None know more about all that is required to educate our children than the engaged members of the Local School Councils.
These elected bodies know the immediate needs of a school more than down town bureaucrats.
They should be recognized as such.
If the School Board Members are by statute unpaid, then they must be given the power to strengthen the participation of Local School Councils.
Just like a Local School Council knows its School best, so too does an elected school board know it’s district best.
The body needs its tools to ensure the Democracy upon which it sits, not forgetting the road to get us here.
At this time, we need to be doing everything in our power to make the school board ready to address the needs it will surely and immediately face.
So let’s identify items we could benefit from that we can rapidly pass.
The Elected Representative School Board should have the power to:
- Determine a stipend for LSC members.
- Determine pay for board employees, such as the Secretary and constituent liaison staff
- Make clear the divisions between the ERSB and Chicago City Council committees.
We have a lot to do.
And we could use a good one like you.
Looking forward,