Question 1

Identify the experiences and/or abilities that you believe make you most qualified to serve as a member of the D219 school board. Be sure to discuss any experiences that you have had working on or with an elected board.

Naema Abraham -

Currently, I am proudly serving a four-year term as a board member for Niles Township District 219 High School. In 2019, I accepted an invitation to serve as an advisory board member for Vote Assyrian, a bipartisan organization engaged in promoting civic involvement within the Assyrian community. Serving my community in a civic capacity has always been a lifelong goal. Being an immigrant, I know firsthand that immigrants are silent citizens who need representation - yet, language barriers and lack of time prevent them from advocating for themselves. Not only did my parents lack language skills, they both worked full-time and then some...my dad worked three jobs. Similar to minority families, lack of time, resources, and education directly contribute to the achievement gap of students because these parent groups are unable to support their kids academically. As a result of my position on the school board, and in collaboration with my fellow board members and administrators we rolled out the AVID program. This program addresses the student achievement gap head-on. AVID is designed to strengthen the academic success of students who will be the first in their family to go to college. I hope to continue this momentum to explore and implement programs to address achievement gaps by seeking a second term to serve on D219 Board.

Irena Petryk -

There are four experiences that I believe make me qualified to serve as a member of the D219 school board. The first is my involvement with Expanding Lives, a non-profit organization that promotes women’s education in West Africa through leadership conferences for first-generation high school students from Benin and Niger. Over the years, I have served with the charity in a number of capacities, all of which have imparted me with valuable skills. As an entrepreneurship instructor for conference participants, I utilized one of the defining characteristics of Culturally Responsive Teaching by centering my curriculum in Beninese and Nigerien culture. As an intern, I led a year-long fundraising project that required the development of project goals, a timeline, a human resources management plan, a risk and quality management plan, and a budget. As an associate board member, I have worked with my fellow members to oversee all major fundraising and volunteer efforts.

Another experience that makes me qualified for the board is my employment with Jumpstart. As a Corps member, I have been trained in family engagement, social-emotional skills, dual-language learning, and culturally relevant instruction.

As a member of Northwestern’s Students Consulting for Non-Profit Organizations, I work with non-profit organizations to solve marketing and operations problems by conducting research, crafting an action-based solution, and presenting that solution to clients — a process very similar to the job of a school board member.

Finally, my experience as a D219 student provides a different perspective than any other candidate. Having attended a Niles Township school for four years has made me intimately familiar with the way our classrooms function from day to day.

Joseph Nowik -

I have had the honor to serve on the board of D219 for almost six years. The first two as an appointed member and the last four as an elected board member.

Besides committees of the whole like Finance and Equity, I have served on the board’s Facilities Committee for over five years, the last two as Chair. I have also served on the board’s Policy Committee for over five years as well.

As a Director of Operations and as an Engineer, I understand the finances of the district very well. I’m proud that we will shortly be a debt free district.

My experience with capital projects has served me effectively with the maintenance and creation of new facilities at the district. (The Bridges building in Lincolnwood, the Bus Barn across from Niles West…) We accomplished all projects on our Master Project List on time and without need for additional money referendums.

I have negotiated several contracts with the IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) in my career and have used my contract negotiation skills with the last negotiated contract with the now NTFTSS (Niles Township Federation of Teachers and Support Staff)

Richard Evonitz -

I am grateful for my 8 years of public service as a member of the Board of Education at District 73. Serving as Board President, I had a front row seat to watch my colleagues grow and develop into a cohesive team that advanced the East Prairie community forward, culminating in that District’s successful referendum to build a new school.

I currently serve as a member of the Board of Education at District 219. This is my first term. During this time, we made significant inroads to (a) improve District finances through debt reduction without impacting programs; (b) address program inequities for our Bridges students by finally securing and developing a facility for them, and (c) develop plans for security and entryway improvements for our high schools: all within the budget provided by this community’s taxpayers.

I believe my current and past experience as a member of Boards of Education is one of my most important qualifications during this 2021 election campaign.

I also am licensed, practicing attorney, so my professional experiences in conflict avoidance and resolution may be useful as we try to heal this divided community.

Kathleen Weiss Boyle -

I have spent over 30 years in service, committed to bettering the lives of others. I began my long journey with enriching the lives of children in 1988, when I was recruited to serve as a volunteer youth director. I created the program for the Electronic Service Dealers Association for 8 years, budgeting, managing, and operating the program for 8 years, through 1995.

