I strongly encourage/implore you to pass a resolution requiring that the new SAP3 committee be run as a subsidiary committee of the Board of Education and not an internal committee under the Superintendent, as what appears to be planned.
Advantages:
- Legitimacy: A subsidiary committee allows full citizen participation (via public comment) and can ensure the process is legitimate. If you end up closing a school, you want to be able to look back and show all the opportunities you provided for comment in accordance with transparency and best practices.
- Transparency: A subsidiary committee gives you, the Board, full view into the data, logic, and decisions made by the committee. It was clear during the Bessie Rhodes closure hearings that SAP2 didn't have good data and we didn't learn that until the votes for closure.
- Statutory Authority: Making decisions regarding opening and closing schools is a core statutory authority granted to you by IL School Code. Being part of these conversations in an open and transparent way is a core function of your Board duties.
- OMA Compliance: A subsidiary committee has full Open Meetings Act compliance requirements, compared to the internal committee which does not and the District's promises of transparency are unenforceable.
- Equity: If you strongly believe in equity, as I believe you and I do, having non-public SAP3 meetings is fundamentally in violation of the idea of inclusion. How can you be sure that the D65 Administration is giving voice to the disadvantaged unless you give them an opportunity to participate in a fully public and transparent committee?
- Breadth of Ideas: Many of you commented during the BR closure hearings that you're excited for the concept of new and innovative ideas that SAP3 can bring to the table. If so, why permit the Administration to hold this in private without public comment, so they can select the ideas they like or don't like?
As far as I know, you have full authority to require such transparency and I believe you can do so by passing a simple resolution requiring SAP3 to be a Board Subcommittee. I strongly urge you to do so before the SAP3 meetings begin.
Lastly, the Administration in their memo promises things like the publication of minutes, video summaries, and so on - why not go the extra step and just require full compliance with OMA? I see no compelling reason not to, especially if they're already committing to do most of the transparency work.
Thank you for covering this, Tom. I hope you continue to file complaints with the Illinois AG and hold this School Board and Central Admin accountable. I also noticed in this memo that they mention a Race Equity Inclusion Assessment (REIA) as if it has already been done. Recall that the Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights wrote to the School Board imploring them to conduct an REIA because they have not done one yet:
Now, they dubiously suggest that one already exists. (!!!)
Also note that the entire phrasing "consider feasibility; the Race Equity Inclusion Assessment (REIA); and financial, operational, and community impacts" is in a gray font color, as opposed to the black font color of the rest of the memo. Someone clearly just added this text to the memo, I would argue as window-dressing, to make it look like they are addressing legal obligations and residents' concerns.
Note “ our team” will issue communications once a month . It’s not just that they have a spokesperson. They have an Executive Chief of Strategic Communications who will manage her team. Really? This is not the federal government. Wait till “they” announce closing either Willard or Orrington. Wait till a teachers strike. Declining enrollment will rise
Well, at least they are being “transparent” about not caring what the community has to say but we already know that after finding out that SAP 1 never recommended closing Rhodes.
I have the same question! Would love to raise my voice on this issue but am new to the district and don’t understand the processes (or lack there of?) in place.
I just emailed the board and Dr Turner on the subject and would love to know if there is anything else I could do to help make this an aboveboard process.
Guess they really need all of those Panera Bread Bowls to power through into the wee hours with all of the inevitable school closures it seems they are planning.
I hope the very second SAP3 meets behind closed doors, you’ll consider filing another OMA complaint with the PAC so these technicalities won’t be an issue this time.
The behavior of the Board last night was reprehensible; I could not believe that they were trying to blame Mr. Grossi for a budget that he was not part of creating. I am glad that he got over his initial shock and fought back by telling them that they had created a “bad budget”. I am no fan of Turner as she is part of the previous regime but this Board continues to live in a fantasy land where everything is a surprise and they can keep pretending that it’s someone else’s fault that the District is in financial hell. It is time for the community to demand resignations.
Watching this meeting the only word I can come up with for this Board is embarrassing. The only things they do well are pass the buck and feign ignorance.
Why was the first part of tonight’s main Board meeting not recorded? The recording starts at agenda item 4C which was the discussion of athletics so it does not include the public comment. They had the camera on for the entirety of the short meeting before and they couldn’t just leave it on?
Commenting on my own story but I have written a letter to the board since I won't be able to make public comment tomorrow:
Hello Board-
I've recently published a story on the SAP3 process:
https://www.foiagras.com/p/district-65-to-begin-sap-3-process
But I'm writing to you as a citizen.
I strongly encourage/implore you to pass a resolution requiring that the new SAP3 committee be run as a subsidiary committee of the Board of Education and not an internal committee under the Superintendent, as what appears to be planned.
