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News Clips –
STATE STATE Education reform still possible State Journal-Register
Editorial, Following Gov. Rod Blagojevich's
State of the State speech in January, we supported - with some reservations
- the governor's call to create a Department of Education to take over
most functions of the Illinois State Board of Education. We supported the idea
primarily because we believe the ISBE is not an effective voice for
education in The chain of command
and responsibility is much more amorphous for educational matters. We
understand the wisdom of those who rewrote the state constitution in
1970. They wanted to create an independent state board of education
to insulate education officials from the rough-and-tumble world of politics.
Unfortunately, the current
system provides so much insulation that the ISBE and the state superintendent
of schools, whom the board appoints, has been largely pushed out of
the realm of those with any real power. The superintendent goes before
the General Assembly each legislative session to let everyone know that
education needs more money. Sometimes the superintendent might even
say the entire funding system is broken. Then the superintendent
heads back to the ISBE building and waits to see if the General Assembly
has any interest in helping. Unfortunately, the ISBE and the superintendent
of schools have never really wielded much political clout. Some critics have charged
that Blagojevich's proposal to create the Department of Education is
simply a "power grab." By definition, it is a power grab,
but we believe the governor should be grabbing the power to champion
education in However, Speaker of
the House Michael Madigan's announcement this week that he will not
allow a vote on the governor's education reform initiative means the
Department of Education idea is likely dead. Madigan believes the idea
is unconstitutional because it essentially does away with the independent
State Board of Education that the 1970 constitution created. A gubernatorial spokeswoman
said the governor will still fight for the idea and noted that "Speaker
Madigan is not the entire legislative branch." Regardless of what
his media person says, Blagojevich is savvy enough to know that with
Madigan's active opposition, the Department of Education legislation
is going nowhere. Madigan has, however,
left the door to significant education reform open a crack. He praised
a group this week for suggesting a compromise solution that would give
the governor more control of education, but would not do away with the
ISBE. Deputy Gov. Bradley
Tusk and Sen. Miguel del Valle, D-Chicago, have been negotiating a compromise
that might allow Blagojevich to appoint board members of his liking
and change the state superintendent's position from a contractual one
to an "at will" employee of the board. This should help defuse
criticism that Blagojevich is violating the state constitution. It would
also mean one less bureaucracy than if a Department of Education was
created, as the governor would not have eliminated the ISBE - it would
have hung around as a "think tank." It is likely Blagojevich
will not be interested in such a compromise, however, unless he is convinced
it will give him real power to reform New education department? Not yet Daily Herald Editorial,
A tough week for Gov.
Rod Blagojevich became a little rougher Wednesday, when House Speaker
and fellow Democrat Michael J. Madigan said, in essence, that the governor
can kiss his proposed new department of education goodbye. Back in January, Blagojevich
made the centerpiece of his State of the State address a plan to dismantle
the Illinois State Board of Education and create, in its stead, a department
of education answerable to the governor. This department, the governor
said, would not only save $1 billion in tax dollars over four years,
it would be far more accountable than the existing board. It would,
he said, show the way to significant improvements in public education.
But Madigan has now
dismissed the plan as inadequately vetted and perhaps even unconstitutional.
A governor's spokesperson says bravely that Madigan represents only
one legislative vote. Technically, true. But as a practical matter,
if the speaker doesn't want this plan to see the light of day, chances
are pretty good it won't. Our view is that while
there might be a case to be made for reorganization, the governor hasn't
made it. And in failing to sell his plan, he has demonstrated some of
the strategic errors that have created unnecessary problems for him
elsewhere. For openers, the governor
came out with rhetorical guns blazing, accusing the board of acting
like a "Soviet-style bureaucracy" and saying that while various
problems plague It later emerged that
the governor who has made death-to-special-interests his motto - and
a good motto it is - had conferred with the state's two majors teachers
unions before unveiling his plan. These unions were among the most prominent
and generous of Blagojevich's campaign supporters in 2002. Such consultation
might not have raised eyebrows quite so much if the governor's staff
had not neglected to meet with key legislative leaders. And as on other issues,
the governor seems to have skipped the often-critical step of working
with legislators early in an effort to earn their support. Aside from
Madigan's opposition, Senate Republicans have been somewhat skeptical.
House Republicans are less interested in a battle over control than
in adopting a set of guiding principles that they think would improve
the state's schools. Again, the governor
might have a case to make. But with everything else lawmakers must achieve
before this sessions ends, this is one item better taken off the table
until there is sufficient time to determine whether Blagojevich is correct
in the claims he makes for a new and improved department of education.
Schools can help kids eat right Letter by Camille Reid,
school food policy director, Healthy Schools Campaign, The decision by Chicago
Public Schools to replace junk food and soft drinks with healthier alternatives
is no doubt a progressive move by the district, and one to be praised
[''Schools banning vending machine junk food,'' metro story, April 21].
At a time when childhood
obesity has reached a near crisis, it is great to see school decision
makers across the country, including CPS, stepping up to the plate to
deal with the unhealthy food that is being offered to students. While offering healthier
alternatives in school vending machines is part of the solution, it
is not the only one. CPS also announced the
formation of a task force to deal more comprehensively with the school
food environment, which is a revolutionary feat -- especially for a
district of its size. Many other large districts across the country
have banned the sale of junk food and soft drinks from school vending
machines, but none have gone so far to deal with many of the concerns
around school food and nutrition education. This task force plays
a critical role in that it will build a partnership between community-based
organizations and all members of the public school community, including
parents, to promote healthy eating and active lifestyles among its students. Research continues to
show the significance of the school food environment on students' food
choices. Many children consume up to 40 percent of their total daily
food at school. Schools have the opportunity to provide students with
healthy foods through the national school meal programs, teach healthy
eating habits in the classroom and model healthy food choices. Schools are uniquely
positioned to foster environments that help students establish healthy
lifelong habits. I applaud CPS for its vision and commitment to work
on these efforts. The overall message
that Macomb representatives heard Wednesday in Springfield was don’t
expect too much, “it’s an election year.” Many of the
state agencies that the group including over 30 The loud and clear message
was if you want something, then keep up the pressure. State Sen. John
Sullivan suggested reviving the campaign from last year to make sure
the proposed WIU performing arts center doesn’t fall back on the
state’s list of important items. State Rep. Rich Myers said, “We
continually keep the issue in front of the governor’s face, but
we still need a lot of support of the rank and file back home.”
