West Cook News

Oak Park Teachers Association (OPTA) co-president and teacher Debbie Tomalis last week told District 97 Board of Education members that middle school educators and staff felt that an outpouring of safety concerns expressed during a May 28 meeting have been "dismissed and ignored" by the board and administration.

At that meeting where public comment lasted one hour and 46 minutes, teachers, staff, parents and grandparents gave examples of abhorrent student behavior and failed disciplinary policy. Of the 21 comments, 13 came from District 97 teachers, mostly from the Gwendolyn Brooks and Percy Julian middle schools.

Examples of out-of-control behavior included students physically assaulting teachers and staff, students locking teachers and other students ouf of classrooms and teachers facing discipline for intervening.

Tomalis said that based on the board's and administration's responses to their concerns - that the OPTA should be more diverse, that problems are not a school system failure and that teachers and staff were looking for punishing militant style discipline - she was asked to again publicly counter the board and administration.

"Enough members felt unheard that we were asked to make another public comment to address what educators shared with you about what our students and staff are experiencing and suggested solutions," Tomalis said at the June 11 board meeting, which like last month's meeting lasted four hours. 

Regarding the desire for OPTA to be more diverse, Tomalis said, "we would welcome more diversity," and outlined the association's practices and compliance toward achieving diversity among its membership.

She said the composition of the OPTA is a "direct reflection of the hiring practices (of the administration) which OPTA has no say in." She suggested the administration work on systems for recruiting and retaining educators of color.

Tomalis said D97 systems are "breaking people," piling on educators, and avoiding accountability for the negative impacts that the lack of systems create. She also said signs of burnout among educators are being overlooked. 

"Another comment suggested that perhaps the problem is not the systems, it's the people in the systems," Tomalis said. "I assure you it's the systems."

She said the school district needs to provide a directory of adminsitrators so that educators know who to turn to with issues. 

Tomalis also suggested the board made incorrect assumptions about the intentions of those who spoke up at the May 28 board meeting. 

"So, let us be clear, punishing militant discipline is not at all what teachers are looking for," she said. 

"We want clear systems and boundaries" from the district and leadership, she said. They want systems and consequences to protect students. 

"It's the school district's responsibiity to keep them safe."