School Board Meeting 6/9/25

001I don't know that I needed to do that because the room is already quiet. But good evening. Welcome to the June 9th, 2025 board of education meeting. Can we have a roll call, please? Here. Here. Here. Here. Here. Thank you. Okay. The first item on the agenda is student recognition. and we have a some students that we are going to hear about. So that's our athletic director, Mr. Chris Levatino, has two well a few presentations. Yes, absolutely. Thank you all for uh for having us tonight. Um it is my honor to introduce um two teams and members of teams that did some amazing things this past spring. Uh we'll start with gymnastics. No ETHS gymnast has ever won more than one state championship in an individual event. And after winning the state championship in vault

002last year, Eric Van Leer won his second state championship in the vault again this past year and won the state championship on the floor exercise. So three total state championships for Eric Vanlier. And here's a quick video if you want to see of this state championship winning vault. Whoa, that that earned uh Eric a 9.9 on the vault. So, here to say a few words about Eric is our head coach, Frank Irwin. [Applause] When I came to this program, we were pretty much at the bottom of conference and state. Gradually worked it up and then uh in 2021 we had, you know, built it up enough that we took third in conference and we're still getting better. Then Eric appeared on the scene in and that year it was close but we won our first

003conference championship and we won the second, third, and fourth and that's in a large part to an individual named Eric Vanlier. Um, even as a freshman, he won the all-around. But his contribution to the team and the program goes way beyond the points scored and added and totaled. It's really his personality, who he is, his work ethic. I've coached a lot of gymnasts and never coached anyone who works nearly as hard as Eric does. So, he's been a tremendous asset to the program and we were thrilled to have him as a two-time state champion. And it's wonderful that you can recognize him tonight. All right, Eric, the board's going to stand, shake your hand, and we're going to give you a nice little pin to say congratulations. [Applause] Oh yeah. Congratulations again, Eric. So, the

004weekend before our IHSA boys track and field sectional meet, head coach Don Mitchellin suffered a freak training accident that resulted in him breaking both legs that put him in the hospital for the past three weeks. From that difficult situation emerged a state championship performance for the ages as our 4x400 relay team came from third place with less than 100 meters to go to capture the title of state champions for the kits. Please welcome coach Kevin Kanes and George Woolridge who helped guide our boys for the final two weeks of the season to say a few words about these young men and their performance. Are you guys ready to give your speeches? It was an outstanding finish to an outstanding year for these young men. Um, for those that are unfamiliar with track and field, the

0054x400 relay, which used to be called the mile relay, is the culmination of an entire track meet and a state championship that's very electric for the crowd. There's team championships on the line and that kind of thing. And though we had our ups and downs this year throughout the season, these guys are outstanding. And our 4x400 guys very much put a stamp on that, their stamp in history. They were just this much off the school record. Track and field has been a big deal here in Evston for a very long time and for them to just be a few ten of a second off the record says a lot and two of them are coming back. So to my left here, an at the freshman Anthony Honory was part of that senior Amari Christian, junior

006Sean Pster. And missing from the group of four was Dallas Amos, who's a senior that's at his college orientation uh right now. But as Chris pointed out, him coming from behind like that was really exciting. It was really hard to watch, but it was really exciting. So, um, thank you for the recognition. It's been a great year. Great guys. Go HHS. This is congratulations. Congratulations. Hey There you go. You get what you're saying? Thank you very Thank you. Always a great way to start a meeting. Okay. The next item on the agenda is comments from the public. Dr. Babis, do we have comments from the public? Uh, yes. Uh, we have over 50 uh comments from the public this evening. Okay. All right. So given how many people have signed up for public comment, we're

007unable to accommodate everyone um in the one hour that we have set aside. It's it's our policy uh to do public comment for one hour only. If we did that, we'd only be able to accommodate 20 people if we used um everyone for for three minutes. Uh so what we're going to do in order to allow everyone who signed up to speak is um we are going to extend the public comments from 1 hour to 1 hour and 45 minutesish. Um which will give everyone who signed up two minutes to speak. So you'll have two minutes instead of three minutes. Um, but this way we'll get to hear from each person who wants to speak. Does that make sense? Thank you. And Dr. Davis will do his thing and keep time. He will. Um, so

008yeah, just a reminder, uh, speakers who have signed up for public comment will be invited in the order they signed up to address the board. Uh, in this case with the extension up to 2 minutes. I will keep time and signal you at the one minute mark uh as a courtesy. I will also let you know it's time to stop at the two-minute mark. Uh in the event that becomes necessary, my phone will go off and I'll fumble and I'll say, you know, finish your sentence. Um speakers are asked to come forward and speak at the lect turn here. Please state your name and address. Public comments generally pertain to school district matters, but comments about any individuals are expressly prohibited. Please understand the school board does not respond to public comment, but we'll listen

009carefully and we'll follow up as the board deems appropriate. I also ask you to bear with me on the pronunciations and the translation of handwriting. Some of the handwriting is really difficult for me to read. Uh if if it's really difficult, I'll just cite your address, but I'll try with your name and if I get it wrong, just give me a little grace. Uh our first speaker is uh looks like it's Amy Moore. Thank you. Hi, I'm Amy Moore. I live outside the district. Is that okay? But I'm a teacher. Um, I'm here today to speak in strong support of my colleague Andrew Ginsburg. Uh, for the past decade, Andrew has worked just across the hall from me. And in that time, I've come to know him as one of the most dedicated and supportive

010educators in our building. Um, his classroom is a safe haven. Students are there before school, after school, and during lunch. Uh, not because they have to, but because they want to. Um, in my sponsorship of the Students Without Borders Club, a club that aims to support students and families who are immigrants in feeling safe, welcomed, and equal at ETHS, I've witnessed firsthand how much Andrew shows up for our students. Uh, time and again, his name comes up in conversations with students in my club. They personally feel supported by Mr. Ginsburg and they think of him with admiration and trust. He's one of the only teachers in the building that comes up frequently and is someone they can count on, which is so important right now during this time when immigrant students often feel like outsiders

011in our school and our country. Um, when a teacher is known for his inclusivity and compassion and he's suddenly inclu accused of intolerance, something is clearly wrong. It appears the school rushed to judgment, concluding that the problem is Mr. Ginsburg. It is not. Uh the deeper issue lies in the lack of clear communication and consistency around how we as a school support free expression, critical thinking, and open dialogue. I urge you to correct this injustice and clear Mr. Ginsburg's record. ETHS has embraced a wide range of personal and cultural expressions, political, religious, and other. It's one of the reasons I made this school my home. Mr. Ginsburg's message was a peaceful one among many, and yet without clear justification, he has been silenced and disciplined. Uh we ask for leadership grounded in care, transparency, and

012reason, something I've seen before. Um and not fear or punishment to better serve our students and educators and uphold the values we profess to teach here. Finally, a sincere thank you to Mr. Ginsburg for everything you've done to support our students, my students, especially those who've needed it the most. Thank you. Next speaker is Aaron Clay. Hi, good evening. Uh, my name is Aaron Clays. I live out of district, but I'm a staff member here, and I'm here to stand in support with Andrew Ginsburg, but more broadly with all members of the ETHS community who have spoken out against the genocide currently taking place in Palestine. An excuse I have often heard when it comes to the district's relative silence on the genocide is that it doesn't relate to our school. Why is this a

013conflict when it's happening across the world? While of course we know there is purpose in discussing global issues in history and that alone should be reason to bring this topic into the classroom. I also disagree with the idea that we are not being affected by the genocide here in Evston. If we aren't being affected, I wouldn't be standing here today. We wouldn't see conversations about it across our community on an almost daily basis. If we weren't being affected, that would ignore the fact that a boy was killed only a few miles from here in an act of anti-Palestinian hate. Whether we like it or not, what happens in the world can in fact penetrate the Evston bubble. Students know what's going on. Not talking about it and actually suppressing conversations about it will not change

014that. We are being affected. So, we must figure out how to teach our students the whole story and not hide the fact that there is disagreement within our school. Disagreement is healthy and commonplace in our current political climate. To hide that is to do our students a disservice as we prepare them for the outside world. In the district statement on equity and excellence, they say freedom of thought, of expression, and of intellectual exchange is essential if we are to attain this excellence. You say that students are here to develop the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors necessary for full participation in a democratic society and in the global community. Allowing one group of people to fear-monger and silence a conversation that has been happening for over 50 years about how colonialism and racism have impacted the

015Palestinian people and land is not preparing our students for full participation in the global community. I have noticed a lot of change in my experience at ETHS ETHS since October of last year. The way I feel stared at, the things colleagues have said to me, the photos and videos of me that have been taken without my permission. The fact that administration also made me take down posters which they claimed was for fire safety reasons, but these fire safety concerns have not been enforced across the rest of the building. I feel like I have been put under a microscope for supporting my students desires to talk about Palestine and support relief efforts through fundraising. as an adult, I can handle that. Um, can I just say one last sentence? Last sentence. Um, I am not here

016to advocate to make my life easier. I'm here to ask for you to consider having disagreement and conversation present in our school so that students can receive a true education. Thank you, Parker Briel. Hello, my name is Parker Bravalt. Um, I'm a former ETHS student who graduated last year. Um, and I'm also a lifelong Evston resident. And I believe it's also important you know that I am Jewish. Um, with the recent rise in conservatism across the US, it sickens me to see that that a community that I hold so dear uh turn its back on what it claims to value so deeply. ETHS needs to act um as it says as they as we say we will and actually uh care about the diverse student body and staff that we claim to respect so much.

017Um we need to be shown that these are not just empty promises of equity and inclusion meant to keep us happy. It is Mr. Ginsburg's job as a history teacher to teach his students and help them understand the perspectives of all people, especially those in underrepresented groups um throughout history, no matter how uncomfortable it may be. Challenging previously believed ideas is what allows students to grow and become more empathetic people. Something we are desperately in need of right now. Punishing him is preventing students from learning valuable information and censorship only harms education. Fighting against oppression is a Jewish tradition. My faith does not just encourage and and support u sorry my faith does not just encourage us to support and uplift the oppressed. It demands we do so. The value of tacun lum should never

018be overlooked for any reason as it is our duty as Jews to repair the world not break it more. Excuse me. Sorry. In my senior year at ETHS, I was incredibly lost and looking for a safe space for like-minded Jews to help me navigate I'm sorry, all that I have been feeling about the ongoing season in Gaza. Mr. Ginsburg was particularly kind and helpful to me in this time of need and provided me uh provided a place for me to be myself when no one else did. I am eternally grateful for the support that he has given me and I will never forget that kindness. He's more than a teacher. I there's so much I could say about that. By punishing him, you are showing students that their right to protest and express their dissatisfaction

019with the events happening all around them, not just in Gaza. um is not important. Uh finish your sentence though and they should be and that they should be silenced. Mr. Ginsburg has done nothing but be a rock for his students to lean on when they needed him and he has given them the chance to better understand their world. History is uncomfortable. Fascism is uncomfortable. Genocide is uncomfortable. But that does not mean we will ever stop talking about it. [Applause] Next up is Lealia Perky. Leah, is that right? I got it. Okay. Good evening. My name is Leelia and I am here tonight as someone who deeply believes that silence in the face of genocide is complicity. Andrew Ginsburg is being penalized for doing what we ask of people to do every single day in the

020face of genocide, especially our educators, telling the truth, speaking up, and simply caring about human life. Evston Township High School claims to support human rights and support its students and teachers. Yet here is the school board silencing Andrew for his morality and courage to speak up for Palestine. Let me be very clear. Supporting Palestine is not anti-semitism. Calling for an end to the occupation apartheid and right now a 21 monthlong ongoing genocide is not hate speech. It is a demand for justice and human rights. The censoring and silencing of people who speak up for Palestine, especially Jewish voices who say not in our name, is not about safety and protecting Jewish people. By silencing Mr. Ginberg for using his voice to speak up for Palestine, Evston Township High School is being anti-Semitic. By silencing anything

021about Palenstein, Evston Township High School is also being racist, preserving the comfort of those in power at the cost of the oppressed. We especially look to our educators to model courage, empathy, and solidarity. So, the fact that we are punishing them for it shows that the school board does not live up to or care about the progressive values that it claims to uphold. If we truly care about human rights, we must also care about truth and stand with those who speak it. Evston Township High School. People feeling uncomfortable about standing for Palestinian liberation is not unsafe. Do the right thing. Remove Andrew Ginsburg's censure now. Thank you. Next up is Lynn Pollock, I think. Is Is it Lynn? Got it. Hello everybody. Uh my name is Lynn Pollock. Uh I am Jewish married to a

022uh I started wrong. Sorry. My name is Lynn Pollock. My husband and I have lived in Evston for nearly 50 years. My in-laws were Holocaust survivors and my two children grew up with a keen awareness that never again meant never again for anyone. They both went to ETHS where the diversity and earnest attempt at fairness and equality helped shape their lives. As I'm sure you know, there are Jews in Evston who fully support Andrew Ginsburg, and I am one of them. I And I would like to know why. Oh, my phone is acting up here. I would like to know why the ETHs board and administration thinks it makes sense to censure Andrew to protect the delicate feelings of some, not all, Jewish kids in his classes. Does it really make them safer for their

023ears and eyes to be sheltered from such prophetically Jewish concepts as dissent or even pursuing justice? Since when do hurt feelings trump actual pain and loss? Why are we coddling Jewish kids and their families instead of bending over backwards to acknowledge the real agony that Palestinian kids and allies are experiencing as Israel decimates their family and friends in Gaza. Words are not bombs. Art is not a tool of starvation. And Jews are not the victims here. This campaign against Andrew Ginsburg is absurd. And I expect ETHS to do better. Next up, Next up is Elizabeth Doul. Hi. Um, I'm Elizabeth Doul and I've been a visual arts teacher here for 21 years. Um, I love the school. I love the students and I love my colleagues. This is the first time I have ever come

