Debbie Levinthal, District 86 Candidate

HINSDALE, IL —Debbie Levinthal is one of 10 candidates for four seats on the Hinsdale High School District 86 board. Here are her responses to the Patch questionnaire:

Name: Debbie Levinthal

Campaign contact email: debbievote4d86.com

Age (as of election day): 53

Town of residence: Hinsdale

Family: My husband and I have four children: a sophomore at Hinsdale Central, a freshman at Hinsdale Central, an 8th grader at Hinsdale Middle School, and a kindergartner.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? No

Education: MST 1993 University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois

Masters of Science in Teaching Mathematics

BS 1990 University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Major: Actuarial Mathematics

Occupation: I am a former high school math teacher with over 13 years of experience in the classroom, having spent my career at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire and New Trier High School in Winnetka. I ultimately decided to leave New Trier after over 10 years to focus on rearing my children full time and have been a stay at home mother ever since.

While teaching, I served on the Math Department Hiring Committee, mentored new teachers, piloted new material, was a course leader, taught in the Township Math program for high achieving 8th graders, served as an adviser in the New Trier advisory program, coached in the early days of my career, and participated on inclusion focused committees such as GLSEN, a group founded by educators to protect LGBTQ students and students of marginalized identities. During my first year of teaching, I was nominated for the Sally Mae First Year Teacher’s Award. In 2000, I was a recipient of the Edyth May Sliffe Award for Distinguished Mathematics Teaching for my instruction through the Township Math Program.

Campaign website: www.vote4d86.com

Previous or current elected or appointed office: I am a former PTA Executive Board Member having served as a PTA President (2015-2016) and Vice President (2014-2015). (Whittier School, Downers Grove).

The single most pressing issue facing the school board is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

As a district we have complex challenges ahead, the most pressing is returning our students to school as soon as safely possible. Post pandemic, we will face learning gaps and for some students a very real social/emotional impact. My background as a professional educator makes me uniquely qualified to support and hold the administration responsible for identifying gaps in learning and setting an expectation for closing them. I am hopeful for a safe return to full in person learning this fall alongside a remote option (for families that need one) that not only improves delivery of education for students but also lessens the burden on our teachers. Examples are the use of live-stream instruction alongside video conferencing and upgrades to our current technology. Along with technology improvements, the implementation of layered mitigation to help ensure a return to full time learning will also need to be investigated, identified, vetted, and procured. The new Board will have to work with the district administration to lead this recovery and fund resources to aid students and teachers in uncovering gaps, addressing them, and increasing supports such as additional interventionists and special service providers to address any social and emotional needs post pandemic.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

My professional background in education gives me an understanding of the working parts of a school district, for example, the role of the board, the administration, teaching staff, support staff, students, and families. I also have an in depth understanding of special education, 504 plans, IEP’s and the requisite collaboration between school and family that must occur to optimize the tools offered by these plans. My own children have a diverse set of strengths and challenges and I’m empathetic to the challenges posed by the high school years; academically, socially, and emotionally. Moreover, my work as a New Trier adviser gave me insight into the whole high school experience and how to help students plan for their post high school aspirations. Understanding the role of the school in shaping the young people of our community will help me make better decisions at the board table. Additionally, having sat on the New Trier Math Department hiring committee for many years gives me the experience to understand the priority of attracting and retaining top quality educators of different experience levels as well as seasoned administrators with the leadership skills to meet the needs of the community and help us accomplish our goal of academic excellence.

Lastly, my training as an actuary gives me an appreciation for data, the ability to analyze data, the ability to analyze risk, and an understanding of the financial implications of board decisions.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board failed the community or district?

Over the past fifteen months, the current board has proactively removed opportunities for its constituency to meaningfully express their opinions at board meetings. This began with a First Amendment violation in December of 2019 and culminated with the elimination of the first of the two public comment sessions leaving only one session at the end of board meetings, suppressing the community’s ability (real or perceived) to express opinions prior to decision making. Interestingly, within the last month audience communication has been moved back to the beginning of the board meeting without explanation or prior public notification. This is just yet another example of the board operating above explanation to its constituency. Equally concerning, the current board has failed to hold the administration accountable for providing objective, verifiable, and predictive positive data to justify curriculum shifts. Additionally, there is a lack of meaningful discussion and dialogue at the board table around decisions and by their actions if not their words, an obvious lack of interest in input from the community. Finally, as a whole, this board has sat complicit in its silence while fellow board members are rude and disrespectful to community members both in person at meetings and via email correspondence.

