Activist Toolkit

Scott R. Hall announced on 3/5/21 that he was suspending his campaign. His name will still appear on the 4/6/21 ballot.

• • • • •

1. What motivates you to seek this office? What skills, experiences, and perspectives would you bring to the School Board, and why would those contributions be valuable to District 90?

Like many of our neighbors, we moved to River Forest from Chicago in large part because of the top notch public schools. However, over the last decade and particularly the last 3 years, our D90 school  rankings have fallen. By many recent reports, D90 is no longer in the top-decile of districts in the state.  This is despite increased spending, new curriculum implementation, schedule changes, teacher  development, infrastructure improvements, investments in equity and inclusion, etc. Something isn’t  clicking. I’m motivated to join the Board so I can ask the right questions, listen and report back to the  community and implement changes as needed. I don’t have all the answers but I’m willing to put in the  hard work to improve our schools for our kids. 

My professional experience in finance is unique amongst current and campaigning Board members. I  have a BA in economics (Michigan), am a Chartered Financial Analyst and have an MBA in Finance (Univ.  of Chicago). My entire career has been spent analyzing and using “evidence-based” thinking to make  optimal decisions. These skills make me well-suited for a Board role, and I think there is a need for this  type of perspective now more than ever. 

2. What steps will you take to improve and expand community engagement with the District and the School Board?  What is your view on how to involve stakeholders (i.e., District employees, parents, students, community members) in the District’s decision-making processes?

The Board simply needs to be more proactive and more transparent in its ongoing business. Historically, the onus has been on parents and other community members to attend a live meeting or dig around on  the website for material. Zoom availability and recording of meetings is a good first step in the right  direction. But these offerings need to continue and expand. More timely emails and a web posting  summarizing the Board meeting (with minutes) with links to learn more would be helpful.  

I’m committed to open and regular communication with D90 stakeholders, and propose increased  connectivity with Village communications (email, web, social media) which reach the full populace  beyond active and involved parents. The quarterly paper newsletter currently sent to residents is  untimely and watered down (and comes at unnecessary extra cost). I also believe that community surveying is an effective (and increasingly technologically feasible) way to better involve various  stakeholders. If done properly, it can provide great insight into how parents, non-parents, teachers,  staff, etc. feel about critical decisions facing D90. When people are ASKED for their opinion, they often  willingly provide it. If they are merely “encouraged” to attend or opine, they do not. 

3. Who or what is your role model for your approach to governing?

While not an “elected” official, I find Dr. Fauci to be a recent role model in governance. Stepping back  from his specific area of expertise and work at NIH, Dr. Fauci models several attributes of good  governance: 1) facts are facts – while we can debate the nuances of decisions, paths to reaching them  and the sometimes impassioned views of stakeholders, evidence-based decisions and outcomes must rule the day, 2) act with a sense of humility and empathy – realize that while you are trying to do your  best (based on the best facts at hand in the moment) you don’t know everything, don’t have the perfect  answer and can always seek to understand a new point of view, 3) don’t lose sight of the main objective and 4) tough decisions may need to be made that result in stakeholders being a bit disappointed (which  could indicate that the tough decision was the right one to make in the end). Dr. Fauci has exemplified  what it means to be a good leader during a very difficult time, and the attributes outlined above are a  handful of those I hope to bring to my role as a Board member. 

4. Give an example of a time when you worked to understand a situation or view different from your own.  What helped you to move through that process?  What hindered you as you moved through the process?

The recent debate about bringing students back to school in-person has been a good lesson in actively  seeking to understand other viewpoints. While I am steadfast in my belief that K-8 students should be  in full-time school now (backed by science, accumulating data, health recommendations and anecdotal evidence), I’ve come to more fully appreciate the opinions of those who feel differently. I’ve learned  through discussion that people have different views driven by their own experiences, health and familial  situations. In listening to them, I’ve reminded myself that I don’t know everyone’s story. And, critically, I better understand that we are all simply expressing what we think is best and safest for our kids and  families. This tells me we are in fact unified, not divided, in our goal. If anything hinders me, it’s that I’m economist, a “numbers guy” and rationalist by nature and academic training. But in my career as a  financial advisor, I am constantly reminded that you don’t win over people with just the data. You need  to appreciate their motivations and experiences and you need to build trust that only comes from truly  listening and understanding.  

