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As the current D181 BOE vice-president and former academic success committee chair, I wholeheartedly endorse Christine Dannhausen-Brun for the D181 BOE two-year seat. D181 is at a watershed moment, navigating the challenges of a safe re-entry to full-time, in-person learning during a global pandemic with the focus on meeting the educational needs of all students. Under Dr. Garcia’s leadership, D181 has seen the first glimmer of stability after over a decade of administrative turnover. His team has reversed the long-lasting i...
We’ve known Christine Dannhausen-Brun for 15 years and wholeheartedly support her campaign for a seat on the D181 school board. She is a dedicated volunteer and a steadfast advocate for issues that impact our children and their education. When Christine accepts a role, she does so with passion and integrity. She’s committed, thoughtful and intelligent. And while she does her research and follows the facts, she’s open to hearing differing points of view and working with others to find solutions. We need that in all level...
✔︎ Kevin Camden ✔︎ Tamakia “TJ” Edwards ✔︎ Debbie Levinthal ✔︎ Jeff Waters Justin Baron Peggy James Mark Pinnow Karen Shannon Marty Turek Terri Walker Voters will elect four individuals to serve on the Hinsdale High School District 86 Board on Tuesday, April 6. The past year has been a difficult one for school districts, and D86 is no exception. The district’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, science and math curriculum changes and communication are three subjects on which the current board has been criticized. Dissatisfact...
My double nickel birthday falling on Fat Tuesday had me pining for a return to the city not for spectators, but for participants. The following travelogue recollections spotlight how "bon temps" are an easy pursuit in New Orleans. NOV 1993: My Big Easy intro included a memorable dinner at Emeril's. A seat at the "Chef's Table" provided an up-close kitchen view of a young Emeril Lagasse prepping meals. The night concluded with a Neville Brothers concert at the legendary...
I hope you will join me in supporting Terri Walker in her candidacy for the District 86 Board of Education. Terri is very invested in our schools as she has two children within their walls. She will listen to both sides of the argument then make a sound judgment for our children. Our sons are in school together and I have witnessed her behavior firsthand. She is level headed and seeks out information before making an opinion of the situation. There are at times hot topics that push people to the extreme level. Terri will...
Jerry and I support Margie Kleber for re-election to the D181 Board of Education for the two-year term. Margie has been our friend for more than 30 years. While being a first-grade teacher at The Lane, I (Lois) was fortunate to have three of her four children in my class. Margie has served a full four-year term on the board and is currently the president. She previously served as the vice president, secretary and was chairman of the facilities committee. She promised to bring the $53 million HMS construction project under...
Hinsdalean editors, thank you for considering me. I know endorsement decisions are hard. In comparing experience, several of my experience factors may have been overlooked. Six years on Queen of Peace High School’s board will allow me to get to work quickly. I know the time, commitment and dedication needed to serve on a board. I am ready to work. I developed a constructive, respectful relationship with Dr. Garcia through the Ad Hoc Health Advisory Committee and ongoing conversations this year. I am not hesitant to demand a...
Tamakia “TJ” Edwards is an invaluable voice on the D86 BOE, offering consistency and community voice through compassionate, thoughtful and experienced leadership. TJ has been on the board for about seven months; while relatively new, she is advanced on the steep learning curve every new board member faces — setting her apart from most candidates. She hit the ground running in August 2020 just as the reality of the pandemic set in, and has since been navigating her role with grace and fortitude. Tamakia is a fierce advoc...
If you want a candidate who will fairly represent and engage with all D86 constituents, insist on full transparency and data-driven decisions, vote for Debbie Levinthal for the D86 Board of Education. She has educated herself on the issues, not just in the last couple of months, but for years she has been attending board meetings and has met with school administration on various issues. She does her homework and doesn’t speak on an issue unless she has her facts straight. She’s not running because of one or two issues — s...
It is with pleasure and confidence that I offer an endorsement for Christine Dannhausen-Brun for the School District 181 Board of Education. I have known Christine for more than 15 years and have been impressed with her ability to manage multiple and competing demands on her time and energy. Christine has extensive community involvement and is a very productive and outcome oriented person. Her professional background in public health and policy is very impressive and truly relevant at this time. This type of expertise is...
Mark Pinnow and I were co-chairs for the Gower referendum committee last fall. I believe that Mark should serve on the D86 BOE for the following reasons. Commitment: Mark has regularly attended D86 BOE meetings since 2015. He is research-driven and has consistently reached out to past and current administration to better understand decisions and suggest improvements, actively investing himself in D86 outcomes. Experience: Mark has decades of experience overseeing and implementing policies and pathways. He is data-driven and...
As the son of a long-time District 86 educator, a District 86 alum, current D86 parent and former Illinois state senator, I have a profound respect for the importance of local elections, and perhaps none is more underrated in its impact for an entire community than a school board election. On April 6, District 86 voters have an opportunity to significantly impact our community. A critical issue of this election concerns the current board’s passage of what I believe are radical changes to our historically excellent science, t...
Four the past four years I have had the pleasure of serving on the D181 Board with Margie Kleber. Over those four years, Margie, the rest of the board and I have tackled a variety of issues and events: hiring a new superintendent, fighting a lawsuit against the HMS referendum, negotiating two labor contracts (including the teachers contract), negotiating with the village of Hinsdale on the parking deck, managing through a budget deficit, completing the construction of HMS on time and under budget and, of course, managing the...
