Departments
- Early Childhood
- Office of Specialized Services
- Office of Teaching & Learning
- 21st Century Learning
- District Services
- Business
- Human Resources
- Facilities
Early Childhood
Dear Dolton SD 149 Family,
Welcome to the 2023-24 school year! My name is Ernesta Ransom and I am proud to serve you as the Director of Early Childhood Programs for District 149. This year begins my 25th year serving families in the district under the Early Childhood Program. I look forward to a successful year of educating our youngest learners in a safe and nurturing environment.
This year our District’s theme is Do More in 24! - and that's exactly what we will do in Pre-K as we provide a high quality, developmentally appropriate, nurturing learning environment for our students. The Pre-Kindergarten Program is housed at Diekman School, where we are “Diekman’s BEST!” Our goal is to make sure our students are socially, emotionally, and educationally prepared for Kindergarten when they leave the Pre-Kindergarten Program.
The Pre-Kindergarten Program services students ages 3 -5 years old through the Preschool for All and Preschool for All Expansion grants from the Illinois State Board of Education. Monthly screenings are held at Diekman school for enrollment into the program. We also partner with three local Learning Centers to expand our services to the community. If you are interested in a screening, please call Diekman School at 708-841-3838 or check Diekman’s home page for more information.
Again, I am grateful and excited for this opportunity to serve as the Director of Early Childhood Programs and I look forward to a year of relationship building, learning, and fun with our students and families. If I can be of any assistance to you, feel free to reach out to me.
Educationally Yours,
Ernesta Ransom
Director of Early Childhood Programs
ransome@sd149.org
708-841-3838 - Diekman Office
708-465-8654 - Cell
Office of Specialized Services
The Office of Specialized Services is committed to providing a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment with comprehensive services to children with disabilities. Students are supported through a variety of services. Our school community embraces inclusive instructional practices which are designed to provide accommodations and/or special education services within the context of the general education setting to the greatest extent possible.
Child Find/Special Education
Students are identified for special education through a child find process as required by federal and state guidelines. For preschool age children, developmental screening and services are available through the Preschool Program. The district provides instruction and related services to students with disabilities so that they can derive educational benefit from the curriculum and make progress toward meeting IEP and curricular goals. We are committed to working with children and families in providing quality programs for all students.
504 Information
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability in programs and activities that receive Federal financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Education. Section 504 establishes a student's right to full access and participation in education and all school-related activities. It requires schools to provide appropriate services to meet the individual needs of qualified students.
A student is considered "qualified" under Section 504 if the student is between the ages of 3 and 22 and has a disability, defined as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Major life activities include caring for oneself, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, working, performing manual tasks, and learning. Some examples of impairments that may substantially limit major life activities, even with the help of medication, aids, or devices, are attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), asthma, allergies, blindness or a visual impairment, deafness or hearing impairment, diabetes, epilepsy, heart disease, and mental illness.
English Language LearnersWe provide language support services for students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds who have been identified as English Language Learners (ELL). These services include instruction and support in building competency in the understanding of reading, listening, speaking, and writing of the English language.
Theresa SmithDirector of Specialized Services smithth@sd149.org Laura Wolf
Case Manager Coordinator wolfl@sd149.org Sheria Robinson Administrative Assistant for Specialized Services robinsons@sd149.org
Procedural Safeguards / Parental Guide and Rights / PUNSProceduralSafeguards0622.pdf
ProceduralSafeguards-Spanish-UpdatedJune2022_1.pdf
Parent-Guide-Special-Ed-Aug20.pdf
Parent-Guide-Special-Ed-Aug20-Spanish.pdf
Immunization Reports
DistrictSummaryImmunization23-24.pdf
BVImmunizationSummary23-24.pdf
CCAImmunizationSummary23-24.pdf
CMBImmunizationSummary23-24.pdf
CSImmunizationSummary23-24.pdf
DKMImmunizationSummary23-24.pdf
NBLAImmunizationSummary23-24.pdf
Office of Teaching & Learning
Welcome Dolton School District 149 Families to the Office of Teaching and Learning (OTL). The Office of Teaching and Learning supports evidence-based instructional practices and strategies for differentiation, creativity, valuable teaching and learning based on the Illinois State Standards (ILS) in effort to support our mission of educating the whole child. The Office of Teaching and Learning was created to provide curriculum development for all academic areas across the district. Our goal is to support all learners and to facilitate academic growth. The learning priorities center on increasing Reading and Mathematical opportunities. The district’s literacy coaches and the IL-Empower Partner, Professional Development Plus mathematical coaches, support this process. All coaches are responsible for providing robust support to teachers and work to plan, develop, implement, revise, and model these practices to further a quality curriculum.
