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News Clips
– January 30 – STATE 1 Locals disagree with Governor's stance on State Board of Education
/ Eagle Publications NATIONAL STATE Locals
disagree with Governor's stance on State Board of Education By LAUREN FRANCZYK,
Eagle Staff Writer Gov. Rod Blagojevich
let the cat out of the bag when he gave his less-than-friendly State
of the State Address Jan. 15. Though opinions varied about as much
as there are colors in the rainbow, those involved with education
seem to agree that the governor was a bit mean-spirited. “I believe the role
of a leader is to make appropriate changes in an appropriate time
and lead people, not beat them dead,” said Macomb Superintendent Frances
Karanovich. “There are people who are hurting, and it bothers me to
see that kind of hurt.” “I was surprised at
how harsh he came out against the State Board of Education,” said
Sen. John Sullivan. “We may very well need some drastic changes, but
we only heard one side of that argument, and I think that we need
to get all the facts together if that agency is not accountable and
not operating efficiently.” In his address, Blagojevich
said he wasn’t satisfied with the state of education in “Instead of being
an independent body that could regulate and support our schools, the
Illinois State Board of Education is like – an old, Soviet-style bureaucracy
– it’s clunky and inefficient, it issues mandates, it spends money,
it dictates policy and it isn’t accountable to anyone for anything,”
he said. He is proposing legislation
that would eliminate the State Board of Education and put a Department
of Education in its place, which would, in turn, be under the control
of the governor. “What he wants to
do is not all bad,” said Karanovich. “How he did it has not earned
him a great deal of respect among professionals. Terry Scandrett, West
Prairie Superintendent, said that though he’s not entirely sure where
he stands on this issue, he doesn’t think putting the Department of
Education under the governor's control is necessarily the best thing
to do. Sullivan is concerned
that if the State Board of Education is eliminated and a Department
of Education is put in its place, “are we swapping one bureaucracy
for another bureaucracy?” “He wants to put it
under his thumb,” said Robert Baumann, regional superintendent for
McDonough and Hancock counties. “I suppose when the smoke clears there’s
still going to be a bureaucracy to deal with education.” On the other hand,
Ross Foley, Industry superintendent, said he likes the idea of the
governor having control, however, he’d prefer it if the State Board
of Education stay intact, as well as Illinois Superintendent of Education
Dr. Robert Schiller. “There are good people
at the State Board of Education and they work very hard; I think they’re
just bogged down with certain things that aren’t as important to the
local schools, “he said. Roseville Superintendent
Mike Kirby said “until they deal with the funding, nothing good is
going to come about from this or cause a dramatic change.” “I think there has
to be some changes, but those could certainly come internally Whatever
happens to state school board, let's fix education OPINION BY RALPH MARTIRE,
Sun Times, Almost everyone, from
business leaders to farmers and community activists, agrees Gov. Blagojevich recently
lashed out at this failure and offered numerous potential reforms.
Focusing much of his attention on the Illinois State Board of Education,
he noted that according to ISBE data, only 46 cents of every dollar
spent on education went into the classroom. The governor then suggested
reforms he said would save about $250 million a year over the next
four years, by changing how school districts purchase supplies and
offer benefits such as health insurance and pensions. He said the
whole education system would be more accountable if ISBE, an independent
board, were reduced to the status of a think tank, while its main
functions are assumed by a Department of Education accountable to
the governor. Some wholeheartedly
supported Blagojevich's proposals. Others found both good and bad.
In this latter group is Ron Gidwitz, an ISBE member and founder of
Students First, a grass-roots school reform coalition. A lifelong
Republican, Gidwitz served three different Democratic Chicago mayors
as head of economic development. He took issue with some of the governor's
suggestions. ''I have no problem
with the governor recommending ways to improve things,'' Gidwitz said,
''as long as folks don't get the impression education professionals
-- whether teachers, principals or administrators -- are doing anything
to shortchange children.'' Gidwitz thought people may get such an
impression from the statement that only 46 cents of each dollar goes
to the classroom. ''That figure does not include many things essential
to teaching, such as the cost of textbooks, transportation, school
libraries, meals, counseling, social work and heat.'' Gidwitz noted
that, using different data, the National Center for Education Statistics,
which translates information on school spending reported by all states
into a uniform system, showed Illinois spends 59.7 cents of every
dollar on education -- better than what the governor cited but still
below the national average of 61.5 cents. As for other reforms,
Gidwitz felt that anything that saved money without hurting education
should be considered, but said the governor's suggestions primarily
dealt with local school districts, not ISBE. Gidwitz said that ISBE
itself is working to eliminate waste, and has reduced head count from
more than 800 employees in 1999 to only 495 today. Gidwitz wants to
focus squarely on the big problem of how we fund schools. ''We cannot
afford to sacrifice the future any longer,'' he said. Becky Carroll, of
the governor's Office of Management and the Budget, issued a measured
response. ''The governor's focus is on improving the way education
is delivered to children,'' she said. ''The governor's point is not
enough money ends up in the classroom. Let's scrutinize costs, consider
new ideas and maximize what goes to teaching kids. ISBE has been unwilling
to do that.'' Of course, many folks
outside the tussle between the governor and ISBE are concerned with
school funding. The organization I work for has focused on the problem
for its full, four-year existence. We are now part of growing coalitions
including the Illinois Farm Bureau, the Urban League, Voices for Illinois
Children-- all focused on the same goal: fixing a school funding system
so badly broken that it fails children. Jerry Stermer of Voices
summarized the feelings of many: '' Lobbyists
push for change in classrooms By Jake Wagman of
the Post-Dispatch, Carroll is a lobbyist
for the St. Louis Public Schools. He knew Moore, a former teacher,
would be sympathetic to his pitch: a law that would increase the fines
against violent offenders and put the money toward after-school programs.
"I would like
for you to file this bill," Carroll said, looking at the lawmaker
across her desk. "I can't see us having any opposition on this
— it's hard to argue against a $20 payment by someone who has been
convicted of beating their wife." Carroll knows his
audience. He assured Moore, a Republican from "Because that
won't fly," Such is the art of
the deal. Education lobbyists
like Carroll are the behind-the-scenes players who help determine
which bills become law. In Their mettle will
be tested this year as education becomes the focal point of legislative
sessions in Illinois Gov. Rod
Blagojevich and Missouri Gov. Bob Holden set the tone last month when
they issued antagonistic State of the State addresses. Blagojevich
compared the State Board of Education to a Soviet-era bureaucracy.
Holden accused Republican lawmakers of an "abdication of duty"
for the education budget they approved last year. "If you were
in Capitol diplomacy
Perhaps no enterprise
has more at stake in state legislatures than public education. Proposals
in Education lobbyists
also monitor election law, vehicle emissions standards, bonding statutes
and building codes. "We have bills in every committee,"
said Deanna Sullivan, government-relations director for the Illinois
Association of School Boards. "There are so few other industries
that touch virtually everything." The chief goal of
education lobbyists in In The situation in Meanwhile, both parties
are in an election-year stalemate. The Republican-controlled Legislature
will be firm in its opposition to raising taxes, Carroll said, and
Democrats, including the governor, will continue to insist the state
needs more revenue. "Both sides think
they are right," Carroll says outside the committee room. "You
have to be very diplomatic." So, Carroll focuses
his energy on measures that don't require extra dollars from the state.
