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News
Clips – STATE STATE By Jennifer
Wig, SPRINGFIELD
— An Illinois Senate committee gave its approval this week to
a bill that would raise the age at which students could drop
out of high school from 16 to 17. The Senate education
committee moved the bill to the Senate floor by a 8-0 favorable
vote. Two “present” votes were reported. The bill’s sponsor,
Sen. Miguel del Valle, D-Chicago, said delaying the age at which
students drop out could induce them to remain in school until
graduation. In addition, he said, society suffers a high cost
when students drop out because many end up in the corrections
systems or work at low-wage jobs. The bill also
provides other options for students, such as job training and
community college, which also would be funded by state dollars.
While del Valle offered no estimate for his proposal’s financial
costs, he said any dent in state funding would be worth making
a dent in the dropout rate. The bill is
supported by the ISBE and the Illinois Federation of Teachers.
According to ISBE, the statewide dropout rate is 4.9 percent.
Educators wary of earlier exam dates By Erin Holmes,
Daily Herald Staff Writer, Suburban high
school educators said Tuesday they fear that giving the state
exams earlier in 2005 means more kids will be ill-prepared,
at a time when the No Child Left Behind law is raising the stakes
on improvement. State officials
have agreed to give the tests in March 2005, so they can get
the data out to the schools earlier. Last year the scoring process
- made stickier by demands of the No Child Left Behind act -
took so long schools didn't know their scores until about December. Suburban school
officials say the change - juniors will take the Prairie State
Achievement Exam nearly two months earlier than in 2004 - could
sink test scores and ruin any continuity the testing program
had. "You're
going to have to have a big asterisk (by the 2005 scores) and
say, 'This year, there's nine weeks less of instructional time,'"
Wheeling High School Principal Dorothy C. "Dottie"
Sievert said. "They're going to be less prepared. It's
not a time to be making large changes like this." But state board
of education spokeswoman Karen Craven argues timing shouldn't
matter. The PSAE assesses cumulative knowledge through years
of school, not just the year it's taken, she said. Craven added
that the state board consulted experts, who said the two months
is a "trivial" amount of time. She also points
out few had vast hopes for better scores several years ago when
the state actually began giving schools more time before doling
out the standardized tests. "There
was no one out there saying, 'Our kids are going to do so much
better because we have more time,'ć" Craven said. If the state
does notice a drop in scores, "We will consider making
an adjustment" statistically in 2005, she added. Educators repeatedly
have said they want to get data back sooner, to give them time
to react and implement change. But what they
sought was a quicker turnaround, educators said - not a new
testing date. "When we
wanted results sooner, we wanted them graded faster," Warren
Township High's Mary Olson said. Craven said
that's not possible with the current contractor handling the
scoring. Should the state contract with another scorer in 2006,
the testing dates may be pushed back again. "We can
certainly understand the difficult position the state is in,"
Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 spokesman Tom Petersen
said. His district is "very concerned" about the change
in dates, he said, but officials "will wait to evaluate
this change until ... seeing results from the 2005" tests. In 2005, high
school juniors will take the The new dates
should get the initial results back in early summer. But it doesn't
matter if the scores aren't where they should be because of
timing, says Tom Hay, an assistant superintendent in Carpentersville-based
"You are
really testing sophomores who are in (their junior year) for
six months," he argued. Officials in
Northwest Suburban High School District 214 estimate the effect
will be a half-point drop in the average composite ACT score. "I understand
peoples' needs and the governor's need to get test scores back
into teachers' hands so they can make changes the following
year," District 214 Superintendent Elizabeth A. Ennis said. But, she said,
"we need to provide the best testing situation. And you
sure don't give a test to kids over material you haven't had
time to cover. I mean, that's the worst example of poor test
circumstances I can think of." It's not all
bad news, though. In high school,
the change will put distance between the PSAE and Advanced Placement
tests, which now follow days later. In elementary school, some
say the timing will be a better fit, coming before spring break
rather than right after. "It's really
hard to do testing at that point" after break, said Alan
Simon, superintendent of Arlington Heights Elementary District
25. "The kids are in a little different frame of mind." He added he
doesn't believe the timing will prove as much a hassle at the
elementary level. "My gut
reaction is it doesn't seem to make a big difference one way
or another," he said. Some will always be left behind Beacon News
Editorial, At issue: The
No Child Left Behind act penalizes schools whose special education
students don't meet normal standards. We say: The expectation
is wrong and the law should be changed. The federal
government's "No Child Left Behind" law is neither
realistic nor practical. After all, no
educational system, no matter how good it is, is going to be
able to bring all students up to a federally mandated level
of achievement. In life, some
people are going to be left behind, and the federal government
can't change that. One of the problems
with the law is that schools that have students with autism,
mental retardation, brain injuries or other types of disabilities
that hamper their learning ability risk being rated as failing
schools because of the poor performance of the students on the
standardized tests the federal government uses to rate students,
and hence schools. The law mandates,
among other things, that all students, including special education
students, must be brought up to grade level on standardized
tests. In essence,
educators are being told they must bring students up to a level
some cannot possibly achieve. A schools director
in What's even
worse is that across the As one teacher
who deals with a variety of learning disabled students put it,
"These kids are not going to grow out of it, not going
to grow up and be OK. It's sad, but that is the way it is." The feds don't
see it that way, and schools that "fail" can face
sanctions, including being taken over by the state or private
companies, and teachers can face loss of their jobs. At the very
least, the federal government ought to allow students who cannot
reasonably be expected to have the learning capacity to pass
its tests not to have such tests counted against the schools. It is patently
unfair to have the test results of students incapable of passing
such tests used to determine the fate of the schools. More than anything
else, though, this shows that members of Congress and federal
bureaucrats ought not to be meddling in matters that are better
left in the hands of local teachers, principals and administrators.
Governor's plan for education wouldn't bring change Opinion by Paul
H. Seibert, Director of Development, The Governor French Academy,
Inc., Governor Rod
Blagojevich is at war with the Illinois State Board of Education.
According to the governor, the ISBE is a bloated, "soviet-style"
state bureaucracy. He would replace the State Board and its
staff with a Department of Education which, he says, would answer
directly to the office of the governor. Mr. Blagojevich
says that the Illinois State Board of Education and its State
Superintendent of Education have no accountability. The new
department would be accountable directly to the governor. He
says that the ISBE wastes tons of money. His new department
would save lots of money. He says the ISBE has little impact
on the actual education of Let me start
off by saying that I have never been a fan of the Illinois State
Board of Education. In my years in In my role as
an advocate for and advisor to What would a
Department of Education look like compared to the current State
Board of Education? According to the Mr. Blagojevich, the Department
of Education would be appointed by the Governor. The State Board
of Education is appointed by the Governor. The appointees to
the Department would be approved by the state Legislature. The
ISBE appointees are approved by the state Legislature. The Department
would answer directly to the Governor. The ISBE answers jointly
to the Governor and the State Legislature. The ISBE has a paid
staff of bureaucrats. The Department of Education would have
a paid staff of bureaucrats – probably many of the same bureaucrats
who now work for the ISBE. Like other state departments, the
Department of Education would probably have a chief executive.
The ISBE has its State Superintendent. Some appointees of the
State Board change every time there is a change of Governor.
The appointees of the Department of Education would definitely
change every time there is a change of Governor, especially
on change of political party. Where is the
difference? Both are appointed by the Governor. Both are state
bureaucracies. Both answer to one or more elected state offices.
Both are regulatory agencies. Will a red car run better than
a blue car? There is no evidence that says it will. Will Money isn't going where it's needed for education Letter by David
R. Baker of They say that
money talks, but it doesn't sing, dance or walk. However, the
past several years, money is certainly walking -- walking right
into the pockets of principals, superintendents and legislators.
Until they fork
some of this into the hands of the teachers, nothing is going
to go anywhere. Also, the people (parents) are going to have
to get more. Just as the governor said, there is going to have
to be some other way besides property taxes to fund education.
It is getting out of hand. I personally need to pay $100 more
this year and $80 more last year. Something is definitely wrong.
As I said before
about the soda pop and candy bar issue, parents (mostly) and
teachers will have to take care of this. Kids will have to take
more responsibility, too. Mom's home cooking and more exercise
at school -- at least 10 to 15 minutes of calisthenics a day
in gym class -- should suffice to take care of any excess fat
one has. Blagojevich offers few specifics on education changes
he hopes to make "I don't
want to jinx anything by thinking about it, because we don't
know if we're going to get authority for this," Blagojevich
said in an interview. "I haven't
thought about any specific criteria. I'd like to get the most
qualified person we could possibly get who's got the right kind
of attitude," he added. Blagojevich
reiterated many of his concerns about the state's education
bureaucracy in an interview Thursday with The Associated Press,
but he offered few details about what would change in Illinois
education if his plan is approved, dwelling instead on his hopes
of creating "a culture of 'can do.'" Financially
struggling school districts, meanwhile, are asking voters next
week to decide on 123 proposals to raise taxes or increase local
debt to help pay for education. Blagojevich offered no advice
on whether voters should give the schools more money to spend
under a system that he considers fundamentally flawed. "I wouldn't
feel right if I were about to give them advice, except to say
they should do what they think is right. I've been trying to
mind the store that I've been hired to mind," he said. "I do know
that if we're successful in the reforms I'm advocating, the
taxpayers footing the bill for local property taxes will get
more bang for their buck," he added. Blagojevich
is asking lawmakers to gut the independent State Board of Education
and create a new education agency under his control, run by
his appointee starting in mid-2005. The Democratic
governor said the state board as it operates now overloads teachers
and principals with useless regulations that result in "an
inefficient, wasteful system." He predicted
that his education proposals would cut school expenses by more
than $1 billion over four years, letting districts divert more
money to classrooms. He said he would achieve that by setting
up centralized programs to provide school supplies and employee
benefits at lower costs. Blagojevich
said he can guarantee that school regulations would be reduced
if he is given control, but he would not identify any regulations
that could be dropped or changed. He promised to simplify the
teacher certification process but said specifics must wait until
he gets more feedback from teachers and principals. Most employees
at the State Board of Education would be invited to work for
his new Department of Education, he said, but he predicted the
atmosphere there and in schools around the state would change. "This is
as much about building a system that changes the esprit de corps
and morale as it is about changing a structure," Blagojevich
said. "It's the culture of 'no' and the culture of excuses.
