Let the Campaigns Begin

First, the RoundTable congratulates the candidates who have filed nominating petitions for election to the Boards of Education of School Districts 65 and 202 and their families and supporters.

It takes a lot of time and courage to begin the campaign process, and after the petitions have been filed there is still much work to be done.

Candidates and their supporters must now begin the meticulous work of explaining their visions for our schools and how they intend to implement them.

In some cases they will have to educate voters about what they believe are the critical issues facing the schools. They will have to demonstrate how they can work with what we already have to achieve the goal we all want: excellence in education for all our children.

In this process, voters will have their responsibilities as well. Voters must educate themselves on the issues and the candidates.

There will be ample opportunities for them to do so: There will be coffees for individual candidates as well as forums for panels of candidates. There will be interviews and letters to the editor.

In addition, the RoundTable will be issuing personal invitations to each candidate to submit a 450-word essay for its April election section.

All these will give voters a chance to assess how well each candidate is versed on the School District he or she wishes to serve.

Here are some things to consider in assessing the candidates for School Board:

Are the candidates realistic about the financial future of the School District?

Are they willing to act as disinterested advocates for all of the children of Evanston?

Is there some partisan attitude or single issue that drives the candidacy?

Do they understand that collaboration with their colleagues, particularly on difficult issues, would be preferable and better for the community than gridlock or stalemate?

Other traditional aspects of campaigning in Evanston, the coffees and forums, may give a preview of what future School Board meetings will be like:

Do the candidates have concrete suggestions to back up their plans? Are they good listeners? Do they respond to questions or use them as springboards for their own ideas? Are they respectful of the views of their questioners and of the other candidates?

Petitions have also been filed to place a referendum question on the ballot, asking whether the City's headquarters should remain at the present location, 2100 Ridge Ave. It is an advisory question only. That is, even if the voters approve it, no action is required of the governing body involved. Still, the results of the will give a picture of how this community feels on the matter.

The local elections will give us all a good way to occupy our minds and our time and keep us from midwinter doldrums.

We look forward to an animated and robust campaign season.

To the candidates, again, congratulations, and good luck to all.

Dialogue

By Charles Wilkinson

Last month the RoundTable seconded a call for dialogue about racism in Evanston after interviews with its younger population disclosed their sense of a "persistent racial divide" in the community. For those who live in a city that prides itself on its diversity, that message, though readily believed, must have been difficult to hear. It is equally difficult to imagine how such a dialogue might take place.

In the following issue, Candace Hill wrote a poignantly personal letter that provides a practical starting point and workable model for such a dialogue. Her honesty left me hoping that others would join in. It also left me aware of the "great challenge" the RoundTable described that confronts Evanstonians and anyone dealing with the issue of racism, a challenge Ms. Hill met with remarkable sensitivity.

Her letter exemplifies a number of critical elements for structuring the dialogue: it is honest, positive, non-judgmental, concrete and practical. It is also about self, not others; and it takes risks. But if such a dialogue is to happen, there are other elements that need to be addressed as well.

"Racism" and "racist" are hand-grenade words that can work against any healthy dialogue. The heart of our democracy states that "all ... are created equal"; yet we live in a world where all are different, on many levels, in many ways. Such differences do not need to be eradicated; they need to be recognized and accepted. Acceptance, or at least a willingness to work toward acceptance, is essential to disarming those hand grenades if a dialogue is to have any chance to succeed. That is why the language of any such conversation needs to be sensitive, clear and gentle.

Also, the goals of any dialogue should be realistic rather than idealistic. Ideals sometimes provide a warm and fuzzy hiding place or a rut to settle into because they give good feelings and an excuse to continue dreaming instead of acting.

And finally the focus should not be on changing society but on changing attitudes and, more specifically, individual behaviors.

With most, if not all, of these pieces in place, perhaps, in Ms Hill's words, "...We can try to reach over the racial divide. We can try to be the first person to offer a greeting and a smile. We can try to step a little further and learn a name. Then perhaps if we know each other a little better, we won't be so angry, or heartbroken, when we make honest mistakes."

