Gina Harris (second from right) with her mother, Jan Thomas of Oak Park (second from left) | Twitter
Gina Harris (second from right) with her mother, Jan Thomas of Oak Park (second from left) | Twitter
Oak Park and River Forest District 200 school board member Gina Harris, an $81,528 per-year administrator at Julian Middle School in Oak Park, missed work at least 71 times over two school years, according to an analysis of her attendance records by West Cook News.
Harris missed 56 full days and 15 half days in total, including 21 absences in the 2020-21 school year-- her first year working at Julian.
In the 2021-22, she missed 50 days of work, effectively one-third of the state's mandated 176 annual school attendance days.
The analysis includes Harris attendance data through May 27, 2022, as provided to West Cook News by Oak Park School District 97.
Former Julian Principal Todd Fitzgerald hired Harris as a "culture and climate coach" for middle school students in 2020.
Harris cited missing work 14 times for "union work;" Harris serves on the National Education Association (NEA) board of directors and and as treasurer of the its "black caucus."
She is currently running for Secretary-Treasurer of the NEA; the election is March 11, 2023.
Absent 12 of 20 school days
In the first semester of last school year, Harris missed one work day in August, two in September, three in October, then seven in November and four in December-- two months shortened by Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks.
Of the six weeks District 97 had school in Nov. and Dec. 2021, Harris only worked a full week in two of them.
In Nov. 2021, she worked eleven days in total, District 97 records show. Harris took sick leave the full week before Thanksgiving week, then sick leave again on Wed. Nov. 23. before returning to work for three days and leaving again taking a four day weekend in first week of December for "union work."
Harris took sick leave again for a three day weekend the second week of December, returned to work for two days, then was sick again on Thurs. Dec. 16.
Christmas Break started on Fri. Dec. 17.
Harris was sick again in Jan. 2022, taking off six consecutive school days during the first two weeks of the second semester, Jan 5-7 and Jan. 10-12.
In Feb. 2022, she missed days in every school week, taking two four day weekends, Feb. 10-13 and Feb. 24-27.
In Mar. 2022, she took a five day weekend (Mar. 9-13) and in April, two four day weekends, April 8-10 and April 16-19.
In May 2022, she missed 12 of 20 school days, from May 1-27.
"Architect of change"
An OPRF graduate, Harris, who started her career as the food and beverage manager at the Hyatt Oak Brook and House of Blues Hotel in downtown Chicago before managing a suburban Caribou Coffee store, worked for five years as a teacher at Maywood School District 89 before taking the job in Oak Park, her hometown.
"We know that climate and culture has been a serious challenge for our school, and in many ways we are still a long way from achieving our goals," Fitzgerald said, in announcing the hire.
Four months after he hired Harris, she supported replacing Fitzgerald, who is white, with a black principal, Jeremy Christian.
Harris "expressed support for Christian," according to the District 97 board minutes detailing his hiring. Supporters detailed his "significant experience with.. social emotional learning (and) social justice"
Christian is the former dean of students at Proviso Township High School District 209. He touted his work on "restorative justice" at the district-- or establishing different discipline standards for black and white students.
Harris, who describes herself as a "Peacemaker, Educator, Human and Civil Rights Activist, Architect of Change (and) Wellness Coach” on Facebook, moonlights as a spiritual consultant and "wellness coach."
"As an Architect of Change and a Peacemaker, Gina Harris~HarKirat Kaur works with you as a partner for revealing the Truth about your life and allowing deep inner peace," her Linkedin page says. "Specializing in working with beginners on the spiritual path, discovering their brilliance, she supports each person through private and group classes as well as individualized spiritual and personal development sessions."
District 97 attendance records show Harris told the district she was sick 34 times over two years, 20 of them last school year.
Harris also works as an adjunct professor at Roosevelt University in Chicago, along with fellow OPRF District 200 school board member Ralph Martire.
In April 2021, Harris and Martire were recorded talking about their Roosevelt work on an open Zoom school board call.
“I mean, it’s all social justice. All day, every day, I get to talk about the things I love. I’m really living the life over here,” Harris told Martire.
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See Julian Middle School Administrator Gina Harris' absences
At Oak Park Elementary School District 97, Harris missed 71 work days in two years; her job title is "culture and climate coach.
