Be The Change Barrington

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Barrington, IL
Be The Change Barrington

Be The Change Barrington (BTCB) is a coalition of alumni and current students from Barrington school district 220.

We aim to work with the district board of education to move towards racial equity in Barrington 220 schools.

02/08/2022

In honor of Black History Month, BTCB would like to highlight a few of the many wonderful Chicagoland charities specifically focused on supporting the Black community. Please consider donating if you are able!

has programs for Black youth to explore hundreds of sites outside of their neighborhoods that they may not otherwise explore, expanding their horizons and opportunities. They also support seniors and have many volunteer efforts.

Young, Black & Lit increases access to children’s books that center Black experiences and perspectives, especially in underserved schools.

provides music lessons in classical, blues, and jazz, as well as other genres, to underserved youth of color.

serves Black q***r women by focusing on health/wellness, safety, education, and civic engagement.

facilitates intergenerational discourse and amplifying the voices of Black women and girls.

11/30/2021

For this , BTCB would like to highlight several Chicagoland organizations doing fantastic work for marginalized communities. Please consider donating if you are able, and please check out these organizations for more info!

is a Black-led, trans-led LGBTQ+ community center on Chicago’s South Side, supporting marginalized communities through community-oriented solutions such as mutual aid, housing and food resources, and health initiatives.

provides DOJ-accredited legal services to immigrants from more than 40 countries, and also supports community-building and various cultural initiatives in Chicago’s Latinx community.

is a safety net for thousands of Jewish families in the Chicago area through free services including mental healthcare, interim housing, spiritual enrichment, and social and pharmaceutical services.

supports LGBTQ+ individuals of all ages through mental healthcare, and provide a safe space for LGBTQ+ youth.

Chicago serves all Natives living in the Chicago area. They foster Native cultural traditions, and engage in many outreach programs, including potlucks, powwows, and youth programming.

is a program for BIPOC high school students that aims to educate, empower, and assist students in entrepreneurship and creating their own businesses to help impact their communities and develop their professional interests.

addresses civil rights issues faced by the AAPI community through legislative advocacy, civic engagement initiatives, and equity-focused education.

11/28/2021

Read our full statement on this antisemitic incident in Barrington below:

BTCB has been made aware of a sw****ka that was recently spray-painted in downtown Barrington. This atrocious display of antisemitism is beyond unacceptable. In this moment especially, we stand with the Jewish community of Barrington. We must speak out against horrific acts like these, and continue to be adamant in our fight against bigotry and hate. Although the sw****ka was originally a Hindu symbol for well-being, it was misappropriated by Hi**er and is now inextricably linked to white supremacy, violence, and oppression. This is not the only hate-driven occurrence that has happened in Barrington. As a community, we must commit to doing better, and to addressing—not ignoring—incidents like these.
Hate has no place in our community. Ever.

04/06/2021

Tomorrow is Local Election Day! There are many important races on your ballot, but we believe that our endorsement slate for the Barrington 220 Board of Education is best equipped to handle the current challenges facing the school board while solving problems through an equity lens in order to benefit ALL BSD220 students. Cast your vote for Erin Chan Ding, Tom Mitoraj, and Sandra Ficke-Bradford tomorrow, and let us know in the comments if you already voted! Check out the link in our bio or visit to find your polling place info 🗳

04/03/2021

Early voting is happening NOW through Monday, April 5th! Head to the link in our bio or visit to find an early voting location in your county. 🗳⏰ In the meantime, meet our final Barrington 220 School Board candidate endorsement, Sandra Ficke-Bradford!

Sandra Ficke-Bradford is a software solutions architect who chose Barrington with her husband Neal 20 years ago mainly for the quality of the schools. Sandra and Neal have three children, who grew up going to A.C. Lines, Grove Avenue, and BMS Station. Two have already graduated from high school while their youngest is currently a sophomore at BHS. She is running as an incumbent in the 220 School Board election because she believes her 12 years of experience on the school board are what the community needs in this time of transition. Her candidacy is built upon the following priorities: engage the new superintendent and board, revamp the strategic plan, affirm the equity statement, bolster pandemic learning, and implement referendum projects. To learn more about Sandra, check our her webpage: https://www.sandrafor220.com/

04/01/2021

Tomorrow, April 1st is the LAST day to request a mail ballot for next Tuesday’s local election! Find your county’s election website via the link in our bio to request yours. 🗳📬 In the meantime, meet our next Barrington 220 Board of Education endorsement, Tom Mitoraj!

Tom Mitoraj is a retired Navy Officer whose service has sent him across the world, but he, his wife Elba, and their 5 children found a permanent home in Barrington 12 years ago. Since then, Tom continues to help manage a large global architecture, engineering, and construction firm headquartered in Chicago. He is also in his eleventh year of teaching as an adjunct professor at Northwestern University.His wife is a bilingual kindergarten teacher at Sunny Hill Elementary and his children (the youngest of whom is a senior at BHS) have gone through Roslyn Elementary, Prairie Middle School, and Barrington High School. Tom’s platform as a challenger in the 220 School Board election is based upon an ABC model: Achieve greater levels of academic excellence tailored to individual needs, Build well-rounded students through expanded opportunities in the fine arts, athletics, and other extracurriculars, and Commit to equity while embracing our differences with passion and open communication. To learn more about Tom, check our his webpage: https://www.tomfor220.com/home

03/31/2021

🚨🗳 Election Day is one week away! On Tuesday April 6th, Barrington area residents will be able to vote on a number of important municipal races, including the Barrington 220 School Board. Last week, we endorsed Erin Chan Ding, Tom Mitoraj, and Sandra Ficke-Bradford for the BOE. We’ll be sharing more information about our endorsements & the election over the next week. Meet our first BOE endorsement, Erin Chan Ding!

