109 Labor Talks Spawn Today’s Activism

Jodi Shapira never expected to become politically active. Neither did Robyn Whiteman

After going to meetings attended by hundreds during the that changed.

A last month, the speeches at Board meetings by Shapira, Whiteman and others turned into action.

Shapira, Whiteman, Mara Meyer, Katie Bittner, Barry Grossman and Patch blogger John Russillo are spearheading a petition drive to ask the Board to either delay the hiring process of Goier’s replacement or hold off making a final decision until the April 4 election of potentially four new Board members.

“I never expected to be getting signatures on petitions,” Shapira said. “If you complain about something you have to go and help formulate a change. Is there a better way? That’s how I became involved,” she added giving her rationale.

The District 109 labor negotiations turned Whiteman into an activist as well. Her passion for the teachers’ position soon had her holding signs as a demonstrator in winter weather outside Board meetings. "I wrote letters to (state Rep.) Karen May (D-Highland Park), but never anything like this," she said.

An idea to delay the hiring of a replacement for Goier, , furthered Whiteman’s activism. She wants more from the electoral process. “There will be four seats up," Whiteman said. "It will be in the best interestof everyone to wait.”

Meyer, the current president of the Township High School District 113 caucus, has been politically involved before but thinks the passion demonstrated by hundreds of citizens during much of the last school year has put the community on the precipice of change.

“The vote of no confidence in the Board is a wakeup call to the community,” Mara said voicing her opinion of a lack of popular support for existing members. “The current effort is being done to wake up the community to be more active.”

Meyer would like to see the District 109 Board as involved in the schools as the members of the high school group. “It’s a professional board,” she said of the 113 representatives. “They are in the schools. They know what’s going on.”

Shapira echoes Meyer’s idea. “The Board members should be more involved in our schools,” Shapira said. “Why rely on a third person to give it (information) to you.”

Though none of the people leading the petition had said they would run for the Board, Shapira shares Whiteman’s desire for a different mix of representatives. “They should be a broader segment of our community,” Shapira said. “There should be more parents.”

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