We want a culture of 'can do' and a culture of accountability." Critics argue
the governor's proposal would make cosmetic changes without
tackling real education problems. Nearly one-third
of Fixing problems
like that, critics say, will require fundamental changes in
the way schools are funded and managed. "We don't
want a bureaucracy just to switch from one area to the other
without addressing the concerns that we have in educating children,"
said Sen. Kimberly Lightford, a Chicago Democrat and head of
the state Senate's Black Caucus, which opposes the governor's
education proposal. Blagojevich,
however, says it's too soon to push for broader changes, especially
in school funding. First, voters must see evidence that schools
won't waste their money, he said. "I think
if they see that we're prepared to reform the school system
and put ourselves on the line for these schools, then I think
they'll have an open mind," he said. Still, Blagojevich
is making no promises that he will ever overhaul education funding. "Let's
see what happens down the road," he said. Blagojevich
said he was able to increase education spending by $400 million
this year despite a huge budget deficit, and he proposes another
$400 million increase next year. He called that an "incremental
approach" to fixing inequalities because the state funding
formula is weighted toward helping the poorest schools. Blagojevich
rejects the often-debated idea of pressuring some of the state's
880 school districts to consolidate because they are too small
and poor to serve their students well, saying that would run
counter to his goal "to shift decision-making away from
a bureaucracy in In testimony
to the state Senate last week, State Board of Education Chairwoman
Janet Steiner chided the governor for not discussing his goals
with her since promoting her to chairwoman last April. Blagojevich,
however, said he sees no point in doing so when he wants to
go in a fundamentally different direction. "We want
to create a whole different culture and environment," he
said. Some say Blagojevich's budget plan is unconstitutional
By DOROTHY SCHNEIDER
of Copley News Service, problem with
Gov. Rod Blagojevich's proposed Balanced Budget Act: It's unconstitutional. "The Balanced
Budget Act is really very simple," said Blagojevich in
his February budget address. "It requires
every spending bill or every spending increase - considered
by the General Assembly - to include in the bill a corresponding
revenue increase or spending reduction to pay for it." In short, under
Blagojevich's plan, state government could not promise services
it could not afford. However, the
act as the governor outlined it would contradict the Illinois
Constitution's requirement to keep appropriation bills - which
detail how programs or services get funded - separate from all
other legislation. The language
in Article IV, Section 8 of the state constitution reads: "Appropriation
bills shall be limited to the subject of appropriations." "This is
just another example of bumper-sticker politics," said
Sen. Steven Rauschenberger, R-Elgin. "The governor is preying
on the fact that many people do not understand our budget process. "Arguing
for this balanced budget scheme that he knows won't work is
just another way to divert attention away from the budget deficit
that he hasn't fixed, and some would argue he hasn't even tried
to fix," Rauschenberger added. Mike Lurie,
general counsel and regulatory director for the governor's Office
of Management and Budget, said the administration still needs
to look at the fundamentals. Rep. Gary Hannig
of Litchfield, the House Democrats' budget expert, agreed there
would be a problem with the Balanced Budget Act as the governor
laid it out. "Mechanically,
it's very difficult because the constitution specifically says
there are two types of bills," Hannig said. The Illinois
Constitution requires appropriation bills to stay separate so
unrelated programs or projects cannot piggyback onto an appropriation
bill that must be passed, said former state Comptroller Dawn
Clark Netsch, a Northwestern Law School professor and delegate
at the 1970 constitutional convention. Netsch said
the provision is not unusual in state constitutions. Without
that required separation, Netsch said, a mandate to split the
current board of education into two distinct bodies could conceivably
be tacked onto an appropriation bill, like school funding, which
is likely to pass. "That happens
in Congress all the time, which drives people crazy," Netsch
said. Lurie said some
contingency might be worked out so that appropriation bills
would be coupled - but not combined - with the substantive bills
that call for additional spending. But if there
are two bills - one that calls for spending and one that pays
for spending - one could pass while the other fails. Lurie said the
proposed law would not succeed in its mission if legislators
only had to introduce a bill to pay for a new program but didn't
have to get it passed in the General Assembly. Becky Carroll,
spokeswoman for the governor's Office of Management and Budget,
said Blagojevich is trying to promote more fiscal discipline. To amend the
state constitution, three-fifths of the Legislature must approve
the amendment, and the measure would be placed on the ballot
in the next general election. Then, the amendment must be approved
by three-fifths of those voting on the measure or the majority
of people voting in the election. Hidden danger: Many schools lack adequate number of sprinklers
BY GREG SMITH,
SVN STAFF REPORTER, March 7, 2004 When fire destroyed
Rahn Elementary on Feb. 12, the building did not have a water
sprinkling system. According to the Lee/Ogle Regional Office
of Education, most schools in the region do not have sprinklers.
"Older
schools do not have sprinkling systems because they were not
required when they were built," said Delight Pitman, regional
superintendent of schools for Lee and Ogle counties. "Since
we have a lot of older schools, we probably have a large percentage
that do not have them." The 353 students
and the 40 teachers and staff members at Rahn were able to get
out of the building quickly because everyone did what they had
practiced. "Water
sprinklers save buildings, they don't save lives," said
Kent Johansen, interim superintendent of the None of the
school buildings in the "I was
the superintendent of An underground
container with 10,000 gallons of water had to be built to supply
water to the school. Work had to be done on the well to supply
the container. "Algae
has probably clogged the system, so it might not work,"
said Johansen. "The reason sprinklers are required is because
it was something the legislatures could easily vote for. What
it amounts to is an unfunded mandate by the state." Only additions
to "If you
build a 7,200 square foot addition to a school, you will need
to put sprinklers in the new addition," said Steinert.
"You don't need to install one in the rest of the building."
Most schools
in Ogle and Lee counties that have sprinklers, only have them
in a few areas, according to Kai Conway, assistant Ogle/Lee
regional superintendent. " Sprinklers can
save lives, according to Mount Morris Fire Chief Rob Hough.
"Since
the fire was in the roof, sprinklers would not have helped control
the fire at Rahn," said Hough. "There was between
18 inches to 24 inches between the ceiling and the roof where
the fire was located. Most codes do not require water sprinklers
in that area." The state code
does not require sprinklers between the roof and ceiling, however,
some communities do require that area to be covered. " Sprinklers help
contain fires so there is less damage. Sometimes they do such
a good job that there is little for the fire department to do.
"When we
have gone out for fires in buildings with sprinklers, we have
found the fire already contained, leaving us the job to finish
up," said Hough. "Sprinklers can keep a fire contained
in one area so it does not spread." In the case
of the Rahn fire, many of the students and teachers did not
realize there was a fire until they turned around and looked
at the building. "I heard
one person said they saw flames while they were in the building,"
said Hough. "As far as I know, that is only hearsay." Restructure education before funding reform Pantagraph Editorial,
In the chicken-or-egg
world of school reform, it has become clear that a complete
restructuring of the education bureaucracy must safely cross
the road before As Gov. Rod
Blagojevich said before the Senate on Wednesday, until taxpayers
believe their money won't be wasted, "taxpayers are not
going to be willing to have an open and honest discussion about
how we fund our schools." The Illinois
Senate devoted seven hours to education in a rare meeting as
a Committee of the Whole. Blagojevich underwent questioning
for 75 minutes on his proposal to create a Department of Education.
It was the first appearance by a governor in such a forum in
17 years. Considering the cool relationship Blagojevich has
had with the Legislature, his willingness to make such a showing
carries added significance. Both the session
and the governor's presence are indications that the issue has
a high priority -- not just among lawmakers and the governor,
but also voters. Whether that
intense interest can translate into meaningful reform this time
is the big question. Despite the governor's appearance, there
still appears to be communication problems between his staff
and the Legislature. Blagojevich
is proposing creation of a Department of Education under control
of the governor. His plan would remove nearly all authority
from the Illinois State Board of Education, except to "study"
education matters and to appoint the state superintendent. The
latter is a power granted by the state Constitution. However,
the superintendent would be little more than a figurehead under
Blagojevich's plan. State Sen. Bill
Brady, R-Bloomington, is a co-sponsor of the plan. But he wants
action delayed until more details are available -- a wise move. Blagojevich
should face the constitutional issue head on and eliminate the
board and superintendent through the amendment process. As for the idea
of a Department of Education, Blagojevich has history on his
side. Daley has endorsed
Blagojevich's plan: "Some people believe the current decentralized
system keeps politics out of education. In reality, it keeps
accountability out of education." Sen. Rickey
Hendon, D-Chicago, noted during the session that the State Board
of Education has had three decades to fix public education.
The board could rightfully counter that the Legislature has
had more than three decades to do the same. But the point
is that the problem is systemic. The call to eliminate the Board
of Education goes back at least as far as the Jim Edgar administration. We disagree
with the Senate Black Caucus that funding issues must be addressed
first. On the contrary,
if the public sees the state response as merely throwing money
at the problem, it will not support funding changes. The public wants
to see fundamental changes, not window-dressing -- not just
for the sake of their pocketbooks but for the sake of their
children. Hopefuls say
lack of money hinders `No Child' law In addition
to promising to fully fund No Child Left Behind by roughly $9
billion, most of the hopefuls said they would work to increase
financial backing for college grants and special education,
though none was specific about how to pay for it. State Sen. Barack
Obama of "All of
these programs are scheduled for cuts under the president's
proposed budget," Obama said in answering a Tribune questionnaire
on education issues sent to five of the Democratic candidates. Like Obama,
the others running in the March 16 primary--attorney Gery Chico,
former securities trader Blair Hull, state Comptroller Dan Hynes
and Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas--were critical of President
Bush's education plans and suggested additional funding was
key to improving the nation's schools. "Unfunded
federal mandates coupled with unrealistically high standards
of academic achievement undermine the very real progress that
is being made in our schools," Hynes and Pappas
were also critical of the law, with Hynes stressing that the
federal government's role should be funding education for poor
children and special education students, while Pappas said more
needs to be done for the youngest children. "I have
been and remain the strongest proponent of programs that focus
on children from ages zero to 6," she said. "We must
fully fund Head Start and Early Head Start and related parenting
skills to help our children to start school with a leg up." Although their
Republican counterparts back the idea of school vouchers, the
Democrats feel the opposite. Not only will vouchers decrease
revenue for public schools that are struggling financially,
they said, but also there are serious questions about their
effectiveness. "The current
transfer provisions under No Child Left Behind are not solving
the problem because recipient schools are seeing their own class
counts increase to troubling levels and their teachers and facilities
are put under enormous stress," Hynes said. "The only
solution is to fix troubled schools." "Vouchers
simply offer an illusion of choice rather than real systemic
reform," he said. "Vouchers do not make high-quality
education available to lower-income families since vouchers
rarely, if ever, cover the tuition cost of private school." The candidates
also oppose Bush in backing the idea of increasing funding for
college student grants, such as the Pell Grant, which has become
less valuable in recent years due to cutbacks in federal funding. The candidates
said bilingual education must continue to be a priority. Although each
of the candidates agreed with it in principle, some stressed
that students must keep their eyes on becoming capable in English
while learning in another language. "The federal
government should continue to fund bilingual education as a
critical key to making sure that every child can continue to
learn in all subjects--math, science and social studies--while
they are learning and developing their English language skills,"
Hynes said. Vocational
ed evolves to meet 21st Century career demands Ann R. Martin,
Preparing students
for employment in today's workforce is a whole new ball game,
high school and college administrators said. Postsecondary education
is becoming crucial for all students, not just those bound for
college. "We would
like to think that everybody who leaves here goes postsecondary
somewhere. That's our goal," said Jeff Jerdee, director
of education to careers and technology education for Township
High School District 214, the second largest high school district
in Jeremy Schrafel,
a senior at District 214's "For my
whole life I've wanted to go into some form of visual art,"
Schrafel said. "I want to go into some sort of visual arts
job, maybe at a design or printing place." Although the
high school's graphic arts career education program is giving
him a lot of practical experience, it also has taught him that
he needs to know more, he said. Schrafel is
one of many students looking at career program options for postsecondary
education. Schools are offering many certificate and associate
degree career programs that prepare students to work in specific
fields. Certificate programs concentrate on the skills needed
for particular fields and usually require less time to complete
than associate degree programs, which have more general education
requirements. "When we
put together a collection of courses, it's not really a collection
of courses--it's a collection of job skills," he said.