But dialogue is not a synonym for echo. I remain hopeful that others will choose, like Ms. Hill, to risk and be heard.

Valentines

By Peggy Tarr

Samson sat at the table watching his wife Johnnie Mae move slowly around the kitchen. They had been married for more than half a century, and he loved her more each day. They had been told their relationship wouldn't last. He was a "light-skinned" man, and she was a very "dark-skinned" female. Their long life together shattered that predication.

Johnnie Mae brought coffee to the table, and they played out their daily game. As Johnnie Mae poured Sampson a cup of coffee, she asked coyly, "How do you want your coffee, Sampson?" Sampson would wink at her flirtatiously and coo, "As black and sweet as you, Johnnie Mae." They would smile at each other, having officially begun their day.

Sampson looked into Johnnie Mae's eyes. Her once-dark brown eyes had become opals with age. Sampson reached across the table and took Johnnie Mae's hands in his. He recited to her what he felt in his heart but someone else had been able to express:

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight

For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.

I love thee to the level of every day's

Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.

I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;

I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.

I love with a passion put to use

In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose

With my lost saints, I love thee with the breath,

Smiles, tears, of all my life, and, if God choose,

I shall but love thee better after death.

-- Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

Brave New Evanston

A Guest Essay By Edmund Moran, 6th Ward Alderman

Every person who moves to Evanston has the usual list of reasons for coming here - the lakefront and park system, Northwestern University, beautiful architecture, a rich community history, abundant public transportation, good schools, sumptuous restaurants, art and culture. Invariably they include diversity - economic, racial, cultural, ethnic, religious - near the top of their list.

However, recent developments suggest that Evanston's orientation may be moving closer to that of neighbors like Lincoln Park or Winnetka, communities with attractive characteristics but without an emphasis on diversity. The issue that confronts Evanston is whether it will continue to nurture and value its diversity - one critical component of which is affordable housing - or whether the term "luxury," frequently associated with newly created housing in Evanston, will trump affordability and adversely impact our diversity.

A movement was initiated several years ago to pro-actively pursue the creation, preservation and rehabilitation of affordable housing in Evanston. But this movement has had a rough ride recently. The latest dent was Mayor Lorraine Morton's veto of an inclusionary housing ordinance which the City's Housing Commission began working on over four years ago and which the City Council passed last month, albeit in a close 5-to- 4 vote. An examination of key components of the Mayor's reasons for her veto highlights the threat to our affordable housing inventory and diversity.

Reason 1. Evanston is the only North Shore community that doubles the state requirement that 10 percent of its housing be affordable.

Response: Evanston occupies a unique place on the North Shore. Comparisons to other North Shore communities are not relevant when considering diversity or affordable housing in Evanston.

Our inventory of affordable housing went from 26 percent to 19 percent in five years (from 2000 to 2005), a troubling trend that may persist without pro-active measures.

Reason 2. Evanston has numerous organizations that work for affordable housing, such as Evanston Community Development Corp. and Housing Opportunities Development Corp.

Response: True, but the defeat of their most recent efforts, particularly the proposed Darrow Corners affordable housing project, to be built with federal money at no cost to the City, shocked and disappointed housing advocates.

Reason 3. The inclusionary housing ordinance is unmanageable.

Response: The City's Housing Commission is devising a housing trust fund ordinance; their proposal is expected in the next month. The commission is analyzing examples of successful housing trust fund programs from around the country. It is impossible to understand why the mayor deemed a yet-unfinished policy unmanageable.

Reason 4. The ordinance will give rise to "unrealistic expectations" and will "limit" the number of qualified citizens who can be accommodated.

Response: The ordinance is meant to give working people hope of attaining housing in Evanston. If administered correctly, it will not give rise to unrealistic expectations. The opportunity to live in an affordable home should be not "limiting" but liberating. A program that serves some should not be criticized if it cannot serve all.

