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Safety is school board’s job
Imagine being an elementary school teacher and hearing shots ring out across from the school. You usher some children inside and others into lockdown.
Now imagine that after this incident, you receive no direct response from the superintendent or the school board. Soon after, you learn that the same administration refused a $526,620 reimbursement grant offered by the
city for gun-violence prevention programs. You would likely be confused, angry and motivated to ask for help.
That’s exactly what teachers at Booker T. Washington STEM Academy did — only to be told by the superintendent, “I accept that I cannot control gun violence” and that the board’s “role is policy and its implementation, not the day-to-day operations.”
The teachers showed up in force at the Sept. 26 board meeting. While procedures prevent board members from responding to public comment, they may make their own comments after hearing the public comment.
Instead of providing assurances, Superintendent Shelia Boozer and the board members sat in silence, offering no apology for their failed response to the recent gunfire. Only one board member responded, and her response focused on her own experiences, ignoring the teachers’ requests for help.
This board has been divisive and combative since my children started at Unit 4. Now is the time for the board to unite and take action to show that it and the administration will do whatever it takes to keep Unit 4 children safe. Without a sense of safety, there is no chance for academic growth.
MARY ANN DONNER
Champaign
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