Our greatest need is for good schools

"When I was a boy a on the Mississippi River, there was a propostition in a township to discontinute public schools because they were too epensive. An old farmer spoke up and said if they stopped the schools, they would not save anything because every time a school was closed a jail had to be built." - Mark Twain Nov. 23, 1900

Yet, here we are in 2017 and still many people do not understand the need to be proactive in supporting a stong education system. We need to be proactive versus reactive.

Three out of five people in prison cannot read. School dropouts cost our nation 240 billion dollars in social services expenditures and lost tax revenue. Why are we not doing all we can to ameliorate the problem?

Education is the answer to many of our problems. Not everyone needs to go to college or wants to go to college and certainly there are many that cannot afford to do to college today. Can't we help those who want to go? Can't we help others to find trades?

Education leads to jobs. And jobs lead to self esteem.

Now, we have someone who has never been a teacher, or been in a public school, or sent her kids to public schools becoming the leader for our public schools. Does that make sense?

If we really want to see positive change in this country, let us invest in education. It is the most important area that we can invest in for the future of our country.

Susan Merle Hoerauf

Prospect Heights