Editorial

Charles Wilkinson

Peggy Tarr

Letters to the Editor

Guest Essay by Nicholas A. Bilandic

Guest Essay by Mary J. Wilkerson

Responses to the Strategic Plan

A Guest Essay
By Nicholas A. Bilandic

Thoughts on Adaptive Re-use of the Civic Center Building

As a structural engineer of some considerable experience, I have thought about Evanston's Civic Center and would like to submit some ideas. My conclusion is that renovation may be the highest and best use of the Civic Center, as long as continuous occupancy can be maintained even during site work. Reasonable improvements would have to take place over at least seven years to protect taxpayers' needs and budget control, for continuous progress and for effective City services.

Buildings are classified on the basis of occupancy and construction type. Technical provisions of building codes follow from a base that includes height and area limitations, life safety, accessibility, vertical transportation, environmental and energy design.

Evanston's current Civic Center was originally the Marywood Academy, a convent and girls' school. Its original building (the south part) is reported to the work of architect Henry John Schlacks (1868-1938). There is one row of columns in the original building between longitudinal (E-W) masonry-bearing walls, providing long clear space on most floors. There is no attic floor in this building, and the Parasol Room on the fourth floor has a sealed skylight. Roof trusses are wood members.

In 1923, D.A. Bueler & Son of Indianapolis constructed the sympathetic lateral expansion for the Sisters – the north part of the building. Story heights in this addition range from 11 feet in the basement to 16 feet on the fourth floor. There are two rows of columns between longitudinal masonry-bearing walls. The attic floor plan for this part of the building is concrete-encased structural steel with an integral reinforced concrete slab, and exterior non-combustible masonry-bearing walls. Exterior walls are brick masonry-bearing with interior non-combustible building elements. This construction is classified as TYPE IB fire-resistance rating.

Architect Ed Noonan and energy, design and cost-control consultants were recruited in 1977 to change Marywood to Evanston's new Civic Center. They were an experienced team in the new rehabilitation approach, then growing in popularity. Funding was apparently limited, and building services and ongoing maintenance were also apparently limited to a schedule of need. And yet, occupants and the public enjoyed the distinction, charm, convenience, parking and park setting of their Civic Center.

In looking at the future of our current Civic Center building, the Civic Center Committee may consider the following:

The 10-acre site gives the Civic Center charm and distinction. Parking and site must be considered a premium trade-off in alternate studies.

Although the building and/or occupancies are attractive and distinctive, they do not suggest architectural or historical significance and the building should not have been a candidate for landmark designation.

The Doyle Report (July 10, 1998) was based on a building with provision for a council chamber addition. Reported reserve interior space is an asset, which suggests lateral additions should be discouraged. Parking and site uses must be included as a trade-off in any alternate cost studies.

The Civic Center is of sound building stock with limitations. For major renovation of vintage buildings with limited on-going maintenance it is necessary and routine to replace existing mechanical, electrical, plumbing and upgrade fire-protection and life-safety systems by current energy and environmental design methods. These services may be staged over time for interior space design upgrades.

To address building deterioration, the City should address the roof/roofing problems on a priority basis, limiting remedial work to that which is functionally essential. Alternate materials for the replacement of the roofing and its eaves should be investigated, addressing compatible upgrades. The City should authorize a critical examination of the exterior walls and enclosures, including the roof.

The original, south part of the building has no attic; wood trusses support the sloped roof. Upgrades of interior spaces when the attic is used for mechanical equipment is limited by the initial occupancy/construction.

Additional searches for drawings and documents of construction at various stages of occupancy/alterations, user interview, confirming site observation/evaluation and programming are needed.

The new developer must meet building code requirements (with Evanston exceptions), add approved sprinklers and authorize non-destructive evaluation of both existing structures, especially the wood roof trusses.

Some may consider this merely a technical report. My intent is to share, to provide one man's understanding to responsible parties for a reasonable, workable and economic solution and to raise the question of where this fits into a strategic plan for my wife's favorite city. Be it ever so humble, there is no place like home.

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A Guest Essay
By Mary J. Wilkerson, President, District 202 Board of Education

Let the Community Welcome Dr. Witherspoon

For the past six months the District 202 Board of Education has been focused on one of the most important tasks for the future of our District, a search for a new Superintendent. On behalf of the Board of Education, I am happy to report that Dr. Eric Witherspoon has been appointed to the position of Superintendent, effective July 1.

Dr. Witherspoon brings extraordinary experience, energy and vision to the district. He has 17 years of experience as a superintendent, serving most recently as superintendent of the Des Moines Public Schools since 1998. From 1992 to 1998 he served as superintendent of the Metropolitan School District of Pike Township in Indianapolis, Ind., and was superintendent of the Hobart City Schools in Hobart, Ind., 1989-92. Dr. Witherspoon began his career as a high school English teacher and was director of the high school gifted education program at Crown Point High School in Crown Point, Ind.

Dr. Witherspoon earned his Ph.D. from Purdue University in 1987 in educational administration and curriculum with a related area in management from Purdue's Krannert School of Management. He also holds an M.S. from Purdue and a B.A. from Hope College in Holland, Mich., with a double major in English and psychology. An active leader in education, he has taught many years as adjunct faculty at Purdue, Butler and Iowa State Universities.

When the Board evaluated applicants, Dr. Witherspoon's record stood out as being particularly aligned with the criteria for District 202 superintendent as established through community input. His many achievements include the following:

• Named Iowa Superintendent of the Year in 2001-02;
• Implemented school improvement initiatives that resulted in increased student achievement and narrowing the achievement gap in many areas;
• Developed programs and services for gifted and talented students
• Balanced the district budget and introduced value-based budgeting to focus resources on student achievement, increasing the percentage of the budget allocated to instruction;
• Partnered effectively with the business community, colleges and universities to support the education of all students;
• Formed strong partnerships with the not-for-profit and faith communities to mobilize the community around student outcomes and dramatically increased the number of volunteers in the schools;
• Created a comprehensive professional development model that received statewide recognition;
• Implemented curriculum mapping and school improvement that has been featured as a national model by ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development)
• Initiated and chaired Circles of Support, a community-wide collaboration to support at-risk families, involving the business community, United Way, foundations, the faith community, colleges and community volunteers

During the Des Moines site visit, members of the ETHS School Board met with people who work with Dr. Witherspoon on a day-to-day basis, as well as representatives of the community. We consistently heard about his collaborative approach to decision-making, his commitment to developing teachers and administrators, and, most importantly, his unwavering focus on children - all children.