One is a bill that, in the city of "You can't smoke
a cigarette until you're 18, but you can drop out when you're 16 —
where is the logic in that?" Carroll said. Carroll takes his
cues from the St. Louis School Board but has significant control over
the agenda he pursues. He visits schools for input and drafts bills
that are part of a platform voted on by the board. Carroll is a lawyer
by training and gets about $72,000 to represent the district. He is
the only representative of the Sen. Maida Coleman,
D-St. Louis, said that without a tenacious lobbyist, education interests
would be lost in the bustle of lawmaking and politics. "It's like the
little boy that keeps tugging at your sleeve — Daddy, Daddy, Daddy,"
Coleman said during an interview in her office. "There are so
many other things taking up our time, if you don't have representation
then you are not going to fare well in the Legislature. Especially
in such volatile times." Building alliances
and relationships is a must to win over lawmakers, says Sullivan of
the Illinois School Board Association. "You have to
know what kind of district that legislator represents. When you are
talking about an issue, what is going to speak to a legislator for
their community?" he said. "You build coalitions to help
to do that. There is a lot of strategy." Honesty is important
Lawmakers are quick
to point out that while they depend on education lobbyists for information,
education is still a special interest. Rep. Jane Cunningham,
R-Chesterfield, cautions that education lobbyists are paid to represent
their members, whose interests may not overlap the best interests
of children. She points to a current feud with Fajen's group, the
state affiliate of the National Education Association, which represents
32,000 school employees. The group is protesting a bill sponsored
by Cunningham that would allow teachers to be certified through the
American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence. She says the
plan will help solve a teacher shortage. "The NEA will
fight that with everything they have got," said Cunningham, who
chairs the House Education Committee. The certification board is supported
with heavy funding from the Bush administration and, Fajen says, has
a partisan agenda. Even when lobbyists
and lawmakers are on different sides of an issue, Cunningham said,
they have to be honest. Cunningham has been burned by education lobbyists
and says once they are deceitful "it travels around the capital
so fast." Coleman says that
of all the lobbyists at the capital, she only trusts three — and Carroll
is one them. Bull's-eyes, eventually
A former state representative
from Carroll said his proudest
accomplishment was the successful promotion of a bill allowing retired
"Forty-two hundred
years of experience were put back in the classroom because of that
one bill," he said. Now, Carroll is working
with state Sen. Patrick Dougherty, D-St. Louis, on a scholarship program
for aspiring teachers and with Coleman on a bond referendum for school
construction. The plan is a long shot — it got to the floor last year,
but only garnered 11 votes. Lobbying, Carroll
said, is all about perseverance. "The more darts
you throw up," Carroll said, "sooner or later you are going
to hit a bull's-eye." Events put
God's role in schools in spotlight
BY PATRICK J. POWERS,
Students can don a
Jesus Christ T-shirt, pray before class and even moralize that following
the Ten Commandments is the only way to live -- all within the confines
of their neighborhood public school. The only taboo is
that a teacher can't publicly endorse them. When it comes to political
hot topics, few generate as much public fervor as religion in public
schools. And when it comes to understanding the intricacies of a 41-year-old
Supreme Court ruling regarding it, there are pockets of people who
just don't understand. "Oftentimes it's
a small group of parents pushing (for it) and a small group of parents
pushing against it," said Ed Yohnka, spokesman for the American
Civil Liberties Union of Illinois. "Most parents just want their
kids to go to school, come home and do their homework." A demand for a 9-year-old
to stop reading the Bible on a public school bus raised eyebrows in
And the most anticipated
Supreme Court case in years -- an argument against the Pledge of Allegiance
because of the reference "under God" -- will be heard in
March. All three instances
stir passionate public debate about a person's right to religion inside
the walls of a school building. They raise questions among parents. What can my child
do or say when it comes to matters of religion? A fine line to walk Interpreting the Supreme
Court's rulings regarding religion in public schools is an everyday
affair for school administrators and teachers. They are the ones who
cross the line, or don't when it comes to what they can and cannot
say or do. "We walk the
fine line on that all the time," said James Rosborg, superintendent
of District 118 allows
students to gather before and after school for student-led prayer.
However, it doesn't provide or encourage a faculty sponsor for such
activities "because we have to be careful that it's not misinterpreted
that the schools are supporting the issue." The school hosts two
holiday parties for students each year -- one for Halloween and one
for Valentine's Day. It cut the school-sanctioned Christmas party
so as not to promote Christianity over any other religion. An individual teacher
still can throw a holiday party in December of his own accord, Rosborg
said, just one that doesn't involve the endorsement of a particular
religion. "There are some
teachers and community members interested in FCA, but they have all
their meetings in private residences," Principal Andy Carmitchel
said. "If they ask to use the school (for meeting space), they're
treated like every other private group asking to use a room." In Freeburg, the same
organization has met in the public high school and enjoys the same
rights as any other student organization. The Freeburg group also
meets in its members' homes, said Andrew Lehman, Freeburg Community
High School District 77 superintendent. When it comes to drawing
the line between promoting a person's religion and tolerating it,
Lehman said common sense is the best guide. For example, a student
can wear a T-shirt espousing any religious message he wants. But when
that message becomes a distraction in the classroom and disrupts a
student's learning, it's time to ask him to refrain from wearing it,
Lehman said. It's the same logic
used when a student wears a T-shirt with obscenities or drug references,
he said. "The law is like
any other law -- open to interpretation," said Brent Clark, superintendent
for Belleville High School District 201. Letter of the law Federal law concerning
religion in public schools stems from a 1963 U.S. Supreme Court decision.
The court prohibited school administrators and faculty from organizing
or leading prayers and Bible-study groups in public schools. Federal guidelines
allow a student to pray in school as long as it's not disruptive.
He can distribute religious literature in an appropriate manner. He
can even try to persuade peers about religious topics. "In a classroom,
it is not inappropriate for students to raise points about their religious
beliefs," ACLU spokesman Yohnka said, "but it is inappropriate
for a teacher to use that authority of a school to advance a certain
viewpoint." The guidelines prohibit
school-organized prayer at graduation, celebration of religious holidays
and teaching religious doctrine. "From a legal
standpoint, that's a challenging line to define and even harder to
implement," In communities where
most residents have the same religious beliefs, some schools may be
a little more lax with federal guidelines. "We're kind of
lucky out here," said Kelli Lohman of New Baden. Her daughter
attends In other communities,
discussions of religion's role in public school appears to
surface more often. And in those cases across the country, it's often
a case of misunderstanding. "I think it's
such a hot topic because of the misunderstanding about the separation
of church and state," said Peter LaBarbera, executive director
of the Illinois Family Institute. "(People are)
just not understanding the law, and by not understanding the law,
they're tramping on kids' rights. A kid saying 'Jesus' at a graduation
ceremony isn't going to cause a constitutional controversy in this
country." A continuing debate What may cause a constitutional
controversy in the near future is a Supreme Court case scheduled for
March 24. The case, originating in Most public schools
in the metro-east begin each day with the pledge. A decision to scrap
that tradition would send shock waves throughout the country. In "It's sort of
a back-door attempt to promote religious teachings in the school,"
said Mary Dixon, legislative director for the American Civil Liberties
Union of Illinois. "Our opposition is not about favoring one
religion over the other. It's about not favoring religion, period." The measure -- introduced
by state Rep. William Grunloh, D-Effingham -- doesn't require a school
to display the Ten Commandments but leaves that decision up to the
school board. It also allows the board to determine whether it wants
to display other historical documents from other religions. "I don't file
legislation for exercise," Grunloh said. "I'm not trying
to legislate religion. I'm just saying that if someone believes
in (the Ten Commandments), they should be able to display them. "The Constitution
did not say 'freedom from religion,' it said 'freedom of religion.'" It's that distinction
that school administrators and teachers battle to make every day.
In the meantime, Grunloh's bill remains in the House Rules Committee
and has yet to be called for a vote. On-site
day care a plus at school The Little Broncos
Day School opened last week in "It's a perfect
scenario," said Jennifer Peterson, a Supt. Mary Herrmann
said the idea came from strategy sessions on how to attract and keep
top employees. District spokeswoman Debbie Viller said officials visited
similar facilities in Stevenson District 125, Deerfield-Highland Park
District 113 and Employees pay the
full costs of the service--$35 per day, $25 for a half day. Dave Comerford, spokesman
for the Illinois Federation of Teachers in "There are not
many districts doing it," he said. "It's not a movement
I've seen through union channels, but certainly, if you have children
it's a great resource." With unionized teachers
concentrating more on salaries, class size and benefits, he said,
on-site day care is not on the agenda. Besides, he said,
teachers whose children are beyond day-care age dominate the teaching
ranks in "Veteran teachers
outnumber younger teachers, but that's beginning to change,"
Comerford said. "I wouldn't be surprised to see more and more
of these types of services in the future." Common issues concern state Senate
President Emil Jones By Jennifer Wig and
Matt Adrian, Herald & Review The 30-year statehouse
veteran considers life under the dome a "great university."
It has taught him, he says, that the city dweller and the downstate
farmer have more in common than most people suspect. "When I first
came here, I didn't know too much about rural "I came into
the Senate education committee with that bill, and one senator asked
me one simple question. He said, 'What does the bill do?' "
Jones recalls. "I told him what the bill does. And he
made one statement. He said, 'I wish I had that program in my district.
My district has the highest teen pregnancy rate of any district in
the state.' "It was Sen.
Glenn Poshard. What I'm trying to say is that you learn from this
great university." Jones believes the
important issues that affect the people of Jones is a quiet man,
not given to the wild flights of oratory or confrontational politics
some of his colleagues employ. A widower, he says he likes to read
political science books and books on philosophy to keep his mind sharp.
Jones says he's a
fan of classic movies, naming "The Godfather," " "That's a great
movie," he says of "Forrest Gump." "It's great
because people tried to judge him, but he's very smart. He became
a millionaire." And Jones admits to
a passion for country and western music, particularly Kenny Rogers'
"The Gambler." "You gotta know
when to hold, know when to fold, know when to walk away and know when
to run," Jones recites, adding, "That's the way life is."
