Students, parents urge CHSD 128 board to keep equity position and set hiring goals
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Summary
Students and community members urged the District 128 Board to retain a dedicated diversity/equity coordinator, adopt measurable hiring goals for certified educators of color and treat representation as a student-safety issue.
More than a dozen students and several community members told the Community High School District (CHSD) 128 Board on Feb. 23 that eliminating a dedicated diversity and equity staff role would remove accountability and harm student safety and belonging.
"I'm here tonight with one clear objective, to explain why hiring more staff who reflect the student population is essential for student safety, belonging, and reducing disciplinary disparity," Vernon Hills High senior Emily O'Chang told the board. She cited district discipline data showing students of color suspended at far higher rates than white students in prior years.
Other students urged specific, measurable targets. "If increasing Black educators is truly a priority, there must be accountability through clear goals, such as requiring at least 5% certified African American hires and increasing that percentage incrementally over the next 4 to 6 years," senior Kira Thomas said. Several speakers requested the same 5% minimum within five years during public comment.
Isaiah Collins, vice president of the Black Student Union, criticized a proposal to transition the district's equity coordinator into an instructional‑coach role. "If the equity staff is busy coaching teachers behind closed doors, who is walking around the hallways making sure students of color actually feel seen?" he asked, saying the move felt like sidelining student voice.
Parents and community members backed the students' ask. "Representation did not lower expectations. It raised them," said parent Ethel Hill, who described the long-term impact of having teachers and administrators who reflected students' backgrounds.
Board President (chair) thanked the speakers and the board heard the remainder of the meeting agenda. There was no formal vote or policy action on the equity role at this meeting; trustees said earlier and later agenda items — including the district's strategic‑planning process — would provide opportunities for community input.
What happens next: The superintendent and trustees said the strategic‑planning process starting this spring will gather stakeholder input, and several board members signaled interest in tying board goals to measurable outcomes before presenting the district as a model at statewide conferences.
(Reporting note: quotes and attributions are taken from public‑comment remarks delivered during the Feb. 23, 2026 board meeting.)