024to a board meeting to speak out on anything and I rarely speak out in the school in general. So, this really hits home for me of something that's really important. Um, Ginsburg is a great teacher. Since he started, I've been teaching across the hall from him and I see how he interacts with his students and how he's grown as a teacher. He moves ETHs values forward. Belltobell, no cell. Ginsburg's phone slot is number one in his phone holder. his phone is in there with the students. Um, he's a presence in the hallway. He greets his students outside his classroom and those who arrive late. He greets warmly and he gives them the now that you are with us, we are more whole values that we learned in our fall PD. Ginsburg is a supporter of

025our many students. He always has kids in his classroom. His room is a safe space for many. There are lots of issues ETHS has dealt with since I've started. from trying to desegregate honors classes, our BLM support, our many affinity summits and supporting our immigrant students. Many of these were bold moves when they were done. And now looking back, we can't imagine not having supported our students in these manners. When Gsburg speaking about genocide in Palestine, he's addressing a very difficult subject. As a teacher, it's very hard to know when to speak out and when to stay quiet. Sometimes our silence makes us look complacent and complicit. He is speaking out for an oppress group. He needs his record cleared and he needs to stop being reprimanded for supporting Palestinian students and speaking out about

026against genocide. Thank you. Next speaker is Ty Dussold Oconor. Hi. Um I'm Ty Dold O'Conor. Um child of Miss Ducold. Um, and discomfort is not an excuse for repression. I consider myself an honorary member of the ETHS community by association. Um, I've grown up in your preschool, your halls, in your city. I hold Evston highly in my mind as a place that acts in accordance with its values on social justice, which is not as common where I live. I used to wish I lived here because it seemed like the closest to a Midwest suburb, the closest a Midwest suburb could get to a utopia. That's why I'm here today, because I want to show you that I care about the actions of this community. I could try to convince you of the severity of the

027atrocities occurring in Palestine daily, hourly, during every single minute of every single day that passes and comes. But I shouldn't have to. I shouldn't have to say anything more than human beings are being murdered constantly, ruthlessly, and systematically. This is not an issue of one side versus another. This is an issue of being against or for the violation of human rights and livelihood. So why is advocating against these atrocities unacceptable? Today I ask you, where does this repression stop? How many more Palestinians have to be slaughtered for you to see your discomfort is more valuable, is not more valuable than their lives? This discomfort you feel is not deadly, but your actions like the ones we're discussing here today are. When this period in history is documented as what it is, a blatant, intentional genocide,

028will you finally let your staff members show support for what may now be an erased population? Why is it that advocacy is acceptable only when it can no longer create change? When has the advocacy of human rights ever harmed a population? And when has its suppression ever saved lives? You, you and I, we are being lied to. You are being told that our cause and our actions are dangerous to you and this community. You are being told that our suppression will bring peace and connection and return us to a normal world. You are told that this this issue will not affect you if you forget about it. To our oppressors, a normal world is one where we shut up, submit, and blindly follow. That is not peace. That should not be considered normal. Palestinian liberation

029is for all of us. Repression is a tool of the oppressor. Do not get tricked into using it. Thank you. Next up is Tris. Looks like Bisgrim. Tris, is there a Tris out there? Okay, got it. Hi, my name is Tristan Bisgrove, resident of ETH, well, Evston. Uh, my oldest just graduated from ETHS this year. My wife was a 94 graduate and former track runner for Finny. So, I wish she could be here to be the one to speak, but she's downtown helping out with the AMA, speaking out against oppression. I look at this city, uh, the one we moved to. As a former history and civics and world cultural teacher, I have experienced everything Mr. Ginsburg has, but I was never in a small town ever punished for it. I was never reprimanded for

030it. I was thanked. I was thanked by the school board for helping educate my students, for helping register hundreds of 18-year-old students to vote. Something I have no problem doing here. Ones that vote for you. Now, take that how you may, but this school district is the one we returned to when my wife was offered a job. Why? Because of everything that made her who she is. Something that made my child who they are. My youngest, who is going to be a sophomore next year, made her who she is. Something I'm very proud of. Something you should be very proud of. Something you should uphold. something that your teachers have come up and said, "Mr. Ginsburg, upholds." We have a school here in Evston called King Arts. I want you to look at that. What

031did that man do? It was disobedience. It was speaking out for those oppressed with courage, with humility, and striving to be a better person and helping raise everybody else up to that point. And that's what we're asking of you here, the people before me, the people after me. And I appreciate it as the recognition of time. I want to give everybody else that time because they deserve it just like you deserve to listen and recognize what they are saying. Internalize it. Thank you Don Ravine. My name is Don Ravine, Evston resident and class of 97. My daughter Bubbles was fortunate to have Mr. Ginsburg twice. Civics and US history classes filled with challenging conversations that are so key to developing critical thinkers, raising citizens who are empathetic and curious, who value learning new information and

032doing differently based on what they learn. Bubbles had significant disabilities that impacted how she could participate. Mr. Ginsburgg, more than any teacher, made sure Bubbles was part of the ecosystem of the class and spoke clearly on disability justice. History conversations are not always or even often comfortable. They require students to engage with some of the most violent moments in human history and to think of what they might do when faced with the opportunity to stand up. As Jewish people, we refer to this as takunolum or repairing the world. I want to speak to my Jewish community of Evston. The fear, pain, and violence we have experienced as a people is being exploited to excuse the violent destruction of homes, hospitals, schools, and lives in Gaza. Our pain is being used to excuse the defunding of

033schools, hospitals, and research right here in our own country. When we conflate any criticism of the government of Israel with anti-semitism, we provide the cover for attacks on education everywhere. school board. I have had the great privilege to learn directly from some of you in Beyond Diversity workshops and seed cohorts. I know from these experiences that if someone in our community says anti-racism education or LGBTQIA content makes my child unsafe, we call them in. We educate. We don't punish. We certainly don't end the work. We explain that uncomfortable isn't unsafe. And we share frameworks for dialogue. Mr. Ginsburg is an excellent teacher who displayed Jewish art in his classroom. art that highlights the value of questioning and disscent. The Talmud inspires us to question and debate as a core part of our Jewish practice. I

034urge you to remove any mark of discipline or censure um and make clear that we won't crumple in the face of intentional or unintentional misrepresentation, that we will stand firm whether it's an executive order or a parent phone call. Thank you. Next up is, and I might need your help with this. It looks like it's it's Nuland Smith, but I'm really bad with the translation and the handwriting. I hope I got I hope I was close. Yes. My name is Nuland Smith. My wife and I moved to Evston in 1963. Our son graduated from Eston Township High School in 1984, our daughter in 1987. I rise to speak to Andrew Ginsburgg third ask, namely that the district continues its policy of academic freedom by ceasing its suppression of free speech about Palestine. Judith Butler, professor

035of rhetoric and comparative literature at UC Berkeley, in her book, Frames of War, asks, "When is life grievable?" I asked school board 202 members, "When is the loss of Palestinian voices grievable?" By not removing your censure from Mr. Ginsburg record, you are sending a message to the Emerson Township High School community that indeed Palestinian voices are not grievable and hence are less than human. Or as Jennifer Sakoria in her article on the June 5th edition of Boston Review, can anyone hear me? said in her subtitle, "Palestinians are only allowed to exist if we don't cause discomfort for those who seek to erase us." Let me repeat, Palestinians are only allowed to exist if we don't cause discomfort for those who seek to erase us. Members of School Board 202, lift your sensor of Andrew Ginsburg.

036Do not continue to suppress Palestinian voices. Thank you. Next up is Paz Bomb. Hi, my name is Poss and I'm a Jewish resident of Evston. Um, I want to speak today a little bit about the poster that Mr. Ginsburg put up. Um, it was published in the magazine Jewish Currents and it states at the top, there are dissenters in Judaism today. And it speaks speaks a lot about what is Judaism, how Judaism uh really embodies this value of descent and of speaking up for the people who are oppressed. I wasn't so lucky to grow up in a community with a lot of Jewish people. And the Jewish people who were around me were staunch Zionists who left no room for people like my family who believe in anti-ionism, who believe in the Palestinian right to

037to freedom and uh to autonomy over their own land. And as a Jewish student, I would have been so grateful for a teacher like Mr. Ginsburg who was not only proud to display his Judaism, which was very uncommon in my own hometown. Um, but also the values of social justice that that this really beautiful religion promotes. I believe that a primary purpose of high school is to be exposed to new and different ideas and to learn about the world around us. Mr. Ginsburg was doing just this, showing his students about how he embodies Judaism, a religion that promotes justice for all regardless of their identity. I believe that the the poster he displayed um is a really unique way to teach ETH students about what Judaism means to different people. And um to myself and

038Mr. Mr. Ginsburg and like most Jewish people I know, Judaism means standing up for pe the people of for oppressed people because that is our own history. And so my Judaism demands that I stand up for the Palestinian people. And so I believe that Mr. Ginsburg should be allowed to teach his students about this aspect of his religion. Alongside my Jewish peers, I ask that you remove this irrelevant censure on Mr. Ginsburg and do not retaliate further. Thank you. Next up, and I might need some help, is uh is it Wen? And then it's uh Clario. W is it? Did I get it close? My name is Hain Clavo and I am a graduate of the Eth HHS class of 2024. Here to speak in support of Andrew Ginsburg. In my following year of at

039ETHS, I saw genocide in Palestine unfold. And I believed that if the school that touted their support for all these past revolutionary movements, they would allow me to support this one. In my final months at the school, I was ignored, punished, and routed in any attempt to meaningfully stand for this Palestinian people. I acquiesed to all the administrators requests, and I was given and and in return, I was given inschool suspensions and threatened with possibility of behind doors after being whisked away from a peaceful sitin. It is for these reasons why I'm unfortunately completely unsurprised that this is the second district meeting surrounding the one and one man. I find it abhorent this much ruckus is being made about that doesn't even mention Palestine or Israel once. I even more disgusting that this school is

040prioritizing the feelings of members of Evans after 2 years might be the most recorded public genocide in history. Every day for the past two years, I've been inundated with images of headless, mothers and fathers carrying their mangled corps of their children in trash bags, starved children being forced to eat flour with maggots infesting it. And I'm supposed to somehow consider this ongoing on the list of priorities than a couple of people thinking a Jewish man displaying a poster in his classroom that is simply advocating for descent is anti-semitism. Is there no cognitive dissonance? Anyone else here? ETHS has branded itself on support for free speech and civil rights. But so far, in my experience and in the experiences of my past classmates and teachers, this is a sham. This school district was given an opportunity

041to show that they really stand on what they say they believe in to support this century's defining revolutionary and civil rights movement and support their staff and students during it. And instead, they have firmly planted themselves with the forces of reaction and white supremacy. The only thing I can ask of anybody here now and the board trying to silence Mr. Ginsburg is to not pretend like you are against this in the future when you have the convenience of hindsight time. Paul [Applause] Hello, Carol Musk. I live at 818 Washington Street. As a Jewish resident of Evansston and a retired social studies teacher and teacher educator, I'm puzzled as to why Mr. Ginsburg has been censured for displaying Leor Ostro's artwork which was published as we've heard in Jewish Currents. As a progressive Jew and a

042committed social studies educator, the words of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Hesshel which are featured in Ostro's artwork are near and dear to my heart. Though I grew up interfaith in Muscogee, Oklahoma, which had a small Jewish population and limited Jewish educational resources, from an early age, I understood that Jewish values centered on education and critical thinking. My interfaith and multicultural Russian Jewish, white American, English, and Dutch ancestry, and Cherokee ancestry. That background caused me to identify with people such as immigrants, indigenous Americans, and impoverished Americans who are often subject to discrimination. The part of Judaism that I related to centered on Zedic or justice that we should all strive to be a part of. As a social studies educator, I was much influenced by the revolutionary historian and educator Howard Zinn. And I have always striven

043to teach students and people to think critically and to research evidence to help them to come to reasons conclusions just as Zen and Hessel would teach us. As an educator, a Jew and a Cherokee, I am in full support of the message that artist Leor Ostro extols in her artwork and I see it as an appropriate piece of art for a teacher to display in their classroom. To prevent a Jewish teacher from displaying this art would seem like telling a Christian teacher that they cannot display a quote from MLK which relates to Christian scripture. Yes. At this divisive time in our nature nation I feel it's imperative for Evston teachers to continue their excellent efforts to expose students to ideas, readings, artworks, etc. that engage them in a wide range of perspectives. so the students

044can make their own enlightened decisions. Thank you for your time and please consider and reconsider the actions you've taken in terms of Mr. Ginsburg. [Applause] I'm so so sorry. Before I start, Miss Williams, I don't know if it's on purpose, but I noticed you were scrolling on your phone while people were speaking, and I find that incredibly disrespectful. I think that if it were really important, you would take a step out. Sorry, that's just Hi, I'm 2540 Calpair Avenue. Um, my name is Cat. I'm a Jewish graduate of the class of 20205 from ETHS. This topic is incredibly close to me as Mr. Ginsburg was an important me mentor to me throughout my four years at this school. The poster was made by a Jew Jewish artist about being Jewish. There's nothing anti-semitic in Judaism.

