Danville District 118 school board member Lon Henderson says his many years of experience leading students will guide the district as it transitions out of the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Henderson, who retired in 2008 as the director of special education services for the district, is seeking his third term on the board in this year’s election. He is one of six active candidates seeking four seats on the board.
Due to the disruption in March 2020 and the extended remote-learning period caused by the pandemic, Henderson says many students will have gaps in their education heading into next year, and he says it will be critical for the district to develop a plan on how to move forward with learning.
“We need to develop a transition plan on how not only can we meet those needs in the classroom, but how we can meet those needs outside of the classroom,” he says. “We’re going to have to use our creativity to provide a way to fill the gaps that they may have from an achievement perspective.”
Henderson says the district has taken steps to re-engage parents and students from the loss caused by COVID, such as as the recent hire of a parent liaison. He also says it is hard to grade district officials on how things have gone, since there are many factors and agencies involved in setting rules and guidelines for returning. He does say that getting students back into the classroom is the first step toward getting students caught back up.
Another area where Henderson says the district needs to focus its efforts is building needs. He says a priority would be updating some older classrooms, such as the science labs at Danville High School, which need to be effective for 21st century learning.
“Teachers need to be able to walk into a classroom…they spend so much time there, that they need to walk into that classroom and see an inviting atmosphere,” he says. “It’s not only important for them, but it’s important for the students.”
Henderson says the district has a good working relationship with Danville Area Community College for job-training programs, and says he has advocated for family and consumer science courses to return so that students can gain real-life experiences.
