Evergreen Park Children Are Worth The Investment Of A New Central Middle School: Letter

EVERGREEN PARK, IL—My name is Jane Ramazinski. I am a teacher in Evergreen Park Elementary School District 124, currently teaching kindergarten at Southeast Elementary. But I’m also a parent in this district. I have four children, one at Southeast, two at Central Middle School, and my oldest is a sophomore at Evergreen Park Community High School. My husband is also a teacher at EPCHS and the varsity football coach.

So when I talk about this referendum, I’m not speaking only as a teacher. I’m speaking as a parent, as a community member, and as someone who has chosen to raise my family and build our life here in Evergreen Park.

There is a quote that says, “A society is measured by how it treats its children.”

And I think we have to ask ourselves: How are we choosing to value ours?

Are we saying that our children deserve to spend some of the most important years of their lives in a building that is nearly 100 years old, dark, overcrowded, and simply no longer meets the needs of today’s students?

Or are we saying that our children deserve more?

I believe they deserve more.

Our children deserve a school that is safe, accessible, welcoming, and designed for the way children learn today. They deserve classrooms where teachers can teach without fighting the limitations of an aging building. They deserve hallways that aren’t overcrowded and spaces that allow them to learn, grow, collaborate, and feel proud of where they go to school.

And I truly believe that education is one of the best investments our tax dollars can make.

Because when we invest in our schools, we aren’t just investing in buildings. We are investing in children.

We are investing in the kindergartner sitting in my classroom today who will one day walk through the doors of Central Middle School.

We are investing in the future graduates of EPCHS,the future teachers, nurses, tradespeople, business owners, coaches, parents, volunteers, and leaders of our community.

When children feel valued, they learn to value themselves. When they are proud of their schools, they learn to be proud of their community.

I know that decisions like this are not easy, and I appreciate the time, work, and responsibility that goes into bringing an issue of this importance before the voters.

Ultimately, this is a decision that belongs to our community. But I hope we all take the time to think about what we are saying to our children through the choices we make today.

We have an opportunity to give the next-generation something better than what we inherited.

Let’s show our children that we believe they are worth the investment.

Thank you.

Jane M. Ramazinski