Opinion: Andy Bezaitis Is Open-Minded Leader D202 Board Needs

To the Readers of the Evanston Patch:

I encourage you to support Andy Bezaitis for the district 202 school board. I was a member of the mathematics department at Evanston Township High School from 1969 until 2012. During that time I became aware of the many difficult problems that it falls to members of the school board to make wise decisions about. I also observed the disasters caused by  poor decisions and the dramatic improvements that were the result of good decisions. I am of the opinion that the ideal board member is an intelligent dedicated person who cares deeply about the education of all children in the district. But that is not enough. The ideal board member needs to be a problem solver, someone who can assess a situation and look objectively at it, consider alternatives, and suggest reasonable and at times creative paths to follow.

It is with that in mind that I became excited when I learned that one of my former students, Andy Bezaitis, is running for the board. From the time I first met him as  a member of the ETHS math team, I knew that Andy understood how to solve problems. As I got to know him better, even as a teenager, he had an open mind about situations, and placed a good education high on his list of priorities. Now that he is an adult, and has experience in the business world leading and advising people, I am sure he is even more qualified.

In these difficult times, we need leaders like Andy, who have not already made up their mind about what changes need to be made, and who have the skills and intelligence to search for the best path to educate our children. He understands the importance of stretching students minds and of pushing them to be the best that they can be. I think ETHS needs Andy Bezaitis on the school board and I hope you will join me in voting for him.

John Benson

Do you have a candidate you'd recommend for District 65, District 202, the city council or township supervisor? Write a letter to the editor by contacting evanston@patch.com, or post your opinion as a blog on Evanston Patch.