Opinion: Vote Miller, Geiger, Savage-Williams

Dear editor,

The strength of our Evanston community is inextricably linked to the strength of our high school, and the strength of our high school is determined by how well it serves all of it students.  Because of this, I am supporting three candidates whom I know will be excellent advocates for every single child  who goes through ETHS:  Casey Miller, Bill Geiger, and Pat Savage-Williams.

I’ve known Casey and Bill for years, and I can personally attest to their strong intellect and work ethic, superb analytical skills, reasonableness, compassion, ability to work with diverse groups and bridge disagreements, good nature and grace under pressure – all qualities that will make them excellent District 202 board members. 

And both have unequivocally demonstrated their passion for and dedication to serving our community’s youth – Bill in his 10 years of serving as the McGaw YMCA’s executive director, and Casey in his 10 years of coaching and volunteering for the Evanston Baseball and Softball Association, including a long tenure as president of the EBSA board.

And though I’ve just recently met Pat, I am deeply impressed with her intelligence, passion for working with children and teens, and firm grasp of the issues facing a large, diverse, and competitive institution like ETHS.  Pat is the only candidate with a background in education; she has been a school psychologist and special education coordinator for 34 years, including many years in District 65.  Pat, too, will be an invaluable asset to the board.

It seems short-sighted to choose school board members based on one issue, because so many complex and divergent issues will face the next District 202 board, but it is undeniable that one issue is at the forefront of this race:  the merits of “earned-honors” versus “straight-honors.”  

Casey, Bill, and Pat, plus Elena Garcia Ansani (whom I’ve heard would be a wonderful addition to the board but I don’t know personally) are generally in favor of the earned-honors approach because it opens up the opportunity to take honors classes to a broader swath of students.  While they agree that more data is needed to be sure it is the right approach, they also agree that the old way, where a select group of kids who tested well in eight grade took straight-honors classes while the rest of the kids never got that opportunity, wasn’t working.

In addition, I recently listened to an ETHS teacher of one of the earned-honors history classes talk about why she thinks the earned-honors approach has been successful at ETHS.  Aside from the obvious benefit of giving more kids the chance to engage in the critical thinking that the honors classes require, she explained how even kids who would’ve been in straight-honors classes are benefitting from the earned-honors classes in ways that couldn’t have been predicted, such as learning to cooperate and work in teams with, and gaining inspiration from, a more varied group of classmates.  She felt that all the kids in the earned-honors classes were learning critical life skills that would serve them far beyond their high school years -- more so than they ever would have learned in straight-honors classes.

Casey, Bill, and Pat also recognize the reality that not all ETHS kids will go to college, nor should they, and they feel strongly that it is the high school’s responsibility to develop programs that will help prepare non-college-bound students for life after high school, whether through certifications, apprenticeships, or job-training programs.  They will work to focus some of District 202's resources on technical and career education, again ensuring that the high school serves all of it students, not just the college-bound ones.

Casey Miller, Bill Geiger, and Pat Savage-Williams are truly committed to ensuring that ETHS educates all of its students to their full potential.  I hope you’ll consider giving them your support when you vote.  You can learn more about them through the links below.

http://caseyfor202.com

http://citizensforbillgeiger.com

http://patsavagewilliams4eths.com

Yours truly,

Kendra Morrill