Editor’s Note: This story is part of a series of candidate profiles for the District 65 board election.
Dan Lyonsmith, the father of two Evanston/Skokie School School District 65 students, is one of twelve contenders for four open seats on the district’s Board of Education.
Lyonsmith is the Midwest’s regional director for the Employment and Training Administration within the U.S. Department of Labor. He said his expertise in overseeing the management and funding of employment programs will help the district’s current financial position.
“The issue is partially fiscal and partially governance,” he said. “I think the board has shown a lack of competency.”
Lyonsmith spoke with The Daily about his goals for the district if elected.
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
The Daily: What went into your decision to run for the school board?
Lyonsmith: I’ve spent 10 years as a District 65 parent, (and) my oldest just started high school. Given what’s been going on in the district and my expertise, I think I could help with the district’s financial crisis.
The Daily: What would your first goal be as a board member?
Lyonsmith: We need to fix the fiscal crisis. Once we get a handle on that, it will help us establish trust in the community.
The Daily: Phase 3 of District 65’s Structural Deficit Reduction Plan includes school consolidations. How would you approach these consolidations and Phase 3 of the plan as a whole?
Lyonsmith: I don’t think the board doesn’t care about what we think, but it came across as they don’t care. We need to center parents and families in the decisions we make. If possible, I would (also) like to prevent selling off (physical) assets because real estate in Evanston is so expensive and just in case we have to expand again.
The Daily: During the discussions to close Dr. Bessie Rhodes School of Global Studies, several community members said there wasn’t a lot of communication or transparency from the board. As a board member, how would you address that gap?
Lyonsmith: Bessie Rhodes was a model of how not to do it. We have to start planning early with the school community and general community. We have to show why the decision is important and be open to complaints. I don’t think the board has done a good job of that and that prevents transparency.
There needs to be strong communication beforehand. School closures should take place over one year, not one month.
The Daily: On your campaign website, you talk about inclusivity and opportunities for empowering students. In an ideal world, what does that look like in District 65?
Lyonsmith: In an ideal world, students have the freedom to learn and live out their dreams. We have students who are excelling, and we should push them to excel more. We should push (all students) to do more.
To do that, we have to look at classroom sizes. I think teachers want to help their students, but they can’t focus on individual students’ needs. The district’s 20-30 (student) class sizes are too high to be optimal.
Email: anaviprakash2027@u.northwestern.edu
X: @anavi_52
Related Stories:
— Q&A: D65 candidate Brandon Utter shares Two-Way Immersion visions
— Q&A: D65 candidate Peter Bogira talks strategic vision
— Q&A: D65 board member Soo La Kim reflects on Foster School, transparency
