Jason Dónes (District 3)

Section 1: Basic Information & General Questions

Candidate's Name Jason Dónes

District 3

Campaign link donesforschoolboard.com

Are you a current or recent CPS parent, grandparent, or guardian/caregiver? CPS parent

Are you a CPS graduate? Yes

Have you ever served on a Local School Council (LSC)? Yes

Have you ever served on a Parent Advisory Committee (PAC)? Yes

Have you ever served on a Bilingual Advisory Committee (BAC)? Yes

Have you ever served on a Community Action Council (CAC)? No

Have you ever worked in a CPS school? Yes

How long have you lived in the district you are running to represent? My whole life

Describe your CPS experience. 

I was raised in Humboldt Park, I went from being a CPS student to a CPS teacher, to a CPS parent. Having served on the LSC at Moos Elementary for three terms, I feel I have a unique and holistic perspective on CPS, how it functions, how it serves our students, and its deficits.  Like many students from predominantly Black and Brown neighborhoods, I faced under-resourced neighborhood schools, and I firsthand understand a low-income parent’s struggle to find the highest quality education for their child in this town. CPS made me who I am today, and I wouldn’t be sending my own children into a system I didn’t truly believe in. 

Why are you running for the Board of Education? 

My entire career up to this point has been dedicated to improving the lives of working-class families. My chosen path and place I’ve felt most useful to my community has been in education. From tutoring and teaching on Chicago’s West and South Side to coaching and supporting educators across the city who our families depend on. From policy advocacy getting our culturally responsive teaching standards into rule to leading an org dedicated to improving the conditions for Black and Brown educators. As an LSC member in a school facing shifting demographics, I continue to prioritize the interests of those most dependent on our schools and most vulnerable to shifting energy/policy. I am running for the Board of Education to continue to lead with the interests of our working-class parents at the forefront. I’m privileged enough now to have the time to lead this way but I’m forever a vessel for those who cannot participate.

What is the most pressing challenge our district is facing? 

Through my own experience, and when I knocked on doors speaking to other CPS parents and students, it became clear that the biggest challenge facing CPS is the lack of equitable funding across the district. All families deserve a quality school within walking distance of their home. My priority would be to analyze and strengthen the systems we use to allocate resources giving our neighborhood schools the best opportunity to meet that promise. There is a baseline set of resources we must provide all schools in the form of talent and finances. Nurses, case workers, engineers, teachers, SECAs, qualified admin, adaptive spending, and more. Too often, our system relies on the creativity of parents and school staff to stretch a dollar and cover as many positions with as few people as possible. I intend to audit and understand our equity and opportunity metrics so that we may level the playing field and restore confidence in our public education system by working to fully fund our schools.

Section 2: Board Responsibilities Commitment 

How will you interact with CPS students and families in your district to ensure that the voices of the most impacted are heard and understood?

This is something I have been doing my entire career, inside and outside of my roles as an LSC member, and teacher. One of the beautiful parts of my campaign is that
I am backed by local organizations and elected officials who are rooted in movement and organizing, this translates to: we are constantly talking to our neighbors. I believe our best ideas for nurturing our students’ growth will come from within the community and from students themselves. I will work to better understand why students and families are overlooked as the best advocates for quality schooling, and I will center the voices of those most often marginalized and excluded from decision-making bodies. To achieve this, I will use tools such as student surveys, LSC and parent group listening tours, school visits and faculty meetings. My goal is to represent the district at large, the organizers, parents, and laborers who support me, and lead from the perspective of those we serve–ideally modeling the approach I have learned from our best community-centric schools. Public schools should feel accountable to the public it serves. While centralized goals & district-wide initiatives provide consistency, it's crucial for our school leaders & teachers to have the time and freedom to decide what truly matters for their students. This means listening to students & gathering insights from parents and empowering educators to tailor their approach to meet the unique needs of each learner. 

What specific actions will you take to address and repair the historical harms within Chicago Public Schools, and how will you ensure that students, parents, and educators are actively engaged in the healing and trust-building process? 