"We believe when students graduate they will offer a nucleus
of skills such that an employer will say, `You're ready to start
in my company.'" Career classes
a secret Accredited private
schools, which usually specialize in areas such as automotive
technology or allied health fields, also offer postsecondary
career education. "The career
sector for education is a bit of a well-kept secret," said
Elise Scanlon, executive director of the Accrediting Commission
of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology, based in The commission
accredits about 780 schools in the Some accredited
private postsecondary schools, including for-profit schools
such as "The school
system has always had a career orientation to its education,
or an applications focus," said John Petrik, dean of career
services at DeVry's Although DeVry
has added computer technology to its curriculum and offers bachelor's
degrees, it still maintains a career-oriented, hands-on approach
to learning and zeros in on the skills that employers are seeking,
he said. "Many of
our courses are designed with labs where they actually will
design circuitry on computers and then assemble that circuitry
and simulate what they'll be doing in the field when they're
hired as field service technicians," Petrik said. In touch with
professionals DeVry enlists
focus groups and advisory boards to make sure its programs are
producing graduates with the skills that businesses and industries
need, Petrik said. As a result, DeVry graduates find jobs. Within
22 weeks, 92 percent of last June's graduates were employed,
he said. At the high
school level, however, the focus on career education is relatively
new and is different from the traditional concept of vocational
education, Jerdee said. In District 214 the career approach
instills high-tech concepts and a commitment to lifelong learning
that students need to keep pace in a job market that demands
more education for everyone, he said. "If you
don't know basic programming, you can't fix a car," Jerdee
said. "Those people wear white lab coats now. They've got
high-tech computer diagnostic equipment." Because there's
more to learn for today's jobs, it takes more time to learn
it. Even with four years devoted to programs such as welding,
high schools have time to bring students only partway to the
sophisticated skill levels now required for employment, he said. "It used
to be the welder on the line building the car," Jerdee
said. "Now they build the robot that welds." The resulting
jobs can be filled only with highly skilled workers. Students at
District 214's high schools begin career plans as freshmen.
The goal is to bring the students "as high up into the
sequence of classes that are available to them as we can,"
he said. Dave Collins,
a senior in the manufacturing technology program at "Even outside
of school, that's the type of job I do, metalworking,"
Collins said. "I work for a company called Life Time Fitness
in He plans to
continue working after high school graduation and attend a career
school program for metalworking or HVAC. Some high school
career programs are designed to ease students into community
college programs. District 214 offers programs that allow students
to earn community college credit while they are earning high
school credit, Jerdee said. "We have
articulation agreements with other programs at postsecondary
institutions where they can skip the first year and go directly
into the second year at the community colleges," he said. Included in
those deals are programs in areas such as refrigeration and
heating technology, fire science technology, health occupations
and NetPrep, which prepares students to be computer network
administrators and support specialists, he said. Smooth transitions Articulation
agreements with high schools provide smooth transitions that
are especially important in the information technology field,
said Erich Spengler, associate professor of information technology
at "We're
always working hard to ensure that there is a solid articulation
so they can start pursuing careers while they're already in
high school," Spengler said. "Then those programs
can be articulated into the community colleges, which in turn
can help give them a strong foundation for the jobs." The Cisco courses,
which prepare students to design, build and maintain computer
networks, are among the most popular at As with other
certificate programs, Cybersecurity
a new field The newest program
at The grant established
a Overall, the
career programs most in demand focus on computer skills and
health care, Fraites said. Students attracted to the programs
include people already in the workforce and in need of new skills
as well as recent high school graduates. Night and weekend
classes allow students to continue their educations while working
full time. Moraine's popular
new polysomnography program, which trains technicians to assist
with sleep studies at hospitals and clinics, has evening classes
and clinical experience during the night, while patients are
sleeping, said Margaret Machon, assistant dean of career programs
and director of health sciences. It takes about a year to complete
the certificate program. "We had
the first graduating class in May from this program," Machon
said. "Before they even graduated, the students in polysomnography
already had job offers." Massage therapy
classes, which are part of Both programs
are among many other certificate programs that can be rolled
into associate degree programs and eventually bachelor's degree
programs. As the needs of the workforce change, students with
bachelor's degrees frequently enroll in certificate programs
or non-credit training programs to update their skills, Fraites
said. "We tell
students you never stop learning," Jerdee said. "You
need to know that you'll need to retrain and where to get retrained." Residents
should do their part for schools Letter
to the Editor by Jill
Michelic of Lisle, The Sun (Lisle), I've just spent
the morning at our library listening to a dizzying array of
facts, figures and opinions regarding the upcoming Lisle District
202 referendum. People are very impassioned on both sides of
the issue, and while I was impressed with the preparedness of
all speakers, I think that most people are truly missing the
basic bottom line here — our schools need money. I don't really
care to hear another statistic about the individual salaries
of our teachers or our principals or superintendents (which
are comparatively moderate), or how much we spent on computer
monitors (which are, truly, very cool), or how much the cost
of toilet paper is per pupil. (I'm making that up, it wasn't
discussed.) Our schools need money. If you think
they've made mistakes, fine. Go to a school board meeting and
discuss it. Start an action group. Chain yourself to a flagpole.
Meanwhile, our schools still need money. They're not making
it up, and there is no magic cure. The simple fact
remains that if this referendum doesn't pass, there will be
changes. Larger class sizes, fewer teachers, less programs,
more out-of-pocket expenses for parents. The quality of education
in Lisle will decrease. For those of you without children in
the school system, this translates, simply, into Lisle becoming
a less desirable area to live. A less desirable area to live
translates directly into lower property values. That might not
happen, but it might. You may say
the district is bluffing, but what if they're not? Is that a
risk you're willing to take for less than the cost of one dinner
out a month? District 202 currently has the lowest tax rate
in all of the surrounding districts. If the referendum passes,
we will still have the second-lowest tax rate in all of the
surrounding districts. The increase will cost each of us less
than the price of one dinner out a month. Fall off your wallets,
people! I don't mean
to sound cavalier — our family is definitely on a tight budget.
We don't have fancy cars, I shop at Aldi, and in my eye a clearance
rack is a beautiful thing. But I want to be part of a community
that recognizes that its children are a priority. I believe
in our schools. I'm proud of the teachers and the principals
and the administrators. And I'm willing to pay 300 bucks to
prove it. Officials
find no easy remedies for 'No Child' ills Susan Frick
Carlman, The Sun, Plainsfield Officials based
in Biggert and
Department of Education official Ron Tomalis visited Although funding
from But they also
pointed out that paying for education is not "Education
is, and always should remain, a primary responsibility of the
state and local level," Biggert said. It's that balance
that currently is taking up the focus of regional officials.
An assortment of initiatives are addressing the reality that,
despite the legal requirement that the state fund at least 51
percent of the cost of public schooling, more than half of the
expense is borne by local property owners. In 2001-02, the state
footed just 32 percent of the bill, according to the Illinois
State Board of Education, while 7.3 percent of the revenue came
from the federal level. Despite its
small role in paying for education, the concept of the federal
government requiring students to meet uniform learning standards
is not new. Tomalis said the regulations reflected in the current
legislation originated during the Pushing performance As the earlier
mandate had done, No Child gave the states primary responsibility
for most implementation decisions. But it is more thorough,
and sets a 2014 deadline for all students to meet academic standards
if their schools are to continue receiving federal support. "One thing
that's different is performance. We must see improvement,"
Tomalis said. He also suggested
there is a philosophical shift in the present approach to improving
American education, evidenced in the names of the 1994 and 2002
federal acts. "Rhetoric
is very important. ...We've moved away from a focus on buildings
and institutions to a focus on children, which is where it should
be," Tomalis said. None of the
participants or other panelists disputed that claim, but numerous
administrators noted ways in which the No Child act has introduced
hurdles that they are finding virtually impossible to overcome.
Some also suggested that while the act has noble intentions
and has brought a new level of attention to the issue of accountability,
its mechanics and its emphasis on the testing instruments appear
misdirected. Some specifically
questioned the portion of the act that breaks students into
subgroups based on ethnicity, socioeconomic status, special
needs and other criteria. Joe Matula, superintendent in "It just
seems that the focus is all on the data, not on a plan to help
the kids," he said. Rich Duran,
superintendent of the Will County Regional Office of Education,
echoed the thought. While he commended the act's effect of compelling
schools to take a closer look at themselves — and to consider
variables such as high mobility — he charged that it places
undue importance on instruments to the exclusion of what's going
on in the classroom. "We keep
debating what percentage of kids must achieve, but we don't
talk about how," Duran said. Some of the
administrators also took the federal officials to task on the
portion of the act that governs the measure labeled Adequate
Yearly Progress. Panelist Phil Hansen, who was chief accountability
officer under Chicago schools chief Paul Vallas from 1995 to
2002 and now is consulting with the Illinois State Board of
Education, said setting a requirement that academic growth occur
at an annual rate of 7.5 percent was not realistic. "Children
are not widgets, so we can never assume that they will learn
in equal increments," Hansen said. Conclusions
also are difficult to draw on the basis of Adequate Yearly Progress
data, participants said. Hansen noted that three out of four
Several of those
at the meeting also said the consequences of the yearly progress
requirement seem punitive. When subgroups fall short of the
academic targets, the entire school can be tagged as failing
to meet the requirements — a phenomenon that is blamed for the
nearly 40 percent of Hansen noted
that the school-choice aspect can add significantly to a district's
compliance expenses because busing is costly. He said two out
of three kids who have switched to other schools through the
option have since returned to their original campuses. And the
feature is not seen as an incentive for school improvement. "Our parents
... are always telling us, 'Help us make our schools better.
Don't tell us to go to other schools,'" he said. The bottom line Gus Tomac, superintendent
of "The fact
remains the crisis is funding. ...That's just the bottom line,"
said Tomac, adding that his district's red ink is largely the
result of requirements that come from the federal level. "I
view No Child Left Behind as being one of those unfunded dictates." Tomalis countered
the assertion, reiterating that the federal government's monetary
function is to supplement other education funding sources. "What we
have funded is an accountability program that we believe will
lead to all children being proficient," he said. But others appeared
skeptical of that prospect as well. Mary Curley, superintendent
of Community Consolidated School District 181 in "I think
what you're hearing is that we support what you're doing ...
but we're truly struggling with the implementation," Curley
said. The outward
perception generated by the federal act is that "public
education is bad and we're going to fix it," she said,
noting that it addresses trouble spots encountered by small
groups of students, but overlooks the majority of areas in which
most districts are doing fine. "I think
it's a little myopic because we're really struggling, and I
would just like you to think about what you've heard here today,"
she said. Governor's
plan leaves local administrators with questions Jennifer Ramseyer,
Olney Daily Mail As Gov. Rod
Blagojevich touts the benefits of his plan to create a new Department
of Education, school administrators are left with many questions
and concerns. Blagojevich's
education plan includes stripping the State Board of Education
of many of its powers and giving them to the new department,
which will be accountable to him. He has criticized
the board for its 2,800 pages of administrative rules and called
it a "Soviet-style bureaucracy." The governor
has said the change would bring more accountability to the system.
