In his June 12 Shrubtown cartoon, “Patrolling the border of adolescence” [Viewpoints], Marc Stopeck uses xenophobic stereotypes to call attention to recent discussions of safety at Percy Julian Middle School. In doing so, he dehumanizes immigrants and our students.
The cartoon is set at a border wall topped with razor wire where a border patrol agent cautions a new recruit to be prepared to “break up fights, suppress violence, confiscate contraband, enforce the law and control chaotic crowd movement.” The new recruit responds, “No problem, sir. I used to teach at Percy Julian Middle School.” Stopeck invokes the false and harmful narrative of immigrants as violent criminals and applies it to our Julian children.
The tenor of this editorial cartoon isn’t wholly inconsistent with recent community discussions. Some comments on social media and at school board meetings have amplified student deficits and portrayed concerns in exaggerated and inaccurate ways.
Moreover, several board members, all of whom have or had students of color in the district, have been criticized for expressing concern over how our students are at times discussed, given troubling narratives around race, violence, and safety that persist in our society.
Our students are not cartoons; they are human beings. They are also adolescents at a crucial developmental stage, making this all the more harmful. We will not let them be reduced to cynical characterizations. That’s not how we view them, and they should know that’s not how the majority of our community — board, staff, residents — views them either. We invite everyone, including those who may be less familiar with our schools today, to visit our website, which includes a gallery of photos from this year that captures our amazing students as they learn, grow, and are joyful together.
There are many great things to celebrate about our schools, staff, and students. And there is much to be done to achieve our shared goals of excellence and equity, including ensuring that all of our school community members feel safe and welcomed. Our children need us to constructively engage in conversations that may be uncomfortable, be accountable for our actions, and address challenges in ways that account for their complexity and nuance. We have to be willing to examine our contributions to the status quo and the roles we can play in advancing or impeding improvement.
District 97 middle-school staff, experts in adolescent development, have been coming together across both middle schools to ensure that school adults are on the same page about key academic and behavioral expectations. As we increase this clarity, align our systems, and build a culture of collaboration, staff and families will be well-positioned to support our students.
We all want the absolute best for our children and their universal success is an aspiration we can realize. That’s what we want Oak Park to be known for and we look forward to your partnership in this grand project.
Colleen Burns, Venus Hurd Johnson, Gavin Kearney, Jung Kim, Cheree Moore, Nancy Ross Dribin, Holly Spurlock
District 97 Board of Education
Ushma Shah
D97 superintendent