045Judaism is not Zionism and anti-ionism is not anti-semitism, especially with the rise of conservatism in 2025. Freedom of speech is an incredibly important. It fights against what the Trump administration is trying to shut down. ETHS claims to be progressive and support all its students, but censoring this poster and reprimanding a Jewish staff member is exactly the opposite of that. This seed of censorship sets a wedge in the door for more to be done against free speech and for less students to feel safe and for conservatism to run rampant in the community. Um, if ETHS wants to live up to their words, they would provide a formal apology to Mr. Ginsburg, remove the strike from his record, and work to show they are dedicated to free speech in the future. Thank you. [Applause] Marsha Bernste Marshia

046Bernston of Evston. Sorry I'm not as techy as the kids. Everybody, you know, pulls out their iPhone. I have a piece of paper because that's my my means. I want to talk to you folks at the board of education, which is a point that many people have already made. I believe that position of the board is hindering the students at ETHS from practicing critical thinking, which I would expect to be a high priority from our educators. ETH students should be trained to demonstrate critical thinking by inclusive reasoning and judgment to make decisions and solve problems, analyzing it, communicating information from multiple sources with awareness of biases that could impact outcomes and communicating that information accurately to diverse groups of stakeholders. If the school wants to censor what students are exposed to based on bias so

047as not to risk a student feeling uncomfortable, the school is doing a disservice to the student body. Is there any concern for the feelings of students whose personal experience is being silenced? I urge you strongly to in no way retaliate against Andrew. Ginsburg and to remove anything in his record that would impact him negatively. Thank you. Lily Aaron. Hi, my name is Lily Aaron. Uh, I'm a Jewish person and a recent ETHS graduate and I'm speaking in reference to the suppression and administrative retaliation against Mr. Ginsburg. As a Jewish person in the United States, not living under the constant threat of snipers, drones, famine, continued displacement, mass death, or the possibility of my home crumbling down on my family, is my responsibility to combat shallow, amorphous dog whistles of uncomfortability in the face of genocide.

048The response to the poster hung in Mr. Ginsburg's classroom reflects nothing short of a descent into fascism. To think that these actions protect the safety of Jewish students is dead wrong. ETHS's role in conflating the support of the Israeli government's actions with anti-semitism will only manifest in violent acts that will harm Evson's Jewish and Muslim communities. As I've seen over my four years in these classrooms, is possible and deeply important to engage in challenging discussions concerning such complex moments in our in our history. Excuse me. When you set such a precedent of censorship, you do a grave injustice to Evston's next generation of critical thinkers. I urge you to heed Mr. Ginsburg's requests and reflect on this board's endorsement of Zionism as the only legitimate expression of Jewish identity and why we express and why

049we force the Palestinian people to prove their humanity to us again and again. Thank you. [Applause] Stern. Shaina. Yeah, got it. My name is Shaya Sternstein. I live at 6 Salem Circle and I am an Evston resident with kids in D65, but soon to be in 202. I want to sincerely thank each and every one of you, this board, this administration for your thoughtful principal decision regarding the classroom poster and the situation that happened after that deeply impacted Jewish students and other folks in the classroom as well, including families like mine. Your public statement made it clear teachers do not have the same first amendment rights in the classroom as students. That is not just a legal point. is a reflection of your commitment to maintain schools as safe and respectful environments for all students.

050Title six requires schools to respond to any conduct, verbal, written, symbolic, that creates a hostile environment based on race, ethnicity, or religion. What happened in that classroom crossed a line. Your decision affirmed that anti-semitism will be taken seriously here. I know being on the school board means long nights. You might have to scroll your phone and do some other things while you're here, too. It means tough decisions. It means time away from your own families. Please let know that this decision made my family feel safer and more supported. That is something that we won't forget. Thank you for your courage and your leadership. [Applause] Excuse me. Excuse me. Excuse me. Excuse me. Excuse me. We're all here to listen and we'll end if this continues. We have to be respectful. Lynn and Doug Gates. No.

051Gina Leek. Sorry. Epic. It rhymes with epic. Yeah. Uh, hold on a second. Good evening. Thank you for your time. My name is Gina Lepic and I am a teacher at ETHS, an Evston parent and community member, and Andrew Ginsburg, previous classroom neighbor. He is moving and it is sad. I've seen firsthand the kind of teacher Andrew Ginsburg is. His classroom is a safe, welcoming space where students gather, not just for snacks and tea, but for real conversations, real care, and real support. He creates a home base for students who often don't feel like they have one in the building. And he doesn't just stand up for Palestine. He stands up for all students and all injustices. Silencing him sends a message that advocacy has limits here and that care must be conditional. ETHS claims

052to value diversity and critical thinking, but by disciplining Andrew for offering a Jewish perspective on Palestine and speaking out when that perspective was silenced, you contradict those values. This is not about discomfort. It's about silencing. Challenging ideas are not threats. They are the heart of real learning, which I hope we appreciate here. Andrew didn't violate the mission of the school. He embodied it. He offered students a window into a broader, more nuanced world, and that's what great educators do. I urge you to remove the censure from his record and reject any retaliatory action. Do not let ETHS become a place where inclusion is a slogan but not a practice. Thank you. Aris Maguire. Is it Aerys? My name is Aerys Magguire. I'm an ETHS alum, the class of 24. I want to start by saying

053I have a profound respect for educators and everyone on the board right now. Everyone who makes this institution run, teachers, staff, janitors, and those behind the scenes. I la you for the hard work you put into making this an incredible institution. For a long time, I didn't fully recognize that work or the power teachers hold until I had Mr. Ginsburg my sophomore year. To me, Mr. Mr. Mr. Ginsburgg is the kind of educator who empowers his students, challenges us, and makes space for real discourse. Not once in my time in his classroom did he assert his views or shut down a student. That kind of teaching, imposing one's beliefs, silencing others, is the exact opposite of what makes a good educator. And while different teachers have different approaches, I believe that making space to challenge

054students, encouraging them to question themselves and engage with one another creates and and creating a safe environment for expression was central to Mr. Ginsburg's classroom. Today, I'm frustrated and confused. I hold enorm enormous gratitude for the institution, for how it shaped me into an advocate that I am today. But I'm also grappling with the fact that we're moving away from what education is supposed to foster, critical thinking. I'm not here to push my views on Israel and Palestine. I'm here because ETHS, an institution that helped me grow as a thinker, as an advocate, and that has done the same for countless others in this room right now, has betrayed both itself and Andrew Ginsburg. Censoring a teacher for putting up a poster for making space for Palestinian identity reflects poorly on a school that aims

055to be against that that is a direct viol sorry sorry a that aims to be progressive and inclusive. Retaliating against a teacher for encouraging dialogue is a direct violation of free speech. It sends a chilling message for students and faculty alike. That open that open discussion and marginalized perspectives are not welcome here. I strongly urge the board to remove the report from Mr. Ginsburg's record. That's one act alone. That would be a small but necessary step towards accountability. Thank you, Dan Roberts. Hi, my name is Dan Roberts, proud parent of one ETH uh ETHS graduate and another uh who's a incoming junior. So, I'm going to do something a little bit different right now. Uh pop quiz. Uh don't worry, there are no right answers, but feel free to raise your hand. Quick show of

056hands. Raise your hand if you denounce the KKK. Right. Raise your hand if you denounce Hamas. Raise your hand if you denounce state sponsored ethnic cleansing. All right. Interesting. Okay. So, these are not neutral questions. They're rhetorical traps designed not to provoke thought, but to corner it. These are examples of what we might call the denunciatory binary, a device that reduces complex, often tragic geopolitical realities into binary choices, good versus evil, for us or against us with no room for historical context, moral ambiguity, or completing or competing perspectives. And yet, we ask our students every day to think critically, to weigh evidence, to consider opposing viewpoints, and to sit with discomfort because that's how mature civic-minded adults are formed. The teacher you've centured is guilty only of modeling that very ethic. Not indoctrination, not bias,

057but intellectual courage. In a time when easy answers are shouted from all sides, he dared to guide students through complexity instead of hiding it from them. And for that, he's being punished. But make no mistake, this is about far more than one educator. This is about whether ETHs cultivates free thought or enforces conformity. Whether we want students who can think critically or merely repeat approved narratives. The board of education has a sacred duty to the students first, then to the faculty, and then to the community. And that duty includes protecting the space where difficult conversations happen. Time finish last even and especially when they challenge prevailing assumptions. All right, next speaker is Max. And I can't read Max's last name. Guyer. My name is Max Guyger. and I graduated from ETHS just last year. I

058will not use this time to share my personal views on the broader issue at hand. Instead, I want to highlight the inconsistency in how the school approaches political expression. During my time here, I saw pride and progress in Black Lives Matter flags as well as posters advocating for climate regulation and gun control displayed in classrooms, each aligned with causes labeled as progressive. Yet, when it comes to expressions of support for Palestine, there is a different standard. It is important to acknowledge that violence has occurred in the name of all of the aforementioned movements, not just Palestinian liberation. Violence and hate in the name of Palestinian liberation is highlighted when in truth, the majority of supporters for Palestine stand for justice and human rights, as do the majority of supporters for the other causes I mentioned.

059If the school removes political symbols in the name of neutrality, that standard must apply to all. And if expression is truly of value here, then punishing someone like Mr. Ginsburg for speaking out is not just inconsistent, it's unjust. Do the right, consistent, and Evanstonian thing and remove this from his record. Thank you. Ifi stolen. Hello. I am a Jewish resident of Evston. I was born in Russia and I grew up hearing stories uh from my parents about kind of schoolboard meetings like these in the Soviet Union where there was no freedom of speech where you had to tow the party line where you couldn't put up any posters other than the ones approved by the state and when I came here to the US I was told that the entire point of this country is

060that there is no party line to tow that when you go to a schoolboard meeting like this you have freedom freedom of expression. And when you're a teacher, you're able to express yourself. What are we doing here? A Jewish teacher puts up a poster made by a Jewish artist quoting the Talmud and a rabbi. And we're talking about Jewish students being offended. And if they are offended, fine. But that's the point of high school. It's to go and talk to your social studies teacher and ask teachers like Mr. Ginsburg, what is that about? But instead, what the school board is doing by censoring Andrew Ginsburg, by threatening retaliation, is that they're using the exact same techniques that they were using in the Soviet Union, that they're using right now in the federal government with the

061fascist Trump administration. And so I ask you to learn from the history of my family, from the country and the federal government right now and enable people to think critically and I ask you to remove the censure from Mr. Ginsburg record. Thank you. Next is Candy Jameson. Candy [Applause] It's our understanding that this piece of art displayed in Andrew's classroom made some students, parents, probably some teachers uncomfortable. I wonder if this uncomfort is rooted in their communities complicity in a current genocide. [Music] the bombing of hospitals, bombing children, these war crimes that we we've been watching for the past 20 months. There are no schools left in Gaza. They all have been destroyed. All of them. There are no safe places to learn in Gaza. No school gymnastics, no track and field, no walls to

062hang up posters that could help challenge the status quo. No student is going to a prestigious internship, summer job, or just taking a muchneeded summer break because Gaza is currently fighting to survive. Here we are in our comfortable, privileged Northshore school board meeting debating crumbs. Crumbs when flesh is burning and you're hiding behind lies while our tax dollars fund genocide and you look away because you're uncomfortable. What we need is to challenge the complicity in our institutions. Genocides are not created and caused by individual people. They need whole societies to enable them to happen like ETHs in Northwestern University like Evston. It's time. I wonder what will give you the more courage you need to resist Zionism and fascism like Andrew Ginsburg because you all know you sure as hell need it. [Applause] William Jameson

063[Applause] In 1963, Martin Luther King was arrested in Birmingham, Alabama. As he sat in the jail cell there, he wrote something, perhaps the most moving letter ever pinned. If you haven't read it, I suggest that you give it a shot. And if you have read it, you should read it again. Perhaps the most famous quote in the letter, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Why was Martin Luther King arrested? What was his crime? Why was he beat, spit on, kicked, hosed, and then arrested, thrown in prison? He led a peaceful protest in violation of a court injunction. Bull Connor, you heard of that name before? The public safety officer prohibited any posters, signs, text, songs, any anti-segregation descent. In other words, Martin Luther King exercised his first amendment right, his freedom of speech.

064What is the legacy of Martin Luther King in Evston at ETHS? I wonder if our vote here today will remind us that. Danielle Foster. Good evening. My name is Danielle Foster. I reside in Evston. I'm here as a community member, an educator, a parent of an ETHS grad in 2024, a former student of the beloved Mr. Ginsburg, and an incoming freshman. My family moved back to Evston from Lake County so that our children could be among peers who looked like them and would attend progressive schools where they saw themselves reflected. We know that no place is a racial or social justice utopia, but we also recognize that Evston is home to many who are deeply committed to equity work. We thought that ETHS's school board and administration was equally committed. However, equity cannot begin and

065end with Black Lives Matter and LGBTQIA plus inclusion. Though we are incredibly grateful that D202 continues to affirm those identities in the face of push back, including from our dictator and chief. True equity means uplifting the most marginalized and vulnerable among us. Evston, like the rest of this country, is built on stolen indigenous land. We have not done right by our native communities here. So it should come as no surprise that our systems also fail to recognize or support indigenous peoples elsewhere. Palestinians are in an indigenous and seemetic people. They are being ethnically cleansed by the Israeli government and apartheid regime funded by in part by our US tax dollars. Many of um of us who care deeply about this also believe that our humanity is interconnected and that when one of us suffers, we

066all do. It is in this spirit that we must call out injustice, even when it's uncomfortable, even when it makes those of us who speak out against it unsafe. When a Jewish teacher displays a work of art created by a Jewish artist with language from a rabbi and faces backlash for doing so, that is not anti-semitism. That is censorship. It is fear-driven fascism. That's the Palestinian exception. And it is wrong. Equity requires courage. It requires resisting the efforts of those who would prioritize power and privilege over collective liberation. I dissent. We should all descent. Finish. Okay. Our next our next public comment is from Jason Foster. Jason Foster. Good evening. Uh I am Jason Foster and I'm friends with Mr. Ginsburg. Um I come to you tonight not just as an advocate for justice, but

067as a parent in Evston community. One of my children has already graduated from ETHS. Another is coming in as a freshman. I speak today because I care deeply about the values this school models not only for my children but for all students. That's why the board's 20 May 21st response to the censorship of a Jewish teacher over a peaceful poster was so disappointing. A poster created by a Jewish artist. A poster showing peaceful protest. No slogans, no flags, just art rooted in identity and resistance to fascism. And still the teacher was punished. Your public response never names that that harm. It claims to uphold equity, but hides behind vague language about student safety and neutrality. Let's be honest, there was no safety threat here, only discomfort. and discomfort when privileged over truth becomes a tool

068of censorship. The board says it doesn't take position on foreign policy, but in silencing this teacher, it absolutely did. That's not neutrality. That's alignment with power. You say you promote inclusion and belonging, but what about modeling integrity and intellectual courage for students? What about standing by your educators when they live out the very values you preach? Let's not forget you invited speakers like Kanahasi Coats who was connected to suffering of Palestinians to Jim Crow. You brought in Dr. Eddie Gald who speaks unapologetically about justice across borders. Are those voices welcome only as performance. You proudly display your indigenous credo in the building, but in the same breath you treat anything proximate to Palestinian identity as dangerous. This is not a commitment to liberation. is a curated display of justice that evaporates when challenged. It's time.

