Contrarian School Board Endorsements

The Contrarian believes that there is an opportunity - a rare thing in Chicago politics - for voters to effect change to the out-of-control schools....and they might be correct:

• On November 3^rd, voters in Chicago will head to the polls to elect members of the Board of Education. A seminal moment for Chicago, for the first time in history residents will enter the voting booth and cast ballots for a Board elected entirely by the citizenry.

  The ultimate legislative body of Chicago’s public schools, members of this panel oversee the strategic direction of Chicago’s schools and the administration of district finances and assets. The Board’s principles of governance are: Defining policies and setting objectives for securing resources, the appointment of CPS officials sufficient to meet the objectives and monitoring of progress towards those objectives. The Board has stewardship, under law, of CPS’ affairs and ensures suitable processes are in place for the management of the public schooling system.

  While it may be tempting to dismiss the importance of these elections, voters must take heed to Board races. Chicago Public Schools remain in a dire state. A schooling system deeply mired in complex problems, CPS continues to suffer miserable student outcomes, financial dislocation, administrative bloat, and declining enrollment. While CPS’ problems are profoundly depressing, the situation is not hopeless. The predicament in which CPS finds itself is curable through steady work carried out by probing minds determined to advance a set of constructive, long-term solutions.

  The urgency of the present crisis at CPS requires sober, independent-minded candidates to be seated on the Board. Therefore, Contrarian is urging voters to elect our endorsed candidates for the Board of Education on November 3^rd.

Go read it all....AND go vote.

As they said, this is the first time in history for a fully elected School Board. If voters don't set the tone early for responsible spending and actual fiscal management, then the chances for an entrenched bureaucracy taking over increase greatly.