In this "One
on One" interview, Jones reflects on his time in the legislature,
from his years spent in the shadow of powerful Republican Senate leader
James "Pate" Philip to the newfound power Democrats have
in shaping Illinois policy. Q: What led you to
a career in politics? A: I found that to
bring about change, government was the means. Q: Is there anything
that frustrates you about government and politics? A: What frustrates
me is that from my first session in the General Assembly in 1973,
the issue then was the funding of education and the issue is still
with us today. In 30 years, the issue hasn't changed. Sometimes, the wheels
of government turn very slowly. Q: How has the political
culture of A: Back then, the
members were more communal. It's changed to become very partisan.
It had something to do with the Cutback Amendment, when we reduced
the size of the House. As a result, it became very partisan.
Q: You have a knife
and a quote from Sun Tzu's "Art of War" in a glass case
hanging on the wall in your office. The quote says, "Do not depend
on the enemy not coming, depend rather on being ready for him." What's the story
behind that? A: Sen. Donne Trotter,
D-Chicago, brought that to me. I like that book, and we talked about
it. But it's true in life. You must prepare for war in a time of peace.
It's like the national government. They are always prepared for the
enemy coming. Q: You've were the
Senate minority leader from 1993 until Democrats took control of the
chamber this past January. During that time, former Senate President
James "Pate" Philip, R-Wood Dale, gained a reputation for
running the show with an iron fist. Did you ever get the impression
people were underestimating you? A: I don't know. That's
their problem. I learned a long time ago to always give people credit
for having more sense than I. That way I don't ever make that mistake.
Q. How has Philip's
departure and your move up to Senate president changed things? A: When you have control
of the gavel, you tend to follow your agenda and get needed pieces
of legislation that were bottled up when you were in the minority.
You're able to get
your agenda across. Q: How is your
leadership style different than your predecessor? A: We opened up the
process; we try to be inclusive. I include all my staff. I don't make
all the decisions myself. We try to sit down and discuss the issues
that come up. We try to do it collectively. Q: What issues are
on Senate Democrats' agenda for the spring session? A: We as a caucus
normally come together and put the agenda together and pursue those
decisions. We haven't met as a group yet. Q: What are some issues
you personally would like to see addressed as a Democrat and as leader
of the Senate? A: I would like to
see, I don't think it can pass, adequate funding for education, getting
education off the reliance on property taxes and switching it to a
more equitable method, which is income taxes.
I don't believe the will of the General Assembly is there yet.
Q: Gov. Rod
Blagojevich made some strongly negative statements about the Illinois
Board of Education in his recent State of the State address. He wants
to strip much of the board's power. What are your thoughts on the
governor's approach? A: I prefer the agency
to have its independence from the political whims of the governor.
Most of the money that goes to the state board of education is a pass-through
to local school districts. I wouldn't want that responsibility given
to a gubernatorial appointment. If
the governor would like to change the policy of the board, he has
the power to appoint members to the state board. I haven't seen the
governor's policy, but I'd like to have a little of his opinions.
Q: How would you rate
the governor's performance so far? Some members of the Democratic
caucus feel the legislators are being unfairly singled out by the
governor as contributing to the state's financial problems, and that
has created hard feelings. What's your impression? A: He's still learning.
Being chief executive of the state is a lot of responsibility. He
learned from last session. In the Senate, most of his budgetary initiatives
passed along partisan lines so, therefore, that was indeed cooperation
to get his budget out, and we were able to achieve that. So even though
you may hear that, we do work together.
It gets down to a lack of communication. He's learning that
he has to be more inclusive and communicate with the legislature.
Q: Speaking
of the budget, it looks like the 2005 version is going to have to
trim even more state jobs and services. Or will the state find new
revenue? A: I don't know what
the governor has in mind. I know he plans to sit down with us, but
there's a projection of a $1.5 billion to $2 billion shortfall. So
you're going to have to have some revenue initiatives to close that
gap. We'll work it out together and see what we can
fashion. Q: Are you concerned
that some of the revenues this year's budget was predicated upon haven't
panned out yet, such as the sale of the 10th riverboat casino license
or the sale of the A: One of the revenue
measures brought in more dollars than we anticipated. We budgeted
approximately $40 million for the amnesty program on taxes, and when
I was out of town, I read in the papers that it brought in $522 million.
So those dollars are far more than what we figured in the budget and
will make up for the sale of the 10th license.
I don't know where we are on the Q: During the veto
session, the governor said he would like to see additional legislation
prohibiting discrimination against homosexuals and lesbians. Are you
on board with him there? A: I strongly support
that. I'm hoping that's going to come up this session. It would be
most difficult to get that passed. It should not pass on partisan
lines. That type of legislation needs votes from both sides of the
aisle. Q: Another issue that
perennially surfaces in the legislature is gun control in general
and a possible ban on assault rifles in specific. Downstaters have
a much different view of the Second Amendment than in A: I have mixed emotions
about that whole issue. There was an incident in However, guns have
taken so many lives. We're not in the old Wild West where one carried
firearms. If you do not have the pistol, tempers would not play up
as much, and one would not feel they could resolve the problem by
pulling out a gun. And too many kids have been killed because they
found a gun in the house. But then you look at that other incident
I just told you about and say maybe the guy in Q: After 30 years
in the legislature, have you given any thought to retirement? A: I've been thinking
about that for the last 15 years. Q: And now that you're
Senate president? A: I still have a
lot of things I want to get accomplished. I would like to resolve
the education issue in the state of You want the same
results, but in one child you put all the resources there and to another
you give the minimum. So I'll be working to change that. That has
a large impact on society in the future. Before I get out of here,
I want to see that change. I would like to see
the flagship university, the
Governor: Education fix in state
needs two party effort Blagojevich promotes
agenda during swing through By Dayna R. Brown,
The Journal Star Flanked by Republican
lawmakers, the Democratic governor vowed to do whatever it takes to
improve education for "Improving schools
is the most important thing any of us in government can do,"
Blagojevich said to students at Blagojevich's stop
was part of a statewide tour promoting his education agenda. That
includes a proposal to eliminate the state's board of education and
replace it with a department that would be accountable to the governor.
Disbanding the state
board is something state Sen. Bill Brady, R-Bloomington, has been
interested in for years. He said he is eager to work with Blagojevich. "When it comes
to supporting the children of the state of State Rep. Dan Brady,
also a Republican from Winning the students
over with his knowledge of "Lizzie McGuire" and other favorite
kids' shows, the governor said, "It is our responsibility, the
grown-ups, to try to make things better so that you can learn better." Last year, taxpayers
spent more than $20 billion on education in Union officials were
on hand to support the governor's message. "You would think
that an agency…responsible for providing educational leadership, our
Illinois State Board of Education, would work hard to make our schools
more efficient for both our students and our teachers," said
Anne Davis, president of the Illinois Education Association. "I'm
sorry to say to you today, that has not been the case." During his state of
the state address earlier this month, Blagojevich proposed the elimination
of the state board. He said that decision came after a year of trying
to work with the agency, which he said is accountable to no one. Earlier Monday, Blagojevich
held a similar rally at a The state bureaucracy
has "got its fingers wrapped around the neck of education - it
cannot breathe," Scott told students during the assembly. "What
the governor is attempting to do is take, finger by finger, the hands
of bureaucracy off of the neck of education so that it can breathe
and that it can live." A spokeswoman for
the Illinois State Board of Education questioned the effectiveness
of Blagojevich's message. "It's my understanding
that he's having the pep rallies because he's not finding the support
out there," board spokeswoman Karen Craven said. Craven said education
proponents are "anxiously awaiting" Blagojevich's Feb. 18
budget address to lawmakers. "Then we'll really
see whether this is an education governor or not," she said. Funds hike for schools is sought Lawmakers hear state
chief's plan By Tracy Dell'Angela,
Tribune staff reporter. Tribune staff reporter Molly Parker contributed
to this report from Illinois Supt. of
Education Robert Schiller made his pitch to state legislators Tuesday
for $616 million in new money for state schools, the bulk of which
would benefit property-poor districts and those with large populations
of bilingual children. Nearly every district
in the state would get new funds under this proposal, according to
a detailed breakdown Schiller presented to the House Appropriations
Committee and e-mailed to school leaders Tuesday. The bulk of the new
money would come from a $250-per-student increase in the so-called
"formula level," from $4,810 to $5,060 per student. "Raise the bottom,
help to maintain and not hurt and take away from the top. That's what
our goal has to be," Schiller told the committee. "We have
an obligation to 2.2 million children to provide an adequate, sufficient
education and, sir, we're not doing that." There's also new money
in the plan for special education, transportation, bilingual education,
early education, safe school grants and the restoration of a $19 million
grant for gifted programs, which was eliminated last year. "[Schiller] is
really shifting a lot of his emphasis to the child in the classroom,
which is a good thing," said Supt. Edward Aksamit of Cicero District
99, which would get $7 million next year under Schiller's proposal.