The trip to the state
capitol was sponsored by the Macomb Area Chamber of Commerce and Downtown
Development Corporation. The group first visited
the Division of Aeronautics of the Illinois Department of Transportation.
Bill Butcher expressed concerns about staff cuts in the department and
how that may affect continued funding for The next stop was a
joint meeting with Sullivan and Myers. Items discussed were IL 336,
U.S. 67, the performing arts center, the Rushville prison, malpractice
insurance problems, “vacation” from OSLAND grants, permit
fee increases, creative ideas to raise revenue, sales tax on ag products,
cuts in the higher education budget, a change in funding for education,
Department of Human Services cuts, the announcement that the CMS will
change insurance for state employees this summer and the proposed 50-percent
cut in the tourism budget. “Nobody wants services
cut, nobody wants taxes raised,” Sullivan said. He added that the
legislature is bringing up these concerns to Gov. Rod Blagojevich. When
asked about cuts, Blagojevich and his staff have responded, “Show
us some other alternatives.” Some alternatives have been presented,
but not accepted. “The folks in tourism
have really done a great job of making their voice heard,” said
Sullivan. The group then heard
from “Education is
at a crossroads,” Schiller said. He added that the quality of education
can depend on a student’s zip code. Education in “Our system
needs to be overhauled,” said Schiller. “This is a systemic
problem that over time in Illinois, Schiller
went on to say, has one of the lowest state income tax rates, and the
sales tax is not broad-based. He said the legislature must set a budget
where demands far exceed resources. “We’re
going to find in the next three to four weeks that decisions that will
be made by the legislative level, decisions that will be made by the
governor, are going to directly affect the quality of life in Schiller added that
there is movement to increase education funding by $250 per student,
which is a step toward the EFAB minimum recommendation of $5, 665 per
student. Talking about consolidation,
Schiller felt that most consolidation is born by necessity. He said
school board members should ask, “Is it in the best interest of
the students?” The group then visited
with the Illinois Board of Higher Education and finished with Jack Lavin,
director of the Illinois Department of Economic opportunity. Lavin was
recently in Macomb Mayor Mick Wisslead
questioned Lavin about the CDAP grant for When asked about the
proposed cuts in tourism, Lavin said, “ It was the toughest choice
we had to make. It was a choice between this and education.” Lavin said he had not
yet seen data on what the performing arts center at WIU would do for
the area economically. Teacher
certificate backlog may ease Associated Press, Gov. Rod Blagojevich
cut the money last summer. According to state board officials, that
forced the education agency to lay off 22 employees last year, causing
a backlog of certification applications that spanned more than a year. The backlog meant some
teachers had to wait more than a year to find out whether their teaching
certificates would be renewed, according to Board of Education spokeswoman
Karen Craven. Blagojevich reappropriated
the money Friday after lawmakers voted to return the funds. "It's important
to clear that backlog so teachers aren't harmed," said Blagojevich
spokeswoman Rebecca Rausch. She said the governor restored the money
solely to help erase the certification backlog. The state board hopes
to rehire six employees by Monday, Craven said. It will also reopen
its Chicago Regional Office of Education, which was closed in December
after a portion of its budget was cut last year. "This puts us in
a position to best support teachers again, and we're very excited about
it," Craven said. The governor initially
cut the certification fund so more money could be spent in the classroom,
according to Becky Carroll, spokeswoman for Blagojevich's budget office.
She said the state board could have found other money to pay for the
work instead of laying off people who process certifications. House Speaker Michael
Madigan suggested restoring the funds last month during a hearing on
the governor's proposal to reshape the State Teacher Certification Board. Camera
phones now in schools' lenses Russell Lissau, Daily
Herald, They were among the
hottest holiday gifts last year, but camera phones are increasingly
getting the cold shoulder in the suburbs. Citing worries about
privacy invasions, several area park districts and YMCAs have banned
them. Businesses concerned about corporate espionage are considering
restrictions, too. Now many local high
schools are putting the kibosh on the palm-sized devices, either by
limiting how, when and where they can be activated or flatly prohibiting
them. "We don't want
them at school," said Dave Sears, the associate principal of student
services at Educators supporting
such policies - many of which are being enacted now ahead of the 2004-05
term - don't want revealing, locker-room photographs of their students
ending up on the Internet or circulated among students via e-mail. They
also want to prevent teens from using the devices to cheat. Some students, however,
said they doubt the policies will stop the proliferation of the high-tech
gadgets in school. The rules certainly won't deter cheaters, they say. "If you're going
to cheat, you're going to cheat," said Sara Scherping, a junior
at Booming business Camera phones take digital
photographs that can be transmitted over cellular signals to other phones,
e-mail accounts or the Internet. They were introduced in the An estimated 21 million
camera phones will be sold this year in the "The camera-phone
revolution is essentially over," Yankee Group analyst John Jackson
said. "The integrated digital camera will become standard fare
on mid-tier phones, which most people buy." That propagation has
prompted educators across the nation to consider taking steps to keep
the phones from being misused at school. Officials are particularly
concerned that irresponsible students will take photos of classmates
in bathrooms or other relatively private settings. They also fear students
will use the inconspicuous cameras to cheat by taking photos of tests
or other educational materials. Few local administrators
have experienced these types of transgressions, but incidents have occurred.