After a rigorous screening and interview process the Board selected Dr. Witherspoon from a large pool of very qualified applicants. It speaks to the strength and reputation of our District that we received an unprecedented 56 applications. Throughout the selection process, the Board focused on ETHS's unique needs and opportunities as defined by teachers, administrators, staff, the community and the Board itself.

We are confident that Dr. Witherspoon will build on the strengths of School District 202 and will capably continue Dr. Allan Alson's tradition of visionary leadership. Dr. Witherspoon has an outstanding record, and he has expressed a passionate commitment to improve the educational experience for all students in District 202.

We know that you will join us in warmly welcoming Dr. Eric Witherspoon to our community and in supporting him as he begins his important work as Superintendent of District 202.

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Strategic Plan Challenge

The following are responses to a challenge to other organizations and individuals to respond in-depth to Evanston's draft Strategic Plan. This challenge was made by a collaboration of Design Evanston, League of Women Voters, Southeast Evanston Association, and Network for Evanston's Future as an effort to get the more public participation into the plan.

Organizations and individuals were asked to respond to the following four questions:

• What do you or your organization view as Evanston's core community values?

• What is your definition of a "livable" city? Can you give a brief description of your ideal Evanston?

• Which key concerns of your organization are reflected in the Strategic Plan Draft? which are not?

• What role is your organization willing or able to play in making Evanston a more livable community?

Northwestern Neighbors (No name given)

Core community values – include neighborhood preservation, economic and social diversity and good government.

"Livable City" – one where residents don't have to live in fear that their quality of life will be compromised by inappropriate development; where zoning is not for sale, and where residents can rely on City staff and elected officials to undertake the necessary due diligence to ensure that growth is achieved in a reasonable, balanced and predictable way. A livable city accommodates the needs of a wide range of lifestyles in a balanced way, providing excellent services and amenities for singles, families with kids, empty-nesters, seniors, rich, middle-income, and poor.

Not reflected in the draft – neighborhood concerns about institutional expansion and encroachment into neighborhoods are not reflected in the Strategic Plan draft. Rather the focus seems to be on reaching out to Northwestern University to meet its needs. Dialogue between the City Council and NU Board of Director's may help to enhance mutual respect, but residents of potentially affected neighborhoods need to be included in meaningful ways. This notion of inclusion is currently missing from the plan draft. Evanston is and should continue to be a City of strong neighborhoods with shared history and sense of place. Business districts should be compact, walkable and designed to meet the needs of neighborhood residents.

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Northeast Evanston Historic District Association (NEHDA)
Board of Directors: Mark Burnette, Judy Fiske, Jeanne Lindwall, Jim McGuire

Core community values – respect for our shared history, diversity, economic and social values, as well as protection of our built and natural environment.
Livable City" – is one where residents are invested and feel connected. Evanston has a national reputation as a place that values its rich architectural heritage and historic neighborhoods (just as it has since adoption of the first Evanston Preservation Ordinance in 1975, following the study and recommendation of a 100+ member citizen task force).

Not reflected in the draft – The Draft Strategic Plan seems to imply dismantling longstanding preservation policies and regulations. This will be to the great detriment of historic districts and structures that add to the richness and economic value of Evanston as a community. Historic architecture attracts property buyers to Evanston, reflects the unique character of our community, and makes a significant contribution to maintaining a stable tax base.

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Evanston's Transportation Future (Rick Martin, Convener)

Core community values – We believe the plan should include a wide range of transportation options including the availability of public transportation for everyone, including those with disabilities.

"Livable City" –Regarding the definition of a livable city, "Complete Streets" should be an important pillar of Evanston's Strategic Plan as a standard for transportation projects, planning, and funding.

Not reflected in the draft – We observed that the draft of the Strategic Plan is missing a method of turning the plan into policy.

Also, although "Complete Streets" is included in the draft Plan, it is not included in the list of 24-month Objectives. In addition, the limited parenthetical qualification of "bicycle and pedestrian" as well as other reference to bicycles and pedestrians made only in the context of recreation leads us to believe that the far-reaching aspects of such a policy may not be fully understood. To be a livable and economically prosperous city, Evanston needs an infrastructure that supports families' abilities to walk or bike to school and recreation and that promotes shopping close to home rather than promoting business in outlying shopping malls. Therefore, it should be the policy of Evanston that whenever a street is repaired, redesigned or otherwise changed that it be made a healthy street that accommodates motorized traffic, bicycles, pedestrians, and wheelchairs, as well as public transit options and amenities. Safe sidewalks with proper curb cuts, safe street crossings, and bicycle parking should be part of all new developments.

Adopting a "complete streets" policy means a new method of planning, requiring detailed attention to every new development, every road repair, and every infrastructure change to give equal weight to transportation modes other than automobiles. In addition, the city needs a comprehensive plan for retrofitting Evanston's aging infrastructure, particularly in placement of lightpoles, utility boxes, sidewalks and transit rights-of-way, signage and amenities.

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Response of Barry D. Lundberg

Core community values: –Compassion for people in need of assistance; support for social, racial, and religious diversity; concern about preserving and improving our environment; pride in our history (our roots, social diversity, architecture, etc.); supportive for high quality public education; belief in active citizen participation in community affairs.

Livable city – is a safe place to live; provides quality education to all children; provide quality health care, accessible to all citizens; encourages religious and social diversity; provides a broad range of recreational and educational for people of all ages; offers a wide range of housing options, affordable and accessible to all people; provides transportation infrastructure and services that support access to both the community's and the region's many housing, work, education, and recreational opportunities and is physically attractive and clean.