It’s important to understand the historical harms of our district are intrinsically linked to white supremacy and patriarchy that is so deeply rooted in the fabric of our country. The history of racism, segregation, and disinvestment have created the inequitable district we see today. It is the working-class, Black, and Brown students and families who suffer disproportionately. We need to start with an increase in Black/Latine teachers and principals. The rhetoric you hear often from those who enter the profession is either ‘I want to give students like me a chance at experiencing what I did’ OR ‘I want to make sure no one else has to go through that.’ Your own experience is a strong motivator and contextualizer and too many Black/Latine leaders are driven away. We need to ensure that conditions in the profession generate belonging when we ARE here. There has to be strong motivation and support to stay beyond making a difference. This includes training for universities and teacher prep programs on culturally relevant practice, well-resourced affinity spaces so that teachers like me have a place to go to make sense of their experience, strong equitable pay so that we can actually retain those gaining more and more valuable experience, and constant root-cause analysis and data-gathering to stay up on the most relevant retention factors for these groups. I would launch/reinforce a comprehensive approach and if I didn’t have that power, I would start with any one of these actions. If we cannot commit to these steps, we will not diversify our workforce. I would also advocate for a trauma-informed curriculum, and an overhaul in disciplinary approaches that center care over punishment. The school-to-prison pipeline is real, and we have to break it entirely to begin to heal. The district needs to implement town-hall-style education tours to acknowledge the existing harms, root causes, and gather feedback from community members on how to best fix it. 

What is your understanding of the Board’s relationship with Local School Councils? How will you collaborate  with LSCs in your district?

I view the LSC as the voice of the school, representing the interests of students, teachers, and community members to the board. For a reciprocal relationship between the LSC and the board to work, the board must recognize the LSC as that voice. As an LSC member, I understand the dynamics and the push and pull of community needs as it relates to a district that is chronically underfunded. It is my responsibility as a board member to actively engage my LSCs by attending meetings, forming meaningful relationships with the parent, teacher, and community representatives, and being their voice on the board. The LSCs are a vessel for the interests of the school community, and I am a vessel for the collective voices of our LSCs. What I would ultimately like to see is monthly meetings with representatives of all of the LSCs in my district, and myself, so we can hear each other's needs and experiences, and think through creative solutions collectively. This cannot be a top-down, one-way approach, it must be a symbiotic relationship to be successful. 

List the Board committees you intend to join and describe any new Board committees you will propose.

Recognizing that I need to better understand the role requirements and workload of this newly elected position, I feel best positioned to support the Workforce Development & Equity and Special Ed committees. I would also advocate for the creation of a new Public Engagement Committee which could prioritize bridging the gap between this job and the public we lead alongside. The entire reason that an elected school board matters is so that this board stays accountable to the public. Co-governance and transparency should not just be a campaign promise and I would want to help define what that could look like for myself and fellow board members.

How will you prioritize your time to ensure you give your role on the Board of Education the attention it deserves?

When I was asked to run, for what is an unpaid position, I sat down with my family and friends to think through “Am I the right person, at the right time?” It is because of my experience as a teacher, student, and parent that I felt called to this work, I understand what is at stake, and I am willing to make that sacrifice on behalf of my community. I am a parent of two young children, I am a husband, and I am rooted in the fabric of my neighborhood. I fully understand the time commitment I am making, and I would not have put myself in this position if I did not believe I could give it my all. I am thankful to have a partner who understands the gravity of this work, and a community behind me that I know will step up and help fill the gaps in my life that this position will create. 

Section 3: Budget & Facilities

What are your thoughts on the current proposed district budget for SY24-25? As a board member, where would you look to increase funding and where would you make budget cuts?

It is no secret that our district, city, and state are facing a fiscal cliff which means we will be hearing “there is no money” from every corner of government, this is something we cannot accept at face value. The board must continue pursuing the money owed to CPS by the state of Illinois, and push our governing bodies to prioritize public education beyond that. There is a saying in organized labor that goes “chop from the top,” which essentially means we cannot continue to balance the budget on the backs of student services, teachers, and support staff pay. I would like to see the board do a thorough review of administrative overhead costs and non-essential expenditures in order to identify bloat and ensure we are using our scant resources in the most prudent way possible. As a board member, I would prioritize increasing funding for school rehab costs, early childhood education, and special education. These areas are crucial for supporting students’ overall well-being and long-term academic success, particularly in communities that have seen neglect and divestment. 

Funding for CPS is in a particularly precarious situation due to state shortages to Evidence-Based Funding (EBF), the end of pandemic funding, and more. What would you prioritize when facing these overwhelming budget realities?

As stated above, I will always prioritize and defend direct student services. My priorities would center on preserving funding for essential student services, particularly mental health support, special education, and programs that address the needs of low-income students. Many of our students face violence, food and housing insecurity, and lack of access to reliable transit, prioritizing solutions that address these needs is a basic requirement of learning. Equity has to remain at the center of our decision-making, ensuring that our most vulnerable students are not disproportionately affected by budget cuts. If we are in a position where we are cutting everything but the core curriculum, we are not only doing an active dis-service to our students but we will be moving backward as a city. 

