Letter to the Editor: Endorser Was Misleading in Letter

Written and submitted by Mara Meyer.

To the Editor:

It’s no secret that there have been “factions” on the D113 School Board.

One faction just sent around a negative, divisive and highly misleading Letter to the Editor, primarily attacking David Small, along with George Spathis, Billy Kerstein and Alena Laube -- the most accomplished, qualified individuals running for the Board. In fact, these four candidates are supported by former HPHS principal Brad Swanson and a large an diverse group of respected community leaders.

David, George, Billy and Alena are taking the high road. Nonetheless, a couple of observations are in order:

FIRST: The Letter states that two candidates -- Debbie Hymen and Michelle Culver -- are “Endorsed.”

What the Letter doesn’t state is that both of them actually failed to receive the endorsement of the D113 Caucus. This is a huge, intentionally misleading error of omission.

The Caucus process is a serious and comprehensive tool for responsibly vetting candidates. Caucus members are a diverse and well-informed group of individuals representing a broad cross-section of the District. This year, four candidates came before the Caucus -- Debbie, Michelle, David Greenberg and George. They submitted written statements, made oral presentations, and participated in a robust question-and-answer period. It was rather extraordinary that the Caucus refused to endorse any of them. The other candidates threw their hats in the ring afterward.

SECOND: In what is designed to appear as a summary of attributes of other candidates, the Letter states that he or she “has not met with any of us and we are unable to comment on (his or her) vision for District 113.” Was there an obligation to meet with the authors? Or even an opportunity to do so?

Let’s remember that all of the candidates appeared last weekend at a League of Women Voters forum.

Did the authors organize a similar event and simply not let the rest of the community know about it? Did the authors attempt to interview the other candidates before or after the event? Did the authors perform ANY due diligence on the other candidates before forming definitive conclusions about who is “best” for our schools.

THIRD: The letter completely ignores the incredible accomplishments and qualifications of David, George, Billy and Alena. We would be so lucky to have them working for our District!

David Small has been on the D113 Board for four years. Thanks to his background in finance, David has been instrumental in saving the District hundreds of thousands of dollars in connection with the structuring of the referendum and insurance issues (although he does not take credit for doing so), and he can be counted on to ask insightful, relevant questions. This is exactly the type of “second opinion” we need on the Board in the years ahead -- when state cutbacks will seriously challenge our District’s ability to maintain excellence in education.

· George Spathis is an accomplished attorney and strategic planner for his business clients. He coaches the high school mock trial team and has taken time to learn about District issues. He would be a strong asset to the Board.

· Alena Laube is an accomplished educator who served as a department chair at Highland Park High School and consults on student assessment and other matters. She is extremely well liked and would bring to the Board unparalleled educational expertise

· Billy Kerstein is a Deerfield High School alum and parent with strong ties to the Deerfield and Riverwoods community. He is a volunteer and long-time supporter of the Deerfield sports program and is a successful investor and small business entrepreneur.

FOURTH: Consider the following blooper: “It should be noted that Michelle (Culver) is a Deerfield resident and should she fail to win a seat on the Board, Deerfield’s representation will consist of only one out of seven seats.” Actually, another candidate, Billy Kerstein, is a resident of Riverwoods and his children attend Deerfield High School.

FIFTH: One faction of the Board, past and present, openly and fervently opposes the very concept of seriously questioning the administration. They refer to this, disparagingly, as “micro-management.” Put another way, they believe the role of the Board is to serve as pleasant rubber stamps.

David, Alena, George and Billy strongly disagree. They believe it is the job of the Board to ask questions. They have exceptional track records of accomplishment that will enable them to ask the right questions. And they are willing to devote the time and thought necessary to dig deeply into matters that come before the Board.

SIXTH, and perhaps most disturbing: The letter singles out David Small and accuses him of not being “positive.” Perhaps members of the other “faction” could have done more to restrain their own negativity from time to time. Anyone who has raised a family understands that the accuser typically is not blameless.

Everyone needs to take a deep breath and soundly reject negative, misleading campaigns for a local school board election. This strategy is unseemly and sets an unacceptably low bar for civility and “doing your homework” on behalf of our students. It also discourages the “best and brightest” individuals from public service.

All of the candidates have something positive to contribute. Let’s respect them and say thanks for their willingness to serve our community.

Signed:

Mara E. Meyer, Former Chair, District 113 Caucus, Deerfield resident

Amy Small, Co-President, HPHS PTO (no relation to David Small)

Michael Lieber, Former President, HPHS Giants Club

We are expressing our personal views and opinions and are not representing any organization.