Dr. Pinkard, here is a link to the $4.5M grant I believe you are referring to when addressing questions about a conflict of interest. How do you expect your involvement in this research will impact the decisions you would make as an elected official? Would you have to recuse yourself from all decisions regarding the Foster School including budgets, curriculum, and principal hiring?
I appreciate this concern and fully understand the importance of transparency and ethical governance in public service. While this NSF-funded research includes work related to District 65, my specific role on this grant concerning K-8 youth is focused on expanding out-of-school STEAM programming in collaboration with the Evanston Park District, particularly at Fleetwood-Jourdain. I do not have any other active D65 grants, and I am not researching District 65’s policies, governance, or budgetary decisions.
As an elected official, I will adhere to all conflict-of-interest policies and assess potential concerns on a case-by-case basis. If my role on a grant presents a direct ethical conflict with my responsibilities on the board, I will take the appropriate steps, whether that means recusing myself from specific votes or reevaluating my involvement in the grant.
My priority is ensuring that every decision I make as a board member is in the best interest of Evanston’s students and families.
Thanks for your response. Since your colleagues on the grant will still be researching and developing culturally relevant STEM curriculum for Black students at Foster school - very important and timely work - will it be appropriate to recuse yourself from certain decisions regarding Foster school?
How comfortable are you with the rhetoric in the online parent community? It’s been concerning to see the level of bullying and attacks that play out.
For instance one of your prospective board colleagues Maria was skewered online by the sheer fact their spouse is a homeland security employee. We don’t know the spouses actual position or views, but immediately Maria was deemed to be a terrible person and crucified in a parent group. Ironically this rhetoric is led by a District employees spouse and someone who has publicly supported you. This person’s endorsement of you makes me wonder if you subscribe to the same approach of bullying and rushed judgements.
How can we stop the extreme outbursts and attacks, and find ways to be respectful and have constructive dialogue and ask questions not just rushed judgements and outlandish attacks.
How comfortable are you with this rhetoric and how do you assure voters that you will not mirror this tyrannical behavior?
Maria did respond last night, linked below, but the comment on the piling-on that pointing to the response got only more vitriol from the keyboard warriors. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised anymore.
Maria responded so graciously, despite being attacked for not engaging with Evanston’s most toxic and intolerant Facebook group. I applaud her for keeping her cool.
Thank you for your questions Mom. I often wonder how district 65 allows its name to be used on a certain Facebook group when that group flies off the hinges as often as it does. And yes, the biggest bully of all is the spouse of a long time district leader, it’s so smarmy. New families to Evanston who are joining District 65 join the Facebook group in earnest, they have no idea what they are stepping into. A group of the same seven people who use cyberbullying and racists accusations…. And are still defending Horton! Because he’s Black! And how can you white peeple focus on how much he stole from the district? You’re doing it just because he’s Black! Gobsmacking lunacy.
Will Nicole respond to how she feels about this group? Or will she ignore this question?
The District has no power to control which groups use their name and which groups do not, they're a government entity and don't have a trademark on the name and couldn't even if they wanted to. I could change my name to "District 65 Official Fart Blog" and there's nothing they could do. I'm not sure what resolution you'd expect with this.
I don't understand why people get so riled up about this group. You're under no obligation to be a member or read it. It's not really used for distribution of information, so it's not like you need to be in it. Just don't read it?
They have a thousand plus folks, and five of them dominate the conversation in a toxic and uncompromising way. It’s not helpful or representative of Evanston or the D65 community.
That's why there are alternatives now and I'm trying to bridge the gap with a relatively free speech comment section compared to the rest of the local blogs and groups. I haven't banned anyone in a few months since the guy who called me a "fake journalist"
But, honestly, I see zero difference in demanding Nichole respond to this question than the "guilt by association" diatribes that the Facebook Equity Army [FEA] made about John Martin in 2023.
It is just a stupid group that was set up by parents years ago. Facebook is nothing more than a spam harvester these days anyway. I doubt people really use it to gather any essential information about D65.
None of the candidates respond there, including Maria. Honestly, I think it’s better to have candidates ignoring it. It shows how irrelevant it actually is.
I worry about this all the time. I had to leave the group. That same person (I think) also recently said that she heard that “Nichole was being harassed and stalked by a gang of white people at meet and greets” and then proceeded to compare it to history in a way that I don’t feel I can repeat here.
I really, really, really hope this isn’t happening to Nichole. I went to a meet and greet recently, had a really insightful conversation with her and others, and saw nothing of such abusive behavior towards any candidate, for the matter. It was a welcoming and inspiring event. If it is true, it should be reported on every news outlet and those folks should be outed and shamed for their disgusting behavior. I don’t even know what else to say.
Pinkard was being "harassed and stalked" or some voters were asking her hard questions? Are white D65 parents not allowed to ask questions of the board candidates? This is a clear example of purposely inflammatory language being used. If someone is being "harassed and stalked," the police would be called because that's a crime. If someone is running for public office and is being asked hard questions by voters, that's the process.
