Good Monday morning, Evanston.
A downpour did not deter around 50 educators from making their voices heard at the meeting of Evanston/Skokie School District 65’s Personnel, Building & Grounds and Finance Committee.
District 65 Educators’ Council (DEC) President Maria Barroso served as the group’s spokesperson Oct. 11, as she did at the Sept. 27 Board meeting, beginning her allotted three minutes with: “I am Maria Barroso, the DEC President. Again, I am here to state that District 65 continues to be a toxic working environment.”
Barroso emphasized problems for teachers with increased workloads due to curriculum changes, micromanaging of educators by the district and increased discipline issues. In a statement released Thursday, Superintendent Devon Horton said the curriculum and instruction analysis was “conducted by a well-respected research-driven curriculum audit organization,” and “We have a window of opportunity here, with the pandemic as a catalyst, to redesign and organize so that we can lead systemic change.”
Teachers’ statement to District 65 panel
A history of Chandler’s in Evanston. Chandler’s store in Evanston was in business for a century. Chandler’s first opened its doors in 1895 and closed in 1995. Chandler’s was founded by Henry Ellsworth Chandler, known as H.E. Chandler. Over the years, his business was called by various names, including “H.E. Chandler & Co.” and “Chandler’s University Bookstore.” It would finally become known as Chandler’s Department Store, or simply “Chandler’s.” Also over the years, the business grew and expanded. Ultimately it would be run by members of three generations of the Chandler family. By the time the flagship Evanston store closed in 1995, there were seven regional Chandler’s stores in operation.
The Evanston business was located in various buildings located both on Davis Street and Sherman Avenue in Evanston’s Fountain Square area. Its physical expansion reflected the commercial growth of Evanston’s downtown. Chandler’s came into being just after Evanston became a city (after annexing South Evanston) and it grew during the years of the 20th century. It weathered the storms of the Great Depression. It boomed in the 1950s, when Evanston’s downtown became a hub for shoppers on the North Shore, and it survived the economic downturns of the 1970s and 1980s.
COVID by the numbers: The City of Evanston reported 61 new cases of COVID-19 for the week ending Friday, Oct. 15, down from 78 cases the previous week.
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Elsewhere on the RoundTable website
Downtown Evanston Fall Festival strengthens community connections. Residents and visitors of all ages filled Fountain Square and Orrington Avenue south of Davis Street for an afternoon full of laughter and fun at the Downtown Evanston Fall Festival on Saturday.
Trick-or-Treat on Central Street. Celebrate Halloween by heading to Central Street from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 23 for trick-or-treat on Central Street! Stop by Central Street businesses for Halloween treats, make Halloween-themed arts and crafts at the Evanston Art Center and enjoy Independence Park festivities.
Around the web
- The AUX seeks to foster community with Black-owned businesses at the forefront. Developers are planning to open a new hub for start-ups and small businesses in Evanston by next fall, with the goal of providing more opportunities to Black entrepreneurs in the city.
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