ETHS Drug and Alcohol Search Comes Up Empty

By Jennie Berkson

No drugs or alcohol were found last Thursday night during an unannounced search of school lockers at Evanston Township High School that employed canine teams provided by the Evanston Police Department.

A letter to parents from Superintendent Eric Witherspoon, mailed on Friday, explained that the search had been conducted "as part of a series of efforts to use the best tools available to protect the safety of our students and staff .... Our goal is to keep ETHS a drug-free zone, and we will continue to take steps to ensure a safe learning environment for our students."

Although no contraband was found, Dr. Witherspoon told parents, "The dogs did react to residue content in several areas indicating the past presence of drugs."

Safety Director Frank Kaminski explained that the existence of drug residue can vary. "Just being around someone who's been using or has it on them can leave a residue. It's like secondhand smoke."

The ETHS Pilot, the publication that defines school policies and procedures states, "Lockers are owned by ETHS and are subject to search for reasonable suspicion, including random searches." An updated policy was recently passed by the District 202 School Board which provides for "the assistance of law enforcement officials to conduct random inspections and searches of lockers ... for illegal drugs ... conducted through the use of specially trained dogs."

Mr. Kaminski said approximately 1,000 lockers were searched using four canine teams, one from Evanston, two from Cook County and one from Niles. Lockers are located throughout the school building. Some areas where the search was conducted had been identified as potential locations for illegal activity. "You hear kids talk," said Mr. Kaminski.

Mr. Kaminski, former chief of the Evanston Police Department, said that he was not aware that a search of this type had ever been conducted at the high school. "I'm pleased that nothing was found," said Mr. Kaminski. "We wanted to establish a baseline. I don't know if we will do it again; maybe we'll try it again sometime." Mr. Kaminski said that school personnel were informed of the search by e-mail on Friday and students were supposed to have been told in homebase that day.

The cost of the search was borne by the participating police departments.

'Motown' Revisited

For Black History Month this year Nichols Middle School reprised its original drama "Motown," first staged in 2003. The play was written by Nichols teacher Bridget Evans, said Lucia Luckett-Kelly, who directed the play's March 2 performances. It incorporates several songs from the Motor City, Detroit, home of the Motown sound. Students dressed as the Supremes, the Four Tops, the Temptations and other Motown groups lip-synched the songs. "Most of the young people don't know about Motown," Ms. Luckett-Kelly said.

About 40 students and several faculty and staff members are involved in the production, said Renee Johnson, a special-education teacher who is helping with the production. "We found a place for everyone who tried out," she said, adding that a lot of parents have volunteered with the play. Jennifer Roland, a teacher's aide at Nichols and a professional hair stylist, gave the students their Motown coifs, including one she fashioned for the local Diana Ross.

Ms. Johnson and Ms. Luckett-Kelly said the students were enthusiastic about the play, even if they were not familiar with the music. Both said though, that the costumes and the music "reeled them in." The recent popular movie "Dream Girls" might have played a part as well, they said.

Even principal Gordon Hood had a part as the postman in the classic song by the Marvellettes. "The play ties in with learning about history and music - how that music impacted our music today. It helps students understand that Motown was an opportunity for African-Americans to become a part of mainstream music," he said. After saying farewell to an interviewer in the teachers' lounge, he was heard singing under his breath, "Wait a minute, Mr. Postman."

Nichols Middle School students dress as legendary Motown artists the Four Tops(top photo), the Temptations(middle photo) and the Supremes (bottom photo) in their production of "Motown," as part of their Black History Month celebration.

2600 Bourbon St.

Lincolnwood School's auditorium was decked out like New Orleans, with pianos and other equipment for students to hear the delta blues, while at the poetry café in the gymnasium, boys and girls read the poems of Langston Hughes, as part of the school's observation of Black History Month on Feb. 23. Some students traced their families' migration from the South to the North by drawing family trees and displaying photographs of parents, aunts, uncles and grandparents, said Lincolnwood kindergarten teacher Dale Matten.. The center of the gym became an art gallery, and the art room, an enclave for storytelling - all at the school's Black History Month exposition "Leaving Home, Coming Home: The Journeys of Black Americans."