069Thank you. Adam Held. Members of the board, I'm Adam Held. I do not live in the district, but I teach at Evston Township High School. Mr. Ginsburg and I are both cohort of 2016. We came into this school building together. My years with Mr. Ginsburg have shown him to be an outstanding educator, an incredible human, and as someone with a black daughter, of all the white teachers in this building, he's the one I want to make sure she has when she comes here. He's an incredible educator and human. I want to ask the board a question because as a teacher, I know the trainings that you put us through every year. And one of those trainings that is every year that Dr. Kinsey has put forward is in Lakesh. And I want to read to

070the community what Inlakesh is and what I've been trained to believe it is. In Llakesh, the poem that we've been trained on. You are my other me. When you are honored, I rise. When you are silenced, I ache. You are my other me. If your identity is punished, mine is less free. You are my other me. If I ignore your pain, I deny my own humanity. If I fight for you, I fight for all of us. Tax dollars have gone to train us staff and teachers on the inlakesh mindset. I have taken it to heart and it's made me a better teacher. Mr. Ginsburg has lived that in lakesh mindset every day in his classroom every day in the community undoubtedly. So that's Mr. Ginsburg. I want to quickly ask the school board in the

071summer of 2020 the boys basketball team and Dodge Avenue painted a mural. I asked the board and I think everyone here knows what they painted on the on the street in front of Dodge Avenue. Black Lives Matter. That meant a lot to me and I know it meant a lot to the black students in this building. They felt seen and they felt safe. That was broadcast on the school social media accounts. It was publicized. The school completely endorsed it and I'm sure the board did as well. My question is why is that statement endorsed by the board okay but any statement endorsing Palestinian lives mattering is not? Please remove the censuring of Mr. Ginsburg. It's unfair and unjust and it tells our Palestinian and Muslim students they do not belong here. Thank you. [Applause] Ira

072Smith. Ira Smith. Good evening. My name is Ira Smith. I'm a resident of Evston. I have a daughter um in the Evston in District 202. Um we are hearing from a lot of people who I absolutely believe are sincere in their beliefs about what are hap what's happening in world events and I respect that. We've also heard from a number of students um recent graduates who have been in Mr. Ginsburg's class and speak very highly of the impact that he has had on their lives and I have no reason to question any of that. I may disagree with what's being presented as fact in the world situation, but I do not question the sincerity of the people who are speaking this evening. Um, I may disagree with Mr. Ginsburg and you know and if he

073wanted to, I'd be happy to grab a coffee and a beer. I'll buy and we can talk about our views on world events. The only question here tonight is was a rule violated and is is it a rule that you apply consistently to all of your faculty and staff? Right? You know, some people will fight against something. They will stand up knowing that what they're doing could leave a mark on their record and they wear that mark with pride. They're willing to stand up in front of the world and say, "I disagree." And there may be a price that I have to pay for that so long as your school administration and this board are consistently applying your rules. If I were in Mr. Ginsburg's shoes. I would wear the censure with pride. If he

074is being singled out, you need to ask yourselves a question and say, are we being consistent? Is what we are doing with Mr. Ginsburgg consistent with everybody else? If it's not, should it be? Complete your sentence this time. Sure. If it's not, should it be? Right. Change your ways. No time like the present. Thank you. [Applause] Brian Pausner. Brian Pausner. Hello. Uh, thank you all. Um, my name is Brian. I'm an Evson resident. I'm a parent of two uh, recent ETHS alum. First of all, I want to thank Dr. Kenzie and Dr. Campbell for standing up and saying that Mr. Ginsburg is wrong. I admire your courage and appreciate your willingness to stand up for every student. Every student counts and I appreciate so much the courage that it took. I'm grateful to the board

075for speaking out about the importance of student safety, speaking out in favor of creating an environment where all students are welcomed and taking a meaningful uh a meaningful step to address one of ETHs's primary purveyors of Jewish hatred. In recent weeks, there has been a terrorist attack in on Jews in Washington DC and another in Colorado. I listen to you guys. I listen to a lot of stuff I don't agree with respectfully and I'd appreciate the same. I would hope Mr. Ginsburg may have taught some of his students that uh as I was saying, there's been a terrorist attack in DC, another in Colorado. These events show that words escalate to actions and violence, especially against Jewish kids and Jewish families. Over the last two years, Mr. Ginsburg has fan the flames of bigotry, widen

076the fissure fissures in Evston. You need to look no further than what you're seeing this evening. And he has done his best to create a hostile school for kids who have the audacity to identify as Jewish and Zionist. I worry about every young Jewish child because we are talking about children here. I worry about every Jewish child who's exposed to his classes are exposed to the damage done to the school environment. Jewish students deserve the same physical and psychological safety as other students to ensure that they have the ability to study and learn and enjoy the same access to a quality public education. Thank you board for taking our community's concerns seriously. Thank you for acting and thank you for standing up to those who are more interested in spreading disinformation than in truth. [Applause]

077Our next speaker is Liza Cobbernick. And let's just really think about the fact that we're talking about multiple perspectives and that we're asking for that to be honored in the actions that are taking place in this very space. Okay. Hello, I am Liza and I have lived in Evston for 26 years. I sent two of my kids through ETHS and I'm proud that the school community is diverse socially, economically, racially, linguistically, and intellectually. This is something ETHs prides itself on. The students are engaged and stand up for various issues they believe need changing. They have been allowed to do so even if it was an uncomfortable thing for some. For example, fighting for private bathrooms for trans and non-binary students. They were not condemned or punished for their efforts. I am a proud Evanstonian and

078I am a proud Jew. I am appalled at the recent events. ETHS claims it respects the differences of students and staff. Yet a teacher is being silenced and penalized for expressing a different perspective and hanging an artistic sign that proudly says what we are Jews. We are Jews instructed to do. Fight injustice. Stand up for those that no one else is standing up for. This violates his right to teach a differing viewpoint. This doesn't allow Palestinian students to feel safe or students who support Palestine an opportunity to have a space to openly discuss just what is different from what this small minority of people want us to believe is true. I beg you to reconsider this decision and to remove all censure and any threat of retaliation from Mr. Ginsburg's record. Please allow teachers to

079do what they are instructed to do here in this community, to teach. Thank you. Next up is Charlotte. It starts with a G. Got it. Hi. Uh, I'm Charlotte Gaykins. I'm ETHS class of 2023 and I am Jewish. Uh, I'm here to speak about the board's action against Mr. Ginsburg. Supporting Palestinian rights is not anti-semitism, but penalizing a Jewish man for displaying a piece of Jewish art is. Treating Jews like they are only allowed to have one set of beliefs is also anti-semitism. Full stop. No exceptions. Second, I love this community with all my heart. But during my time here, I felt that there were ways in which the community did not quite love me back. When I was at ETHS, there was no awareness surrounding Jewish holidays. Several times, teachers all but forced me

080to work through Yamipur. More than once, I had online assignments due or mandatory school events taking place after school uh after school was over on Friday night. Now, seeing ETHS turn around and pretend to be the great defender of the Jewish community is laughable. By threatening one of the one of the few Jewish educators that ETHS's students have to look up to and do look up to, you are not defending us. You are using us as a shield to defend your own destructive bigotry against the Palestinian people. And it needs to change. Thank you for your time. [Applause] Frank Herman. Nope. All right, Steve. Is it Foley or Steve with a D? Maybe. All right. Okay. Aaron Garcia. [Applause] Good evening. My name is Aaron Garcia. I live in the fourth ward. I'm a a

081former high school English teacher and I'm here to speak in support of Andrew Ginsburg. Before I read my prepared remarks, I just want to comment on what we're doing here tonight and what we've seen here tonight. I believe that um in particular the voices we've heard of young people um represent the exact kind of critical thinking skills that we want our students to have. I don't believe that they would have been able to make the emotional and logical appeals that they've made, that they would have been able to reference their own personal experiences so eloquently or to bring their knowledge of what's happening in the world and what they know of history into this conversation if they hadn't been given a space in which to explore uncomfortable ideas. And we're not allowing that. We're not

082allowing what's happening tonight to happen in their classrooms if we censure this teacher. So, what I was prepared to say after I was or before I was moved by what's happening here tonight um is that when we decide for teachers and students what can or cannot be discussed, we take away their opportunity to learn how to navigate these topics and to develop critical thinking skills. It also concerns me that if disscent is not allowed, then the predominant narrative never has to defend itself. For our democracy to function, we need disscent and the ability to question the dominant view. Taking a poster down in a classroom is not going to erase the challenge to genocide that is arising from the voices of millions of people around the world right now. today. Every minute. Every minute. But

083taking down that poster will undermine the education of children who have a right to knowledge, to differences of opinion, the right to disscent, and the right to agency in making their own decisions about what they believe. Depriving them of knowledge handicaps them. It treats them as if they're not capable of thinking, as if they're not capable of reasoning. And what we've seen here tonight is that young people are capable of reasoning. time. Um, complete your sentence though. Yeah. It seems that denying them access of this knowledge is coming from fear. And I invite all of us not to be afraid, not to be afraid of the truth and to the conclusions we reach when we think for ourselves. Thank you. Next up is Josh We can't make out the rest of it, but it's Josh

084W. Good evening. My name is Josh Winer. I'm the chief marketing and development officer at North American Values Institute. Last month, we sent a letter to this body urging it to enforce its policies and clarify that teachers speech rights do not supersede their professional duties. Today I give credit to the board for doing just that. Teachers are required to abide by board policy 6.80 on teaching about controversial issues which requires educators to provide balanced perspectives, respect the rights and opinions of everyone and ensure topics are co covered in the classroom are relevant to curriculum. Displaying a partisan message on a complex, divisive international conflict violates this policy and compromises the classroom's neutrality and inclusivity. Although the school has not previously disciplined teachers for displaying other political symbols that should not serve as justification to further

085politicize classrooms. Rather, it underscores the need to reassert the importance of classroom neutrality on controversial issues. This board affirmed this in the name of inclusiveness, intellectual openness, and balance, noting that teachers are trusted to create spaces for critical thinking, to engage students in meaningful dialogue, and to approach complex topics with integrity, care, and professionalism. Our organization Na'vi stands for upholding certain core values in K12 organizations including freedom of inquiry, equal access to opportunity, independence, and unity amid diversity. Contrary to these values, there has been a growing trend across the country of educators openly and proudly bringing activism into the classroom along with a one-sided and binary view of critical issues like this one in question. Unfortunately, we have seen it result in the exclusion and marginalization of students based on their identity. We don't want

086schools to censor any age appropriate conversation from the classroom. But when Norman Finkelstein, Peter Binard, or Leora Ostro are brought to the classroom, so should Inat Wolf or Shaunie Moore. When Ibram Kendy and Tahani Coats are brought to the classroom, so should Thomas Soul and Coleman Hughes. Only then can schools promote an ethical approach to difficult conversations, allowing students equal access to the opportunity to explore different views and nuance. Time finishes. Also to bring themselves to a better understanding of and confidence in their own views with development of the skills of how to come to them. Thank you very much. Next is Joel Sternstein. Hello, I'm Joel Sternstein. I'm a longtime Evston resident. First, I want to commend the board and the administration for the May 21st article in the Evston round table. While I'm

087somewhat concerned about the free speech implications of removing the Jewish Currents poster in the context of what has transpired at ETHS over the past 20 months, I have many more pressing concerns. I've heard multiple mentions of censorship both at the May public board meeting and at the comments tonight concerning the teacher who hung the poster. The teacher is free to express his political opinions at any time before 8:30, after 30, after 3:30 on weekends as days off and spring summer winter breaks, even during schoolboard meetings, but there are limits to free speech when it comes to teachers here as soon as they enter ETHS to teach for the day. Many of the public comments at the May board meeting and tonight address the poster and all of them address the conflict in Gaza. And if

088the May school board meeting comments give a glimpse into what is being discussed in the classroom, then the board and the administration need to keep current their stance to comply with section 6.80 of the schoolboard policy manual. What I heard very little about during the May May board board meeting public comments October 7th three mentions and only in passing and nothing about the killing, raping, beheading and burning of civilians in Kabutzim and the kids at the Nova Music Festival. Hamas's genocidal intention toward Jews and all non-Muslims, no mention. Hamas's hostages, both alive and dead, no mention. Hamas's rockets being shot into Israel, no mention. Hamas stealing aid meant for civilians in Gaza. No mention. The October 8th statement by many students at Harvard University blaming the October 7th attacks on the Israelis issued while the