Advantages:
- Legitimacy: A subsidiary committee allows full citizen participation (via public comment) and can ensure the process is legitimate. If you end up closing a school, you want to be able to look back and show all the opportunities you provided for comment in accordance with transparency and best practices.
- Transparency: A subsidiary committee gives you, the Board, full view into the data, logic, and decisions made by the committee. It was clear during the Bessie Rhodes closure hearings that SAP2 didn't have good data and we didn't learn that until the votes for closure.
- Statutory Authority: Making decisions regarding opening and closing schools is a core statutory authority granted to you by IL School Code. Being part of these conversations in an open and transparent way is a core function of your Board duties.
- OMA Compliance: A subsidiary committee has full Open Meetings Act compliance requirements, compared to the internal committee which does not and the District's promises of transparency are unenforceable.
- Equity: If you strongly believe in equity, as I believe you and I do, having non-public SAP3 meetings is fundamentally in violation of the idea of inclusion. How can you be sure that the D65 Administration is giving voice to the disadvantaged unless you give them an opportunity to participate in a fully public and transparent committee?
- Breadth of Ideas: Many of you commented during the BR closure hearings that you're excited for the concept of new and innovative ideas that SAP3 can bring to the table. If so, why permit the Administration to hold this in private without public comment, so they can select the ideas they like or don't like?
As far as I know, you have full authority to require such transparency and I believe you can do so by passing a simple resolution requiring SAP3 to be a Board Subcommittee. I strongly urge you to do so before the SAP3 meetings begin.
Lastly, the Administration in their memo promises things like the publication of minutes, video summaries, and so on - why not go the extra step and just require full compliance with OMA? I see no compelling reason not to, especially if they're already committing to do most of the transparency work.
Thank you-
--
Tom Hayden
Thank you for covering this, Tom. I hope you continue to file complaints with the Illinois AG and hold this School Board and Central Admin accountable. I also noticed in this memo that they mention a Race Equity Inclusion Assessment (REIA) as if it has already been done. Recall that the Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights wrote to the School Board imploring them to conduct an REIA because they have not done one yet:
https://www.clccrul.org/blog/chicago-lawyers-committee-urges-evanstonskokie-sd65-to-reconsider-proposal-to-close-bessie-rhodes-school
Now, they dubiously suggest that one already exists. (!!!)
Also note that the entire phrasing "consider feasibility; the Race Equity Inclusion Assessment (REIA); and financial, operational, and community impacts" is in a gray font color, as opposed to the black font color of the rest of the memo. Someone clearly just added this text to the memo, I would argue as window-dressing, to make it look like they are addressing legal obligations and residents' concerns.
Note “ our team” will issue communications once a month . It’s not just that they have a spokesperson. They have an Executive Chief of Strategic Communications who will manage her team. Really? This is not the federal government. Wait till “they” announce closing either Willard or Orrington. Wait till a teachers strike. Declining enrollment will rise
Well, at least they are being “transparent” about not caring what the community has to say but we already know that after finding out that SAP 1 never recommended closing Rhodes.
What can we do to pressure the district to hold SAP 3 publicly? This process needs to be accountable to all.
I have the same question! Would love to raise my voice on this issue but am new to the district and don’t understand the processes (or lack there of?) in place.
I just emailed the board and Dr Turner on the subject and would love to know if there is anything else I could do to help make this an aboveboard process.
Here's the link to the Board's contact info page for anyone wanting to send an email: https://www.district65.net/about/board-of-education
Yes! Please email the board email - I know they read it.
"above board" is a funny (and appropriate) word choice
Guess they really need all of those Panera Bread Bowls to power through into the wee hours with all of the inevitable school closures it seems they are planning.
I hope the very second SAP3 meets behind closed doors, you’ll consider filing another OMA complaint with the PAC so these technicalities won’t be an issue this time.
The behavior of the Board last night was reprehensible; I could not believe that they were trying to blame Mr. Grossi for a budget that he was not part of creating. I am glad that he got over his initial shock and fought back by telling them that they had created a “bad budget”. I am no fan of Turner as she is part of the previous regime but this Board continues to live in a fantasy land where everything is a surprise and they can keep pretending that it’s someone else’s fault that the District is in financial hell. It is time for the community to demand resignations.
See the post I just made. I think this was genuinely a surprise (even to me) and Dr. Grossi and the Administration screwed up big time.
Watching this meeting the only word I can come up with for this Board is embarrassing. The only things they do well are pass the buck and feign ignorance.
Why was the first part of tonight’s main Board meeting not recorded? The recording starts at agenda item 4C which was the discussion of athletics so it does not include the public comment. They had the camera on for the entirety of the short meeting before and they couldn’t just leave it on?
I just to wrote to Adeela about this and asked if footage of the entire meeting could be made available.
I sense an OMA violation
That means there are less than 60 days to report it to the AG!!