"Like everyone else out there, we're looking to make cuts, combining
classes, cutting programs ... so any increase would be great. If we
knew the money was coming we wouldn't make these drastic cuts." But that is a very
big if. The state's dire financial situation and Gov. Rod Blagojevich's
political battle with Schiller make it unlikely the governor will
warmly embrace the superintendent's initiatives. Schiller said after
the hearing that he could not predict what the governor would offer
schools this month when Blagojevich presents his budget. The superintendent's
proposal would add $413 million in new general state aid, which is
given to districts using a sliding scale per student based on enrollment
and ability to raise property taxes. Districts with high percentages
of low-income pupils also get a greater share of this aid. Thus, districts
in areas with growing enrollment but declining property values would
reap the most money. Only six districts
in the The news came as a
surprise to Western Springs Supt. Brian Barnhart, who was expecting
his state aid to remain unchanged instead of dropping by a projected
$382,000. Several factors contribute to the projected decline--a 37
percent increase in property tax values, a 68-cent property tax rate
increase overwhelmingly approved by voters, steady enrollment and
virtually no low-income students. He said homeowners already cover
more than 80 percent of the district's costs,
a figure he said would grow if state aid is cut. Oak Park Elementary
School District 97 Supt. John Fagan said any state aid cuts would
exacerbate a growing deficit in his district, which has seen dramatic
increases in home values but was unable to benefit from it much because
of tax caps. The district already is cutting $2.5 million in spending
this year. The proposed windfall
for Carpentersville-based District 300, while welcome, would stop
far short of solving desperate money problems in the 24-school district,
which spans 14 communities in the northwest suburbs. The district
expects to end this year with a $22 million deficit. Schiller's plan
promises an extra $6.5 million in state aid and grants for next year. "That obviously
would help, but we still have serious concerns about the way schools
are funded," said Supt. Ken Arndt. The district has cut 102 teachers,
leading to class sizes that approach 30 in kindergarten and top 40
in some high school classes. If any new money were to flow to Lawmakers warily eye education
takeover By Sara Hooker, Daily
Herald Staff Writer SPRINGFIELD - Treading
on political thin ice Tuesday, the state superintendent of schools
presented a $7.1 billion education budget plan to lawmakers as the
governor continues to tout plans to effectively eliminate his post
and agency altogether. Suburban lawmakers
remain skeptical that Gov. Rod Blagojevich's plan to dissect the Illinois
State Board of Education to eliminate bureaucracy and government waste
will benefit them in the long run. And they have their hands tied
as they wait to see how the governor's proposal will affect their
schools. His budget won't be unveiled until later this month. "If some of these
go through, we think we're looking at the suburbs losing," said
state Rep. Rosemary Mulligan, a Des Plaines Republican. She said schools that
she represents are concerned most about the proposal to consolidate
insurance plans, as most districts self-insure at a higher standard
than pooling resources would allow. State Rep. Tim Schmitz,
a Batavia Republican, said without seeing any of the plans, it looks
as if swiping the board's powers and filing them under a new department
headed by the governor is just another layer of bureaucracy - the
governor's main reason for eliminating the board in the first place.
"It could actually
increase it," Schmitz said. "If the Constitution calls for
the state board of education and if he has that (department of education),
in my mind I think we're increasing bureaucracy." State Rep. Linda Chapa-LaVia,
an Aurora Democrat, said teachers in her district would like a reprieve
from the headaches that go along with excessive paperwork stipulated
by the board, which has 1,094 pages of guidelines for personnel certification
alone. Woodstock Democrat
Rep. Jack Franks also concentrated on the education uncertainty Tuesday,
delivering thousands of signatures from The governor's press
office did not return calls, but he has previously not been receptive
to the idea. Mulligan said Blagojevich's
plan had better be more than just a distraction from the bigger problem.
"I hope this
isn't a smokescreen," Mulligan said. "You take one of the
No. 1 issues in polling of people across the state, which is children's
education, and you make it be the fall guy for everything that's happening
in a year and then you overlook the fact that the budget doesn't balance. "I think it's
up to him now to prove there's substance, and it's up to us to weigh
each proposal and make sure it benefits the districts we represent
and the whole of the state." League presses for school funding
shift By Chris Lafortune,
Local public school
officials shared their views on The state's League
of Women Voters has made school funding its action focus for the next
two years, and is holding similar forums across the state, said Katherine
Nesburg, league specialist in school funding and fiscal policy. The non-partisan group
advocates shifting local schools' dependency from property taxes to
the state income and sales taxes, and broadening the sales tax to
include more services, Nesburg said. "Income is a
growing area of the economy," Nesburg said following Thursday's
forum. "If you're not taxing growing areas of the economy, you
have a stagnant tax collection system." Members of the District
200, 97 and 90 school boards were panelists at the forum, telling
league members how they deal with the state's education funding system.
District 200 School
Board Vice President Carlotta Lucchesi said the state's tax caps require
school districts to periodically seek voter approved tax increases,
in order to bring in more money. State officials have
talked for 25 years about getting away from the property tax and changing
education funding to better assist poor districts, Lucchesi told audience
members, but have not taken action. Although the state
has increased its per-pupil funding, Lucchesi said, it has decreased
grant funding, otherwise known as called categorical aid. District
200 is penalized under the change because it has a valuable tax base,
she said following the forum. "That's one of
the reasons we're getting less this year," she said. When a district's
property assessments increase, District 97 Board President Adekunle
Onayemi said, the state's per-pupil funding drops. District 97 has been
cutting its spending in anticipation of seeking a tax hike referendum,
he said, even as its per-pupil expenses continue to rise. "We project expenditures
overall in our education fund to have a 3.5 percent increase annually,"
Onayemi said. But the state's property tax cap prevents districts
from increasing levies by more than the consumer price index, set
at 1.9 percent this year, Onayemi said. While residents have
seen home tax bills climb by as much as 50 percent in a reassessment
year, that doesn't mean the schools are getting 50 percent more, he
said. The reassessment hikes represent a shift of the tax burden from
commercial properties to homes. Commercial property owners increasingly
use assessments appeals to lower their tax bills. Homeowners have
to make up the difference, he said "A 50-percent
increase to you does not mean a 50-percent increase to us," Onayemi
said. District 90 also is
running a deficit in its education fund, said School Trustee Nora
Anzinger, but its projected enrollment calls for fewer students in
the next few years. As enrollment drops, the district will reduce
staff through attrition. District 90 continues to try to offer the
best education it can with the money it has, Anzinger said following
Thursday's forum. "If we're having
trouble, I can only imagine how everyone else - people not in our
communities and with the testing resources and finances we have -
how bad it is for them," Anzinger said. State superintendent: We do a 'superb'
job By During a visit to
Schiller, who spent
the day talking with But Gov. Rod Blagojevich,
during his 86-minute State of the State address Jan. 15, assailed
the State Board of Education as an "unwieldy monolith" and
a "Soviet-style bureaucracy" in need of reform. He called on lawmakers
to shift the board's administrative powers and duties to a cabinet-level
department under his control. "The Constitution
of the State of The governor highlighted
during his speech a state partnership with Schiller said he would
rather see that money used for necessary, state-required programs
first. "Send the money
to our schools. We have students who don't have textbooks," he
said. Despite the challenges,
Schiller cited high graduation rates, SAT scores and record numbers
of students taking Advanced Placement exams as proof that "The governor
has some very good ideas, but they can't supersede what the State
Board is committed to doing," he said. "All of this is about
politics and power. It's not about addressing the needs of the schools."
In recent weeks, area
legislators and education leaders offered varied perspectives on the
governor's ideas. "Many of the
things (Blagojevich) said about the bureaucracy at the Jones, who spent 24
years in the education field, said some of the governor's proposals
-- banning junk food at schools and requiring 40 hours of community
service from high school students -- seemed too ambitious. "These issues
should be decided at the local level by school administrators working
with parents and students," Jones said. "The state does
not need to micromanage local schools. Period."