Last fall, a Stevenson student was caught photographing a math test
with a phone. And complaints of people
using phones to take indecent photos have cropped up at health clubs
and other suburban locations, including the Gurnee Mills mall. "We need to be
more proactive than reactive," said Sean Garrison, director of
discipline and attendance at Starting in August,
According to Students caught cheating
or taking inappropriate photographs with the phones will face stiffer
penalties, including suspension or expulsion. "How the picture
phone is used will determine the consequences," Garrison said. Such rules are left
up to individual school districts, said Illinois State Board of Education
spokeswoman Camera phones could
be banned at both Grayslake High campuses next year, too. An embargo
was proposed earlier this year by a discipline committee consisting
of parents, students, board members and administrators, and the board
will vote on the matter in June. The preservation of
common decency was more of a concern at Grayslake than cheating, the
school's Sears said. "The companies
have done a great job marketing the product, but we're here to protect
privacy," he said. "Hopefully, that's what we're going to
end up doing." Other schools with new
camera-phone policies take different approaches. According to rules enacted
in March, Stevenson students can carry the controversial handsets but
will face harsh penalties if caught using them to cheat or take unsuitable
photographic images. Disciplinary options include failing grades, the
loss of campus privileges and expulsion. "There is a right
way and a wrong way to use a camera phone," Stevenson spokesman
Jim Conrey said. "We believe our students are smart enough to know
the difference. For those who aren't, they'll be a whole lot smarter
after suffering the consequences." Industry understands The telecommunications
industry doesn't object to these policies. School rules should be designed
by education experts, not outsiders, said Travis Larson, spokesman for
the Washington D.C.-based Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association. "The wireless industry
respects the decisions of schools and school districts, just as the
automotive industry should respect a decision about whether automobiles
should be parked on campus," Larson said. "Schools are there
primarily to educate students. If phones get in the way of that education,
then teachers, administrators and parents need to make whatever decisions
are necessary." Not all suburban educators
are rushing to restrict camera phones, however. Officials in many local
districts are pleased with existing rules limiting the use of all cellular
phones, including those with cameras, to before or after school. Some administrators
think banning the phones could send a bad signal to parents who try
to stay in touch with their teens. "As a parent, I
could understand it would be upsetting to purchase such a device only
to find out my child couldn't use it to call me and say, 'Practice is
over, come pick me up,'æ" said Melea Smith, communications director
of Naperville Unit District 203, whose board is considering restricting
camera-phone use. "It's going to be a difficult decision to make." Local students say the
camera-phone rules aren't worth the effort. Even though most schools
have policies restricting cell phone use, teens regularly sneak calls
in a bathroom stall or send text messages to their friends in class,
Stevenson High junior Allison Fouts said. Camera phone usage likely
will continue, too, she said. Additionally, effective
enforcement of a ban could be difficult - especially since camera phones
closely resemble regular mobile phones, Stevenson junior Andrew Sim
said. "Are they going
to have a (checkpoint) and make kids take out their phones?" he
said. The new policies may
have flaws, but Warren Township High School Superintendent Phil Sobocinski
firmly believes rules regarding proper student conduct must keep pace
with technology's relentless advancements - as best as possible, anyway. That's why Sobocinski
and his Gurnee-based school board are developing rules that would severely
punish students caught using camera phones to cheat or take unseemly
pictures. "Ten years ago
we didn't need a policy like that because there wasn't that kind of
technology. But as the world changes, schools need to change their policies
and procedures," Sobocinski said. "This year, it's the camera
phone. Next year, it will be something else." Proposed
state budget does no favors for By Dan Cronin and Jeff
Schoenberg. Dan Cronin (R-Elmhurst) and Jeff Schoenberg (D-Evanston)
are members of the Illinois Senate, Proven success stories
in educational reform efforts deserve to be emulated, not eliminated.
That is why it is so disappointing to learn that Gov. Rod Blagojevich's
proposed budget for the coming fiscal year fails to include funding
for the Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois program. The $3 million slated
for the scholarships must be restored. If allowed to stand, this cut
would essentially sever a major artery that assures the state's most
needy kids get the best teachers. It also runs contrary to the expressed
goals of an administration that has strongly advocated for high-quality
teachers for poor kids. The Golden Apple Foundation's
advanced teacher-preparation and internship program, active since 1989,
has 800 participants currently teaching or on their way to teaching
in schools throughout Illinois. The program has proven to be successful
in delivering high-quality teachers to schools in need. In addition,
Golden Apple's teacher-retention rate is 90 percent compared to the
state's 50 percent or less, astonishing especially because these young
teachers work in school settings deserving of talented and well-prepared
teachers. Yet, despite admitting
the strength and quality of this program, the governor eliminated its
funding, mystifying its advocates in the legislature and education community,
and crushing the dreams of its participants. The Blagojevich administration
claims grants and scholarships could be accessible from other sources.
But what makes the scholars program unique is that it is a hybrid of
advanced teacher-preparation and internship with a scholarship component.
The preparation this program offers greatly increases the odds its participants
will be successful, inspiring teachers in challenging schools. How does this program
succeed? Imagine that you want to become a reading teacher. As a Golden
Apple Scholar, you spend your first summer after high school learning
about teaching from master teachers, including one nationally known
and locally honored for her work in recognizing and helping students
with dyslexia. By the next summer you far outpace your college peers
in knowledge about teaching reading to students, and you learn from
a widely published expert on diversity issues to become a teacher who
celebrates her students' diversity. Now imagine being an
exhausted first-year reading teacher in a tough school setting and having
a distinguished mentor visit your classroom, one who has known you for
years, assisting you in meeting your challenges during the extremely
difficult first years in the profession. This is the essence
of the Golden Apple Scholars program, which pioneered the now-common
practice of giving prospective teachers early involvement in working
in schools coupled with teaching and mentoring from award-winning teachers.
The mentoring and instruction prospective teachers receive during college
continues once scholars enter the profession. A study by the This program is more
than a sound use of state funds. It is an outstanding investment we
are proud to have brought to Blagojevich,
Madigan spar on education plan
Aaron Chambers, Blagojevich wants to
shift the administration of But Madigan, a Chicago
Democrat who controls the House docket, last week said the governor's
plan would violate the Illinois Constitution, which established the
Board of Education. Madigan also said shifting education administration
would result in "lengthy and unneeded litigation" and create
unnecessary bureaucracy. Blagojevich, another
Chicago Democrat, shot back Tuesday. "I can't imagine that he would
not call a bill that's all about education reform." Yet Blagojevich stepped
back from his demand for a new state agency and appeared to set the
stage for a compromise. "A Department of
Education by itself isn't the principal objective of what our education
reform plan is," he said. "Instead, it's having accountability
in the system. And if there's another vehicle that would give us the
same ability to build accountability, we'd be very much for that." Madigan last week proposed
an alternative to the governor's plan: He said the Legislature should
give Blagojevich authority to immediately appoint a majority of the
Board of Education. Under state law, governors
appoint all nine members of the board. But those members serve terms
of six years, two years longer than the term of a governor. So a governor
must wait for terms to expire before making appointments. Two of the nine slots
are empty, but Blagojevich has not filled them. The governor Tuesday
called the speaker's alternative plan "a nonstarter." He said an effort to
reconstitute the board would be "ripe for politics and gridlock
and more bureaucratic morass, not less, and no accountability."