5. What do you feel are the three biggest issues facing District 90, and how do you intend to address them? How will you prioritize among competing priorities? 

1. A decline in academic achievement and overall excellence 

2. Unsustainable fiscal policies and spending 

3. Lack of success in delivering equity for all and closing the achievement gap 

While there will always be competing priorities, I think it is possible to step back and recognize a natural  guiding framework and to tackle these issues in a cohesive manner, not leaving one until the “end.” We  need robust financials to invest and do the things we want – to hire top teachers; employ specialists;  invest in professional development; offer outstanding training and programming; maintain facilities and  technology; and update curricula and methods. In conjunction with strengthening these critical building  blocks, we must achieve academic excellence and deliver exceptional outcomes for our kids. We must  be prepared to assess that excellence and learn from our mistakes. All the while, via investigation and  outreach, we will continue to uncover, understand, address and eradicate inequities in D90 and narrow  achievement gaps. We can’t have one of these without the other(s). More frequent, more transparent,  more digestible and more honest communication and collaboration with all stakeholders about our  strengths and weaknesses is a key part of addressing these issues. 

6. What do you believe has been the most significant action taken by D90 in recent years, and why? Do you believe the Board acted appropriately?

It’s impossible to not mention Board decisions around returning our kids to the classroom. I have been  a steadfast proponent and advocate for in-person learning. Approximately 80+ percent of D90 parents  agree and desire more hours. Parents have voiced frustration regarding the related decision making by  and communications from the Board. But the pandemic has been very hard on all stakeholders, and there was no perfect course of action.  

More impactful to the long arc of D90’s success are the major changes to our curriculum that began  approximately 5 years ago. Our then Board president declared a “fundamental shift in instructional  philosophy.” There was little to no Board dissent in the ensuing years as we swapped out virtually all  our English Language/Arts and Math curriculum. We’ve invested in and retrained our teachers in the  newest modes of instruction. While I can’t assess the “appropriateness” of the changes, the results and  outcomes are at best “murky.” There appears to be a downward “kink” in our performance trendline  synonymous with the “shift.” With three or four years of pre-pandemic data, many key test scores are  flat to down. Progress on equity a has stalled. It’s time to investigate why. 

7. How would you grade the District’s progress with respect to accessibility in recent years? What more work is needed? Please address both physical structures and virtual/information processes.

My understanding is that D90 satisfies minimum state level and ADA compliance requirements for  physical accessibility, but there is more work to do. D90 is burdened by older buildings; I would like to  evaluate how to make them more accessible. In speaking with staff and parents, there are noticeable  but solvable deficiencies, such as bringing wheelchair ramps to the main entrances instead “the back”  which is less practical and inviting. We can also make impactful but manageable changes inside of the  buildings to improve accessibility (e.g. appropriate pulls/pushes on doors, improved elevator services).  Even if we don’t “have to do” these because we are grandfathered in under relevant standards, we  should do them if they ease access and increase inclusivity. 

In terms of virtual processes, the technology D90 used and invested in during the pandemic (Zoom with  closed captioning, Swivel, e-white boards, microphones, etc.) can allow for improved teaching and  services for our children with special needs. As technology continues to advance, I anticipate that D90  will advance as well and focus on making the remote platform (used only as necessary) even more  accessible to our students and possibly employ it as an advantageous supplement to live in-class  learning. 

8. How can the District best assess the extent to which it is providing a quality education to the children of River Forest?

Benchmarking, surveying and testing. Each method has inherent deficiencies, but we must regularly  assess across the schools (including within minority and other subgroups) to appropriately evaluate  whether kids are advancing, are at level and are ready for what’s “next.” These outputs must be peer  benchmarked. I don’t believe that the State standards (and IAR testing) provide the best benchmark,  particularly given the resources, parent commitment and excellent teachers and staff we have in D90.  D90 has made progress by adopting district-level testing (MAPs, AIMSWeb) but has not been diligent  enough in interpreting and reacting to the results. It was once suggested that we “design our own test;” but this is an inherently flawed plan without data pools to create “benchmarks” and “standardization” for comparison. 