Respectful, two-way communication is a cornerstone of good governance and allows for differing viewpoints to be explored and better decision making. I firmly believe in the principles of open governance and likewise look forward to hearing different viewpoints, learning from them, asking questions at the board table, and engaging in respectful dialogue with stakeholders and fellow board members.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

One of the reasons I’ve been called to action is my concern over curricular changes this past year, namely, in Science and Mathematics. Recognizing my role as a board member, if elected, will be to govern rather than manage, I am very interested in looking at the District’s policies and procedures around curriculum proposals, vetting of said proposals at the building levels, defining the expectations of our community, refinement of proposals to meet those expectations, and lastly, approval of curriculum proposals. I would like to see a data and evidence driven approach that relies on significant indication of improvement in student outcomes. I believe that healthy schools are schools where teachers have professional autonomy and decision-making input for curricular change. That said, with autonomy comes a tremendous amount of responsibility to demonstrate a commitment to the community’s and district’s academic goals.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

My past work as a PTA President and Vice President has given me some insight into the role of a board member. My professional work on department and school wide committees also gives me unique insight into the diplomacy, collaboration, commitment, and collegiality that ensures schools fulfill the mission of helping all students succeed. As mentioned earlier, my work as a New Trier adviser gave me insight into the whole high school experience and how to help students plan for their post high school aspirations. Understanding the role of the school in shaping the young people of our community will help me make better decisions at the Board table. Additionally, having sat on the New Trier Math Department hiring committee for many years gives me the experience to understand the priority of attracting and retaining top quality educators of different experience levels as well as seasoned administrators with the leadership skills to meet the needs of the community and help us accomplish our goal of academic excellence.

In District 181 I was part of a group of parents, teachers, administrators, and support staff members in my elementary district a few years back organized to improve the safety and inclusion of an increasing population of food allergic students from Prekindergarten through 8th grade. The compromise, advocacy, education around severe allergies, and lens of impact on a significant percentage of students in district, at the time upwards of 7% of district population, was a worthwhile endeavor that required skills similar to those required and expected of school board members. Those skills are, for example, having an open mind, respect for difference, respect for disability, creative problem solving, respectful dialogue, and commitment to student safety.

Do you support Black Lives Matter and what are your thoughts on the demonstrations held since the death of George Floyd and the shooting of Jacob Blake?

I fully support the exercise of peaceful protest and the awareness the movement is bringing to systemic racism. As a potential board member, I feel an immense obligation to work towards ensuring our school buildings are safe and inclusive for all students regardless of difference. We can work towards this by adopting a Windows and Mirrors approach to curriculum where we reflect on and refine our current curricula to reflect our student population while also helping the students understand the perspectives of others. Public schools have an obligation to create tolerance for diversity. Moreover, I am aware of the district’s initiatives to pursue the hiring of a more diverse staff and I support that initiative. Given the very real possibility of a nationwide teacher shortage in the coming years, I will work to support the district to be as desirable to potential candidates as possible.

What are your thoughts on the district’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic? Are you in favor of remote learning, in-person learning or a hybrid of the two? Do you support a mask mandate for students and school staff, or mandatory coronavirus testing for both students and staff?

I am hopeful for a safe return to full in person learning this fall alongside a remote option (for families that need one) that not only improves delivery for students but also lessens the burden on teachers, for example, live-stream along with video conferencing and upgrades to our technology. I am keenly interested in the aftermath of pandemic education and the likelihood of academic gaps as well as the social and emotional impact the past year has had on students. I did not agree with the District’s decision to originally outsource the remote delivery to a third party. The school communities and the relationships students build with teachers and their peers are central to their High School experience. Beyond the connection learning from our staff enables, our families expect and proactively chose to live in this district for the quality of the instruction, curriculum, and standards. Outsourcing to a third party when technology could enable students to learn from our staff with their home school peers is unacceptable. While remote instruction will likely be a necessary model for some families for the 2021-2022 school year, I am committed to advocating it be done through the use of upgraded technology in the buildings versus an outsourced vendor.

I am supportive of mitigations, including a mask mandate, which will enable us to safely accommodate a full return to in person learning this fall. Included among the layering of mitigation may very well be the recommendation to use surveillance testing for students and staff. Other school districts have had success and high participation with such screening testing. I would hope District 86 students and staff would participate as well, however, it will be important for the District to be fully transparent and fully vet any companies we contract with to insure patient privacy.

Do you believe there is equity between Central and South high schools? Why or why not?

In watching the presentation by Board Attorneys on Equity and reading the new District Equity Statement, the District has chosen to define equity as “the act of and art of providing each student with what they need to meet their learning and well being requirements.” The statement goes on to include, “We recognize that equity is not always providing all students with the same experience, rather all students receive what they need for their success.”

In defining equity this way, I question why we are imposing one size fits all curriculum initiatives rather than looking at the buildings and their unique populations within as different, with different needs, and instead striving to improve opportunities for our diverse student body. The District has commendable achievement in both buildings along with commendable student growth. I would like the District to step back and stay true to the definition of equity as drafted by the Culture and Equity Leadership Team, and examine if full-scale curriculum overhaul is the most effective method for “providing each student with what they need to meet their learning and well being requirements.” Instead of providing less opportunity through curricular initiatives, I will advocate for allocating resources where they are needed most so students can achieve optimal growth, opportunity, advancement, and success.

What was your position on the $140 million referendum that voters passed in April 2019?

I was supportive of both referenda initiatives in the ’18-’19 school year and formally served on the committees that mobilized the pre-school parent population and empty nester demographic.

How should school board members handle emails from the public?

Emails should be acknowledged and if appropriate, directed to the proper administrator for follow up. The board should welcome respectful dialogue with stakeholders and emails are one very valuable tool the public has to communicate with the board. There should be a polite acknowledgement of receipt keeping in mind that one board member is one of seven and cannot speak on behalf of the entire board in correspondence.

Is there any reason you would not serve your full term of office, other than those of health or family?

No