U-46: Use size to your advantage

I am a product of U-46. I do not have children in the district; I am not a teacher.

It seems to me that since the days of Marvin Edwards, through Connie Neale and continuing with Jose Torres, U-46 has endured superintendents of various quality and school boards of various ability who have fought against the district. Against unions, against teachers, against parents, against taxpayers and against news reporters; all while professing a great concern for and dedication to "the students."

What I want to know is - who fights FOR the district?

When will the superintendent and/or school board realize that you cannot cut your way out of this mess? The answer does not lie in cutting the life out of U-46; it lies in Springfield.

U-46 encompasses approximately 41,000 students and 4,000 employees. give or take a few hundred cuts. Presumably the students have parents of voting age; presumably the employees are of voting age. This is a huge constituency that should be of extreme importance to state legislators in Springfield.

If the school board and/or the superintendent are incapable of or unwilling to go to Springfield and fight for the district, then take a minuscule portion of the money realized through one of the ubiquitous cuts and hire a lobbyist to do it. Absolutely nothing the board or the superintendent has done will fix this situation.

U-46 is the second largest school district in the state of Illinois, which gives us a tremendous advantage. Why not use it?

C.S. Jordan

Elgin