BELLEVILLE – As Governor Bruce Rauner visits Belleville West High School this morning, a local teacher is speaking out:
“I appreciate that Belleville staff and students have this opportunity to demonstrate the amazing work we do together every day, but I question how much Governor Rauner really cares about our schools,” said Cyndi Oberle-Dahm, an 11thgrade U.S. history teacher and social studies department chair at Belleville West High School, District 201.
“By holding the state budget hostage to his political demands instead of leading, the Governor has hurt our community. If he really wanted to support us and provide our schools with the funding we need, Governor Rauner would ask millionaires like him to pay their fair share in taxes.
“In addition, on the day of her contentious confirmation vote in the U.S. Senate, it’s very troubling that Governor Rauner supports Betsy DeVos, President Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Education. Her only experience with public schools is destroying them in Michigan, and as a teacher, I find this outrageous.
At this critical time in our state and country, we wish Rauner would spend more time governing and less time campaigning.”
Oberle-Dahm also serves as President of the Belleville Federation of Teachers, IFT Local 434. Established in 1935, this union of professionals includes four hundred classroom teachers, heads of departments, librarians, school nurses holding Public Health Certification, counselors, and full-time and part-time certified personnel on both campuses in the Belleville Township high school district.
Local 434 is an affiliate of the Illinois Federation of Teachers
