Teachers, education at crossroads

I was an Illinois teacher from the late '70s to 2000.

We did truly teach during the glory days. We had good facilities, we were paid well, and I feel our work was appreciated.

Sadly, those points no longer seem to be true. To make it worse, Illinois has a governor whose top priority is to destroy our state's unions. He has no concern for the lives of those who do the state's work.

Education, like so much else in our society, is falling victim to the great god of profit as our civil institutions are being crushed in its wake. Corporations have no national loyalties and individuals have increasingly less value. If TPP passes, this devastation will explode.

We are truly at a crucial crossroads in our way of life. The next election will determine whether we strengthen our democracy and protect the value of the individual or whether the big money interests gain more control or our state and our nation, leaving our citizens forgotten as the oligarchs rule.

Karen Wagner

Rolling Meadows