Community Listen & Learn - Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee

Thank you to all of the individuals who invested the time to engage in our Listen & Learn sessions regarding the Structural Deficit Reduction Plan.

Meeting summaries were created to provide increased transparency across the community and to provide insight as to the perspectives and thoughts across various stakeholders.

Robust conversation took place across sessions and content from the meetings were summarized based on high level themes that emerged. In community and parent/caregiver advisory sessions, the responses to questions 1 and 2 were transcribed directly from the chart paper provided from the various groups. Identifying information has been removed and responses to question 3 are provided in summary form (not verbatim quotes).

An asterisk indicates that the idea was supported or named by other individuals within the session. The total number of participants does not include district facilitators.

Meeting details:

• Date and time: December 11, 2024 at 6 p.m.
• Location: Washington Elementary School
• Number of active participants: 4

Question 1: As difficult decisions lie ahead to balance the budget, what are the top three priorities that you believe must be protected?

Keep teachers calm; efforts to retain talent; bilingual talent is important and hard to get

Avoid state intervention; become fiscally solvent. We should be able to handle this all in-house.

Keep organizing open conversations; the opportunity and transparency is very important in these moments

Transportation is very important; Evanston doesn’t have good public transportation 

Special education 

Essential to keep TWI and multilingual services. Could consolidate programs; not lose programs but merge if programs are small.

Ask City of Evanston to support transportation which could be mutually beneficial

Having open communication at certain locations where families can get to.

Having childcare available makes a difference 

TWI to dual language (middle school expansion) - the uncertainty of programming evolving at a very unstable time; really understanding genuine interest in middle school programming? -- stabilizing dual language middle school

Walkable schools and protecting a sense of community

Walkable schools that all start and end at the same time (elementary and middle school students could ride the same bus); provide ease of childcare and before and after school programming

TWI needs to be from K-8

Question 2: What programs or services do you consider most essential to maintain the quality of our students' education?

K-8 TWI program - it makes this district so strong and so attractive. ***

Transportation being available for working parents

Have leadership and teachers that are dedicated to the students and also effective and efficient

Of all of the programs, do not reduce the tutors. Not all kids are at the same capacity and need that extra support. Both interventionists and Academic Skills Centers. Students in my community need extra support in math.

Don’t know that TWI is advertised in District 65 as a way that draws people to the district. Students could sell TWI - show that we are protecting language and culture and see children who beautifully speak both languages (would attract more native Spanish speakers)

More social workers and psychologists to support children

High quality curriculum for TWI that is not translated (developed purposefully)*

Want to live in a community where we are spending money/resources on those who need it

Question 3: Please share any additional information that should be considered as we prioritize budget reductions.

Use this exercise to make deeper cuts to ensure we get what we need

Not giving big raises to people in central office

Cut unnecessary positions; could there be shared positions between D202; are there efficiencies in doing that?

Evaluate the value of K-2 kids having technology; consider costs and return on investment

Teachers should have more freedom to curate curriculum and student learning

Cost of textbooks and consider recycling programs or donation/reuse programs; is this the most efficient use of resources?