| Name | Date | School Name | Absence Reason | Absence Type |
| Harris, Gina | 9/4/20 | Julian Middle School | UNION WORK | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 10/19/20 | Julian Middle School | SICK LEAVE (TEACH) | Half Day PM |
| Harris, Gina | 10/23/20 | Julian Middle School | UNION WORK | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 11/6/20 | Julian Middle School | SICK LEAVE (TEACH) | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 11/10/20 | Julian Middle School | SICK LEAVE (TEACH) | Half Day PM |
| Harris, Gina | 12/4/20 | Julian Middle School | UNION WORK | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 1/27/21 | Julian Middle School | SICK LEAVE (TEACH) | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 1/29/21 | Julian Middle School | SICK LEAVE (TEACH) | Half Day PM |
| Harris, Gina | 2/8/21 | Julian Middle School | SICK LEAVE (TEACH) | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 2/9/21 | Julian Middle School | SICK LEAVE (TEACH) | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 2/24/21 | Julian Middle School | SICK LEAVE (TEACH) | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 3/5/21 | Julian Middle School | PERSONAL (TEACH) | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 3/8/21 | Julian Middle School | PERSONAL (TEACH) | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 3/15/21 | Julian Middle School | SICK LEAVE (TEACH) | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 4/28/21 | Julian Middle School | SICK LEAVE (TEACH) | Half Day AM |
| Harris, Gina | 4/30/21 | Julian Middle School | UNION WORK | Half Day PM |
| Harris, Gina | 5/3/21 | Julian Middle School | SICK LEAVE (TEACH) | Half Day PM |
| Harris, Gina | 5/4/21 | Julian Middle School | PERSONAL (TEACH) | Half Day PM |
| Harris, Gina | 5/6/21 | Julian Middle School | PERSONAL (TEACH) | Half Day PM |
| Harris, Gina | 5/24/21 | Julian Middle School | SICK LEAVE (TEACH) | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 5/27/21 | Julian Middle School | SICK LEAVE (TEACH) | Half Day PM |
| Harris, Gina | 8/27/21 | District Office | PERSONAL (TEACH) | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 9/21/21 | District Office | SICK LEAVE (TEACH) | Half Day AM |
| Harris, Gina | 9/27/21 | District Office | SICK LEAVE (TEACH) | Half Day AM |
| Harris, Gina | 10/7/21 | District Office | UNION WORK | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 10/8/21 | District Office | UNION WORK | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 10/12/21 | District Office | SICK LEAVE (TEACH) | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 11/1/21 | District Office | SICK LEAVE (TEACH) | Half Day AM |
| Harris, Gina | 11/1/21 | District Office | SICK LEAVE (TEACH) | Half Day PM |
| Harris, Gina | 11/15/21 | District Office | SICK LEAVE (TEACH) | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 11/16/21 | District Office | SICK LEAVE (TEACH) | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 11/17/21 | District Office | SICK LEAVE (TEACH) | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 11/18/21 | District Office | SICK LEAVE (TEACH) | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 11/19/21 | District Office | SICK LEAVE (TEACH) | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 11/23/21 | District Office | SICK LEAVE (TEACH) | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 12/2/21 | District Office | UNION WORK | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 12/3/21 | District Office | UNION WORK | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 12/13/21 | District Office | SICK LEAVE (TEACH) | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 12/16/21 | District Office | SICK LEAVE (TEACH) | Half Day PM |
| Harris, Gina | 1/5/22 | District Office | SICK LEAVE (TEACH) | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 1/6/22 | District Office | SICK LEAVE (TEACH) | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 1/7/22 | District Office | SICK LEAVE (TEACH) | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 1/10/22 | District Office | SICK LEAVE (TEACH) | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 1/11/22 | District Office | PERSONAL (TEACH) | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 1/12/22 | District Office | PERSONAL (TEACH) | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 2/8/22 | District Office | PERSONAL (TEACH) | Half Day PM |
| Harris, Gina | 2/10/22 | District Office | UNION WORK | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 2/11/22 | District Office | UNION WORK | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 2/24/22 | District Office | ABSENCE WITHOUT PAY | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 2/25/22 | District Office | ABSENCE WITHOUT PAY | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 3/9/22 | District Office | ABSENCE WITHOUT PAY | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 3/10/22 | District Office | ABSENCE WITHOUT PAY | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 3/11/22 | District Office | ABSENCE WITHOUT PAY | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 4/6/22 | District Office | SICK BANK (TEACH) | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 4/8/22 | District Office | UNION WORK | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 4/11/22 | District Office | ABSENCE WITHOUT PAY | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 4/18/22 | District Office | SICK BANK (TEACH) | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 4/19/22 | District Office | SICK BANK (TEACH) | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 4/21/22 | District Office | SICK BANK (TEACH) | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 5/11/22 | District Office | UNION WORK | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 5/12/22 | District Office | UNION WORK | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 5/13/22 | District Office | UNION WORK | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 5/17/22 | District Office | CLD - HR Approved | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 5/18/22 | District Office | CLD - HR Approved | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 5/19/22 | District Office | CLD - HR Approved | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 5/20/22 | District Office | CLD - HR Approved | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 5/23/22 | District Office | CLD - HR Approved | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 5/24/22 | District Office | CLD - HR Approved | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 5/25/22 | District Office | CLD - HR Approved | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 5/26/22 | District Office | CLD - HR Approved | Full Day |
| Harris, Gina | 5/27/22 | District Office | CLD - HR Approved | Full Day |
Source: Oak Park Elementary School District 97
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