Activist Toolkit

1. What motivates you to seek this office? What skills, experiences, and perspectives would you bring to the District, and why would those contributions be valuable in the role of School Board member?

Candidate video response

Hi, I’m Kate Odom. When my family was moving back to Chicagoland, we were looking for a public school district that provided students with a well-rounded education (meaning strong in learning opportunities outside of just academics), and a district grounded in strong community roots with a population (students and adult leaders) that didn’t all look like my kids. Like many families, we moved here for the schools and because of OP’s reputation for being socially progressive. Once here, I began asking questions to learn about D97 for both personal and professional reasons. As a child and family psychologist, I’ve spent my career in schools and community mental health settings. I wanted to understand how the district addressed issues important to me. What I heard was hopeful. There were a lot of really good experiences and also a lot of initiatives and interest in improving the problematic aspects. I am motivated to seek this office because this community recognizes and is intentional in addressing these problematic areas, and I bring a valuable and unique set of skills.

Professionally, I have served at the student level, providing counseling, assessment and consultation services in schools across 3 different states. At the school level, I have provided consultation and mediation for schools and families in legal disputes, giving me a deep understanding of school policy, education laws, and the special education systems. At the district level, I have provided training and consultation on building trauma-informed classrooms, buildings, and behaviors.  My professional experience brings a perspective of how to help students, teachers, and schools thrive through understanding how both people and systems function. My personal experiences allow me to truly understand the viewpoint of parents and children in schools, fully recognizing the impact of the micro and macro communities in which we live.

Having these multiple experiences and perspectives will be valuable in being able to fluidly move through and balance many issues at once to arrive at effective decisions that serve the greatest good.

2. What are the three biggest challenges or opportunities you expect District 97 to face in the coming years, and how would you work with your colleagues to address these challenges or realize these opportunities?

Recovering from COVID will be a long-term challenge. Our students were told going to school is unsafe. Some teachers fear for their lives by teaching in person. Yet, soon we expect everyone to return to school. We desperately want the return to school to be relieving, but COVID has deeply changed us. Students lost relationships (peer and adult), missed supports (academic and otherwise), and now understand pandemics as reality. Teachers (and parents) question security, trust, and compassion of peers. Our challenges and opportunities include:

1. Supporting students with an emphasis on non-academic learning opportunities as a focus of transitioning back. Support ‘specials’ (often a student motivator and engager), increase prosocial programming (to address lost social skills/relationships), and enhance social-emotional learning (to address increased mental health symptoms).

2. Supporting school personnel building trust and increasing a sense of benevolence is necessary for teachers to perform at their best. This will mean transparency, collaboration, and inclusive communication. 

3. Ongoing and long-term challenges are doing this while ensuring equity. Identifying who needs what to thrive and guaranteeing they have access to that. The BOE has set policy and should hold all parties accountable to the highest standards, regardless of pandemic status.

3. How will you balance competing interests, such as your own deeply-held values and opinions, input from District staff and fellow board members, and diverse views from the community? How would you describe your leadership style and your decision-making process generally? 

Both the art of balancing multiple perspectives/agendas and being an effective leader with thoughtful decision-making skills are rooted in consultation and collaboration.

To be an effective and fair psychologist, I do just that, I balance competing interests, values and opinions of the client and/or the community. I work from a ‘systems’ orientation that acknowledges humans/organizations don’t exist in a vacuum. I keenly understand my client’s experience and support them in identifying and accomplishing their goals. To best understand, build trust, and make progress, I need to work collaboratively with all parties, stakeholders, and systems involved – understanding my personal opinion is just one amongst many stakeholders.

Similarly, when asked to lead and make important decisions, I strive to understand each perspective (by simply asking and authentically listening) and identify the shared goal. I consider historical context or precedent and, if still unsure, I consult. I look for fellow leaders or experts in the community and I discuss. Ultimately, I try to be both collaborative and expedient to have the most positive impact. I have found respected leadership is achieved through successful integration of varied values and opinions.