This is the first I've heard of any of this. I will say that I got more anonymous emails about Nichole than any other candidate by a lot. However, she does a lot of public-facing stuff and when you do a lot of stuff, people have more things to criticize you for.
I will say that there are definitely a few crazy people in Evanston there that do harass black candidates for office, so it's not outside the realm of possibility, but I haven't seen them around this cycle.
Curious to know if it’s kosher for Dr Pinkard to cherry pick responding to posts. I certainly appreciate that she’s busy, but I see she’s chosen to respond to one post as recent as 2 hours ago. Other posts have gotten responses within a few hours.
Given the propensity for current and past BOE members to support the harassment on that FB page, I respectfully submit that it would show courage and leadership for any candidate to call out that behavior and stand for respectful discourse on a FB page that purportedly represents the district (due to name).
I've been skeptical about her candidacy based on her funders, her position on technology in schools, and her consultancy-adjacent work and will not likely vote for her.
BUT there is no reason for her to respond to stupid questions about the District 65 Facebook group.
Coming in as a skeptic, I am actually impressed with her answers here and won't be too distraught if she wins.
Similar questions were asked of other candidates-basically how would they handle anti-semitism in the schools. Because Nichole signed two antisemitic letters, asking her about this was appropriate. Nichole was very calm in her response. Another candidate was taken off guard when asked. There are hateful people in our town. Asking about how a candidate would handle hateful acts directed at any group is totally appropriate.
I was at an event and watched Nichole be approached by a group of women who were clearly angry about something and there to confront it. A very different vibe than anyone else’s approach with the rest of the candidates. While I wouldn’t say I witnessed harassment and stalking, it was definitely uncomfortable to be around, and I watched from across the room. Nichole didn’t get upset or angry in return, and had a conversation with the small group that did not look fun to me. (As she should as a candidate for the board.) But overall her vibe and demeanor were incredibly open and professional through it all. I went from on the fence about her to convinced she’d be an asset on the board.
And if she is being stalked and harassed, shame on those people.
Do you know what they were upset about? Being upset and asking questions/wanting answers is very very different than harassment and stalking. I very much do appreciate Dr. Pinkard’s demeanor as you report. It’s sad that it has come to this in this town —that we’re grateful for professional approachable serious behavior.
Yeah I assumed so —only because I cannot imagine what else could get people upset with Dr. Pinkard (except for maybe not understanding the role she played in d65 while Dr. Horton was still here).
And when it comes to those letters —they’re terrible and terrifying to most Jewish people with the last year being really hard. NU was terrifying for Jewish students—the encampments were not handled well. There have been terrible/scary things at ETHS, D65, NU and the City Council targeting Jewish students & adults. Things most don’t know about (esp in the schools). So, I’m imploring people to give some grace to your upset Jewish neighbors asking a leader, a prof at NU running for school board to defend signing both those letters and to press when the response is hugging it out with the First Amendment.
As a NU professor, you signed two letters last year —one was in support of the encampments and the other opposed the formation of an antisemitism task force. In the letter related to the task force you and the signers state, “…the phrase “from the river to the sea, Palestine must be free,” as our colleagues at Harvard write, “has a long and complicated history. Its interpretation deserves, and is receiving, sustained and ongoing inquiry and debate.”” To most Jews in this community this phrase is neither nuanced nor complicated. Please defend this statement here. Please explain what you meant when you signed this letter thereby agreeing with this statement. And please help me understand given how unsafe Jewish Northwestern students felt on campus in the aftermath of October 7th, how Jewish families are supposed to feel knowing you signed these two letters and believe “from the river to the sea Palestine will be free” isn’t exactly what we all know it to be —a genocidal call for the elimination of Jews from the region.
I recognize that antisemitism is real, serious, and on the rise. My signatures on both letters were not meant to diminish the experiences of Jewish students. I signed because I value free speech while acknowledging the need for clear policies on protests.
I understand there are different interpretations of my actions, but I hope my role as an educator, coach and community member demonstrates my intent to address all forms of hate without minimizing antisemitism. While the focus should have been on antisemitism after the tragic events in Israel, I believe acknowledging other forms of hate can strengthen our collective response.
As a community member, I prioritize addressing antisemitism and all incidents of hate. If elected to the school board, I will respond meaningfully to community concerns. I appreciate this dialogue and look forward to working toward a more inclusive and safe community for all students, especially in challenging times ahead.
Nichole, thank you for your thoughtful response to this and other questions posed. I just want to point out one thing that may not have occurred to you then, but I'm sure you can understand: to advocate one task force for all hate is the Jewish equivalent to what claims of "all lives matter" feels to the Black community.
Dr. Pinkard: While I thank you for your reply I must be honest and say—you have not answered any of my questions. So, I’ll say it again—you signed a letter that specifically asserted that the phrase “from the river to the sea Palestine will be free” is complicated and nuanced. I asked you to explain; to defend that position. You have not.
It is critical for you to understand that for most Jews in our community, there is only one interpretation of “from the river to the sea”— and it is for the region to be free —from Jews. In other words “from the river to the sea Palestine will be free from Jews.” This phrase is terrifying your Jewish neighbors and community members.
