Nicole Newsome has three youngsters attending Riverside School District 96 schools.
So she’s invested in the district’s future, including the selection of its new superintendent.
“I’m looking for a superintendent who is present and who acknowledges the nuances of diversity in Riverside,” she said. “That’s really important to me. A superintendent who holds leadership accountable.”
This will be current superintendent Dr. Martha Ryan-Toye’s final school year as superintendent, after more than a decade at the helm. The board of education is working with BWP & Associates, Ltd., to identify, interview and hire Ryan-Toye’s replacement, ideally by January 2027. The new superintendent would start July 1, 2027.
Newsome and about a dozen other parents attended an open forum Sept. 8 in the Hauser Junior High library hosted by BWP to discuss what they would like to see in a new superintendent. BWP president Mark Friedman hosted the forum alongside colleagues Sheila Harrison-Williams, a retired superintendent and BWP partner, and Victoria Stockton, the current Bellwood School District 88 superintendent and a BWP associate.
“I would like to see a stronger social foundation of support, from the superintendent all the way down to the teachers,” said Newsome who is from North Riverside. “We’ve been in the district five years, and we’re here in the district for the long haul, and it’s critical for me that my children have every opportunity and every physical, emotional, psychological support from the district, no matter who they come in contact with.”
While the turnout might be viewed by some as disappointing, Friedman said the option of an online survey at the district website, which will run through Sept. 18, precluded some from attending.
But the discussion was robust nonetheless in response to three questions: What makes District 96 a good district? What issues will the new superintendent face? And finally, what are you looking for in a new superintendent?
That last question may have been the crux of the evening, Friedman said.
“This is a young group of parents, they are out there doing stuff,” he said. “They want the visibility. They want a strong decision-maker and someone who will hold others accountable, teachers and principals and on down the line. Basically, they talked about someone who has a vision and thinks out of the box.”
Of course, the commentary was not an indictment of Ryan-Toye, but it was aspirational all the same.
Stephanie Shaw has two children in the district and said she is “looking for someone who is going to listen and be aware of the environment.
“Someone who is going to be open to hearing a variety of opinions and taking that into account when making decisions,” said Shaw, from Riverside.
Julia Strehlow, from Brookfield, has a child at Hollywood School.
“I would love to have a new superintendent who brings energy and a forward-thinking voice and is also attentive to the whole child,” she said.
Friedman said that what was unusual about this forum compared to others is the fact that there was virtually no talk about district finances.
“The district is in a good financial position, they have done a nice job of managing their fund balances,” he said. “They have been able to do things to keep up buildings and keep class sizes low. It was very refreshing not to have that the first thing on the agenda.”
But technology and its use in the classroom was a major issue, along with addressing district buildings that are not getting any younger.
“I work for a local municipality and a big problem I’ve seen is a reliance on gov tech that has kind of made it so individuals who are supposed to be doing their job rely more on the technology as opposed to accomplishing whatever the mission is they are trying to accomplish,” said Riverside resident Johann Bayer, who has two children in the district.
“I’m excited about technology, it’s very useful, but it can become a crutch and a crutch that impedes the mission of accomplishing that organization’s goals.”