Study
finds little healthy in school vending machines Janet Rausa Fuller,
Eighty-five percent
of snacks and 75 percent of drinks sold in vending machines in middle
and high schools are junk food, a study released Tuesday by the Center
for Science in the Public Interest found. The study took stock
of vending machine offerings in 251 schools across 24 states, including
The findings were "much
worse" than expected, said Margo Wootan, the center's director
of nutrition policy and the study's lead author. "I had no idea
there was so much candy," Wootan said. "I thought that with
communities and schools being more conscious of rising obesity rates
that more of the beverage options would be healthful ones." The survey found that
candy, chips and "sweet baked goods" accounted for 80 percent
of available snacks, while sugary sodas, juice drinks and sports drinks
accounted for 70 percent of beverages. Bottled water made up 12 percent
and milk only 5 percent of beverages. Fruits and vegetables
-- and refrigerated vending machines that can stock items like salads
and veggie sticks with low-fat dip -- were even harder to find. Of the
9,723 total snack slots surveyed, just 26 offered a fruit or vegetable,
and much of that was dried fruit snacks, Wootan said. "If a child buys
lunch out of vending machines, it's almost guaranteed to be high in
sugar, salt, calorically dense and virtually devoid of nutrients,"
she said. The center is pushing
Congress to give the U.S. Department of Agriculture greater authority
to regulate vending machine foods, as it already does for cafeteria
meals. The study comes as school
districts across the nation, including On May 26, a proposal
to ban candy and chewing gum and set restrictions on the sugar and fat
content of vending machine snacks in all Chicago public schools goes
up for vote before the Chicago Board of Education. Vending machines are
a valuable revenue stream for school districts. But in case studies
of 14 schools sites, CSPI found that schools did not lose money after
switching to healthier vending machines snacks. At "Yes, we've lost
revenue, but we're doing the right thing," Happ said. New school
gets green thumbs up Ana Beatriz Cholo, Chicago will break ground
Wednesday for the city's first certified "green" elementary
school, an eco-friendly structure featuring drought-resistant plants
on the roof, solar panels, harvested rainwater and flooring made of
recycled glass. District officials also
say the new Tarkington Elementary in In the future, all city
schools will be certified as "green" by the U.S. Green Building
Council, a nonprofit organization based in The schools will be
built following a philosophy of using resources efficiently, making
the least impact on the environment and making the health and productivity
of the occupants a priority. Only four public schools
in the country--in That number includes
a new addition for a charter school already open at the environmentally
conscious Prairie Crossing development in north suburban Grayslake.
The structure is expected to be completed in December. Tarkington, a kindergarten
through 8th-grade school planned to meet demand on the growing Southwest
Side, is slated to open in the fall of 2005. The school will be built
on park land, and the Chicago Park District will share some of the facilities. The school will be built
using 50 percent certified wood from "responsible" lumberyards,
and building occupants will be encouraged to use public transportation
to get to work. Twenty percent of the materials used to build the school
must come from within a 500-mile radius, to cut down on energy used
for transportation. It will cost $23 million
to build, about 8 percent more than the cost of a typical non-green
school, said Chicago Public Schools officials. The cost to build an
elementary school is approximately $140 to $160 per square foot, versus
$168 per square foot for Tarkington. However, the school
district expects to save money on energy, lighting and other operating
costs, said Sean Murphy, the district's chief operating officer. "It should have
a positive impact on student learning and a positive impact on the environment,"
he said. Environmental experts
say students at green schools perform better because of the exposure
to natural light and higher air quality. The staff would also benefit,
they say. Mark Bishop, state policy
director for the Healthy Schools Campaign in "I think this really
will serve the public and students well," Bishop said. "To
do something as broadly as Chicago Public Schools, it really is a great
step forward." City school officials
said the new The new The The council ranks A certified building
can achieve different levels of "greenness," with the highest
level being platinum. There are only five of these sites in the world,
including the In recent years Mayor
Richard Daley has encouraged city building designers to add rooftop
gardens, which can reduce energy costs by cutting down on the heat generated
by dark surfaces. The city planted a 20,300-square-foot garden atop
City Hall four years ago. Sadhu In Grayslake, the new
green 10-classroom building for Architects have come
into the classroom and explained how and why recycled products are being
used during construction, said Linda Brazdil, director of the elementary
school, which already has an environmental focus. The school plans to
expand, and fundraising efforts are in the works for a second green
building. Brazdil says they are
considering adding a geothermal heating system, for which 35 wells,
150 feet deep, would be dug near the school. Water would circulate through
the wells, collecting the heat of the earth. That method cuts energy
costs but is expensive to install. "I would love to
be able to use that to teach students" about physical science,
Brazdil said. "The more environmental we could be in our building,
the more that we could say to our community that we believe in this.