089kabutim were still burning. No mention. Douglas Murray's reporting from the war. No mention. That Hamas uses UN and American money to brainwash young children in Gazin schools to hate Jews. No mention. Concern for the Jewish students who walk into ETHS every day bracing for anti-Semitic comments from teachers and peers. No mention. Concern for the Jewish parents who want to speak out but are afraid of repercussions for their children. No mention. It was just Israel bad genocide censorship. It's not the truth. This is a public high school, not an indoctrination camp. You cannot hijack a public institution to further your own political goals. And I thank the ETHs school board and administration again for doing their part to prevent this. Next is Rachel Salinger. My name is Rachel Salinger. Um, and I'm not going to talk

090about Palestine or genocide or my religion, just the law. Primary and secondary teachers, unlike citizens, students, or professors, forego some of the protections of the First Amendment in exchange for a paycheck. They get paid to speak for their speech. By law, he does not have academic freedoms like professors. At no time is a teacher in his classroom wearing his citizen's hat. Courts have repeatedly made this clear that a teacher's classroom speech is not the speech of a citizen for first amendment purposes. Monroe versus CPS. When a teacher deviates from that which they are paid to say in violation of rules, laws, the curriculum decorum, they cannot claim constitutional protections. Such a power would protect racist and homophobic teachers. Unless they argue their speech at the last school board meeting is protected, it is not. Wniaak

091versus adesa. Fortunately, I have the case here. Address that here in the seventh circuit. The court said schools that permit teachers to degrade students and commit tors against them like violating their privacy rights cannot fulfill its educational function. This teacher has no first amendment rights to speech outside of that approved by the administration. He can and should be terminated not be but not not because of his political advocacy but for name calling, for intimidating, and for refusing to engage in respectfully nuanced dialogue with students he disagrees with. David Conrad. David Conrad, I think. No, David. David, I just I'm an Evson resident. I uh I I grew up in Uptown, very multally multicultural um place to grow up. Um and I chose Evston when I decided to move uh to live in a place. So,

092uh, most of my adult life I've been an Evston resident because it's multicultural and, uh, it's a special place. Really is a special place. Um I didn't I didn't sign up to talk but um I just wanted to uh read one line from the ESON roundt uh um article about um Andrew Ginsburg and it says the school district should make it a priority to educate those who feel so offended by the prophetic words of Hershel on his anti-war legacy instead of rewarding and bolstering the ignorance of the complaints. And that's that's all. Katherine Bundon. Catherine with a B. B T I N I think. No. Next. Oh, right there. Okay. Sorry. Oh, that sheet over there. I thought we were signing. We are. I apologize. Oh, you just signed your name in. Oh. Oh, this

093is very disappointing to me. Um, I lived in Evston, then I moved to Wilmad, then I moved back to Evston. Um, we've always prided ourselves in living in a community that's very open-minded and thoughtful on issues of justice. And it's just super disappointing to see a teacher of this quality um being chastised for doing such a good job. And the students have really made it very clear how much he's meant to them. I can't imagine a student being in his classroom feeling any kind of fear. Um, we didn't hear any students tonight, I don't believe, talk like that. So, um I think it may be hard for a board like this to reconsider, but I think given the prepundonderance of evidence tonight, I would hope that you'd take it very seriously um to reconsider this

094and and be proud of your teachers that have these characteristics. Thank you so much. Next is James with a G. James Gibus. Okay, fair enough. We're making up time. So, I will yield my time to the others who actually Yeah. All right. Uh, let's see. Nadira. All right. [Applause] Hi everyone, my name is Nadira. I'm a recent graduate of ETHS as of last month and I want to address part of my time to Dr. Campell. As a former intern for Dr. Campell last year, I learned about his dedication to uplifting marginalized voices shown through his role in creating the first black student summit and his continued support for each student affinity space. We had conversations about protest, disrupting the status quo and true advocacy for a cause and especially in Lakesh. You are my other

095me. I admire him very deeply. However, the school's board recent actions taken against Mr. Ginsburgg contradict the same values I admire him for and instead send a harmful message that free speech, particularly about Palestine, is not welcome in our school. As a re as a recent graduate of ETHS, I am deeply disappointed and embarrassed that my school, a place seemingly committed to creating a welcoming and diverse space, is once again silencing an anti-Zionist voice. Mr. Ginsburg's de devotion to educating his students and creating a welcoming environment is very clear. To penalize him for a poster displaying one expression of his Jewish identity is shameful. I honestly cannot believe that I'm standing here at ETHS whose board is so adamant on supporting diversity, equity, inclusion, and free speech, speaking out speaking out against the very same

096school board's actions. I urge the board to issue a public apology to Mr. Ginsburg, remove the infractions from his record, and recommmit to supporting free speech for everyone. Thank you. Isaac Isaac Leeb Isaac coming. [Applause] Uh Isaac Lee 2309 Grant. Um I'm sorry to have to be here today. Like truly, I did not want to have to come back here. I graduated 2, three weeks ago. The last thing I want is to be in this building right now. However, I have friends who are underassmen. My brother is a freshman here, so I know how important this is. Um, when I think about this time in history, I think it's pretty obvious how much of a pivotal time it is. Um, I think about not only the lessons that I learned here, but the lessons that

097I try and take from my ancestors. Um, and I feel very proud to say that I feel confident that my ancestors who died in Awitz and my ancestors on my other side of the family who fought against the British in Ireland would be incredibly proud of me and incredibly in ashamed of all of you. And I think that is true of your ancestors as well. We cannot stay silent while this is happening. And this feels almost unrelated from the topic at hand because you're censoring someone for something that has nothing to do with Palestine. His advocacy is completely separate from the poster. The poster does not say Gaza, does not say Palestine. It has no mention of anything relating to the genocide. I like I said last time I was up here, I went through

098your guys's entire English curriculum and entire history curriculum, every AP class, and the critical thinking skills you taught me was to trust reputable sources, human rights organizations, you know, people with expertise on these things, right? And yet when they say over and over again that this is a genocide and that this has to end, you lot plug your ears and pretend like it isn't happening. It's completely unacceptable. I was here when Ibram X Kendi was spoke. I was here when Tanahashi Coat spoke. Those are two of the smartest people on the face of the earth. And you claim to espouse the same things that they do. And that is so obviously not the case. And I am truly ashamed to be a graduate of a school that feels this much resentment towards free speech. Um,

099so this week as we see the uh US essentially what will become the US Gestapo time but you can finish your sentence on the street. I will leave you with Tanahashi Coat's quote. If you cannot stand up against genocide, why do I think you could stand up for democracy? [Applause] Ellen Ellen fear Ellen Fear. Got it. Good evening. I'm Ellen Fear and I'm a science teacher here at ETHS. I'm on I'm here on behalf of Andrew Ginsburg. I am a Jewish granddaughter of Polish immigrants escaping the Holocaust. I've lost people to genocide. So I ask you, what if we didn't have posters on our walls reminding us of historical atrocities? We need to learn from slavery in the US, the Holocaust in Germany, apartheid in South Africa, killing and displacement of indigenous peoples in the

100US, the Ugers in China, food apartheid in urban areas due to redlinining, colonialism in general. I could go on. Along with those terrible times in our history and some things that are currently happening come the people and ideas that help us forge a path towards empathy, love, care, compassion, a better world. This school prides itself on the proclamation that all are worthy of a voice. And yet mistakes continue to be made. And you know that I have seen the hate and vitriol against my science department colleagues as well as towards me. But that's okay. We all make mistakes. I am asking you to acknowledge your mistakes and make things right. Let's start with listening. Listening is hard because all too often there's too much talk. Everyone has something to say. I'm asking you to really

101listen. Bravery is hard, especially when striving to include all voices. I am asking you to be brave and lean into having deep and thoughtful conversations instead of backing away. Remember those cou courageous conversations that you make us have. Have them too. Take time to understand. Understand that anti-Israel and pro Palestinian is not anti-semitic, but instead understand that Zionism has co-opted anti-semitism in order to push Israel's agenda in order to take the land life and humanity of the Palestin Palestinian people. Humanity time. Remember your humanity. [Applause] Anna Anna Grant Bolton. Hi everybody. My name is Anna Grant Bolton and I'm a lifelong Evston community member and ETHS graduate. I'm here today to speak in support of Mr. Ginsburg and the countless people across the country whose right to speak out against the ongoing genocide in Palestine

102is currently under threat. I have always been proud to be an ETHS graduate. It was at ETHS that I learned the moral imperative to bravely stand up against global injustices, fiercely pursue equity, and tirelessly work to build a more caring and peaceful world. It was the guidance and support of ETHS teachers, including Mr. Ginsburgg, that taught me the importance of open dialogue and free speech in fostering a stronger and more resilient community. It is these very values that ETHS instilled in me that compel me to speak in front of you all today in support of Mr. kinsburg and all of our rights to speak out against injustice even and especially when it is inconvenient to do so. To silence Mr. Ginsburg would be to send a clear and dangerous message to the next generation of

103ETHs students that their community will not protect them and their right to free speech. In a moment where the right to free speech on Palestine is under threat nationally, you have the power and the responsibility to protect the right to free speech on Palestine within our own community. I hope that you have the moral courage to do so. Thank you. Abigail Bule. Abigail Hello everyone. I am a former Mr. Ginsburg student and I'm currently at Northwestern University. I am also Uchinanchu, an indigenous peoples of Japan. As a globally indigenous person, I have never felt supported by ETHS and I know many of my fellow indigenous people and friends feel the same. You may do your land acknowledgements, but they mean nothing when you are actively supporting the colonization and genocide of indigenous peoples. Do not

104pretend to support us, especially when you are punishing one of the few teachers here who does. When the history classes here teach about the student movements for Palestinian liberation, you will teach that students and faculty here have organized for this cause. You will neglect to tell them, however, of your role in the act of suppression for this cause. Perhaps realize that if you are agreeing with Trump's statements, you stand on the wrong side of history. You have decided to stand with the colonizers and the fascists. Right now, though, you have the chance to change that and to side with empathy. We demand that you immediately seize all persecution of Mr. Ginsburg for doing what having humanity requires. as someone whose family has been genocided, whose family currently experiences oppression, cultural genocide, and continued US militarism.

105I demand that you look at what you are doing and you reassess with empathy. May this teach you that we will not sit quietly. Diane Diane thoros Diane. Hello. Uh, my name is Diane Thottos, class of 1980. Lived in Evston for many, many decades. And I got to say, things have really changed around here. I was proud of my education back then. I had teachers who really forced me to think critically about what was being presented to me about how to slice and dice how propaganda can mold people's minds. Well, we are full frontal assault on propaganda fascism today bigger than I ever imagined was possible. In Timothy Snider's famous best-selling book on tyranny, rules for fighting authoritarianism, the first rule was do not obey in advance. I wonder if you're aware that by punishing

106Professor Ginsburgg for his first amendment rights, and I disagree with this woman about the law, first amendment rights, it is the one who was saying, "Oh, you got to follow the law." Well, you know, people followed Hitler's law, too. being good Germans and destroying their education system and and supporting fascism. So, that's something I learned from my teachers at this school. So, you're uh punishing him for his first amendment rights, obeying in advance the plan of what the Trump administration wants, whether you're aware of it or not, to destroy free speech and his plan to replace democracy with a fascist white supremacist authoritarian state. You may think that's an exaggeration. Well, listen on. Ginsburgg acts with courage to post Rabbi Hesshel's statement about the Jewish tradition of questioning unjust authority. And I many Jewish friends

107and I'm up here because of them because I learned so much from them. By punishing Ginsburgg, you are not only censoring Rabbi Hesshel, who was a leading light in the civil rights movement, and the press is going to carry information about that, too, but the important work he did with Dr. King. You're also censoring the future generations to have the freedom and rights which civil rights, women's rights, environmental rights movements fought for by punishing Ginsburg for exercising first amendment rights. You're also censoring the knowledge about past genocides and current ones too because the Trump administration wants that censorship also. So the question I ask, what did the civil rights movement say? What's history going to say about what's going on in this room? Which side are you on? Josh Vincent. Hello everybody. Uh I have

108parent of uh two kids at ECHS. Uh I'm here to express express my gratitude for your service on the school board and for your thoughtful essay uh reaffirming your commitment to equity and inclusion amidst controversy. Your piece is an excellent product of critical thinking and the consideration of the nuance and complexity in our current moment. I want to address the broader cultural and political climate we are facing as context into how many Jewish students and families like mine are feeling today. These are difficult times. Very simplistic narratives are amplified on social media, on college campuses, and in street protests in major cities. These narratives fail the test of critical thinking, historical accuracy, and the current reality. claims that that the Jewish people are colonizers in the land of Israel, that the Jewish state practices apartheid,

109that the tragic situation in Gaza is best understood and characterized as a genocide. At best, respectfully, respectfully, at best, this is misinformation. At worst, at worst, at worst, these echo the historical blood libels that have long fueled hatred and violence against the Jews. Today, these claims often go along with chants of From the River to the Sea and calls to globalize the Incifada with consequences that are real and tragic. One week ago, innocent people raising awareness about the hostages were firebombed in Colorado. Two and a half weeks ago, two young people were murdered in a shooting outside the Jewish Museum in Washington DC. To be clear, I recognize the Palestinians have legitimate grievances and aspirations that I support. This brings us back to your essay and its message. Every student at ETHS, Jewish, Muslim, Israeli,

