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Bessie Rhodes parents, staff urge Evanston CCSD 65 to reinstate assistant principal and restore Mandarin program
Summary
Multiple parents and staff at the March 17 District 65 meeting criticized the administration for dismissing assistant principal Sarah Antrim Graff and removing the Bessie Rhodes Mandarin program, saying families received little or no advance notice and asking the board to reinstate staff and preserve programming.
At the March 17 meeting of the Evanston CCSD 65 Board of Education, parents and staff from Bessie Rhodes Elementary urged the board and superintendent to reverse the recent dismissal of assistant principal Sarah Antrim Graff (referred to in public comments as “Miss AG”) and to restore the school’s Mandarin language instruction.
The speakers said the cuts came with little communication and asked the board to prioritize stability for students as the district implements broader program changes. "I found out it was gone from my second grader, after school, in the car ride home," Kate Odegaard, a Bessie Rhodes parent, said, describing how she learned the Mandarin program had been removed.
Why it matters: Commenters said the assistant principal and Mandarin teacher are central to Bessie Rhodes’ identity as a global-studies school and to day-to-day operations; they warned that removing those positions during a school closure process would harm students’ academic continuity and community trust.
Parents and staff detailed specific grievances at the board meeting. Melissa Rosenwag, a parent, asked that the board reinstate "Miss AG" and Mandarin teacher Dee Zhang, saying the assistant principal is "a critical member of our school team" and that Zhang’s lessons and cultural programming were a key reason families chose the school. Bridget Otter told the board there has been “a complete communication breakdown” and asked why families were not consulted before decisions were posted. "Our children deserve better, and we demand better," Kate Odegaard said.
Several speakers described operational impacts they said would follow the personnel and program cuts: Molly Barriga, a Bessie Rhodes parent, said the assistant principal frequently stepped in to teach classes when staffing was short and worried that eliminating that role would increase instructional burdens on other staff. Peter Shank, a parent, tied the complaints about communication to broader concerns about district finances and controls, referencing the district’s recent audit language about an "unlocated difference" of $575,845.
Speakers also requested clearer, timely district communication when program changes are under consideration and more engagement with families before final decisions. Doria Han, speaking on behalf of a family member who taught Mandarin at the school, emphasized the cultural and cognitive benefits of early Mandarin instruction and asked the board to consider the program’s contributions to students’ language acquisition and cultural exposure.
The board did not take immediate action during the public-comment period; comments were submitted during the open-comment portion of the meeting and were entered into the public record. Several speakers asked the community to use upcoming board elections and direct contact with board members as mechanisms for change.
Ending: Board members acknowledged public comment but did not announce any immediate reversal of staffing or program decisions during the March 17 meeting. The district’s public comment instructions note the board does not typically respond during the comment period and directs constituents to schoolboard@district65.net for follow-up.