If you won’t recognize this, apologize for signing the letters, and address this head on, then as I see it, any promises about mending fences with the Jewish community are meaningless.
For the record, there is zero basis for your claim.
ZERO.
Jews are not a monolith, never were. 90% of Jews are zionists though, so if you want to point to gross generalizations….
As a Jew, I need public leaders who can protect my children from ideological wayward teachers and administrators in D65.
Nichole is none such as evidenced by her signing petitions against Israel and her endorsement by those who revere Hamas. I keep receipts and the public ought to know what is not reported.
There is zero basis for my claim that Nichole is admired by many of our colleagues and students that happen to be Jewish? Does that bother you? The basis for that is my experience as a faculty member interacting with hundreds of students and dozens of faculty. Nichole is respected by all.
I’m sure there are Jews that support Dr. Pinkard. To be honest, I’m not exactly sure what your point is here. I never said ALL Jews were concerned about her signing those petitions. As was stated above, Jews are not a monolith.
As an aside, as her colleague at NU —I see that you also signed those two petitions —supporting the encampments, opposing an antisemitism task force and asserting that “from the river to the sea Palestine will be free” is a nuanced and complex phrase. To me, this is an important data point for folks here to know; to understand where you’re coming from when it comes to the concerns I’ve expressed.
I most certainly did. And very proud of it. Like Nichole I stand for free speech. Many of my Jewish colleagues also respect and support free speech on our campus, including when the speech is in opposition to their own personal politics.
Enough said, Professor. To not understand how encampments went beyond First Amendment free speech parameters and how opposing an antisemitism task force has nothing to do with free speech —and to believe “from the river” is painful and devastating to Jews —to say you’re “very proud”of this??! Wow.
I was at the encampments, not as a protester but just as a journalist. Other than the scuffle at the beginning, which resulted in some charges against a few folks (which were dropped), I didn’t witness anything I would consider an exception to the first amendment (such as fraud, fighting words, counterfeiting, etc). I’m not trying to argue, genuinely curious to understand the arguments here.
There certainly were some things I’d consider anti-semitic, but having shitty opinions isn’t against the law.
I’ve learned since October 7 that some Jews value their own ultra leftist political ideology over their religion. It’s sad. And it sounds like those are the only Jews that you associate with.
not really actually. I have several colleagues and friends - some who live in Israel. some who I went to undergraduate with and live there now and communicate with me regularly. some who are colleagues with family there and with generally pro-Israeli politics. we meet, we talk, we argue, and most importantly, we respect each other. including respecting the right to protest peacefully and disagree peacefully. so, yeah, wrong assumption on your part.
Come on, let's not get into this fight here. If you don't think Nicole is the right person for the job because of this petition, that's fine, but please don't fight with commenters in this way.
Thanks for running and for the well thought out post. As someone with an extensive educational curriculum and programs background, I'm curious to know your stance on the current use of technology in D65, and more pointedly, iPad use and distribution to grades K-2. What do you believe is working well, what's not working well, and what should the district, as a board member, start/stop/keep doing when it comes to access to hardware for D65 students?
Matt, a group of parents is launching a website this week that will feature responses from candidates regarding screen issues. The contact email is screensenseevanston@gmail.com. I want to acknowledge and respect their efforts in putting the site together . Once their site is launched, I will return here to answer your question. My initial research focused on 1:1 learning environments, so I have relevant experience and insights that can inform my role as a board member.
We hope everyone will check out all of the candidates' responses to our five technology-specific questions as well as view the candidates' positions on our Technology Reform Pledge.
Thank you. I just read your responses in full from the site Miriam posted below.
Looking forward to your answer to my more pointed K-2 hardware access question.
In your responses, you call out partnering with Northwestern on 3 separate occasions. While I agree in principle on the merits of partnering with research institutions, as well as the one literally in our community, the repeated suggestions to partner with your employer may call into further question conflicts of interest. I don’t suggest this is as nefarious, and totally assume positive intent! After all, 65 and NU do already partner.
Would these type of partnerships be something you’re open to even if it came from a different initiation such as U of Chicago, UIC, etc?
Lastly, can you expand on not aligning with the pledge from screen sense? Thank you for engaging!
Matt, circling back. I do not support requiring K-2 students to take devices home, as early learners benefit most from hands-on, tactile experiences. However, the district should support families who choose to integrate digital media into their home practices by providing access to developmentally appropriate literacy and numeracy resources. In the classroom, technology should be used intentionally to enhance, not replace, hands-on learning.
Regarding partnerships, I frequently reference Northwestern, given its presence in our community. However, I would celebrate collaborations with other institutions (e.g., UChicago or UIC, Loyola, DePaul, Erikson, and Oakton) if they align with the district’s goals and priorities. Strong partnerships should be transparent, equitable, and driven by what best serves our students.
As for the Screen Sense pledge, I chose not to sign—not because I disagree with its concerns but because I believe we need to conduct a full audit and best-practices review first. Signing the pledge would have meant committing to action steps before fully understanding what works best for our local context.