110Palestinian, Zionist, pro Palestinian, and any combination of these must feel safe, seen, and supported. You wrote a beautiful ending. I agree with it. Additionally, we must model goodwill and work for peace. Most importantly, here at ETHS and in Evston. [Applause] Next is Franklin Bell. Franklin Bell. [Applause] Thank you. Uh, the Evston Roundt published a self- congratulatory essay from the board. It never mentioned Mr. Ginsburgg nor specified any action that anyone did, but implied that the poster quote compounds harm and said it is not the role of the board of education to take positions in international conflicts or advocate for changes to foreign policy. Everyone knows that it was about Mr. Ginsburgg and the poster which doesn't mention foreign policy. It is deeply dishonest to make insinuations without backing them up with any facts. If you

111claim the poster causes harm, you have to back that up. The the plain and simple truth is that it talks about the importance of dissent in the Jewish tradition. Who is harmed? Is it someone who wants to silence dissent? And uh someone from an outside agitator calls it partisan. Another person called it anti-semitic. Anti-semitism is real. Let's not turn it into a meaningless epithet that you hurl at people you disagree with. That's what the people in Washington DC are doing. That's right. And they don't have any love for Jews. That's right. This comes at a time when the Trump administration is leading the charge to silence any discussion of freedom movements like the black civil rights and women's liberation movements and to erase our true history. Don't make yourself part of that authoritarian assault on

112our freedoms. Your actions are the opposite of your claim to promote critical thinking and open dialogue in our classrooms and to trust our students to engage with critical questions and challenging ideas. You hide it by misrepresenting what the poster says. You say you recognize the inherent power dynamics within a school setting, but the true power dynamic here is the administration silencing a teacher who did what you claim to support time and the message the administration is sending to students. Rachel Jury Rachel. Yeah. I stand before you as a parent of two current ETHS students. I am Oh, I forgot to say my name. Rachel Jury. My address is on the sheet. Um, I'm a lum of the school and a lifelong Evstonian. I want to thank you for your leadership in the op-ed and openly

113speaking about Jewish student safety, an issue I am deeply concerned about at ETHS. I want ETHS to be a school where Jewish and Israeli students feel safe and that they belong, not that they have to hide their Jewish star necklaces or worry about being singled out as oppressors if they share their connection to Israel in class. I would expect the same safety for students with Palestinian and Muslim backgrounds. In the current environment where hateful words frequently escalate shows us that words lead to can lead to violent actions. Slogans are not just that. There's a very l th thin line between calling for globalized the inifatada which people in this room showed support for less than five minutes ago and assaulting Jews on the street of US cities or in school hallways. Since I listened to

114the public comments of the last board meeting, there has been a firebombing of a peaceful run to highlight Israeli hostages who have been held for over 600 days and a shooting of Israeli embassy workers. Every Jewish gathering has a security presence. Threats to the Jewish community are real and not just whiny parents. Jewish students who care about Israel, a very normative Jewish position, deserve the same physical and psychological safety as other students to asssure that they are able to study and become contributing members of society. Thank you for taking our community's concerns seriously. Our next speaker is Emily Deator. Emily. My name is Amelia Deator and ETHS has taught me to be a critical thinker and that is why I'm here today. I'm speaking today because I believe in the values ETHS claims to uphold.

115Civilians are I'm sorry. Civilians are dying. Children are dying. How many Palestinian lives must be lost before their humanity is acknowledged? ETHS says it values diversity and prepares students for a multicultural world. But by by silencing and penalizing Mr. Ginsburg for speaking about Palestine, ETHS is not is betraying its own mission. That to say that the poster literally had nothing to do with Palestine. You're not just violating Andrew's rights. You're sending a message to the Palestinian students, to those who support them, and anyone who wants to engage in difficult truths. Dr. Mr. Ginsburg offered an alternative Jewish perspective on Gaza, exactly the kind of viewpoint ETHs claims to welcome. Instead, his voice was punished for making people uncomfortable. Being uncomfortable is not the same as unsafe. And I do want to recognize that the the

116horrible things that the Jewish community has faced is valid as well, but death is death. And no one deserves that. And I'm really sorry for crying cuz education demands we confront ideas that challenge us. That is how students grow. This is bigger than one teacher. Across the country, right-wing groups are banning books erasing black, Latino, queer, and now Palestinian voices all under the false claim of protecting students from discomfort. Evston must not follow that script. You cannot claim to foster diversity while silencing those who reflect it. Standing on the side of education, let Palestine be part of the conversation. Time. Never again means never again for anyone. Milo Sven. Milo. Yeah. Thank you guys. Um, enough said. I think I think that covers it pretty much. Like seriously, like that was the perfect emotional testament,

117you know, to what we feel as students. Um, I had prepared something to talk about how much Mr. Ginsburg had meant to me. Not even I didn't even have him as a teacher, you know, but what he meant to me as a mentor, opening up his room to my organization, which some of you are familiar with. Um, opening up his heart to any student who felt unwanted. Um, and then even like we worked on the climate curriculum committee, right, Dr. Vavis? And we would send out these emails to all these dozens of teachers and only like three would show up to these committee meetings and Mr. Ginsburg was always there and it's a testament to who he is as an active community member as a father at this school as a mentor to students. He's

118the person that we need when we talk about values and you guys like to talk a lot about values. He is our values. He embodies our values. That's that's really like that covers it for me. So our uh our final speaker is Rhysa Meyers. You'll pass. Okay. Uh that concludes public comment for this evening. Great job. Thank you. And um once again, I just really want to emphasize that we um we really appreciate I know it's not easy always to come here and speak and um and sometimes listen to voices that differ from yours. So we really do embrace multiple perspectives and we'll continue to do that. All right. So, I'm going to go on with the agenda and um the next item is written communication. Dr. Davis, do we have any written communication? Yes,

119the board has received written communications and um the board will take this opportunity to address those communications. Right. Thank you. I would like to address them um on behalf of the board of education. Um and this this kind of is an extension of um the comments that we've heard. We want to acknowledge that we have heard from the public. We've heard the comments. We've read the emails. We've seen other communication from members of the community. Um, and I do appreciate all of of you who came here to speak or write to the board. Uh, please know that we have taken taken in the full range of perspectives being shared and we truly appreciate your engagement and your concern. We're grateful to those who spoke up, especially when it's in service of our shared values. Holding

120the district accountable to those values, is not only welcome, it is essential. We appreciate that for many the issues raised are very personal and urgent and we take it very seriously. At the same time, we must be clear that the board and the district cannot comment publicly on matters related to personnel. That is a legal and ethical boundary that we must uphold. One that ensures fairness, due process, and respect for all involved. We understand that perceived silence can be difficult, particularly when emotions are high and trust feels uncertain. But we ask for understanding as we honor the responsibilities that we carry as a school board, even when it means not responding publicly. And I know that many or some of you made reference to um the OP ad that was in the round table um

121that was published May 21st. I think it's helpful for any who have who who want to get a better understanding of the board's perspective. We encourage you to read that guest essay. Um in it we speak directly to values that guide our work especially in moments of challenge. That piece reflects our collective voice as a board and our commitment to centering students in all we do. Can I pick up from there? Yes. Um, yes. So, you know, over the past few weeks, um, I've read the letters, many of them extremely passionate, um, some deeply painful and others very hurtful. Um, all calling for ETHs to live up to its values. I hear that call. I feel the weight of what's being asked of us and I don't take it lightly. As someone who has served

122on this board for the past 10 years and in this community as a native Evstonian, but in this community of over two decades as a leader, I understand the responsibility that comes with leadership. A school board member is elected to do more than just react. We are entrusted to lead, to uphold the mission of public education, and to ensure that every decision we make is rooted in what's best for all students. Um, I was very respectful when everyone else spoke and I'm going to ask that you do that for me. Thank you. So, that's not just a promise I made every um a decade ago. It's the standard I hold myself to every single day. So, leadership It's hard to stand in leadership, especially in public service. It requires us to stay grounded in moments

123of complexity. It means holding many truths at once. It means understanding that not every decision will be popular and not every silence is void of compassion or thought. So my duty as a board member and as someone who has consistently stood for dignity and development of all students is to center their needs. I'm not confused by that. I'm not bullied by that. And I'm not afraid of that. To protect their ability to learn, grow, and thrive in an environment that challenges them to think and navigate a complicated world. A world that we as a as adults have created for them. You may not agree with every vote that's been cast by me. As a matter of fact, if you voted for me and if you know me, I thanked you for that vote, but I

124said you won't agree with everything that I do because I am centering all our students. And if you stood in our seats or in our shoes, you would understand that that is not very easy, but it is required. But the one thing that I do hope I hope you trust this if nothing else. We lead with integrity. We care and with a deep commitment to all of our students regardless of their race, their religion, or their identity. So, as I stated earlier, this work is not easy. But none of us took this seat because it would be easy. So we took it to serve. And that doesn't come with complete agreement. And we will continue to do that with steadiness, with transparency, and unwavering focus on young people who are counting on us to lead.

125And as a reminder, they're watching all of us. Mirror. Um good evening. Good evening to all of us here. Um one I want to say that um I am proud of all of you of all of us for sitting in this space together trying to have the conversation that I think is necessary especially throughout Evston. I wish that that's where we were in an outer space outside of this space because the conversation can't really happen in the way that I think that it needs to. As a b-racial Jewish woman who has grown up in the Midwest and has been here for many years and raising my children, I think about how proud I am um to be here and I also feel how disappointed I am in some of what's happening because we could name

126many things that have gone down in our school from sitins to movies that were watched to affinity groups that have been formed. formed and be really proud. And yet in a moment's notice, it seems as if we've forgotten so much of what our district has established here. And I'm not here to talk and say anything because legally we can about our staff member. But what I can talk about is the fact that the critical thinking that has been expressed by our students and in this space is reflective of this school as well. And so we can't just drop it because we're in a moment in which we are disagreeing. That's the exact time that we must accept that that's what we're doing and we've been taught to do that. I also am thinking about the

127fact that we are in need of such precision of words and there are way too many examples in which we are using synonyms and we're trying to throw around our opinions and we are defining and redefining words in ways that I'm guessing we wouldn't really agree with. And so I want to be precise. And yet I sat here and I was trying to make sure I would read something and it was so insufficient. And so I'm speaking from my heart with a few scribbled things here. And when we think about what has been allowed, like we talked about Black Lives Matter, we talked about LGBTQ rights. What is the tension point here is that those things have only been hung and worn and said because the community has decided to allow it. When we think

128about who defines what we can and cannot say in our classrooms and even on a board, it's because of the community. It is that context that essentially decides if it's disruptive or not, substantially so. And so what I think is what is at the heart of this matter is that we are actually disagreeing or maybe waking up to whom we live next to. And that's something that we need to wrestle with because maybe we thought we were in a really progressive liberal space, whatever label you want to put on it. And maybe we have to recognize it isn't that. And let's then ask what we need to do to talk about that and to listen to one another so we can move together for our students and our future so that we are the space

129that we hope it is. And that's a really really tough conversation to have. And let's also not forget, and I'll end here because it is a long night, but it's important. We have always been censured, censored, and oppressed. Education is this house that we like to live in, but it is this space. It is highly political, and we've been fighting. That's why we're here. That's why we're here on this board is because of those things. because we have tried to have democracy and freedom of speech and to ask that we can go out in the world and make things better. But it has always been that way. The one thing that I'm wondering is who wakes up when to decide that it isn't enough or that we have to move the needle. And that's the

130moment also that I believe is in front of us. So let's think about how we might want to be in our future. So, Thank you, Mayor. Anybody else? Um, well, first I want to um join my board, fellow board members, in thanking you all for being here and to those of us those of you and others who wrote to us and gave us your perspectives. Um, we we read everything. We listened to everything. Um, it's very important to us to hear from you and we appreciate it. Um, but as you could see from this night, not everybody sees everything the same way and it is important for us to listen to all of those perspectives. I also want to thank Pat, Mon'nique, and Meera for doing really a beautiful job of of speaking to this

131moment and to what um you all have brought to us and and we've been discussing over the last couple of board meetings. Um I don't have I don't want to add too much. I just want to amplify and highlight a couple of important points. Um, it's the job of ETHS leaders, the board, the administration, the teachers, the staff to ensure that every ETHS student feels safe, seen, and supported. So, what does that mean? It means upholding students rights to free expression and assembly and equal access to educational opportunities. It also means ensuring that all students feel safe, seen, and supported, especially when navigating their identities and their beliefs. We are educators. These are young people whose are not fully formed, and it is our job to help them through that regardless of their questions, their

132perspectives, um their backgrounds, etc. All of them. Um, and it's really especially important when we have students who feel alienated and invisible because many of our students do feel that way. So, we're very thankful to our educators who navigate complicated conversations throughout the day and the year and allow our students to think critically and to learn in an environment where they're made to feel welcome in sharing different perspectives. And we're also um grateful that they create spaces where students can ask questions, can maybe express a perspective that isn't fully formed. That's part of our job. And so we we value our teachers in doing that every day and doing a very good job at that. But we also have to remember that everybody needs to speak and and and if we if we isolate voices

133or make it uncomfortable for certain voices to be heard, we aren't really doing the job of supporting all of our students. The other piece I want to make really clear is many of you have reached out to the board and asked us for more specific responses than the law allows us to give. Board members are strictly prohibited in talking about two things. Matters that relate to particular students and matters that relate to teachers, individual teachers or staff. we can't talk about either of those things. So, you're unsatisfied with the answers that you're getting. And that's a level of uncomfort that you unfortunately we all have to live with because none of us want a particular situation that our student is going through, our own child is going through to be amplified in a board meeting

134or in public. And similarly, none of us would want something that happened at our job to be amplified to a community, written about in the paper, what have you. So, while you're unsatisfied with the answer, I hope you'll take a moment to think of why you're not getting that specific answer in your own life. You wouldn't want your child or your individual um actions to be to be um projected in that way. Um when navigating the line between expression and exclusion, we're not always judging the content itself. We are considering our legal obligations and the impact on our students. Centering students and ensuring their education and well-being is the board's number one priority. And please know that every decision we make, every policy we set, every budget we pass, and every action we take centers

135on all ETHs students, their well-being, and their educational success. I think it's clear that there are no easy answers and we'll continue to have these conversations and move forward the path forward as we as we go forward. I want to just say that it's likely that not all of you will be completely satisfied. I'm not always satisfied. That's part of being an adult and living in the world and in the society that we live in. But we are still committed as a board. We're still committed to equity and inclusion remains paramount and we will continue to work in that way. So once again, I appreciate you all coming, appreciate hearing your voices, encourage you to continue to listen, to speak and to listen. Thank you. All right, we're going to move on with our agenda.

