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Oak Park focus groups call for visible, equity-centered superintendent
Summary
Focus-group feedback presented to the Oak Park ESD 97 Board found widespread agreement—across students, parents, teachers and administrators—on priorities for the next superintendent: visible leadership, clear communication, instructional focus, and deeper equity work.
Unidentified presenter (focus-group facilitator) told the Oak Park ESD 97 Board that nine focus groups with about 100 participants produced a consistent set of priorities for the district's next superintendent.
The facilitator said students, parents, teachers, administrators and community members repeatedly emphasized that the next leader must be visible and approachable, a strong instructional leader committed to equity, and a clear communicator who builds trust across stakeholders. "Oak Park is seeking a superintendent who is a strong instructional leader, deeply committed to equity, and genuinely connected to the community," the presenter summarized.
The report described student concerns including feeling unheard, requests for more visible student voice, inconsistent discipline practices, and stronger gifted-program offerings. Parents prioritized transparent communication, academic consistency across schools and long-term stability; community participants highlighted fiscal responsibility and better partnerships with local organizations. Teachers and classified staff raised issues of curriculum alignment, organizational clarity and staff retention.
Board members discussed next steps for the search after the presentation. The facilitator said the district had more than 12 applicants and planned to present a candidate slate to the board on Jan. 13, with first- and second-round interviews to follow on Jan. 20 dates and a virtual town-hall planned for the evening that includes community feedback forms. The presenter offered to align interview questions to the focus-group themes and noted a fuller report and PowerPoint were included in the board packet and would be shared electronically.
The board clarified procedure: review of the candidate slate and personnel deliberations will take place in closed session under personnel rules; remote participation will follow board policy (referenced as "2 220" in the meeting). The facilitator emphasized the process had honored Open Meetings Act requirements and that the focus-group themes would inform interview scenarios and question development.
The board did not take further formal action on the report at the meeting; members confirmed the timeline for slate presentation, interview scheduling and the public town-hall as the next procedural steps.