(Note: I believe the Vision Statement of "Creating the most livable City in America" is not credible, and therefore jeopardizes the credibility of the entire plan from the beginning. If nothing else the weather is against us – as compared to the many quality cities that can be found in the West, the Sun Belt, and the SE. I believe a more realistic vision would be "Creating the most livable city in the Midwest", or "Striving to be the most livable City in America.")

Not reflected in the draft – I feel most key concerns are at least mentioned. One exception to this is a serious omission: the issue of poverty in Evanston.

My major problem with much the Strategic Plan Draft (as presented on the City's Web site) is that most of it lacks "context" and "coherency". The best example I can offer of this is Goal #8 (improving our transportation system). The completion of a long-range multi-modal transportation plan must be placed in the larger context of long-range land-use and neighborhood planning for the community. Further, there has been a lot of work and community investment made in related studies and plans over the past 10 years or so; this past work needs to be a beginning point for future planning work. There needs to be a broad context for such planning, and there needs to be a congruency between neighborhood level, community level, and regional level land-use and transportation planning. I can find no mention in the Strategic Plan Draft that an important activity is to update the community's comprehensive General Plan – which incidentally should be the principle basis for reviewing the Zoning Ordinance (again, an example of lack of context and coherency.)

Finally, the Strategic Plan Draft is silent about "next steps" and importantly ‘implementation". Without a well defined implementation plan (who is responsible for what, when action will be taken, etc.) plans simply gather dust and fade away.

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Response of Evanston Food Policy Council (Debbie Hillman, Convener)

Core community values – Health, beauty, safety, wisdom, economic and social justice, preservation of natural resources, enjoyment of the gifts of life, neighborliness, communal decision-making, and the sustaining of all those into the far future. Specific to food, we believe that the City's values are congruent with those stated in the Evanston Food Policy Council's mission statement: "To ensure everyone's access to a safe and diverse regional food supply and to foster awareness of healthy food choices. We advocate sustainable agricultural policies, support organic growing practices, and promote active urban-rural connections through our local food system."

"Livable City" – In the context of food, our definition of a livable city is a healthy population, which can best be achieved through availability of the freshest, most nutritious food. To achieve this, EFPC advocates the affordability of healthy food for everyone, localized food production and stewardship of our own soils and natural resources so that they can be utilized for food production. Because no urban area can grow all of its own food, a livable city also includes close ties to the regional farm economy, e.g., our vibrant farmers market and purchase agreements between city businesses/institutions and nearby farmers.

Not reflected in the draft – The primary concern of EFPC -- healthy food -- is completely absent in the draft Strategic Plan. This is a national blind spot, only recently becoming uncovered as we're realizing the tenuous foundations of our current food supply and distribution systems. These deteriorating foundations include natural resources degraded by industrial farm practices, failing family farms, global food imports undercutting local production at the same time as energy prices increase, making the reliability of our far-flung food network questionable. The epidemic proportions of obesity, hunger, diabetes, and other chronic diseases reflect our reliance on over-processed, subsidized non-nutritious foods, gaping holes in the food distribution system, as well as accumulating exposure to agricultural chemicals

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Response of Brummel Park Neighbors

Core community values – All types of diversity and are committed to making our neighborhood the best it can be through the direct involvement of our neighbors.

Livable City? An ideal Evanston would be a safe place to live. It would include a forum for input from all of its citizens (not only those with access to the Internet.) It would offer better management of space for living working, and parking. Social services would be centrally located and easy for all to access(including those without access to cars, or who are constrained because they are caregivers to children or seniors.) Structured recreation would be accessible for everyone.

Not reflected in the draft –The statement "Evanston will maintain and build upon the uniqueness and strengths of its neighborhoods and parks. We will provide a high quality of life for all members of our diverse population" supports much of what our neighborhood group strives for.

However, I am concerned about the statement "2. Services will be physically provided where they are needed vs. a centralized location." Unless Evanston plans on providing mobilized service units, this will present a problem in neighborhoods like ours, where a smaller number of people need services, and may then go unserved. A more effective way of handling this issue would be to offer a centralized location with childcare, and to offer regular free transportation (such as is used for the Levy Center).

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Response of Nancy Rose

Not reflected in the draft – Development: make construction permits binding; preserve automobile/pedestrian circulation during construction and require their restoration at the end of project, as part of the cost of development; consider impact of developments on neighborhoods, as well as aesthetics; binding appearance review; require green space and set-back with wide sidewalks; make provision for increased traffic/municipal services as a result of development.
Urban farming: acquire land/greenhouse for urban farms; Peter Jans Golf Course; James Park behind recycling center and rental gardens.
Money: the mission statement begins with "fiscally sound"; the vision statement starts with "economically vibrant"; the values speak of "enriching"; the economics vision (5/10 years) talks about our "economic engine". Too much talk about money. If we created a sustainable city the financial benefit would come from saving rather than generating money.
I say we need to make sure developers have the interests of the community at heart. We may not want high-rise on every inch of land. The highest use of land may not be tall, after all.

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Response of Evanston Interreligious Sustainability Circle

Core community values – Sustainability; connectedness -- working together for the good of all; diversity in age groups, income levels, race, etc.; activism for justice, peace; tolerance; spiritual rootedness; education; valuing of nature.

Livable city – One in which the following commonly exist: effective, efficient personal and public transportation; conservation in use of energy; renewable energy sources; quality education for all; affordable variety of housing options; balance of growth and preservation; waste from all sources is recycled by all sourcesl plentiful green and open space accessible to all; toxin-free food, buildings, parks and gardens, cleaning products, clothing;

Not reflected in the draft – Addressed in vocabulary: Transportation, housing, greenness, education. Not addressed: Energy, recycling, green space, toxins,
In addition, while several of the key concerns are mentioned in the vocabulary of the strategic plan, they are not addressed in a useful way. For example, Goal 5 is the "green goal," but the 3 stated green objectives are 1) to determine the gap between current practices and green practices (too broad, vague; no plan), 2) to work on the sanitary canal (too narrow), and 3) to "open" the beaches (not specifically "green").

