AUDREY WILLIAMS-LEE

candidate for 2025 District 200 School Board

1. What motivates you to seek this office? What makes you qualified to serve? What sets you apart from other candidates? What metrics of success do you plan on holding yourself accountable to?

Motivation

I was appointed to the D200 Board in July 2023 to fill a vacancy. I decided to apply because I am a staunch supporter of public education, with deeply held beliefs about the importance of equity, creating an environment where all children can thrive and achieve their potential, and being engaged in my community. Being a school board member provides an opportunity to ensure this happens.

Qualifications

My professional experience and history of community service have prepared me to serve. Over the past 19 years, I have been active in both D97 and D200 serving on PTOs, as well as Superintendent committees and advisory boards. During this time, I also served on multiple non-profit boards. I understand the work and role of boards as governing bodies. 

Being an HR professional and executive, I understand how to create inclusive environments, drive fiscal discipline and stewardship, lead change, set goals and drive accountability, and develop strategies. 

Finally, my current board service has given me a deep understanding of the strengths and needs of our high school.

Differentiation

I bring an understanding of economic, cultural, and racial diversity that is important for our diverse high school. Raised by a single mother and the first in my family to attend college, I have experienced the barriers impacting children from communities of color and lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

As an executive in large global corporations and nonprofits, I have worked with and led individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences. This has required me to navigate (and balance) many different points of view and cultures.

Success Metrics

One of my priorities is executing on the district’s Strategic Plan. The board has set metrics for the plan, along with annual goals. I hold myself, my fellow board members, and the administrative team accountable for achieving those goals.

2. What do you see as the three biggest challenges or opportunities facing District 200 in and what role do you see the Board playing to address them over the next four years? 

Improving and strengthening the school climate and culture to be safe and inclusive is an opportunity. Because the overall school environment is critical to learning, we need an integrated approach encompassing physical safety, campus safety and psychological safety. These are interdependent and all actions have to consider all three.

Another opportunity is reducing racial disparities. We must continue a commitment to equity that is rooted in high standards and academic rigor. This means pushing every student to excel, while recognizing and addressing their diverse needs and past educational experiences. For example, state disciplinary exclusion data shows that Black students receive more out of school suspensions. Implementing restorative justice practices such as the Behavioral Education Plan is helping close this gap, even as the district continues to adhere its policy governing student behavior and disciplinary actions. 

Finally, mental health and wellbeing is an ongoing challenge, with a significant growth in the number of teens reporting mental health issues over the past decade. The mental health conditions experienced now could impact the ability of students to function as adults. Supporting their wellbeing is critical to current and future success.

The board’s role is to understand the opportunities and challenges, ensure actions are taken, approve funding, monitor progress, and hold the administrative team accountable for results.

3. What is your decision making process? What steps can the Board take to ensure transparency, clear communication, and community engagement – hearing from the broad spectrum of families about their experiences of the Oak Park River Forest High School, and the full range of District 200’s constituents? 

Decision-Making

I have a multi-faceted approach. I gather data from a variety of sources and ask questions to understand the issues, integrating my past experiences when relevant. 

My core values of integrity, transparency, and respect for others guide my approach. I take time to listen and seek to understand other points of view and am open about sharing the “how” and “why” when decisions are made. Of course, not everyone will agree with a given decision. But we can have different, or even opposite, opinions and still be respectful and constructive.

Transparency, Clear Communication & Community Engagement

School boards exist to represent the diverse voices and views of the community for its schools. When I interviewed to join to school board an opportunity I noted was how the district communicated with stakeholders. This has been a priority for the board, and community engagement is a board goal: https://www.oprfhs.org/about/board-of-education/board-goals.

Other actions include adding Communications as a strategic priority in 2023, Superintendent community talks, launching a quarterly newsletter mailed to all households, developing a dashboard for Project 2, ensuring the membership of the Community Council reflects the community, and starting board forums in February 2025 to engage stakeholders.

4. Please share your thoughts about District 200’s current financial picture. What’s your understanding of the Board’s role in the budgeting process and the allocation of resources? Do you have organizational finance experience?

The district is doing managing its finances well.  D200 is one of just six school districts in Illinois with an AAA bond rating and a strong rating for fiscal management from S&P Global. Further, since the 2013 tax year, the district has levied $87 million less in property taxes than permitted by the tax cap law.

