The details of the abrupt departure of former Riverside School District 96 director of teaching and learning Angela Dolezal continue to be murky.
An anonymous letter purportedly sent to each member of the board of education last June noting that “the teachers have no confidence in her ability to lead the District,” along with other performance-based concerns, was not the reason for Dolezal’s departure Supt. Martha Ryan-Toye told the Landmark.
The Riverside-Brookfield Landmark made a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for that letter, and Dolezal’s presumed resignation letter. The district provided the former, but Ryan-Toye noted in the FOIA response “that this anonymous letter was not the reason for Angela Dolezal’s resignation.”
As for the resignation letter, Dolezal said Monday she did not provide one, which was corroborated by Ryan-Toye. When asked if the resignation was verbal, Ryan-Toye said, “I’m not going to comment on the details regarding her process.”
When asked if the district required a formal letter of resignation for legal reasons, Ryan-Toye said, “Not necessarily.”
The school board approved Dolezal’s resignation at a special meeting March 26 that lasted less than five minutes.
Board president Wesley Muirheid declined to speak on the record about the matter Monday. A handwritten note purportedly from Muirheid at the bottom of the anonymous letter, signed “Wesley,” noted it was received via U.S. Postal Service on June 13, 2025.
Multiple concerns
The anonymous letter accused Dolezal of “verbal fights with staff members” and said she allegedly “spent money on the CKLA program last year only to have to buy another version this year,” apparently referring to the Core Knowledge Language Arts curriculum. Further, it claimed she allegedly “ordered a principal to let go the Hollywood/Central librarian so she could hire her friend.”
“You need to do your due diligence and look into her hiring practices,” the letter stated. “Also, our current contract states that there will be no more Professional Development. This was led by Angela. … Some Union members are Riverside/Brookfield tax payers (sic) and we are demanding some answers.”
In a prepared statement Monday, Dolezal denied the claims.
“The anonymous letter shared with the Board contains false statements that are without merit and do not reflect my leadership, my integrity, or my longstanding commitment to students, staff and district improvement,” she said.
“I unequivocally reject the allegations contained in it and remain deeply proud of the student-centered, systems-level work we advanced in District 96 to strengthen teaching, learning and support for every child. Out of respect for the professional relationships that continue there, I do not intend to comment further.”
REC email recounts superintendent meeting
An email purportedly sent by Riverside Education Council union co-presidents Claire LaForge and Rachel King to their members on June 25, 2025 noted that they “had a meeting with Martha regarding an anonymous letter sent to all seven board members regarding complaints about Angela. Martha wanted our insight regarding these complaints.”
A bulleted list recapping that meeting noted that “these letters did catch the board’s attention” and that Ryan-Toye “said she is going to work with Angela regarding the complaints in the letters and other concerns we have discussed.”
Ryan-Toye is planning to retire in 2027, and Dolezal recently was a finalist for the superintendent position at Oak Park School District 97 but was not selected. By a 5-0 board vote, with two members absent, that board approved Terri Bresnahan, superintendent of Community Consolidated School District 59. Prior to her tenure at District 96, Dolezal was principal at Longfellow School in Oak Park for 13 years.
The REC email noted that, “We told Martha that members are worried that Angela may be replacing her when she retires. Angela is interested in becoming superintendent, but Martha feels the board will do a full search for the best candidate.”
LaForge and King would provide no further insight on the anonymous letter nor the email.
“The REC will not be commenting on this,” they said via email Friday.
When asked if Dolezal’s resignation was related to her application for the District 97 superintendent’s position, Ryan-Toye was clear that it was not after the March 26 special board meeting.