"The education
system should be free from the politics of whoever is in power,"
she said. "The schools would have a difficult time. If it's tied
politically, they're going to be controlled by whatever their political
agenda is." Locally, Karon said,
school officials know what their districts' needs are and have a sense
of what the community wants. Blagojevich's suggestion
for a statewide health insurance plan for educators would prove harmful
to school districts, she said, because competitive benefit
packages help attract staff. "School districts
across the state need to have some bargaining chips to attract teachers,"
she said. Karon also took exception
to the governor's claim that the State Board spends only 46 cents
per dollar on instruction. When the costs of guidance counselors,
speech pathologists, library books, technology and teacher aides are
factored, between 86 and 90 cents per dollar are spent on instruction,
she said. District 220 Superintendent
Mary Herrmann declined to comment on the governor's proposals. With her focus on
the local level, she said she has limited interaction with the State
Board. State Sen. Jeffrey
Schoenberg, D-9th, called Schiller an "unwanted heirloom"
that the Blagojevich administration inherited from his predecessor,
George Ryan. The State Board, under Ryan's direction, appointed Schiller
during the final months of the administration rather than work
with an interim superintendent and defer the appointment to the next
governor. "People often
feel more comfortable with their own hand-selected team in place,"
Schoenberg said. Staff Writers Karen
Berkowitz, Patrick Corcoran, Nicholas Wiselogel and Karen Shoffner
contributed to this report. Local educators wary of education
reforms By Korrina Grom And Angela D. Sykora, Pioneer Press Local school officials
say it's difficult to speculate what impact Gov. Rod Blagojevich's
proposed education reforms, including an overhaul of the Illinois
State Board of Education, would have on their school districts. During his State of
the State speech, Blagojevich called on legislators to shift the administrative
powers and duties of the State Board of Education to a cabinet-level
department under his control. He said the plan would channel $1 billion
dollars over four years from administration into classrooms. "It was basically
a pretty strong attack on the Illinois State Board of Education,"
said John Hunt, superintendent of Antioch District 34. Local impact Local educators don't
yet know what these reforms would mean for their districts. "I'm definitely
concerned," said Lake Villa District 41 Superintendent Mike Anderson.
"But I haven't seen the whole proposal. On the surface, if they're
going to dissolve one entity and add another, that doesn't make sense,"
he added. "The state board
is charged with the responsibility of developing rules to enforce
legislation," said Ben Martindale, superintendent of Gurnee Grade
School District 56. "If there is going to be a transfer of the
development of those rules, so be it. "I
don't know whether that has the potential to simplify our life (though),"
he said. Anne Swanson, director
of curriculum and instruction for Hunt fears that taxpayers
will assume Blagojevich's proposals will bring more state money to
his district. The money that could
be offered to schools, Hunt said, will be tied to specific programs
rather than to the general education fund budgets of local districts.
"Won't the programs
outlined by the governor in his State of the State address resolve
the financial difficulties being faced by District 34? (Antioch District
34 is asking residents to approve an education fund tax rate increase
in March)" Hunt wrote in a message to parents posted on the district's
Internet site. "The basic answer is that the governor's proposals
will do little, if anything, to address the education fund crisis
being faced by the district." Grayslake Community
High School District 127 Board President Chris McClain said he would
favor any plan that could provide more dollars for students in the
area of instruction. He said his only concern regarding a state board
overhaul is how independent a new agency would be. "When I think
of the state board, I think of an independent agency, an advocate
for educational programs. Hopefully the governor will be able to achieve
the same level of independence in the agency he wants to form."
Early childhood focus Hunt and others questioned
a number of the governor's proposals. Hunt said the governor's plan
to increase the early childhood grant over a three-year-period would
help District 34, but it wouldn't solve all of the district's financial
woes. "This voluntary
grant program targets preschool children. District 34 currently participates
in this program and increased dollars to serve our preschool children
would be fine," he said. "However, these tax dollars would
do nothing to relieve our funding in grades (kindergarten through
eight)." District administration
officials are also concerned about Blagojevich's ideas on teacher
certification. Swanson said District
50 takes issue with the methods proposed for moving new teachers from
their initial certification to standard certification. "The problem
is there are only certain ways to do this," she said. "It's
completely impractical." New teachers can move
standard certification three ways, Swanson said. The first is through
a mentoring program, which Swanson said the district cannot support.
"We don't have enough tenured teachers to mentor new teachers."
The second way is
for teachers to earn master's degrees, which not everyone can afford.
The third and most common, Swanson said, has
been earning credits through the professional development unit. However,
she said, teachers are now expected to earn what is called an "X-type"
certification. As of yet, the state has no mechanism in place for
achieving this certification. "These are the
kinds of things the state has dropped the ball on," Swanson said.
"These are things that are really problematic." More funding needed Local educators hope
something good will come of Blagojevich's
proposals. If removing or reforming
the state board would put local control back in the hands of the local
boards of education, said District 50 Superintendent Dennis Conti,
"I'm all for it." That change would
not only create better accountability, it would give the state's top
school administrator a place at the table in the governor's cabinet
and critical access to decision-making in other areas that affects
education, McGee said. McGee disagrees, however,
with one of the governor's plans to trim school expenses by mass buying
of benefits such as health insurance. The details of the
governor's reform plan remain to be seen. Eliminating the State Board
outright would require a constitutional amendment. McGee said the
governor could accomplish many of the same goals through legislation,
shifting most of the board's current responsibilities to an agency
under the governor's control. Staff Writers Karen
Berkowitz and Ken Goze contributed to this article. Blagojevich looks for help from
lobbyists By Matt Adrian, In bid selections
posted during the last week of January, the Illinois Department of
Commerce and Economic Opportunity said it needs two lobbying firms
to help navigate the U.S. Department of Defense Base Realignment and
Closing review. One advertisement
seeks a Washington, D.C.-based lobbyist who could route more business
to While Blagojevich
sees hiring lobbyists as a necessary tool to save Blagojevich spokesman
Andrew Ross said the lobbyist contracts are part of the administration’s
Opportunity Returns program to help save or retain jobs across “These are important
economic components,” Ross said. “These people are well-versed in
these issues. You need a point person to represent these military
institutions that play a very important part in these economies.” Ross pointed out that
the Arsenal is the Quad Cities’ second-largest employer with 6,700
workers. Scott Air Force Base pumps more than $1 billion into its
local economy and employs more than 12,000 people, he said. News of the lobbying
contracts was met with interest by the State Board of education, which
is still stinging from Blagojevich’s State of the State address in
which he compared the agency with a “Soviet-style bureaucracy” and
called for its dissolution. “This is particularly
interesting since last year the governor gave all agencies instructions
to revoke lobbyist contracts, specifically those in In the past, Blagojevich
has said state government should work with the Most recently, he
attacked the State Board of education for choosing to pay $240,000
for the lobbying services of the Washington, D.C.based Barbour, Griffith
and Rodgers firm. “As schools struggle
to make ends meet, as kids struggle to read, as we confront the issue
of teacher shortages, the State Board of education spends the people’s
money on things like high-priced contracts with consulting firms,
lobbying firms and public relations firms.” Blagojevich said during
his January speech. “They chose lawyers and consultants and public
relations experts over teachers, students and schools. What kind of
priorities are those?” Craven said the state
board chose to continue working with Barbour, Griffith and Rodgers
because the firm helped secure $50 million in federal funds for only
a $288,000 contract in 2003. The Illinois Board
of Higher education and the Illinois Community College Board had similar
contracts with the firm, but it complied with Blagojevich’s demands
to end the practice. In February 2003,
Blagojevich terminated $500,000 in contracts with By Ann McGlynn, A resolution blasting
the No Child Left Behind act, or NCLB, hopefully will help encourage
changes in the law, say leaders from some Illinois Quad-City area
schools that have adopted the measure. The resolution, drafted
by the Illinois Association of School Administrators, calls the legislation
“rhetoric, not reform.” School districts,
the resolution states, supported the act’s ideals of higher test scores,
school accountability, the need for highly
qualified teachers, good attendance and graduation rates and education
in a safe environment. State
school office fires salvo Blagojevich sought
jobs in agency, Schiller charges By Stephanie Banchero
and Ray Long, Tribune staff reporters Launching a vigorous
counterattack on Gov. Rod Blagojevich, top state school officials
said his high-profile campaign to strip them of authority was retribution
for their refusal to hire job-seekers he backed and for their lobbying
on behalf of increased school spending despite a budget crisis. "It's about power.