✔︎ Margaret Kleber Christine Dannhausen-Brun Incumbent Margie Kleber and challenger Christine Dannhausen-Brun are vying for the two-year seat on the Community Consolidated District 181 Board. We endorse Kleber to complete the term of Bill Merchantz, who resigned in February 2020. Dannhausen-Brun is a strong candidate and we have no doubt she would be a constructive board member. Her voluminous resume of service activities demonstrates a deep appreciation for the community and a heart to give back. She clearly follows dev...
✔ Mary Bock ✔ Amy Glynn ✔ Kristin McDaniel ✔ Richard Munson Ryan Trombly In the race for Hinsdale Public Library Board, incumbent candidates Mary Bock, Amy Glynn, Kristin McDaniel are joined by newcomers Richard Munson and Ryan Trombly in seeking one of four open trustee seats. We believe the three incumbents and Munson are best suited to serve on the board for the next four years. This is first election in recent memory featuring a contested library board race, which can primarily attributed to the absence of the village...
I hope you will join me in supporting Margie Kleber in her candidacy for the District 181 Board. As the current president of the board, Margie is in the unique position of providing to the new board not only solid leadership but also experience and continuity of leadership, something her opponent lacks. This has been a challenging year for our children and our schools, and Margie has provided the leadership that we needed to get children back in the classroom safely. I have known Margie for many years and worked closely with...
The upcoming election on April 6 covers municipal positions including our school, library and village boards. These are probably on your radar. But the election also includes board and key staff of Downers Grove Township, the unit of local government that you probably don’t know much about (it’s the largest of the nine townships in DuPage County). Most of Hinsdale (the portion west of County Line Road) is in Downers Grove Township, and the township also includes adjacent suburbs to the west and south. The township annual bud...
Hinsdale, we have a problem. Many of us moved to Hinsdale because it is best in class. Consistently ranked one of the top places to live in Illinois, Hinsdale has enjoyed a sterling reputation for its public education system, which ensures our children are prepared for success and our property values remain strong. That reputation is in danger due to the D86 board’s inability to lead. Lack of transparency in governance. Suppression of different views. Curriculum decisions apparently being made without sufficient analysis o...
Waist deep in a flowerbed full of colorful zinnias, I stopped weeding. I looked up and saw a monarch butterfly and then it hit me - I was wonderstruck. Its beauty was so captivating that it filled me with awe. I often feel this way when I experience the presence of something bigger than myself. Perhaps you have felt it, too. It's easy to get lost in a nature's great splendor - a starry sky, a technicolor sunset, a summer garden in full bloom. Have you ever observed the way...
I am writing to express my enthusiastic support of Debbie Levinthal for the District 86 Board of Education. I’ve known Debbie for 10 years. The first time I heard Debbie speak was at a parent meeting for our children’s preschool. I remember being blown away by her articulate advocacy about food allergy precautions in the classroom. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to work with Debbie on school-related committees. I’ve also sought her opinion on various education topics. Debbie has served as a guide for me as I navig...
I strongly support Jeff Waters and Peggy James for the Hinsdale High School District 86 Board. Jeff and Peggy will bring much needed good governance to the school board. Our high school is the gem of our community. It is widely regarded as one of the best high schools in Illinois, and we need to ensure that remains the case. School board decisions not only affect the quality of our children’s education, they also affect home values, which are directly tied to the quality of our schools. A top quality high school must have a...
I am writing to share my enthusiastic support for Debbie Levinthal for the District 86 Board of Education this April. Debbie is a dear family friend, respected neighbor and an amazingly caring mother to four wonderful children, two of whom currently attend Hinsdale Central. When first meeting Debbie years ago, it was a comical turn of events when my husband recognized her as his algebra II and trigonometry teacher from New Trier High School. From my husband’s personal experience, I quickly learned that Debbie was an e...
I am extremely pleased to support Debbie Levinthal, candidate for the District 86 Board, and in my view, one of the original advocates for maintaining academic excellence in our district. She has been “part of the conversation” since 2019 when the first of the high school curriculum changes was proposed for the science program. Months later, when a new math curriculum was presented, Debbie did extensive research on the proposal and proactively reached out to district administrators to advocate against this curriculum cha...
My name is Haley Dynis, I’m a junior at Hinsdale Central High School and a life-long friend of Kendall Pickering. I’ve recently seen articles regarding the ribbons around town honoring the life of Kendall. As residents have displayed disapproval of the ribbons, I too would like to voice my opinion of their disrespect to our honorable gesture. Loved ones of Kendall took the week after her passing to put up ribbons in her honor. The ribbons stayed up for less than two months before being deemed a controversy in our town. By...
I am writing to announce my enthusiastic endorsement of Jeff Waters and Peggy James for the D86 Board of Education. As the campaign manager for the 2019 D86 referendum, I spent countless hours working alongside Jeff. While attending meetings, knocking on doors and having great dialogue with both “Yes” and “No” voters across the district, I personally witnessed Jeff work tirelessly and passionately for the betterment of all 4,000 students in our district for over five months. I observed him consistently respond to various...
