Open Letter to District 208 Board of Education, Superintendent, & Administration
Dear School Leaders,
On April 13th, 2021, two Riverside Brookfield students, Tirza Elliott and Raven McKelvin, courageously brought their experiences of racial trauma and bias at RBHS to the District 208 School Board. [article]
As community members, as taxpayers, and particularly as parents, we were struck by Tirza and Raven’s bravery as they spoke their truth to power — literally — to a room of white adult decision-makers. We were simultaneously infuriated that the behavior they had experienced was tolerated, and sadly unsurprised by reports of racism occurring in our schools. What was most disappointing, however, is what it took for us to listen. If school leaders had been doing their jobs advocating for the youth and families in our communities, students would not need to put themselves into a position of extreme vulnerability to be heard — or for us to listen.
In the past year, we have experienced one of the greatest racial justice movements in our nation’s history and a global pandemic that has put a spotlight on long-standing economic and racial disparities.
It’s time for our community to step out of the comfort of silence and demand accountability and strategic action in our schools. With that in mind, we ask the District 208 School Board, Superintendent, and RBHS leadership for a strong commitment to racial equity, starting with action in the following areas:
- Publish a public response to Tirza, Raven and the requests they made of the Board. This response should speak to students at RBHS who may have also experienced racism at school.
- Establish a zero-tolerance policy against racist speech or actions by students, staff, administration, leadership, and parents that includes swift, certain consequences for those who don’t follow it.
- Share with all communities an action plan for the district’s approach to addressing bias, racism, and racial disparity in our schools, with a focus on long-term systematic change.
- Provide restorative resources for support and healing to students who have experienced racialized trauma while at RBHS.
Our communities have seen a surge of growth, with new families renting and purchasing homes in Riverside and Brookfield at historic rates. Our communities are increasingly more diverse and our schools reflect that fact: 48% of the RBHS student body identifies as non-white. That’s nearly half of the student body.
District neighbors in Hinsdale, Lyons Township, Oak Park, River Forest, Berwyn, and Maywood have launched racial equity initiatives with the vision of building spaces for learning where students of color can thrive. In North Riverside, Riverside, and Brookfield, not enough is being done. The messy, hard work of racial equity and building strong, stable schools is long overdue, and cannot wait another school year or another budget cycle. The work ahead needs to be community and student-centered. Most of all it must be valued and prioritized by our School Board and tax-funded school leaders.
We are emerging from this year a changed nation, a changed people, and a changed community. This is a time of possibility for our towns.
The time for action is now.
Thank you.
Indivisible West Suburban Action League indivisiblewestsuburbanaction@gmail.com
Add your name to this letter here:
Co-Signed by 153 community members in Riverside, Brookfield, North Riverside, and La Grange Park:
Lindsay Morrison, Riverside
Kendra Curry-Khanna, Riverside
Helen Gallagher, Riverside
Cristin Evans, Riverside
Lisa Aulerich-Marciniak, Riverside
Kim Baratta, Riverside
Amy Bilow, Riverside
Kimber Coombes, Riverside
Lisa Vogt, LaGrange Park
Tanja Murray, La Grange Park
Hilary Quinn, Riverside
Lisa Abbinante McDonald, North Riverside