At Chute School Forum Candidates Introduce Themselves, Their Visions for D65

By Mary Helt Gavin

In what one observer, a former alderman, called a "dress rehearsal," the five candidates for the District 65 School Board responded to questions about their views of the District's strengths and challenges. The candidates - Katie Bailey, Adrian Dortch, Bonnie Lockhart, Andrew Pigozzi and Keith Terry - are all new; none of the incumbents whose terms are expiring has filed for re-election. Jonathan Baum, Julie Chernoff and Marianne Kountoures have decided not to seek re-election.

Mark Mayther, the forum's moderator, asked questions submitted by members of the audience.

All five candidates were in agreement about the need for Board civility, and each drew on experience in group dynamics to show how she or he could promote respectful discussion and decision-making.

Mr. Pigozzi, an architect and who answered the question first, said he has had to address the needs of his clients and that he "listens well and can hammer out" satisfactory solutions.

With a smile, Mr. Terry said, "I'm a husband with three kids and a wife." He added that he has worked with "cross-functional groups" both in his professional work and volunteer capacities. "The point is to make sure that you have alignment of goals and make sure the goal is achievable and measurable."

Ms. Bailey said, "We need to have a common ability to learn and listen" and added that she has done both in her professional work and as a volunteer in various groups and activities.

Mr. Dortch said, "A doctor needs a patient; an actor needs a director; if you believe in God, you need Jesus; ... collaboration works in business."

Ms. Lockhart, a graduate of Leadership Evanston, also drew on her professional and volunteer experiences. "Group dynamics is the key," she said. "We must embrace people's uniqueness and individuality."

The candidates agreed that the Board and the Superintendent must work together for the good of the children of the District as they gave their views about what the relationship between the Board and the Superintendent should be.

Mr. Terry said the Board should "govern the District, monitor the school system and focus on outcomes for kids. ... If the Board is mired in minutiae it's not very effective."

Mr. Pigozzi said the Board should "hire the superintendent and delegate. To do [otherwise] confuse the chain of command. We have to respect what our role is. ... The District should have enough resilience so that we don't rely on one individual."

Ms. Bailey said, "There is a lot of disagreement about the Board's proper role. ... Dr. Murphy [the current superintendent of District 65] said the Board is the community's eyes, ears and voice." She added that policy-making requires a "high degree of cooperation and understanding."

Ms. Lockhart said, "The Board provides oversight and direction as well as monitoring. We have to be proactive in getting information to the community. It's harmful when people know only a certain part of an issue" then speak on it publicly. She said the Board should have town hall meetings twice yearly.

Mr. Dortch said he felt the role of the Board was to "spend time with families, businesses and churches. ... Bring that information back to the Board then bring it to the Superintendent."

Budget and Discipline Dominate 202 PTSA Candidate Forum
By Jennie Berkson

Candidates for the District 202 School Board faced off on budget and discipline issues in front of a small audience at the ETHS PTSA forum on Feb. 22, the first of the election season.

Seven candidates are running for three open positions: Jane Colleton and Mary Wilkerson are incumbents; Adrian Dortch, Boris Furman, Omar Khuri, Jacob Novar and William Wideman are the other candidates. Mr. Dortch is also running for the District 65 Board; Mr. Novar did not attend the forum because of illness.

Ms. Colleton, who has served four terms on the Board, said she is running for the Board again because "we selected a new Superintendent and I really want to influence him. He shows great promise and I want to be here for that."

A lifelong Evanston resident and ETHS graduate, Mr. Dortch said he is seeking "a better connection between the community and the schools" and wants to "get programs to the community."

Mr. Furman, who served on the Board from 1995 to 1999, and is seeking re-election for the third time, said he is "focused on the budget deficit." He is the only candidate who currently has a child at the high school.

Omar Khuri, former PTSA co-president and ETHS alumnus, believes that the Board should "use technology better to get information out to the public and to find out what their values are." In addition, he supports personnel policies that encourage growth. "Seventy percent of our teachers are under 40," he said.

William Wideman, also an Evanston native and ETHS graduate, said that when he worked at the high school, "none of the students knew who the School Board was. I'm 27 and think there needs to be a youthful presence on the Board. We need less talk and more action."