Nichole - your response is well reasoned but I think misses the urgency of the current situation. Right now, my kindergartener is using an iPad in the classroom on what seems to be a daily basis. It is often not being used intentionally or with a specific learning goal in mind. We know this because we've observed it first hand and it's often the first thing mentioned when we ask about the day.
We know people who have left the district- partially because tablets were being used as a crutch to accommodate their child's needs, filling the gap where differentiated support was not available.
We cannot wait for a full audit or best-practices review for standards/expectations to be updated and implemented. These years are too important. We need a board that senses the urgency and will use whatever tools in their remit to advocate for our children. Thank you!
I’ve been asking this of each of the candidates, One of the key jobs of the board is to hire a superintendent. After decades of conducting open searches where finalists were announced to the public and the district held open meetings with finalists, the current board conducted searches entirely in the dark, without public input.
Would you vote to continue this practice? Or go back to a public-facing superintendent search for the next vacancy?
Thanks for your thoughtful question. Measuring impact is complex, and it’s important to consider multiple dimensions of success. Rather than focusing solely on student outcomes like test scores, our approach examines whether communities can better identify and remove barriers, optimize access, and expand equitable participation in learning opportunities.
As a coach, I always know who is practicing—I see who shows up and does the work. I want to apply that same lens to learning: understanding not just what’s available but how youth and families use local resources. However, that requires systems that bring together opportunities across parks, libraries, schools, and community programs. While that might seem simple, no single entity is responsible for out-of-school learning the way a superintendent is for a school. That fragmentation makes it difficult for families to navigate and even more challenging to measure equitable access.
Cities Learn isn’t a student intervention; it’s an infrastructure that helps communities document and adapt their learning landscapes. Our impact is measured by whether cities can make learning opportunities more visible, remove participation barriers, and track access shifts over time.
Through the grammar and data warehouse we’ve developed, we provide tools that allow communities to define their measures of change. We’re working with city partners to make landscape data accessible through a shared activity feed so policymakers, researchers, and families can analyze how their local ecosystem is evolving. Chicago, for example, publishes its Cities Learn dataset on the city’s open data portal, making this information public and actionable.
My research lab focuses on developing platforms that facilitate new conversations about communities—not just about what exists but about what’s possible. To dive deeper into this approach, check out our latest paper, Increasing STEMugh Opportunity Landscaping: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691825000186.
Schools provide foundational literacies—reading, writing, mathematical reasoning, and scientific thinking—giving young people the skills they need to navigate the world. But their role isn’t just academic. Schools are where students develop a sense of self, learn how to collaborate, build civic awareness, and gain the social-emotional skills that shape how they engage with their communities. They are one of the few shared spaces where every child, regardless of background, can access experiences that help define who they are and who they want to become.
At the same time, schools don’t have to be the only place where learning happens—they have to ensure it happens. Their role as a hub extends beyond the school day and beyond their four walls. Schools connect students to the broader learning landscape of a community through out-of-school time (OST) programs, summer learning, and partnerships with local organizations. Not every student will become a coder, an artist, or an entrepreneur. Still, they all deserve the chance to explore computer science, drama, music, and engineering—experiences that help them see new possibilities for themselves. Schools, when they function as providers and connectors, ensure young people get that exposure.
This is why schools are so essential. They provide the foundation, but they also open doors. When we see them as both places of learning and gateways to opportunity, we create systems that do more than educate—we create pathways that allow our youth to discover what’s possible for them.
Thank you Dr. Pinkard for your quick and thoughtful reply.
To me this is the essence of the whole process that we as community members, and parents and school employees - and you as an interested and potential board member - is going through. What ultimately is it that the schools should be laser focused on; what is their top priority day in and day out? Until that's clearly defined AND expressed by the community all of these other issues will be very hard to address and resolve. I write as a recently retired classroom teacher of 30 years.
So if a few people showed up in white hoods, white capes, KKK patches and torces your would just say they had shitty opinions? No Tom, those are hate crimes.
We've reached the point where this thread now has absolutely nothing to do with the candidate running for office. If you'd like to continue this discussion, feel free to email me tom@foiagras.com and we can debate. For now, I'm closing the comment section here. I think everyone's opinions have been sufficiently aired.
Dr. Pinkard, here is a link to the $4.5M grant I believe you are referring to when addressing questions about a conflict of interest. How do you expect your involvement in this research will impact the decisions you would make as an elected official? Would you have to recuse yourself from all decisions regarding the Foster School including budgets, curriculum, and principal hiring?
https://sesp.northwestern.edu/news-events/sesp-news/2024/researchers-to-study-school-reform-in-evanston.html
I appreciate this concern and fully understand the importance of transparency and ethical governance in public service. While this NSF-funded research includes work related to District 65, my specific role on this grant concerning K-8 youth is focused on expanding out-of-school STEAM programming in collaboration with the Evanston Park District, particularly at Fleetwood-Jourdain. I do not have any other active D65 grants, and I am not researching District 65’s policies, governance, or budgetary decisions.
As an elected official, I will adhere to all conflict-of-interest policies and assess potential concerns on a case-by-case basis. If my role on a grant presents a direct ethical conflict with my responsibilities on the board, I will take the appropriate steps, whether that means recusing myself from specific votes or reevaluating my involvement in the grant.
