Evanston Elementary School District 65 Board President Nichole Pinkard, and Board Vice President Chris Van Nostrand have just released this statement to the community regarding a leadership change in the school community: As we head into summer and prepare for the next school year, we are writing to share an intended leadership change in Evanston/Skokie School District 65.
The Board will consider at its June 22, 2026, Board meeting a mutual separation agreement with Dr. Angel Turner. If approved, Dr. Turner’s last day with the District will be June 30, 2026.
The Board thanks Dr. Turner for her service to our District over the past five years, as she has served in many roles including Director of Literacy, Assistant Superintendent of Schools, and Superintendent.
Dr. Turner stepped into a challenging environment for District 65. She immediately identified a looming financial crisis with quick thinking and decisive action. Her engagement with Dr. Robert Grossi to communicate the previously unknown budget issues averted the most dire outcomes.
Dr. Turner subsequently launched an ambitious deficit-reduction process that resulted in significant operational savings. Her efforts also led to improved financial transparency, long-term planning, and operational sustainability.
We are also grateful for Dr. Turner’s stewardship of the building of Foster School. When it became clear to her that the original proposal was financially unsustainable, she led efforts to redesign and right-size the project while keeping the vision of a new neighborhood school alive. Her leadership allowed the District to fulfill its commitment to return a neighborhood school to the Fifth Ward while ensuring the project remained on time and on budget.
Dr. Turner’s contributions extend beyond her financial leadership. She tackled some of our most complex issues including special education, out-of-school programming, and facilities. Her work in these areas has positioned us to move forward with a re-envisioning of District 65.
Lastly, we deeply appreciate Dr. Turner’s ongoing commitment to creating an equitable school system that centers the experiences of all children.
We wish her much success in her future professional endeavors.
Sincerely,
Nichole Pinkard, Ph.D., Board President
Chris Van Nostrand, Board Vice President