It's about politics. It's about putting people into positions,"
State Supt. of Education Robert Schiller charged during a meeting
with the Tribune editorial board. "I am very suspect as to what
is driving this." The statements came
hours after Blagojevich announced the introduction of legislation
that would dismantle the quasi-independent Illinois State Board of
Education and shift its duties to a new Cabinet-level Department of
Education under his control. The move would largely relegate the board
to a think tank. Blagojevich lobbied
about 30 legislators as he made a rare appearance in "You've got a
fiefdom out there called the Illinois State Board of Education that
acts as independently as the Duchy of Brandenburg did during the 30
Years War," the governor said. Until Thursday, state
board officials had attempted to fend off the governor's plan by pointing
out what they said were misstatements he made in pressing the case
for the agency's demise. On Thursday, however, they came out swinging. Schiller charged that
Blagojevich aides last year began mailing and faxing him more than
two dozen resumes of job candidates they wanted the agency to hire
even as the governor, with great fanfare, was proclaiming a state
hiring freeze. Most of the resumes arrived on "Attached are
resumes of individuals that may be interested in positions with your
agency," the memo said. Twenty resumes were attached, including
one for Glenn "Max" McGee, the former state superintendent
of education who vacated the job in 2001 under pressure from board
members. The last resume was
faxed to Schiller on Jan. 14, the day before Blagojevich ripped into
the board as a bloated, wasteful "Soviet-style bureaucracy"
in his State of the State speech. Schiller said the board has not
hired any job candidates proposed by the Blagojevich administration. "We are not going
to hire someone who is not qualified simply because the governor's
staff sent us the name," Schiller said. But Blagojevich spokeswoman,
Cheryle Jackson, said the charge was unfounded. She said the agency
posted 30 positions it was looking to fill and asked Cini to send
resumes. "We sent over
20 resumes at their request," Board spokeswoman
Karen Craven said Schiller and board
member Ron Gidwitz also charged that the governor's office was incensed
when the board proposed increased spending on schools both this year
and last. In January 2003, the
board called on the state to spend $6.78 billion on education in the
current school year, a $500 million increase from the previous year.
The request came as the new Blagojevich administration scrambled to
plug a multibillion dollar budget gap. The increase Blagojevich
ultimately sought amounted to about $200 million. Last August, Schiller
said, he got a hostile reception from Blagojevich budget chief
John Filan when the two met to talk over more education spending issues. "He was mad and
he told me the board was arrogant to publish a budget in January,
before the governor did," Schiller said, reading from notes he
said he took during the meeting. "He said `You personally are
responsible for making us spend more on education.'" That rendition of
events was denied by Becky Carroll, Filan's spokeswoman. She said
Filan told her that "it's not like Schiller and I didn't have
a few confrontations from time to time, but I never said that." Carroll said it is
a "natural part of the budget process to have a give and take
and to have disagreements about funding priorities." Schiller also charged
that Filan's office asked the board to refrain from making a budget
recommendation this year, but the request was ignored. The agency
last month proposed $610 million in new spending on schools and was
quickly attacked by Blagojevich who said the board needed to curtail
its spending habits. Board members argued
that the state needs an independent board of education that can lobby
on behalf of the state's schoolchildren-- a panel that is not beholden
to the governor and not afraid to stand up to him. "Does this state
want a voice of advocacy that might not be politically correct, a
voice that can stand up and say `this is what's in the best interest
of students,' and not worry about the politics?" Schiller asked. Blagojevich
introduces bill to put education under governor's power By Kurt Erickson,
But he and legislators
supporting his plan acknowledged Thursday they don't know how long
it will take for either of those goals to be met. "You're asking
me to start speculating on when those kinds of results can occur.
It's like asking me, do I think the Cubs will sign Greg Maddux and,
if so, are they going to win the division next year? I can speculate
and guess, but it wouldn't be based on anything other than a lot of
conjecture," said Blagojevich. Despite the unknowns
surrounding his plan, Blagojevich offered reporters the first glimpse
of legislation that would shift control of education in "Sooner or later,
things will improve," he said. "More kids will read. Less
kids will drop out of school and we'll have a better state." State schools Superintendent
Robert Schiller has said previously the plan doesn't address the biggest
problem facing schools, namely the disparity in funding. Blagojevich said the
state cannot address the current funding system until his plan proves
to taxpayers that schools are operating in a financially responsible
manner. His plan will improve efficiency, however, he said. "We have to get
the confidence of the people back," he said. "Then, only
then, are we in a position credibly to go to the taxpayers and say
let's have this big, broad discussion" about changing the ways
schools are funded. The 18-page proposal,
which will be introduced and debated in the General Assembly this
spring, would trigger the transfer of employees from the state board
to Blagojevich's department beginning The state board would
become little more than a think tank, stripped of any of its current
policymaking power. State Sen. Bill Brady
is the lone Republican in the Senate co-sponsoring the Democratic
governor's plan. The "We've got a
completely dysfunctional system," said Brady, who stood by the
governor as the plan was unveiled to reporters Thursday. "This
is the most important issue to the state of State Sen. Vince Demuzio,
D-Carlinville, is the primary sponsor of the legislation. He said
he jumped on board the plan because its been
talked about for four decades. "This governor
has thrown the gauntlet down," said Demuzio. Blagojevich said he
plans to make education more accountable to taxpayers. He also said
he hopes to streamline the purchasing process to save schools money
on bulk purchasing. He estimates the change
could save $1 billion over four years. The savings could be reinvested
back into classrooms. "The whole purpose
of this is to reduce the bureaucracy, reduce the burden on the local
school districts -- on the principals and school teachers -- to free
up resources that can be better invested into the classroom,"
said Blagojevich. Governor
moves to strip power from state school board
By Kevin McDermott,
SPRINGFIELD, Ill.
- Gov. Rod Blagojevich launched the first official assault in his
battle with the Illinois State Board of Education on Thursday, announcing
the filing of legislation to take away the board's oversight of Illinois
schools and give it to the governor's office. "The only way
to improve education in "The children
of The board quickly
fired back with a written response that accused Blagojevich of skewing
data, of blaming the board for bureaucratic problems that are partly
caused by the Legislature and of failing to address the real problem
of lack of funding. Blagojevich wants
to create a new state Department of Education to take over the administrative
and regulatory duties of the Illinois State Board of Education. Unlike
the board, the new Department of Education would answer to the governor
and Legislature, as other state agencies do. Blagojevich's critics
say the move is a bald attempt to grab power from the board, which
was set up three decades ago as an independent entity for the express
purpose of keeping politics out of education. But the governor's
supporters say the board's independence has spawned bureaucratic arrogance
and inefficiency that has failed to provide quality education in "This guy has
thrown the gauntlet down and put the force of the governor's office
. . . behind this proposal," said state Sen. Vince Demuzio, D-Carlinville,
who co-sponsored the bill filed Thursday. Demuzio, a longtime
critic of the board, predicted the legislation will spark "the
biggest debate on public education since the 1970 ( Demuzio, state Rep.
Jay Hoffman, D-Collinsville, and other legislators joined Blagojevich
in his office to announce the legislation, expected to be filed by
this morning. It is the first of a series of bills which, if approved,
will create the new department and put it in charge of most of the
duties currently conducted by the State Board. Blagojevich last month
stunned The board was created
by the 1970 Illinois Constitution to oversee funding and regulation
of public school districts. Originally envisioned as an elected body,
it evolved into a system of appointed board members - with terms that
straddle those of governors, meaning a governor generally will spend
most of his time in office dealing with state school board members
that were appointed by his predecessor. Critics have long
alleged the board is a wasteful layer of bureaucracy that doesn't
answer directly to any elected body, even though it spends state tax
funds. Blagojevich has predicted the new education department could
function on 80 percent of the current board's budget, and with 60
percent of the staff, for an annual saving of about $1 billion. Board members aren't
paid. But state Education Superintedent Robert Schiller - who was
appointed by the board members - makes $225,000 annually, about $75,000
more than Blagojevich's $150,691 salary as governor. And the State
Board's nine highest-paid employees earn an average of $122,000 each.
As Blagojevich has
stumped around the state in the past few weeks whipping up public
support for his proposal, leaders of the State Board have been fighting
back with claims of misleading information from the governor's office.
