WB_042618

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20 | April 26, 2018 | The wilmette beacon School wilmettebeacon.com Kenilworth District 38 Board of Education Joseph Sears parents pack meeting in support of resigning principal Neil Milbert Freelance Reporter The April 16 meeting of the Kenilworth Board of Education turned into an overwhelming vote of confidence by parents of The Joseph Sears School students for Principal Kendra Wallace in the aftermath of her mysterious April 12 resignation. A “discussion of and potential action to approve” the principal’s resignation was the seventh item on the District 38 Board of Education’s meeting agenda, but at the outset board President Melinda Kelly said the entire meeting would be a “listening session” devoted to “listening to comments and feedback” and any action would be deferred until the board members reviewed and contemplated what they heard. A standing-room-only crowd of approximately 150 people showed up and 25 of them went to the microphone to address the board for a total of almost 90 minutes. All of the speakers expressed their steadfast support for Wallace and most of them pleaded with the board to ask her to stay. Some of the parents were overcome with emotion and were in tears. At the conclusion of each speaker’s comments the audience responded with loud applause. “We are all devastated,” said Sarah Halak, who has three children attending Sears. “My heart breaks because of the recent resignation of Mrs. Wallace and my children’s hearts break. We have not provided her with the utmost support that she needs.” Halak began crying as she spoke and she paused intermittently, struggling to control her emotion. “This is a strong woman,” Alison Dempsey said of Wallace. “She has stood out in the most positive of ways. She provides guidance and she provides love. I think that is paramount. I implore you to consider how much Kendra has given and how much she means to the students and to the community.” An enraged Marjorie Bansfield asserted, “I know this has happened through a harrowing situation (for Wallace). She has the backbone, grit and humility to run this school. She has been dragging this community from the last century to the present one. (Before Wallace was hired in April 2014) we had eight principals in 11 years. I promise you there is not a better one coming. This town is a boiler room. We have a Chicago Tribune story and an NPR (National Public Radio) story.” According to District 38 Communication Director Chike Erokwu Joseph Sears has had six full-time principals in the last 20 years. “We have tested the waters before, over and over and over,” Katie White said. “We have someone who is smart and caring and filled with integrity. She’s got another year-plus on her contract. Something is terribly wrong.” Parents pointed out that Wallace not only knows the names of all of the Sears students “she really knows them (as people).” Several told touching stories of the support that Wallace provided for them and their children when they were confronted with a family crisis. Others spoke of the how disheartened their children were when they heard their beloved principal was leaving. “My son (who’d gone to Sears School) was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect when he was a freshman at New Trier and the first person I came to was Mrs. Wallace,” said Vathy Bell Bartholomay. “She has inspired me to try to be a better parent.” “You are an A+++ person, a cherished member of this community,” Christopher Jerome said, addressing Wallace, who was seated in her normal place at the table with board members and key staff members. “This school is the glue that binds us as a community. We are failing the most treasured asset this community has, our children. Wallace earned both a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a Master’s degree in education from Harvard. She began her career as an educator in the Teach for America program, teaching high school and middle school students in Houston. From Texas she went to California where she was assistant principal at Compton High School and a UCLA curriculum coach before becoming principal of Webster Middle School in Los Angeles, her last position before she became principal of The Sears School. Tim Pennise expressed the opinion that there are five key elements in the situation: “students, teachers, parents, board members and the community at A packed house attends the Kenilworth School District 38 Board of Education meeting Monday, April 16, in Kenilworth. Photo submitted large, and nobody can perfectly execute (to the satisfaction of) all five at once. Students belong at the top of the list. Mrs. Wallace is as good as we’ll ever see in handling our student body.” Mike McGoohan pointed out that in the preceding four days 323 people had signed a petition asking the Board of Education to retain Wallace and junior kindergarten teacher Tracey McDowell said “more than 40 faculty members signed a petition in support of Kendra.” “There is an overwhelming amount of support from the faculty,” Mc- Dowell asserted. “It’s hard to comprehend how this could be happening.” Jack Kelly said he ran for the Board of Education twice but lost both times. “If I had gotten on the board I would not leave a stone unturned to keep Kendra,” he said. “We need her more than she needs us.” Christy Bennett implored the board: “I beg you to think about what the future will look like if Kendra leaves.” “I’ve been here for 10 years and she’s the best (principal) I’ve seen and I’ve seen a lot,” Danielle Dold said. “Rumors are flying. I want to understand what’s going on.” Her husband, Robert Dold, asked the board members “I want to know when we’re going to have our listening session with the board, and you tell us what happened?” In addition to board President Kelly, board member Scott Wallace read prepared remarks for the audience at the outset. Wallace spoke of privacy considerations as the reason for addressing personnel matters in the board’s closed sessions rather than during public meetings. “As many of you know, the board has a long-standing policy of soliciting public commentary during board meetings. What we do not do during these public comment sessions is respond directly to the comments or questions that are made,” Wallace said. “Our job is to listen to you, and to consider the entirety of all that will be said here tonight. Our silence during these public comment periods is meant to give all of you a clear space to express yourselves and for us to listen thoughtfully and attentively. Engaging in a back and forth debate would encourage the opposite. We hope you respect that. We most definitely are listening. Many of you have written to us about the topic of the stability of leadership in our school. We have read your comments with great interest and we share whole-heartedly in your desire for a safe and secure culture where all employees – administrators and faculty together – feel Sears is the place where they can grow in their craft and spend the better parts of their careers.”
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