Also, 14 is too large a number of priorities; everything can't be a priority. What's needed is to determine THE four or five strategic initiatives that will make Evanston a "livable" city. Pursue those few and base every city decision on how it impacts those few.

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Response of Local Government Committee, League of Women Voters of Evanston

Not reflected in the draft – The League of Women Voters of Evanston encourages City Council to include a social policy in the plan. The goal should be: develop a social policy that all residents have their basic needs for food, shelter and access to health care met. The policy should ensure that individuals and families have access to programs that are designed to promote self-sufficiency and to reduce or prevent poverty.

In decades past, Evanston has taken the lead in addressing social issues as evidenced by establishing the City's Human Services Department, enacting a strong Fair Housing Ordinance and a strong Landlord/Tenant Ordinance, providing for scattered-site public housing units and a homeless shelter, and voting in a mental health board and supportive programs. These, and more, have given us prominence as a City which cares.

Current statistics demand that we must continue these efforts. In 2004, 30% of Evanston households earned less than $ 35,000 a year. Nearly 40% of our school children are eligible for the free lunch program. Sixty homeless families with a child under six years of age are on the Connections' waiting list for a program with only seven apartments available. The Strategic Plan does not address these or related issues.

The League believes that the City must be the responsible Agent for these social concerns. It should provide the necessary leadership, facilitation, accountability and, if appropriate, funding. While the City should encourage partnerships, it must remain the accountable entity. If we are to be ‘the most livable city,' the quality of the lives of those who live near or in poverty must be of utmost importance to us.

Goal: Develop a social policy that all residents have their basic needs for food, shelter and access to health care met.

Objective #1: The City should form a blue ribbon committee that will study the approaches of other communities, identify best practices, and incorporate them into an Evanston social policy.

Objective #2: The City should facilitate alliances among social service providers to encourage a unified approach to solving problems of poverty.

Objective #3: The City Council's Human Services Committee should conduct an annual review of the implementation.

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Caution Warranted with New School Programs
Editor:

I am deeply concerned about two proposals which the District 65 School Board seems to be supporting. I believe that both the expansion of the Spanish-language Two-Way Immersion (TWI) program and the introduction of an African-centered curriculum for some students will be greatly detrimental to the education and social development of the students of Evanston.

I send my children to Lincoln School and love it. My husband and I are delighted that our children have classmates from a broad range of economic and cultural backgrounds. I like that we walk to school. I enjoy the sense of community that is created from our shared involvement and physical proximity to the school. But I am worried that what we have will disappear.

First of all, I oppose the notion of a curriculum that focuses on one cultural experience. I don't think a singular cultural focus will serve any child well. If African-American parents and educators in Evanston feel that the existing curriculum is not reflective of their experience or ethnic heritage, then I believe that change should be for the community at large, not through the creation of separate classrooms. All of our children deserve to be educated about the African continent and the contributions to society by people of color. If we're not doing that well, let's fix it.

Second, I am concerned that the African-centered curriculum will attract mainly African-American students and remove them from the general education classroom, which may restore the segregation which we have spent years fighting against. I don't want all-white classrooms. I could move to a lot of other suburbs to get that.

Third, I am concerned that expansion of TWI, along with the introduction of another cultural option, will eliminate the option for general education at some schools. We are taking the idea of alternate offerings and making them mainstream without nearly enough forethought or historical experience. I'd like a great deal more community discussion and participation along with long-term evaluation of outcomes before we create such sweeping change.

A chief reason my family chooses to live in Evanston is because it is a diverse, racially mixed community. While I applaud the efforts to experiment with new approaches and offer options to students and parents, I think we need to be extremely cautious and thoughtful about the impact of these decisions on our future as a community. If we continue to splinter the offerings, will we eliminate the neighborhood schools? The schools are one of the few places we all come together.
Let's keep it that way.
--Pam Daniels

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Simmons's Artwork Is Memorable
Editor:

Thank you for the informative article on Mr. Jevoid Simmons' s Art Exhibit (Feb. 22.) His exhibit was so memorable to me, and his text was wonderful and educational. I hope that a lot of young people got to meet this brilliant artist to hear him talk about his work and how and why he captured his family history through making art.

I had the pleasure of meeting the artist, and I look forward to seeing his exhibit at another space in the near future. Thank you again for covering important work and issues in the Evanston RoundTable.

Correction: On the front page, you listed the venue as Unity on the North Shore, when it's Unity on Thome, in Rogers Park.
-- Sharon Hyson

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A Matter of History
Editor:

I always enjoy reading "Once upon a time in Evanston."

The last installment showed that Northwestern's penchant for gobbling up and purchasing property, such as the 1800 Sherman building, is not a recent phenomenon. Thank you for explaining to your readers that NU has been taking property off the tax rolls and robbing our schools of much needed revenue for over 150 years!
-Greg Klaiber

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Why Live in Illinois?
Editor:

My name is Ammie Williams and I am a 10th-grade honors student from Dublin, Georgia, who is studying American literature. As part of our learning experience, our teacher, Ms. Carol Stroberg, feels we should not only be familiar with great writers of our country, but should know more about the region and the people from which those writers come. Each student chose two states to research and become experts on in order to teach this information to the rest of the class. To better understand your state, people, and regional writers, I would like to learn more about the people and places of your area from those who live there. It is my hope that you will print my letter in your paper and request your readers to respond to the following questions:

• What do you do for work and fun?
• As an American, you can live anywhere you wish. Why do you choose to live in Illinois?
• What makes Illinois a unique place to live?
• What are the best and worst aspects of living in Illinois?
• What do you know about the writers of your region?
• Which writers best exemplify the attitudes, beliefs, and opinions of your region?