Ms. Wilkerson, who has served two terms and graduated from ETHS said, "We are on the verge of making a breakthrough on student achievement. I would like to have served on a Board that has decreased or even eliminated the achievement gap between minority and white students." She also expressed her commitment to "raise up the value of blue-collar jobs" as options for students graduating from ETHS.

Ernie Normann, co-president of the PTSA, moderated the forum, which was attended by PTSA Board members, school administrators, other School Board members and about 15 people from the community. After each candidate had three minutes to introduce him- or herself, Mr. Normann posed questions collected from the audience.

The proposed extracurricular activities fee, past budget deficits, a possible referendum, student discipline and the relationship between District 65 and District 202 dominated the discussion.

Ms. Wilkerson acknowledged that there had been some "pushback" from the community about the proposed fee that would raise about $175,000 annually and that the Board was "still taking a look at it." She reminded the audience that the Board had cut "$2.3 million in other areas" and that "we can't keep adding things back." Ms. Colleton agreed. She said "everyone wants somebody else's ox to get gored."

Mr. Furman attributed the need for the extracurricular fee to the fact that too much money has been spent overall, especially on labor contracts. He pointed out that 75 percent of District expenditures are on salaries. "You have to match revenues to expenses."

Mr. Khuri cited his own experience in high school with extracurricular activities as extremely important. "We have to do everything we can to restore the activities," he said. "It's not teachers' salaries alone," he pointed out. "The solution has to come from every stakeholder."

At the beginning of the forum, Mr. Furman distributed a packet of information which included his analysis of District 202 budget deficits for the 2000-01 through 2004-05 school years which he said he had developed after consulting with ETHS Chief Financial Officer William Stafford. The handout alleges that the District "spent down $25 million in reserves and made deficit spending a way of life at ETHS." Mr. Furman commented, "The Board doesn't have people on it who understand these numbers. "I worry about . . . how they will deal with [labor] contracts."

"I can't talk about the past," said Ms. Wilkerson. "I am advocating for a balanced budget. PMA [PMA Financial Network, the District's budget consultants] advise us that we will have a surplus." Ms. Colleton said she was "suspicious of the numbers. That's strong criticism for a school which has a double A bond rating."

"I assume the numbers are correct," said Mr. Khuri. "The reserves are there as a rainy-day fund. There are going to be flush periods and periods where we are in the red. The Board made very tough decisions."

The prospect of a referendum drew sharply different responses from candidates.

"District 202 has plenty of money," said Mr. Furman. "We spend $17,000 per student. I'm totally opposed to any kind of referendum. Government will spend as much money as it gets. We should be able to make do with what we have."

Mr. Khuri and Ms. Colleton also both rejected the idea of a referendum, while Ms. Wilkerson said that she believed that "we should take all measures necessary to provide academic support." She thought a referendum could pass "if we show the public we've made our best effort."

Mr. Khuri described the relationship between Districts 65 and 202 as "two separate sets of parents raising the same kids in separate households." He emphasized the need for "more quality communication."

Other candidates agreed. Mr. Dortch said that is the reason he is running for both Boards. "Most people have unified districts," he said. "The Boards are incompatible. If the head is divided, the body is divided."

"There shouldn't be so much talk," remarked Mr. Wideman. Referring to the recent joint 65/202 Board meeting, he commented that the meeting had gone on for "hours" and "nothing was resolved."

Mr. Wideman provided some personal insight into the topic of discipline at the high school. "I wreaked a lot of havoc through these hallways. The discipline program did save me." He advocated for alternatives to suspension. "We need to find something else for them to do rather than be out on the street."

Mr. Dortch, 29, agreed. "Mostly I see [suspended] kids at the Y or walking around. What are they really learning by being kicked out?" Ms. Wilkerson agreed on the importance of alternatives to suspension.

Mr. Furman commented that "discipline is too often capricious and arbitrary." He noted that suspensions had risen "by 50 percent in the previous year. Something is going on."

The next forum will be the NAACP forum, to be held on March 10 at the Civic Center, 2100 Ridge Ave.