But tests and scores don’t tell the whole story. Kids aren’t just metrics and grades. They’re evolving,  emotional and thinking beings. Thoughtful, well-designed surveying of kids, parents and staff is a critical  piece of assessing quality in D90. We should ask how they feel, the trends they see and what they think  is missing. And then take action. This is especially important for gathering intelligence on the social and  emotional health needs of our children. 

9. If you could create a brand new elementary public school district from scratch, what would it look like?

Ah yes to dream! I would include much of what we already have: exceptional teachers, caring staff,  amazing specialists and therapists, engaged parents, a focus on equity and inclusiveness and a mission  committed to excellence. I would keep the beautiful, cobbled exteriors of our buildings but update and  expand the structures and interiors. In doing so, we would provide for greater accessibility (elevators,  ramps, doors, restrooms); greater scale of programming space for optimal learning and exploring (STEM  labs, studio space); integrated space for pre-k, full-day Kindergarten and other pre/post school  programming; and more room for our specialists. I’d like to see open collaboration spaces (atrium or  amphitheater area) for multi-use and non-traditional learning; kitchens to support hot lunch, special  events and dietary needs; multi-purpose library space (to include technology hubs); and open, airy and  differentiated classrooms (with work product on the wall, living plants and natural light). I would also  look at expanding our gardening spaces with an eye towards teaching our children how to plant,  cultivate and harvest healthy foods. Many of these improvements would challenge the concept that  learning can occur only in a “static” location, and would allow kids to interact and collaborate freely. 

10. How do you define racial equity? Have recent events and discussions in the larger community informed or changed your thinking? 

Racial equity is about dismantling oppressive systems, overt or implied, that create inequities for people  of color. It is a cultural and institutional state where distribution of resources and opportunities is  neither determined nor predicted by race, racial bias or racial ideology. Full equality is when systems,  practices and cultural narratives create true situational fairness and equal opportunity. 

The watershed events of 2020 had profound impacts on my thinking about racism. Namely, that we all  have a role to play in rooting out and reversing racism. Being a “non-racist” bystander simply isn’t  enough. These discussions also reshaped my idea of “white privilege.” I grew up far from privileged, but  scrapped, hustled and kept educating myself to become successful. I disliked the implication that I had  it easy somehow or didn’t earn my outcomes. But what I realized is that white privilege isn’t “having it  easy” per se. It’s NOT having the burden of being a person of color. It’s NOT ever having to worry about  being questioned, doubted, stereotyped or persecuted for my race. It’s NOT putting on a heavy rucksack  every time I step outside. I try to empathize with that burden as my motivation in eradicating it. 

11. How do you plan to solicit feedback from people who may be experiencing District 90 in a different way than you? What barriers do you believe may exist in this process?

Quite simply, I think that as Board we need to ask more, including by “surveying” more often. As noted  above, people tend to give feedback willingly when they are directly asked for it. Simply being “open” to feedback is not going to get the same results. I’m interested in creating (as referenced below) “focus  fairs” and panels on different topics for Board members, a PTO-to-Board liaison, parents and other  stakeholders to attend to bring our community together for discussion and input. Our PTO plays a key  role in sourcing direct insights from parents (a recent key example being the Equity and Inclusion  survey), and I’d like to see more PTO members, parents and staff featured at Board meetings to provide  their insights directly.  

One of the existing barriers I’m aware of from speaking with families is that they sometimes feel  ignored, including because their letters and comments to the Board go unaddressed at meetings and  unanswered thereafter. Other barriers may be the sensitive and difficult nature of the topics (racial  disparities, personal health and disability, for example.) But if we do the hard work of direct outreach  and collaboration these voices should rise and expand our points of view. 

12. 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?

I recently spoke with several D90 families who have children with special needs to obtain their feedback.  They shared that D90’s therapists and specialists are generally phenomenal. However, they expressed  frustration regarding the lack of proactive and regular outreach from, and coordination by  administrators regarding special education and their children. Concerns were also shared regarding  D90’s perceived preference for the “pull out” instead of “push in” provision of services, the latter which involves kids more frequently staying in the classroom while receiving services (benefiting the whole  class in the process). 