My priority is ensuring that every decision I make as a board member is in the best interest of Evanston’s students and families.
Thanks for your response. Since your colleagues on the grant will still be researching and developing culturally relevant STEM curriculum for Black students at Foster school - very important and timely work - will it be appropriate to recuse yourself from certain decisions regarding Foster school?
How comfortable are you with the rhetoric in the online parent community? It’s been concerning to see the level of bullying and attacks that play out.
For instance one of your prospective board colleagues Maria was skewered online by the sheer fact their spouse is a homeland security employee. We don’t know the spouses actual position or views, but immediately Maria was deemed to be a terrible person and crucified in a parent group. Ironically this rhetoric is led by a District employees spouse and someone who has publicly supported you. This person’s endorsement of you makes me wonder if you subscribe to the same approach of bullying and rushed judgements.
How can we stop the extreme outbursts and attacks, and find ways to be respectful and have constructive dialogue and ask questions not just rushed judgements and outlandish attacks.
How comfortable are you with this rhetoric and how do you assure voters that you will not mirror this tyrannical behavior?
Maria did respond last night, linked below, but the comment on the piling-on that pointing to the response got only more vitriol from the keyboard warriors. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised anymore.
https://www.instagram.com/maria_for_d65/p/DHC-W7vx4VG
This is an incredibly thoughtful response - thanks for sharing this, I hadn’t seen it yet
Maria responded so graciously, despite being attacked for not engaging with Evanston’s most toxic and intolerant Facebook group. I applaud her for keeping her cool.
Thank you for your questions Mom. I often wonder how district 65 allows its name to be used on a certain Facebook group when that group flies off the hinges as often as it does. And yes, the biggest bully of all is the spouse of a long time district leader, it’s so smarmy. New families to Evanston who are joining District 65 join the Facebook group in earnest, they have no idea what they are stepping into. A group of the same seven people who use cyberbullying and racists accusations…. And are still defending Horton! Because he’s Black! And how can you white peeple focus on how much he stole from the district? You’re doing it just because he’s Black! Gobsmacking lunacy.
Will Nicole respond to how she feels about this group? Or will she ignore this question?
The District has no power to control which groups use their name and which groups do not, they're a government entity and don't have a trademark on the name and couldn't even if they wanted to. I could change my name to "District 65 Official Fart Blog" and there's nothing they could do. I'm not sure what resolution you'd expect with this.
I don't understand why people get so riled up about this group. You're under no obligation to be a member or read it. It's not really used for distribution of information, so it's not like you need to be in it. Just don't read it?
They have a thousand plus folks, and five of them dominate the conversation in a toxic and uncompromising way. It’s not helpful or representative of Evanston or the D65 community.
That's why there are alternatives now and I'm trying to bridge the gap with a relatively free speech comment section compared to the rest of the local blogs and groups. I haven't banned anyone in a few months since the guy who called me a "fake journalist"
My guess is most people treat the group like a Gaper’s Block. Until people leave it the outrage factory will continue to crank out rage bait.
I agree that the Facebook group is ridiculous.
But, honestly, I see zero difference in demanding Nichole respond to this question than the "guilt by association" diatribes that the Facebook Equity Army [FEA] made about John Martin in 2023.
It is just a stupid group that was set up by parents years ago. Facebook is nothing more than a spam harvester these days anyway. I doubt people really use it to gather any essential information about D65.
We cant demand that she answers this or any other question... But silence usually means compliance....
None of the candidates respond there, including Maria. Honestly, I think it’s better to have candidates ignoring it. It shows how irrelevant it actually is.
I worry about this all the time. I had to leave the group. That same person (I think) also recently said that she heard that “Nichole was being harassed and stalked by a gang of white people at meet and greets” and then proceeded to compare it to history in a way that I don’t feel I can repeat here.
I really, really, really hope this isn’t happening to Nichole. I went to a meet and greet recently, had a really insightful conversation with her and others, and saw nothing of such abusive behavior towards any candidate, for the matter. It was a welcoming and inspiring event. If it is true, it should be reported on every news outlet and those folks should be outed and shamed for their disgusting behavior. I don’t even know what else to say.
Pinkard was being "harassed and stalked" or some voters were asking her hard questions? Are white D65 parents not allowed to ask questions of the board candidates? This is a clear example of purposely inflammatory language being used. If someone is being "harassed and stalked," the police would be called because that's a crime. If someone is running for public office and is being asked hard questions by voters, that's the process.
This is the first I've heard of any of this. I will say that I got more anonymous emails about Nichole than any other candidate by a lot. However, she does a lot of public-facing stuff and when you do a lot of stuff, people have more things to criticize you for.
I will say that there are definitely a few crazy people in Evanston there that do harass black candidates for office, so it's not outside the realm of possibility, but I haven't seen them around this cycle.
Curious to know if it’s kosher for Dr Pinkard to cherry pick responding to posts. I certainly appreciate that she’s busy, but I see she’s chosen to respond to one post as recent as 2 hours ago. Other posts have gotten responses within a few hours.