What experience do you have with complicated budgets?

I am very confident about my ability to oversee complicated budgets thanks to years of experience in leadership roles in education and nonprofit management. In my current role as Chief of People & Operations at Beyond100K, I oversee the allocation of financial resources for a national organization dedicated to ending the STEM teacher shortage. This role requires me to manage a complex budget and balance operational costs with programmatic needs, all while ensuring fiscal responsibility and alignment with our mission. I also have practical experience managing a school budget through my work as a Local School Council Chair at Moos Elementary, where I regularly collaborate with parents and school leaders to prioritize spending in a way that maximizes student outcomes despite serious financial constraints and limited resources. These experiences have equipped me to navigate the complexities of budgeting within the public education system and make decisions that prioritize equity, student success, and staff needs. 

What will you do to ensure equitable and transparent funding for neighborhood schools?

I am rooted in the belief that to achieve equity, every Chicagoan should be able to walk to their fully resourced neighborhood public school. Achieving this should be as simple as applying the equity-based funding (EBF) model across the board with no differentiation between institutions. As a result of bad policy, it is not that simple and we must advocate for what we are owed. As for transparency, I would hope it is a shared priority with my fellow board members to shine a bright light on CPS’s budget process. The convoluted, opaque budget process CPS engages in would not be acceptable in any other public body, and we need to ask ourselves: why is it ok for CPS? The answer is, that it is not, and it is our responsibility as democratically elected officials to direct CPS to provide full transparency on how our tax dollars are being spent. A more equitable and transparent process must include holding accessible, regular community meetings and creating opportunities for families and educators to have a say in resource distribution. I would also support a third-party independent audit of Chicago Public Schools with a specific focus on the funding–or lack thereof–for our neighborhood schools. An independent audit would provide a thorough and unbiased assessment of CPS's financial practices and resource allocations, which is essential for identifying inefficiencies and ensuring funds are directed to the most impactful areas, such as special education, mental health services, and ensuring our schools are fully staffed and equipped. This is about making sure every dollar is spent with the intention of uplifting our children aligned to their need. 

Many parents have expressed an urgent need for capital improvements in their schools. What steps will you take to ensure that schools have functioning facilities, particularly bathrooms and water fountains?

I would like to see an audit of all CPS facilities to ascertain where the greatest need is, starting with basic health and safety hazards, and a targeted capital improvement plan that prioritizes the most urgent facility needs across CPS. It is no secret that we have scores of schools with brown water, mold, and a lack of functioning bathrooms, and it is stunning that this is the case in the 3rd largest city of one of the richest countries in the history of the world. That being said, CPS and the city of Chicago have a history of contracting with private entities to improve our buildings, companies with no accountability to residents, and who often do sub-par, or no work at all. In addition to the facility audit, I’d like to see a transparent contracting process to ensure we are getting the highest quality services for our institutions. I believe if we make a concerted effort to identify the most urgent needs and establish an honest and transparent bidding process we can reduce costs and fast-track improvements where they are needed most. 

Bussing challenges have a long and fraught history in CPS. The last few years have been particularly difficult for special education students, as well as those who attend magnet and selective enrollment schools. Given CPS’s recently announced plans for the coming school year, How do you plan to address the ongoing school bussing challenges and ensure that all students have reliable, safe, and equitable transportation to and from school? 

As a board member, I would advocate for–and collaborate on securing–additional funding for busing. If we need more buses then I would reinforce efforts like we saw recently where CTU and CPS collaborated on a state grant and secured 50 new electrical buses. If we are not recruiting or retaining bus drivers, I would advocate for fewer barriers to entry, better pay, and better working conditions. At the end of the day, if students cannot get to school they cannot learn. If we have a scenario where students need to get to school outside of their home community, then we need to provide a way for them to reach it. I rode that yellow bus. My mom depended on that yellow bus and I would make sure that our efforts tackle the root issues rather than prioritize the cuts that pit our families against each other

Section 4: Academics Success & Educational programs 

How do you define a quality education?

