Tomorrow I am going up to Cook County Middle School to take a picture of the bright young people who just took first place in the regional Knowledge Bowl contest. I don’t recall how many years I’ve had the honor of chatting with the Knowledge Bowl students, but I know it has been a few. It is really fun to talk to these kids. They could give Alex Trebek of Jeopardy!
a run for his money.
They are like a lot of the other kids I know at ISD 166. Over the years I’ve also enjoyed writing about and taking pictures of hundreds of other school events— Geography Bee, Math Masters, Paddle to the Sea, one-act plays, Night of the Notorious productions, and of course plays and sporting events, and so much more.
I’ve been amazed sitting in the gym at the annual Awards Assembly watching student after student being called forward to receive a college scholarship or contribution toward technical school.
All of this doesn’t just happen— it takes time and effort on the part of school district staff and teachers. Yes, they get paid. And yes, some of them who have been working in education for many years get paid quite well. But the assertion that teachers make too much money is just sour grapes.
Yes, I’ll admit I’m a bit jealous that teachers have decent pay, benefits and summers off. But then I visit the school and watch as the bell rings and the hallway fills with boisterous students and I realize that teachers spend at least eight hours a day, five days a week, in those noisy halls and classrooms. I remember that they must deal with uninterested—or overinvolved parents—and that they must keep up with ever-increasing technology and changing educational standards. Spending a little bit of time at the school makes me realize it’s a pretty tough job.
And it’s a job that helps our economy. We need some decent jobs in the community.
The teachers and government employees in our community shop at our grocery stores, eat in our restaurants, buy gas and pay taxes. If we didn’t have teachers and nurses and foresters who make living wages, we would have to rely completely on the tourists who visit the North Shore. Our teachers and school staff provide stability— for our kids and for our economy. Just by being here, they help us all.
But most importantly, our teachers and school staff help our kids. Yes, they are paid, but I also know that most of our ISD 166 teachers go the extra mile.
They aren’t just teachers; they are counselors, financial advisors, coaches, grant writers, chaperones, and cheerleaders. They are working really hard to make ISD 166 a successful school.
The school board too, is trying. No, they are not perfect. They are not wizards who can wave a magic wand and find the solutions to the school’s financial problems. But they have stepped up to try to find answers for the school district. If you don’t like what they are doing, let them know. Go to a school board meeting. Stop them on the street and talk to them. If all else fails, vote them out.
But don’t vote no on the operating levy referendum to teach “them” a lesson. Thisis not the time to be lining up as “us” and “them.” We should all work together to figure out what is best for our local school, for our kids. We’ve made a good start in recent years. We’ve had citizens come forward to help strengthen the industrial arts program. We have other citizens who volunteer at the school, offering music or culinary arts training. We have local sports groups—the run and ski club, the Booster Club, the tennis association—financially supporting athletic programs. An Education Foundation has been established to create an endowment fund for special equipment and activities.
Even if the operating levy referendum passes, there is a lot of work to be done to figure out how to support our school as enrollment falls and maintenance and heating costs continue to increase. The operating levy won’t solve all the school’s problems. But it will buy us some time to try to figure out how to face the challenges ahead.
We just need to be as smart as our kids to find the answers.
Better build schoolrooms for the
boy, than cells and gibbets for the
man.
Eliza Cook
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