Activist Toolkit

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?

I am seeking re-election because I hope to continue the work we have started in District 90.  Our mission is to “inspire and empower all learners to achieve their personal best” — this  requires a commitment to pursuing strategies around academic success, social emotional  development, equity and collaboration, to name a few. I have served on this board for five  years and have learned a lot about how to govern in a productive and collaborative way. Our  leadership team is motivated and intentional and I am excited to continue to work in  partnership with them. 

I have been a resident of River Forest since 2006. Both of my children attended D90 schools  and, because of that, I had the opportunity to volunteer in various capacities over the years — in the classroom and on a number of committees including Strategic Planning, Equity and the  Inclusiveness Advisory Board. Because of these experiences, and my board service, I think I  am well positioned to continue to help the District achieve its goals.

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?

We are lucky to be a part of a district that provides a number of opportunities for community  engagement. Board meetings are an obvious way for parents to continue to engage. Pre pandemic, we were looking forward to broadening our board meeting format to allow for two way engagement beyond the usual one-way public comment format in a normal board  meeting. These include town halls and listening sessions, which we hope to re-establish in the  near future. Outside of board meetings, the District has a number of committees that invite and  welcome community members. I think this type of engagement and input is critical in helping  the District’s decision-making. 

Regarding other stakeholders, the District, on a fairly regular basis, seeks input from teachers  regarding key initiatives. Teachers are a critical part of selecting and evaluating curriculum  resources and are surveyed regularly regarding their experiences with professional  development.

One of the most important tools we use in District 90 is the Inclusiveness Survey which is  conducted every two years with the goal of getting a better understanding of how our three  most important constituent groups — parents, students and staff — feel about their experience  in the district.

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

I don’t have a specific role model, but in addition to five years on this school board, I have  worked on a number of different nonprofit boards. Some have worked well, some haven’t.  From these experiences I have learned a style that I find to be effective and productive.  Governing requires, first and foremost, an understanding of the difference between managing  and governing. It is tempting to want to get in the weeds of management, but governance  requires a higher-level point of view and a respect and trust that should allow the  administrators to do their work. It also requires a willingness to listen with patience and  empathy. Varying points of view must be considered, especially in a school district where  constituents have vastly different needs and desires. Finally, good governance sometimes  means going along even when you disagree. Fulfilling the mission of an organization,  particularly a school district, may require ultimate support of a position that goes against  personal interest but, in the long run, satisfies a greater need. 

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?

For a number of years, our district has debated and investigated the need to get air  conditioning in our school buildings. The prevailing perspective when I joined the board was  that the capital outlay was too great. Our buildings are old and the project would be expensive.  Because of this, my initial position was to not pursue it, given other priorities in the district.  This, and the fact that I believed the number of days spent in school during oppressively hot  days didn’t seem like enough to warrant the significant investment. 

Because the issue continued to surface, I spent some time better understanding the true  impact of extremely hot days in summer school and during the school year — on the  classroom environment and on teachers and students. This involved assessing data gathered  by the District 90 administration about average temperatures across the year and anecdotally  from staff and families about the impact on the learning environment. The board also heard  from teachers in a number of board meetings, through presentations and various public  comments, providing insight into the impact of the lack of air conditioning on, not just the  learning environment, but on the overall health and well-being of staff and students. Finally, a  number of HVAC improvements were completed in recent years which benefited the air conditioning project and allowed for more cost efficiencies. 

All of those elements combined were compelling reasons for me to agree that the air conditioning project should be pursued.

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? 

I think three big issues are 1) recovery from pandemic, 2) finances (uncertainty about property  tax collection, state of IL) and 3) preparing our kids to be successful in a rapidly changing and  very unpredictable world.

Recovery from the pandemic will be focused primarily on addressing learning loss and  providing social and emotional support for students and staff. Our Superintendent and his  team have put together a plan called “Thriving in District 90.” This recovery plan addresses two  key areas: 1) academic supports and 2) social emotional supports. One major element is the  Social Emotional Advisory Panel — comprised of staff, administrators, parents, students,  mental health experts and community partners — that will be charged with assessing and  mapping a strategy to provide needed supports. 

For some time, the District has conservatively managed finances given uncertainty about the  state’s finances and, most recently, the ability to and timing of collecting property taxes. Since  the bulk of our revenue comes from property taxes, that could have a significant impact on our  budget if those receipts are to drop in the future. Our Director of Finance does an exceptional  job working in close partnership with the board to manage the District’s finances. It will be  important to remain aware of current impacts and the need to think through various scenarios  as conditions change. 