Please send your replies to: Ammie Williams, C/O Carol Stroberg, Dublin High School, 1951 Hillcrest Parkway, Dublin, Georgia 31021

Thank you for your help with this information. Learning about a place from those who live in it certainly makes my experience more personal and meaningful. I look very forward to hearing from all of you.
--Ammie Williams

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No Board Leadership at 65
Editor:

Many Washington School veterans now hear from incoming kindergarten parents alarmed about this so-called "erosion" at Washington School. Preschool directors in the neighborhood, uninformed about our school, read coverage of Board meetings and tell parents at information sessions: TWI is the future of our school district, or GenEd is for the parents who don't get into TWI or another magnet school. This week alone, I have fielded multiple parent calls/questions from incoming kindergarten parents alarmed about "what is going on at Washington."

Many of us are infuriated to say the least, because finally, finally we have a principal who is supporting the teachers in their tremendous task of getting our students up to speed, getting our school to pass AYP – and now this school Board president, whom most of us have never seen in our school, who rarely or never returns e-mails to discuss our concerns, continues to make generalizations about our school.

Before this Board president furthers speaks about TWI, Washington School, or GenEd –without having visited the school for more than one hour in the fall – let me set the record straight. Many parents in our community – TWI and GenEd alike – do not want a magnet TWI school. Ignoring the words of a current and previous BPAC chair for a moment, please consider the following parent concerns that I have heard from TWI and Gen Ed parents this week:

Traffic congestion – a magnet school becomes a car congestion nightmare for those living near the school.

Failing AYP – our school is failing AYP and has been for years. Adding a typically low-perfoming Hispanic population will not alter this fact and will worsen a situation that teachers are working desperately this year to change.

Large class size – a problem that will NEVER change unless the board considers changing each class population. One English student to one Spanish student – at the outset – is part of the problem.

Limitations of the model – TWI is a K-2 model. This board consistently and erroneously refers to TWI as the "best educational model for ELL students" but forgets this important qualifier: it does not work for students, a large population, who enter after second grade and who need a whole set of additional educational services housed in our school. TWI is consistently serving a mostly white, non-low-income population for K-5. In this year's graduating class, approximately 14 Hispanic students have been part of TWI since kindergarten.

GenEd experience – the most experienced teachers at our school are GenEd teachers. These teachers are team leaders who mentor new teachers, attend PTA meetings, participate in new curriculum development, get trained in developing educational ideas. Removing these teachers and this program is removing the educational leaders of this school.

Lack of an evaluation – How are the ELLs performing in this program? The Board continues to ask the administration for an evaluation – but in the absence of this evidence still considers taking action to expand this program, without ANY evidence to support its success. Taking action without evidence, no matter who the Board wants to blame or who is at fault, is irresponsible, at best.

Growth of the program – In theory, creating a magnet school makes sense; however, once again this Board president only considers the theory. To know that eventually three magnet schools would be needed for this program means that an alternate model for implementation is needed. A longer-term solution is necessary.

Irresponsible leadership is not just George W. Bush's domain. This Board president has failed to provide disciplined, responsible leadership that demonstrates a true understanding of the way our schools work – especially Washington School. Unfortunately, there are many, many examples of this Board president's disconnection from the realities of our students' educational experience (many from the last Board meeting alone) – be the students African-American, Hispanic, or white – and listing them here would serve no purpose. At the very least, some expectation that this Board president lead this Board to make declarations, decisions and motions based on evidence, not beliefs, seems a reasonable request.
--Corrine Johnson

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Take More Time for ACC
Open Letter to D65 School Board:

I am the parent of children who attend general education classes in first grade at Oakton School. I am very concerned about what is being proposed at Oakton School. I went to both Board meetings recently plus attended the Oakton PTA meeting and it has become apparent to me that no one knows how to implement the proposed African-centered curriculum program properly – not to mention what to do with the ever- expanding TWI program. This confusion is of great concern considering that this is February and you are proposing major changes for the coming school year.

There are huge ramifications in any of the combinations suggested, and to rush to implement these decisions that affect the lives of so many children, families, teachers and principals without taking the time necessary to slow down and properly think things through will cause massive problems, not just for next year, but possibly for many years to come.

The first major need is to assess, not by a brochure (which,while very attractive, was very confusing), but by holding informational meetings at each school where you plan to have a strand of ACC. This would more accurately assess not only need for the program but the interest and number of possible participants as well. Parents and teachers would be able to ask questions and express concerns and decide if the program fits their needs.

Secondly, once the number of participants is more accurately assessed and the schools identified, then a decision can then be made how best to implement the program. Here there are many questions which arise, especially due to the complication of TWI's expansion.

If you have two strands of TWI, one strand of general education and one strand of ACC at one school, I can predict that the one strand of general education would become the home to the two or three kids who could not gain entrance to TWI, the kids from TWI who were unable to succeed in the program, kids with IEPs and the late-entry children.

This class is not a cross section of the general student population. The strand of general education becomes the catch-all for a lot of needy students.

If you take all of general education out of a school, what do you do with children who need to leave TWI or who are late-entry? Will they need to start at a whole new school?

If a program is to succeed, which I feel ACC can, time must be taken to implement it properly. Careful thought and study went into creating the program; careful thought and much more study must be taken when figuring out how best to implement it. If you do not take the time now, ACC will have a greater opportunity to fail and perhaps take a few good schools down with it.

The ACC program is based on programs that have 100 percent participation, I believe more thought must be given to how this program will be implemented in order for it to best succeed. We can not afford to let it fail.
--Terra Durand

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Opposes Church Street Village Development
Editor:

I have been a resident of the Church Street neighborhood since 1967 and served as Dewey Community Conference housing chairman for several years as we worked together to preserve a diverse neighborhood with a wide range of racial, income and employment characteristics and aging single- and two-family housing stock. I have also served on the Evanston Zoning Amendment Committee and was active in working for low-income, scattered-site housing throughout Evanston.