Quality education means ensuring that all students, regardless of background, ability, or zip code have access to the resources, and the support they need to thrive. It means creating a sense of belonging, and safety in the classroom. It means recognizing the importance of emotional well-being, resilience, interpersonal skills, and trauma-informed practices, and integrating these into the curriculum. It means fostering a culture that embraces love and encourages students to be lifelong learners. It means maintaining a culturally relevant lens so that students are affirmed for who they are, what they know, and how they best learn. By embodying these principles, we live our values and fulfill our responsibilities as shepherds of our city. 

What is the role of the Board of Education in ensuring quality educational programs for all students regardless of their background, zip code, or school type?

This vision for a quality education in Chicago cannot be met without a values-aligned Board driving equitable policy and practice. The Board’s role is to oversee equitable resource distribution, appoint effective leaders, set a policy agenda, and engage with the stakeholders to ensure that all students have the opportunity to succeed. The Board of Education selects – and holds accountable – CPS leadership at the highest level. You need a strong leader capable of leading with and for all students who understands how to prioritize and put our district in the best position to meet this vision. The Board also provides budget oversight and helps ensure that we are distributing our resources equitably so that all students are in a position to thrive regardless of background or zip code. Ultimately, the Board has the power to direct policy which can either improve or harm school conditions across the city. 

What are your views on the roles of neighborhood, selective enrollment, magnet, and charter schools within CPS? Please address each type of school in your answer.

I went to a neighborhood school, a magnet school, and a selective enrollment high school and I understand a low-income parent’s struggle to find the highest quality education for their child in this town. I taught in a charter school environment as well as a neighborhood school and think often about those different experiences.

As a parent to a current CPS student who attends our neighborhood school, my priority has always been to strengthen and support our neighborhood schools. These schools are essential for working-class families, providing a critical link to quality education within their communities. By focusing on neighborhood schools, we address local needs directly and ensure that families have access to a high-quality education close to home. We must reverse decades of disinvestment if we truly aim to provide quality schools for all.

Our magnet and selective enrollment schools deserve to stay strong and continue to be a well-resourced source for a quality education; and, I believe a system that relies on a dozen high quality schools is broken. I believe a system in which students compete for a handful of spots to gain access to a trajectory-defining education is broken. I believe all neighborhoods deserve a school as strong as our selective enrollment schools and that is why I fight for all schools while prioritizing neighborhood schools which cannot turn you away and must provide for all families of a given community.

Similarly, our charter schools serve thousands of students and I want those students to succeed. However, I cannot support charter expansion while our neighborhood schools remain underfunded and I reject the further privatization of our public schools. I am an advocate for transparency, oversight and collective bargaining. Any publicly funded school should be accountable to the public, including its students and workforce. I reject the so-called ‘school choice’ platform which ignores root issues and a history of disinvestment.

How should the Board approach charter oversight and accountability?

The Board should promote oversight and accountability by expanding Local School Councils  (LSCs) to charter schools. It is important to make sure that every school in the district has an active and equipped LSC who feels connected to the board decisions. We have too many schools with vacant positions and too many parents who feel they do not have a say in how their children are educated. I intend to represent them and that means advocating for changes like expanding LSCs and workers’ rights in charter schools and that includes reinforcing their right to organize. It is hard to hold a school accountable when there are no governing bodies representing our parents, teachers and staff.

The initial recommendations of the Black Student Success Working Group were shared earlier this summer. Which of those recommendations will be most important to incorporate into the district’s strategic plan and why?

Incorporating the recommendations for Culturally Responsive Curriculum and Instruction and Wrap-around Services and Community Partnerships into the district’s plan is essential. We are currently living in a moment where many states are attempting to erase Black history curriculum en masse, and the roll back of affirmative action in higher education is already leading to a steep decrease in Black student college enrollment rates. This is why it is crucial that the district incorporate recommendations for Culturally Responsive Curriculum and Wrap-around Services. Curricula that reflect Black students' identities and histories not only make learning more engaging but also help fight against anti-Blackness. Increasing wrap-around services also tackle crucial needs like mental health and academic support, with the help of community partners - ultimately creating a more supportive environment for our students.

How will you work to ensure special education assessments and placements are more timely and equitable? 

From my experience advocating for my non-verbal godson, I've seen how challenging it can be for families to navigate special education. To improve timeliness and equity, I will push for fully staffing and funding our schools to prevent case managers from being spread too thin. This will help ensure that all students receive the services they need promptly. I also plan to create parent support groups and connect with advocacy organizations to help families better understand the process and their rights. By making sure parents are informed and schools adhere to strict legal timelines, we can make the system more efficient and supportive. Additionally, I will advocate for a centralized grievance system to hold schools accountable and ensure they meet their commitments.