Reason 5. The ordinance "may discourage" large and small developers from continuing to invest in Evanston.

Response: The ordinance applies only to developments of 25 or more units, not to small developments. The veto refers to the "requirement of 30 percent on-site affordable condo housing units," implying that 30 percent of the units in a development would be required to be affordable. In fact, the ordinance would require just 30 percent of 10 percent of the total units in any development to be affordable and on-site; i.e., only 3 percent of the units would have to be on-site. Numerous successful inclusionary housing programs around the country require 10-15 percent of the units to be both on-site and affordable.

The majority of the City Council did not believe in the conclusions of the Kretchmer report cited by the mayor, and their affirmative vote was an expression of hope rather than a retreat to unwarranted despair.

This community has every reason to be proud of its history of diversity, but it should not lapse into the belief that that diversity will not be diminished or even lost without pro-active efforts to sustain it. An affordable housing program will be critical to ensuring that a brave new Evanston will not leave brave old Evanston behind.

Letters to the Editor

Good News, Bad News for Student Fees
Editor:

I have good news and bad news to report about the District 202 School Board Meeting on Jan. 23rd, at which the proposed Student Participation Fee was discussed and public comment was allowed. There was a good-sized group of parents and concerned citizens in attendance, which as I understand it, is quite unusual for a District 202 Board Meeting. That is a sign that the recent articles in the Chicago Tribune and the Evanston Review about the issue of the fee and Board decision regarding administrative salaries over the past few years have caught the eye of many parents and led them to question whether they want to support the new fee.

The good news is that a few of the Board members seemed to listen very carefully and responded thoughtfully and reflectively during the discussion section of the meeting, expressing doubts about whether moving ahead with this fee at this time is the right thing to do.

A couple of the Board members even expressed that they had heard some ideas from the parents and community members who had spoken, and wanted to consider some new options and alternatives to the participation fee, including the possibility of re-examining administrative costs at the high school.

This was very encouraging to those of us who have worked very hard to bring to light the poor decision-making by the Board in the past, when they have approved the Superintendent's recommendations without question.

The bad news is that, as the conversation continued, it became apparent that the Board still does not seem to understand its proper role in relation to the Superintendent. The School Board is the employer, or supervisor, of the Superintendent. He is accountable to them. Yet when Dr. Witherspoon explained the new "values-based" approach to budgeting he has undertaken, he insisted that there are no funds in the budget to replace the extracurriculars. And the Board seemed to assume that simply by Dr. Witherspoon's having stated that opinion, they would not be able to make any changes.

This is where the misunderstanding lies. It is the Board's job to decide the vision of the District. If they believe that extracurriculars are essential for students and can help support student achievement in a variety of ways, which all major education research points out, then in fact, reinstituting extracurriculars should fit quite well into a values-based budget. It would be up to the Board to tell the Superintendent to simply go back to the budget and come up with a few options for the Board to consider for replacing these programs by cutting elsewhere.

It is up to the Board to decide what their priorities are, and for the superintendent to carry them out. I hope the Board will recognize this as they move forward. Extracurriculars need to be reinstated, and parents and students should not have to pay additional fees.
--Nancy Bruski

Tiger Times Not the Only Student Newspaper
Editor:

The Jan. 24 article "Dewey School Newspaper to Begin Selling Ads" states, "Tiger Times is the only newspaper by kids in all of Evanston's District 65."

Students at King Lab, also in District 65, publish The Mustonian. You can access thecurrent issue on the King Lab website, http://kinglab.district65.net. King Lab students have produced newspapers on and off over the years; the current newspaper began last year, sponsored byKing Lab teachers Nancy Lutton and Gary Cipinko and King Lab dads David Greising, a Chicago Tribune reporter, and Jeff Urdangen, a Chicago attorney.

