This is the problem when boards and administrators refuse to ask questions on topics they lack the expertise to make decisions about without sufficient information. Additionally, when staff do not present objective pros and cons alongside a project, it raises concerns. The first red flag is when whoever is presenting the plan fails to provide both pros and cons, instead painting an overly optimistic picture. The second red flag is when questions are discouraged, and the third is when they obligate taxpayers to tens of millions of dollars of financial commitment without a referendum, bypassing what they know will be tough accountability questions from the public. This is completely irresponsible and a disservice to the children in our system and all taxpayers because District 65 and District 202 take about 70% of every tax bill.
Back in 2020-2022, I think there were a few Board members who had a "by any means necessary" approach to equity topics, especially the Foster School (and special education - stay tuned) and no desire to really think through the operational aspects of it. Like, they didn't even take out enough money *at the time* to both build and put things in the school.
In Horton's "Exit Interview," he says "the board gave me some priorities prior to me starting that they really wanted to lean into and I was finding a way, number one, to identify a source to fund a school in the Fifth Ward."
He is talking about the first half of 2020. If we are to believe Horton, building the school was already a priority in the Winter and Spring of 2020. Had the board EVER discussed this in public at that time?
For clarity, I think your timeline should start in 2020 with this admission.
I don't know - I'm going to have to go back through meeting minutes. Before summer 2021, it wasn't D65 that was doing the work on this, it was a project within the Evanston Community Foundation (ECF) and part of the STEM schools initiative, I think.
I better make sure I save that exit interview video for long term storage.
This is the problem when boards and administrators refuse to ask questions on topics they lack the expertise to make decisions about without sufficient information. Additionally, when staff do not present objective pros and cons alongside a project, it raises concerns. The first red flag is when whoever is presenting the plan fails to provide both pros and cons, instead painting an overly optimistic picture. The second red flag is when questions are discouraged, and the third is when they obligate taxpayers to tens of millions of dollars of financial commitment without a referendum, bypassing what they know will be tough accountability questions from the public. This is completely irresponsible and a disservice to the children in our system and all taxpayers because District 65 and District 202 take about 70% of every tax bill.
Back in 2020-2022, I think there were a few Board members who had a "by any means necessary" approach to equity topics, especially the Foster School (and special education - stay tuned) and no desire to really think through the operational aspects of it. Like, they didn't even take out enough money *at the time* to both build and put things in the school.
In Horton's "Exit Interview," he says "the board gave me some priorities prior to me starting that they really wanted to lean into and I was finding a way, number one, to identify a source to fund a school in the Fifth Ward."
He is talking about the first half of 2020. If we are to believe Horton, building the school was already a priority in the Winter and Spring of 2020. Had the board EVER discussed this in public at that time?
For clarity, I think your timeline should start in 2020 with this admission.
https://youtu.be/7dBQf4tunFM?t=199
I don't know - I'm going to have to go back through meeting minutes. Before summer 2021, it wasn't D65 that was doing the work on this, it was a project within the Evanston Community Foundation (ECF) and part of the STEM schools initiative, I think.
I better make sure I save that exit interview video for long term storage.