From 1991 to 1994, I coached little league baseball in Chicago’s Pilsen community, where I was the only female coach, coaching the only 2 girls and the only special needs child in the league, where many of the players and parents were not proficient in English, and the age range of the children on my team ran from 5 to 10 years old. Believing that good sportsmanship is a universal learning tool and despite the language barrier, I was able to teach the fundamentals of baseball, teamwork, and get beyond the challenges of getting boys and girls with varied athletic abilities to step outside of their preconceived gender expectations and work together toward a common goal. As a coach, my proudest moment was when we won the championship when a 10-year-old female English Language Learner who had never played baseball before executed a perfect triple play for the win!

Professionally, I have spent my career in making personal connections and understanding the needs of a diverse array of people, have taken federal fair housing training for over 20 years, and have served on the North River Commission Affordable Housing Task Force in the City of Chicago. I have managed and balanced multi-million-dollar budgets and inventories, dealing with vendors from across the globe. As a small business owner, I continue to perform these tasks on a smaller scale.

As a parent, I have served on the PTAs of 2 different schools - Decatur Classical School and Thorp Scholastic Academy. I have also been an effective community builder and leader in activities ranging from supporting athletic, creative and artistic, and academic opportunities – both in and out of school. Being of service to others and using our privilege to benefit those with less are values as deeply rooted in my family as our DNA, and I am grateful that my husband and my children share these ideals. As an individual, I served on the Palmer School Local School Council as a community representative from 1993 to 1995. In guiding my children through Chicago Public Schools Selective Enrollment system, I have first-hand knowledge of the pros and cons associated with perceived “giftedness”, the pressures and pitfalls of uber-competitveness, 504 plans, and the importance of social-emotional learning.

I am a current participant in SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity), Skokie United, the Suburban Solidarity Network, and The United Way of Illinois Equity Challenge. I have organized and volunteered in food, clothing, furniture, and household goods drives serving populations ranging from those fleeing domestic abuse, those living with homelessness, those going from homelessness to housing, and refugees and assisted in natural disaster responses and clean-up (including Hurricane Katrina). I have been a pet-rescue volunteer, rehabilitator, “foster mom”, and advocate for 10 years, being part of some of the most devoted groups of people I have ever known. Most recently, I have created an online community and established a support network for dog owners struggling with various issues relating to their pets, and organized socially distant outdoor activities at Pooch Park, providing safe indoor and outdoor diversions not just for the dogs, but for the people who are struggling through the isolation wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic. As one of six siblings, community building, cooperation, listening, problem-solving, and sharing are at the core of who I am.

Elana Jacobs -

As an innovative STEM classroom teacher and researcher, I have demonstrated a consistent track record of problem solving, data analysis, and curriculum development. I have equally strong qualifications in all areas of identifying learning requirements: researching, lesson development, grant writing, coaching, project management, collaboration and other functions. As an effective communicator, leader and problem solver who builds teamwork, I am well-versed in a variety of instructional methods. I am flexible, highly organized, and extremely skilled in community outreach. As an education coordinator in Community Initiatives, I continuously found community resources, built alliances, and found ways to have all stakeholders involved in funding and successful program implementation. I am willing to have hard conversations about race and class and innovate ways to improve the lives of ALL Skokie residents.

• Project Management

• Marketing and Development

• Technology

• Prepare budget status reports

The range of my community involvement has been promoting education and diversity. I have extensive experience in Skokie as a former Consumer Affairs Commissioner, SEED participant, an active member of the Skokie Dog park, Skokie United, founder of Suburban Solidarity Network, local campaign volunteer, Niles Township Food Pantry volunteer, and Open Communities volunteer. I am an active union member at the Illinois Federation of Teacher and the Chicago Teachers Union, in which I am on the LGBTQ committees, Political Action Committee, and Special Education Task force. As an ambassador to Hampshire College, I was part of a team who advised and helped alumni and family relations staff with programming for alums. I also volunteered with the admissions office as an alumni interviewer for potential Hampshire students in the Chicagoland area. I have been an elected social action board member for Temple Or Chadash. These experiences have led me to increase my leadership skills to be a district 219 board member.

Ross Sawyers -

I have devoted my life to education, I have been a college professor for the past 13 years the past 11 at Columbia College Chicago. I see firsthand the difference between students who are prepared for college and those who are not.