Tiana McCall sworn in to serve on Rockford School Board

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Tiana McCall was sworn in Tuesday as the newest member of the Rockford Public Schools board of education.

The self-described “community energizer” and “cheerleader for the city of Rockford” fills a vacancy on the board left by the Sept. 30 resignation of Kamrin Muhammad. McCall’s term in Subdistrict C will last through April 2023.

“This is just another opportunity for me to express my passion and to advocate for the community,” McCall said.

McCall works as senior regional economic development manager for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. She previously served as interim Winnebago County clerk after the retirement of Margie Mullins in 2018. McCall was the first Black person to hold that office.

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McCall, who also worked as a field representative for U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Clark University in Atlanta, Georgia, and a master’s degree in business administration from Rockford University.

In her application for the board, McCall described herself as “an educational enthusiast, community energizer and influencer, and cheerleader for the city of Rockford, Illinois. I’ve proved to be an enthusiastic and experienced leader, a convener of community organizations and people, and a committed analytical person.”

McCall was sworn in at the end of a contentious meeting in which members of the public again pressured the school board to respond to an incident where a school resource officer slammed a freshman student at Auburn High School to the ground last year. It was the second consecutive meeting where parents, teachers and other residents spoke out against the actions of the officer.

The family of the boy, Parris Moore, has filed a federal lawsuit against the school. His attorney said the officer’s actions were excessive force and that Moore suffered a fractured skull and permanent brain damage affecting his memory and speech.

“What is it going to take for you to use your position in order to advocate in the best interest of RPS 205 students?” Skye Gia Garcia asked the board during the public comment portion of the meeting. “Will your actions reflect accountability? Will your actions reflect justice? Or, will your actions reflect silence in the best interest of not making an enemy out of a systematically racist, oppressive institution like the police.”

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The meeting got heated when board member David Seigel attempted to ask the public for patience.

“Will we give you the outcomes that you want tonight, tomorrow, next week? I hope so, but probably not. But we’re working,” he said. “I’m just here to say I appreciate that you’re coming here. You’re trying to hold us accountable.”

It was shortly after that comment that some in the audience began shouting criticisms to the board both over the injuries to Moore and policing in schools. One person, Ari Perez, was escorted out of the meeting for continuing speak over board members.

The meeting calmed when the district’s student ambassador was called on to provider her report.

McCall, who was sworn in later in the meeting, did not address any of the criticism. However, she did turn toward the audience to pointedly emphasize certain statements in the oath of office.

“There were important parts in the oath that I want to make sure that the audience knew and the rest of the school board know that I’m 100% serious, and I’m ready to take on this endeavor,” she said.

She encouraged people to continue to speak out to the board, but to respect the process by signing up to speak during public comment.

“I’m not new to controversy and I’m not new to people voicing their opinion and expressing their voice,” McCall said. “I want to empower people to advocate for themselves as well as me advocating for them.”

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas