Board of Ed’s voting record isn’t the only way to tell how well we work for students

The recent analysis misses changes in policies, contracts and strategies that were made through collaborative — if sometimes contentious — discussions well before a public vote.

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Chicago Board of Education members attend a meeting at the Chicago Public Schools headquarters in the Loop, Wednesday morning, April 27, 2022.

Chicago Board of Education members attend a meeting at the Chicago Public Schools headquarters in the Loop, April 27, 2022.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

I appreciate the recent Chicago Board of Education voting analysis carefully conducted by Lauren FitzPatrick and Nader Issa. I hope that current and future boards continue to invest in improving public understanding of their decisions to grow trust.

Even so, only a few governance decisions are politically controversial. And such an analysis misses the numerous policies revised, contracts renegotiated, and strategies that were changed through collaborative — if sometimes contentious — discussions well before a public vote.

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What’s far more important — and the true measure of independent and effective governance on behalf of our students and their families — is not how often school boards disagree, but how well we fulfill the promise of ensuring that our students’ outcomes enable them to pursue future life success.

I hope that current and future boards focus further on defining goals and monitoring progress towards desired student outcomes, to fulfill our duty to our students and our city, whatever the political issues of the moment.

Sendhil Revuluri, former vice president, Chicago Board of Education

Police need to solve rash of robberies

I hope the Chicago Police Department is able to apprehend the culprits involved in the string of armed robberies on the Northwest Side. I’ve now read several times in the Sun-Times that a string of robberies occurred in roughly the same part of the city with the same M.O., each only minutes apart. It’s only a matter of time before someone gets killed if no one is held accountable

Brendon Kepple, Albany Park

Give leaders credit for ‘Bidenomics’ working

Despite all the anti-government propaganda being spewed by the Republicans, who oppose any and all things the Democrats support or do, the economy is on a roll. Sadly, the media thinks this is a sporting event, like the Packers vs Bears. It’s not. Our collective well-being is at stake.

Inflation is down to 3%. Unemployment is at 3.5%. There have been 31 consecutive months of job growth. Wage growth stands at 4.4%, which is above inflation. Apparently, Bidenomics (whatever that is) is working.

Of course, in the real world someone is always poor and someone else rich. No power on earth seems to be able to change this fact. I think we all wish that this weren’t true.

We have our differences for sure, but no one can deny that we are a dynamic economy. The work is never done, but let’s take solace in the fact that things are pretty damn good in this country. Maybe our leaders deserve more credit than we give them?

John S. Strauss, Campton Hills

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