DISTRICT 65 PTA COUNCIL SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE FORUM

What motivated you to run for the school board, and what do you see as the board's primary role in shaping district policies?

My initial motivation came from the closure process at Bessie Rhodes School where my granddaughter attends second grade. The information I was receiving from daughter and from attending the D65 Committee of the Whole and Regular Board meetings broadened my concerns.

A school board’s primary role in shaping district policies is connected to its fiscal and administrative accountability. Primary roles of a school board member are to serve in trust for the community and participate responsibly. Board members take an oath to respect taxpayers’ interests and to faithfully protect the district’s assets. The fact that a board member could comment on a superintendent’s ability to “sweep the current financial challenges under the rug” made me question their ethics. The Board’s difficulty holding the administration accountable has contributed to a decline in D65s ISBE Financial Profile and led to an initial 13.3-million-dollar Debt Reduction Plan. The board employs the superintendent. A lack of accountability is evident in the superintendent’s ill-defined contract goals and indicators. Board members should stay centered on what happens in the classroom. They should stay focused on the district’s values, mission, vision, and goals. In summary, they should ask the right questions, find the right solutions and focus on the right issues.

How has your past volunteer experience, both within schools and the broader community, prepared you to serve on the school board? Please share specific examples of how your volunteer work has shaped your perspective on key issues facing the district and how it informs your approach to leadership.

I have participated in a variety of volunteer programs. As a member of the first D65 Black Girl Magic Book Club at Walker School, I recognized the ability of students to form a positive community while rising to a high level of academic rigor. As a member of the Physical Therapy Assistant Program Advisory Board: Malcolm X City College and an iMAP (Illinois Physical Therapy Association) mentor with students at the University of Illinois, Chicago, I sought to address the shortage of school-based providers for students receiving school-based physical therapy services. I have been a member of the Evanston North Shore Alumnae (ENSA) Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., for over 25 years, with specific participation in the youth service programs. Some of my regularly scheduled community events include the MLK Day of Service at the Evanston Public Library and the My Black is Beautiful Conference. I was a mentor for several years with the Girls Reaffirming Ambition Character and Education (GRACE) at Family Focus Evanston, which transitioned into the ENSA Delta Academy program. The My Black is Beautiful conference, GRACE and the Delta Academy are focused on providing enrichment for elementary and middle-school girls. ENSA benefits have enabled the chapter to distribute more than $290,000 in scholarships to deserving students in the area.

Given the district’s financial challenges, how would you balance cost-cutting measures while ensuring students receive high-quality education and support?

My approach to this issue will be to view budget cuts and expenditures through an equity lens and examine how they directly impact classroom instruction. I will ask important questions when making decisions regarding resources: who benefits from this decision/who does not, who gets to answer those questions – teachers and the impacted communities and how do these concerns intersect? I will prioritize what happens in the classroom while considering those factors. I commit to keeping the community involved in the ongoing decisions regarding D65 resources, including the buildings, administrators, teachers and staff. This means being honest about the decisions that have to be made, getting feedback from impacted communities, and following up after the decisions to ensure the intended impact.

How will you advocate for and protect marginalized student communities, including LGBTQ students, students of color, multilingual learners, students with disabilities, and students experiencing economic insecurity, to ensure an inclusive and supportive learning environment for all?

District 65 currently has policies in place that ensure positive learning environments for all of these communities: Equal Educational Opportunities, Procedures for Student Gender Support, Racial and Educational Equity and Inclusion Policy. There are also: Assistant Superintendent of School Safety, Climate & Athletics, School Climate and School Gender Support Teams. The efficacy of these resources can be monitored through the School Board Liaisons. “In order to establish and maintain connections and communication links with parents, individual school board members are assigned certain schools where they can serve as a liaison. In their role they are encouraged to become familiar with their assigned District 65 school community and keep Board Members and the Superintendent informed of concerns or issues that may develop at the school over the course of the year”. The current national political agenda and resultant environment is going to require close monitoring.

How do you evaluate the effectiveness and security of technology in the classroom, and would you support re-evaluating current digital tools and curricula?

The effectiveness of the technology in the classroom should be assessed by the goals the D65 Curriculum Department has established to determine its impact on learning. The security of technology in the classroom should be evaluated by a professional in this area to ensure it is in compliance with security standards and privacy practices District 65 has established. Before re-evaluating current digital tools and curricula I would complete an update on the full menu of tools currently in place and the school/home connection.

What steps would you take to rebuild trust between families and D65, and how do you plan to keep the community engaged in decision-making?

I would continue and strengthen the process that was started with phase one of the Debt Reduction Plan. Be truthful when notifying the community of an issue and the decisions that have to be made. Communicate with D65 families through more than digital sources. Engage the community through multiple modes of communication, including in-person community-based opportunities weeks before the final decision is made. Check-in with the community after the decision is made at regularly scheduled intervals to assess the impact of the decision. Identify if the intended outcomes reached, what unanticipated outcomes occurred, were parts of the community disproportionately affected and decide the next steps together.