For 20 years I have watched District 86 school boards achieve great things for students by working cohesively with administration and the community, and I have watched utter chaos full of divisive bickering, power grabs and ignoring administrative requests, community input or both. The key factors that seem to lead to one outcome or the other are the board members’ willingness to be totally transparent and inclusive of all relevant parties through the decision-making process, as well as their insistence that proposals and decisions be based on data showing improved outcomes and not merely following educational fads. Only two candidates have consistently prioritized in their literature and public engagements accountability and transparency as their guiding principles: Debbie Levinthal and Terri Walker. These women have emphasized repeatedly that the administration should be held accountable for meeting the needs of all students, that decisions must be based on data that shows improved student outcomes and that governance should be open and transparent. They also strongly believe in listening to their fellow board members and making decisions with a clear understanding of the problem to be solved.
If we want to maintain the academic excellence that draws families to our D86 communities, we must vote for candidates who have a clear and articulated understanding of how to achieve great things for our students — not those who have shown they do not. On April 6, please cast your votes for Debbie Levinthal and Terri Walker. — Jill Quinones, Clarendon Hills