However, this statement is suspect for some. At a recent
meeting of school superintendents, Jane Ladage, Education Policy
Advisor from the governor's office, addressed area administrators
about the governor's education proposals. In their responses,
some administrators felt the change would not create more accountability
since they felt the governor was less touchable. They were concerned
by diminishing local control in education. Some wondered
aloud if the governor would appoint regional and local superintendents
in the future as well. Without the
board and representation, would the money and contracts go to
Where would
there be checks and balances in the system? With a new department
headed by the governor's office, will there be any consistency
and stability for education? How will the
governor or new department cut costs when new mandates, some
of them unfunded, keep on coming? Superintendents
noted that the governor's statement that 46 percent of school
expenditures are spent on instruction is an inaccurate number. ISBE claimed
the amount is 91 cents to the dollar. There was a
feeling the new Department of Education jobs would be appointed
by the governor's office on the basis of partisanship. West Richland
Superintendent Don Carlyle, present at the meeting, has mixed
feelings about the governor's plan. "There
is quite a bit of red tape at ISBE. My main concert is the state
certification process is very, very complicated for teachers,
very, very complicated for administrators," Carlyle said. In defense of
the state board, he noted the board is given its directives
from the legislature. Carlyle is not
a fan of state testing, since he feels it has never been a good
way to measure the success of what students are learning. However, whether
the ISBE or the governor's proposed department is in charge
doesn't matter to Carlyle. "All I
care about is that they provide enough funds to do our job and
streamline to let us teach the kids," Carlyle said. Bev Turkal,
who is currently on the Board of Education representing Blagojevich
has said his new agency will deliver equal results for 80 percent
of the funds with 60 percent of the headcount it takes to run
the state board. "I am appalled
at the board thing in the plan. I am very concerned because
it is no more than the power of politics," Turkal, of Robinson,
said. Turkal noted
she thought it was wrong of Blagojevich to question the board's
hard work. "I have
pride to represent this part of A concern of
Turkal's that hasn't been addressed by the education program
is how schools are funded. East Richland
School District Superintendent Marilyn Holt attended the meeting
of superintendents and several others discussing the governor's
plan with interest. Holt formerly
worked for the Illinois State Board of Education as a division
supervisor. She believes
the board has a tough job and the criticism it is receiving
from the governor's office is unearned. The nine-person
board is unpaid, she noted, adding that in her experience, she
has found the members to be very dedicated. "They have
not represented a party but represent children. I have not witnessed
them having acted as a partisan decision," Holt said. In fact, Holt
believes that being more political may have been easier for
the board. "The state
board cannot go on as it is in conflict with the governor and
the legislators. It's time for them all to sit down and work
together," Holt said. She noted the
increasing efficiency of the ISBE over the last several years. "When the
board started electing the state superintendent, things worked
well," Holt said. "Before that they had 1,400 employees,
now it is above 400. In just 2 1/2 years, the board lessened
the number of employees," Holt said. The debate over
who will be in charge of the state education system is an important
one for even the average citizen because, "This is your
tax dollars at work," Holt said. "I think
the questions are important. It's a question of the checks and
balances system. Who will be the check and balance for the governor
and the governor's people?" Holt said. Another question
that is important to the plan is "Is it constitutional?" The board was
formed in the 1970 Constitutional Convention. Though the governor
says it is, Holt said that when the Holt likes what
was said by Edwards County Superintendent Pat Healy, to look
internally at what works and put more money there. If those things
that work are the foundation of the system, Holt thinks the
educational system will work well. "From state
funds we need to be able to expect more or at least an equal
amount," Holt said. "There
are more basics today than ever before. Our kids come and they
are bright. We as teachers send our students to places we've
never been to do things we've never done," Holt said. Holt is hesitant
to give support to a new department when the checks and balances
system is uncertain. "The governor
is telling us, pass the bill and trust us and we'll work out
the details," Holt said. Though the current
system isn't perfect, Holt is against throwing out the good
with the bad. The plan to
create a Department of Education will affect local school districts
in many ways, she believes. However, Holt
is trying to be open-minded to the governor's proposals. "Where
are the pitfalls and possibilities?" Holt asked. When big bills
on education were passed in 1985 and 1995, making big changes,
Holt noted, there were possibilities there for the schools. Holt sees some
good things in the governor's overall plan for education. She would love
to have less paperwork. Holt is in favor
of the school maintenance grants, the details of which are included
in Senate Bill 3001. They would increase bonding authorization
for school construction bonds. If a joint health
benefits plan can save the district money, it has possibilities. The plan would
purchase benefits for all The governor's
education proposal also includes: - Reading proposals
which include an Early Childhood Block Grant, which will add
funds for more at-risk children to go to preschool, Imagination
Libraries Program, a proposal to provide books for all children
from birth to 5-years-old and adding reading specialists to
schools that fail to meet reading achievements. - Recreating
Project Success, a system that responds to the needs of students
and their families by using the school as a hub for the services. - Teacher certification
and preparation plans, including renewal requirements for reading
instruction, the creation of a Professional Teachers Standards
Board that will take over the certification process currently
handled by the state board, a scholarship for students who will
teach in understaffed schools or shortage discipline areas and
a task force for alternative routes to teacher certification. - Healthier
students initiative, which includes the ban on junk food, requiring
schools to provide breakfast if 40 percent of the population
is eligible for reduced lunches, exploring the P.E. curricula,
initiating the "Governor's Fitness Challenge," and
requiring food inspections at schools. - Community
involvement proposals, including requiring 40 hours of community
service for high-school graduation, investing $2 million in
target communities to keep potential dropouts in school and
expanding the Tech Prep Program. Why
more schools are hitting up voters Sara Burnett,
Daily Herald No matter where
you live or which party's ballot you pull, chances are good
you'll face at least one question about school funding - and
perhaps more - on Election Day. A near-record
number of And more than
half the state's voters will weigh in on a measure that could
raise the income tax for people who make more than $250,000
a year - money that would be split among The high number
of ballot questions is no coincidence, experts in school funding
say. It's due largely
to the 1991 property tax cap law, which limits the amount of
money schools, towns and park districts can collect each year
to the rate of inflation plus any growth from new homes and
businesses. Over time, as
buildings age, enrollments grow and salaries - about 80 percent
of any school budget - increase, taxing bodies such as schools
feel the pinch more and more. "The problem
is, schools are starting to show their age, and even when (staff)
raises are low, they're usually above inflation," said
Kevin McCanna, president of Speer Financial and an adviser to
governments on referendum requests. "The math
doesn't work anymore. At some point, you've just got problems."
According to
the State Board of Elections, The record was
the 137 questions asked last November. There are about 900 districts
statewide, but many have more than one question on the ballot. Of the 22 suburban
questions, 18 seek to raise taxes and four ask to borrow money
without an accompanying tax increase. Schools say
the funds are needed for everything from new buildings to renovations
and education funds, which are used to pay teacher and teacher
aide salaries. If history is
any indication, though, districts shouldn't start making plans
for the cash just yet. Across In the suburbs,
schools fare a little better. Between 1996 and 2000, suburban
voters approved about 61 percent of school referendums. When
the economy took a turn for the worse, the numbers dipped. In
2001 and 2002, suburban school districts had a 47 percent success
rate. Also, on the
primary ballot in many districts throughout the state - including
Cook and parts of Kane counties - will be an advisory referendum
on a proposal Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn believes will help ease the
school funding crunch. That plan would
raise the income tax for people who make more than $250,000
per year by 3 percent. The tax would affect about 81,000 taxpayers
- roughly 1.4 percent - and raise about $1.15 billion in revenue,
Quinn has said. Half of the
money - about $575 million by today's estimates - would be distributed
among the state's 896 school districts. The remaining
cash would go to provide every homeowner an annual property
tax rebate of at least $208. Quinn has pitched
the idea as a "Taxpayer Action Amendment" to the state's
constitution. The question,
which will be posed to about 53 percent of the state's voters,
is non-binding, meant to get the public's pulse on the issue. Quinn's office
is hoping the numbers will show the plan has support and give
legislators reason to put a binding question on the November
ballot, said Claude Walker, a Quinn spokesman. The measure
would require 60 percent approval to become law. If that were
to happen, the law would take effect It's wait-see on governor's plan BY CHUCK FIELDMAN,
Superintendents
of school districts with buildings in Franklin Park, Northlake
and unincorporated Leyden Township all have a wait and see attitude
about Gov. Rod Blagojevich's proposal of doing away with the
Illinois State Board of Education. During his Jan.
16 State of the State address, Blagojevich called on state legislators
to create a new Department of Education, which would be under
the governor's control. A new Department
of Education would replace the current State Board of Education,
which Blagojevich wrote in a Jan. 25 letter to The State Board
of Education, the governor continued, "has failed in its
responsibility to support local schools, instead crippling districts
and teachers with thousands of pages of rules and regulations.
Like many unaccountable bureaucracies, the Illinois State Board
of Education has become an organization that exists more for
the benefit of its own overpaid administrators than for the
benefit of the children of this state. And the children are
paying the price." Blagojevich
says his plan to strip the Illinois State Board of Education
of its administrative powers and create a new Department of
Education will save an estimated $1 billion over four years
to reinvest in classrooms. "A department
of education could be a positive thing if it becomes more of
a partner with schools and not so much a gatekeeper," said
Kathy Robbins, superintendent of Leyden High School District
212. "The State Board of Education pretty much just regulates
what we do, and it's in a way that creates much more paperwork.
"The State
Board has done some positive things, but a department of education
could be a very good replacement, depending on how it would
be organized and run." It's some specifics
about a department of education that Superintendents David Nemec
(Franklin Park District 84), "I'm a
wait and see person," Nemec said. "I'm all for an
increase in revenue flow to our district, but I'm certain all
superintendents will want to see how any changes will impact
their own school districts. "The funding
issue definitely needs to be addressed. Every year, there are
more and more unfunded mandates from the state." Lane said he
sees some good possibilities with a state department of education.
