Members and staff of the Cook County College Teachers Union have spoken with more than a thousand members and gathered postcards expressing support for an elected school board to govern Chicago’s public schools and colleges. From top:

Biology chair Adrienne Driver: “Public schools and colleges are democratic institutions, so the members of our school board should be democratically elected.”

Communications faculty member Keith Sprewer: “The whole premise of a community college is that we provide access for those who don’t have it. And the changes here have been chipping away at access.”

Union legislative chair Anthony Johnston: “I’m for an elected school board because I want our communities to have a voice in the city colleges.”

Math instructor Marta Hidegkuti: “Democracy is painful in action, but life is much worse without it.”

College Success faculty member Diego Baez: “We need people making the big decisions to be accountable to the people, not just the mayor.”