Opinion: District 202 Needs Doug Holt's Data-Based Decision Making

To Readers of the Evanston Patch: 

I strongly encourage you to support Doug Holt for the District 202 school board.  Nobody will be more dedicated and open minded to finding the best solutions for achieving excellence for all of Evanston’s youth. 

Doug is a former Peace Corps volunteer who taught high school biology in the Central African Republic.  He is a former newspaper reporter who is objective, asks tough questions, and understands there are two sides to every issue.  From my firsthand experience with Doug, I know that as a 202 board member he will advocate data-based decision making to promote excellence for all students at ETHS.  This approach leads to better decisions by clarifying the issues, identifying potential consequences of proposed solutions, and targeting resources more effectively.  It also relies on understanding proven practices for improving educational outcomes implemented by other schools and districts. 

Although this seems like common sense, this fundamental practice has often been ignored in favor of decisions that haven’t been fully developed or whose implications are not fully understood.  I am therefore very pleased that Doug supports a careful review of Northwestern University professor David Figlio’s upcoming evaluation of the freshmen year restructuring.  This outside evaluation came about through the actions of certain board members and is crucial for assessing what is and is not working with this new program. 

Doug is also dedicated to eliminating barriers to achievement to ensure that each student reaches their maximum potential.  It is for these reasons that Doug believes an 8th grade test should not determine whether an honors course is available to ETHS freshmen.  Likewise, Doug understands that excellence does not start in the 9th grade and he will therefore fight to improve coordination with District 65 and community partners to better prepare students for the rigors of ETHS’s rich offerings. 

Please join me in supporting this exceptional candidate who will provide meaningful school board governance while serving our community and the needs of all students.

Respectfully, 

David Ter Molen
Graduate of Lincoln, Nichols and ETHS (1987) with children at Lincolnwood and Haven.

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