... We are not just teaching this. We really live it." Diane Rado, From a re-enactment
of historic U.S. Supreme Court arguments to programs discussing the
connection between racial integration and the arts, The non-profit Illinois
Humanities Council will launch its free series of events Thursday, hoping
to draw diverse audiences across the state into a conversation about
the legacy of the On Monday a state commission
formed to commemorate the decision will host a program at "We're trying to
show the importance of the case to the world," said Ollie McLemore,
executive director of the commission. Illinois Supreme Court
Justice Charles E. Freeman will play U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justices
Fred Vinson and Earl Warren in arguments from 1952 and 1953. Chicago
attorney James Montgomery will play Thurgood Marshall, the lead civil
rights attorney in the Brown case who would go on to become the first
black justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. The yearlong humanities
series will look beyond schooling to examine such topics as the role
of race in the development of jazz and rhythm and blues. Lectures, films
and presentations will feature dancers, playwrights and professors,
among others, with events planned in "We wanted to get
as many people involved in the conversation as possible," said
Angel Ysaguirre, director of programs for the council. "We tried
to create a number of different formats and topics so we could reach
a wide audience." Thursday's event in
Monday's reenactment
at Governor wants to shake up education By ADRIANA COLINDRES
of Copley News Service, The new appointees,
if confirmed by the state Senate, would serve "at will." That
means "if they don't perform and show results, they can be replaced
by the governor at any time," Blagojevich said. Accompanied at a Statehouse
news conference by Senate President Emil Jones, D-Chicago, and Sens.
Miguel del Valle, D-Chicago, and Patrick Welch, D-Peru, Blagojevich
outlined the contents of the revised education initiative. Senate Bill 3000 would
"make the State Board of Education accountable to the governor
and to the General Assembly in a way that it never has been before,"
Blagojevich said. Provisions of the plan
would: - End the terms of the
current members of the State Board of Education on July 1. - Enable the governor
to appoint nine new members, subject to state Senate confirmation. Their
terms would be staggered, with five expiring in 2007 and four expiring
in 2009. - Give school districts
the option to participate in the state's prescription drug-buying plan
and in a pooled purchasing program, which would result in "hundreds
of millions of dollars" in savings, the governor said. Another measure, Senate
Bill 3001, would authorize $2.2 billion in bonding for the state's popular
school construction program, Welch said. The state Capital Development
Board would be available to help districts with cost-control, but districts
would preserve the power to hire their own contractors. "This plan represents
a major step forward for education in Blagojevich said if
it becomes law, his new appointees to the State Board of Education would
be "the best and the brightest," regardless of their political
affiliation or where they live. "If someone's got
somebody that's really talented from Del Valle, who chairs
the Senate Education Committee, said he is "very, very excited"
about the proposed changes. Jones intends to ensure
passage in the Senate, where his party controls 32 seats. House Speaker Michael
Madigan, D-Chicago, had cited constitutional worries recently when he
said he opposed Blagojevich's proposal for a Department of Education
that largely would replace the State Board of Education. But on Thursday, Madigan
spokesman Steve Brown said, "We're closer to being on the same
page." Some rank-and-file lawmakers
indicated they could vote for the compromise plan. Rep. Mike Smith, a Canton
Democrat who chairs the House appropriations committee for elementary
and secondary education, still prefers the idea of a Department of Education. But Smith added Thursday's
plan "is better than the system we have in terms of giving the
governor more involvement." The debate on State Superintendent
Robert Schiller attended the speech, later calling it a display of "politics
and power" that does nothing to help struggling schools. When the governor was
asked Thursday about how the new education plan would affect Schiller,
Blagojevich said: "I want to be nice to him. I gave that one speech
that one day, and it wasn't about him personally. It was about that
position ... But I will say this: There will be a whole new board and
there will be a new school superintendent."staggered, with five
expiring in 2007 and four expiring in 2009. - Give school districts
the option to participate in the state's prescription drug-buying plan
and in a pooled purchasing program, which would result in "hundreds
of millions of dollars" in savings, the governor said. Another measure, Senate
Bill 3001, would authorize $2.2 billion in bonding for the state's popular
school construction program, Welch said. The state Capital Development
Board would be available to help districts with cost-control, but districts
would preserve the power to hire their own contractors. "This plan represents
a major step forward for education in Blagojevich said if
it becomes law, his new appointees to the State Board of Education would
be "the best and the brightest," regardless of their political
affiliation or where they live. "If someone's got
somebody that's really talented from Del Valle, who chairs
the Senate Education Committee, said he is "very, very excited"
about the proposed changes. Jones intends to ensure
passage in the Senate, where his party controls 32 seats. House Speaker Michael
Madigan, D-Chicago, had cited constitutional worries recently when he
said he opposed Blagojevich's proposal for a Department of Education
that largely would replace the State Board of Education. But on Thursday, Madigan
spokesman Steve Brown said, "We're closer to being on the same
page." Some rank-and-file lawmakers
indicated they could vote for the compromise plan. Rep. Mike Smith, a Canton
Democrat who chairs the House appropriations committee for elementary
and secondary education, still prefers the idea of a Department of Education. But Smith added Thursday's
plan "is better than the system we have in terms of giving the
governor more involvement." The debate on State Superintendent
Robert Schiller attended the speech, later calling it a display of "politics
and power" that does nothing to help struggling schools. When the governor was
asked Thursday about how the new education plan would affect Schiller,
Blagojevich said: "I want to be nice to him. I gave that one speech
that one day, and it wasn't about him personally. It was about that
position ... But I will say this: There will be a whole new board and
there will be a new school superintendent." Education Compromise: Governor, Senate Democrats Agree
on New Public School Policy AP, SPRINGFIELD -- Giving
up his plan to create a new education department under his control,
Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Thursday agreed to a compromise that would still
give the governor extraordinary new powers over the management of public
schools. Blagojevich and Senate
Democrats announced a plan that would let Blagojevich name an entirely
new education board on July 1. The members could be dismissed by the
governor at any time. The proposal would give
the governor unprecedented power over education policy for elementary
and secondary schools, now directed by an independent State Board of
Education whose members are appointed by the governor but currently
serve six-year terms that often overlap with the terms of new governors.