Apryl Chapman-Konar, Brookfield & Riverside
Molly Cheatem, Riverside
Kari Fisch, Riverside
Ann Hufford, Riverside
Melanie Schueller, Riverside
Valerie Jisa, Riverside
Shilee Nyenhuis, Riverside
Melissa Porter, Riverside
Tyler Evans, Riverside
Carla Riseman, Brookfield
Maya Schultz, Riverside
Rolando Curz, Brookfield
Rebecca White, Riverside
Lisette Casales, Brookfield
Luis Casales, Brookfield
Andrea Casales, Brookefield
Beth Marcou, Riverside
Carrie Felix, Brookfield
Anna Menendez, La Grange Park
Amanda Lombardi, Brookfield
Karl Eifrig, Riverside
Alex Angeloni, Brookfield
Maryellen Schneider, Brookfield
Pete Durbin, Riverside
Jennifer Fournier, Riverside
Chloe Vitale, Brookfield
Chris Meier, Brookfield
Debbie Parham, Brookfield
Valerie Decker, Brookfield
Claudia Sahagun, North Riverside
Mercedes Sahagun, Brookfield
Joe Ballerine, Riverside
Gemma Nishimura, Riverside
Zammy Arcos, Riverside
Lisa Garay, Riverside
Jennifer Leinberer, Riverside
Karen Boylan, Brookfield
David Morrison, Riverside
Abigail Randall, Riverside
Steven Lifka, Brookfield
Elizabeth Buoscio, Riverside
D Barker, Riverside
Josephine Polanek, North Riverside
Amy Jacksic, Riverside
Christine Lange, Riverside
Kristen Kepnick, Brookfield
Meg Geair, Riverside
Colleen Arturi, Riverside
Nilsa Sweetser, Riverside
Jeanne Eichorst, North Riverside
Reverend Chris Honig, Riverside
Kapil Khanna, Riverside
Kaitlin Miller, Riverside
Jenny Wichmanowski, Riverside
Donald Cheatem, Riverside
Sarah Terhune, Riverside
Sara Baker, Riverside
Nicole Gamboa, Riverside
Eileen Bryant, Riverside
Elizabeth McCoy, Riverside
Allison Evans, Riverside
Barbara Hickey, Riverside
David Duncil, Riverside
Emily Mendoza, Berwyn
Linde Parvin, Brookfield
Lisa Abbinante McDonald, North Riverside
Shannon McDonald, North Riverside
Samantha McDonald, North Riverside
Peter McDonald, North Riverside
Cheryl Skoda, Brookfield
Karyn Napolitano, Brookfield
Courtney Erb, Brookfield
Maria Barragan, Brookfield
Heather Downing, Brookfield
Rocio Hernández , Brookfield
Melissa Obrock, North Riverside
Dawn Musial-Radtke, Brookfield
Kimber Coombes, Riverside
Kari Abboud, Riverside
Jim Raffensperger, Riverside
Jessica Niekrasz, La Grange Park
Erin McGovern, Brookfield
Melody Johnson, Brookfield
Aimee Nunez, North Riverside
Tracy Bohrer, Riverside
Allison Nunez, North Riverside
Lorena Verdin, Riverside
Amy Mooney, Riverside
Aberdeen Marsh-Ozga, Riverside
Domenica Jimenez, Riverside
Rosa Limas, North Riverside
Elizabeth Kos, Riverside
Mark McCann, Brookfield
Sara Burcheri, Riverside
Christina Raguso, Riverside
Aimee Nunez, North Riverside
Lorie Giblin, Brookfield
Suzy Kahle, Riverside
Elisabeth Wilson, Riverside
Katherine Dooley, Riverside
Nicholas Morrison, Riverside
Nancy DeFauw, Riverside
Luisa Garcia, Riverside
Anita Bahena, North Riverside
Carolyn Lesnick, Riverside
Peggy Rios, Brookfield
Brandi Sidor, Riverside
Ana Alvarez-Lundvick, Brookfield
Angela Bursua, Riverside
Jenna Jungels, Brookfield
Margaret Riazzi, Riverside
Julia Strehlow, Brookfield
Joseph Buckles, Brookfield
Kara Halvorsen, Riverside
Andre Buckles, Brookfield
Sarah Wurster, Brookfield
Erin Greenfield, Riverside
Lauren Frame, Brookfield
Debra Faletti, Riverside
Michelle Scott, Brookfield
Melissa Huff Althoff, Riverside
Sarah Manjarrez, North Riverside
Candi Grace, Riverside
Amy Boese, Brookfield
Marci DiVerde, Riverside
Robin Newberry, Riverside
Bridget Juister, Riverside
Lora Noel, Riverside
Mandi Altepeter, Riverside
Monica Garcia, North Riverside
Monica Harris, Riverside
Ashley Prosser, Riverside
Lilliana Freire, Riverside
Suzanne Kahle, Riverside
Natalia Wator, Riverside
Ann Keenen, Brookfield
April Leigh, North Riverside
Ellen Tannenbaum, Brookfield
Katie DiCola, Riverside
Lisa Guillot, Riverside
Molly Brennan, Brookfield
Amy Hill, Riverside