The current issue has informative and interestingnews, features, and sportsarticles, as well asan opinion column andeditorial cartoon. The staff consists of middle school students, though a fourth-grader contributed one article to the current issue.
--Cynthia Greising

Misleading Headline
Editor:

Shame on you! You do your readers, your reputation, and the community a disservice when you run a story with a headline that bears no relation to the content of the article. Your cover story on Jan. 10, "New Locations for Civic Center, As Roof Tiles Tumble Down" made no mention whatsoever of any evidence of those elusive roof tiles that are being used to justify the three years ofscaffolding that mars the facade of the Civic Center.

The author of the story, Bill Smith, confirmed to me personally that the headline did not reflect what was in his story. He wrote the article. He saw no tiles. He mentioned no tiles.

You owe it to yourself, to Billand your readers to clarify a misleading headline. How many people will remember only the headline and not realize that the story does not support it?

--Emily Guthrie

Good Citizens Deserve City Hall to Match
Editor:

I for one support the construction of a new city hall for Evanston.

This is not to say that I support the destruction of the Marywood School building that now houses city hall. On the contrary, I believe that it should be preserved. But, Evanston deserves a much better civic space for its center of government.

A city like Evanston, where civic engagement is so high and citizen involvement so encouraged, deserves a grand civic space to match. We used to have one across the street from what is left of Fountain Square (where Davis, Sherman and Orrington meet). We lost that space long ago and I believe have been looking to regain it ever since.

Not only would a proper civic space allow our government to function better and our citizenry to participate more fully, but just think what other uses it could have: It could be where we gather to protest wars or express our grief over loss of lives (as we did after 9/11).

It could be where we watch the passing of an Olympic torch or celebrate the arts and our community's diverse history. It could be where the farmers market takes place throughout the summer months. It could anchor the revitalization of a neighborhood that has long needed it. It could be our town square – something we really don't have right now.

For once, let's do something bold and build a community resource that expresses values we all share -- a commitment to civic engagement and open and accessible government. We should do this not for ourselves but for Evanstonians to come.
--Lori Osborne

Libraries to Be Cut in Budget
Editor:

Well, it seems we let our guard down too soon, and now the Evanston branch libraries are once again under consideration for budget cuts.

I'm not sure what it will take to ensure this isn't a nearly annual event, but life for many of us is a little too busy to devote the time and energy equivalent to a part-time job to rally round the cause and fight this crazy fight again.

Are we really considering closing libraries to balance a city budget? To me that is pure lunacy. It's like a bad plot to a B movie where the audience shouts from the cheap seats, "That would never happen in real life!" And yet, here we are again.

Maybe the City didn't get the picture with the pages and pages of letters to the editor previously written both by adults and children when this crazy plot surfaced late last year. Maybe they didn't read the names of the hundreds of citizens who signed a petition to save the branches. Maybe it will actually take hundreds more individual man-hours to write, e-mail, call, go to meetings, organize letter-writing campaigns, encourage children's participation, and attend more meetings so that this won't happen. Again.

This year.

Whatever it takes, that's what we'll do. If you are interested in joining the discussion you'd better act fast. Attend a budget meeting, attend the Central Street visioning meeting, write your alderman, the City manager, the entire City Council, a local editor.

Do what you can. The decision to cut the branches is imminent, and once they're gone, they're gone for good.

If you haven't already, to sign a petition to save the branches, go online here.

Thank you for doing whatever you can do individually to help ensure our branches don't get cut. Contact me directly if you need ideas about how to get involved.
--Lori Keenan

Support Katie Bailey
Editor:

I am writing in support of Katie Bailey for District 65 School Board. I have lived in Evanston for 12 years and during that time, I have served as Aquatics Director of the YWCA Evanston/North Shore and Head Coach of the YWCA Flying Fish Swim Team.

Each year, I have contact with the families of more than 1,500 children from Evanston and surrounding communities through the swim program, and our girls' leadership, violence prevention and racial justice programs. Katie's four children have all been part of the swim program, and I have gotten to know her well as a committed volunteer parent and swim official.

