Dupage Policy Journal

New D86 Assistant Superintendent Jason Markey was the focal point of a letter authored by teachers at his past employer District 225 who accused him of creating a “toxic environment.”

The letter was released when Markey was principal of Glenbrook North High School just before he joined District 86 in late March as assistant superintendent.

Parent and activist Glenn Farkas who operates a non-profit Glenbrook Community Action Network focusing on giving parents a voice in District 225 said D86 likely did not know of Markey’s reputation at his previous school district.

“My guess is they did obviously, they interviewed him, but I don't think they're aware of some of these inner issues that are happening,” Farkas told DuPage Policy Journal.

“We'd be happy to provide them and maybe to the district some of this information about how Jason Markey was running Glenbrook North High School. Certainly, the letter from the teachers that we received.”

“They’re saying what I've been saying for the last three or four years is that there's been this toxic culture within the school that's been promoting all these left-wing ideologies at the expense of fairness and trying to be a nonpartisan school, you know, teaching the basics and staying out of certain issues.”

“They just basically said these are political issues and we're going to do what we want.”

The letter from teachers regarding Markey was sent out to over 800 faculty, administrators and staff from Farkas’s Glenbrook Community Action Network.

“The purpose of this letter is to inform you of what is perceived by many faculty and staff members as a toxic environment with little to no room for collaboration,” the letter, dated March 2023, reads.

“Unfortunately, there's no mechanism for staff to report concerns with leadership. This letter specifically pertains to concerns with Principal, Jason Markey. More letters can come if you wish, but we cannot sign our names for fear of retaliation. We have a voice and we are asking to be heard.”  

“Jason Markey comes with preconceived agendas. He surrounds himself with committee members that have group think with little to no diversity in thought. Other members are typically people that report to him and can't freely speak their minds for fear of being shut down. This is concerning because decisions are being made with no opportunities for honest feedback representative of the whole.”  

In particular, Markey received criticism for absenteeism and leading with an “equity” based plan.

“As professionals, we struggle with being led by someone we do not trust or respect,” the letter continues.

“Perhaps, Jason Markey should take the time to get to know the staff, the building, and the culture before deciding on what we need. As a school we identified and felt the need to focus on a sense of belonging - we were all behind that. But, he declared in our recent faculty meeting that a few comments to the Board by community members regarding racism are having him declare a new focus for us - telling us all that we are to be made uncomfortable for the sake of change. He speaks of a sense of belonging and at the same time, tells us we need to be uncomfortable. What changes is he seeking? Why can't he be clear and transparent?”

“Jason Markey is rarely present. If and when he is present, he's not approachable. When in the building, he is behind closed doors behind two administrative assistants. He talks frequently of diversity but lacks the insight to understand that diversity is more than skin color - there's diversity of thought and philosophies, there is diversity of need. Diversity in thought, if it differs from his own, is never to be expressed.”

Markey was appointed assistant superintendent by the District 86 Board of Education on March 30.

Markey served as the principal of Glenbrook North High School for three years and has held various leadership roles in other schools.  

Markey's contract is for two years with a base salary of $200,000, and he will begin his new role on July 1.

The current assistant superintendent, Christopher Covino, announced his departure after the 2022-23 school year, as he has accepted the position of superintendent for LaGrange District 102.

Covino had also been serving as the acting superintendent since Tammy Prentiss went on a sudden leave of absence on May 16.

With Covino's departure, Markey has reportedly stepped up in the district. 

Meanwhile, District 225 has been wracked by scandal.

Farkas said it is unsurprising to see Markey and contemporary Lauren Fagel, former Glenbrook South High School principal, get the boot.

Fagel, nicknamed “big boobs” by conservative activists, was accused by a whistleblower of sexual harassment and was outed as using the moniker to describe an associate’s wife.

The name-calling in the school district was part of a larger inappropriate behavior pattern Fagel was alleged to have engaged in.

The whistleblower accused Fagel of engaging in inappropriate behavior, including making sexual references and objectifying women. They also claimed that Fagel used profanity, exhibited vindictive behavior, and created a hostile environment. The whistleblower criticized District 225 for failing to address the reports of Fagel's misconduct.

As Markey did in D86, Fagel also found a soft-landing spot by joining the staff of Noble Schools – a charter school – where her sister, Director of Executive Operations Brooke Sternfield Semel, is an administrator.

Noble Schools defended its hiring of Fagel after she was forced out of District 225.