If approved by the Legislature,
Blagojevich said, the compromise would produce "a radical transformation"
for an agency that he once compared to "an old, Soviet-style bureaucracy"
because of its inefficiency and red tape. "Today, the Berlin
Wall has come down," Blagojevich said. Blagojevich made clear
that he thinks having the ability to remove any board member who displeases
him would amount to the same power as having a Cabinet-level agency
answering to him. "Why slow up this
reform by fighting for a change that really doesn't make a difference
in terms of our ability to execute these reforms better, make this adjustment,
avoid any kind of court challenge and get moving?" the Democratic
governor said. The plan includes Blagojevich's
ideas for setting up a statewide buying pool for school supplies, though
school districts wouldn't be required to participate. Nor would they
be required to let the state Capital Development Board oversee construction
projects, which Blagojevich says would save them money. Blagojevich also touted
a provision giving him power over State Board of Education budgets so
he could restructure the agency. He suggested he would get rid of its
legal and public affairs divisions -- "wasteful bureaucracies,"
in his view. The plan still requires
legislative approval, and there is some question about whether House
Speaker Michael Madigan will go along. Madigan, a powerful
Chicago Democrat, was happy that Blagojevich dropped the idea for a
new department, which he believes would be unconstitutional, spokesman
Steve Brown said. But Brown said House members likely will question
whether a governor should be able to appoint or dismiss board members
at any time. "At-will may or
may not be a good idea, but I think members would say, 'Don't we need
some criteria?'" Brown said. "I'm not sure people would give
any governor a blank check in an important area like this." Senate President Emil
Jones, D-Chicago, who appeared with Blagojevich for the announcement,
had said the governor's original plan would crush the agency's independence
from Capitol politics. "The governor has
indicated he wants to make changes, and perhaps through the independence
it has not always been that way. So he can take full responsibility
for the policy changes. I relinquish," Jones said Thursday. Former Gov. Jim Edgar,
who in 1998 unsuccessfully proposed a constitutional amendment to create
an education department, was skeptical about whether Blagojevich's proposal
would make much difference. While an activist executive could find compliant
board members to make the changes he wanted, it's never easy to dismiss
appointees, and it could become a public-relations debacle in a well-publicized
spat, Edgar said. "This makes the
governor more accountable, which is good," Edgar said. "The
only reservation, since you're still dealing with the board, you've
got to be careful -- you don't want to just have 'musical chairs' there."
Deal would give governor control of school board By Ray Long and Christi
Parsons, Tribune staff reporters, Unveiling a deal with
Senate Democrats, Blagojevich abandoned a key element of his plan to
gut what he had termed a "Soviet-style bureaucracy" at the
independent State Board of Education and replace it with a cabinet-level
department of education answering directly to him. The revamped plan would
leave the board structure intact but cede to Blagojevich unlimited power
to overhaul its membership and then fire any of the new appointees later.
Blagojevich said he would use that authority to purge all nine members
currently on the panel as well as state schools Supt. Robert Schiller,
who was hired by the board. Blagojevich had attacked
the current board for a lack of accountability but insisted the new
structure would correct that. "Accountability is the centerpiece
of reform," Blagojevich said. "Without accountability, nothing
changes, nothing improves and no one ever has to answer for themselves." Senate President Emil
Jones (D-Chicago) said Thursday that he agreed to relinquish the board's
independence in order to give the governor more power to improve schools. That concept, however,
unsettled many local school district officials around the state. They
feared that the arrangement would lead to high turnover on the board
and in the superintendent's office and make it difficult for occupants
of those posts to achieve anything meaningful. Despite the backing
from top Senate Democrats, the plan may encounter trouble with other
key lawmakers. House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago), the biggest
potential obstacle, thinks the revised proposal is better than the original
but still questions whether a governor should have so-called "at-will"
power to hire and fire board members on a whim, a spokesman said. "There may be questions
about what he means by `at-will,'" said Madigan spokesman Steve
Brown. "Will there be any criteria for hiring and firing people,
or can he do it for any reason?" Under the proposal,
Blagojevich would be able to pick all new members of the board, though
they would serve staggered terms that could be ended prematurely by
the governor. The proposal also contains a number of provisions the
governor contends would save as much as $450 million for schools over
the next four years. For instance, the plan would let districts take
part in a statewide buying pool to purchase school supplies and also
would allow the state's Capital Development Board to oversee local school
construction projects for districts that wanted help. In addition, the new
plan would create so-called shared service centers that let districts
pool resources to save on administrative costs. To help local schools
reduce health costs, districts could participate in the state's prescription
drug purchasing plan. The optional nature
of those programs is a concession by Blagojevich, who had originally
sought to force districts to cede control over some services when he
first unveiled his school overhaul plan during his Many lawmakers think
that added power would help the governor improve the public schools--and
the faith people have in them. "I think what the
governor is saying here is that he wants to gain the full confidence
of those who depend on our public education system," said Sen.
Miguel del Valle (D-Chicago), chairman of the Senate Education Committee,
who appeared with Blagojevich at his announcement Thursday. "The
changes we're proposing here are going to help us do that." Madigan and many other
lawmakers had complained that Blagojevich's original plan to gut the
board would violate the state constitution. Rep. Michael Smith (D-Canton),
chairman of aHouse education committee, said the revised plan appears
to allay that concern. "It certainly avoids
the constitutional questions that were among the biggest obstacles we
had with the department," Smith said. "But it gives the governor
a lot of say over what is happening at the state board." That said, many lawmakers
still expressed qualms. In particular, some worried that giving Blagojevich
the power to replace the current board en masse would do away with the
concept of continuity among its members that was important to crafters
of the constitution. "I don't like this
idea that he can summarily dismiss nine board members," said Sen.
Dan Cronin (R-Elmhurst), the Republican spokesman on the Senate Education
Committee. "If you read the constitutional convention debate and
discussions, the whole idea was for continuity. That has to transcend
gubernatorial elections and partisan politics." Many local school officials
said they were bothered that all board members under the deal would
serve at the whim of the governor, a provision they feared would make
a mockery of the board's independence. "Why do you even
have a board then?" asked Kenneth Arndt, superintendent in Carpentersville-based
Arndt also said the
two-year contract for a state school superintendent--which Blagojevich
also proposes--is too short. "It's extremely difficult for a new
superintendent to make significant changes in two years," said
Arndt. That concern was echoed
by Donna Baiocchi , executive director of Ed-Red, a school advocacy
group representing more than 100 districts in Cook, DuPage and Schiller, whose job
would clearly be threatened under the proposal, was least impressed
of all. Through an aide, he said he did not want to give credence to
the governor's remarks that the superintendent would be fired before
his contract is up on "It's an amendment
to a bill that still has to go through both houses," said board
spokeswoman Karen Craven, "and not everyone is on board with it." Governor backs off of school overhaul By Kurt Erickson, Pantagraph,
Although he intends
to keep some elements of his controversial overhaul alive -- including
replacing all of the Illinois State Board of Education members and firing
state school Superintendent Robert Schiller -- the governor said it
was clear his plan to gut the much-maligned system wasn't going to be
approved by lawmakers. "There's always
some give and take in this process. You never get 100 percent of what
you're asking for," said Blagojevich. In January, the governor
used his State of the State speech to focus on the state Board of Education,
which he said operated like a "Soviet-style bureaucracy."