After a careful review of the proposal for the redevelopment of the former Hines Lumber Company property, 1613 Church St., I conclude that I must oppose the proposal to construct a planned development of 41 three-story single-family townhomes, with garage space for 70 cars, on this 1.6-acre property.

The tactic used by the developers to foist their project, Church Street Village, on the City and the neighborhood is to seek rezoning of the property – currently zoned for general industrial use – to R-5, permitting 41.5-foot attached housing and greater site coverage – a density not found in any adjacent area.

Then they propose setback, rear yard, height, site coverage and other variations from the requirements of that already more compacted zoning, through use of the planned development ordinance. To attract political support, they claim they will market this project as "moderate income housing" to help serve Evanston's need for housing for its teachers and other public servants. At various hearings they have maintained that any design modifications to reduce crowding and increase greenspace would require sacrifice of housing for this target group.

Each part of this presentation is deceptive.

The developers falsely represent that their proposal is consistent with adjacent uses. In fact the area is composed of single- and two-family residences. The closest R-5 housing is a single block on the north side of Emerson Street, and most of the housing in that area has a density and construction style less than that allowed by the zoning. East of the property the closest R-5 housing is east of Ridge Avenue.

The statement that economics requires this dense zoning is also suspect, when the application of zoning changes shows that the sellers of the property are also the buyers seeking the zoning conversion. According to the application for zoning changes the current Hines property owners hold a one-half interest in the "Church Street Village" housing project. The stated amount to be paid to Hines for this 1.6-acre plot is $1.8 million or about $46,000 per unit. Obviously the price must have been set assuming the zoning variances would be granted and the planned development accepted by the Council without difficulty. What would be a reasonable price Hines could ask for this blighted and obsolete industrial property if it were rezoned for planned development in a manner compatible with the neighborhood? Hines has ill-served its long-time neighbors by seeking to maximize their profit by overstuffing this property.

Distressingly, the City inspector, in the impact statement for the project, seems to assume the zoning change to R-5 is a given and states his approval or denial of certain elements based on the requirements of that dense model and the concessions allowable for a planned development in R-5.

Yet such a rezoning would be entirely incompatible with the small R-3 single-family homes on Florence Avenue, the single- and two-family homes in the 1700 block of Ashland Avenue and those single-family homes along Church Street between Wesley Avenue and the two other industrial properties just east of Hines – National Awards Services and J. Cahill, Inc.

The developer claims to aim for a market of "young families" of "moderate income," yet the proposed prices range form $351,000 to $427,050. The City elsewhere has calculated that a family of median income can afford approximately $235,000 for a home – $116,000 less than the cheapest of these units.

There are also significant design and location faults that would make the large project unattractive to these young families of moderate income. For example, the site proposal packs in 16 town house units with driveways that back directly onto the only egress road for all 42 units and lacks any safe play space. The egress is just west of a jog in the street where trucks accelerate to go up Church Street; cars accelerate downhill to make the light at Dodge Avenue, and vision is impaired by the job and the remains of the old railroad viaduct. The truck egress for the two industrial properties to the east would make the walk up the hill on the north side of the street to the elementary school crossing hazardous for young children.

Redevelopment of the industrial properties between Church and Lyons streets presents an opportunity to increase the moderate income housing stock in Evanston. However, the current proposal is clearly unacceptable and increases the pressures to develop the adjacent properties in the same dense manner.

Before the City grants any rezoning to the Hines property developers, it should prepare a new, more responsible and comprehensive plan that takes into account the futures of all the industrial properties in that immediate area and considers the impact on the surrounding neighborhood of the sharply increasing residential zoning density.
-- Joan Safford

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D65: More Depressing News
Editor:

Back from an invigorating Florida Keys vacation I was greeted by an ever chunkier Evanston RoundTable awash in depressingly bad news from our schools.

To begin with District 65: It appears the Board is priming itself for a move that may finally drive our expensive school district down the cliff of chaos and obsolescence, oblivious to how they may impact our children's future. I remember when our schools' goal was to educate all children equally, American-born or not, to enable them to partake in the nation's wealth, creativity and responsibilities. It was part of our forefathers' bold and unique concept of a nation that with so many different backgrounds and beliefs, it could be unified as one: "E Pluribus Unum," or "From plurality, one. This shaped our national character, the distinct "American Dream" that makes ours a land of promise.

But District 65 seems intent on dis-unification as they divide students into groups according to their ethnicities.

It would seem that Board member Jerome Summers agreed with my analysis when he said that "black students bused to white schools don't feel welcome, and the new program will give them a place where they can win." Superintendent Murphy said that a segregated program will take black students "out of an environment that's not serving them,"– an admission that the millions of dollars spent to integrate the Evanston schools were, am I surprised? a worthless, reckless scheme. Meantime the Hispanic program grows by leaps and bounds, gobbling up more and more classrooms, threatening to leave an increasingly more displaced third group of "general education" students wandering from school to school in search of rooms. D65, beware: Ethnic divisions breed conflict and intolerance, and you may regret one day having started on this slippery road.

Meantime District 202 has choosen a new Superintendent. He is Mr. Witherspoon from the Des Moines public schools, a K-12 single district of 31,800 students, 36 percent minorities. Will he know how to operate in Evanston's divided system, where the education of students he will inherit is regulated by another Superintendent and Board, and where he has absolutely no authority? Will he know how to deal with the students sent by D65 without the kind of preparation he expects them to have?

When asked what his priorities are for Evanston he said, "Erase the achievement gap, erase the achievement gap, erase the achievement gap." I might have asked (since nobody did), "Did you erase the ‘gap' in Des Moines?" Of course he didn't. But he said – to his credit – "I want ETHS to be the school district that closes the achievement gap." It must not have been in the books for Des Moines. Haven't we heard all this before?
--Margarita Matlis

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Washington Is a Home School: Board Is Wrong
Editor:

Whether unwilling to prevent it or consciously pushing it forward, our Board of Education is heavily engaged on a downward slide towards jeopardizing the neighborhood school concept in this District.