Erin Chan Ding is a full-time freelance journalist and editor who reports and writes for a variety of newspapers, websites, magazines and nonprofits. Erin and her husband, Charley, have two children: Chandler, a 6th grader at Station, and Callie, a 2nd grader at Countryside. She is running as a challenger in the 220 School Board election because she loves the Barrington community and desires to give back in recognition of the care that teachers, staff and fellow families have shown to her and her children. Her platform consists of 3 E’s: equity in all things, effective communication, and exceptional stewardship. Learn more about Erin and her vision for the school board at: http://erinfor220.com/

03/30/2021

As the rate of violence and hate crimes against Asian Americans continues to rise across the country, BTCB affirms our support and solidarity with Barrington’s AAPI community members. Read our full statement below:

BTCB stands with the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community at this time of tragedy. We empathize with those who are mourning, those who are fearful, and those who are angry about another incident of blatant, violent hate has been directed at a minority community. We also condemn the prominent and tragic attacks of the community in events in Atlanta and San Francisco and further acknowledge the smaller day to day attacks the AAPI community experienced ever since the advent of the pandemic last year. We as a coalition, and as fellow individuals, will always listen to, stand with, and walk alongside the AAPI community. Together, we will work towards creating communities of inclusion and respect for all.

03/18/2021

Be The Change Barrington is proud to endorse Erin Chan Ding, Tom Mitoraj, and Sandra Ficke-Bradford for the April 6th Barrington 220 Board of Education Elections! After extending interview invitations to all 11 candidates via phone call and email, we were able to conduct a Zoom interview with each of the 7 candidates who responded to us. All candidates provided us with candid conversations and gave us insight into how they would effectively execute their ideas for prioritizing student wellbeing, engaging the community, and promoting fiscal responsibility as potential Board members, all through the lens of equity. After completing these 7 interviews, the BTCB School Board Election Committee thoroughly analyzed each candidate’s thoughts from our discussions, as well as information from other public candidate forums and each candidates’ community/media presence. After two deliberation sessions that totaled nearly five hours, the team decided on a three-candidate endorsement slate that we feel best represents the values we hold as an organization and is best-equipped to make our community the best it can be.

Erin, Tom, and Sandra all have a consistent, ongoing commitment to upholding equity in our community, showcased through their emphasis on equity in each of their campaigns. We believe that these three candidates will be vocal and actionable members of the Board of Education, ensuring that student wellbeing is always prioritized while simultaneously advancing district and community efforts for equity and inclusion.

We sincerely thank Robert Windon, Lauren Berkowitz-Klauer, Jonathan (Juan) Matta*, and Mike Shackleton for graciously spending their time talking to us. We appreciate their willingness to candidly discuss their desires to run and their vision for the future of our district and community.
*Matta has declined any campaign endorsements and thus was was not considered in our deliberation process.

Election Day is coming up on April 6th! Keep an eye on our socials for ways that you can vote, and for more in-depth information about each of our endorsements!

03/16/2021

🩺 BARRINGTON 220 SOCIAL JUSTICE PULSE: Responding to the March 2nd Board of Education Meeting 🩺

The March 2nd Board of Education meeting was filled with many important updates. With Hybrid 2.0 now in full swing, the Board and the district administration are moving towards a larger reopening of schools, all in accordance to local health and safety guidelines, and still offering the option to remain remote. They have also begun to look at important school milestones such as graduation and are devising plans that allow for these events to occur with the focus on providing a student and family experience that is as safe and enjoyable as can be.
In addition to the updates surrounding COVID-19 and the reopening of our schools, this meeting also saw the first District Equity Team progress update from Nate Rouse and Dr. Craig Winkelman. First discussing how the meetings have been progressing with the discussions including the 39-member team, Mr. Rouse then outlined how the equity team would evolve, with subcommittees forming ideally over the next few weeks. He also outlined at a high level a desired training plan starting this summer for school administration, faculty and staff and eventually equity team members. Throughout his brief, Mr. Rouse emphasized the need for empathy and sensitivity in order to be effective in this equity work. The team subcommittee, desired training, and collaborative relationship with both the Barrington community and school board can go a long way in creating a more equitable and inclusive district. BTCB is excited at the prospect of continuing to work with the Equity Team and the Board of Education and will provide updates as the subcommittees are formed, and the desires expressed in this Equity Team update become solidified plans for action.
Tune in tomorrow (Tuesday 3/16) at 7pm CST for the next Board of Education meeting!

02/24/2021

🩺 Check out our latest Social Justice Pulse update from the February 16th BOE meeting, and be sure to tune in next Tuesday (3/2) at 7PM CST!

Address

Barrington, IL

Website

https://linktr.ee/BTCB

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Our Story:

Be The Change Barrington (BTCB) is a coalition of alumni and current students of Barrington School District 220 who have aligned to focus on one goal: working towards racial equity in Barrington 220 schools. BTCB asserts that Barrington 220 has a responsibility to actively address the systemic racism that exists within its structure, and commit to educating students from an early age on anti-racism in order to make our schools a better place for BIPOC students.

BTCB conducted a survey among 634 Barrington 220 students and alumni starting June 28, 2020, regarding their experiences and beliefs about race and racism in their K-12 education. A majority 78.3% of respondents agree that racism is an issue in Barrington schools, and an overwhelming 92.6% of respondents believe that Barrington schools do not effectively address the issue of racial inequality.

BTCB compiled a 72 page document: “Recommendations for Racial Equity in Barrington 220,” reporting our findings in the aforementioned survey, and our recommendations for structural and curricular change. Access this detailed document, and show your solidarity by signing the petition linked on this page. Support BTCB to bring real change to Barrington schools that will ensure the protection and inclusion of students of color.