Prioritize federal role in public education

Last Tuesday marked the anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guaranteeing white women the right to vote. Only decades later did Black, brown, Asian and Native American women win suffrage. Despite having the vote, women still battle to control their own bodies, wages and working conditions. Their leadership in the public sector and labor unions is second to none, if only officials would listen to them.

So, when I read that Naperville teachers were once again begging for a raise, I was disgusted but not surprised. The vast majority of teachers, as well as nurses and librarians and their support staffs, are women. Most of them and their male co-workers are underpaid and undervalued, even though Naperville’s highly rated status is because of them.

Why? Because the U.S. economy of capitalism was built on and still depends on the free or underpaid labor of women at home and in the workforce. Secondly, the federal government prioritizes using our tax dollars to fund wars over education and health care. This leaves states, cities and towns struggling to meet the needs of their residents.

Taxing homeowners to fund local public education is not the answer. This tends to pit home and small business owners against public schools and their unionized teachers and staff who deserve quality wages and working conditions. Many retirees are struggling to maintain their homes for one, not to mention that younger Naperville workers can’t afford home ownership or high rents here.

It’s past time for school districts and city councils to look at the bigger tax picture, call on federal officials to prioritize public education, and speak up in support of all workers who make our communities great. It shouldn’t take another constitutional amendment or ordinance to give teachers what they earn and deserve.

Mary Ann Curtis

Naperville