“She was great with her kids, never gave up on a kid,” Oberman said. Lisa Oberman, a retired ETHS English teacher and member of Piekarz’s campaign committee, said Piekarz appeared very calm and level-headed when working with students. “We have to look at the root cause of why we’re in this situation.” “Just as important is why students feel unsafe,” Piekarz said. Rather, she said she wants to focus on prioritizing students’ mental health. Piekarz said she’d be hesitant to add detectors because of how large ETHS is.
She said ETHS should look for school safety solutions beyond traditional or technical ones like metal detectors, which ETHS staff have said they’re considering. “I think it helps to be able to really ask some critical questions and understand what’s being presented to the board.”Īmong those questions, she said, should be ones on how to improve school safety. “ I know a lot about the ins and outs and the functioning of the high school, ” Piekarz said. Piekarz said her experience as a school counselor - including as lead for 12 years - gives her unique insight into ETHS students’ mindsets. She also plans to address equity and inclusion, social and emotional learning and faculty and staff support, according to her website. Piekarz said she’s running on a platform highlighting college and career readiness, student voices and school safety. “It’s an institution that’s at the core of our health in the community.” “I really do want to serve … and keep contributing to the success of what’s happening at ETHS,” Piekarz said. Now, having retired last summer, she’s running for a four-year seat on the Evanston Township High School District 202 Board of Education.
Leah Piekarz worked as a counselor at Evanston Township High School for 21 years, advocating as a union leader and helping start a program to set students up with career-oriented classes.
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