Earlier this summer, the Post asked our readers what issues you wanted to hear candidates running for USD 232 Board of Education to address leading up to the Nov. 7 election.
Based on that feedback, we developed a five-item questionnaire centering the issues most important to USD 232 district patrons.
Each day this week, we’ll publish the candidates’ responses to one question.
Today, we’re publishing candidates’ responses to the following question:
With an increasingly diverse student body, school districts like USD 232 are putting more resources into training teachers and staff on ways to make schools and classrooms more inclusive and welcoming to all students. These initiatives, at times, have come under scrutiny, with critics saying diversity and inclusion efforts can take away from academic instruction or politicize the schoolhouse. Do you agree with how USD 232 is currently approaching diversity, equity and inclusion? Why or why not?
Below are the answers the Post received from candidates on this issue:
Member Area 1
Bill Fletcher (incumbent)
I am currently a member of the Board of Education at USD 232 and believe we have really tried to be inclusive. For example, I represent a section in our district that has a larger Hispanic population and many of our families and students primarily speak Spanish. To provide inclusive language and support for our families, we have hired bilingual individuals that can help students connect and interact with the education that is happening in the classroom.
Other efforts for inclusivity have also focused on providing educational programs and learning opportunities for our staff. Each school year, a couple of professional learning sessions are dedicated to learning about our diverse population and how to best support their needs in the educational environment. I believe the change for better inclusion is a growth process that must be incremental so that we can accommodate it financially and maintain our high educational standards for all students in our schools.
Chad Philhour
USD 232 has outlined DEI in their District Goals as a strategy. Improve diversity and engagement, including racial and ethnic, throughout the district, (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion). I was informed by a current board member that the district has started conversations with the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and a sub-committee has been created.
I believe every student deserves a quality education, including additional help and resources for those in need. A sense of belonging at school means feeling a sense of acceptance, respect and support in a learning environment. Teacher training is needed to ensure they are equipped with strategies and instructional activities to meet the learning needs of each student across the spectrum whether that is gifted, special education, financial status, race, gender or religion.
I am particularly excited for the recent addition to Mize Elementary that accommodates a special education center-based program. Mize is home to one of three elementary center-based programs designed to provide specialized services for students with high needs from across the school district.
Member Area 2
Ashley Spaulding (incumbent)
I agree with USD 232’s approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). We have more than 7,400 students and more than 1,000 employees in our district. We want to foster a culture where all students and staff members feel like they belong. Doing so takes a district-wide commitment to DEI. If students don’t feel safe, welcome and included, they’re going to struggle to learn. If staff members don’t feel those things, they’re going to struggle to teach. We can’t continue to be the high-achieving district we are academically if students can’t learn properly and if our educators can’t teach properly.
One of our responsibilities as a school district is to prepare our students to be global citizens. To do so, they need to understand and respect individuals who are different from them – in terms of race, culture, physical ability, sexual orientation and more. Our society is diverse, and USD 232 is no exception to that. As just one example of the diversity in our district, we have 35 different languages spoken in USD 232 homes. Being sensitive to the differences that comprise humanity is an important aspect of being someone who positively contributes to the workforce, his/her community and society as a whole. Initiatives around DEI should not be the main focus of our schools, but they can certainly complement and enhance our academic instruction.
Greg Withrow
USD 232 is doing a great job of making sure ALL of our students and staff feel welcomed. The DEI initiative in it its quest to be diverse, equal and inclusive, at the end of the day, is in turn what seems to be the opposite.
Our teachers and staff already use an acronym: it’s called TLC. They take the time to be tender and compassionate, love when they can and they do this for ALL who enter our doors.
Making ALL feel welcome is paramount for the district, and I think they’ve done an amazing job. Let’s stop slapping acronyms on things and just be a good person and simply put, do the right thing.
Member Area 3
Stephanie Makalous (incumbent)
USD 232 provides teachers and staff with DEI training. While I am proud of our efforts in this area, I do think it’s important that we’re mindful of the fact that these programs can cross a tipping point where they can do more harm than good. At it’s core, I believe our district needs to focus on welcoming each student into the district and help meet their individual educational needs. The better we are at this the stronger and better our entire community will be. I believe it’s important that we do all we can to make sure that students feel accepted, seen and heard in order for them to be successful in school.
I appreciate that our schools can play a part in educating students about what an inclusive and diverse student body looks like, but I also think that our community outside of the school buildings needs to be inclusive and welcoming to all individuals.
Henry Sandate
Did not provide the Post with a response.
At-Large Area
Andy Jacober
I feel our district has been doing a good job regarding DEI.
After talking with the administration, I do feel that DEI is a bigger topic than race. We have to include a lot of different kids that often struggle with belonging. Foster kids, single parent homes, divorced families and special ed children often struggle for acceptance.
Anh-Nguyet Nguyen
I am not aware of any resources implemented for the training of faculty and staff for DEI, but at the same time, I know the district has a zero tolerance policy against bullying.
As minorities in their schools, my children have had a few isolated incidents of racism, and I was able to address those with the appropriate authorities in a very efficient and effective manner. These discussions were done outside of school hours, so I do not believe they took away from academic instruction, nor did they politicize the schoolhouse.
Likewise, when I have been in the classroom as a substitute teacher, I have held a zero tolerance policy regarding bullying in addition to treating students who may be viewed as “different”. If I notice a student being treated poorly for whatever reason, be it their appearance, sexual orientation or their personal views, I address it immediately in private and alert the building principal. I see nothing wrong with adopting policies to make every child feel welcomed and valued.
Tomorrow, we will publish candidates’ responses to the next question:
School boards have in recent years been faced with requests from some parents to remove books and other materials from school libraries or classrooms, often because of the books’ sexual content. The American Library Association says the books most frequently targeted for challenges last year were those with LGTBQ themes or authors. As a board member, what principles and standards will you use to determine whether a book or other material should be removed from a school library or classroom? How frequently, if at all, should this occur?
