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| SATURDAY MAY 21 | SUNDAY MAY 22 2016
THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND
NEWS STEPHAN Continued from PG 1 the neck down and would never walk again. He visited a prominent physician whom he had met through cycling before the accident, with the hope that he would be given a different diagnosis. Once again Stephan was told he would never regain movement. “I was devastated. I was sobbing and emotionally a wreck. It was horrible,” Stephan said. At that time, Stephan’s four children were between the ages of 13 and 20. “It impacts more than just one person. It impacts your whole family,” he said. Instead of giving up hope, Stephan relied on his inner strength as an athlete to overcome the odds. Rather than viewing his treatment as therapy, he began to view it as training — something he was familiar with from his days running marathons. “I wanted to be treated like an athlete,” he said. Stephan sought treatment at RIC from therapists and personal trainers who shared his view and research scientists interested in experimentation. He and his wife, Margaret, decided he would do whatever it would take for the next five years. “I didn’t want therapy. I wanted a cure,” he said. Stephan began to work on his recovery at RIC five days a week, six to eight hours each day. He hasn’t SCHOOLS Cont. from PG 1
been cured, but he has regained some physical capabilities that his doctors earlier thought were totally lost. Located in Chicago, RIC is the nation’s No. 1 ranked rehabilitation hospital by U.S. News & World Report and U.S. National Institutes of Health, caring for thousands of patients with catastrophic injuries from around the world each year. Stephan attributes much of his progress to RIC’s integration of research and science in its rehabilitative therapy. Within two years of the accident, Stephan climbed 103 floors to the top of the Willis Tower in three and half hours — without the use of crutches. That accomplishment not only raised funds for RIC, but also allowed Stephan to realize his potential. “If you can do one flight of stairs, why not 100?” he asked. Next Stephan set his sights on bicycling cross-country, not only as a way to give back to RIC but also to achieve a personal goal. “I didn’t want people to say that guy is a quadriplegic. I wanted people to say that guy is a cyclist,” he said. A special recumbent tricycle was designed for Stephan, who initially practiced by cycling down his block in Winnetka. It took a while for him to build the endurance to ride one mile, but he kept at it, and through hard work he was able to accomplish his dream. In 2012 he biked from San Diego to St. Augustine, Florida — covering 3,129 ture must become law; it would provide more money to property tax poor districts like 187 and less money to wealthier ones or • Funding the district receives through agreement with the Illinois State Board of Education has to continue
something,” he said. But Stephan said that facing his emotions and then moving forward has been the best strategy for him. “I don’t dwell on it. If I have to dwell on it I do, but then I close the door and walk away,” he said. While Stephan is busy with his own therapy, he also takes time to give back to the organization that was so integral to his progress. “When you go in with a lifechanging event and come out with a life-changing event, it becomes a part of your fabric,” Stephan said of his experience at RIC. In addition to being a member of the RIC Board of Directors, he’s also a volunteer, meeting with patients and families who have suffered a traumatic accident. Stephan shares his experience and optimism. “Hope is a powerful thing,” he said. “Through hard work and therapy you will get your “Hope is a powerful thing” – Mark Stephan. PHOTO BY JOEL LERNER life back,” he tells patients. He miles — in 78 days. Stephan raised there are very few barriers,” Stephan his daily accomplishments, such as reassures them that RIC is the over $1 million for RIC. said. walking to and from the Post Office right place to begin a long, hard Stephan didn’t ride alone, on all Today, while Stephan has re- or completing core exercises. journey. “Control what only you but two days friends and supporters gained some mobility, his strength Stephan feels the diary keeps him can control,” he advises. “Work on joined him on his journey. He col- and the amount of feeling below honest. “I know if I am cheating your own recovery.” lected unclaimed bikes from the his neck is still limited. He is con- myself. I know if I am making And Stephan feels that his cross-country bike ride raised Winnetka police department, and sidered a quadriplegic and is unable progress,” he said. An optimistic person, Stephan awareness that anyone can do a driver towed those bikes along to complete many of the daily tasks with plenty of gear in a trailer for of life independently. Stephan con- acknowledges that he has down extraordinary things. “I’ve realized anyone who wanted to join Stephan tinues his therapy and work with moments. “You are going to have that everybody has disabilities. on the journey. There was no short- research scientists at RIC to bad days. You have every right to Everyone has challenges in their age of support: 173 people biked improve his condition. “I still feel that way,” he said. And he feels own lives,” he said. “(But diswith Stephan at points along the believe that there is opportunity to that confronting those feelings is abilities) can’t slow you down and way. make significant improvements,” the best way to cope with them. can’t keep you from pursuing a “The bike ride showed me that he said. He keeps a diary, recording “You have to grieve. You have lost dream you have,” he said.