136You're welcome to stay or not. Let's just pause a moment. Okay, we're going to go. We're going to continue with the agenda. Um, and our next item is the finance committee. All right, board. Um, Kendra Williams, CFO, will be sharing the draft of the 2526 budget. Um, and let me just say that this budget board, this budget I want to make sure that I that the that y'all are hearing me. I can Yeah. You know, right? That what Kendra is going to share is a balanced budget. And it was very very very difficult to balance the budget um this time around. Wow. Um, and we are looking over the summer to continue to make adjustments to the budget. Um, but I just want to stress that it was extremely difficult. Um, you know, where our

137revenues are and where our expenditures are, let's not be mistaken that the budget is balanced, but we're going to continue to look for ways to uh to give us breathing room because it's extremely tight. So, we want to be transparent about that. and um Kendra is going to share a presentation of her um where she's at so far. Good evening, Boore. Good evening. So, we're here today as Dr. Campbell teed up to discuss the FY 2026 budget. So, we're going over the tenative budget this evening and we'll just get into it. So, as was said, another year with a balanced budget is being presented to the board this evening, and that makes 19 years of consecutive uh 19 consecutive years of balanced budgets being presented. Um, so that means that our expenditures are not exceeding

138our revenues in the budget and that additionally, our cash reserves and fund balances continue to be above required minimums based on the district's fund balance policy. So just based on this information and uh we continue to have a strong commitment to long-term fiscal sustainability. And this here is just a budget timeline just showing um you know the points that we we're at. So right now we're um we've gone through the planning, the preparation, we're reviewing and bringing this now to the public. Um and then further on down we'll be having approval and filing which will happen in the fall. So financial considerations when um developing the budget. So we've talked extensively over the last couple of years about CPPRT uh continues to be at risk. Um it is expected to go back to prepandemic levels

139which is millions of dollars off from where it was a couple of years ago. The question is at what rate? um will that happen all in FY26 or will it be staggered over FY26 and FY27 and so it the thought is that there will continue to be a decrease but how much of a decrease is not known at this time and then um also what we've talked about federal funding and how that is at risk as well um and we don't know exactly what to expect for next year when it comes to federal funding so we had to be conservative in our approach um in budgeting for that. Uh right now we would have known typically we would have known for example how much title funding we could expect to receive for the next fiscal

140year. That information is unknown at this point. And so there's just a number of unknown CPPRT. We won't get that estimate until later on this year as well. So there's just a number of unknowns um when we develop the tenative budget which is why we leave some time between the tenative and the final so that hopefully some of these things as they become more known we can adjust accordingly. And then of course some of the other things that we're always just kind of keeping a pulse on the state's financial condition because of course some of our revenue is also comes from the state. And so um if the financial condition of the state deteriorates that can have direct implications to us especially as it relates to pensions and if the shift uh could be passed

141on to the district rather than the state. That's something that we're also keeping an eye on. Uh limitations to local revenue. So uh when we talk about PTEL we know that our largest revenue source is property taxes and so that revenue source however is limited in how much it can increase from year to year and it's the lesser of CPI or 5%. And so that limitation on revenue can sometimes be problematic because there is no law that limits um our expenditures from increasing. So when we have our expenditures increasing more than our revenues, then we have a tension that we have to address in the budget. And so that is um something that Dr. Campbell was alluding to. Um something that we knew was going to be happening this year. And so we've really taken

142a great deal of time in developing this budget um to try to account for that. Also recognizing that we may have to make some more changes on uh further down the road. And then this is just sewing. So, I just referenced uh PEL and C uh how CPI affects our revenue stream uh as as far as it relates to property taxes. And so, this just shows the last 10 years. And you can see, of course, where we had those spikes of 5% um for for PEL because CPI was actually higher than 5%, but like I said, it's a lesser 5% or CPI. And then you can see how that is now coming down and we expect that it'll actually continue to go down um in the you know next year again. So with that when

143we see CPI going down although um when we see CPI going down then we know that that means that our revenue stream is going to be limited by that amount and is a consideration and it's a consideration. So, just to get into some specifics about our budget, uh the budget is 118.1 million uh for FY26, which is 4 4% more than FY25. However, uh when you break that down by the operating budget, which includes the operating funds include the education fund, operations and maintenance, transportation, working cash, and tour, it's just a 2.6% increase. And so, um, just in discussing like that difference, it's because we're expecting, um, additional funds in our our capital improvement, um, fund that, uh, over FY25 that leads to that 4%. So, it's millions of dollars more budgeted in that fund

144than in the prior year. And that really relates to um sorry that relates to uh what we expect to receive from the ETHs foundation to um and then also a debt issuance that would be happening in the spring if we continue to follow um the timeline of issuing debt every 2 years. Some highlights related to revenue. Uh as mentioned before, we're heavily relying on property taxes. Over 80% of revenues are property taxes this year. I actually think it's 84% of our uh revenue is property taxes uh property taxes and then uh so I mentioned before um that we're uh that's based on CPI and so we know that we're working with uh 3.4% for the 2024 levy and 2.9% for the 2025 levy. And it's a blend of those two levy years that make up

145uh what we can expect to receive in revenue for fiscal year 26. Uh for the budget, we are expecting consistent state revenue, which is our evidence-based funding. Um also with categorical aid as well. And then for federal revenue, that includes title grants, Medicaid, IDA funding, but like I said, there are some concerns about what can be expected um with some of those revenue streams at this point. And so we are kind of in a wait and see for now and then just trying to plan as conservatively as possible as well. And so property taxes are increasing by 2.4%. Um CPPRT decreasing by 2.4%. Uh like I said that could change between now and when we uh bring the final budget forward. And then EBF expected to remain fat flat and then we budgeted federal aid

146as flat as well which is a difference because based on um some of the things that the federal aid reimbures you know if this was a more typical year we would have expected to see a greater increase in federal aid but we can't anticipate that just given the state of where things are. And then this is just a chart that kind of shows a more visual approach uh to these different categories. And so just showing the property taxes at that 84% that I mentioned and then some of the smaller pieces to the pie uh such as CPPRT, uh federal aid, state funding and then to talk about expenditures. So expenditures are grouped into categories and this uh slide lays them out. salaries, benefits are the largest category um for our those um our expenditures and

147it's greatly driven by negotiated contracts. So we know that we have six contracts um here, six union groups that we negotiate with and that's really where a great deal of those salaries and benefits are are coming from. And so we have salaries and benefits increasing by 4.3%. So just like I said, sometimes you know we have expenditures that are increasing at a greater rate than our revenues. So just to kind of bring that point together, we talked about how our revenues our our greatest revenue stream is limited by PEL um and we know that we're dealing with um CPIs of like 3.4 four of around 3% when you take the blend of the two years and then we have our salaries and benefits our greatest expenditure increasing by 4.3%. So that's something that we have

148to contend with. So one of the ways um that we did that is by looking at some of the other things that we could have more control over. Uh like I said before, when we went into um this year, we knew that we had um some of these things ahead of us and we needed to plan accordingly. And so we did a lot of work uh together u with myself, my team, other leaders in the building really came together to uh take a different approach to creating the budget and managed to decrease the other categories um for expenditures. Um, so if we were to look at the all of the different C uh expenditure categories that were mentioned in the previous slides, salaries and benefits are actually the only ones at this point that are

149increasing. And so that does not mean that everything costs less, right? We actually know that that's not the case, right? We know that we have contracts that are increasing year after year. We know that um goods are costing more. We all go grocery shopping. We know that things are getting more expensive. But what that does mean is that there had to be a lot of like thoughtful planning that went into the budget. Um, and we'll talk about that some more later. Uh, there are actually some slides that kind of talk about the approach that we took. And then once again, just a visual of salaries and benefits being those largest chunks. So salaries are 71% and then the benefits being 9%. So that's 80% of our budget that's going to salaries and benefits. And so,

150of course, so now I'm going to get into the point of like what the thought process that goes into developing the budget. And of course, for everything that we do, we want it to be grounded in district goals. And so that doesn't just mean I although we're talking about the budget and we're talking about numbers and dollars and cents. It doesn't just mean that we're only focused on goal three, fiscal accountability. That's a piece of it, but we're also focused on student well-being. We're also focused on equitable and excellent education, community engagement, and partnerships as well. And so we have to balance all of those in our decision-m process. And we were able to do that by of course going sticking to the tried and true values based budgeting. Um recognizing that there are certain

151things that are a part of what we value here as a district and then we want to make sure that we continue to further those initiatives the best way that we can. uh keeping instruction as a top priority um as well. But another tool that we used this year was zerobased budgeting which I have mentioned to the board in the past that we were going to implement it. And so uh we did that this year. And so what that means is that we start from scratch with no preconceived notions. And so it doesn't mean just because you've always done something one way or we've always had a certain allocation to a department that that's what's going to happen again. It means let's take a look. Let's figure out these are the district goals, these are

152our our strategic priorities and how do the things that we're doing fit fit with that and are there things that we can look at differently. And I'm actually uh was super excited to see the creative approaches that different departments were able to take to find cost savings um to be able to get us to a point to kind of bridge that gap uh between revenues and uh where revenues were coming in, where expenditures were coming in. And so um as a part of this process we oh so I guess I basically talked about all of this and then cost reductions and increased efficiency uh were able to be had through this process as well. All right and so for the final budget which will be presented to the board uh in September that will include

153the executive summary the financial section financial analysis section operational section and then statistics and glossery section. So, it'll be an updated uh full and comprehensive budget. Instead of the I think we're at 135 pages for the tenative, we'll be over 200. Don't worry, we're going to we're going to get that full budget to you in September and give you lots of reading material to go through. Um but, you know, it's all very exciting stuff, at least for me, because I feel like it genuinely tells the story of ETHs because it always talks about like it it really shows what we're investing in, right? Um and so next steps just ensuring that the tenative uh budget is on display for public inspection for at least 30 days. So uh the budget hearing is going to be

154on September 8th. So backing up from there uh that will be published the hearing notice will be published by August 7th. It'll likely be earlier than that, but uh the date is just really where it has to be published by. And then uh the budget will be posted like I said for at least 30 days. And then um after the budget hearing will be final budget approval and then after that it'll be filed with the county clerk within 30 days of that budget hearing and approval. Questions? You always make it so clear. Um, so I know there's so much up in the air, uh, with especially the federal um, funding. When will we know? I know that's a little rhetorical. Yeah. Um, you know, genuinely there's some things that we will know before September, and

155there's some things that we're not going to know, and that feels uncomfortable, of course. Um we have been working through internally like what are some contingency plans that we can have in place. Um what level of exposure for the budget do we have to accept that you know if things change midy year we might be able to pivot in some ways and some things we might have to write out until FY27. Right? And so those are all of the discussions that we're having. uh how do we mitigate what could happen? Yeah. But also recognizing that we may not know everything we won't that will happen by September, right? Um so yeah. Wow. Go ahead, Pat. Um well I just I was really floored when I read through this because um it's always a hard it

156you know I can't imagine doing this budget on a good day in a good year and with all the uncertainty and all the unknowns and um just all that is happening in the world um like you said prices at the grocery store all the way to Will we have education funding? That's um is so overwhelming and that you still I mean not only did you implement zero um based budgeting but you still stuck to values-based budgeting. And to me that is one of the greatest achievements of this institution that you know you you you spend money on the things you care about and if you can do that in this climate you know you you get those awards every year we have to come up with a new one because you need an award for

157that and you and your team and I know that everybody participates all the departments but it just it speaks to how deep our values are in this institution and I just can't even thank you enough for for staying true to that even in the midst of chaos and and complete uncertainty. So thank you Kendra. I have a question first. You know thank you for pulling this together. This is I know no easy feat. Um, but I I think in the midst of the not knowing, I'm wondering like what will be our response for things that happen, you know, for the um the delay or the cut like what changes or what trigger will we pull or have to pull um if what we think or didn't know what would come through doesn't come through and

158we know that for certain. Um or is there some, you know, safeguards in this budget um for the unknowns? because I I only anticipate that or maybe I'm assuming that um everybody even those that are working here understand the fragility of you know the economy and the what the federal government will and won't do and and how that may fall out and affect them. Um so I'm I'm just you know wondering what will be our guidepost. Yeah. Um, right. So that we can get ahead of those concerns that some may be harboring, you know, especially staff, especially since we talked about it being our largest expense. Um, or or not, you know, I'm just wondering what the future plan is. Yeah. So, I think that we there are some pieces of the federal funding that

159are known at this point. There are some that are unknown. And I think that um as the larger pieces become known hopefully by September, then we will be able to have a solid plan in place for the FY26 budget. Also recognizing that if we have to pivot mid year, we're looking to make any pivots that we may have to make as far away from the classroom as possible in in alignment with our values based budgeting, right? And so and then also looking at some of those things now and working through what changes we can start implementing now um that hopefully can reap us enough savings to weather the storm so to speak, right? But it really depends on how extensively those revenue streams are challenged. um what level of response we may have to have,