Governor
unveils reform blueprint for 'Greater accountability
needed' By Adriana Colindres,
Copley News Service, The legislation, House
Bill 5001, would largely gut the State Board of Education, transferring
its administrative duties to a new state Department of Education under
the governor's control. Blagojevich initially
discussed the plan in his State of the State speech last month. If
enacted into law, most of its provisions would take effect "The only way
to really improve our schools is to take responsibility for our schools,"
the governor said Thursday at a Statehouse news conference, where
he was joined by 10 lawmakers who support the legislation. "We
believe this is necessary, and we're going to fight hard to get this
done. "The ultimate
goal here is to build a system that ultimately will teach our kids
better, which will ultimately lead to better test scores," Blagojevich
said. But he said he could
not predict when those results might become evident. "It's like asking
me, do I think the Cubs are going to sign (free agent baseball pitcher)
Greg Maddux, and if so, are they going to win their division next
year," Blagojevich added. "I can speculate and guess, but
it wouldn't really be based on anything other than a lot of conjecture. "If we're given
the opportunity to bring these changes, I'm not promising overnight
miracles when it comes to reading scores and dropout rates and other
performance measures," he said. "What I am promising is
that we're going to reduce bureaucracy, we're going to be more efficient
with the taxpayer money, we're going to build accountability into the system." "Sooner or later,"
he said, the result will be "a better state" with fewer
high school dropouts and better readers. But in a written statement,
state school Superintendent Robert Schiller said Blagojevich's proposal
"does not address the day-to-day demands of educating Blagojevich said that
restructuring the educational system is meant to direct more tax dollars
to where they are most needed, which is classroom instruction. He repeated an earlier
assertion that only about 46 cents of every education dollar goes
toward classroom instruction. Blagojevich said if his proposal becomes
law, he hopes that figure will rise at least to the national average
of 53 cents for every dollar spent on education. "Frankly, we'd
like to do the best we can possibly (do)," he said. "There
is no single number. But we know that 46 cents on the dollar ... is
not nearly enough, and it's a result of inefficiency." Before dealing with
the statewide problem of school funding disparity, state government
must prove to taxpayers that it can be responsible with existing education
dollars, Blagojevich said. "Only then are
we in a position, credibly, to go to the taxpayers and say: Let's
have this big broad discussion," he said, declining to specify
when that might happen. Among the lawmakers
who appeared with Blagojevich were Sens. Vince Demuzion, D-Carlinville,
Bill Brady, R-Bloomington, Pat Welch, D-Perue, and Rep. Mike Smith,
D-Canton. Legislation on Blagojevich's
other education-related initiatives is expected to surface in the
next several days. Those proposals include mandatory community service
for high school students and a ban on selling junk food in schools. State
school superintendent fires back at Gov. Blagojevich Associated Press,
"It's about power.
It's about politics. It's about putting people into positions,"
Supt. Robert Schiller said during a meeting with the Chicago Tribune
editorial board. "I am very suspect as to what is driving this." Schiller commented
hours after a high-profile sales pitch Thursday by Blagojevich in
Blagojevich aides
last year began sending more than two dozen resumes of job candidates
they wanted the agency to hire at the same time the state proclaimed
a hiring freeze, Schiller said. Schiller said the
board has not hired any of the job candidates recommended by the Blagojevich
administration. "We are not going
to hire someone who is not qualified simply because the governor's
staff sent us the name," Schiller said. Blagojevich spokeswoman
Cheryle Jackson said the administration simply responded to a posting
of 30 positions by the agency. "We sent over
20 resumes at their request," The board also angered
the governor's office when it proposed spending more money on schools
despite a multibillion dollar budget gap, said Schiller and board
member Ron Gidwitz. Schiller said he and
Budget Director John Filan had a contentious meeting last August over
education spending. "He (Filan) was
mad and he told me the board was arrogant to publish a budget in January,
before the governor did," Schiller said. "He said, 'You
personally are responsible for making us spend more on education.'" The legislation Blagojevich
offered would strip the current board of all its current duties except
one - the constitutionally mandated job of choosing the state's chief
educational officer. But the board and that education chief would
become a "think tank" to advise the governor's Education
Department and the person he appoints to run it. Blagojevich rejected
the idea of letting the public vote this fall on a constitutional
amendment to eliminate the board. He said it is urgent that lawmakers
act this spring on his proposal so a new Education Department can
be created quickly. Senator's
bill asks: Is governor driving jobs from By Kurt Erickson,
Pantagraph State Sen. Larry Bomke
said Wednesday he fears the governor has been shifting more state
jobs to Chicago, which could result in a economic downturn in the
city he represents. "There is a definite
public perception that state government is moving to Blagojevich, a Chicago
Democrat, does not live in A Blagojevich spokeswoman
said the governor had not reviewed the legislation and had not taken
a position on the issue. Bomke's legislation,
if approved, could result in a more concise list of where state workers
live and work. Currently, those records are spread across nearly two
dozen state agencies. "My constituents
have a right to know if they are losing jobs to the A preliminary count
by Bomke found about 70 state jobs have been moved out of The senator acknowledged
Wednesday that his plan has little chance of being approved in the
Democrat-controlled Senate and House. Blagojevich said Thursday
that he does not intend to shift jobs away from Rather, the hundreds
of workers at the state board would remain in Bomke's legislation
is Senate Bill 2450. Education
overhaul plan released Blagojevich introduces
legislation to create department to take place of ed
board By Linda Lutton, Daily
Southtown Staff Writer, Flanked by lawmakers
from both parties, Gov. Rod Blagojevich unveiled legislation Thursday
that would dismantle the Illinois State Board of Education and create
a department of education under his direct control. Blagojevich promised
that creating the department would raise student test scores, lower
dropout rates and increase the percentage of education dollars directed
toward classroom instruction. But he refused to
say when those things would happen. "The children
in Blagojevich has said
streamlining the state's education administration will free money
for instruction. If passed, beginning
Starting this summer,
the state board and the state superintendent would have to consult
with a "transition team" designated by the governor before
doing almost anything. Later, they would become a "think tank,"
researching educating practices and reporting their findings to the
new department. Blagojevich said reforming
the system was too urgent to try to affect the change through a constitutional
amendment. Rep. Renee Kosel (R-New
Lenox), minority spokeswoman for the House Elementary and Secondary
Education Committee and the bill's only south suburban sponsor thus
far, said the bill taps into a deep frustration lawmakers have with
the state board. Kosel cited teacher
certification legislation state lawmakers passed that the state board
translated into "over 100 pages of forms (teachers) fill out."
Blagojevich will introduce
eight additional pieces of legislation to round out the education
plan he laid out in his State of the State address. Those bills will
likely create dropout prevention programs, put reading specialists
in struggling schools and send one book per month to every child in
the state until they are 5 years old, among other things. Blagojevich said funding
reform, while needed, would have to wait. "I don't believe
we are in a position to … start having this big discussion about how
we fund schools before we first show (taxpayers) that we can be responsible
for the money they're already paying." In a statement, state
schools Supt. Robert Schiller said Blagojevich's proposal "does
not address the day-to-day demands of educating Dawn Clark Netsch,
a member of the 1970 constitutional convention that created the state
board of education, said there were pros and cons to the governor's
proposal. "You don't want
education to become part of politics in the ugly partisan sense. But
you certainly want elected officials to be accountable for education,"
she said. Netsch said she doubts
that changing the governance structure will make much of a difference
for the state's schoolchildren. "Whether there's
a state department of education or a state board of education,
that is not going to make a difference in the world in terms
of whether kids can read, whether they write or whether they stay
in school." Social
promotions and 'gotcha' school politics On the face of it,
Peoria School District 150's one-year, 91 percent drop in the number
of children who repeat a grade is reason enough for the regional superintendent
to investigate whether social promotion is being practiced locally. State law and School
Board policy are quite clear: passing a child along to the next grade
even if he hasn't made satisfactory academic progress is a no-no.
We are not presuming guilt or innocence here. But when 552 students
are held back a grade in 2001-02 and just 47 the following year, it's
obvious there has been a change in policy, or at least a change in
the implementation of it. Maybe 552 students was high. Maybe 47 is just about right.
District 150 should welcome Regional Superintendent Gerald Brookhart's
clarification of the matter. More
intriguing, and in some ways more disturbing, is the backdrop to all
this. School Board member
Sean Matheson used Monday's board meeting to say he's acquired evidence
that shows students are being promoted who shouldn't be - 20 of them
at Manual High School alone who he says skipped eighth grade entirely.
Some didn't finish seventh grade, either, he claims. Superintendent Kay
Royster denied that any laws are being violated,
suggested they were before she arrived, and asked to see Matheson's
documentation before he went to Brookhart with it. As the district's
CEO, Royster is entitled to that information. Matheson could have
and perhaps should have provided her with such prior to going public
with it. Problem is, a lot of mistrust - bad blood, if you will - has been built
up between Royster and some members of the School Board. That has
led to some of the "gotcha" politics that other board members
allege we're seeing now. To be sure, Royster
& That said, we also
think "gotcha" politics, while perhaps a reflection of frustration
with Royster's administration, are counterproductive to everyone's
goals. Ultimately, Peorians should want the grown-ups here to act
like grown-ups, to play fair with one another, in the best interest
of the kids all of them profess to serve. It will end badly for all
involved if they don't. Ultimately, no matter
the straightforwardness of state law regarding social promotion, this
is a very gray area. On the one hand, no one should like the idea
of passing students who don't deserve it. Once kids realize they don't
have to do any work to be promoted, trust us, they'll exploit that.