the district’s students be military dependents, according to Martindale. He said the level is currently been talking about ways to keep at 14 percent. If a second charter the district afloat. Along with being Lake Bluff school is established, the impact village president, O’Hara is an aid could be eroded further, he said. educator who spent 36 years at A charter school opened on the Lake Bluff Middle School, 19 base in 2012, which is part of the teaching and 17 as principal. LEARN Charter School Network If some combination of these However, both of those potential based in Chicago, according to sources does not come together, solutions assume money the district Gregory White, the organization’s there is a possibility the district is receiving from the federal gov- chief executive officer. He said it is could dissolve, leaving the respon- ernment in the form of impact aid a public school and part of District sibility of educating North Chi- continues because a significant 187. He also said one third of its cago’s children to the surrounding percentage of students are from students must be from military communities, according to Royce- military families serving at Naval families. White said the North Chicago alee Wood, Lake County’s re- Station Great Lakes. Martindale gional superintendent of schools said those funds are possibly be- campus currently educates 500 based in Grayslake. coming less secure. children in kindergarten through eighth grade. He said it is full and The school districts touching District 187 include the munici- Great Lakes Owns 49 Percent of turns applicants away. He wants to palities of Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, North Chicago’s land either expand or start a second Gurnee, Green Oaks, Libertyville Since the United States does not charter school. Martindale said and Vernon Hills. While Wauke- pay property taxes on federal land, District 187 objected and they are gan is immediately north of North impact aid always has been critical now negotiating a possible resoluChicago, neither Wood nor Mar- to the North Chicago schools tion. tindale said that city is part of initial because the Naval Station Great Should discussions not succeed, discussions. Lakes accounts for 49 percent of Martindale said the Illinois State Ben Martindale, District 187’s the city’s real estate, according to Charter School Commission could chief education officer, said that to Martindale. That contributes to make LEARN independent of the maintain financial stability beyond making it a property tax poor dis- district. If that happens, none of its 2020, one of two things has to trict. military students will count toward happen: Receiving the highest level of the impact aid percentage. • A bill pending in the legisla- impact aid mandates 20 percent of “It will increase the likelihood
of dissolution,” Martindale said. “They’ve told us to negotiate,” he added referring to a directive from Tony Smith, the state superintendent of education. District 187 is now in mediation with LEARN to come to an agreement acceptable to both, according to White. He said the Illinois State Board of Education suggested the effort. He said the school is forced to conduct a lottery each year because there are more applicants than seats. “We are making progress,” White said. “We have been finding areas of agreement but we want to grow our program.”
Dold authored a provision of an education reform bill that is now law assuring District 187 $3 million a year in continued support. “We need to make sure that our school districts have the resources needed to provide all students, regardless of ZIP code, with a quality education,” Dold stated in an email. “We’ve made significant progress by including more than $3 million in federal impact aid funding for North Chicago that they wouldn’t have gotten otherwise.” Opposition to a second charter school is also coming from state Sen. Terry Link (D-Waukegan). Link’s district includes North Dold Offers Support Chicago and he is a graduate of its The district is getting strong schools. support in its effort to keep “I’m absolutely opposed to an LEARN at its current size and in additional charter school,” Link the district from Rep. Robert Dold said. “If you allow it, money for (R-Kenilworth). Dold’s 10th Con- North Chicago schools will dry gressional District includes North up.” Chicago and its neighboring comLink said in its current form the munities. Dold told the commis- bill pending in the State Senate sion in a letter the expansion of the will provide District 187 $3.5 charter school could force District million more than it is getting from 187 into dissolution. the state. That proposed legislation Though North Chicago is below creates a new formula for state aid the 20 percent threshold for favoring poorer districts. He said maximum impact aid at 14 percent, challenges exist getting it passed
and signed by the governor. One major difficulty is opposition from Gov. Bruce Rauner, according to Link. He said another problem is while some districts like North Chicago will get significantly more money, others will wind up with less including some in his State Senate district. “The governor is opposed to it,” Link said. “It’s hard for leadership to push it when we don’t know if the other chamber will pass it and the governor will sign it. If it can become law I am right behind it.” New Law Creates Winner and Loser Districts While the bill increases state aid for some schools and takes it away from others, Link said there will be no reductions the first year and they will then be phased in in 25 percent increments over the following four years. John Ahlgrim, the superintendent of Warren Township High School District 121, said in a DNS interview though the pending legislation takes money away from some districts while giving it to others, the certainty of a five-year plan makes it more palatable.