What should the Board board do to guarantee students are receiving all of their required IEP minutes?

To make sure students get all their required IEP minutes, the Board needs to address staffing and accountability issues. My experience with my godson has shown me the impact when services fall short. We need to ensure our schools are fully staffed and funded so SPED/DL teams can deliver on IEPs effectively. I also support creating parent support groups and working with advocacy organizations to empower families to advocate for their children. Once consent is given, schools must meet strict timelines, and I'll push for a centralized grievance system to ensure compliance and hold schools accountable.

In 2021, even before the recent influx of asylum seekers, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) put CPS on a corrective action plan because the district was out of compliance with bilingual education requirements. To date, CPS still fails to staff bilingual programs and certified bilingual teachers at all schools that need them. What steps would you advocate for the district to take to solve this problem?

I would first start by looking at the current retention of Black and Latine teachers and principals, who bring linguistic diversity to our schools. Diverse educators serve as role models and are better positioned to meet the needs of our multilingual students. We should actively recruit from these communities and provide robust professional support to retain them.

Second, expanding bilingual education and dual language programs across the district. In our increasingly globalized economy, the ability to communicate in multiple languages is a necessity. CPS should strive to offer dual language programs in every community, ensuring that students are not only learning English but also maintaining and developing proficiency in their home languages.

CPS must also take immediate steps to address the shortage of certified bilingual teachers by offering free certification programs for teachers to become qualified to teach English Language Learners (ELLs). By reducing financial barriers, we can encourage more educators to pursue this certification, filling the gaps in our bilingual programming and ensuring cultural competency for students.

How would you advocate for the reinstatement of comprehensive art, music, and library programs to our schools? 

Art, music, and library programs are often the heart of what keeps students excited about school and yet these are the first programs to go. When I advocate for a fully-staffed and fully-funded school, I include these programs. I would start my advocacy with a history lesson: Not long ago, these were considered essential programs. Racism and years of disinvestment have led us to this moment where we need to fight for what was common years ago. Our students deserve these programs and the first stage of advocacy is ensuring that our leaders believe this as well. I would start a listening tour and explore the programs that are left to hear from students, teachers, and parents about what is going well and where reinforcement is needed in the arts. I would also use data to demonstrate how these programs have historically impacted student achievement and school culture so that we stop talking about all this like it is ‘extra’ – our more affluent suburban peers wouldn’t so why should we? Lastly, recent reports indicate that while these programs are often popular among students, families, and staff, disruptions and cancellations often occur due to difficulties in finding and retaining qualified teachers. Therefore, we have to explore innovative staffing options and commit to creating supportive work environments that attract and retain talented educators.

Section 5: School Culture 

What do you believe is the role of the Board in fostering a culture of belonging for every CPS student?

A culture of belonging starts with listening to the voices of students, families, and educators to understand their unique experiences and needs. The Board should focus on creating equitable access to resources and opportunities for all students, particularly those from historically divested communities. This includes investing in culturally relevant curricula, hiring diverse and empathetic educators, and providing social-emotional support systems that affirm students’ identities and lived experiences.

As a proud CPS parent and community leader, I understand that belonging is not just about academic success but also about emotional well-being. The Board must work to dismantle systemic barriers that prevent students from feeling like they belong and ensure that CPS is a safe, nurturing environment where every child can thrive.

What are specific steps you will propose to increase in-school mental health support for our children? 

Students today are experiencing a mental health crisis and need supportive resources now more than ever. When I’m elected to the school board, I’ll advocate for increased funding to hire more school counselors, social workers, and psychologists, ensuring that every student has access to the mental health care they need. Additionally, I will support expanding evidence-based mental health programs focused on social-emotional learning and trauma-informed care that can be integrated into school curricula.

I will also prioritize partnerships with community organizations that offer specialized services, and push for teacher training in mental health awareness so they can better identify early signs of student distress. Lastly, I will advocate for telehealth options that remove barriers to accessing care and provide students with support when in-person services are unavailable.

What policies do you propose to help stop bullying in CPS schools?