4. What values would you bring to the budgeting process? What changes do you favor in the process by which the District conducts its budgeting and fiscal planning?

My upbringing influences how I approach budgeting, both in my personal household and when asked to manage workplace budgets. The values I learned were taught by my single mother and through observing my small business owning father. They are rooted in cost efficiency, wasting little, and spending on quality.  When managing budgets, I still follow these values.

Since considering my candidacy, I’ve observed most of the BOE meetings and have watched several budget presentations from the board’s financial consultant. The current budget appears stable and in good standing with a surplus and enough in reserves for the 3-6 months of expenses. 

OP school districts have a history of not being shy about asking for money and getting what they ask for because it’s in the name of schools. If D97 were challenged to use what they have already, it seems the budget has been positioned to comfortably afford the needs of facilities and maintaining quality learning environment for all students. Perhaps the change needed would be a shift in mindset from asking for more to asking how to efficiently derive more benefit from what we already have.

5. How will you balance the community's desire to decrease the property tax burden with the need to maintain the quality of our schools, create an equitable learning environment for all students, and address facilities issues?

Guided by my budgeting values, there are likely areas of spending that could be more cost-efficient. 

Cost-efficiency includes using D97’s already acquired resources. When live-streaming was implemented, all classrooms in the district already had the tech required (except for some higher quality mics). I wondered how many classrooms were utilizing this level of technology prior to COVID. What was the cost of all the technology that was seemingly underutilized? What other resources does D97 already have within staff, programming initiatives, equipment, etc. going underutilized? 

D97’s community is deeply invested (both financially and metaphorically) in the schools; after all it’s likely the most cited reason people move/stay in Oak Park. Oak Park is rich with resources, particularly the people. We are a community of experts in our fields and extremely giving of time, care, and heart. D97 could reduce the property tax burden by leaning more on the wealth of its community members. When there was a call for acquiring N95 masks, $8,000+ was raised within 24 hours, and masks started showing up on the school door steps in the next 48 hours. D97 can better leverage Oak Park’s community resources to reduce the need for levies and referendums.

6. Special education is mandated by federal law. How will you set up structures to ensure ongoing concerns of families engaged with special education are addressed? What do you believe are the biggest issues facing families and children with special needs, and how will you work to see their needs are met?

Because special education is federally mandated, the structures and processes are already established. What seems to be missing, and the biggest challenge to families (and school personnel), is knowing these laws and processes, and how to access and navigate them. I have extensive experience working in these systems and consistently observe that most people aren’t familiar with this and how to access the appropriate services.  

As a BOE member, I can speak from direct experience of how to assess students’ needs, how to identify the most effective services, how to assess the integrity of implementation of services, and how to measures progress to ensure students’ needs are being met. The times I’ve had the most success at this is when the adults (parents and school staff) in these processes acknowledge their role and responsibility to change to meet the child’s needs, rather than expecting the student and/or the system to change. Sometimes, asking grown-ups to change becomes the biggest challenge. From my experience working in schools, I know how to support the adults in staying student centered to overcome many of the traditional systemic barriers and find their own success in meeting their students’ needs.

7. How do you define equity? Have recent discussions in the larger community informed or changed your thinking? 

Equity in schools means each student has effective support in identifying and accessing the resources to ensure each student thrives and meets their potential. This will look different depending on the individual student and the ‘systems’ (family, teacher/school, neighborhood, larger community/culture) in which they are living. Being equitable is akin to being flexible and able to recognize what is truly beneficial for each person to reach their individual and collective potential within our community.

Community discussions, movements, and discourse have absolutely informed my thinking, as have discussions in my family, with my friends, in my workplace (as part of formal training/expectations and informal dialogue with community partners/colleagues).  Self-driven research, introspection, and reflection have also changed my thinking. Many aspects of 2020 felt like people were in survival mode. We found ourselves staring at many systemic and institutional disparities. For some this was an awakening, but for many it simply shone a light on experiences long rooted and forever present. Now we sit at an opportunity for change. Change is hard; so is introspection and self-analysis. Yet, that challenge is exactly what D97 needs to do in order ensure they are meeting the goals set out in their equity policy. 