As a Washington parent, I need to correct the recent comments of the Board describing us as eroded as a home school. While it may be tempting to portray our neighborhood draw as inadequate to fit this Board's current dilemma, finding schools to place emerging and expanding magnet- style programs, it is not accurate, unfair to our current families and misleading to our future ones. And to base it solely on next year's perhaps overly pessimistic enrollment projections for one program is misguided and leaves aside a whole portion of our Hispanic population for whom Washington is its neighborhood school too.

If the Board makes these types of comments out of misinformation, it needs to check the facts first. There is no more erosion now at Washington School than what we have always been used to. Within the past couple of years, out of nearly 300 families, no more than five families chose to go to another school as a result of our having to offer school choice option under NCLB legislation.

People who are in Washington stay at Washington for the wide array of opportunities it offers their children. Our many school events, and extra-curricular and enrichment activities would not be happening without the valued neighborhood support we enjoy.

The strong ties we have built with our neighborhood partners, present and alumni families, local businesses, churches and local community organizations make it possible for us to have the vibrant PTA that we have.

I challenge the Board to find a school where the level of commitment demonstrated by parents, staff and community partners is as high as ours. Washington school is one of the last schools in the District to offer a yearly school festival, an event which is a true test of neighborhood and community spirit if there is one, because of the sheer number of volunteers and community support it needs to make it happen.

If the Board perpetuates these types of misconceptions out of a desire to move away from a neighborhood-school structure, then it needs to, at the very least, pause and engage the community it serves to check if that is where it wants to go. Every decision the Board makes in the meantime moves us further towards a public school system that will look very different than the one our community currently experiences and expects.

If, however, the Board is uncomfortable going down that path but is unable to stop it out of sheer inability to reach consensus and work together as well as with the administration, leaving each meeting with more questions than answers, then it must ask for outside help. We who have elected Board members do not expect them to have all the answers, but to pause and give themselves the time to find them out when they don't and to hold themselves and the administration accountable to the decisions they are making for all of us.
-- Béatrice McKenna

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Phase Out Two-Way Immersion by Fifth Grade
Editor:

Becky Kass's letter about District 65's Two Way Immersion (TWI) program identifies many valid concerns, but I feel spending more money on the program would only help if it were going towards the right changes.
The TWI program creates a very gradual introduction to English for Spanish-speaking children. Students are taught subject in Spanish 90 percent of the time early on, but then by fifth grade, the curriculum becomes half in English and half in Spanish (according to the District 65 website). This program exists to assist Spanish-speaking children to learn English. Her observations about the separation of African- Americans and Hispanics was inevitable in a system organized this way.

Implementing a TWI program in a school district could promote integration; it just needs to be structured correctly. I believe that the program should happen faster and get children into the general education pool as early as possible. Children who spend their entire elementary education in a separate language-track will feel alienated.

Promoting this type of system, in my opinion, advocates a nationwide isolation of Hispanics in our education systems, even in the towns that can afford to integrate it. If the program forces Spanish-speaking students to learn more English sooner, the program wouldn't create such a strong split. TWI would promote learning English before kindergarten and create a short-term boost for Spanish speakers, rather than a long-term commitment to isolation and segregation.

Basically, I think the program needs to get these children in a 50/50 environment much earlier than fifth grade. If more money is spent on this program it should be towards achieving that. Having a separate division for Hispanics could hurt the integration that exists at ETHS,which is where it draws its strength. More importantly, I feel an immersion program that takes too long could backfire in a town that has such a unique composition like Evanston.
--Dan Brunner

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EDITORIAL
Improving Achievement for African-American Students

As a community we are failing in the education of many of our children. On the 2005 ISATs, 53 percent of black third graders and 56 percent of black fifth graders failed to meet state standards in reading.

To address this issue, an African-American Student Achievement Committee and the administration have proposed steps to increase achievement of African-American students on a District-wide basis. These include increasing the use of multicultural materials in the classroom, increasing parental involvement and increasing the number of African- American teachers. The Committee and the administration have also recommended implementing an African-centered curriculum at the K-2 grade levels at one or more schools on a pilot basis.

The School Board has indicated support for the District-wide programs and gave the administration the go-ahead to explore the "concept" of establishing an African-centered curriculum on a pilot basis.

Recently, some Board members have raised questions about the implementation plan for the pilot, and at least one Board member has raised a concern that the program may result in segregating the classrooms. These questions and concerns have evoked angry cries of racism.

Proponents of an African-centered curriculum argue that if African-American students are taught within the context of their own history and culture, they will more easily relate to the knowledge presented and will learn more and be more successful academically.

As far as we know, there are no research-based studies which have assessed whether an African-centered program, in and of itself, is effective in improving academic achievement of African-American students; and there are few case studies.

In one case study of two schools, which was cited in the District's analysis, researchers noted there were two camps, those that saw an African-centered program as "a panacea that would ameliorate the negative circumstances many African-American students faced in contemporary public schools" and those that saw it as "a threat."

The researchers said, "Our longitudinal research suggests that neither of these stances was the case." They acknowledged that African-centered programs "could be implemented successfully and poorly," and concluded that if the programs have a strong principal with a clear vision and knowledgeable and dedicated teachers, they have "considerable promise."

Strong leadership, a clear vision, trained teachers and effective implementation are critical to the success of an African-centered program. So too is a location and parental involvement. If these things come together, the program, according to the researchers, has considerable promise. If they do not come together, the program will likely fail.

If this program is approved, the administration has a responsibility to design a program that will succeed. The Board, in turn, has a responsibility to ask questions. Perhaps one argument we have heard for an African-centered curriculum is that nothing else has worked. That argument fails if the program is not designed so it has a substantial likelihood of succeeding.

Another factor is part of the mix. Everyone believes that an African-centered program will lead to segregated classrooms. While participating students may gain something through an infusion of African and African-American culture, they may lose something by the lack of diversity in the classroom. We believe there is a value to diversity, to a mixing of kids, to a mixing of cultures in the classroom. It would indeed be a sad concession to say that School District 65 cannot educate African-American students in a diverse classroom. If the African-centered program is implemented, parents will ultimately have the choice.