When setting the budget for the school year, the board’s role is to review the proposed expenditures, ensure they align with the strategic priorities and any federal or state requirements, and are in line with the projections provided to the board in the planning stages. While it is not the responsibility of the board to build the budget, conversations with the district leadership team about expected budgeted needs are ongoing. Through-out the school year, the board is responsible for monitoring actual spend against budget (variances), approving expenditures, and working with the administrative team on the response to unanticipated events having a financial impact.

I am not a finance professional but have managed large budgets. As a C-suite executive my responsibilities have required enterprise financial stewardship and discipline.

5. What would you say to voters who are worried about the tax burden? What are your thoughts about the Imagine Project, ongoing facility maintenance projects and how capital costs should be approached and balanced with the educational program offered to students?

 The tax burden in our community is a concern. As stated previously, the district has taken less than the maximum tax levy since 2013 in recognition of the burden on taxpayers. The balancing act is maintaining an excellent school that attracts talented faculty and staff, provides a great educational experience, and makes our community a desirable place to live. I want voters to know the board recognizes this challenge and continues to look for opportunities to minimize the tax burden.

OPRF is a lovely, huge, and old facility. The Imagine Work Group, of which I was a member, focused on student learning and equity in the context facilities. We found the physical environment matters in how students learn and engage. Updates were (and are still) needed to address inefficiencies from decades of piecemeal construction. 

Examples of how facilities improvements support student learning are the creation of the student commons, and the accessibility improvements resulting from Project 1. With the Library now located in the center of the school in the commons, tutoring center hours extend to 7:00 pm. And new elevators, ramps, and bathrooms improve the experience and protect the dignity of students with mobility limitations.

The facilities improvements do not compete with OPRF’s educational programming; rather, they enhance it. 

6. How will you work to ensure that District 200 provides an excellent educational experience for each student? What metrics of success do you plan on holding yourself accountable to? 

The district’s focus on high academic standards for all students, while providing students with what they need to excel, is the key to ensuring an excellent educational experience. This requires that we understand and acknowledge everyone does not have the same starting point in life, as well as how past educational and family experiences can significantly impact student performance, both positively and negatively.

Executing on the strategic plan is important to move towards OPRF’s vision of becoming an ever-improving model of equity and excellence that will enable all students to achieve their full potential. The plan is the roadmap for aligning leadership, faculty, staff, and funding around the most important work over the next several years. It must be executed well to drive student success and excellence. 

I will continue to support the execution of the district’s strategic priorities and annual goals, focused on a positive trend line of achievement in the identified opportunity areas.

7. Special education is required by federal law. Please share your understanding of the special education programs at District 200 and how you will work to ensure that District 200 provides an excellent education for students in need of special education?

Special education services are available to students with disabilities who need instruction support and/or specialized instruction. OPRF has a comprehensive special education program serving students with a broad range of learning needs. Whether through an IEP or 504, the services provided by the special education division can meet those needs. 

In Illinois, students with IEPs are eligible to continue receiving services through age 21, up until the day before the student’s 22nd birthday. If the student’s 22nd birthday falls during the school year, services are available until the end of the academic year. The goal is to help students transition and integrate into independent living, and the programs offered by the OPRF support the state’s goal.

OPRF’s programs strive to place students in the least restrictive learning environment. This is accomplished in multiple ways, including co-taught classes to facilitate participation in general education classes, the Community Integration Transition Education (CITE) program which teaches functional life skills, and Transition Education with Access to Mainstream (TEAM) which prepares students with intellectual disabilities to live and work in their home communities.

As a board member, I have supported the resourcing of special education programs and would continue to do so if elected to return to the board.

8. What is your impression of the implementation of District 200’s Access for All detracking curriculum redesign program and of detracking efforts generally? 

I am in support of the district’s Freshman Honors Curriculum, and of detracking in general. Through my research on the topic I learned: 

  • Tracking is linked to lower overall performance and achievement for students of color.

  • Studies show providing students with access to rigorous curriculum is beneficial.

  • Choice does not lead to more equitable outcomes.

  • Schools undertaking detracking saw no detrimental effects on high achieving students.

