Evanston/Skokie
School District 65
Our Team
District 65 Interim Superintendent
At the June 22 Regular Meeting, the School Board approved the appointment of Dr. Eric Witherspoon as Interim Superintendent, effective July 1 through December 31, 2026.
Department Roles & Responsibilities
Our district team works hard each and every day in support of our students and schools. They serve in important roles to help make sure staff members are paid, students are registered, technology is working, meals are served and many more important activities. Review our Roles & Responsibilities to help better understand the functions across departments.
- Admin Roles & Responsibilities
- Cabinet Team
- Department Organizational Charts
- Communication Guide for Addressing Questions
Admin Roles & Responsibilities
Academics
Key Staff
- Assistant Superintendent of Academics
- Administrative Assistant
- Executive Assistant
Schools Team for Advocacy, Response & Support (STARS)
- Director of Climate and Safety
- Director of MTSS/SEL
- Director of Schools Management
Teaching and Learning
- Compliance Coordinator
- Director of Humanities
- Director of Multilingual Services
- Director of Programs and Partnerships
- Director of STEAM
- Director of Student Specialized Services
- IES Coordinators (9)
- Manager of Student Specialized Services and Supports Compliance
- Multilingual Coordinator
- SACC Coordinator of Extended Learning (2)
Department Responsibilities
Climate and Safety
- Alternatives to Suspension
- Building security
- Bullying Prevention and Response
- Crisis Drills (ALICE training)
- District Critical Incident Response Team
- Emergency and Crisis Planning and Response
- Liaison to local first responders/District 65 Incident Commander
- Oversight of school and district crisis response plans
- Planned student absences
- Restorative Practices
- School CARES teams
- School Climate Teams
- Student behavior/discipline support
- Student/staff safety
- Support disciplinary review board and expulsion hearings
- Support for Family and Community Engagement (F.A.C.E.) liaisons
Individualized Education Services
- Agency Linkages
- Home/hospital instruction
- Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) (development, implementation, compliance)
- Inclusion
- Liaison to District 202 Special Education, CASE, Caregiver Council for Disability Inclusion (CCDI), Park School Advisory Committee Member
- Private facility placements
- Professional development for special services staff and bilingual educational professionals
- Related services: social work, speech/language therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, orientation and mobility training, vision services, audiological evaluations, psychological services, transitional vocational services, assistive technology, and transportation
- Section 504 Plans
- Special education programs (resource and instructional, summer programs)
- Support District Critical Incident Response Team
- Therapeutic Day
Multilingual Services
- Coordinate student services and scheduling
- Ensure compliance with state and federal requirements
- Facilitate and participate in leadership meetings
- Guide language intervention and MTSS decisions
- Language Assessment (ACCESS)
- Lead and support professional development
- Multilingual Education Programming (EL, TWI and Dual Language)
- Oversee support roles and compliance
- Serve as a liaison with families, administrators, and external partners
- Support and monitor instructional practices
- Supports staffing and hiring multilingual staff
Programs/Partnerships
- Extended Learning
- Before and After School Age Child Care (SACC) and Right at School (RAS)
- Community partnerships (Books & Breakfast, Y.O.U.)
