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?

My family and I moved to Oak Park because of the excellent school system and diversity. I strongly believe that OPRF can be a shining example of equity and racial restoration that ensures that all students have the opportunities and resources to be successful. I have been a member of the OPRF High School’s Culture, Climate and Behavior Committee for the past two years, and I am a new member of the Community Council. I am bringing my experiences and lessons from both committees, as well as my business acumen to ensure that we continue to be responsive to the needs of our students and fiscally responsible to our residents.

2. What are the three biggest challenges or opportunities you expect District 200 to face in the coming years, and how would you work with your colleagues to address these challenges or realize these opportunities?

The first opportunity we have is to continue addressing the racial inequity in our school district. I commend the administration for the bold steps they have taken, and I am confident that we are on the right track. I believe we need to have more community engagement around equity discussions as we continue implementing plans to ensure all students are supported and set up for  success. A challenge is to ensure that the remaining phases of the Imagine OPRF facilities master plan does not place an undue financial burden on the current and future residents of our communities. If we value our racial and economic diversity, fiscal responsibility is paramount. The last challenge, but by no means least, is healing the divisive culture in our community. This will need to be a priority agenda item for the incoming superintendent. As a newly elected board member I intend to vote for a superintendent candidate that is the most qualified to continue leading our community to a promising future.

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? 

As a trained Urban Planner that specialized in Housing and Community Development, competing personalities and views are expected in a diverse community with residents of different races, ethnicities, religious beliefs and economic statuses. First, you ensure that all voices have an opportunity to share their opinions, not solely the loudest or most established. Stakeholder meetings need to encourage and ensure community-wide participation so that no one feels excluded.

My leadership style is to thoughtfully weigh the various opinions and solutions presented by my stakeholders and colleagues prior to making a final decision. I am a pragmatist by nature. I make decisions based upon facts and data and will always select the most viable and beneficial solution for all concerned. It is unlikely that most people will agree on everything, but it can be done with civility, respect and consideration of others.

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?

I believe in the fiduciary responsibility of managing finances in a calculated and thoroughly researched manner, with stress testing when applicable. Whether managing budgets for corporate clients or in my personal life, I do not operate under the assumption that there will be additional funding available. I create a budget and then work backwards to determine which costs should be included in the project or operations plan that will allow me to meet the outlined goal and objectives. If the budget is ballooning during implementation, that means proper due dill diligence was not performed initially. My approach to working on the D200 budget and fiscal planning is to first understand the absolute needs. Once the list of necessities is created, with a 10-15% contingency reserve, we can then consider adding additional items deemed as wants that will enhance the experiences for our students. I do not believe in having access to a proverbial money tree, which in this case, translates to added taxes paid by our residents.

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?

We need to perform a deep dive into our current spending to see if there are opportunities for cost savings that will not diminish academic quality or negatively impact the lives of our students, faculty and staff. It is important to not become stagnant and always consider ways to save costs, enhance services and productivity and increase efficiencies. I strongly believe that you can effectively create a more equitable school environment and practice fiscal responsibility, and not place additional financial burdens on the residents through property tax hikes. Sometimes this requires being creative and thinking outside of the box, which I have done for the entirety of my professional career.

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?

A concern that I am aware of is that some parents feel that there could be a higher level of engagement with the school regarding the curriculum, and future planned adjustments. I see this as more of an opportunity to strengthen the partnership between the school and parents to ensure that all the students are receiving the necessary resources and tools required for success. As a board member, it will be my position to champion a more open dialogue and level of engagement between the school and parents. I have also heard concerns that there is an overidentification of black and brown students that are placed into these programs due to perceived biases. This is something that is of concern to me and I plan to investigate the matter further, because all students should be receiving the correct level of educational engagement based on their learning abilities and not any other factors.

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

Racial and gender equity involves providing each individual with the necessary tools and resources to become successful. That will mean creating more opportunities for marginalized groups that have been excluded from opportunities or denied access to certain resources with the goal of leveling the playing field. Essentially, it is removing barriers to success and providing avenues for all students to be the best version of themselves. As a Black man, advocating for equity has always been a passion for me, and I am encouraged that it seems to be finally gaining some traction.

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

I believe in active engagement and participation. Large scale townhalls are one method, but some residents will not be comfortable participating in that environment. Small groups of diverse residents are a great way to gather feedback. Groups with divergent viewpoints are necessary because it also allows participants to engage with community members who may not be in their sphere of influence, opening up the possibility for new conversations, understanding and common ground. A potential barrier will be finding convenient times for these sessions due to the differing work and life schedules.

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 adopted 2017 Strategic Plan is a great start to eliminating the opportunity gap, and I believe the freshman detracking effort will further this initiative. Detracking has become a buzz word with negative connotation. There is a viewpoint that it will decrease the rigorous curriculum which has made OPRF a preeminent high school. This is simply not the case; it is removing antiquated barriers that precluded certain students from taking classes that will challenge them. I have spoken with Assistant Superintendent Greg Johnson because I like to completely understand the facts prior to rendering an opinion. From my understanding, all incoming freshman, aside from those enrolled in programs for different learning abilities, will be enrolled in the same rigorous honors classes, and then can make a decision to move up to AP classes in their Sophomore or Junior years. From my standpoint, it is creating a stronger and more equitable and rigorous high school, with all students being challenged from their initial year at the high school.

