It could have been like herding cats — inviting all the candidates for the District 65 school board, none an incumbent, to a debate. But the sponsors, SonRise Evanston and Kuumba Evanston, had it all in hand from the beginning.
They had prepared the candidates by sending each of them 21 questions beforehand and organizing the forum in the Evanston Township High School auditorium so that, while only two or three candidates would answer the same question, all of them would weigh in on a topic. The topics selected for the Jan. 12 forum were the achievement/opportunity gap between white and minority students, the financial crisis and the lack of accountability — cast as “board governance.”
Equally impressive was the panel itself. Rather than being daunted by the size of the field or the implicit competition — 13 candidates for four positions — more than one candidate said they found it encouraging as a sign that the community is still invested in the district. Another candidate, while stressing their desire to be elected, said everyone on the panel would be a good board member. No one was so self-invested as to be afraid to agree with another candidate. One admitted he was nervous, then looked down the row of candidates and said, “You’re all nervous, too.” In a sense, as we in the audience were looking for their attitudes and values, they were auditioning each other, to see how they could work together.
A beacon of civility
Overall it seemed, as they talked, that they were less like competitors vying for limited slots and more like people already on the board who were collectively trying to find solutions to problems that are necessary to put the district on sound financial footing and in a position to provide a rigorous academic education in which all students thrive.
Thanks to the planners and the participants, the forum was a model for civil discourse — a beacon for this campaign season.
There will be more forums, and there will be coffees, individual and small-group meetings, emails, texts and friendly conversations as we sort out who we believe can best serve our community. We should look carefully for those who show a passion for public service and good government. There are, of course, strong feelings about serious issues, but candidates and their supporters should guard against letting animus replace reason.
Greek mythology tells of Alcyone, daughter of the wind, whom Zeus turned into the halcyon, also known as the kingfisher, who builds her nest on the ocean in midwinter. The few January days when the winds are calm are known as the halcyon days.
Anyone who has seen the icy peaks and shelves along the lakefront, or even walked a few blocks, has reason to dispute that the outside winds are calm. But for a couple of hours last Sunday, here in Evanston, tranquility — and civility — prevailed.
All candidates were asked to submit written answers to questions presented before and at the forum. Responses will be posted on the Kuumba Evanston website by the end of the month. A link to the RoundTable’s coverage of the Jan. 12 forum can be found here.
Here in Evanston: Two hours of civil discourse is from Evanston RoundTable, Evanston's most trusted source for unbiased, in-depth journalism.