Given the propensity for current and past BOE members to support the harassment on that FB page, I respectfully submit that it would show courage and leadership for any candidate to call out that behavior and stand for respectful discourse on a FB page that purportedly represents the district (due to name).
I've been skeptical about her candidacy based on her funders, her position on technology in schools, and her consultancy-adjacent work and will not likely vote for her.
BUT there is no reason for her to respond to stupid questions about the District 65 Facebook group.
Coming in as a skeptic, I am actually impressed with her answers here and won't be too distraught if she wins.
Silence speaks volumes.....
Bro, don't feed the trolls. The Facebook Equity Army folks are unserious people and post nonsense like that solely to get a rise out of folks.
Similar questions were asked of other candidates-basically how would they handle anti-semitism in the schools. Because Nichole signed two antisemitic letters, asking her about this was appropriate. Nichole was very calm in her response. Another candidate was taken off guard when asked. There are hateful people in our town. Asking about how a candidate would handle hateful acts directed at any group is totally appropriate.
I was at an event and watched Nichole be approached by a group of women who were clearly angry about something and there to confront it. A very different vibe than anyone else’s approach with the rest of the candidates. While I wouldn’t say I witnessed harassment and stalking, it was definitely uncomfortable to be around, and I watched from across the room. Nichole didn’t get upset or angry in return, and had a conversation with the small group that did not look fun to me. (As she should as a candidate for the board.) But overall her vibe and demeanor were incredibly open and professional through it all. I went from on the fence about her to convinced she’d be an asset on the board.
And if she is being stalked and harassed, shame on those people.
Do you know what they were upset about? Being upset and asking questions/wanting answers is very very different than harassment and stalking. I very much do appreciate Dr. Pinkard’s demeanor as you report. It’s sad that it has come to this in this town —that we’re grateful for professional approachable serious behavior.
I believe it was about the letters that she signed as an NU professor, but I moved away as I was done with my conversation with her.
Yeah I assumed so —only because I cannot imagine what else could get people upset with Dr. Pinkard (except for maybe not understanding the role she played in d65 while Dr. Horton was still here).
And when it comes to those letters —they’re terrible and terrifying to most Jewish people with the last year being really hard. NU was terrifying for Jewish students—the encampments were not handled well. There have been terrible/scary things at ETHS, D65, NU and the City Council targeting Jewish students & adults. Things most don’t know about (esp in the schools). So, I’m imploring people to give some grace to your upset Jewish neighbors asking a leader, a prof at NU running for school board to defend signing both those letters and to press when the response is hugging it out with the First Amendment.
As a NU professor, you signed two letters last year —one was in support of the encampments and the other opposed the formation of an antisemitism task force. In the letter related to the task force you and the signers state, “…the phrase “from the river to the sea, Palestine must be free,” as our colleagues at Harvard write, “has a long and complicated history. Its interpretation deserves, and is receiving, sustained and ongoing inquiry and debate.”” To most Jews in this community this phrase is neither nuanced nor complicated. Please defend this statement here. Please explain what you meant when you signed this letter thereby agreeing with this statement. And please help me understand given how unsafe Jewish Northwestern students felt on campus in the aftermath of October 7th, how Jewish families are supposed to feel knowing you signed these two letters and believe “from the river to the sea Palestine will be free” isn’t exactly what we all know it to be —a genocidal call for the elimination of Jews from the region.
I recognize that antisemitism is real, serious, and on the rise. My signatures on both letters were not meant to diminish the experiences of Jewish students. I signed because I value free speech while acknowledging the need for clear policies on protests.
I understand there are different interpretations of my actions, but I hope my role as an educator, coach and community member demonstrates my intent to address all forms of hate without minimizing antisemitism. While the focus should have been on antisemitism after the tragic events in Israel, I believe acknowledging other forms of hate can strengthen our collective response.
As a community member, I prioritize addressing antisemitism and all incidents of hate. If elected to the school board, I will respond meaningfully to community concerns. I appreciate this dialogue and look forward to working toward a more inclusive and safe community for all students, especially in challenging times ahead.
Nichole, thank you for your thoughtful response to this and other questions posed. I just want to point out one thing that may not have occurred to you then, but I'm sure you can understand: to advocate one task force for all hate is the Jewish equivalent to what claims of "all lives matter" feels to the Black community.
Nichole, I appreciate your thoughtful and balanced response.
Dr. Pinkard: While I thank you for your reply I must be honest and say—you have not answered any of my questions. So, I’ll say it again—you signed a letter that specifically asserted that the phrase “from the river to the sea Palestine will be free” is complicated and nuanced. I asked you to explain; to defend that position. You have not.
It is critical for you to understand that for most Jews in our community, there is only one interpretation of “from the river to the sea”— and it is for the region to be free —from Jews. In other words “from the river to the sea Palestine will be free from Jews.” This phrase is terrifying your Jewish neighbors and community members.
If you won’t recognize this, apologize for signing the letters, and address this head on, then as I see it, any promises about mending fences with the Jewish community are meaningless.
