A weekly update on issues from Illinois State Senator Gary Forby

The other day, the organization National Taxpayers United of Illinois came down to Williamson County to say that they believe public schools are bad, that we should pay teachers less, and that teachers shouldn’t get pensions. Now, this group is from Chicago, and maybe things are different up there, but if we’re talking about Southern Illinois schools and teachers, I couldn’t disagree more. Most of the teachers I know from this area work hard, care about kids, and do the best they can with limited resources. We have public schools to make sure that every child in Illinois gets a good education. Without public schools, what would we have? Private schools that only rich people can afford? Everyone has the right to a good basic education—kindergarten through high school. Education helps people find jobs, makes them better community members, and helps them in their daily lives. Public schools, paid for by local, state, and federal money, guarantee that education is a right and not a privilege.

Teaching is an important job. We put the futures of our children, our community, and our country into the hands of teachers. We trust them to care for and protect our children, to help teach them right from wrong and how to act. Don’t they deserve a decent wage for this important work? They’re training the doctors and nurses who will care for us in our old age, the men and women who will cook our food and cut our hair, the teachers who will instruct our children and grandchildren. If anything, I think we probably don’t pay them enough. It’s hard work being a teacher. Any parent knows that working with young children, while rewarding and fun, can also be difficult. Not all children behave well, and teachers have to deal with the bad as much as the good.

I’m not saying Illinois’ school system is perfect. There are many ways we could make it better. For example, this year, I supported a plan to shift some school funding from property tax to income tax—a plan that unfortunately did not pass. Using the income tax instead of the property tax helps lower taxes for working families and helps guarantees schools across the state get more equal funding. As it is, schools in wealthy areas get a lot more money than schools in less wealthy areas. I don’t think that’s right. I will say that I think reducing funding to public schools, cutting teachers salaries, or taking away teachers’ pensions are all steps in the wrong direction. Our kids and teachers deserve better. I will continue to fight to strengthen and improve Illinois’ public schools, not leave our children behind.