Learning & Student Services
Welcome to the Fremont School District 79 Departments of Learning and Student Services. These departments work hand in hand to create an environment where diverse learning needs are met with understanding, compassion, and expertise. The departments collaborate together to coordinate a number of district-wide programs, including curriculum, instruction and assessment, student services, special education, MTSS, multilingual services, professional development, instructional technology, new teacher mentoring program, and more. Our goal is to best promote the ongoing growth and achievement of all of our students in an inclusive environment.
Our instruction in the classroom is grounded in personalized learning strategies, through a focus on the 4 Ps (Profiles, Pathways, Proficiencies, and Partnerships). Profiles focus on understanding each learner’s needs, strengths, interests, and approaches to learning. Pathways enable learners to take ownership of their learning so that it can dynamically adjust to their skills, curiosities, and goals. Proficiencies hones in on learners progressing at a pace most appropriate to them. Partnerships aim to transcend the classroom by connecting students, teachers, families, and the community.
Through our focus on a guaranteed and viable curriculum we have established over 100 curriculum maps for our respective content areas and grade levels. Thanks to the dedicated and ongoing work of teacher leaders throughout the district, these maps identify essential learning outcomes for our students and the path we will take to promote these outcomes.
Our standards based grading practices throughout FSD79 coordinate with these curriculum maps to facilitate teacher alignment to standards and the levels of progression through the standards. The goal of these grading practices is to best promote students’ and parents’ understanding of the specific learning that is taking place in the classroom and effectively communicate each child’s performance and progression through the standards. Our FSD79 Standards Based Grading Guidebook has much more on this topic.
The student services department, along with building administrators and staff, is responsible for identifying students, ages 3 through 14, who are at risk for learning difficulties and students who have a disability that negatively impacts their learning or school functioning. Through problem-solving teams, staff evaluates, coordinates and designs academic and social, emotional and behavioral services and interventions for students with identified educational needs through a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) and through special education for those who qualify under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). These services and interventions may be provided within a general education classroom, a small group setting, individually, or through consultation from a student services professional.
To find out more information about many of the areas within our Learning department, please click on the links above or contact the Learning and Student Services staff.
Sincerely,
Dr. Brian Bullis
Assistant Superintendent of Learning
Krista Winkelman
Executive Director of Student Services
Learning Contacts
Dr. Brian Bullis
Assistant Superintendent of Learning

Sara Brickman
Administrative Assistant to the Assistant Superintendent of Learning
28855 N. Fremont Center Rd.
Mundelein, IL 60060
847-566-0169
Student Services Contacts
Krista Winkelman
Executive Director of Student Services

Tegan Dittmer
Assistant Director of Student Services
Deb Steagall
Administrative Assistant to the Executive Director of Student Services