W E D N E S D A Y
September 13, 2017 Vol. 36, No. 4 ONE DOLLAR
@oakpark @wednesdayjournal
JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest
Not your average housewalk Homes page B1
Debate on D97’s gifted program splits over race Some say conversation focuses too much on racial inequity By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter
As Oak Park Elementary School District 97 officials embark on a systematic evaluation of its Gifted, Talented and Differentiation (GTD) program, parents and community members with varying perspectives on gifted education are making sure their views are accounted for. Amid the jockeying to be heard, however, a prominent schism has formed between vocal groups of parents and community members. Many want the district to address the apparent racial inequities in the gifted program by confronting the systemic cultural bias and race-based assumptions that they believe are a source of the inequity. Others, however, believe that the community conversation about gifted education has been too steeped in race. This school year, the district plans to create an ad hoc committee, due to start meeting at the end of this month, that will include community stakeholders, staff and parents who will review the gifted program and come up with recommendations for the D97 school board. D97 Supt. Carol Kelley and Yvette Jackson will facilitate the committee. Jackson is a senior scholar at the National Urban Alliance for Effective Education, an See GIFTED DEBATE on page 14
ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer
AMERICAN DREAMER: Paola Montenegro, a sophomore at Dominican University studying business and Spanish, is one of the hundreds of thousands of students qualifying for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which is slated to end in March.
Dominican re-affirms support of DACA University will continue aid regardless of program’s status
By JYLLIAN ROACH Staff Reporter
Dominican University has affirmed that it will continue to support its undocumented students. The statement, released early last week, came on the heels of U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ announcement that De-
ferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, would be repealed. “With or without DACA, Dominican University will continue to support its undocumented students,” the Sept. 5 statement read. “The Dominican University community stands in solidarity with its undocumented students, their families and their communities. We view
the repeal of DACA as unjust and shortsighted. And we urge the passage of the bipartisan Dream Act as a permanent legislative solution.” Dominican University President Donna Carroll said this statement is meant to continue the school’s longstanding tradiSee DOMINICAN ON DACA on page 13
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