Communication is key. I would propose that our new Director of Special Education (in coordination with  our Superintendent/principals) evaluate service offerings and format, and arrange for regular group and  individual meetings with families and staff regarding that evaluation, their feedback and how D90’s  provision of special education services can be enhanced (broadly and for individual students). I would  further suggest restarting the Special Education Advisory Parent Nights on a quarterly basis to bring  together D90 families to discuss the rewards and challenges associated with having or being a student  with special needs in D90, and how the District can provide more support. We should evaluate that  feedback and act where we can.

13. What is the state of the District’s finances? What changes, if any, would you make to the District’s budget?

This is an area of key concern for me and one where I bring a unique academic and professional  competency. River Forest has abundant resources and our high tax levy provides solid school funding.  We need to proactively address upcoming changes to state funding mechanisms and pension liabilities.  Most critically, D90 has slipped into major deficit spending. While some of this was anticipated for large capital expenditures, there has been meaningful “creep” in spending overall. Our deficit is going to  double each of the next 3 years and drain our reserves by several million dollars! The current Board has  allowed this because of the “escape-hatch” of significant debt issuance into 2023: at least $9mm. While  this might avoid a tax hike, it misses the potential for a tax reduction by actually “retiring” some debt.

I support funding expenditures that will demonstrably improve D90, but also believe the Board has a  duty of fiscal stewardship to our community and our children. It’s time for the Board to start saying  “no” to certain outlays and overhead spending. I believe there is close to $1mm in excess spending that  can be cut from the budget without cutting academics, salaries or special education services. 

14. The District 90 mission is “to inspire a love of learning and ensure educational excellence for every child.” How do you define educational excellence, and what should be the role of the District in accomplishing this mission? [For incumbents: What actions have you taken in office to achieve it?]

Educational excellence is a living, evolving process. It’s a method of engagement that helps students  learn in ways that make sustained and substantial influence on how they think, act and feel. It’s a  process where students feel empowered to explore subjects deeply and passionately. It’s truly creating  a “love of learning” so our students never stop growing, learning and exploring. Educational excellence  also requires high baseline standards, and pushes us to ensure our children are “more prepared” where  feasible. It is the responsibility of the District to engage and empower our students and to set high  academic standards for them to achieve, and, to give them the tools necessary to reach (and exceed)  those standards.  

Excellence demands addressing successes and shortcomings and improving where necessary. These  insights come in large part from assessments, benchmarking and monitoring. D90 must invest in various  modes of assessment for learning because this investment is the foundation for meaningful and  sustainable improvement in the quality of education. That said, grades, scores and rankings are less  important than indications of improvement and growth. These attributes – the ability to grow, expand,  adapt – are far more important in today’s world than “perfect” knowledge of any one subject. 

15. What is your position on providing a full-day kindergarten option in the district? What do you see as the primary benefits and challenges to providing full-day kindergarten? 

I’m a huge proponent of full-day kindergarten and also want to expand our inclusion preschool program.  I believe that early education and intervention is the best tool for closing achievement and opportunity gaps, and supporting our learners with special needs. We cannot keep up with our peer districts  academically or in terms of equity and inclusion absent full-day kindergarten and more extensive early  education options.  

The biggest challenge – at least as cited by the administration and current Board – is cost and space.  While these are absolutely real considerations, I would argue it’s also a lack of creativity and willingness  to evolve. If there are space constraints, the pandemic has taught us that within our small community  there is always a way or another option. Maybe we can “rent” space from one of the universities for an  integrated pre-school and full-day kindergarten. Depending on state law, districts may be able to charge  for anything beyond half-day kindergarten and parents need to be willing to help offset this cost. As  many are paying for pre-school or other childcare, this seems reasonable. Ultimately, I think this is a  “must have” and solvable problem that can’t be continually punted. 

16. School districts across the US have taken steps to address inequities in their districts. Please give an example of inequity in District 90 and how you propose to address it.

