A 2021 Glen Ellyn school board candidate who lost her bid alleged that education officials approved a change in the district calendar without any public input.
Abigail Emerson, a town resident and former educator, finished the April 2021 District 41 school board elections in fifth place in a contest with four open seats. Following her loss, she pledged to remain involved in the district. She now says she has several concerns about the board's recent activities.
Emerson said the board has removed vital learning time from the remaining days in the 2020-2021 school calendar.
"Right on cue after the election, the teachers-union-friendly D41 board approved the removal of two learning days out of these precious last six weeks of school (we are now at the minimum learning days required by the state) without any public discussion," Emerson told DuPage Policy Journal.
The activist also stated that the board supported the memorandum of understanding (MOU) from the D41 teachers, which reportedly prevented any quarantine student from receiving live instruction.
"And saliva testing is now mandatory for all students to get an in-person instruction," she said.
In a Facebook post after the election, Emerson said she hopes the new board members will "lead an effort to bring parents back into the conversation and into the solution as we work through reopening, recovery, and creating the best educational opportunities for our kids."
She also noted that "more people than ever" are paying attention to the D41 school board.
"It may have taken a pandemic, school closing, a school board election, and a lot of frustration (among other feelings) to jumpstart this interest, but if I can impart one last ask of this community, it is to keep it up," Emerson said.
Emerson told DuPage Policy Journal in March that she felt the election had been disappointingly and unexpectedly partisan.
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