Alumna and parent urges District 200 to adopt enforceable special‑education communication policy

OAK PARK, Ill. — During public comment at the Oak Park and River Forest Board of Education meeting Aug. 21, alumna and parent Christine Marie Waters urged the district to adopt a written and enforceable communication policy for special‑education families, saying the absence of clear communication "is not a neutral act" and can cause harm.

Waters, who identified herself as an OPRF alumna and parent, told the board she is speaking from personal experience advocating for her current student. She asked the board to adopt a year‑round policy that ensures timely updates, including during the summer, and to establish clear response times to parent inquiries, especially when safety, mental health or specialized programming are involved.

"The absence of clear, timely, and transparent communication is not a neutral act. It creates harm," Waters said. She asked the board to "explore the possibilities of new tools to implement a written and enforceable communication policy for special education families that ensures timely updates year round, including during the summer. Establish clear response time to parent inquiries, especially when safety, mental health, or specialized programming is at stake."

Waters also called for residency verification procedures that recognize multigenerational households and housing insecurity, and for practices that protect students and families from discrimination and implicit bias. She urged the district to lean into restorative‑justice approaches and to center student well‑being when crafting policy.

Waters named several staff she thanked for supporting students, including Dean Wollenscott, Dean Hobson, Scalia Hines, Beth Langland, Lindsay Kirby, Erica White, Lush, Koye Moore and former trauma‑informed specialist Curtis Diggs, whose absence she said is “deeply felt by so many Black families.”

She asked the board to "restore trust through policies and practices that dismantle and not reinforce systems of white supremacy, racism, patriarchy, ableism, or any other barrier that keeps our students and families from thriving." Waters concluded by offering to email the board additional materials for follow‑up.

Board procedure note: the board does not have an immediate vote on the request; Waters's comments were submitted during the public‑comment portion of the agenda. Waters asked the board to use existing resources and to collaborate with families, teachers, community organizations and taxing bodies to develop the policy.