For the record. Nichole is loved and respected by many of our Jewish colleagues and students at Northwestern.
For the record, there is zero basis for your claim.
ZERO.
Jews are not a monolith, never were. 90% of Jews are zionists though, so if you want to point to gross generalizations….
As a Jew, I need public leaders who can protect my children from ideological wayward teachers and administrators in D65.
Nichole is none such as evidenced by her signing petitions against Israel and her endorsement by those who revere Hamas. I keep receipts and the public ought to know what is not reported.
There is zero basis for my claim that Nichole is admired by many of our colleagues and students that happen to be Jewish? Does that bother you? The basis for that is my experience as a faculty member interacting with hundreds of students and dozens of faculty. Nichole is respected by all.
What is not being reported, exactly?
I’m sure there are Jews that support Dr. Pinkard. To be honest, I’m not exactly sure what your point is here. I never said ALL Jews were concerned about her signing those petitions. As was stated above, Jews are not a monolith.
As an aside, as her colleague at NU —I see that you also signed those two petitions —supporting the encampments, opposing an antisemitism task force and asserting that “from the river to the sea Palestine will be free” is a nuanced and complex phrase. To me, this is an important data point for folks here to know; to understand where you’re coming from when it comes to the concerns I’ve expressed.
I most certainly did. And very proud of it. Like Nichole I stand for free speech. Many of my Jewish colleagues also respect and support free speech on our campus, including when the speech is in opposition to their own personal politics.
Enough said, Professor. To not understand how encampments went beyond First Amendment free speech parameters and how opposing an antisemitism task force has nothing to do with free speech —and to believe “from the river” is painful and devastating to Jews —to say you’re “very proud”of this??! Wow.
And again, enough said.
I was at the encampments, not as a protester but just as a journalist. Other than the scuffle at the beginning, which resulted in some charges against a few folks (which were dropped), I didn’t witness anything I would consider an exception to the first amendment (such as fraud, fighting words, counterfeiting, etc). I’m not trying to argue, genuinely curious to understand the arguments here.
There certainly were some things I’d consider anti-semitic, but having shitty opinions isn’t against the law.
I’ve learned since October 7 that some Jews value their own ultra leftist political ideology over their religion. It’s sad. And it sounds like those are the only Jews that you associate with.
not really actually. I have several colleagues and friends - some who live in Israel. some who I went to undergraduate with and live there now and communicate with me regularly. some who are colleagues with family there and with generally pro-Israeli politics. we meet, we talk, we argue, and most importantly, we respect each other. including respecting the right to protest peacefully and disagree peacefully. so, yeah, wrong assumption on your part.
Ps- let me guess… you are not Jewish, huh?
Come on, let's not get into this fight here. If you don't think Nicole is the right person for the job because of this petition, that's fine, but please don't fight with commenters in this way.
I’m not Jewish. I’m Iranian. Does that change how you view my comments above?
https://dailynorthwestern.com/2023/11/16/uncategorized/lte-nu-faculty-across-schools-respond-to-president-schill-protect-academic-freedom-and-the-right-to-dissent/
Hi Nichole,
Thanks for running and for the well thought out post. As someone with an extensive educational curriculum and programs background, I'm curious to know your stance on the current use of technology in D65, and more pointedly, iPad use and distribution to grades K-2. What do you believe is working well, what's not working well, and what should the district, as a board member, start/stop/keep doing when it comes to access to hardware for D65 students?
Matt, a group of parents is launching a website this week that will feature responses from candidates regarding screen issues. The contact email is screensenseevanston@gmail.com. I want to acknowledge and respect their efforts in putting the site together . Once their site is launched, I will return here to answer your question. My initial research focused on 1:1 learning environments, so I have relevant experience and insights that can inform my role as a board member.
Thanks for mentioning Screen Sense Evanston Nichole. Our website actually went live today: https://screensenseevanston.wordpress.com/
We hope everyone will check out all of the candidates' responses to our five technology-specific questions as well as view the candidates' positions on our Technology Reform Pledge.
Thank you. I just read your responses in full from the site Miriam posted below.
Looking forward to your answer to my more pointed K-2 hardware access question.
In your responses, you call out partnering with Northwestern on 3 separate occasions. While I agree in principle on the merits of partnering with research institutions, as well as the one literally in our community, the repeated suggestions to partner with your employer may call into further question conflicts of interest. I don’t suggest this is as nefarious, and totally assume positive intent! After all, 65 and NU do already partner.
Would these type of partnerships be something you’re open to even if it came from a different initiation such as U of Chicago, UIC, etc?
Lastly, can you expand on not aligning with the pledge from screen sense? Thank you for engaging!
Matt, circling back. I do not support requiring K-2 students to take devices home, as early learners benefit most from hands-on, tactile experiences. However, the district should support families who choose to integrate digital media into their home practices by providing access to developmentally appropriate literacy and numeracy resources. In the classroom, technology should be used intentionally to enhance, not replace, hands-on learning.
