About This Blog

Why This Exists

This blog has one purpose: to publicly hold Oak Park Elementary School District 97 accountable until my daughter gets appropriate academic challenge in her public school.

Not to vent. Not to help other families (though if they find it useful, great). Not to reform gifted education nationwide.

My motivation is entirely selfish: I want my kid challenged in her public school, and transparency seems to be the only lever that works.

What You’ll Find Here

Data-driven investigation into Oak Park District 97’s math acceleration process, including:

  • The 10:1 gap: Why 276 seventh graders get accelerated while only 26 first graders do
  • Calculation errors: The district failed basic arithmetic on acceleration rubrics—twice
  • Ghost rubrics: Published requirements referencing tests discontinued years ago
  • Wrong tools: Screening tests designed for struggling students blocking acceleration for advanced ones
  • FOIA findings: What public records reveal about district decision-making

Everything is documented with emails, rubric documents, official communications, and public records. No anonymous sources. No speculation.

Who I Am

I’m a parent of two daughters in Oak Park schools. My primary job is taking care of my kids—which includes several hours a day of homeschool math instruction (and violin lessons). I’m also someone who’s been challenging Oak Park Village institutions with data and legal citations since 2021.

This school district advocacy isn’t an isolated incident. It’s part of a broader pattern.

Before this blog existed:

  • I was emailing Bill McKenna (Oak Park’s Village Engineer) about construction debris blocking bike lanes—with photos and citations to municipal code Section 22-1-6
  • I was spotting discrepancies in Vision Zero crash analysis data and questioning the village’s statistical methodology
  • I was applying to serve on the Oak Park Transportation Commission
  • I was challenging the village’s sidewalk cycling ordinance that made it illegal for me to safely ride with my 5-year-old daughter

The same approach I used to spot data errors in Vision Zero reports? That’s how I caught two calculation errors in the district’s acceleration rubrics.

The same persistence I used following up with village officials about bike lane obstructions? That’s how I’ve documented years of district communications.

What I bring to this:

  • Computer science background (checking arithmetic is second nature)
  • Years providing math instruction to my kids—I know what mathematical readiness looks like
  • Oak Park community member (I volunteer as mystery reader at Mann Elementary, see Principal Ali at Oak Park Conservatory events, support local businesses like Mulata Kitchen + Coffee)
  • Years of civic engagement experience (Vision Zero initiative, Transportation Commission application, infrastructure advocacy)
  • Access to FOIA laws and time to read Illinois statutes
  • A daughter who scored 99th percentile on MAP Math and still didn’t qualify for acceleration

What I’m not:

  • An education expert
  • Anti-teacher (classroom teachers have been wonderful)
  • Anti-public-school (I want public schools to work—that’s why I’m here)
  • Doing this for altruism (this is selfish—I want my kid challenged)

I’m a parent who started asking questions and didn’t like the answers—or lack thereof. And when private advocacy didn’t work, I made it public.

Same pattern. Different system.

What I Want

Short term: My daughter in appropriately challenging math coursework

Medium term: Oak Park District 97 to:

  • Fix calculation errors (seriously, check your addition)
  • Publish current rubrics (not ones referencing discontinued tests)
  • Provide the research validating harsh thresholds
  • Explain the 10:1 disparity between grade levels
  • Stop using screening tools for purposes they weren’t designed for

Long term: Sustained public accountability for acceleration decisions

What This Isn’t

This is not:

  • Therapy or catharsis (I have a therapist for that)
  • Altruism (if it helps other families, that’s a side effect)
  • Anti-teacher (teachers have been great; this is about district systems)
  • Anti-public-school (I want public schools to work—that’s why I’m here)

Why Public

Private advocacy didn’t work. Email appeals didn’t work. Data didn’t work. Research didn’t work.

So: public documentation of everything the district has said and done, with dates, quotes, and documents.

Sunlight is the best disinfectant.

For Oak Park District 97 Officials

If you’re reading this: I have repeatedly asked for:

  • Validation research supporting rubric thresholds
  • Explanation for grade-level disparities
  • Current rubrics aligned with current assessments
  • Access to the assessments you’re using to make decisions

I’m still waiting for substantive responses.

This blog will continue documenting the process until those responses arrive or my daughter gets appropriate challenge in her public school—whichever comes first.

Contact

I’m not publishing my contact info publicly, but Oak Park District 97 administrators know how to reach me. We’ve exchanged enough emails.

All content based on official communications, FOIA responses, public records, and documented correspondence. District administrators are named as public officials performing public duties. Student and parent names are withheld.

Illinois law (105 ILCS 5/14A-32) requires research-based acceleration practices. This blog examines how those requirements work in practice.