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Teacher raises bias concerns as board adopts new SEL and elementary literacy curricula
Summary
During public comment a Meadowbrook teacher urged mandatory anti‑bias training and warned the district’s new literacy curriculum may lack cultural responsiveness. Later in the meeting the board adopted SEL programs (Everyday Speech, Wayfinder) and the Into Reading elementary literacy program after multi‑year review and pilot work.
A Meadowbrook teacher told the Northbrook School District 28 board she believes race, racism and unexamined bias affected staff actions earlier in the school year and urged the district to fund mandatory anti‑bias training. “If one of our few staff members of color was made to feel unsafe, I fear the message sent to students of color about their own safety,” said Jess Lipschitz, who identified herself as a Meadowbrook teacher and said she spoke for herself only.
Lipschitz also criticized the district’s recently selected elementary literacy curriculum, saying it is “known for not being culturally responsive” and that the new program gives teachers “less freedom to select authentic texts that accurately and positively represent the diversity of our world.” She called for more repair‑focused responses to student hate speech and urged the board to model critical questioning and to fund district‑wide anti‑bias training.
Later in the meeting the board voted to adopt two Social Emotional Learning (SEL) programs, Everyday Speech for early childhood–grade 2 and Wayfinder for grades 3–8, and approved Into Reading as the new elementary literacy curriculum. Teaching and learning staff described a multi‑year selection process with teacher committees, piloting and rubrics aligned to state standards and guidance from national groups (CASEL for SEL and the Council of the Great City Schools for literacy).
Michelle Jackson and other curriculum leads said the committee reviewed about 10 literacy resources, piloted lessons, gathered student and teacher feedback, and considered professional development and implementation supports when recommending Into Reading and the SEL pair. “When we adopt a curriculum we’re really not adopting a program as such. What we’re doing is adopting a partnership,” a district speaker said, noting the importance of vendor training and ongoing coaching.
Board members asked about pilot testing, training timelines and screen time. Staff said implementation will include summer optional training, institute days and ongoing coaching during the school year. The board approved both adoptions by roll‑call vote.
The teacher’s public comments were made during the visitor comment period; the transcript does not record an explicit board response to her request for district‑wide mandatory anti‑bias training at this meeting.
