1. In ensuring a safe learning environment for LGBTQ+ students, what resources have  you used so far to inform your policy? What organizations would you ask for help?  Who are the experts you will call on to help in emergency situations relating to  LGBTQ+ students, staff, teachers, and parents? What District 65's policies address  LGBTQ+ youth, staff/employees, and educational topics? Do you have suggestions  for board policy to alter, enhance, or amend current policies? 

The primary resource that I use to inform my approach to ensuring a safe learning environment  is my SEED training and facilitation. As a D65 employee, I participated in the first cohort of SEED  (Seeking Education Equity and Diversity) during the 2016/2017 school year. I recognized the  importance of this work and applied to become a trainer to offer this learning to a wider  population of teachers, staff and parents/caregivers in D65. I completed training through the  National SEED organization in July 2017. SEED is a ten-month seminar that meets monthly for  three hours. Participants explore and build capacity to promote institutional change by examining  their own education in relation to identities such as race, gender, socioeconomic status, and how  these factors currently impact their school, classrooms, community, or workplace. I’ve held in person and virtual seminars for over 10 cohorts of teachers, staff and parents in D65 and  neighboring communities. Two of the ten sessions in the seminar are dedicated to learning about  gender identity, sexual identity and intersectionality within queer communities. I researched/  updated the content prior to each cohort presentation. During my employment with D65, I utilized  the D65 website information regarding LGBTQ+ issues. 

To respond to these questions, I researched several organizations that support the queer  communities. I am familiar with PFLAG, Evanston Pride, Equity Illinois, Trans Student Educational  Resources, Lurie’s Children Hospital Gender and Sex Development Program, the Illinois Safe  Schools Alliance and GLSEN. District 65's policies that address LGBTQ+ youth, staff/employees, and educational topics can be  accessed on the D65 ‘home’ page through the Bullying Prevention and Commitment to Equity  links. Additional links posted under Commitment to Equity include: Racial & Educational Equity  Statement, Gender Inclusivity, Responding to Racism and Hate and Equity Resources. 

D65 has a Gender Support Team with a Coordinator at each school that would lead the response  to any incident of mistreatment. Despite this, the current national political agenda and resultant  environment is going to require close monitoring. If the current D65 policies do not create an  adequate safe school environment they will have to be amended and fortified.  

2. How familiar are you with the district’s policy around LGBTQ+ youth? Around LGBTQ+  staff members and employees? What questions or further learning do you have? 

I am very familiar the D65 policies regarding LGBTQ+ youth, staff members and employees. I  abided by, and promoted adherence to the policies from others, while employed by D65 as a  physical therapist in the Special Services Department. During that time, I worked with LGBTQ+ students, parents, teachers and other employees across the entire district. I remained informed  of and followed all D65 policies related to ensuring a safe, affirming school environment. My questions and further learning will be focused on strengthening the D65 policies and forming  coalitions with other organizations to protect LGBTQ+ citizens in response to the toxic national  political agenda that is being unleashed on several targeted community. 

3. LGBTQ+ identities and the concept of inclusion have been under attack in public  discourse. How will you remain committed to supporting these students and families  and not just in a statement or stand-alone policy? What are three specific actions you  will take as a board member to support LGBTQ+ identities and principles of inclusion? 

My commitment will be observable in my advocacy behavior and language. I will offer my SEED  training expertise to the D65 School Board and Cabinet as a dedicated learning experience and  promote resuming the SEED training for the D65 communities. 

4. How will you respond to the problem that the schools do not have sufficient gender neutral bathrooms to serve the gender non-conforming and trans student  population? Currently, teachers actively tell their gnc and trans students to use  bathrooms which do not align with their gender, even though we know this directly  exacerbates body dysphoria and leads to increased suicidal thoughts in the student  body. Where will inclusive facilities be placed in an infrastructure priority list by you as  an incoming board member? What is more important to address? What can wait? 