To ensure continued enhancement of effective teaching strategies, our office continues to provide professional learning opportunities that meet the needs of teachers and building administrators. We provide District Institute Days, monthly School Improvement Planning Days, and after-school workshops to teachers on a consistent basis, ensuring we build capacity in strengthening their skills, learn new research-based strategies, and reflect on their practices.
To measure student performance not only consistently but also fairly, we use common assessments which include: NWEA Map, i-Ready diagnostic testing, grade-level benchmark assessments, the Illinois Assessment of Readiness, and both formative and summative assessments, for continuous progress monitoring of our students. Students are provided feedback and teachers are able to use these results to further individual student and classroom growth.
We look forward to serving you and your child(ren) this school year! If you have any questions that we may answer for you, please feel free to contact us at 708-868-8300. Have a wonderful school year!
Educationally Committed,
Martiae Jenkins-Alexander La Toyla Jones
Directors of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
21st Century Learning
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Hello SD149 Family
Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year! The 21st- Century Learning Department is responsible for the overall functionality of district technology used inside and outside of the classroom. We are committed to being a reliable partner in learning to our students, and all other members of the SD149 community. We aim to provide high-quality, equitable services to all those we serve. Our services include, but are not limited to, equipment and application support, SD149 telephone support, and training activities.
To report any concerns with SD149 services or equipment, please submit a help ticket for the assistance of a member of the team.
Please Meet the Team:
| Alfred Thompkins | Desktop Support Technician |
| e-mail: techstaff149@sd149.org | Phone: (708) 868-8300 |
| John Smida | Desktop Support Technician |
| e-mail: techstaff149@sd149.org | Phone: (708) 868-8300 |
| Stephen Henry |
Desktop Support Technician |
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e-mail: Henrys@sd149.org |
Phone: (708) 868-8300 |
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| Jamar Everett | Network Technician |
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e-mail: techstaff149@sd149.org |
Phone: (708) 868-8300 |
| John Shields | Network Technician |
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e-mail: techstaff149@sd149.org |
Phone: (708) 868-8300 |
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| Yolanda Martin | 21st Century Learning Director |
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e-mail: techstaff149@sd149.org |
Phone: (708) 868-8300 |
District Services
The Director of District Services Department directs the planning, development, organization, management and implementation of all aspects of district services and programs. This department works closely with all other departments affirming compliance with school codes and regulations. It is my goal to ensure that district services, including grants management, transportation, and state reporting, are carried out in the most efficient and effective manner possible. This involves optimizing processes and resources designed to help the district operate efficiently, deliver quality education, and fulfill its mission. I encourage you to contact my office at any time should you have questions.
Dr. Nicole Robinson Director of District ServicesBusiness
Business Manager's Message
Mrs. Janice Opitz
The Business Office
The Business Office manages all financial aspects of Dolton School District 149, including accounting, budgets and financial reporting. The Department is also responsible for insurance, food service, and transportation. It is our goal to provide the best possible services to students, staff, and to the community. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns.
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Janice Opitz |
Business Manager |
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e-mail: opitzj@sd149.org |
Phone: (708) 868-7892 |
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Janie Crews |
Accounts Payable/Purchasing |
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e-mail: crewsj@sd149.org |
Phone: (708) 868-7854 |
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Carmen Canales |
Benefits Enrollment/Transportation |
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e-mail: canalesc@sd149.org |
Phone: (708) 868-7857 |
Human Resources
The Department of Human Resources is dedicated to recruiting, hiring, and retaining quality staff that strive to meet the educational needs of all students. Our office serves as the initial contact for interested candidates and is the entry point for all new employees. Our employees constitute one of the most important resources for providing a quality educational program for our students, and our number one goal is to provide our employees with the information and tools necessary to succeed.
If you are interested in a position with Dolton 149, we encourage you to view and apply for openings by navigating the links to the right. Our vacancies are updated daily and are open until positions are filled. Thank you for being so interested in District 149, and good luck!
Crystal Montgomery Director of Human Resources email: montgomerycr@sd149.org Call: 708-868-7864 April Brown Administrative Assistant for Human Resources email: Browna@sd149.org Call: 708-868-7861