The final issue is in preparing our children for the world around them. Given the scope and  scale of what has happened in the world in the past year, the District has an opportunity to be  creative and forward-thinking in how we encourage and facilitate dialogue with our students  and parents. I plan to continue working with the board and through our Equity Committee to  advance this work. 

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?

Returning our students to in-person learning in December was a critical decision. The  pandemic presented us with an unprecedented challenge at the start of the school year. Back  in August, while we had hoped to return the kids to in-person learning, the Superintendent and  his administrative team decided the best course of action was to remain full remote. This  decision was made based on the best information available at the time and was supported by  the board. 

While our teachers did a tremendous job with their remote learning plans, the District  recognized the need for and benefit of in-person learning. Therefore, when the Superintendent  and his team decided in December to return kids to in-person learning, despite pushback from  some in the community, the board supported it. With time, the administrative team and board  learned the importance of weighing the use of metrics against the impact of the District’s very  significant mitigation efforts and, in consultation with experts, made the decision to move  forward. 

I do think the Board acted appropriately. As a governing body, we trusted the Superintendent  to carry out his responsibilities with care. This meant that, at times, individual board members  supported a decision that was in conflict with their personal points of view.

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.

I think the District is doing a good job, but could make improvements. Our Director of Special  Education led an audit of our services through Easter Seals. This incredibly constructive  assessment revealed what is working and what needs improvement in our school, in the  buildings and structures themselves, as well and in our processes and how we deliver our  services.

Anecdotally, I have heard from parents who are asking for improved communication. I would  like to see us engage parents and students more to better understand how we are meeting the  needs of our students and families. This includes how our buildings meet their needs and how  students experience the classrooms and other activities. 

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

We obviously have to continually measure academic growth. The District has a number of ways  that we do this throughout a student’s career. While we are mandated to conduct certain  assessments, the District uses additional, more productive tools to measure progress and  growth. When used appropriately, these tools provide useful information about how students  are meeting standards based on where they are. Having said that, it is important to meet  students where they are. The District has implemented practices around Universal Design for  Learning, a framework designed to give students a greater opportunity to access learning in a  way that is suited to them.  

Relatedly, the District must continue to monitor and keep up with best practices in curriculum  and in professional development. Providing a quality education relies on being innovative and  forward-thinking. 

Finally, we must always ensure that we are educating our students in a way that inspires them  to have a voice and to question and engage with each other in meaningful ways.

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

I would begin by ensuring all students who walked in the door felt welcome, felt seen and felt  like they could achieve to their fullest potential. I believe the culture of the school should  communicate, in every way, that all students can find their gifts and be successful. I would  strive for diversity in the student body and in the teaching staff. Students would have a voice in  their learning and would be encouraged to be creative thinkers.  

Academically, the school would be able to meet the needs of diverse learners and would  provide varied opportunities for enrichment and experiences outside of curriculum instruction.  The school would provide open space for moving around and engaging in large and small  groups. The physical space would be designed to be accessible and comfortable for students  of varying abilities and needs. 

Socially, the school would encourage and provide opportunities for parents and families to  engage with the school and with each other. Ideally, it would be a hub that provided a place to  engage in school-related issues as well as in larger issues in the world.

Children leaving this school have, not only a love of learning, but a real sense of themselves  and of their place in the larger world. 

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

Such a complicated question. Racial equity is the idea that race should and does not define a  person’s abilities or outcomes. It means, specifically for District 90, that students should not be  treated differently because of their race. They should not be denied access to opportunities or  be thought of as less than, in any way, because of their race. They should not be treated more  harshly or thought of as more problematic, in any scenario, because of their race. 

This is an issue I have worked on and thought about for a number of years in this district. My  most profound takeaway, given recent events, is that we have a long way to go. The grossly  inequitable treatment of BLM protestors and the rioters at the US Capitol reveal, again, that  this country has a very long way to go in its gross inequitable treatment of African Americans  and other people of color. It is a reminder that racial equity work is not an initiative that we  pursue. It is a fundamental change in how we think and operate. It should be embedded in our  culture and become who we are, not just something we do.

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?

Every other year the District conducts a survey of students, parents and staff. The tool was  created by the Inclusiveness Advisory Board several years ago to gauge how each of those  groups feels about their experience in the district. The survey is conducted every two years  and has proven very helpful in providing insight about the various experiences. 

Through this survey we learned about groups of people who feel excluded for various reasons,  whether it is race, gender identity, religion, income, or something else. The feedback can be  very hard to digest but has proven essential in informing how we operate. I believe this should  continue. 