160right? Um and that can be difficult for I mean everyone involved, right? That can be um difficult because nobody knows well what exactly does that mean? What does that mean for me? And I think also the time may come where the board um and administration may have to make the challenging or unpopular um decision to say we have built up a healthy fund balance what does that mean in this moment um when we are challenged after we've already passed the budget after we've already made plans you know if we have to pivot but genuinely um you know I relate it back to even household savings things. You build up savings for those moments. It's not ideal, right? You don't want your furnace to break and for you to have to replace it and for you

161to have to, right? You don't that's not what you want. It's never a good time. It's never a good time, right? And so we we that's not the goal. Of course, like I said, we're we're trying to make every um decision available to us now so that we don't get to that point. Mhm. But if that does happen, then that's something that we would have to discuss and work through at that time. Mhm. That's a perfect answer, and I don't even want to add to it. I'll just say that in a different way. Um the budget is already tight without the threat of federal dollars. So that makes the response or the safeguards even more challenging because of how tight the budget is. Is that fair to say in Okay. Mhm. Yeah. I could I

162could see even um or anticipate things happening in pieces. Um so that will make it even more challenging. And to Kendra's point, there are some storms that we can weather. Yeah. There are. And uh and then there are some there are some storms that will require um some decisions from the board and and ourselves on how do we navigate and move forward after that. Yeah. Okay. Thank you. So I I had a question first of all like that that was fantastic. Thank you very much. I I really enjoyed that. Um I was curious so like as it relates to the federal funding like historically how and when does that funding come in like you mentioned some of the bigger pieces would we may know by the end of first fiscal quarter um yeah I'll just

163leave it open-ended like that. Yeah. Yeah. So, um, the like the one example that I'll give, uh, title funding, we typically would have had those numbers by now. IDA, we literally got those numbers days ago. Uh, so, you know, even at that point, I was like, I'm I'm not sure what's going to happen, right, with IDA. And so, it was I don't know if it was maybe a day before I I had to submit the budget that that those numbers came out. Uh so things are just kind of running late. Um that number actually is less than the number that we started with last year which is not typically what we would expect to see. And so um yeah so so there's just a little bit of uncertainty around it and then there's some things

164that you know um we think will be okay but you know if you had asked me 6 months ago if I would be so uncertain today I would have said well let's see where were we yeah no 6 months ago I probably would have been surprised by the level of uncertainty uh right now so yeah that's that's where we are um and then I think that the other the other challenge is that there are some federal revenue streams that may be consistent but they serve um they serve as like a reimbursement maybe for like what we spend and our spending is not consistent. So, as an example, uh tuition for uh outpaced students has risen a great deal um in the last few years. And then if we if if the federal government, even if

165they say, okay, you're going to get the same amount of dollars that you got last year, thanks, but you're not covering the same percentage that you did in previous years, right? And so then it's up to the district's local budget to pick up that difference. Um, and that too is a challenge. So there are some so so when I'm talking about those um the different threats with the federal revenue stream, it's not all just like a uh we're getting it or we're not. Some of it is that we could be seeing a decreased level of funding as compared to the expenditures which is problematic. Well, I'm glad we're going to go through this again. Yeah. Yeah. To be continued. Yeah. You know, maybe again and again. Yeah. I'm sorry. You don't need to hear that.

166But yeah, I was just saying I'm I'm glad we're going to go through this again for many reasons. Um, you know, I mean, it's almost like we got to talk about it every time we we meet because things are changing just like that. And I I anticipate that if we're having to difficulty meeting um the budget, which is like unheard of since I've been on this board, I've never I'm like, why can't we be like ETHS? But um that's right, you know, not this time. Um so our families, you know, and they're going to need us more. Uh they're not going to be able to cover certain things. And so it just gets um passed down. So I'm I am concerned about that as well cuz I'm seeing that already just in in my world.

167Yeah, absolutely. Um, which is why I'll just go ahead and plug that we do encourage all families to complete our um in our financial incentive for form which will allow for them to uh establish if they're free and reduced for lunch. And then that also impacts other things such as like student fees and a variety of things that happen in the building uh so that they so we can make sure that we can be responsive to those needs. Yeah, sure. All right. Thank you. Thank you, board. I as always appreciate the support and the oversight. Thank you. All right. Okay. The next item is um items for information. We're at um the RTA state budget. And there's a there's a letter in your packet board. Hope hopefully everybody had a chance to take a look

168at that and um that's going that's going out like soon. Yeah. And I maybe the board is aware that the state did pass a budget last Saturday, two Saturdays ago, uh with cuts to the RTA, but we just don't know to the extent of those cuts and their impact on Evston. So that has yet to be seen. And so I think it's even fair to that the board will continue to its advocacy on those routes because we know that certain routes get cut, our kids can't get to school. So although the state's passed budget with cuts, we still want to be on record that uh we need the services uh in Evston to service students. Okay. Um FOYA requests, Dr. Davis. There are nine foyas. Uh, one from Ginsburg, three from Randall, one from Milanowski,

169one from Castro, two from Mlanka, one from Khan. The responses are in your packet. Okay, thank you. Um, board committee reports. Are there any board committee reports? We had our park school meeting um last week, Thursday, right? Yes. But um there are really good minutes that come out about that. So I will ask you to wait for those minutes. Anything else? Do we have any others? Okay, we're at superintendence report. Dr. Campbell. Uh, thank you, Madam President. Um, of course, Lisa left the folder in the office, so I'm going to do it here. Um, so I want to emphasize that we are currently monitoring uh proposed cuts to transportation funding and remain active in communication with the state legislators about the potential impact on our community. And we recognize that many of our students and

170families rely on public transportation for getting to school, participating in extracurriculars, and assessing work opportunities. So, the issue remains deeply concerning as I've just stated and we want our families to know that we're treating this as a priority and that we're committed to advocating for a robust and equitable public transit system that supports the needs of all students. Uh, this our final final board meant to take a moment to reflect on uh what's been a a good year at ETHS so far. Uh it's clear that we're still navigating a lot of challenges, but I want to thanks send a thank to our students and staff and families for all of what they've accomplished and did this school year. Uh and also commend our student body as a whole for the ways that they've engaged in

171school school life. I tell staff members all the time that if you don't go to events, if you don't go to fine arts events or competitions and things like that or really take advantage of what the students are doing, you really missed the point of ETHS. So, I'm always proud of the way our students represent even the way they did tonight. Our students and staff and administrators um put their hearts into ETHS and will continue to do that and it's um an honor to serve uh in this way here. Um, and as a final note, I want to share our gratitude um with Dr. Ty Kinsey, who is concluding her time at HHS after 21 years. I did tell her I was going to do this as dedicated uh social worker, dean, associate principal, most

172recently assistant superintendent, principal. Um, I'm like kind of proud, Tia, that all of those titles that you had as a social worker, other than social worker, we did that together. So, congratulations on that. and just to say congratulations and best to you on your next chapter of your life which we've talked about and uh thank you for all of what you have done for ETHS. So we appreciate your service. I'd like to jump in on that if that's okay. Um over two decades, 21 years, is that correct? started as a social worker and wow how you've you've just gone through the ranks. You've been a social worker, associate principal, dean dean first and then associate principal and then assistant superintendent, right? So that that's that's a lot. you um you've done each of those roles

173with integrity and honor and um I think you will leave a great legacy here at ETHS um and your commitment, your wisdom, your your your just belief in um every student has been obvious and will resonate here for years to come. So, um I also want to say thank you and best wishes. Want to hear back from you how things are and how you're doing. I can't wait to hear, but all the best. I I'll offer um thank you to all of you and um my heart has been really full with the love that I feel for ETHs for our students, our families, our whole community. Um and um the love that I receive too and I believe that we will continue to do that at ETHS. And um I love that I started as

174a social worker and I'm leaving as a social worker and I want to support ETHs and the Evston community, but this time as a social worker in private practice. So thank you. Do we get to say we Yes, you do. Absolutely. You go first. Well, I just wanted to I I have something else to say, but you just made me think. So for the first number of years I was on this board, whenever student services would do their presentation, I would always ask, "What do you need? And do you need more social workers?" So now you're going back to be a social worker and we need you. So hopefully in private practice, you'll get to see some of our students and families. Um but thank you. Um it's been a pleasure to work with you

175and get to know you over these years. And I I if I think about you, I think about the fact that there, you know, the days are crazy, the situations you deal with are are just crazy, but you are always centered on love of the kids. And I and that comes through always. And I think that's a that's not to be, you know, we we kind of, you know, ETHS is this great place and it is, but it's because of that. And so someone like you who in all of your roles, in all of your crazy days and crazy experiences you've had, um, you're centered around that and that that is really what's makes this place wonderful. So, thank you and and the best of luck and I do hope we we come across you

176whether you're seeing one of our students or you're uh coming to a board meeting to see us. I'm sure that'll be on your dance card. But thanks, TA. Um I just wanted to say a couple things. Uh one is that I believe we met on the playground of Willard um many many years ago. Um, and then I seem to remember that I had a child who made something very creative with ceramics. We had to talk about when you were a dean. We won't go into details. Um, yeah, right. No identifying. No, too soon. Too soon. Um, and I and professionally, you've helped me so much. Um, from the cell to sell, Nobel, I'm just kidding. No bell, cell to sell. Sorry, it's late. Yes, thank you, Scott. Scott, you're hired. You're going to be in

177my audience. Um, but I just really appreciated all of that. And then, you know, we'd see each other at Summit and um and just as you know, women in the school system. And so, I just wanted to tell you that I will miss you and good luck. is um Dr. Kinsey. Um I just wanted to say I really can't even fathom everything you have done for this school. I've only been here six years and I've seen so much and I I can't even imagine the way that you've impacted the student experience here. Um, I know that when we need to understand students as individuals or as groups, we always go to you with our questions and you you know those kids. You know them individually. You know their families. You know them as as groups.

178Um, you know their needs. Um, whenever I've had a question about students, um, you're already way ahead of me. like you've talked to the families, you've talked to the students, you've talked to the support teams, you know the kids so well, and it just I just can't even imagine like the role that you've played is so invaluable here. Um, and I am just so grateful that you know those kids and you've just committed your entire career to understanding them and then letting us know what their needs are. are. I mean, we can't do our job if we don't understand what their needs are. Um whether it's on a case-byase basis as or more of an institution. Um we need that information and that's just been so invaluable to get that from you. I so appreciate

179that. Um and I just wish you all the best in your future career changes. Um and we've so appreciated having you here. All I want to say is you will be missed. Thank you. Congratulations on getting through your final board meeting. And I think that's it. Thank you. Yeah, that was a major board meeting, right? Whoa. Wow. Yeah. Well, it it yeah, wouldn't have been right if it if it was um but yeah, we we spent some time on this board and through emails and phone calls and conversations and um I appreciate your ability to handle all of that well. like I I can't, you know, just imagine what um knowing our students so well and what they're going through, what it what you're carrying, you know, what you've carried along the way year after

180year after year after year. Um and how you always try to remind us of the students we're serving. Um, so I'm I'm like overjoyed that you get to do it your own way, right? that you are able to um take all of that and and really probably maybe hopefully go deeper than you've never gone um with individuals that that now will be able to to connect with you and you will continue to do what you've been called to do, which is even better on your own terms, right? So, thank you for everything you've done here and um for staying true to who you are and being able to go out and do more. Thank you. It's going to be great. Don't be a stranger. Okay. All right. So, we're at items for action. The first

181item is approval of tenative budget um a fiscal year 2526 budget. Could I have a motion please? So moved. Second. Roll call, please. [Applause] Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. The next item is approval of resolution granting tenure appointments. Could I have a motion? So moved. Second. Roll call, please. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. The next item is approval of resolution authorizing notice to remedy. And I'm going to read the resolution. Be it resolved by the board of education of Evston Township High School District 202. Cook County, Illinois. The president and secretary of this board of education are hereby authorized and directed to serve or cause to be served on the tenure teacher named in the minutes of the closed session immediately preceding the adoption of this resolution. A notice to remedy substantially in the

182form of exhibit one attached hereto and made a part hereof. The notice to remedy references deficiencies in the conduct of the teacher which if not remediated may result in his dismissal. The notice to remedy also references directives which if not followed may result in his dismissal dismissal. The resolution shall be in full force and effect upon its adoption. Adopted this 9th day of June 2025 by a roll call vote. Could we have a motion please? So moved. Second roll call, please. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Okay. Okay, the next item we're skipping and um at item E, which is approval of real estate purchase agreement of 1222 Washington Street in Evston, Illinois. Could we have a motion, please? So moved. Second. Roll call, please. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. The next item is approval

183of resol of resolution of sale of the geometry in construction home at 1222 Washington Street in Evston, Illinois. So move second. Roll call, please. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. The next item is the consent agenda which consists of approval of IASB membership, approval of special education out of district transportation bid, approval of minutes from May 12th, 2025, both regular and close session meeting, treasurer's report from March of 2025, approval of bills and personnel report. So move. Second. Roll call, please. Martin, yes. Marcel, yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. The next item is um old and new business. Do we have old or new business board? All right. Just closing or polling of the board? Yes, please. No. Oh. Oh, okay. I was trying to be grateful. All right. I know you are. Okay. Yes. Good.

184Okay. Could we have a motion for adjournment? So moved. You got to get a lot quicker for quicker with more. You got to have the syllables right there. Yes. Um I'd like to do that right now. All right. So we are adjourned at 11:05 p.m.