The current D65, Policy 7:10, Equal Educational Opportunities has specific language regarding this. To determine the extent of the problem I will ask the School Climate Committee for an  inventory, by school, of gender-neutral bathrooms and identify the locations with problematic  student responses. Inclusive facilities should be a component of any building plans. Specific facility plans will be influenced by the decisions regarding school closures and any renovations  completed. 

5. The use of pronouns has been co-opted and politicized of late. What can you, and  D65, do to educate our community in the importance of pronoun respect and  introductions? What can you do to educate the community on the reality that  pronouns are a part of speech and despite being politicized and weaponized, are not  political? 

I think a coalition of D65, D202 and Evanston community organizations should come together to  provide regular forums and trainings to discuss and present this information. With the political  environment that is unfolding, we are going to have to address more than the use of pronouns. I  view the physical safety of the LGBTQ+ community, within and outside D65, as a major concern. As a new board member, I will bring these concerns into the agenda for discussion and will commit  to meeting with the local LGBTQ+ organizations to from a joint approach.  

6. D65 students encounter many adults throughout their day in addition to their  teachers. How can you as a board member ensure queer students feel safe and  supported in their identity throughout these interactions? How will you ensure that  school staff abides by LGBTQ+ inclusive policies? 

D65 has a School Climate Committee, each D65 board member is assigned schools for collaboration and there are GSAs in several D65 schools. These sources could be used to assess, on a regular basis, the level of safety and support the queer students are experiencing. A regularly  scheduled round table of these sources could be instituted to track both issues. 

7. Will you commit to creating a board policy to demand inclusivity training for staffers  and volunteers beyond teachers? What accountability measures will you use if your  administration doesn't meet your inclusivity training goals? 

Inclusivity training for staffers beyond teachers has been provided in the past and should resume. It has not been offered to volunteers but could be a component of the agreement they sign to work in the district. The commitment to the development of a board policy to demand inclusivity  training will require an accompanying program budget. This will secure the implementation of  the training along with accountability measures to ensure the program is completed with fidelity.  The D65 budget is currently being reduced by millions of dollars and it is not known what the  reduction in federal dollars will mean. This financial picture will significantly impact the ability to  achieve this goal. I am committed to finding a creative approach to this issue by researching  grant-providing, community organizations. 

8. Do you agree with the district decision to eliminate focused equity weeks? In the past,  the district devoted a week to LGBTQ+ visibility. A wonderful curriculum still exists.  Would you encourage the administration to bring back that week of instruction and celebration? Do you feel the current plan of integrating lessons into the whole year  has been done with fidelity across grade levels and schools? Do you feel that the  current curriculum is inclusive and represents people in this community?    

D65 should bring back the equity devoted week to LGBTQ+ visibility – not by choice, by law! The  curriculum that exists should be revisited. The current plan of integrating lessons into the whole year has not been done with fidelity across some grades/schools and not been done at all across  some grades/schools The LGBTQ+ community in Evanston could be a great resource in ensuring  that the D65 curriculum is inclusive of and representative.

9. Given the current financial situation, how will you make sure that training on this topic  is still a priority for the district? How would you instruct the superintendent to ensure  all schools are equally supporting LGBTQ+ kids, staff and families? What sort of  trainings would you recommend?  

Inclusivity training for D65 teachers, staff and volunteers is a component of creating a safe,  welcoming space for all students and staff and promotes academic achievement for all students.  The escalation of attacks against the LGBTQ+ community is horrifying and it is difficult to guess  what is coming next. There are several student/staff groups being targeted with hateful  language and policies from some of our national politicians. I think any training going forward  will have to take a wholistic approach to the culture of hate that is being promoted by Trump  and his allies. The Evanston community is a particular target of this hate because of our location  and voting history. I think this training and should be a focus of a coalition of public and private  community organizations.  

10. This comment/question was submitted in the community wide call for questions for  this forum- 

“In what ways is this topic important in the education of my children? I believe  parents at home should take care of that topic not in schools.” 

When addressed by a community member who wants to keep LGBTQ+ topics out of  the classroom, what would the first three sentences of your reply email be? 

Thank you for communicating with me. Why are you concerned about this? I would like the opportunity to speak with you to discuss this further.