To measure the success of this initiative, it will take time for data to be collected and analyzed. I do not believe it can be effectively measured by standardized testing alone, as research has shown this is not an effective measurement tool for aptitude. The ultimate test will be how our students are performing in their classes and how they fare once they leave high school. The definition of success will vary for each student based on the path they chose whether that is a 2 or 4-year school, trade school, gap year, the military or going directly into the workforce.

10. District 200 Superintendent Joylyn Pruitt is retiring in June 2021, and a search process has been initiated by the current Board. What qualities do you value most when searching for a new superintendent?

The next superintendent must be prepared to work in a complex and diverse school district and must be fully equipped and not learn on the job. Equity and racial restoration have been volatile issues in our community. They must have real world experience employing equity policies--not simply understanding this from an academic standpoint. Another quality is the ability to work with various stakeholders, ensuring all opinions are heard. The new superintendent will also need to have the presence of mind and courage to make the thoughtful and tough decisions  that may not be the most popular but are in the best interest of students and the school district.

11. What is your impression of D200’s Access for All detracking curriculum redesign program and of detracking efforts generally? How will you handle parent concerns that arise as implementation begins?

From my understanding the freshman de-tracking policy eliminates barriers so all students can be intellectually challenged at OPRF, and ultimately creates more opportunities for success. There is a misconception that honors classes are being eliminated, which is not the case. All freshman students will be enrolled in honors classes and in the following years, they can make a decision to increase their course rigor by enrolling in AP classes. If parents have concerns, I would strongly encourage them to read the plan on the school’s website and then take any questions directly to the administration for clarity. 

12. Educational and business leaders have begun to use a "cradle-to-career" framework when talking about education. Please discuss the role of District 200 within the “cradle-to-career“ framework.

The Cradle-to-Career framework is essential in decreasing the opportunity gap and ensuring that all children are given the necessary resources from a very early age to successfully matriculate through school and ultimately into a viable career. In 2003, D200 along with District 97, the Village of Oak Park, Oak Park Township, the Oak Park Public Library and the Park District of Oak Park founded, funded and continue to guide the Collaboration for Early Childhood. The charge of the organization is to provide resources to children and families early in life to improve outcomes. In 2009, the Collaborative adopted the Partnership for Human Development, a framework to create progress to narrow the achievement gap for children prior to entering kindergarten. My son was a beneficiary of this holistic strategy. We noticed that he had a speech delay around 1 years old and told our physician about our concerns. Due to a collaborative effort with our primary care provider and Oak Leyden Developmental Services, he is now a talkative and vivacious 3-½ year old that is more than prepared to enter kindergarten next year. These programs are necessary for all children to be given the opportunity to be successful later in life, and I am very proud of our school districts for the work they are doing.

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?

I think the most important takeaway is that we learned that we can come together as a community in the time of a crisis. The pandemic was unprecedented and affected everyone differently. We also learned that we need to ensure that our students have mental health support as a general practice. Remote learning and the subsequent isolation merely highlighted the need for our students to voice their concerns, be validated, and if necessary, access services to work through issues. The school and parents must work together to ensure that students receive necessary assistance. A positive takeaway is that remote learning can be used sparingly in extreme cases of snow days and freezing weather, which will not require days to be made up later in the school year.

14. District 200 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?

Restorative justice is long overdue and removing policing and surveillance from the school is a step in the right direction. Students should be viewed as learners and not potential offenders. These are recent policies, so we must wait to determine their level of efficacy. However, I do believe that these polices will have a positive impact for our students and community. Regarding mental health support, I believe this is key for our students because life will only present more challenges. Developing coping skills and seeking mental health support early on can have short-term benefits while also better preparing them for life after high school.

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

We need to understand that some issues involve systemic inequities, while others involve individual bias. We can address some of the systemic issues by fully implementing the Racial Equity Policy. To address individual bias, we must learn to understand and respect each other’s differences. We do not have to agree on all issues or hold the same beliefs, but we must respect and honor one another. As a board we can do that by setting the example, and I believe the current board has mostly done a good job of that. My goal will be to continue that practice and encourage others to do the same. A specific action is to call out harmful actions or behavior. We must make constructive engagement and civility a core principle if we are to thrive as a community.

16. District 200 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?

I strongly in believe in intergovernmental cooperation. From an educational standpoint, D200’s involvement in the Collaboration for Early Childhood makes sense as both bodies have the same goal of preparing children to be well-rounded, functional, successful young adults. 

I believe another potential area of collaboration is at the Village level. For example, in recent years, the Village has been encouraging and subsidizing large high-rise housing developments. We need to be sure that the impacts of these developments on our school populations, school finances and community services are fully considered so that they don’t create unintended and negative burdens. More communication and cooperation between the Village and school districts could help ensure that that the benefits and burdens of these developments are known and shared. 

Other collaborations across both our school districts and with our public library should also be explored. For example, the public library, D-97, Dominican Univesity and the E-Team of Oak Park have been collaborating on a Power of Partnerships Summer Program to enhance the reading and study skills of middle-school students. This could be a program D-200 may also want to collaborate with to help provide additional supports to incoming Freshmen.

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[The above answers were supplied on 3/8/21.]