Morris hopes to be parents’ voice on D209 board
A concerned parent of Proviso High School Township District 209, Rolandra Morris felt frustrated with the lack of communication and accountability she was met with when trying to raise concerns with the board education — so she decided to run for a seat during this upcoming April Consolidated Election.
“What really fired me up was one time when I reached out to a board member and was told my concerns were ‘irrelevant,’” Morris said, adding the response was a “blow to the chest.”
“As a parent, I felt devastated. I had never been told my concerns about my son were irrelevant and all while things at the schools were getting worse and worse,” she said.
Morris, who said she strongly believes in the importance of parents being an active part of their children’s education, was no stranger to volunteering and advocating for students as she was an active member of the Bellwood School District 88 community.
When her son began at Proviso West, she began getting active with Proviso D209. After seeing the same issues taking over all three schools in the district, Morris began “getting out there.”
Part of that began with attending school board meetings. Morris said she’s become a fixture in the district to the point where security knows who she is.
Choosing to run for the board was a way to strengthen her voice and impact after trying to voice various concerns over what is going on in Proviso 209’s hallways.
Once her son began attending Proviso West, Morris said she constantly heard about fights, students roaming the hallway and no teachers in some classes.
“And then you would reach out and they would make it seem like you were the problem,” Morris said. “Those are just some of the issues, I can go on and on and on about the problems they have faced. Teachers were just leaving. Why were teachers just leaving?”
Morris recalled her own high school, and while it was “great,” she said it was disheartening to realize that despite moving out of the city of Chicago to give her children a better opportunity, which wasn’t the experience she found in D209.
That is where her strong passion for parent involvement comes in.
While her son is doing very well, Morris attributes part of that to her strong and constant advocating for him, something she will bring to the district for all students.
“Every parent is not available or capable of doing that so it is our job to make sure the kids are receiving the education they deserve,” Morris said.
Morris plans to strongly advocate for knowledge of the resources currently in the district. “We have resources in our district, we need to make sure they are being used and allocated properly,” Morris said.
Evaluating what works and doesn’t work will help the district make those strategic decisions in a time where education across the country is facing a level of uncertainty.
“We know what is happening in the federal government so we need to make sure our funds are fully utilized,” she added.
Safety is another high priority. Morris said she will work to ensure the safety team is fully staffed and properly trained, ensuring the schools are prepared to handle emergency situations and also providing services for mental health.
Communication, both with parents as well as students is also highly important, Morris said. Students need to know what the expectations are and also be held accountable, she added.
That same accountability needs to encompass the district as a whole.
“Everyone needs to be held accountable and evaluated,” Morris said. “From the superintendent down to the custodian. The transparency has to be there.”
If she wins a seat on the board, Morris said she would be fully capable of working alongside whoever else is elected and the current board members and the new superintendent.
Teamwork through a collaborative process is something Morris said her 20-year background in the mortgage and finance industry have taught her. They are skills she hopes to bring to the board.
“I always want to make sure I present myself with decorum, respect and transparency,” Morris said. “Just because I may not agree with that person’s opinion, they have a right to that opinion.”
It is about working together to figure out the best solution for students, Morris said.
Morris said the district needs transparency and honesty.
“No more hiding,” Morris said. “We all know politics are going to be there but we want to make sure we are making the best decisions for the students, for the school district and not be influenced by the outside politics that are going on. That would be one of my main focuses and something I feel they should be really paying attention to.”
Morris is running as one fourth of the Proviso 209 United slate for the upcoming April Consolidated Election.