Public education should be an equalizer. Districts that lack comprehensive early childhood programs miss an opportunity to start all of our kids off on a level playing field. Tying into my response to the prior question, our lack of comprehensive early education, limited preschool and half-day kindergarten offerings create meaningful inequities for minority students, students with special needs, and socio economically disadvantaged children. Some of the most compelling and reproducible research around equity, inclusion and achievement gap emphasizes the value of robust early education and intervention. It doesn’t matter the size of the minority group or other sub-group; without proper pre-K and full-day kindergarten, we are setting groups of our children behind the starting line just as they get going. As a Board member, I would continue to seek out the latest research on the interplay between early childhood development and equity issues, and would advocate for increased offerings that support our earliest learners and their families so that all of our kids can achieve their fullest potentials.

17. Are there any policy considerations you would recommend going forward as a result of the pandemic? Acknowledging the negative impact the pandemic has had, have there been any structural or cultural changes as a result of the pandemic that you think may be beneficial to the District going forward?

A significant positive outcome for D90 from the pandemic is the accelerated adoption of advanced  teaching tools and technology. While I’ve witnessed “screen burnout” firsthand, the District has worked  hard to leverage new technology to enhance remote instruction and potentially provide differentiated  learning methods for those who may need them (students with 504s, IEPs, etc.) We are closer to the  classroom of the future where Swivel, e-boards, cameras, audio and multi-user interfaces can help  students learn, and prepare them for successful futures. However, from a policy standpoint, I think we  need to be very judicious in our use of remote instruction. It is not a viable substitute for live in-person  instruction. I fear that the availability of remote learning may become a “crutch” or an “easy out” for  making sure we meet our minimum day and hour requirements. Thus, there should be narrowly and  clearly defined scenarios in which it can be used. 

Culturally, I think the pandemic has reminded us that we are all in this together, and we need to support  each other and support our community. I am hopeful that one of the longer-lasting impacts of the  pandemic is more unity and community in River Forest. 

18. What is your understanding of the Board’s past work on gender inclusivity? Do you support gender inclusivity? Please explain. 

In 2018, the Board created a Gender Inclusion Committee. The Committee’s work resulted in an  amended Board Policy which provides that no student – based on sex, sexual orientation or gender  identity – will be denied equal access to educational or extracurricular programs and activities or limited  in the exercise of any right, privilege or advantage. An Administrative Procedure was also created to  help ensure that transgendered and gender expansive children have the resources needed to thrive.  Highlights from the Procedure include the creation of a Gender Support Team which works with a  student and parent to create/modify a Gender Support Plan; confidentiality rules; confirmation that  students can dress, be referred to and access facilities and programs corresponding with their identified  gender; staff gender inclusivity training; and a commitment to utilizing a gender-affirming approach  throughout D90. 

I firmly believe that our children must be provided with equitable opportunities at school, and should be  able to express and present themselves with confidence, consistent with and regardless of their gender  identities. Gender identity is a component of equity and inclusion like many other attributes, and any  stereotypes and bias must be confronted such that all students feel liberated and confident in pursuing  their education. 

19. Educational and business leaders have begun to use a "cradle-to-career" framework when talking about education. Please discuss the role of D90 within the "cradle-to-career" framework.

 I wholly endorse “cradle-to-career” because it emphasizes two critical components of successful  educational outcomes: 1) milestones and assessment are key; it’s ok to set high bars for achievement  and thresholds (or what some CtoC models call “markers” of health, readiness, completion) and 2) the  involvement and engagement of our full community and collective entities (government bodies,  employers, families, schools). D90 is critical the CtoC model as the educational cog. It must use the best  curriculum and methods and set very high standards for its teachers, staff and students, and ensure an  equitable and inclusive school environment; one that is differentiated enough in instruction to meet  each student where they are emotionally, physically and academically. Our “Whole Child” rubric is the  right way to start thinking about it. But, D90 cannot succeed alone. As mentioned, early education is a  key tool to address achievement and opportunity gaps and other inequities. D90 needs to work more  actively with community partners (Village, businesses, universities), and they in turn need to support us  to help address our early education gap. As partners, we can find the resources to help us accomplish  these goals, and I look forward to being part of that process.

• • • • •

[The above answers were supplied on 2/19/21.]