Time ripe for District 225 policy clarification
It was pretty much legalese, but legalese dealing with the potential for controversy.
The Glenview High School District 225 Board of Education on Oct. 10 discussed revisions to policies and procedures regarding instructional and library materials, textbook selection and the like.
By the time of Tuesday's first consideration of the new language before the board, there already had been 31 steps taken in a process dating to June 13.
Librarians, principals Jason Markey of Glenbrook North and Dr. Barbara Georges of Glenbrook South, Assistant Superintendent for Educational Services Rosanne Williamson, the Glenview Education Association, Superintendent Charles Johns' Policy Committee, district and high school administrative and leadership teams and district counsel John Fester all had weighed in.
Johns said a review of these policies and procedures, presented Tuesday by Assistant Superintendent for Administrative Services Brad Swanson, was about 20 years overdue.
"What these policies do, I believe," said board President Bruce Doughty, kicking off the 50-minute discussion, "through all the work of all the folks who've been a part of it, we honor these core values which are central to education: critical thinking, underscoring the importance of using facts, open exchange of ideas, balance, honest, rigor, multiple views in a welcoming environment that is supportive and respectful and employs common sense."
It was clear the board pored over the material word by word during the monthslong process and, in advance of the revisions, returning for second hearing and potential approval on Oct. 24.
Isolating Board Policy 7200, Library Materials Selection and Collection Management, board member Skip Shein questioned the meaning and inclusion of the word "solely" in a passage noting the appropriate selection of library materials.
One amended part of Policy 7200 added, "Any member of the public may inspect library materials" to "Any resident of the school district may challenge library materials used in the district's educational program on the basis of appropriateness ..."
Toward the end of the presentation, board members Dr. Marcelo Sztainberg and Michelle Seguin both wondered how school clubs figured into a section of Policy 9200 regarding advertising on school grounds. Doughty urged to "close that loop" - meaning, make it clear.
A section of Policy 7330, Controversial Issues, had been added. It stated that in cases where a controversial issue causes a concern in a classroom, the chain of complaint begins with the teacher, then the instructional supervisor, if needed, and then the school principal before moving to a formal complaint.
Swanson said Policy 7330 "establishes the importance to have a controversial discussion."
The policy stated it in the first sentence: "The Board of Education believes that its educational programming should assist students in the critical examination of controversial issues and points of view."
Doughty reiterated that these discussions are essential to a learning environment.
"Even the most literal definition of controversy there are differences, without judging those differences," he said. "The whole point is, that people that have different viewpoints, we can have a discussion. We want to have that, because part of the educational process, if we remember, is open discussion. That's how you learn."
Sztainberg suggested that what may make an issue controversial is one which impacts an individual. Also, although someone may disagree with a topic, it doesn't necessarily make it controversial.
Though perhaps 20 years overdue, the policy and procedure question comes right on time.
"Part of the driving force of clarifying these policies is just that - it makes it very clear we want people to feel that their opinions or their thoughts are welcome in all environments. And everybody can support that," Doughty said.