"In theory,
there are some good things that could come as the result of
(a department of education instead of the State Board of Education),
but we definitely need to see some more details, and I need
to see how it will impact our district. "If something
will help to improve education, I'm all for it. But I'm not
sure if this will do it." "We need
to see specific plans and get more information about what changes
will be made," Robbins said
part of the angst many superintendents around Illinois have
about Blagojevich's proposal to do away with the State Board
of Education stems from a favorable opinion of State Superintendent
Robert E. Schiller. "I think
most superintendents are very supportive of (Schiller),"
Robbins said. "He's a strong advocate for education and
kids. And it's probably doubtful that he would be a part of
a new Department of Education." Golden Apple
winners in limbo; legislators vow support By Jodi S. Cohen,
Tribune staff reporter, Barely a month
after winning a Golden Apple Scholars award, high school senior
Dema Sabbara grappled Tuesday with the news that the state plans
to cut funding for the scholarship program. "I put
my heart into applying," said Sabbara, an "Wherever
I go, I will make the best of it," she said. "But
I can do a whole lot more in teaching with this scholarship." Sabbara was
among 100 high school seniors and about 300 college students
who expected to receive the four-year scholarships in exchange
for teaching in needy schools after they graduate. Gov. Rod Blagojevich
has proposed ending the program, cutting more than $3 million
earmarked for the scholarships from next year's budget. The
decision drew fire from several legislators, who vowed to try
to have the money restored. Becky Carroll,
a Blagojevich spokeswoman, said Tuesday that budget constraints
forced the state to stop funding the program. "It was
a tough decision. In an ideal time we would give a program like
this one more money," said Carroll, who said no grants
were cut from the current year's budget. "There remains
tremendous opportunities available for students who hoped to
receive the Golden Apple." Students can
apply for other state scholarships, she said, including the
Future Teacher Corps Program, which provides up to $5,000 annually
for 1,400 students who agree to teach for five years in hard-to-staff
schools or in subject areas with a teacher shortage. And the state
added 1,000 state college assistance grants this year under
the Monetary Award Program for students with financial needs,
Carroll said. Another 460
scholarships are available through the Minority Teachers of
Illinois program, which provides $5,000 annually for up to four
years for minority students who agree to teach at schools where
30 percent of students are minorities, she said. Some legislators
said Tuesday that they will work to restore the Golden Apple
program's funding before the budget is approved in spring. The
funding was also in jeopardy last year. "We need
teachers to be better trained and teach in low-income schools
in inner-city areas. That's what this program does," said
state Sen. Miguel del Valle (D-Chicago), chairman of the Senate
Education Committee. "It seems like we keep talking about
education being our top priority, and then you have actions
like this that have us moving backward." Del Valle said
the decision to cut the Golden Apple Scholars program "borders
on hypocrisy." The program
has received state funding since 1993. It is also funded by
corporate and private donations. The scholars
receive $5,000 tuition scholarships annually for four years
and $2,000 annual summer stipends for extra training. Besides
helping pay for college, the program pairs students with some
of the state's best teachers during the summer for extra training. Some of those
teachers have received Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in
Teaching, a program that honors 10 Chicago-area teachers each
year. This year's awards will be announced Wednesday and Thursday.
The Chicago-based Golden Apple Foundation runs the teacher award
and student scholarship programs. About 1,200
high school seniors were nominated for the scholarships this
year, and about 425 applied. Roughly 55 percent of the scholars
are minority and low-income students; about 90 percent complete
the five-year teaching commitment, according to the foundation. When students
graduate, they work for five years at schools with a high percentage
of low-income students or where fewer than 57 percent met academic
goals in at least two subjects. Many of the
students said the financial assistance is crucial. "What am
I going to do? I was counting a lot on that scholarship,"
said Benita Arguellez, 18, a senior at The decision
to eliminate the scholarship program came as schools try to
comply with new federal requirements to have highly qualified
teachers by 2005-06. In State Sen. Dan
Cronin (R-Lombard) said offering other scholarships in place
of the Golden Apple program isn't an acceptable solution. "Just throwing
money at young people for teaching does not work," Cronin
said. "The Golden Apple, with a unique curriculum, summer
internships, a mentoring program unlike any other, has a proven
track record that works." Anelia Gonzalez,
a sophomore at Gonzalez works
at Old Navy and said she may apply for a second job if the Golden
Apple money isn't restored. "I'm worried,"
said Gonzalez, who graduated from Queen of Peace High School
in State lawmakers: 'We have to live within our means' BY DAVID POLLARD,
Local state
legislators are trying to digest Gov. Rod Blagojevich's budget
blueprint for fiscal 2005. While most applaud
his proposal, they are faced with the task of making tough decisions
in order to have it work. The governor
has presented a $43.5 billion budget to the Illinois General
Assembly. The proposal allocates an additional $400 million
for elementary and secondary education. The budget also allocates
money to hire more State Police officers. If the numbers
he has come up hold true, at the end of the fiscal year, the
state would retire a $1.7 billion structural deficit. The deficit
was a result of major expenses, like Medicaid and employee health
insurance, growing faster than revenues. State Rep. Karen
Yarbrough, D-7th, said she has mixed feelings about the governor's
proposed budget. She said the merging of different government
agencies and the allotting of money for elementary education
is a good move, but noted there still is a $1.7 million deficit
with which to contend. "I haven't
heard anything addressing this," she said. "The revenue
side is short. "Nobody
wants to cut anything, but we have to live within our means."
She said a lot
of schools in her district and others throughout the state are
in deficit-spending mode, yet still under tremendous pressure
to provide quality education at the same time. "(Parents)
want the best for their kids, but it costs money," she
said. She believes
all schools should be equally funded no matter where they are
and believes funding through property taxes is not equitable.
Decisions, decisions Ultimately,
state legislators like Yarbrough have to meet and make the decisions
to make the governor's budget proposal a reality. "It's a
big plan to give to somebody else to do," she said. "Our
state, like other states in the union, is experiencing unprecedented
deficits; and we're down to the bone with what we can cut. "Where
is (the money)? It wasn't in his budget address." State Rep. Angelo
"Skip" Saviano, R-77th, said he believes the budget
will come together after legislators take a look at it. "I think,
generally speaking, it's not too bad," he said. "He
threw the Legislature a bone to figure out how the education
money should be spent." But, he said,
the governor's proposal to close loopholes on businesses getting
tax breaks is something he may have to look at because he has
a lot of constituents who own businesses. He also wants to make
sure the social service agencies in his district, especially
the ones that deal with the developmentally disabled, get the
money they need. State Rep. Robert
"Bob" Biggins, R-41st, said he applauds Blagojevich's
efforts to balance the budget because he did not cause the problems
that exist, but now he has to fix it. He said the
governor proposes a lot of cuts that should be made to balance
the budget, but, at the same time, he believes some of the revenue
the governor is projecting to come in may not. "This year,
it looks like he's borrowing with hopes that (revenue projections)
can pay it back down the road," he said. Biggins said
it's a gamble when dealing with anticipated revenues because
in last year's budget some expected sources of revenue did not
materialize like the sale of the He said the
budget should not be balanced on future hopes of economic growth,
but on more concrete information. Local focus State Sen. Kimberly
Lightford, D-4th, said she looks forward to working with her
colleagues to pass a budget that benefits her district. "The governor
has provided us with the blueprints to continue bringing She also commended
the governor on his acknowledgment of the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic
among minorities and his proposal to provide more money to address
the issue. Additionally, the governor's health-care initiatives
include $66 million to raise the income cap for FamilyCare to
extend coverage to an additional 56,000 parents, and tripling
the funding for breast- and cervical-cancer screening. State Sen. Dan
Harmon, D-39th, said he is amazed at what the governor has done
to balance the budget. "I applaud
the governor," he said. "He has looked two budget
deficits in the face and has balanced the budget. "I applaud
his efforts to tighten the state's belt and make the state more
efficient and accountable." He said although
the governor's budget will have to be approved by the state
Senate and House, what Blagojevich has proposed is a sound starting
point. "He and
his team took some bold steps to come up with a budget like
this," he said. "There are some cuts that are too
painful and there might not be much support for them."
He said some
cuts that were made may hurt social service agencies like the
West Suburban Special Recreation Association, which provides
activities for the developmentally disabled. If the cuts were
made, it could affect the association's expenditures for toys
used to help the growth of developmentally disabled children.
There are also
deep cuts proposed in the nature preserve budget. Harmon said
it is still too early to tell what will stay and what will go.
"His team
came up with some solutions last year and I hope he can pull
off the same this year," he said. Rebuffed by state, schools seek tax hikes Daily Southtown
Editorial, Of the 888 school
districts in The state board
and Supt. Robert Schiller have been warning for a couple of
years that This is the
situation schools face, and the reason that more than 90 school
systems across The circumstances
vary from district to district, but in general, property taxpayers
are being asked to pick up the share of the cost of running
schools that the Legislature and the governor have refused to
fund. The governor has vowed not to raise state taxes, a promise
that will be good for him politically as he plans his next campaign
but leaves it up to voters on the local level to decide whether
their schools should get a property tax increase, borrow more
money or cut back on the programs they offer. Ten school districts
in the Southland are seeking property tax rate increases. They
are Willow Springs District 108, Evergreen Park District 124,
Seven other
school districts are proposing bond issues to build new schools
in fast-growing areas, including Voters need
to keep in mind that their local school boards are turning to
them for fiscal support because the Legislature and the governor
won't provide enough. By voting "no," local residents
are saying "go find the money somewhere else," but
there is nowhere else to find it. The only real
solution is a new school funding formula that increases the
state contribution to public education and reduces the reliance
on property taxes. That's the only way to reduce the disparities
in school funding between wealthy communities and the rest of
the state. But with no
sign that's going to happen anytime soon, the alternative is
for voters to approve higher property tax rates. That will be
painful for some residents in the affected communities; nowhere
will it be cause for celebration. But the alternatives — program
cuts, higher class sizes and an inadequate education — will
hurt more and will hurt everyone. A timely proposal for massive school reform Once there were
hundreds of time zones across the Setting clocks
was a local matter, as folks relied on some form of solar time
or a steeple's clock or a ticking timepiece in a jeweler's window
to get up to the minute and hour. Traveling from
Like 19th century
Now Governor
Rod Blagojevich proposes that It's a proposal
that would bring overdue and sweeping changes to the state's
education bureaucracy. It would also create a system of planning
and responsibility in which top education managers report directly
to the governor. It's a proposal
that would empower legislators and the governor to increase
support and funding for schools in the city's minority community. Chicago Public
Schools chief executive Arne Duncan says that he's all for the
governor's proposal He says He's right. Our state is
only 40th in the nation in the amount of money invested in classrooms
as only 46 cents of every education dollar is used for instruction. Some lawmakers
are moving tentatively toward supporting Blagojevich's centralization
plan. Representative
Lou Jones (D-26th) is ready to work with the governor to increase
school funding. A spokesperson said last week the governor has
painted a broad picture and Jones wants to talk to teachers,
principals and administrators about Blagojevich's proposal. "It’s a
big change, a massive undertaking," the spokesperson said. But the
time to be tentative bas passed, along with those old time zones. The governor's
idea is massive, but that's the idea. So we beseech Jones and
her fellow legislators to make time now and get on with streamlining
We concur, and
believe, along with visionary educators, that the governor should
either control the State Board or do away with it. The governor's
goals for a new agency are to cut bureaucratic red tape that
takes money and energy from teaching and to help school districts
save money on everything from supplies to classroom specialists
so more can be invested in classrooms. It's time for
a new Department of Education to do the job. Stale board of ed just the middleman Letter by Ronald
V Kozmar, District 202 School Board President, In regard to
Gov. Blagojevich'a proposal to replace the State Board of Education
with a Department of Education, rearranging bureaucracies is
irrelevant. It just shifts
the focus from what is truly the critical issue: the adequate,
equitable funding of schools The Illinois
State Board of Education does not create the rules. The General
Assembly and governor do. The ISBE is
just the middleman that develops ways to implement the legislative
action It ranks 50th
in terms of the disparity between the richest and poorest districts
because of the heavy reliance on property taxes. While lllinois
ranks 10th in terms of the total amount spent per pupil, most
of which comes from local property taxes, it ranks 25th in spending
per capita and 41st in spending per $1,000 of personal income. In other words,
based on our population and wealth, we are not spending as much
on education as most other states, and Presently, 80
percent of the school districts in In Plainfield
District 202, our enrollment is increasing by 2,500 students
per year. Despite cute
of nearly $6 million, we are in our second year of educational
fund deficits And even if
we pass a referendum at some time in the future, further cuts
may be required to stem the red ink. Yet presently
there are no gubernatorial no legislative initiatives to deal
directly with the funding crisis in While we support
the governor's proposals that achieve reduced costs through
economies of scale and increased efficiencies, they are a mere
pittance of what needs to be done. Furthermore,
some of his proposals, such as his community service requirement
for high school students, while laudable, are effectively additional
mandates that no doubt will require more paperwork and bureaucracy
to administer. Teachers should be taxed on retirement Letter by Richard
Wahler of I'm doing a
slow burn since former state legislator Ron Lawfer's letter
detailed how He estimated
nearly $100 million of additional money could go into the Educational
Fund. If I remember right, isn't it the teachers who are continually
lobbying the sate legislature for more educational money? Do
they think everyone except them should pay educational taxes?