- Summer Learning Programs
- Newcomers
- Jumpstart PreK
- Summer Literacy Intensive
- Summer School Aged Childcare
- YMCA & YMCA/MSX
Schools Management
- DCFS Referrals
- Elementary and Middle School Athletics (grades 4-8) (City of Evanston Parks and Recreation collaborative partnership)
- Magnet programming (African Centered Curriculum, Two-Way Immersion, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Literary and Fine Arts School, and Dr. Bessie Rhodes School of Global Studies)
- Oversight and support of school leaders including instructional coaching
- Oversight of education centers (Park School, Rice Children’s Center, Joseph E. Hill Early Childhood Center and Family Center)
- Quality Assurance (Head Start and Early Head Start)
- School leader support and engagement
Student Intervention Services
- Alternate Placement processes and procedures
- Early Entrance processes and procedures
- Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)- academics and behavior
- Student attendance programs/procedures and chronic absenteeism
- Support Climate and Safety Team with CARES expectations (crisis support and intervention)
- Support District Critical Incident Response Team
- Support for School Interventionists, Middle School Counselors, 6th Grade Advisory educators, SEEL educators
- Support Instructional Framework and Learning Walks
- Tier 1 Social Emotional Learning
Teaching and Learning
- Acceleration Testing for Illinois Acceleration Act
- Articulation with District 202
- Curriculum development and adoption
- Curriculum Adoption Committee (CAC)
- Curriculum pacing, scope and sequence, and assessment guidance
- Department Standing Committees (Fine Arts, Language Arts and Reading, Dual Language, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Instructional Technology, Special Education)
- FAPEL Department Chair meetings
- Instructional Framework and Learning Walks
- Joint DEC Committees - Joint Staff Development, CAC
- Operationalize student instruction & achievement goals
- Professional Learning
- Standards-Based Learning and Grading
- Summer curriculum projects
Accountability
Key Staff
- Assistant Superintendent of Accountability
- Administrative Assistant (3)
- Building Technicians
- Computer Repair Technician
- Custodial Manager
- Data Management Specialist
- Director of Buildings and Grounds
- Executive Director of Research, Assessment, Accountability, and Data
- Executive Director of Technology
- Health Services Director
- Health Services Specialist
- Instructional Technology Supervisor
- MacOS and Systems Engineer
- Manager of Registration and Enrollment
- Nutrition Services Coordinator
- Nutrition Services Manager
- Performance Management and Assessment Analyst
- School Information System and Database Engineer
- Server Administrator
- Student Assignments and Records Specialist
- Student Systems and Compliance Analyst
- Sustainability Coordinator
- Systems and Network Engineer
- Systems Engineer: Mobile Computing Specialist
- Visual Security and Wiring Administrator
- Wellness Coordinator
Department Responsibilities
Buildings & Grounds
- Facility Management
- Facility rental/room reservations
- Regular/Summer Building Use
Student Registration, Records, Residency
- Permissive Transfers
- Recruitment and Incoming Kindergarten Outreach
- Residency Oversight/Hearings
- Student Registration
- Selective Enrollment Programs
- Student Records
Health & Wellness
- Health services (including immunizations, medications, allergies, communicable disease response)
- McKinney-Vento Services
- Mental health crises/hospitalizations
- School health services
- Support for Nurses, Health Clerks, Vision and Hearing Technicians
Nutrition Services
- School Meal Program
- Breakfast and Lunch Menus
- Free and Reduced-Price Meal Applications
- Meal Payment - MySchoolBucks
Research, Assessment, Accountability, and Data
- Analytic and Data Research Requests
- Data Quality Assurance
- Program Evaluation for Continuous Improvement
- School Board Reporting
- State Reporting, Federal Reporting, and Compliance
- Student Assessment (calendaring, data use, tool selection)
Sustainability
- City of Evanston CARP Committee
- Climate Action Team
- Sustainability Plan
- Tree and Native Plantings Requests
Technology
- Building Security Access and Monitoring
- Cybersecurity
- E-rate Technology Program
- Information Technology
- Instructional Technology
- PowerSchool Student Information System
- Software Maintenance and Updates
