New District 65 Superintendent Named
A post for the comment section
District 65 named their new Superintendent last night, Dr. Turner. You can read the coverage of the event on the Evanston Roundtable which covers the event. I’m making this post mostly so that the community can have space in the comment section to discuss. Please follow my standard comment section rules which are:
No discussion of national political issues.
Refrain from discussing non-public officials (anyone below the level of Board/Superintendent/CFO) or posting personal information.
Be reasonably nice to each other, especially if you’re anonymous, the bar is higher.
I was present in the room and gave a brief public comment on the Dr. Horton repayment agreement. I wrote a fiery speech but it didn’t quite line up with the vibe, so I took a less fiery approach. My essential argument is that they let Dr. Horton off the hook for fines and need to lead the way on financial discipline going forward.
I got a standing ovation from some people and thank you for that.
I didn’t appreciate how speaking to a public body like this is hard!
I typically have no problem with public speaking, I give talks all the time and I teach at Northwestern but speaking in a political setting like this is a whole different ballgame. I’m still building up the chops on that front. I do think every citizen should do this at least once, even if it results in absolutely no action, there is an element to this that really makes you like democracy.
I'm hoping that this selection process was the equivalent of a hasty 3 point shot in a basketball game that still goes in. I absolutely hate the decision making by the board - keeping everyone in the dark, presenting the whole thing as a fait accompli, zero interest in public feedback - but Turner's seemed pretty on the ball since she took over. Just hoping she keeps it up now that she's not in her prove it phase. And there simply isn't much to say about the CPS/AUSL issues, they look awful and will simply never be sufficiently addressed by this purportedly public body that clearly views its constituents with disdain, suspicion and derision.
Thank you again for all you do. As I learned last night its much harder than it looks. You are doing the good work and so many appreciate all you do!