Who are they kidding? From what I've
seen in local and state publications, educational funding has
increased faster than any other entity. I've been retired
for more than 25 years, and I've paid income taxes on every
penny of my retirement pay. Is this a one-way street? Perhaps any
and all nonteacher retirees should get together and petition
the state legislature to end all taxes on retirement pay. It appears that
if teachers paid taxes on their retirement pay, the problems
with educational funding would be solved. No help from Letter by Sondra
Hayes, Olympia School Board member, The four legislators
who represent communities within the We should ensure
that our graduates have knowledge and confidence to face our
society's challenges. Vote yes. The
real problem with education Edwardsville
Intelligencer We've said it
before, but apparently we need to say it again: education belongs
in the hands of the educators. That's why we
were a little disturbed to hear -- again -- that Illinois Governor
Rod Blagojevich has plans to change the "culture"
of our state's educational system. How he intends
to do this remains something of a mystery. The governor
has been concrete on the fact that he wants to do away with
the current State Board of Education and replace it with a new
agency that he will create, will be under his control and run
by his very own appointee. But beyond that,
just how Blagojevich is going to bring change to the "culture"
is decidedly unclear. In a recent
interview with the Associated Press, the governor was clear
in giving his assessment of the current state of education.
"It's the
culture of 'no' and the culture of excuses," Blagojevich
said. "We want a culture of 'can do' and a culture of accountability."
Yes, the last
word is the key word. Whenever a politician
begins using accountability in regard to an educational issue,
you can bet that the students are going to suffer. Need an example?
One of the most widely used measuring sticks for school accountability
is the standardized test. The vast majority of those tests don't
include sections on grammar, specifically the parts of speech.
As a result, students aren't taught to diagram sentences. The politicians
can thump their chests when the standardized test scores go
up and the students can go through life not knowing the difference
between a subject and predicate. That's accountability.
Blagojevich
has said he wants to see school regulations reduced and the
teacher certification process simplified. He hasn't said how
he wants to do this, but if he's going to use that word, "accountability,"
then we have to wonder. And we have
to wonder, too, if we are even looking at the right problem.
Words and phrases
like "culture," "can do" and "accountability"
stir voters, but take a look around. Our Edwardsville
schools are doing quite well when it comes to educating students.
About 95 percent of Similar situations
exist in the Triad, So the problem,
we believe, in the majority of state school districts isn't
the educational system, it's the system through which education
is funded. One third of
the districts in this state is currently facing a serious financial
problem. Edwardsville,
Triad, Parents might
be digging deeper into their pockets to pay for driver's education,
performing arts and sports, but those schools are still getting
it done. Funding IS the
problem and Blagojevich is making no promises that he will overhaul
the current funding system. "Let's
see what happens down the road," is what he told the Associated
Press. What will happen
is that schools will be forced to cut more programs, more teachers
and offer less than they do now. When that happens
-- and it will unless the funding formula is fixed -- let's
take a look at the "culture" and see, then, who is
accountable. It won't be
the educators. Quinn
pitches funding proposal Plan would raise
income tax for wealthy, provide about $65 million for public
schools Karen McDonald,
That's why Quinn
is proposing a Taxpayer Action Amendment, which he says would
provide about $65 million in supplemental funding for public
schools. The proposal would place a higher income tax on the
state's "rich" and provide an annual property tax
rebate to each of the state's homeowners. "It's a
reliable, predictable source of revenue that isn't based on
property taxes," Quinn told several hundred community,
business, education and government leaders at the 15th annual
Rural Community Economic Development conference at the Holiday
Inn City Centre. The event, which
concludes today, addresses rural economic development issues,
including tourism, technology and attracting and retaining industry.
Quinn cited
health care, transportation, energy and access to high-speed
Internet as factors that greatly affect economic development
and briefly outlined several pending bills that would help improve
some of those resources in rural areas. Economic development
problems rural communities face is related to quality education
and school funding, Quinn said. Only about 35
percent of school funding today comes from state dollars and
the remaining portion often is unfairly passed to the public
in property taxes. That contributes to deficit spending in about
80 percent of the state's schools, Quinn said. "The only
way we're going to have a growing, entrepreneurial state where
we have quality jobs," Quinn said, is to "have smart
people. And to have smart people, we need to have good schools."
Quinn believes
taxes should be based on a person's ability to pay. The current
tax structure, "is very unfair for everyday people who
live paycheck to paycheck." If approved,
the amendment to the state's Constitution would raise state
income tax to those who make more than $250,000 a year and provide
an annual property tax refund on July 1 to homeowners of at
least $208. Less than 2 percent of Illinoisans would be affected
by the higher income tax guidelines, Quinn said. One person opposed
to the referendum, Jim Tobin, president of National Taxpayers
United of Illinois, believes if approved, it eventually would
lead to an income tax increase for all taxpayers. The advisory
referendum will appear on Tuesday's primary ballot in 370 communities
across the state. "If the people aren't for it, then it's
not going to go anywhere," Quinn said. Three-fifths
of both the Senate and the House must approve the amendment
in order for it to be placed on the November general election
ballot. It would then need to be ratified by 60 percent of those
voting on the question to become part of the state constitution. Plan
calls for revamping education funding in state Josh Stockinger,
Regional school
administrators are praising a concept that would reorganize
state education funding and boost it annually by as much as
$1.8 billion. The proposal
would also shift an additional $2.4 billion in school funding
from local property taxes to state-based taxes. Ralph Martire,
executive director of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability
-- a nonprofit, bipartisan research organization -- presented
the plan last week to school administrators at the southwestern
meeting of the Illinois Association of School Boards. Administrators
said they want to hear more about the proposal, which could
go before the state legislature this year. "What this
really is, is big-picture reform," Martire said. "It
is a fundamental change from the past in that we are just looking
at good, economic principles and designing a state system that
recognizes them." Martire said
80 percent of school districts in He said the
state has "unfairly" distributed the tax burden on
taxpayers despite shifting economic climates. For example, Martire
said the bottom 20 percent of income earners pay 13.1 percent
of their total income to the state in taxes, while the wealthiest
1 percent pays only 4.6 percent. State taxes
fund education, police and fire services. According to the Institute
on Taxation and Economic Policy, the total tax burden in The state funds
37 percent of education costs -- nearly 15 percent lower than
the national average of 51 percent. Martire said
He said the
state relies on property taxes more than personal income and
sales taxes combined. Over the years, But Martire
said redistribution of the burden is needed in all taxation
areas. His 14-part plan calls for the consideration of the following
items: - Require accountability
from all government spending -- not just programs for low-income
families, disabled people, the elderly, the incapacitated and
the infirm. It would require a thorough review of all tax expenditures,
member initiative spending and the state’s purchasing practices
for items such as prescription drugs. - Increase the
income tax rate of 3 percent. Increasing it to between 4 percent
and 5 percent would generate an additional $2 to $5 billion
a year. - Increase the
corporate income tax rate from its current level of 4.8 percent
to between 6.4 percent and 8 percent, depending on the personal
income tax increases. This would generate between $322 million
and $563 million in additional funding. - Expand the
sales tax base to include all consumer services, thereby generating
another $900 million in new revenue and making revenue collection
more stable in poor economic cycles. - Allow the
state to fund at least 51 percent of the cost of providing a
"quality education" to all public school students
in the state. Also, the state should provide $2.4 billion in
property tax relief directly to taxpayers through the new funding
formula. - Subject pension
income for taxpayers earning more than $75,000 a year to taxation
to generate $359 million more annually. Martire said - Improve collections
from tax delinquents and debtors. - Review federal
definitions of adjusted gross income for individuals and taxable
income for corporations to determine whether allowed deductions
make sense. - Take advantage
of federal deductibility when increasing specific taxes. - Provide an
$800 million refund tax credit that would ensure the bottom
60 percent of all - Design all
tax revenue increases in a manner that does not have a negative
impact on low- and moderate-income families. The state should
create tax credits to eliminate any related negative impacts.
"At the
end of the day, it makes school funding more stable and more
fair in the state by bringing the top up, not the bottom down,"
Martire said. "The biggest tax increase goes to the wealthiest
taxpayers in the state." Martire said
without reform, the state’s structural deficit would continue
to grow over the years. He said he is hoping for bipartisan
support of the plan to change that. Phillip Crause,
a board member in the Wood River-Hartford Elementary District,
said he liked Martire?s plan. "Not only
is it a good thing, it’s a necessary thing," Crause said.
"The state of Michael Gray,
superintendent of East Alton Elementary, also praised the plan. "It?s something
I may get behind and really try to let people in the area know
about it," Gray said. "I really believe we have an
opportunity to fix the Martire said
the proposal could be introduced in the next legislative session.
NATIONAL Report: 12th-grade test needs overhaul AP, The National
Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as the nation's
report card, needs a significant makeover at the 12th-grade
level, according to a commission created last year by the test's
governing board to review the exam. Among the biggest
recommendations is expanding the test's basic purpose so that
it gauges not just what 12th-graders know but also their readiness
for work, college or the military. Such a change would require
government approvals that could take years. The commission
also recommended that the test be required in every state in
reading and math every two years, just as it is in those subjects
in grades four and eight. That would produce the first-ever
state results for high school seniors -- not just a national
average -- to help policy-makers evaluate their school standards
and make comparisons to other states. "We need
to know in The national
test is given to a representative sample, not all students in
a given grade, and that would not change under the commission's
recommendations. The test would also remain voluntary and produce
no individual scores, which critics say create student apathy.