The program is still in the evaluation stage – the class of 2026 will be the first cohort to have started the revised curriculum as freshmen – and the initial results are encouraging. Despite the claim by some that detracking has led to worse academic outcomes for students across demographics, that simply isn’t true. The 2024 data show a five-year high in average PSAT 8/9 scores. When separated by demographic group, scores for White and Multi-Racial students are at a five-year high.

The PSAT 10 results for the first two groups of sophomores taking the test after experiencing the revised freshman curriculum (Classes of 2026 and 2027) show remarkably similar performance post- and pre-detracking. Anecdotally, a mother with a sophomore and a senior at OPRF recently shared that she is seeing more academic rigor with the revised curriculum.

9. District 200 has taken some steps to move away from policing and surveillance in schools toward restorative justice, mental health supports, and other services in schools. Do you think these moves have been successful? Please explain. What work do you believe remains to be done in this area? 

The district’s approach focuses on repairing harm and rebuilding relationships rather than simply punitive measures. We can create a more positive school climate by emphasizing dialogue, accountability, and community involvement. It is important to note that restorative practices do not eliminate punitive measures. The district’s policy (7:190 Student Behavior) is clear about prohibited conduct and disciplinary measures. However, to the greatest extent possible, the primary goal is keeping kids in school and restorative practices support this goal.

The results from implementing restorative practices such as the Behavioral Education Plan and trauma informed interventions are encouraging. For example, the state disciplinary expulsion data show that Black students are being suspended out of school at a higher rate than their peers. The district is in Year 2 of a three-year required action plan and has drastically reduced the number of incidents leading to an out-of-school suspension. With a goal of a 10% reduction from the SY 2022- 23 baseline data, the district achieved a reduction of 56.9%, exceeding the three-year goal of a 21.5% reduction. Another example is physical altercations/threats which have declined nearly 50% from 2021-22 to 2023-24.

I appreciate the emphasis on restorative practices and believe the district should continue on this path.  

10. Do you see a role for the District 200 Board in ensuring that OPRFHS is welcoming and safe for students in minority populations, whether immigrant, racial, religious identity, LGBTQ+, etc.? What specific actions or policies would you support? Please share your thoughts about District 200’s role in responding to recent national executive orders.

A Safe and Inclusive School Climate and Culture is a top priority. The school environment is critical to learning and I take an integrated approach to safety, encompassing physical, campus, and psychological safety since these elements are interdependent.

A key responsibility of the board is setting policy, and it absolutely has a role in ensuring OPRF is a safe and welcoming space. D200 has a comprehensive set of policies that support sustaining a welcoming and safe environment:  1:02 Human Dignity and Diversity, 2:265 Title IX Grievance Procedure, 5:20 Workplace Harassment Prohibited,  7:12 Racial Equity, 7:180 Prevention of and Response to Bullying, Intimidation, and Harassment, 7:185 Teen and Student Dating Violence Prohibited, 7:190 Student Behavior, 7:20 Harassment of Students Prohibited.  Further, in 2017 the board adopted a resolution declaring D200 as safe zone.

The past month has caused a huge level of uncertainty with Executive orders that threaten schools’ ability to recognize transgender identities, educate about race and unconscious bias, protect students and families who are undocumented, and provide free meals to students of low-income status. As a member of the school board, I would strongly defend what we stand for and fight to uphold the policies and practices that protect our students and our values. 

11. Researchers continue to report that significant numbers of students experience poor mental health. Many students seriously consider attempting suicide and a subset of these students attempt suicide. What can District 200 do to address this trend? 

My second priority is Continued Funding of Mental Health and Wellbeing Resources. Over the past decade the number of teens reporting mental health challenges has grown significantly.

In the Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report: 2013 – 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that a growing number of adolescents have reported poor mental health and feelings of persistent sadness or hopelessness.  The World Health Organization (WHO) published a fact sheet on the mental health of adolescents (https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-mental-health) noting that depression, anxiety and behavioral disorders are among the leading causes of illness and disability among adolescents; suicide is the third leading cause of death among those aged 15–29 years old.  WHO further finds that the mental health conditions experienced now, if extended into adulthood, could impact students’ ability to function as adults. 

