Before you, reader, invest your time and energy into this column, please know this piece will not end with a specific candidate endorsement for the District 65 school board race.
Nor will I mention any candidates by name. As a District 65 union member, I do not feel comfortable publicly endorsing or sharing my personal preferences. But trust me, that doesn’t mean I don’t have them.
What makes a “perfect” school board member?
Obviously, there is no perfect board member. A board is a group, ideally a diverse group, of individuals offering unique experiences, viewpoints and professional responsibilities in advancement toward the betterment of a school district.
A monolith board can neither represent nor properly serve an ideologically, racially and socio-economically diverse community.
That being said, in this new and terrifying era of a second-term Trump presidency, there are some nonnegotiables that all board members should embody:
A strong commitment to DEI with a mission to close the opportunity gap
Otherwise known as the ability to look at all critical issues through an equity lens.
We take this one for granted here in Evanston, but we’re at a historical and political crossroads in this country. I’ve read enough New York Times articles about this authoritarian regime rolling back rights to know that these people are coming for us all and that starts with the most vulnerable. When any decision is made here in District 65, it needs to be examined from all angles, i.e. the equity lens.
Years ago, I attended a panel on opportunity hoarding. I remember then-Washington Principal Kate Ellison, who is profoundly missed by the way, was a member of the panel. She referenced a first-day-of-school Kindergarten policy that she’d worked to overturn.
She fought so that kindergarten parents could no longer walk their children into classrooms on the first day. Her argument was that this proved harmful for all the students whose parents could not make themselves available. It also offered a powerful point of inquiry and reflection: Does our entire community feel comfortable entering our space, and what can we do to make schools more inclusive?
Not to mention, as any kindergarten teacher will tell you, it complicates the first day of school transition when parents come into the building. All in all, it was a bad policy.
These policy decisions can make a big impact and should be analyzed critically.
The ability to know what you don’t know
Any competent board member cannot be afraid to admit ignorance. It is not a weakness to lack information or critical knowledge. It should be thought instead as a potential area for individual growth. “I’m not an expert on this,” is a sentence I’d like to hear from time to time from my ideal board member. When you don’t know the answer, ask for help — out loud. And then make an effort to learn that information by activating your hopefully robust network.
Offering real transparency
Which brings me to my next point: transparency. Not fake transparency. Don’t just say the word transparent over and over. Actually embody it. I want people who are essentially allergic to closed-session meetings sitting on the board, who fight to have the majority of critical conversations on camera, in front of their constituents. Democracy dies in darkness, after all.
Financially literate and savvy
Money, honey. Somebody on this board has to have a strong financial background. And dare I say a conservative (gasp) spending policy? I don’t want everyone on the board pinching pennies. But I’d love one! This member should attempt to bring the body back to reality, reminding the board that we are in a dire financial crisis that did not occur by accident.
Be brave and independent, unafraid to challenge the status quo
What a perfect segue! Because how did District 65 arrive at this horrendous financial crisis? Didn’t we pass a referendum not too long ago? This crisis didn’t happen without a little old-fashioned corruption and mismanagement. We ended up here because our board wasn’t adequately challenging authority, which is their literal job.
So, a perfect board member must be a strong, independent thinker, unafraid to challenge administration and call out corruption at all levels! These people should be beholden to their constituents!
Please, help restore my and all of Evanston/Skokie’s faith in democracy! Is it actually possible for any politician to steadfastly serve the voters over powerful, wealthy donors or a corrupt administration? I’d love to see it, folks. I want to believe in democracy again, and I’m looking to this local school board race to reestablish my faith in our government systems. That’s doable, right? No pressure.
A friend to those on the frontlines
Why does this next one feel like my most controversial topic? But dare I say, I’d love to have a board member who likes and respects educators.
Your teachers, perhaps much like yourselves, have been through a lot these last few years. Many of us have been waving our arms above our heads, begging community members to pay attention to what was happening in our schools and come to our rescue!
I think we have your attention now, which is honestly a huge relief. But can you please continue listening to us? Please? Board members should maintain positive, healthy, respectful relationships with individual educators that they trust. These people can serve as a touch point, a reality check and an advisor on critical issues.
In closing, I want to acknowledge that I am no school board “expert.” I am just an outspoken woman, a third-generation District 65 teacher with a kid in the school system.
At the end of the day, this is all just my opinion. And you can feel free to take it or leave it.
Simone Larson: How to elect a school board member is from Evanston RoundTable, Evanston's most trusted source for unbiased, in-depth journalism.