On the other hand, no one should want a 15-year-old sitting in a fifth
grade class, either. It's good to hear board members talking about
a "transitional center," or alternative setting for students
caught in between academic failure and the temptation to move them
along with their peers. Beyond that, with
the personalities involved, it's easy to overlook the central issue:
there are still way too many =========================================================================== NATIONAL No Child Left Behind may be ousted from By Chris Diggins,
BYU NewsNet Staff Writer In a move that could
cost The No Child Left
Behind Act, a national education program supported by President
George W. Bush, emphasizes testing and accountability for schools
based on student performance. Those who oppose the program say implementing
the programs' standards will punish entire schools for the poor performance
of a few students. "Our biggest
frustration with No Child Left Behind is that it is full of negative
reinforcement," said Patti Harrington, an associate state superintendent
in charge of student achievement, in an interview with the Associated
Press. "It seems like it is looking for students to fail, like
a vulture circling for prey." Jo Ann Webb, a spokeswoman
for the U.S. Department of Education, said the program isn't about
punishment, but about accountability and properly educating each child. "That's why we
spend millions and millions of dollars on public education,"
Webb said. "Because we want to be sure a child can read and do
math on grade level. When states and school districts and schools
don't want to be held accountable, what does that say to a kid? 'We
don't think you can do it.'" As part of No Child
Left Behind, students in grades three through eight are tested each
year for their proficiency in reading and math. Schools are then evaluated
based on those tests and the results are given to parents as a "report
card" of the school. In this evaluation
parents can see how their child's school compares to other local schools.
Schools that perform poorly will be asked to use federal funds to
fix their deficiencies. Parents will also have the option to transfer
their children away from schools with a history of poor performance. "The act itself
is good; the devil is in the details," said Randy Ripplinger,
director of Public Communications for the If a state chooses
to opt out of the program, it will no longer receive any education
funding from the federal government, Webb said. "If it [No Child
Left Behind] goes away, we are afraid that they [the federal government]
will say, 'If you're not going to live up to our mandates, you're
not going to get any federal dollars for your schools,'" Ripplinger
said. "The problem with that attitude is that it will hurt the
students we're trying to help the most." However, implementing
the program could prove to be even more costly. The No Child Left
Behind program requires additional after-school programs, tutoring
and remedial classes to help under-achieving students meet the standard.
The program also requires comprehensive testing for both students
and schools. Putting this program in place could cost Gov. Olene Walker
voiced some of her concerns about No Child Left Behind in her monthly
televised news conference. "Right at this
point there's been a suggestion that if we opted out that we would
lose all of our Title 1 funds, which would be $103 million,"
Bill seeks scrutiny of school law
expenses Sen. Michael Brennan
speaks in support of his bill to have By Tom Bell, Gendron appeared at
a legislative hearing to support a bill that would require her department
to study the cost and benefits if "There are significant
costs, I believe, in staying in the program," Gendron said. The bill, proposed
by Sen. Michael Brennan, D-Portland, also would prohibit the state
Education Department from using state funds to implement the policies
of the federal law. Brennan said the bill
would supply the facts the state would need to sue the federal government
on grounds that No Child Left Behind is an unfunded mandate. He said
the law is an intrusion into state and local control of education.
"I think the
law is unnecessary for the state of But it appears No
Child Left Behind has become a partisan issue in this election year.
Brennan's bill has no Republican co-sponsors, and the questions posed
Tuesday by several Republicans on the Education and Cultural Affairs
Committee indicated they would not support it. Rep. Tom Murphy, R-Kennebunk,
said in an interview that "It is the law
of the land," he said, "and we have to do the best we can
with it." Among If He said Congress has
given Congress has substantially
boosted federal funds to Although Gendron said
she supports the intent of the federal legislation, which is to improve
the performance of the nation's poor and minority children, the law
is interfering with The two initiatives
are fundamentally different, she said. As a result, the public has
become confused and many teachers are discouraged. Sentance said the
federal law and Learning Results are compatible because they both
work to establish standards-based education. Rory Holland, an African-American
resident of "Because nobody
tested, nobody checked," he told the committee, "and nobody
cared." Maine Education Association
President Rob Walker said federal lawmakers created a system in which
a large number of schools are guaranteed to fail. "The strings
attached to No Child Left Behind are like chains that are dragging
us down," he said. School
official opts to keep `evolution'
Items compiled from
Tribune news services, February 6, 2004 ATLANTA, School Supt. Kathy
Cox dropped plans Thursday to remove the word "evolution"
from "I want you to
know today that I will recommend to the teacher teams that the word
`evolution' be put back in the curriculum," she said. Cox, a Republican
elected in 2002, said she originally wanted to replace "evolution"
with the phrase "biological changes over time" to avoid
controversy. "Instead, a greater controversy ensued," she
said. Among those who had
criticized the idea were former President Jimmy Carter and Gov. Sonny
Perdue. Cox did not return
calls seeking further comment. 'No
Child' rebellion picking up momentum By Ronnie Lynn, Salt
Opposition to President
Bush's No Child Left Behind education law is gaining traction, and
Republicans -- even in GOP strongholds such as The schism sets the
stage for an unusual confrontation between administration officials
and A Utah House committee
last week unanimously advanced a bill sponsored by Rep. Margaret Dayton,
R-Orem, to opt out of the law and forfeit at least $103 million it
provides for programs and services that target disadvantaged students.
House Bill 43 probably won't be debated on the floor until after a
meeting Friday between lawmakers and officials from the U.S. Department
of Education. According to the National
Conference of State Legislatures, Republican lawmakers in Some observers say
the bipartisan backlash could spell trouble for Bush this November.
"The president
thought this bill would help him with his re-election, but I believe
he gained maximum credit on this bill on the day he signed it,"
said Jack Jennings, director of the Center on Education Policy, a
Beltway Republicans,
meanwhile, say the rebellion in the states is directed at the U.S.
Department of Education, not Bush. Department officials interpreted
the law too narrowly when they developed guidelines for state implementation,
said U.S. Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah. "The department
has the flexibility to take care of states like A "This is one
of those issues where there's a tension between what a party would
like to do and what its ideological roots are," said Kelly Patterson,
an associate professor and head of Congress passed the
law with bipartisan support in 2001, but many Democrats -- including
presidential candidates John Kerry of A Kerry spokesman
said Wednesday that the Democratic front-runner would reform the law
to include more money and "assure schools focus on teaching to
high standards and not drill-and-kill test prep." States, districts
and schools have been complaining about the law's strict testing requirements
since the Education Department began issuing its guidelines. Even
so, the Bush administration has resisted pleas to amend the law or
its guidelines. "Some want to
undermine the No Child Left Behind Act by
weakening standards and accountability," said Bush in last month's
State of the Union speech. "Yet the results we require are really
a matter of common sense. We expect third-graders to read and do math
at the third-grade level, and that's not asking too much." McKell Withers, superintendent
of "There is a legend
[at the Legislature] that if you time this just right you can opt
out but not lose any funding," Withers said. "But I doubt
[the federal government] is going to say, 'We thank you for making
this a huge political issue, we accept your apology and here's your
money.' " School plan ties incentives to nutrition
Agriculture secretary
will ask for funds to fight youth obesity Associated Press Combs
says she is working on a plan that would reward schools up
to $30 per pupil if the school meets certain nutrition and physical
education standards. Details are being worked out, but Combs said
she is talking with legislative leaders and the governor to get input
and hopes to have a proposal together by March 1. Gov. Rick Perry is
expected to call a special legislative session, perhaps in April,
to change the state's share-the-wealth school finance system. Perry
has said he wants to see a legislative consensus emerge over how to
replace the existing funding system before ordering a special session.
Perry, a Republican
like Combs, has been traveling the state talking up his proposed academic
achievement-based financial incentives for schools. Part of his $500
million plan, for instance, would give schools $100 more per student
for each year he or she advances in high school if the student passes
the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills, or TAKS test. Combs' idea is to
provide similar money incentives but to connect them with verifiable
nutrition and physical fitness standards. The additional money per
student might go to schools where a cafeteria works on nutrition education
or where students show an average improvement in a physical activity
such as running a quarter-mile, she said. Tentatively, Combs
is talking about $30 more per high school student, $25 per middle
school student and $20 per elementary school student. The total cost
could be $12 million, she said. "It's a very
preliminary set of numbers," Combs said. "This is meant
to be a very positive incentive for schools." For more than a year
now, Combs has been speaking out against childhood obesity and in
favor of good nutrition. Last summer, the Texas Department of Agriculture
she oversees took over administering the federally funded child school
nutrition program from the Texas Education Agency. Then she issued a
new policy banning the sale or distribution of "foods of minimal
nutritional value" like sodas, candy and gum during the school
day at elementary schools. The ban includes middle school lunches
but doesn't apply to high schools.
Illinois State Board of Education |
