Good Thursday morning, Evanston.
Administrators and board members for Evanston/Skokie School District 65 addressed ongoing concerns about climate, culture and involuntary teacher transfers during a Curriculum and Policy Committee meeting held Monday, May 9.
Overall, the district has reassigned 33 teachers involuntarily and seven teachers voluntarily to new schools for the 2022-23 academic year.
Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Andalib Khelghati – who directly informed most of the impacted teachers about their transfers April 29 – added that District 65 is already set to lose 52 educators at the end of this year through resignations, retirements, leaves of absence and nonrenewals.
After learning of a deviation in population of more than 20% between some wards, members of a city Redistricting Committee recommended on May 10 that Evanston move forward on a remapping effort to create a greater balance in population across wards.
At the same time, officials vowed to keep the process, the first real remapping since 2003 of the city’s nine ward boundaries, as straightforward as possible.
Council Member Jonathan Nieuwsma, Fourth Ward, is chairing the committee, which includes fellow council members Melissa Wynne, Third Ward; Bobby Burns, Fifth Ward, and Devon Reid, Eighth Ward, who participated remotely.
On Tuesday, May 10, at approximately 9:10 p.m. Evanston Police responded to the 1800 block of Madison Street for a report of a person shot, according to an EPD news release.
On arrival officers discovered that a 20-year-old female resident of Evanston had suffered injuries to her face. The victim was transported to an area hospital, where she was treated. It appeared she had been struck in the face by bullet fragments, the news release said.
No suspects are in custody at this time. Information about the offenders and their vehicle is pending further investigation. The investigation indicates the location of this shooting was likely not random, the news release said.
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COVID-19 by the numbers: 47 new cases were reported Tuesday, May 10, the last day the city updated totals. The seven-day average is 52.7 cases per day.
Elsewhere on the RoundTable website
Q&A: SPACE talent booker discusses finding acts for a venue that ‘feels like Evanston’. The RoundTable sat down with Jake Samuels, 37, who books music for Evanston SPACE, the venue at 1245 Chicago Ave. that shares a front door and ownership with Union Pizzeria. SPACE puts on 350 shows a year plus outdoor shows in Evanston known as Out of SPACE.
Picturing Evanston. One of the many colorful homes in Evanston that brighten our streetscape. This one is south of Greenleaf Street on Florence Avenue. (Photo by Joerg Metzner)
Peggy Tarr: In the month of May. “Many of the titles of the days/weeks/months encourage/help folks to acknowledge and appreciate the contributions and history of certain groups,” our columnist Peggy Tarr writes.
New cellist slated for May 22 ESO concert. With the withdrawal of cellist Arlen Hlusko, the Evanston Symphony Orchestra has announced a substitute, Sihao He, for its May 22 performance of the Dvorak Cello Concerto.
Rank and File | Evanston students return to in-person competition at K-8 Chess Championships. After two years of online competition, Evanston chess players in grades K-8 returned to in-person competition at last month’s Evanston Scholastic Chess Championships.
Evanston In-School Music Association will host free community concert on May 15. The Evanston In-School Music Association will offer up a taste of the music of Bengal and Bangladesh with the 10-member folklore ensemble Ochin Pakhi. The performance will take place at Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center on Sunday, May 15 at 3 p.m.
ETHS softball: Kit girls break loose for first softball victory. The Wildkits pounded out 22 hits and ended an 0-16 season skid by demolishing visiting Lake Forest 24-4.
Explore south/southwest side of Evanston with local historian and the YMCA on May 14. Get a look at Evanston history beyond downtown with local historian Janet Messenger. The “South by Southwest” walking tour is Saturday, May 14 from 10 a.m.-noon.
ETHS girls track: Wildkits race to sectional title. Three relay titles and three individuals who accounted for multiple state qualifying spots added up to 99 points for ETHS, ahead of 95 for runner-up New Trier in the 16-team field.
Spring has finally sprung and at the RoundTable, our thoughts have turned to romance. In the coming weeks we’ll be launching “They Do,” a new column that will feature local folks tying the knot. Getting married? Know someone getting married? We want all the details so we can tell the story, from that fateful first meeting to the magical matrimonial event. To be considered for inclusion in “They Do,” please submit your name, address and the date of your wedding to News@EvanstonRoundTable.com.
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Around the web
Northwestern President Morton Schapiro tests positive for COVID-19. Schapiro, who is fully vaccinated and boosted, said he is “resting comfortably with moderate symptoms” and taking precautions in line with CDC and university guidelines.
From Lad & Lassie to breakfast and lunch: Restaurant planned for vacant Wilmette building. Jordana and Garrett VanBergen – Jordana is a pastry chef who’s worked for a decade at her father’s Bennison’s Bakery, Garrett is executive chef at Farmhouse Evanston – are in the midst of finalizing plans to create EvaDean’s Restaurant and Cafe.
Evanston home where 1980s teen film ‘Sixteen Candles’ was filmed listed for $1.65M. In John Hughes’ coming-of-age comedy, the Georgian house is the home of Molly Ringwald and her family, with numerous scenes shot inside and outside the home.
The WBEZ guide to 70-plus summer farmers’ markets in Chicago and the suburbs. Check out this comprehensive guide to all the best summer farmers’ markets in the Chicago area compiled by WBEZ.
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