‘I’m Exhausted’ District 99 superintendent defends students, criticizes adults for failing to ‘step up’

Shannon McCormick holds a sign outside the District 99 headquarters in Downers Grove on Monday, Feb. 14, 2022. A large crowd of parents, students and community members who are in favor of a mask choice policy for the high school district gathered outside before the school board meeting.

Hank Thiele is exhausted.

The Community High School District 99 superintendent said so six times during remarks he made Feb. 14 during an emergency school board meeting held to reconsider COVID-19 mitigations.

Ultimately, the board voted 5-1 to make masks optional beginning Feb. 28. Board president Nancy Kupka cast the lone dissenting vote. Board member Sherell Fuller did not attend the meeting.

Thiele’s initial recommendation called for ending the district’s mask mandate Feb. 18. But the date was changed to Feb. 28 after some board members expressed concerns about ending the mandate at the end of the week.

A temporary restraining order issued by a Sangamon County judge Feb. 4 blocks schools from enforcing Gov. JB Pritzker’s mask mandate. An appellate court ruling regarding the decision could come this week.

During commentary at the end of the meeting, the normally reserved Thiele expressed frustration over the double standard that has existed since the start of the pandemic. And he pulled no punches criticizing adults who failed to “step up” during the pandemic and routinely criticized the school board and administration.

“Quite frankly, I am exhausted over the fact that kids continue to have to be the front-line defenders against COVID,” Thiele said. “And for the last two years, our kids have been held to a different standard than our adults have, and all our adults do is bitch about what goes on in schools. And as a school leader, I am exhausted by that.”

Indeed, some parents and community members have done more than just complain.

School board members have routinely been criticized and received threats in emails and social media.

“Many [critics] have said I have not been concerned about our students,” board member Terry Pavesich said during the meeting. “That’s very hurtful to me. Those statements couldn’t be further from the truth. Our children are the foremost of my thoughts and actions every time I come this board. And I have been an advocate for students in this district for almost 30 years – more than most of you have been alive.

“And many of the emails, there’s been threats and bullying. We do not accept bullying from our students, and we shouldn’t accept bullying from their parents. This has been very divisive and detrimental to our District 99 culture, which we have worked very, very hard to create.”

Thiele said students have been forced to adapt to numerous changes throughout the pandemic including remote learning, social and emotional challenges and wearing masks, but despite adjusting on the fly, some parents and community members remained constant critics.

“I am exhausted that our adults haven’t been held to the same standard of our kids in their behavior, in their COVID response and in their expectations, and that is why we are exhausted in schools, not because these kids are protesting, not because we need to tell kids to put masks on [but] because we continue to be held to a different standard in schools than everywhere else.”

Thiele added that students should not be expected to take on responsibilities that some adults have chosen to ignore.

“I am just exhausted by two years of having to hold children, who are statistically not as negatively impacted by COVID, and I understand they’re part of a larger community, but that larger community of adults sure doesn’t seem to care very much. And our kids continually have to carry their water, and I’m tired of forcing the kids to carry the adults’ water in this community and in every community and for that reason I’m bringing you this recommendation tonight. I am exhausted that the adults will not hold themselves to the same standards as the kid need to.

“If the adults believe that everybody should be masked, then do it. If they believe our kids should stop bullying each other, stop bullying each other and stop bullying us.”

A poster featured at a rally held shortly before the meeting illustrated the criticism Thiele and the school board have faced. The poster featured an enlarged photo of Kupka and Thiele accompanied by the words “Dangerous to Our Kids.”

Thiele praised the faculty for adjusting to teaching during the pandemic and lauded the board and administration for making adjustments to help students meet academic and emotional needs.

“When I see the criticism that comes in from this community that says that this board doesn’t care, I call BS,” Thiele said. “I’m here tonight to call it.”