Regarding partnerships, I frequently reference Northwestern, given its presence in our community. However, I would celebrate collaborations with other institutions (e.g., UChicago or UIC, Loyola, DePaul, Erikson, and Oakton) if they align with the district’s goals and priorities. Strong partnerships should be transparent, equitable, and driven by what best serves our students.
As for the Screen Sense pledge, I chose not to sign—not because I disagree with its concerns but because I believe we need to conduct a full audit and best-practices review first. Signing the pledge would have meant committing to action steps before fully understanding what works best for our local context.
Nichole - your response is well reasoned but I think misses the urgency of the current situation. Right now, my kindergartener is using an iPad in the classroom on what seems to be a daily basis. It is often not being used intentionally or with a specific learning goal in mind. We know this because we've observed it first hand and it's often the first thing mentioned when we ask about the day.
We know people who have left the district- partially because tablets were being used as a crutch to accommodate their child's needs, filling the gap where differentiated support was not available.
We cannot wait for a full audit or best-practices review for standards/expectations to be updated and implemented. These years are too important. We need a board that senses the urgency and will use whatever tools in their remit to advocate for our children. Thank you!
Thanks for your thoughtful post, Nichole.
I’ve been asking this of each of the candidates, One of the key jobs of the board is to hire a superintendent. After decades of conducting open searches where finalists were announced to the public and the district held open meetings with finalists, the current board conducted searches entirely in the dark, without public input.
Would you vote to continue this practice? Or go back to a public-facing superintendent search for the next vacancy?
I support public-facing searches.
Hi Nichole, Thanks for your post and the links to some of the initiatives that you have developed.
I looked at the "Digital Backpack" and "Cities Learn" sites and was wondering how you measure the success of these programs versus non-interventions?
What sort of empirical evidence have you collected that suggests that access to these tools improves educational outcomes?
Thanks for your thoughtful question. Measuring impact is complex, and it’s important to consider multiple dimensions of success. Rather than focusing solely on student outcomes like test scores, our approach examines whether communities can better identify and remove barriers, optimize access, and expand equitable participation in learning opportunities.
As a coach, I always know who is practicing—I see who shows up and does the work. I want to apply that same lens to learning: understanding not just what’s available but how youth and families use local resources. However, that requires systems that bring together opportunities across parks, libraries, schools, and community programs. While that might seem simple, no single entity is responsible for out-of-school learning the way a superintendent is for a school. That fragmentation makes it difficult for families to navigate and even more challenging to measure equitable access.
Cities Learn isn’t a student intervention; it’s an infrastructure that helps communities document and adapt their learning landscapes. Our impact is measured by whether cities can make learning opportunities more visible, remove participation barriers, and track access shifts over time.
Through the grammar and data warehouse we’ve developed, we provide tools that allow communities to define their measures of change. We’re working with city partners to make landscape data accessible through a shared activity feed so policymakers, researchers, and families can analyze how their local ecosystem is evolving. Chicago, for example, publishes its Cities Learn dataset on the city’s open data portal, making this information public and actionable.
My research lab focuses on developing platforms that facilitate new conversations about communities—not just about what exists but about what’s possible. To dive deeper into this approach, check out our latest paper, Increasing STEMugh Opportunity Landscaping: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691825000186.
Hi Dr. Pinkard,
Thanks for running for school board.
A question I have for you:
What is the purpose of a school?
Schools provide foundational literacies—reading, writing, mathematical reasoning, and scientific thinking—giving young people the skills they need to navigate the world. But their role isn’t just academic. Schools are where students develop a sense of self, learn how to collaborate, build civic awareness, and gain the social-emotional skills that shape how they engage with their communities. They are one of the few shared spaces where every child, regardless of background, can access experiences that help define who they are and who they want to become.
At the same time, schools don’t have to be the only place where learning happens—they have to ensure it happens. Their role as a hub extends beyond the school day and beyond their four walls. Schools connect students to the broader learning landscape of a community through out-of-school time (OST) programs, summer learning, and partnerships with local organizations. Not every student will become a coder, an artist, or an entrepreneur. Still, they all deserve the chance to explore computer science, drama, music, and engineering—experiences that help them see new possibilities for themselves. Schools, when they function as providers and connectors, ensure young people get that exposure.
This is why schools are so essential. They provide the foundation, but they also open doors. When we see them as both places of learning and gateways to opportunity, we create systems that do more than educate—we create pathways that allow our youth to discover what’s possible for them.
Thank you Dr. Pinkard for your quick and thoughtful reply.
To me this is the essence of the whole process that we as community members, and parents and school employees - and you as an interested and potential board member - is going through. What ultimately is it that the schools should be laser focused on; what is their top priority day in and day out? Until that's clearly defined AND expressed by the community all of these other issues will be very hard to address and resolve. I write as a recently retired classroom teacher of 30 years.
So if a few people showed up in white hoods, white capes, KKK patches and torces your would just say they had shitty opinions? No Tom, those are hate crimes.
We've reached the point where this thread now has absolutely nothing to do with the candidate running for office. If you'd like to continue this discussion, feel free to email me tom@foiagras.com and we can debate. For now, I'm closing the comment section here. I think everyone's opinions have been sufficiently aired.