Danielle Hanken
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I have known Sarah since we both attended Willard Elementary many years ago, and we have now found ourselves back in River Forest raising our families.
Sarah has a passion for life which is an inspiration to witness. She is a loving mother, a committed nurse, and a true support to those in need. She has given her time to volunteer to help the community including being an active advocate for human rights and being involved in multiple initiatives throughout the pandemic. I am endorsing Sarah for the D90 BOE because she will listen to the community, challenge when necessary, and do what is best for our town. Her focus on the education for our children and her addition to the board will be paramount. |
Brett Gentile
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As a lifelong district 90 resident, I appreciate how Sarah Eckmann returned home after college as I did because she cares so much about this community. Although we didn't know each other growing up, I have come to admire Sarah for her devotion to public service and her passion for bettering our community through the education system. Her mentality isn't one of negative thinking, but rather forward thinking. Sarah isn't out to berate our current school system. She is committed to using her diverse skill set as a nurse to work towards the health and safety of our teachers and children during and after the pandemic. Sarah is dedicated to enhancing the experience of *all* children in our district, not just those others see as 'exemplary'. As a parent of children with unique learning profiles, my support is behind Sarah, who has the empathy to see and hear the challenges all families face.
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Colby and Sonia Green
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We are writing enthusiastically to endorse Sarah Eckmann for the D90 School Board. We are parents of four sons who were all lucky enough to attend D90 schools from first to eighth grade. We know the value of the education that our schools provide, and we respect, admire, and support our teachers. We believe that Sarah is the best person to see D90 through a new era because we know that her experiences and views will serve our entire community very well. Sarah has a deep understanding of the history of D90, and, as a nurse, brings a practical, science-based focus to decisions. She is smart, she is kind, and she will work very hard to use equity and empathy as guideposts when she is on the Board. She is who D90 needs right now.
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Susan Lucci
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I am voting for Sarah Eckmann for D90 because of her demonstrated commitment to two pillars we agree are critical to achieving the excellence in education we all seek by choosing to live in River Forest: Empathy and Equity. It is quickly becoming a best practice to develop and include social-emotional skills in all that we do, especially when raising and educating our children. Sarah's work as mother, nurse practitioner and community activist reflect her high level of emotional intelligence. As we increasingly awaken to the value of living in a pluralistic society, we learn it is critical to engage multiple perspectives to make the best decisions for all of us to thrive. Long an advocate of including children's voices, I also agree with Sarah that it is essential to include the voices of our teachers in conversations that matter. Sarah Eckmann is committed to creating a more inclusive community by expressing and uplifting the best in all of us. This is the kind of excellence I wholeheartedly support.
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Patrick Meyer
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Although I no longer live in River Forest (we moved to Colorado in 2016), and can’t cast a vote in the upcoming election, I would like to throw my support behind Sarah Eckmann’s candidacy for the D90 River Forest School Board. As I have come to know Sarah, it is clear to me that Sarah is passionate about educational excellence in an environment that fosters equity in both opportunity and outcomes for all students. During the seven years I served on the D90 Board, I discovered that there are a handful of characteristics essential for an individual to be an effective member of the Board. These include having strong ties to the community, understanding that we serve not only households with children in D90 schools but all those who live in the Village, not being overly focused on a single issue, appreciating that for change to stick it must be thoughtful and incremental, and the ability to collaborate and build consensus. In my view, Sarah checks all the boxes. Sarah has the intelligence, empathy and temperament to contribute to all areas of board service and I strongly endorse her candidacy.
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Jane Meinhold
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Please vote for Sarah Eckmann for a position on the River Forest District 90 School Board. I have known Sarah her whole life and can attest to her diligence and dedication as mother, wife, and nurse practitioner. Having grown up in River Forest, she understands the benefits of this community and the high quality of our school system. She will work to achieve even higher standards and better quality for our school district while ensuring fiscal responsibility to the community.
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David Hill
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Empathy, equity, excellence. Sounds like it’s good for everyone... right? So why are these things so hard to achieve?
My take is that we need bold, fearless leaders who can see past their own privilege, and be able to put themselves in the shoes of others. Having grown up in Oak Park it’s been hard seeing River Forest not seem like a place where all kids, regardless of race or socioeconomic status, can thrive. We need someone who will be the voice for the unheard. Someone who will not just fight for equality, but will do the work to ensure all decisions that are made are equitable. That person is my long time, dear friend, Sarah Eckmann. The River Forest community would be lucky to have her on their school board. |