A shortage of pediatric physicians and therapists exacerbates the mental health challenges, as does the equity issue of affordability and who has access to resources and treatment. OPRF has a commitment to student wellness and provides excellent resources. This is an area that must remain a priority because supporting the mental health and wellbeing of students is critical to their current and future success.

12. What approach should District 200 take towards intergovernmental cooperation initiatives such as the Collaboration for Early Childhood Development? Are there other specific initiatives that you would like to implement or expand upon with other local and or regional governing bodies and nonprofits?

The district has multiple Intergovernmental Agreements (IGAs) which allow it to share resources and services, and coordinate action on priorities:

  • Collaboration for Early Childhood 

  • Oak Park Township (Youth Engagement)

  • Village of Oak Park Police Department and D97 (Safe Learning Environment)

  • Park District of Oak Park (Ridgeland Commons Field)

  • District 97 (Foodservice)

  • Village of Oak Park (Fuel Purchasing) 

The agreement with the Collaboration supports developing early childhood programs and services for children from birth to kindergarten, while the Township’s Youth Interventionist program focuses on early intervention for at-risk youth.

The Tri-Agency IGA with OPPD and D97 supports a safe, equitable learning environment for all students, and establishes positive relationships and consistent communication with the OPPD.

There is a history of cooperation between the Park District and D200. The IGA allows the district to use Ridgeland Commons field for certain sports.

The district also uses IGAs to leverage resources. For fuel, using the bulk purchasing power of the Village lowers costs. Serving as the vendor for D97’s breakfast and lunch programs optimizes the use of the foodservice team and brings in revenue.

Currently, there is no specific need for another IGA. However, the district has partnerships with other agencies and nonprofits such as the Library and NAMI that should continue.

13. Should District 200 handle the question around the removal of books from library and classroom shelves, curriculum and other instructional tools if community members deem the content to be inappropriate, too controversial or objectionable? 

Part of the learning experience is for students to understand how to assess, analyze and critically think. Exposure to a variety of books and instructional tools supports their development as critical thinkers. 

At the same time, it is important to listen and appropriately respond to any legitimate educational concerns, while trusting the judgement of teachers and administrators about the curriculum, as they have dedicated their lives to educating children.

Given that we are a Book Sanctuary Community that protects access to challenged and banned books, the district needs to align with the Village’s position.  Board policy 7:15 covers curriculum objections with a process for responding to concerns about materials.  The district’s practice is to give parents or guardians who have concerns about instructional materials options for their student.  They may request that their child be exempt from using a particular instructional material or program by completing a Curriculum Objection Form.


14. One of the District 200 Board’s primary responsibilities is oversight of the Superintendent. What criteria do you believe the Board should use to evaluate the performance of the Superintendent?

Being a current board member, I will share the process used to evaluate Superintendent.

The board currently has a comprehensive goal setting and evaluation process for the Superintendent. At the start of each school year, Superintendent goals for the current academic year are determined based on the district’s strategic priorities and other identified needs. Using the SMART Goal approach, goals must be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Goals are approved by the board and entered into a system, SuperEval, for tracking. 

Throughout the year, progress against goals is reviewed, and in June the Superintendent completes a self-evaluation in SuperEval. Concurrently, each board member enters their evaluation of how the Superintendent performed against the goals. The President consolidates the data and discusses the results with the rest of the board to align on an overall rating. The President and Vice-President then hold a performance review with the Superintendent.

15. Last November, Oak Park voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot initiative that proposed that voters be able to approve ordinances and policies though a direct vote. At this point the vote on the ballot initiative was advisory or non-binding. The next step is for the Village or any other taxing body in Oak Park (as reported by the Wednesday Journal, November 7, 2024) to decide whether or not to place the issue on the ballot as a binding referendum. Please share your views on this initiative. 

This is an initiative that requires more thought and consideration to ensure the impact matches the intent, and that the challenges are addressed.  While I like the idea of increased civic engagement, I have concerns about a potential vulnerability to special interests, and the authority of elected officials being usurped by those with the loudest voices.  An untended consequence could be a vocal minority having an outsized influence.  

Another challenge with voter approved ordinances and policies is voters may not have the necessary expertise and/or understanding of dependencies to make informed decisions on complex policy issues.

I would rather see increased voter participation in board meetings, participation in public forums, community members serving on committees and advisory groups, and higher voter turnout to elect leaders who represent their voices.

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