He said the independent agency should be placed under the control of
the governor in order to boost accountability and improve schools. Last week, House Speaker
Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, blocked the plan, saying it was unconstitutional. Now, instead of creating
a new Department of Education under Blagojevich's control, the new,
watered-down version would allow the governor to replace all current
members of the state board on July 1. The proposal also would give the
governor the ability to fire board members at will. He also said Schiller
would be fired when the new board takes over. "I want to be nice
to him. I just don't want to cloud this about speculating about his
future. But I will say this: There will be a whole new board and there
will be a new school superintendent," said Blagojevich. State board Chairwoman
Janet Steiner said the compromise "honors the integrity of the
Constitution." And, she said the board
would not stand in the way of Blagojevich's plan to replace members. "Board members
remarked in January that if moving education forward in Schiller was not available
for comment. Blagojevich said taxpayers
will have to eat the remaining $250,000 left on Schiller's contract
if he is fired this summer. "It's the cost
of reform. It's an unfortunate situation," the governor said. State Sen. Bill Brady,
R-Bloomington, who co-sponsored the original plan, said he was disappointed
that Madigan could exert so much control over the legislative process. "When Mike Madigan
said it wasn't going to fly, it showed that Mike Madigan has way too
much power," said Brady. "That's not the way it should be.
I think it's a black eye on the institution of the House." "I'm disappointed
the governor gave up so quick because I'm not sure this will do everything
the original proposal would have done," said Brady. A Madigan spokesman
said the speaker was pleased with Thursday's developments. "I think
we're on the same page in terms of revamping the state Board of Education,"
said Steve Brown. The new proposal also
ends Blagojevich's bid to force school districts to use state services
for school construction planning, employee health care and purchasing.
Instead, school districts will have the option of participating in the
state program. The new plan also calls
for the Legislature to have more scrutiny and control over the state
board's budget. Blagojevich said that provision will help eliminate
wasteful contracts. Although the projected
savings will be far less than the $1 billion estimate floated by Blagojevich
in January, he said school districts could save cash by joining the
state's prescription drug buying club. Others could save money by using
state to help with construction projects. "We're going to
be able to save hundreds of millions of dollars for the taxpayers,"
said Blagojevich. Added Brady, "I
hope it works, but I certainly don't think it will be as efficient as
it could have been." The new legislation
could be debated in the Senate next week. It is contained in Senate
Bill 3000. New education reforms worry some downstate By Brian Wallheimer,
"Knowing what he's
done to this point, this administration's been top-heavy in Blagojevich on Thursday
announced a plan that would allow him to take over the State Board of
Education, which he has said is wasteful and ineffective. The plan would
give Blagojevich almost complete power over board membership. The plan
was presented as a compromise of Blagojevich's earlier proposal to eliminate
the board, transferring its powers to a new Department of Education.
"I'm not satisfied
with the state of education in the state of But board President
Janet Steiner, of Carlinville, and others voiced concern that Blagojevich
could stack the board with northern "A downstater always
has that concern because there's always been a lot of control from the
urban areas of the north," Steiner said. "Let's hope that
everything is evenly distributed." State law says two members
of the state board must be from "I think we have
been shown by this governor that Blagojevich spokeswoman
Rebecca Rausch said downstate school districts can be sure that their
concern will be addressed by a new board. "The governor is
committed to making sure the state board of education is representative
of the interests of all parts of the state," Rausch said. "This
is about the betterment of In 2007, the governor
would be allowed to replace five members of the board and the other
four members two years later. By picking board members, the governor
also would control whom the board hires as state superintendent. Under Blagojevich's
new plan: The board would still
choose the state superintendent, but the superintendent would serve
a two-year term instead of a three-year term. The board would begin
line-item budgeting, so that the governor and the Legislature could
eliminate spending they deem unnecessary. All school districts
would be allowed to opt into the state's prescription drug-buying plan,
and allow schools to buy supplies under a state contract if local vendors
cannot provide the supplies cheaper. Schools districts could
ask the state Capital Development Board to manage building projects
if it would be cheaper than hiring a local contractor. "I'm saying that
today the Berlin Wall has come down," Blagojevich said. "It
paves the way for major reform in the state's regulation of its schools.
It has the potential to make life easier for all the nearly 900 school
districts in our state and help our children learn better." Blagojevich faced opposition
for his original education plan from House Speaker Michael Madigan.
Madigan wanted the governor to be able to appoint five of the board's
nine members during his term and to keep the hiring of the state superintendent
under the control of the board. Madigan spokesman Steve
Brown said the speaker still has some concern about Blagojevich's new
plan, including having a lack on continuity on the board if Blagojevich
were to replace the members in July and giving the governor power to
remove members for any reason. "I think there
needs to be some kind of criteria on how to remove board members,"
Brown said. Board member Ronald
Gidwitz, of "By giving every
governor unilateral control of every board member, turns the board and
our entire K-12 education system into another political machine,"
Gidwitz said in a written statement. Gov makes deal that keeps education board, but lets him
fill it BY DAVE The deal crafted by
Senate Democrats would gut the centerpiece of Blagojevich's original
proposal, which would have created a new education department under
his direct control. That idea had been called unconstitutional by House
Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) and other critics. Under the new plan,
the state board would remain. But its nine-member governing body --
now comprising mostly holdovers from Gov. George Ryan's era -- could
be replaced by Blagojevich on July 1. The governor would be empowered
to replace any of his appointees for any reason. The board, which doles
out $8 billion in state and federal funds, would have to more explicitly
detail its expenditures, giving the governor an easier target if he
wants to veto specific spending initiatives. "What we're doing
with regard to this reform is fundamentally changing the nature of those
who'll be in charge of our schools statewide," Blagojevich said. If the deal is approved,
the governor said, state schools Supt. Robert Schiller's days are numbered.