The combined
school and student participation rate in the 12th-grade test
dropped to 55 percent in 2002, meaning almost half of those
selected for the sample chose not to participate. That response
has put the test "right on the brink of not being able
to say this information is reliable enough to use," Musick
said. Getting serious Beyond mandatory
state participation, the commission says the test leaders should
come up with bold ways to get students to take the test and
to encourage them to do well. Its ideas for incentives range
from a written thank you from the "One of
the challenges (the test) has had to contend with is getting
parents and students to take it seriously, because no individual
students get results," said Michael Nettles, commission
co-chairman and senior research director at the Educational
Testing Service. "What this
report suggests is maybe, if we can get the states to get more
serious about it, along with the workplace and colleges, then
parents and students will take a more serious look," he
said. Some of the
proposed changes would require federal money and congressional
approval. The National
Assessment Governing Board, which oversees the test, will begin
reviewing the recommendations Friday and will seek comment from
many groups over the next few months. The board is not expected
to take votes on the ideas until August, said Charles Smith,
the board's executive director and the former commissioner of
education in The report comes
as the value of a high school diploma is facing increasing scrutiny,
as colleges and employers complain of young people emerging
from school with too few skills. But it also
comes as students face more tests than ever, said Bob Schaeffer,
public education director at The National Center for Fair &
Open Testing. He said expanding the size and intent of the test
could raise its stakes and erode its credibility as a "neutral
thermometer of American education quality." Pa. co. seeks to put ads on school buses By Jennifer
C. Yates, Associated Press Writer, Ungar, the founder
of InSight Media of White Oak, "They generate
revenue through the advertising that could help offset operating
costs and fund educational programs. We're not talking about
a little money, we're talking about a lot of money, actually,"
Ungar said. He would like to see about 15 ads per bus, each
of which would cost about $30 a month. Advertising
in schools is not new, although the idea of putting ads in buses
has gained momentum in only the last few years, said Jennifer
Dounay, a policy analyst with the Education Commission of the
States. Some states leave the decision on whether to allow bus
ads up to individual districts. Others have state laws allowing
it and mandating the ads be age-appropriate, according to an
ECS report. In A couple of
districts there have placed ads on buses as a result. The Other school
districts are pursuing the idea. The Dr. Joseph Findley,
acting superintendent of the "I think
it's just another vehicle for possibly coming up with revenues
that are not gaining any other way," said Findley. He said
the board is considering Ungar's proposal. "Nobody at this
point in time is sold on this." Under Ungar's
company, school districts would assemble a review panel of two
school board members and a parent representative that would
proof the ads before any were posted on the buses. "They have
the veto power," Ungar said. A similar model
is used by School Bus Media Inc., a Miami-based company that
puts public service announcements and advertisements on school
buses. The 4-year-old company approached state and local governments
to get approval to move ahead, said David Hill, the company's
vice president. The company
currently has about 400 public service announcements in about
120 school buses in northwestern The company
avoids liquor, condom, fast food and other advertisements deemed
inappropriate for children. Hill said he has gotten some criticism,
but he defends the placement of the ads. "The child
rides the bus 10 times a week. He's going to and from school
on the bus, all he has to do is look out (the window) and see
advertising," Hill said. "He's already seeing advertising.
He goes home and watches Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network." In western "We as
parents feel our children are subjected to an enormous amount
of advertising on a daily basis and one place to keep it out
of is schools and school buses," she said. School
districts leaving federal dollars behind Some By Karen Rouse,
Sixth-grader
Jeremiah Murray is willing to smell a petrified piece of dinosaur
dung, even if he isn’t willing to outright touch it. Strasburg
Superintendent Bill Powell, who was at When the Those federal
dollars, designed to help disadvantaged students academically,
came with strings attached, he said; taking the money would
subject the district to the mandates and sanctions of "No
Child Left Behind," the 2001 act Powell called "the
most damaging, intrusive piece of legislation to enter education
in my 32 years as a public school administrator." Requirements
that all teachers be "highly qualified" by 2006 are
unrealistic, particularly in rural schools where teachers may
have less access to training facilities, Powell argues. And penalties
against schools where students fail to meet federal reading
and math standards for proficiency each year are examples of
legislators trying to force a cookie-cutter pattern onto unique
districts, he said. "We don't
need the federal government or state trying to run the local
(schools)," said Powell, who has overseen the 900-student
district for 10 years. The district's budget is $8 million.
"It's not going to happen in Strasburg." The rural Adams
County district joins several others across the nation that
are turning down federal dollars to avoid the costs, paperwork,
sanctions and requirements associated with the education reform
act advocated by President Bush. A handful of
holdouts In Other districts
from In "A big
reason was state sovereignty," said Kat Rep. Dayton
"doesn't believe the federal government has the authority
to mandate education or education reform, and it's something
that needs to be dealt with and is the responsibility of the
state government," Kat Dayton said. Rep. Dayton
softened her legislation when she learned that total exclusion
would cost On Thursday,
"Congress
determined that having a literate populous and a populous that
can do fundamental mathematics is of such importance that it
has become a national priority," said William Windler,
an assistant state commissioner of education. "There are
some places out there where that's not happening. "We need
citizens that can read and do math." The goal of
No Child Left Behind is to have all children proficient in reading
and math by 2014. Under the law, adequate yearly progress, or
AYP, must be met by all subgroups of students - such as minority
children, special-education students or English-language learners. If one subgroup
fails to meet the federal goals, the whole school or district
can fail AYP. Sanctions for
those that miss AYP two to six years in a row include paying
transportation costs for students to attend a higher-performing
school or being taken over by a private management company. The performance
of all districts - regardless of whether they make AYP - must
be reported publicly, Windler said, regardless of whether it
accepts federal funding. "Districts
and schools that don't take it aren't subject to the Title I
sanctions," Windler said. "What they are subject to
is that the state has to report ... adequate yearly progress." Three of Strasburg's
four schools failed AYP, according to the Colorado Department
of Education. Because most
federal programs are based on poverty, larger districts with
a high percentage of students on free and reduced-price lunch
typically get more funding under No Child Left Behind than smaller,
more affluent districts, Windler said. "It's much
more difficult for a large district with a lot of poverty (to
turn away federal dollars linked to the act) because it represents
a higher percentage of what it (takes) to bring these kids to
proficiency," Windler said. Districts that
are accepting dollars and can show that their students, "regardless
of color, race, creed, boy, girl, ... are meeting the criteria"
face no sanctions, he said. The act also
requires that schoolteachers meet their state's guidelines for
being highly qualified by the end of the 2005-06 school year. Questioning
qualifications Some educators
argue that rural teachers are often asked to teach several subjects
outside of their specialty area, and may have difficulty in
meeting the requirements of being highly qualified in those
subjects. Access to additional training can be difficult, said
Wes Smith, executive director of Colorado Rural Schools Caucus. "In rural
middle schools ... you prepare yourself in a lot of creative
ways," Smith said. "You do a lot of reading in the
summer. You may just work with other teachers that have more
background, and you look for resources to bring into your classroom." To be highly
qualified in A teacher that
has been teaching a subject outside his or her specialty area
can meet the requirements for being highly qualified by either
passing a test or showing he or she has received alternative
training in the subject. "These
rules are made not only for Windler said
the level of difficulty a district has in implementing No Child
Left Behind's mandates will depend on how well the school used
its resources prior to the law. "A district
that has done a good job all along of placing teachers appropriately
... it's not going to be a big deal to them ... (to meet the
mandates for) highly qualified teachers because they probably
already are." Janet Michael,
superintendent of the Lone Star 101 school district, said the
unincorporated Districts can
use the federal grants provided under the act for materials,
staff development, tutoring, special reading programs, or any
other services geared toward helping students achieve math and
reading proficiency. "It would
cost me more getting all the paperwork done than I would get
from the grant," said Michael, who oversees the northeastern
The application
for the grants is "almost a book," she said. "The
paperwork is just ridiculous." Pat Chlouber,
a former member of the Colorado Board of Education and the U.S.
Department of Education representative to Federal funding
under No Child Left Behind will go up 50.8 percent between 2001
and 2005, Chlouber said. Schools
look to taxpayers to OK funds With more districts
in trouble, threat of cuts gets louder Tim Jones, One-third of
Voters in In "This is
the worst it's been since I've been involved in government,
and that's 30 years," said Gerri Ogle, the associate commissioner
of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
In "Our districts
are looking at pretty severe reductions," Ogle said. Across the nation,
public school districts are approaching voters in sometimes
unprecedented numbers as they try to offset the effects of three
years of state budget cuts or freezes, higher costs for health
care and the approaching cost burdens of No Child Left Behind,
the federally mandated education accountability system. In The consequences
of failed tax votes are not new but the volume of those schools
threatening cuts is louder because more school districts are
in trouble. "This is
the literal rock and a hard place for school districts,"
said Julie Underwood, general counsel for the National School
Boards Association. "When state and local economies are
hurting, schools hurt. Schools are really a barometer of state
and local economies." While success
rates of tax proposals vary from state to state, school officials
say the political and economic climates present a daunting task
for school districts that try to convince voters of the need
for new taxes. `Like Russian
novels' The upshot of
the " Last Tuesday's
vote marked the fourth consecutive year that "People
thought the court ordered that this be fixed, and they're wondering
`Why are they ignoring the court decision?'" said William
Phillis, executive director of the Ohio Coalition for Equity
and Adequacy of School Funding, which successfully challenged
the legality of the state's finance system. `Enough is enough' "People
aren't stupid. They're going to start asking questions, and
people in more affluent communities are going to be turning
down more tax issues. . . . They're saying, `Enough is enough.'" Although school
financial crises are common, contributing events have created
a deeper trough from which to climb out. A recent study in For many districts
in With three straight
years of funding reductions, 22 of 26 districts in the Twin
Cities area reported a combined budget shortfall of $62 million
for the coming school year. "There have been problems before,
but they are more broad now," said Croonquist. "I don't
think we're seeing the light at the end of the tunnel yet,"
he added. One response
has been local fundraising. Parents have been raising money
for school bands and other activities for years, but the financial
crunch has led to the creation of the STAR Fund, which stands
for Securing Teachers and Resources. Parents in the "They're
like Tupperware or Amway parties," said Julie Woolfrey,
of The STAR Fund
has organized about 40 such events, during which the financial
facts of life are explained to parents and neighbors. "We either
get indifference or support. There's not a lot of negative.
If we do get that, it's from people who say we shouldn't have
to do this. And we kind of agree with that," Woolfrey said. So far $160,000
has been raised, including $12 from a 3rd-grade student. That
is a pittance against a shortfall projected at $3 million in
the next budget at A similar fundraising
effort is underway in But those who
applaud the civic effort and generosity quickly point out that
this is not a long-term solution. "This is only a Band-Aid
now," said Nik Lightfoot, the human resources director
for the "What we
really have to have is a legislative solution." State
Board of Education to support law overhaul Groups want
changes to No Child Left Behind Act Sue Loughlin,
Tribune-Star ( The Indiana
State Board of Education has joined six other statewide education
groups in calling for an overhaul of the federal No Child Left
Behind Act. The state board
voted 6-5 Thursday to add its name to a letter being sent to
Dan Tanoos,
a member of the State Board of Education, made the motion to
support the letter on Thursday and spearheaded the effort to
get the state board's endorsement. The letter makes
it clear "we support the intent of No Child Left Behind.