In 2024, bullying has evolved beyond the classroom. In the age of social media, students are increasingly vulnerable to cyberbullying. To stop bullying in CPS schools, I believe in a multi-faceted approach that focuses on prevention, early intervention, and accountability. That includes implementing new programs like mandatory anti-bullying training for students and staff, ensuring that everyone in a school environment is equipped to recognize and respond to bullying behavior. I will also advocate for the adoption of increased restorative justice practices as a central tool for addressing bullying in schools. Rather than punitive measures, restorative justice encourages dialogue, accountability, and healing between students. When conflicts do inevitably arise, mediation sessions can effectively help students understand the harm caused by their actions and foster empathy and reconciliation. This approach allows us to address the root causes of bullying, helping students learn from and grow emotionally.

What specific steps will you take to address and reduce racial bias in our schools, both in terms of pedagogy, curriculum, and disciplinary practices?

I have studied culturally relevant pedagogy throughout my career, partnered with the Office of Equity in drafting school-based change ideas designed to promote racial justice in schools. As a founding member of ISBE’s Diverse & Learner Ready Teacher Network, I co-wrote and helped pass the state’s first culturally responsive teaching standards.

I have a multitiered vision:

1.  Alignment with our state’s Culturally Responsive Teaching Standards 

• Support new Board Member onboarding grounded in an equity framework

• Survey the district to check how familiar community is with the CRTL Standards.

• Host Equity-teach-ins at schools, use lived-experiences to inform decision-making; retrain on culturally responsive education.

• Reinforce recommendations from the Black Student Success Working Group: ensuring culturally relevant curriculum, leaning on existing wraparound services, recruiting Black educators.

• Start a similar coalition for predominantly Latine communities– in need of wraparound services.

2. Ensure access to ongoing development 

• Ensure staff have access to–and are held accountable to–cultural consciousness and implicit bias training.

• Create a centrally managed grants and resources schools can access when taking on issues of race and social justice in their school (note: the Office of Equity doesn’t actually provide school-based development because they are understaffed and so schools typically rely on outside vendors)

3. Diversify our Teacher Pipeline

• Expand community-driven educator pipeline programs

• Ensure Black and Brown teachers have access to mentorship and Affinity spaces funded by the district. 

• Survey implicit bias faced by our teachers of color.

• Share research and resources gathered by my organization on the teacher shortage

I will uphold the board’s decision to remove SROs because students of color are disproportionately criminalized.

Students who report sexual assault and violence in CPS schools often feel that their voices are not heard. What is your approach to ensuring meaningful accountability and what will you do to ensure that this type of violence stops?

Ensuring that students who report sexual assault and violence are heard and supported is a fundamental responsibility of our education system. My approach would involve establishing a robust, transparent reporting system that guarantees confidentiality and protection against retaliation for those who come forward. We need to implement mandatory, trauma-informed training for all staff to recognize, report, and address incidents of sexual violence effectively. To prevent violence, we must foster a culture of respect and consent within our schools through comprehensive, age-appropriate education programs that engage students, staff, and parents.

How do you plan to ensure that LGBT+ students are protected and supported in CPS, both in anti-discrimination policy and inclusive curricula?

First, we must reinforce anti-discrimination policies that explicitly include sexual orientation and gender identity, with clear procedures for reporting and addressing violations. To support inclusive curricula, we need to integrate LGBT+ history and contributions into educational materials and promote a climate of acceptance through training for educators on LGBT+ issues. Establishing student-led Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) and providing access to counseling services specifically trained in LGBT+ issues are also crucial. Additionally, implementing regular climate surveys to gauge the experiences of LGBT+ students can help us identify areas for improvement and track progress. Ensuring that every student feels safe, respected, and represented in their school environment is essential for fostering a supportive learning atmosphere.

Is there anything you would change about the recently adopted Whole School Safety plan? What can the Board do to ensure its implementation?

The Whole School Safety plan represents a significant step forward in redefining what it means to run a safe school. Elevating culturally responsive practice, prioritizing restorative justice over punitive measures, etc. This is the right direction. With any shift of this size, though, the magic comes with implementation. I would strengthen the plan with real world examples and in-district best practices and success-data. ‘Seeing is believing’ with policies like these and I would prioritize moving from educational jargon to best practices teachers and school staff can practice right away. I would prioritize learning spaces and ongoing analysis and I believe the board can help. To ensure effective implementation, the Board should establish a dedicated oversight committee to monitor the plan's progress, provide regular updates, and solicit feedback from students, parents, and community stakeholders. Investing in professional development for staff to align with the plan’s goals and creating clear accountability measures will help to ensure that the safety plan translates into tangible improvements in school environments. Just as I would push for all LSCs to be staffed and supported, I would use Board privilege to help make sure all Whole School Safety Committees are staffed and feeling supported with data, development, and resources.