Editor’s Note: This story is part of a series of exit interviews for former District 65 board members.

Donna Wang Su, a former Evanston/Skokie School District 65 Board of Education member, concluded her time on the board at its May 5 meeting.

Su, the associate director of graduate admissions and financial aid at the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications, spent one term on the board, starting in 2021. 

As a former Dr. Bessie Rhodes School of Global Studies parent, she saw the school adopt wall-to-wall Two-Way Immersion in 2017. In part because of this experience, Su said prioritizing students was important to her in the decisions she helped make on the board. She added this is something she hopes the new board will continue doing in its decision making process.

“At the heart of it, just keep students at the center of every decision,” Su said. “Listen deeply to the voices of families and educators and the broader community.”

Su spoke with The Daily about her four years on the board and the next steps for District 65.

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

The Daily: What went into your decision not to run for another term?

Su: My past four years have been really challenging. The first part was I transitioned jobs at Northwestern University, and there was a lot more travel where I was not able to be present as much as I had initially planned to. The second part was I also went through a divorce during my time as a board member.

The long story short is timing.

The Daily: What are you most proud of accomplishing in your time on the board?

Su: I’m proud of the different collaborations that we were able to accomplish in working with both the teachers and administrators. I spent quite a bit of time visiting the different schools meeting with their PTA leaders and administrators.

So, I’m most proud of just really listening and trying to center the students in nearly all of the decisions that we made.

The Daily: Is there anything you wish you had done more of in your time on the board?

Su: I’m a little torn with this one because I know what it’s like — I’m a staff member in administration at NU, so I always hated going into meetings not knowing what questions might get asked of me.

I wish I pushed a little harder on certain questions. I’ve heard a lot around the standards-based grading, and I wish that there was a little bit more clarification around that. And then the second thing is math acceleration. The way that it’s implemented is not equitable or accessible to every child, and I wish that there was a more open conversation about that. 

The Daily: You were part of the unanimous vote in favor of the creation of the Foster School. When construction costs were $25 million over what was expected, you helped make the decision to build a K-5 school instead of a K-8 one. Even though you won’t be on the board, what is your vision for the school about a year and a half before its opening? 

Su: My kids, when they were younger, they went to Fleetwood-Jourdain summer camp. My daughter’s home daycare was right there in the 5th Ward. 

It’s such a beautiful and wonderful neighborhood that deserves a walkable school. We live probably one of the furthest distances away from Chute Middle School, and during the winter, it is cold and dark waiting outside for the bus. When I think of that burden that we have put on our 5th Ward children for so many decades, and to be able to give back to them a walkable school, I see this as a community center in so many different ways.

The Daily: When voting to begin the process to potentially close Bessie Rhodes, you abstained from voting. Then, when it came time to close the school, you voted against the school’s closure. What went into your decision?
Su: One of the reasons that also drove me to run for the school board was my experience as a former Bessie Rhodes parent, and how I felt that the transition to TWI was not as supported as it could have been. 

I knew that I was coming into it with my own biases, where this is a community that historically has not been supported, so at first I had voted to abstain. The second time, when I voted against, I felt like it was that cart before the horse thing. We were voting on something, but there wasn’t enough of a timeline and the right supports. I was hearing from Bessie Rhodes families as well — it wasn’t clear if they were part of that decision making. 

The Daily: When you ran for school board in 2021, you said some of your main goals were increasing transparency around district finances and collaborating with the community. Both of these are, to an extent, reflected in the district’s Structural Deficit Reduction Plan. Is there anything you want to see change or evolve in the district’s work as Phase 3 of the SDRP continues? 

Su: The collaboration piece is huge. With the current leadership under Superintendent Angel Turner, they have definitely been more transparent with the process. There have been some missteps, and I know that the intention is there to include the people that are impacted as well. 

Moving forward, continue working with the appropriate people, having the right people at the table — whether it’s the PTAs, the families, the children — to talk about next steps. 

The Daily: What advice do you have for the District 65’s four new board members as they navigate their term on the board?

Su: Try to lead with courage, as much transparency as you legally can share. While being mindful of the district’s financial realities, never lose sight of the mission to provide for every child. The work, it’s not just going to shape today. It’s definitely going to be impacting the lives and generations of students to come.

Email: [email protected] 

X: @anavi_52

Related Stories:

— Q&A: D65 board member Soo La Kim reflects on Foster School, transparency 

— Q&A: D65 board member Biz Lindsay-Ryan reflects on 6-year tenure 

— Q&A: D65 board member Joey Hailpern talks tenure, vision for district