Whether the African-centered program proceeds as a pilot, we should not throw in the towel on diversity in education. The steps recommended to improve academic achievement of African-American students on a District-wide basis are excellent and supported by the research.

The troubling thing is most of the concepts (ie., enhancing multicultural education, increasing cultural awareness of teachers, maintaining high expectations, increasing parental involvement, increasing the number of minority teachers) have been proposed and implemented to various degrees over the last 25 years.

In our view, though, the District has never implemented a comprehensive, rigorous, dedicated plan which draws on administrators, teachers, parents, churches, community organizations, businesses and community members to address minority achievement.

It is time to do so now. The District should also commit the resources necessary to do so.

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Letters, Guest Essays and Announcements
The RoundTable welcomes community comment and public service announcements but reserves the right to edit them for space and other considerations.

Letters of 450 words or fewer and announcements of 200 words or fewer must be received eight days before publication. Send them by mail to 1124 Florence Ave., Evanston, 60202; by fax to 847-864-7749 or by email to info@evanstonroundtable.com.

Anyone wishing to contribute a guest essay should contact one of the editors.

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Jezebel! Is That You?

By Peggy Tarr
It's National Women's History Month, begun locally in Sonoma County, Cal., in 1978 as one week to promote the teaching of women's history. In 1981 Congress approved it as a national observation, then in 1987 expanded it to the full month of March.

The women sat on the porch talking and watching passersby. It was a familiar pastime in this little town when the weather permitted. There wasn't much else to do when all one's work was done. During the winter months, the women sat in each other's living room or around a kitchen table, talking. The theme was the same. "Loose women! Jezebels!"

They sucked their teeth and shook their heads.

A citizen who received a lot of the women's attention was Belle. Belle was endowed with a very large bosom of which she must have been very proud because she only wore blouses and dresses that exposed most of it. In spite of the dirty looks and lack of responses Belle received from many women, she greeted them cordially. Women made reference to the name "Jezebel" before Belle was out of sight.

Men, standing on the street, nudged each other and stopped talking when they spied Belle approaching. They'd line themselves up like birds on a telephone wire to get an unobstructed view of Belle as she walked by. All the men spoke to Belle. Belle spoke to them politely but never held a conversation with them. No reference to "Jezebel" came from these men's lips.

One day, as Belle had just crossed a busy intersection, two cars crashed into each other. Rumor had it that the male driver of one of the cars was so busy looking at Belle that he ran through the stop sign. Whatever the circumstances were that caused the accident, the female driver of the other car bumped her head so hard on the windshield that she passed out. People ran over to the cars to see if they could help.

Belle recognized the female driver and ran over to her car. She pushed through the people surrounding the car's opened door car and took the driver's hand. "Ms. Barry, Ms. Barry! Wake up now! C'mon, Ms. Barry. Wake up! Wake up," Belle begged as she patted Ms. Barry's hand. After a while Ms. Barry moaned, moved her head a bit and slowly opened her eyes. She stared at Belle and said,

"Jezebel! Is that you?" Starled, Belle stopped stroking Ms. Barry's hand.

"Jezebel!" Belle repeated questioningly.

"Huh?" Ms. Barry asked, perhaps realizing her slip and needing to feign confusion. Belle looked at Ms. Barry and muttered, "Jezebel." Ms. Barry grabbed Belle's hand and held onto it tightly. Belle looked at Ms. Barry's frightened face and decided she'd have to be the bigger person. "It'll be all right, Ms. Barry," Belle cooed. "An ambulance is on its way!" "Jezebel," Belle repeated to herself. She felt herself smile.

Jezebel = the wicked woman who married Ahab, king of Israel; a shameless, wicked woman. Bold, vicious or cruel woman.

belle = a beautiful woman.

Belle (woman's name) = a form of Bella, which is a form of Isabella.

Isabella = Hebrew: Oath of Baal. Plural of Baal = Baalim = (1) Any of several Semitic gods of fertility and flocks. (2) An idol or false god. (Webster's)

bosom = the breast of a human being. Conceived of as the center of emotion.

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Political Correctness

By Charles Wilkinson
The phrase has been around for some time now. It began as a media, if not a pop culture, plea for what used to be known as civility, a term that asks for social sensitivity in our world-at-large as well as in our smallest neighborhoods, all teeming with differences.

But over what seems a relatively short period of time, the phrase has become something of an arm-lock on a precious if peril-laden keystone of democracy – freedom of speech.

Being politically correct can be a challenge for everyone, especially those with feelings, short fuses or mindsets that are just that – set – and tightly wrapped.

Fortunately, the phrase provides a cautionary road sign for them and anyone having a bias or prejudice against others, or for those unable to see beyond the tips of their noses. Its elasticity is one of its few strengths, as are the questions it elicits in anyone who stops to think about what the phrase really means.

Few need to think long or hard about the meaning of the word "political." Government is probably the first image that comes to mind, since that is what one finds in the dictionaries.

It does not take long, however, to get to the power-piece of the term. On a practical level, the word has a manipulative connotation, a quid pro quo or self-serving agenda that often taints with mistrust.

Like "political," "correctness" is a word of multiple expressions. Besides meaning "right" or "exact," correctness can imply a kind of conformity that works for whatever purpose.

When it comes to language, and PC seems to be mostly about just that, words turn gray trying to be correct in their context. Their meanings get watered down or even lost in the crowd of others' potential interpretations.

Is it any wonder that when you put the two together it feels like an unholy alliance, like a subtle endorsement for situational ethics?

There has to be a better, clearer way to achieve PC's unfortunate – though necessary – intent. Time and patience may be the only answers, since sensitive honesty requires a maturity in both word and deed.

Freedom of speech, like every freedom, has its price. For it to give us what it offers, all of us need to respect and recognize in the differences among us, in the conflicting issues we all share, the movement toward a world in which what we say and do builds rather than tears down.

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