Letter to the Editor: Regarding the Upcoming District 113 Election

Written and submitted by Bonnie Shlensky.

To Our Friends and Neighbors:

In light of the unwillingness of the District 113 Caucus to endorse candidates for the Board of Education, we as former and retiring Board members with nearly a combined total of 50 years of service are receiving numerous requests for voting advice in the upcoming April 7 election. At a time of opportunity and challenges it is imperative that the Board of Education understand the importance of working respectfully with all stakeholders to ascertain what changes need to be made and to support our educators and students to advance our District’s tradition of excellence.

We believe that two of the candidates, Michelle Culver and Debbie Hymen, bring to the Board an understanding of the positive role that the Board can and should play to guide our District through the next four years and we are endorsing them.

Each voter can cast their vote for up to four candidates and we are providing our thoughts and guidance regarding each of the candidates in this letter to the community. They are listed in the order that they appear on the ballot:

Michelle Culver (Endorsed) – Michelle is a Deerfield resident and co-President of the Deerfield Parent Network. She has one student at Deerfield High School and three in District 109. Michelle has demonstrated a real interest in learning about the opportunities and challenges facing District 113 by attending Board meetings, meeting with administrative staff and teachers, and holding discussions with current and former members of the Board of Education. It should be noted that Michelle 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.

Debbie Hymen (Endorsed) – Debbie has served our communities as a member of the District 113 Board for four years and as a member of the District 112 Board for 12 years, including four years as President. She is a lifelong learner, with a passion for our students, teachers and administrators and maintains a constant presence at student events, staff institute days and other community events. Debbie brings a rigor to her Board deliberations with a nearly encyclopedic knowledge of the School Code. She has had two children graduate from Highland Park High School.

George Spathis – George is a resident of Highland Park and is a practicing attorney. He has lived in the District for 20 years and has three children, including two that have graduated from Highland Park High School. We are unaware of any prior involvement in District affairs by George. George has not met with any of us and we are unable to comment on his vision for District 113 beyond what we read in the materials published by the League of Women Voters.

David Small – David is a resident of Highland Park and has served on the District 113 Board of Education for four years. He has five children, three of whom have graduated from Highland Park High School. He is a Board representative to the referendum oversight committee, consisting of community volunteers, District staff and our professional team. Our experience with David on the Board has not been positive. He has been disrespectful of his fellow Board members, District 113 administration and teachers and, we believe, has hampered the effectiveness of the Board and the District.

Alena Laube – Alena is a resident of Highland Park and has lived here since 2009. She is an educator with 33 years of experience, including eight at Highland Park High School. Alena is currently a consultant with ECRA, providing school districts with advice on student assessment, program evaluation and student growth. Alena has not met with any of us and we are unable to comment on her vision for District 113 beyond what we read in the materials published by the League of Women Voters.

David Greenberg – David has lived in Highland Park for more than 35 years and has two young children. He has been attentive to District 113 affairs for several years, including having run for the Board of Education twice previously, attending Board meetings regularly, serving on the Wolters Field Advisory Committee and as an active participant in the referendum process. David has not met with any of us and we are unable to comment on his vision for District 113 beyond what we read in the materials published by the League of Women Voters.

Bill Kerstein – Bill is a resident of Riverwoods and has four children, two of whom are currently at Deerfield High School and two of whom will be attending in the future. We are not aware of any involvement that Bill has had in District 113 matters or with the schools. He has not met with any of us and we are unable to comment on his vision for District 113 beyond what we read in the materials published by the League of Women Voters.

Signed,

Ken Fishbain - Past President District 113 Board of Education

Harvey Cohen - Past President District 113 Board of Education

Joel Hurwitz - Past President District 113 Board of Education

Bonnie Shlensky - Past President District 113 Board of Education

Michael Smith - Retiring Board Member