- Technology HelpDesk
- Technology Infrastructure
- Technology Leasing
- Telecommunications
Communications
Key Staff
- Executive Chief of Communications
- Executive Assistant (.5)
- Communications Manager
- Director of Strategic Project Management
- District Translator
Department Responsibilities
- AVID
- Blackboard Mass Notification System
- Development of District Marketing Materials
- District 65 and School Websites
- District 65 Branding Guidelines
- District 65 Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube)
- Emergency and Crisis Communication
- Fast 5 e-newsletter
- High Five! Staff Recognition Program
- Language Access
- Media Relations (press inquiries)
- Oversight of Strategic Communication Efforts
- Photography and Video Production
- Project Management (e.g. SAP III)
- School Year Calendar Development
- Smore Newsletter Platform
- Social Media Guidelines & Registry
- Special Event Planning
- Staff Intranet
- Student and Staff Recognition
- Translation/Interpretation Requests
Financial Services
Key Staff
- Chief Financial Officer/CSBO
- Accounts Payable Specialist (2)
- Compliance Grant Analyst
- Director of Finance
- ERP Support Specialist
- Financial and Procurement Specialist
- Financial Services Collections and Claims Lead
- Financial Services Compliance Coordinator
- Manager of Transportation
- Payroll Coordinator
- Payroll Specialist
- Payroll Supervisor
Department Responsibilities
- Accounting and Payroll Operations
- ADA Reports and Auditing
- Annual Budget
- Annual Financial Audit
- Annual W-2 and 1099 preparation
- Billing and bill payment
- Board Finance Committee Liaison
- Board of Education Treasurer's Reports
- Bonds and refinancing
- Budget Transparency
- Budgeting
- Cash/investment reporting
- Central Treasury
- Commercial Liability Insurance Committee (CLIC)
- Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR)
- Daily/monthly/annual accounting tasks
- Deferred Compensation
- External/internal auditing
- Grant Management and Reporting
- Joint City-Schools Committee
- Joint District 65 and 202
- Park School Financial Meeting
- Joint Insurance Committee
- Legislative/government liaison work
- Long Term Financial Planning
- Manage contracts and agreements with external partners/vendors
- Manage investments
- Property/Casualty Insurance
- Property tax levy
- Purchasing and P-card program
- Reduced-fare CTA bus service
- Rev-trak (online credit card payments)
- Risk Management
- SELF (Workers Compensation Cooperative)
- State Compliance Audit
- State/Federal financial reporting
- Student activity funds
- Student fees (General and Childcare)
- Tax Deposits
- TRS/IMRF (Employee Retirement Funds) Reporting
- Tuition estimating and billing
- Transportation
Human Relations
Key Staff
- Executive Chief of Human Relations
- Executive Assistant (.5)
- Director of Human Relations
- HR Business Partner
- HR Specialist
- HRIS/Information Analyst
- Leaves and Benefits Administrator
- Operations Analyst
- Senior Manager of Operations
Department Responsibilities
Employee Benefits & Leaves
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Employee Benefit Days (allocations and audits)
- Joint Insurance Committee
- Leaves of Absence
- Medical/Dental/Life Insurance
- Retirement Planning
- 403b and 457b
- Benefits and Eligibility
- Critical Timelines
HR Systems & Supports
- AskHR Support
- Employee Evaluations
- Certified Educators (DEC)
- Classified Non-Union Staff
- Classified/Non-Certified Staff
- Policy and Procedure
- Tuition Reimbursement
Labor Relations & Committees
- Committees
- Joint Evaluation Committee
- Joint RIF Committee
- Joint Track Committee
- Joint Training/PD Committee for Paraprofessionals
-
Complaint Manager (Discrimination/Harassment)
-
Contract Negotiations
-
Employee Discipline
-
Employee Investigations
-
Subpoenas
Operations
- Absence Management
- Disability
- Employee ID Badges
- Employee Records
- Employee Verification
- Employee Work Calendars
- Frontline Management
- Guest Educator Support
- Onboarding
- Student Loan Forgiveness
- Unemployment Claims
- Workers’ Compensation
Professional Development/Training
- GCN (Mandated Employee Training)
- Track Movement
Recruitment & Staffing
- Assignment Changes
- Background Check Process
- Educator Licensure
- New Hire Onboarding
- Staffing/Assignments/RIF Process
- Student Teacher/Practicum Placements
- Additional Duties
Reporting/Data Requests
- HR Data Requests
- State and Federal Reporting