Evanston-Skokie school board faces backlash after announcement to end middle school classes

SKOKIE, Ill. - Parents and students are outraged over a decision to end 7th and 8th grade curriculum at Dr. Bessie Rhodes School of Global Studies before Thanksgiving, saying they were blindsided by the announcement.

The Evanston-Skokie District 65 school board is pointing to a staffing shortage as their reason for the move, but says they'll look into alternative options amid the backlash.

During a board meeting Monday night that reached capacity, Superintendent Angel Turner apologized for the anguish her recent announcement caused, adding that district officials are now going back to the drawing board.

Still, some parents are calling for Turner’s resignation—expressing disappointment in the way the situation is being handled.

During the public comment section of Monday’s meeting, parents noted the negative impact that changing schools would have on their kids in the middle of critical educational years.

"If I were to describe to you the last two weeks of our lives, it would be full of frustration, anger, hurt and sleepless nights," one parent said.

Dr. Bessie Rhodes School of Global Studies is slated to close after the 2025-2026 school year. However, to the surprise of families, they were notified this month that a staffing shortage would mean 7th and 8th grade classrooms are shutting down on Nov. 15.

"Let’s be clear, the ‘situation’ is that we simply need three teachers: a math teacher, a science teacher, and a Spanish teacher. I don’t call that a teacher shortage," said Katawna "K" Tyler.

Prior to the meeting, parents, staff, and students marched in protest of the decision.

Rhodes enrolls more than 40 students in 7th and 8th grades, who may need to find new classrooms next month.

Making the situation more complicated, the teachers union, called the District 65 Educators' Council, is in the midst of contract negotiations. Members held a rally prior to Monday’s meeting.

Inside, board members, including Supt. Turner, apologized for the way they've handled the situation.

"We know that we have continued to perpetuate harm to a community that has already been through so much, and I am deeply sorry for the pain and disruption it has caused," said Turner.

Turner outlined a series of options that they will be discussing and says she plans to weigh parents' input.

One option is to keep students at Rhodes under a modified staffing plan, which would eliminate some classes.

Turner noted that a final decision would be made by next week.