Board meetings continue to be an opportunity to hear feedback. The biggest barrier was  people’s ability to attend in-person board meetings. One of the silver linings of moving to  remote meetings is that now more people can attend via Zoom. This has significantly increased  the amount of public comment we receive. While at times it may be difficult to hear the  criticism, I think it is very helpful to hear varying points of view from the community.

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?

We are lucky that many of those structures are already in place. We have a tradition of working  exceptionally hard to provide thorough Multi-Tiered Systems of Support for our students. We  also provide significant professional development opportunities for staff to ensure we are  providing guidance and training on best practices. 

That said, I believe that District 90 can always improve. Communication with families is  absolutely essential. I think we need to be more proactive about engaging with families and  children with special needs to better understand, particularly at the board level, how we can  serve them better. One of our students spoke at a board meeting about her experiences in  District 90 revealing a number of ways we can improve and work harder to ensure all of our  students, including and especially students who might feel left out because they receive  services, feel included and that they are valued. I believe this work is essential and ongoing.

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

District 90 finances are very good. While we have healthy reserves, we are currently in deficit spending, which we anticipated. Since over 80% of our budget goes toward salaries and  benefits and the bulk of our revenue comes from property taxes, we have limited flexibility with  what we can change. At this moment, I would not change anything. I think we have to continue  to be conservative in our fiscal management and proactive in future planning. 

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?]

District 90 just went through a new strategic planning process. Our mission is to “inspire and  empower all learners to achieve their personal best.” There are five goals within this — 1)  academic success, 2) personal well-being, 3) high-quality, diverse staff, 4) shared responsibility  and 5) equitable opportunities and resources. I believe that, if we can achieve these, we have  met the bar of providing educational excellence. 

As a board member, my role is to hold our Superintendent and his leadership team  accountable to those goals. As decisions are made about curriculum, for example, we expect  that a process will be followed to ensure best practice is adhered to. I don’t choose the  curriculum, but it is my duty to ensure a thorough and informed process was followed.

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? 

This is a recurring question that comes up in District 90. I fundamentally believe in the benefits  of full-day kindergarten but recognize the constraints that we face in our district. Full-day  kindergarten would provide, most importantly, more time and space for teaching and learning.  Teachers would appreciate it and some kids would absolutely benefit from it. The challenges  are due to limited resources — space and financial. It is easy to suggest that the district can  afford it. But the analysis reveals that there is a significant upfront cost to mitigate space  constraints and increased annual costs in perpetuity due to increased staffing requirements.  That cost is significant relative to the small number of students who would benefit from it. 

At this time, the District does provide additional support to students who need it beyond what  the current half-day structure provides. I do, however, believe that we can do better. If full-day  kindergarten isn’t an option in the near future, we will need to get creative in finding ways to  provide support or enrichment outside of the school day.  
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.

Staffing is an issue that comes to mind. We conducted an analysis of our staffing and hiring  practices a few years ago and heard the shocking statistic that a student could make it all the  way through District 90 without ever having a teacher of color. This is unfortunate for all  students. Every student benefits from and deserves to have a teacher who not only brings a  different perspective, but who represents the diversity that is in the world. Representation  matters. 

Because of this analysis, we hired an HR specialist and completely rethought how we recruit  and hire teachers. We found that we needed to break habits in hiring and think more creatively  in how we fill positions. The challenging aspect is ensuring anyone we do hire is given every 

opportunity to be successful. What kind of experience do they have when they get here? Are  they made to feel welcome? This will continue to be an important goal.

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?

As mentioned in question #5, addressing learning loss and social emotional supports will be  essential as we move out of the pandemic. I believe the “Thriving in District 90” plan is very  thorough and, if done well, should provide significant support to students and staff. 

Culturally, I think we will have to be patient and perhaps think differently, at least in the short  term, about what we expect our students to be able to do. Normal may look different for some  time. I’m not sure how this will be affected through policy, but we have to be mindful of the  effect of trauma and what that might mean for our community. 

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

The Board is fully committed to advancing gender inclusivity. Two years ago the community  requested that we take on this issue and we were in full agreement. We created a task force to  better understand the issues and came up with a set of recommendations. 

No student in our district should feel that they are not welcome or are not supported. It  absolutely broke my heart to learn that students moved through our district and felt excluded  because of systems that were in place, even if they were unintentional. It was an easy decision  to eliminate barriers that we could and further assess how we can make the environment more  welcoming.

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.

The goals in our strategic plan are articulated in a way that is very intentional about setting our  students up for future success, whatever that means for them. While we strive to build critical  skills and competencies that are foundational, we also want to develop well-rounded students  

who are self-sufficient and feel a sense of ownership about their choices and their learning.  These fundamental skills are an essential components of setting our children up to advance  through high school and, ultimately, a career.

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