As the parent of a Cook County High School senior and a CCHS graduate, a tax payer and as a former employee of the Cook County School District, I strongly encourage all Cook County voters to vote yes on the November 3 Operating Levy Referendum. The funding this levy will generate is essential to the education of all current and future students, and is essential to all of Cook County.
One of my most inspiring quotes is attributed to Robert F. Kennedy:
That which unites us is, must be, stronger than that which divides us. We can concentrate on what unites us, and secure the future for all our children; or we can concentrate on what divides us, and fail our duty through argument and resentment and waste.
These words are so relevant to our situation. We are united in that we all want the best education for every student, and we can easily agree that we all want to see Cook County thrive and be a place where families can confidently call home. Quality education is essential to both of these common goals.
There is so much excellent education happening in the District every day. There are so many amazing staff members working tirelessly while building relationships and supporting and challenging students to be the very best they can be. There is so much success in those classrooms!
Please don’t expect the staff to work with significantly less resources and then expect the quality to continue. Please don’t ask the school board and administration to make painful reductions that will only hurt the students’ education and experiences, and inevitably be so divisive in our community. Academics that support the needs of all students, all of the arts and athletics are all important!
Please don’t let a specific frustration or disappointment with the District overshadow the broader goals. Expect excellence from the teachers, administration and school board and express your concerns or questions. Please challenge the legislation that continues to underfund schools and creates a great inequity between rural and urban schools.
Please voters, support quality education for our students. Please provide the District the resources it needs to assure families that the education its students receive is excellent and that public education is a strength in Cook County.
Please vote yes.
Gwen Carman
Lutsen
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