8. How do you plan to solicit feedback from people who may be experiencing Oak Park in a different way than you? What barriers do you believe may exist in this process?

One role and responsibility of BOE members is connecting with the community. I solicit feedback from those different from me both by participating in community events that allow me to meet people with which I would typically not interact and maintain my openness to talking to community members that seek to connect with me. 

Through this process of running for school board I have benefitted from the kindness and networks of Oak Park residents to connect me. This has been an enlightening and humbling experience as folks continue to share their interests, concerns, and experiences. My career centers on talking to people and learning what is important to them. Holding meaningful conversations may be the most familiar aspect of BOE membership for me. As is being open to forms of communication besides direct conversation.

However, the biggest barrier in this process is inherent unfamiliarity and distrust of new people. I’ve only begun to serve this community. Speaking from a trauma lens, I expect people to be leery of my intentions and actions. I have yet to demonstrate my trustworthiness to all, which is why I’m humbled so many people have been willing to talk and support me through this campaign.

9. How should the District assess its policies and progress with respect to the opportunity gap? As a Board Member, how will you determine whether the District is succeeding?

The challenge to making substantial progress in reducing the opportunity gap is amplified by systemic and institutional oppression not just in our schools, but also in our greater society. Recognizing this factor, the district can assess its policies and progress following the elements of good program evaluations: identifying and defining a clear and measurable target/goal, implementing evidence-based interventions, measuring the integrity of the implementation, and analyzing results in comparison to targets/goals. This should be a dynamic and constant system of evaluation with rapid-cycle quality improvement strategies embedded in more long-term implementation and measurement. 

The departments of Ebony Lofton (Academic and Accountability), Carrie Kamm (Equity), and Faith Cole (MTSS) all play vital roles and have responsibility in ensuring the opportunity gap is being addressed. The BOE’s responsibility is to ensure the district’s administration is identifying accurate needs/goals and the interventions implemented produce progress towards those goals. Since the board sets the policies, it is the board’s responsibility to ensure policy aligns with efforts in reducing the opportunity gap. The BOE also has responsibility to work with the superintendent to ensure these specific departments and the district as a greater whole, are focused and meeting the identified goals.

10. District 97 has taken some steps to move away from policing and surveillance in schools toward restorative justice, mental health supports, and other services in schools. Do you feel these moves have been successful? Why or why not? What work do you believe remains to be done in this area?

My personal passion collides with my professional work here. This is why I joined the PBIS team at my child’s school. Not being in OP long enough to judge D97’s success, I’d begin by asking D97 to review the intended goals/targets and their current relevancy. After recentering on the intended purpose of policy/practice changes, I’d ask for assessment of the integrity of implementation of policies and practices. The effectiveness results may be irrelevant if the programs were not implemented to fidelity. If not already, I would work to ensure the district follows a rapid cycle quality improvement model to ensure results and intervention are dynamic, population specific, and time efficient.

Separate from program evaluation, I believe strongly in inclusion. The practice of separating students (causing missed instruction time and social interruptions) as discipline holds many biases and unfair practices. The more services brought into, sponsored by, and/or in partnership with the schools, the better. Oak Park’s community is rich with resources, especially public agencies. When families can access resources in a place that is within and provided by the community, the stigma of utilizing these services decreases. I will work to ensure these services are accessible and come without indignity.

11. District 97 Board members share responsibility for oversight of the Collaboration for Early Childhood. Do you support this example of intergovernmental cooperation? Are there other types of intergovernmental cooperation that you would support?

Absolutely. First, prevention, early detection, and early intervention are best practices in ensuring children become healthy, young learners that grow into strong, capable, and wholesome young people. The work that the Collaboration for Early Childhood does can support our children in meeting their full learning potential. When we consider the educational experience of our students, we must also acknowledge how they got here and where they’re going, including the systems (micro and macro) in which they live. 

Secondly, working within a consultive and collaborative model allows for greater understanding and efficacy in the individual entities. While it can be more efficient to focus on one specific aspect of our community functioning to ensure depth of knowledge and proficiency of progress, we must also understand the important influences and consequences of the work. Most obviously, all the governing bodies related to education should work collaboratively. This not only includes the schools directly, but also the community mental health/public health, childcare and extra curriculars, and vocational/trade industries for the older youth. Then building partnerships with our community leaders in various industries could help bolster our youths’ exposure and access in ways otherwise inaccessible. 

12. Educational and business leaders have begun to use a "cradle-to-career" framework when talking about education. Please discuss the role of District 97 within the “cradle-to-career” framework.

Not being that familiar with Cradle-to-Career, I did some internet researching and asked around my networks to learn more. I understand their mission to be building and nurturing students through community partnerships and analyzing results with a focus on equitable resources. The spirit of harnessing Oak Park’s abundance of resources and programming could align well with this framework. 

In my work as a Clinical Supervisor with ACHS, I was responsible for building and nurturing a training partnership with After School Matters. ASM provides CPS teens with myriad afterschool and summer programming all led by community members. This model of connecting experts in the community with youth not only provides teaching and mentorship, but also networking that can lead to sustained youth/human and community development. 

D97’s role could be increasing community programming centered on youth development and networking. However, it is imperative that increased programming be paired with data-driven analysis to ensure that the investment is equitable. Furthermore, the focus on equitable investment should include examining not just who is accessing and benefitting (youth), but also which community programs are being invested in (macro community support). I bring the experience working with ASM to help D97 align policy with Cradle-to-Career’s framework.

13. What lessons learned from the implementation of remote and hybrid learning during the pandemic do you believe will be applicable going forward, even after the pandemic abates?

My initial response is “ask the teachers, students, and parents”, since they are most directly functioning and impacted; I believe they know best. As a BOE member, my role is to delegate authority and monitor progress. Teachers likely have the most knowledge/authority on what worked best and what to leave behind. Students are able to say what helped them feel a sense of belonging/connectedness and ability to learn.

That being said, how best to utilize technology seems to be a universal lesson, regardless of industry and age. Technology in many ways makes our lives and professional tasks more efficient. I’d ask what parts of technology did teachers find helpful in engaging their students, their families, and the community? What lessons did administration learn around how to best use technology for engagement and communication? 

There were many creative and effective programs, strategies, and interventions employed during the pandemic. My hope is that we can keep what worked and spread successes district-wide to build a more robust learning environment. This will better fit a more diverse landscape of learning (and teaching) needs and styles. We can capitalize on these adaptive and flexible teaching techniques to better differentiate for student learning.

14. Do you see a role for the Board in ensuring that the climate at District 97 schools is welcoming to students in minority populations, whether racial, religious identity, LGBTQ, etc.? What specific actions or policies would you propose?

 Yes, of the 6 roles defined for BOE members, 3 align directly with improving D97’s climate: clarify district’s purpose, connect with the community, and monitor performance. In the “Vision97 4All: 2017-2022 Plan for Accelerated Growth and Success for All Students” it appears the BOE/district have outline 4 ‘elements’ that would address students/families in minority populations: Equity, Inclusivity, Whole-Child Centered, and Positive Learning Environment. This plan outlined its “professional practices for instructional effectiveness” which include 4 pillars of strategic direction.

The previous BOE seems to have addressed the role of clarifying the district’s purpose through this collaborative creation. I suggest reviewing this plan to ensure it is flexible enough to still meet the district’s current climate, culture, and community needs. In part, I’d do this through connecting with the community through genuine townhalls and participation in community events; asking for invitation into the community to hear their experiences and concerns, and elevating community opportunities to engage directly in the school community.  To monitor performance, I’d ensure the specific ‘pillar’ of data-informed continuous improvement was being implemented. I’m skilled in defining a plan, engaging, and authentic understanding of others, and monitoring progress, as they are also core elements of being a psychologist.

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[The above answers were supplied on 2/18/21.]