $90 million dollars.   These individuals do not reflect the values or the character of our communities and it is time for you to stand up and say so," said Mr. Pauly.  Read the CARES Statement
April 18, 2012	CARES Calls for Leadership Change at 201 Recent reporting by the Chicago Sun Times brings ‘yet more controversy to the District 201 (Morton) School Board’ and reinforces the reasons that the current Board of Education has lost the confidence of the community, support that is critical to improving some of the lowest performing schools in the state.  Read CARES Statement. CARES encourages all residents to attend the next scheduled District 201 Board Meeting on Wednesday, May 9th at 5:00 PM at the Morton Freshmen Center (1801 South 55th Avenue, Cicero) and to contact the District Office at 708-222-5700 (or district201@jsmorton.org) to comment on the leadership of our schools.  Public session to begin at 7:00 PM. Articles:   Group blasts racist post on school board member’s Facebook page &  Racist Facebook post on Cicero school board member’s page
May 12, 2011	Berwyn Life Covers School Board Meeting Where Students Demand Resignation The Berwyn Life reports that calls for Jeff Pesek's resignation continued at a D201 school board meeting Wednesday. "Students handed in a petition for Pesek's resignation they say has more than 1,500 signatures, and others went as far as calling for dismantling the board and allowing the state to take over control of the district." Board Members Pesek, Mike Iniquez and Laura Martin-Salazar did not attend the meeting.(Berwyn Life, May 12, 2011) Outrage over Pesek continues: ‘We won’t stop until he’s gone’
May 11, 2011	Chicago Sun Times & Berwyn CARES Keep Focus on District 201 The Sun Times has continued to provide the public with information on District 201 and the re-election of Jeffry Pesek by the Board of Education.  Read the two most recent articles below, and then share your thoughts with District 201 leadership. Cicero school board chief doesn’t recall chat with biker gang pal Jeff Pesek accused of grinding foot into man's face Take Action Remind District 201 School Officials that this community remains outraged by the actions of the Board to re-elect Mr. Pesek President.  Ongoing Sun Times coverage makes it easy.  Each article has a button you can click to email the story and a box so that you can add a comment. 1. Go to the Sun Times most recent article. 2. Click the 'Email Story' button and enter district201@jsmorton.org. 3. Cut and paste the message: The information in these articles reinforces my opinion that Mr. Pesek is not fit to lead our school district.  Please consider again asking for Mr. Pesek's resignation.
May 10, 2011	Berwyn Life Joins Calls for Resignation of Jeffry Pesek Concluding from his published federal testimony that "Pesek has a history of exercising dismal judgment in his dealings with friends and acquaintances," the Berwyn Life Editorial "Pesek must resign from D-201 board" proclaims: "Remaining a member of the District 201 board imperils the integrity of this public body. And if he cared at all for the district, as he claims, he would resign his seat immediately." (Source:  Berwyn Life, May 10, 2011)
May 1, 2011	Chicago Sun Times & Berwyn CARES Keep Focus on District 201 After the Sun Times published his federal testimony, CARES called for the resignation of District 201 President Jeffry Pesek, instead the Board re-elected him President.  Sign the Petition or Read the Sun Times Editorial "School Board Should Investigate Pesek" calling on the District 201 Board to investigate his "actions and associations".  (Source: Chicago Sun Times, May 1, 2011) Additional Articles: "Morton School Board Re-Elects President With Ties to Drug Dealer":  Robert Pauly, president of a Berwyn parents group that has called for Pesek to resign, said Thursday: “The fact he has not resigned indicates that [school board members] have bigger concerns than the integrity of the district, and so be it.” Pauly said the board will be held accountable come election time. (Source: Chicago Sun Times, April 29, 2011)
April 13, 2011	CARES Statement to D201 Board Regarding Tenure of President Pesek CARES President Robert Pauly presented a petition signed by more 200 residents calling for a jury of Mr. Pesek’s peers on the District 201 Board to take immediate action to remove him, saying: "The potential for collaborative relationships with District 201 stakeholders has been severely compromised by the events of this week. It is the position of Berwyn CARES and its membership that until there is leadership change in this board, District 201 will never be a viable educational option for the whole of the community." It is not too late to add your name to the Petition, which now has over 300 signatures!
April 11, 2011	CARES Calls for Resignation of Jeffry Pesek, Asks Berwyn Politicians to Explain Recent Endorsements According to an article published in the Chicago Sun Times, District 201 President Jeffry Pesek admitted in federal testimony ties to drug dealers, organized crime figures and other illegal business practices. CARES is asking the District 201 Board to take immediate action to remove him and for Berwyn’s elected officials to explain their endorsements. Sign the Petition! Additional Articles: Editorial:  "Things Don't Look Right in Cicero".  A Chicago Sun Times editorial begins:  "Jeff Pesek, president of Morton High School District 201, which includes Cicero and neighboring suburbs, is pals with a trusted associate of the Chicago mob.  That doesn’t look right."   (Source:  Chicago Sun Times, April 12, 2011)
April 4, 2011	CARES Encourages Residents to Vote on April 5th Berwyn CARES shares the opinion of The Center for Public Education that the overall quality of our schools, both now and in the future, rests with decisions made by the board of education.  We want the best and the brightest in charge. Learn About 2011 School Board Candidates.
March 21, 2011	CARES Elects New Board, Encourages Residents to Vote on April 5 CARES announces the election of a new Board Members to lead the organization in the coming year and new initiatives to engage residents in improving local schools, including a Web based tool to Learn About 2011 School Board Candidates.
November 1, 2010	CARES Hosts State of the Test Scores Join CARES at the Berwyn Public Library on December 7th to hear an analysis of report card data.  View the Presentations.
May 20, 2010	BerwynC.A.R.E.S. Awards 2010 Scholarships Congratulations to our 2010 scholarship recipients!
April 15, 2010	CARES Comments on Selection of New District 201 Superintendent The new superintendent will face old challenges in increasing academic achievement and balancing the budget.
March 1, 2010	CARES Comments on D201 Budget Cuts The challenges at Morton are representative of what is happening in education throughout the State and point to the need for new ideas and input.
January 27, 2010	District 100 School Board Meeting Summary Read a summary of the January 2010 District 100 meeting from a CARES Board Member.
January 10, 2010	BerwynC.A.R.E.S. Awards New Classroom Grants CARES congratulates teachers who received funding for 19 new projects.  Read Project Summaries.
September 24, 2009	District 100 School Board Meeting Summary Read a summary of the September 2009 District 100 meeting from a CARES Board Member.
June 10, 2009	BerwynC.A.R.E.S. Awards 2009 Scholarships Congratulations to our 2009 scholarship recipients!
May 25, 2009	C.A.R.E.S. Donates Reading Kits to Schools CARES distributes hundreds of summer reading kits to District 98 & 100 students.
May 13, 2009	C.A.R.E.S. Open Letter to District 201 CARES Board Members suggest District 201 adopt a new policy to keep political campaigns out of schools.

Enter supporting content here