When we began a capital campaign two years ago to raise funds to build a second pool, Katie was one of the first parents I asked to serve on our campaign committee. Why? I saw in her a dedicated, committed, connected, intelligent person with a sense of humor who I knew wouldn't be timid about stepping forth and making things happen.

As co-chair of the campaign committee, Katie asked a lot of hard questions that helped us rethink our approach. Straightforward and honest, she was willing to say what was on her mind. She listened, helped build community support, and helped us make some difficult decisions. Within 21 months, we exceeded our goals for the campaign and opened a great new pool.

I whole-heartedly endorse Katie as a candidate for District 65 School Board and feel confident that she will bring all of her skills and resources as a concerned parent, connected community member, and committed volunteer to the table for the betterment of our children.

--Peter Caragher

Thank You, Katie Bailey
Editor:

I am always grateful when smart, talented people choose to give their time to public service, especially public service as demanding as the District 65 School Board.So I want to thank Katie Bailey for deciding to run in the upcoming election.

Katie is extremely bright and cares deeply about our schools. She is also unrelentingly upbeat and passionate, believing that we can make District 65 a model of collaboration to provide the best possible education for our children.

Although currently Katie may be better known for her volunteer work – serving as PTA president and treasurer at Dewey School, working on School Improvement Teams at Dewey and Nichols, and helping the Evanston/North Shore YWCA raise money to build a new pool – she is also a professional with a keen mind. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Kenyon College and received her M.B.A. from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Most recently, she worked for Baxter Healthcare and Reed Exhibition Companies. Along with her hands-on school experience (and experience as a mother of four) she has the analytical skills and business acumen that would be beneficial to the School Board. She is also someone who can listen, laugh and build bridges.

I have known Katie for more than four years now, and I have watched her build consensus to make things happen. In sum, Katie is smart and she cares. She deserves our thanks and our vote in April.

--Nancy Anderson

Katie Bailey Dedicated to D65
Editor:

I have lived in Evanston for 12 ½ years and for most of that time worked in Evanston as well. For more than 10 years, I have worked at the Evanston Historical Society, where I currently serve as director.

One of the things I like best about living and working in Evanston is the fact that Evanstonians are activists. I have met countless Evanstonians who truly care abut their community and work hard to improve it.

Katie Bailey is one of these incredibly dedicated residents, and she is running for District 65 School Board. Katie truly exemplifies what is means to care about Evanston. As a parent of four District 65 children, she sees firsthand the need for cultivating better communication between teachers, administrators, parents and community leaders as a way to improve the teaching and learning environments. She feels strongly about the need to improve our ability to serve all students, and has clear ideas about how to achieve this goal.

Katie is a proven leader and excellent communicator. She has shown these valuable traits again and again through her work on many organizations including the Executive Committee of the Dewey School PTA, First Presbyterian Church, YWCA Flying Fish Pool Campaign, Nichols Middle School PTA and the Evanston Baseball and Softball Association. These organizations have all benefited from Katie's smarts, skills, expertise and devotion. The School Board could, too.

We are fortunate that someone as talented and dedicated as Katie Bailey would like to serve us and we would be foolish not to take her up on her generous offer. Let's do ourselves and our children a favor by voting for Katie Bailey for District 65 School Board.
--Eden Juron Pearlman

Keith Terry for District 65
Editor:

Keith Terry is running for the District 65 School Board, and our entire community is fortunate hehas made this decision.

Keith has three qualities that in combination make him a standout. First, he is extremely bright, as is evident from both hisacademiccredentials and professional success. Second, he is an excellent listener, possessing a keen ability to absorb and considernew information and diverse points of view. Finally, as a parent of childrenattending Evanston's public schools, Keith has enormous sensitivityto theimportance of providing all District 65 students a quality educational experience.

Keith Terry is an individual who can significantly contribute to thoughtful, intelligent Board deliberations, and make reasoned and appropriate decisions. I hope you'll join me in providing Keith Terry your enthusiastic support.
--Carolyn Laughlin