Dear Mr. Gaal and the District 11 Board of Education,

                We, the students, parents, teachers and residents of D11 call on you to listen to the voices of those you serve.  We call on you to honor the relationships students need with their teachers. The educational experience is about more than memorization, it requires communication and engagement, which only successfully happen when a person feels seen. We are in the midst of a teacher shortage, when universities are closing education departments due to lack of interest. What inspires a teacher is the ability to connect with students and teach them in a caring and supportive environment. Do not underestimate teachers' professionalism and ability to connect with every student in their classrooms.

We call on you to do everything you can to keep our students safe. As a county with one of the highest teen suicide rates in our state, our students know all too well the pain of losing a classmate. They go to school with fears that many adults never had growing up as they watch students die in classrooms on the news. We cannot educate students who are not alive. Please stop contributing to a climate that stigmatizes, bullies and encourages hate toward many of our students. We are the people of D11, stop showing us that you care more about the opinions of people and groups outside of our district than you do about ours. Please honor your responsibility to us and serve in your role with integrity, wisdom and care. Honor your diversity resolution and enact policies that empower and affirm marginalized students.