Principal: John Butterfield

IAES Coordinators: Margaret Murphy

and Geraldine Rizik

Microsoft Contact: Pat McArdle

Technology Coordinator: Pat McArdle

Site Trainer: Robert Simonsis

Community Description

Mather High School is proud to serve the West Ridge area of Chicago. Mather is a general high school which serves a widely diverse, multi-ethnic population. It is a multi-lingual, multi-cultural schools. 75% of their studnts speak a language other than English. Students in the bilingual program are served by teachers who are proficient in the Russian, Spanish, Assyrian, Urdu, Gujarati, Serbo-Croatian, and Chinese/Cantonese languages. Students have home languages of Romanian, Greek, Philipino, Korean, Arabic, Bulgarian, Hindi, Vietnamese, Malayan, and Polish. Their spring Ethnic Fest involves all students and staff as they celebrate their diversity.

Demographics of the School

Mather has a total student enrollment of 1,854. Of those students, 40.1% are White, 8.6% are Black, 27.8% are Hispanic, 23.3% are Asian/Pacific Islander, and 0.2% are Native American.

Newsworthy Highlights

Mather's teachers participate in the National School Reform Faculty, a peer-mentoring process. Emphasis in the classroom is focused on the common principles of the Coalition, cooperative learning techniques, the development of authentic methods of assessment, and the incorporation of writing across the curriculum.

The Ideal Mather Graduate:

• Has personal goals, values, and ethics as a guide for living
• Communicates effectively
• Demonstrates quantitative and analytical thinking skills
• Works independently and collaboratively
• Has respect for self and others
• Displays caring by helping others
• Realizes the importance of the arts
• Understands the importance of recreation and fitness

Check out a Travelogue of a visit to Mather November 2, 1996.

Check out the Microsoft Professional Development Program: Illinois.

Return to IAES home page.

Created 3/18/97 jak

Updated 4/3/97 jak