We need to continue to work on student achievement and closing
the achievement gap," Tanoos said. "But there are
certain parts of No Child Left Behind that are not realistic." Groups representing
Under the federal
law, all but 1 percent of Many believe
the nearly 100 percent proficiency requirement is unrealistic,
Tanoos said. Tanoos referred
to a national survey in which 84 percent of teachers believe
that most special education students should not be expected
to meet the same set of academic-content standards as other
children their age. Among those
who voted against adding the state board's endorsement to the
letter was Suellen Reed, state superintendent for public instruction,
and board member Connie Blackketter, a teacher from "I certainly
wanted to support Danny and the idea of challenging some of
the flaws in No Child Left Behind," Blackketter said. She
agrees the 100 percent proficiency goal is unrealistic and lack
of federal funding to support the law's mandates "is a
huge problem." But she felt
the letter had some flaws and might be detrimental to many special
education students. The way the letter was worded, it might
create loopholes so that many special education students aren't
held to the same academic standards as their non-special education
peers. She believes
many special education students are capable of meeting those
academic standards. If there are lower expectations for those
students, they won't be as well prepared for the workforce or
life, she said. "We wouldn't be offering them the best
education possible," she said. It's not just
The federal
law requires annual testing in grades 3-8. If schools do not
improve for two straight years, students can transfer to higher-performing
schools in a district. After a third straight year of no improvement,
schools also must provide tutoring or other remedial help for
struggling students. Sanctions apply
only to schools that receive federal Title I funds, which are
designed to boost the achievement of poor and minority children. Education
law causing shift away from liberal arts Kate Ackerman,
Cox News Service The Council
for Basic Education conducted the study last fall to learn how
the act, a centerpiece of the Bush administration's education
agenda, was affecting instructional time. It found that while
schools are spending more time on math, science and reading,
they are spending substantially less on social studies, civics,
geography, languages, and the arts. To hold schools
accountable, the No Child Left Behind Act requires regular achievement
testing in reading and math. Individual states may require students
to take assessments in other subjects. "The narrowing
of the curriculum is worrisome, because students need exposure
to history, social studies, geography, and foreign languages
to be fully prepared for citizenship, work, and learning in
a rapidly changing world," said Raymond "Buzz"
Bartlett, president of the Council for Basic Education. "Truly
high expectations cannot begin and end with math, science, and
reading." Funded by the
nonprofit Carnegie Corp. of Three-quarters
of the principals said instructional time for reading, writing,
and mathematics has increased greatly or somewhat. Almost half
of all principals reported increased instructional time in science. But one in four
principals reported decreases in instructional time for the
arts, while fewer than one in 10 reported increases. The most significant
narrowing of curriculum occurred in schools with large minority
populations. Almost half of principals at such schools reported
decreases in instructional time for elementary social studies,
and four in 10 anticipated decreases in instructional time for
the arts. "In our
effort to close achievement gaps in literacy and math, we risk
substituting one form of educational inequity for another, denying
our most vulnerable students the kind of curriculum available
to the wealthy," Claus von Zastrow,
the report's author and director of institutional development
at the Council for Basic Education, said the No Child Left Behind
Act brings both risk and opportunity. The act "has
promoted a real sense of academic purpose, consensus regarding
high expectations, and a focus on educational equality,"
von Zastrow said. But he said the focus on math, reading and
science risks weakening other subjects. Carol J. Lark,
the principal of "I hope
this study will make people stop and think," Lark said
at a news conference Monday. "We cannot afford to teach
reading all morning and math all afternoon." Districts look for ways to cut fat, keep funds By Carolyn Bower
of the Post-Dispatch, Want celery
sticks with that? Area schools
are considering dumping junk food from their menus and sodas
from their vending machines amid increasing concern that the
nation's youth are growing obese. The shift won't
be easy, though. Junk food fattens the bottom line in most school
districts, many of which have suffered from shrinking revenue.
The "Obesity
has become epidemic," said Mike Kanak, director of food
services for the Parkway School District, which serves about
20,000 students in west St. Louis County. "People are turning
to schools for answers." Concerns in
Parkway mirror those in school districts across the country.
A new federal
study reports that deaths from poor diet and physical inactivity
rose by 33 percent over the last decade and may soon overtake
tobacco as the leading preventable cause of death. Nearly twice
as many children and three times as many adolescents are overweight
as 20 years ago. The weight gain poses increased risk of heart
disease, stroke and diabetes, said Susie Nanney, acting director
of the obesity prevention center at the school of public health
at "Children
whose nutritional needs are met are more attentive in class,"
Nanney said. "Vending machines do not provide enough food
for the brain to be attentive in class. The school environment
has a significant role in supporting healthy eating patterns,"
she said. With that in
mind, After July 1,
Beverage companies
have begun to offer healthier items in drink machines, items
such as water, sports drinks, juices and dairy-based products.
Ashlie Keener,
a spokeswoman for Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of St. Louis, said,
"We respect the rights of parents, teachers and students
to make choices." Local school
officials say they support healthier fare, but they also want
to protect revenue from vending machines and fund-raisers. Parkway schools
expect to earn $672,889 this school year from beverage and snack
sales. The money helps buy books, supplies, computers and software,
band uniforms and field trips. Even school
snack bars, situated within cafeterias, are lucrative. The "A lot
of students eat chips, doughnuts and soda for lunch," said
Stephanie French, 12, a seventh-grader at Stephanie, vice
president of the student council, drinks soda rarely but she
often buys a pretzel from the snack bar. She would like to see
more choices for students, including vending machines with fruit
drinks, power bars and granola bars available after school.
Josh Travis,
14 and the student council president at Pattonville
schools turn off soda machines during the school day and offer
milk machines and low-fat items, said Rick Mariam, director
of food services for the district, which serves about 6,000
students in "It is
frustrating to us that even though we offer healthy alternatives,
the ones who most need those are the least likely to select
them," he said. Sodexho, which
provides food service to the "The whole
key is if the kids will pick them," Tolson said. State
standing firmly behind No Child act Kimberly Miller,
The federal
law put 84 percent of the state's public schools on a federal
watch list last year. The Central
Florida Public School Boards Coalition met with department officials
in February to discuss their concerns about President Bush's
2002 law and the standards set by "We're
not going to fudge the numbers to make Seminole County
Superintendent Bill Vogel said he just wants Because there
are no federal guidelines on how to comply with the act, each
state set its own standards. On a No Child Left Behind Web site,
"We are
trying to get an equal playing field," Vogel said. One of the biggest
problems educators have is with the number of students who must
be tested in each of eight subgroups before their scores count
against a school. In The No Child
Left Behind Act requires all public school students to be performing
on grade level by 2014 regardless of race, disability, or newness
to the country. Schools that fall behind standards -- which
increase until 2014 -- must allow their students to choose other,
better-rated, public schools at the expense of the district
and implement tutoring programs at no cost to parents. Substandard
schools could ultimately face state takeover or be forced to
become a charter school. Other concerns • Results on
whether schools are meeting "adequate yearly progress"
will be released in June this year, but that may not be enough
time for school districts to appeal the results before they
must offer school choice to students. • Schools that
don't make adequate yearly progress have to set aside 20 percent
of their budgets for busing students who choose to go to other
schools. Vogel estimated
school districts could have to spend $100 million this year
on busing. Marine acknowledged
that many schools probably will be eligible for school choice
this year, but said federal officials believe less than 10 percent
of parents with eligible children will take the option. "We believe
NCLB can be a valuable diagnostic tool that, in conjunction
with the Governor's A-plus plan, will continue to drive improved
student achievement in Examining
No Child Left Behind Jay Mathews,
More than a
month ago I asked for stories about how the new federal No Child
Left Behind law is affecting children in our public school classrooms.
I was unhappy about the lack of specifics in most of the published
attacks on the law, and I begged for some concrete examples
of harm. I am going to
share what I received in just a moment, but first I must say
I was surprised that I did not get the blizzard of e-mails that
have come after appeals for input on other lively issues, such
as treatment of special education students or college admissions
angst. This is probably because the law is still new, and its
most radical provisions -- more tutoring at schools not making
the grade and voluntary student transfers from those schools
-- have not had a chance to take effect in many places. Also,
we won't know how painful the "needs improvement"
label will be for schools until it is affixed, as it almost
certainly will be, to many schools that up to now have enjoyed
good reputations in their communities. The stories
I got are interesting, and they point to very specific strengths
and weaknesses of the law, as it becomes reality for our children.
The negative messages far outnumbered the positive ones and
left the impression that when Congress and the White House revisit
the law after the next election, the first thing they should
look at is a way to reward schools that are improving without
forcing them to reach very specific marks and without dumping
a load of new students on them from the less successful school
down the road. I will start
with the positive messages. Two came from readers that No Child
Left Behind (NCLB) was expressly written to serve -- Hispanic
parents living in big cities where the public schools have been
mediocre at best. Carlos Pozo, a truck driver who has a child
in the Ricki Sabia,
whose son Stephen attends fifth grade at Cloverly Elementary
School in Silver Spring, said she is finding it much easier
to get him into mainstream classes despite his learning disabilities.
"Much to our surprise, attitudes really had changed considerably
since NCLB," she said. "There are high expectations
and we did not have to twist any arms." But those who
do not like what they see happening sent much longer and much
more emotional e-mails than those who like the law so far. Most
of their stories are about disabilities or limited-English students
being given tests too difficult for them, transfers from low-performing
schools overloading successful programs and opportunities for
combining fun and learning being squeezed out by test preparation.
Christina Clayton,
an English as a Second Language teacher in Dallas, described
a Vietnamese boy bounced around by a system that insisted he
be tested, but had trouble getting him an official designation
that would bring extra instruction. A fifth grade teacher in
Paul Smith,
a high school teacher in Tim O'Mara,
who teaches at a middle school in Jacqui Cebrian
had the same experience in her third grade in south Loss of time,
however, was more painful than loss of space for some teachers
and parents. The need to prepare for tests in reading, writing
and math forced cancellation of other pursuits that some teachers
and parents considered valuable. A new survey by the Council
for Basic Education of 956 principals in Jim Sando, a
fifth grade teacher in Ambler, Penn., said he misses his weekly
"free math" period when students had useful fun with
computers, logic puzzles and other games. Terry Bosworth, a
first grade teacher at Tanya Sharon,
who teaches fifth grade at Dan Bennett,
principal of And yet, students
are learning and achievement seems to be going up, particularly
in Bennett's school district, Brian Bachman,
a State Department diplomat, and his wife, a professional violinist
with a small business, have a daughter who attends Yet they have
noticed the diminished time for art, music, physical education,
recess and other less structured activities. "Most parents
I've talked to are happy with the new emphasis on the 'basics'
and improving test scores," he said. "Maybe that just
makes my wife and I different. I don't know. But I do know that
school for my daughter is nowhere near as much fun as it was
for me when I was growing up, and that makes me sad."
Illinois State Board of Education |