The governor said one of the first directives to his appointees would
be to fire Schiller, even if it means having to buy out the remaining
year-plus left on his $225,000-a-year contract. "It's the cost
of reform. It's an unfortunate situation. It's one of the vestiges of
the previous administration," he said. "It's not unlike, very
frankly, the contract the Cubs have to keep paying Don Baylor after
they brought Dusty Baker in." A Schiller spokesman
said the superintendent had no comment on the governor's threat. Senate President Emil
Jones (D-Chicago) hailed the plan as a reasonable alternative that still
gives Blagojevich control of state education policy. A spokesman for
Madigan said the speaker believes he and the governor are "closer
to being on the same page" on a schools plan. However, Republicans
questioned whether the state board would have any independence if the
governor simply could yank board members at will. Blagojevich won't kill state school board By John Patterson, Daily
Herald State Government Editor, The compromise with
lawmakers comes just months after Blagojevich labeled the board a "Soviet-style
bureaucracy" and demanded it no longer have any control of public
education in the state. But his plans for an
education department under his direct control hit constitutional and
political hurdles. Faced with potential defeat of his top issue, Blagojevich
sided with a plan put forth by Senate Democrats that would keep the
state board but dump all current members and let the governor name nine
new ones. Blagojevich said the
change was in no way a political defeat. "I'm saying that
today the Berlin Wall has come down," Blagojevich told reporters,
sticking with his Cold War-era analogy for the state's education system. But many questions remain.
Ronald Gidwitz, a state board member, said giving the governor unilateral
control threatens to turn the entire education system into "another
political machine." Some suburban lawmakers
echoed those concerns. "The fact that
he can summarily dismiss nine board members and hire nine new ones based
on whatever problem, issue, education trend of the day is very troubling,"
said state Sen. Dan Cronin, an Elmhurst Republican and member of the
Senate Education Committee. However, state Sen.
Susan Garrett, a Lake Forest Democrat, was willing to give the governor
a chance to improve the often-maligned state board. "He's an elected
official, like everybody else, and when he makes mistakes that will
be highlighted and people will not be silent," said Garrett, also
an Education Committee member. The true test of the
new plan Blagojevich is backing could come in the House where Speaker
Michael Madigan, a Chicago Democrat, had said the original plan was
unconstitutional and unlikely to be called for a vote. Madigan spokesman Steve
Brown said the speaker was pleased to see the new version. Brown said
House members have some concerns with the Senate's compromise but expects
differences can be worked out in the coming weeks. For example, he suggested
there should be some criteria for firing future board members, otherwise
it will be difficult to find people willing to serve. As proposed, all existing
board members would be fired July 1, and the governor would name nine
new members. All would have to be approved by the Illinois Senate. Gone too would be state
Schools Superintendent Robert Schiller. The new board would name a new
superintendent. But the state would have to buy out the remainder of
Schiller's contract. He makes $225,000 annually and his contract does
not expire until "It's the cost
of reform," Blagojevich said, comparing it to the Cubs firing and
buying out Don Baylor's contract to bring in Dusty Baker. Schiller had no comment,
saying he did not want to give any credence to the governor's remarks. Other key provisions
in the plan include requiring local schools to buy supplies through
the state, unless they can find a cheaper provider on their own, and
allowing schools to participate in the state's prescription drug-buying
program. The idea behind both
is that the state buys in massive quantities and gets cheaper rates.
These and other proposed changes are expected to save schools upward
of $450 million during four years. The state purchasing
provision left some suburban officials confused. Blagojevich's news
release said local schools would have the option of buying through the
state. His aides and the actual proposal say it is a requirement. "We are confused
by the mixed message," said Donna Baiocchi, executive director
of the suburban education and research group ED-RED. A chance at education evolution Gov. Rod Blagojevich's
announcement Thursday that he has reached a compromise with state Senate
leaders on how to revamp Blagojevich has given
up on his bid to dismantle the Illinois State Board of Education. Instead,
the governor, under this compromise, would get to appoint all new members
of the board, with Senate approval, and to remove members whenever he
sees fit. That would create accountability
to the governor, and that is good, given that Blagojevich's ideas for
improving student achievement generally are on target. Another potentially
significant change would encourage local schools to buy through a Web-based
"catalog" of items--from glue to student desks to employee
benefits--to help the schools lower operating costs. A "central
procurement center" created by the state theoretically would offer
lower negotiated prices from vendors in exchange for bulk purchases
of common supplies. District officials could
make contract purchases of under $10,000 from local vendors if those
vendors offer lower prices or come close to the state's. Blagojevich's estimates
of the savings--as much as $550 million over four years--may be exaggerated.
Whatever the ultimate savings, though, they're still savings. And that
means superintendents would have more money on hand to spend on things
like teacher development, rather than on janitor brooms and conference
room tables. The key will be whether local districts take full advantage
of the savings or opt to pay more because they don't want to lose control
over their purchasing. The state board is not
all that ails education in This is a state that
values strong local control over schools, which is why the state board
has been little more than a financial pass-through agency rather than
a promoter of bold new ideas and best practices. Blagojevich will now
get the chance to change that. And once that's accomplished, perhaps
the focus can move to closer scrutiny of the spending, hiring, teaching
and business practices of the hundreds of school districts dotting the
state. Business coalition's plan won't resolve school woes Pantagraph Editorial,
Allowing the governor
to appoint a new Illinois State Board of Education every four years,
as proposed by a coalition of business groups, would not overcome the
problems of bureaucratic inertia and limited accountability in the state's
school system. Under the Business Roundtable's
plan, the board would still hire -- and fire -- the state school superintendent.
A governor would have little authority to determine who the superintendent
would be and, therefore, could claim that shortcomings in education
are not his fault. The proposal would be
an improvement over the current system, under which board members serve
six-year terms, giving an incoming governor even less ability to alter
the course of the education system by altering the makeup of the board.
However, like so many proposed education "reforms," it attacks
the problem piecemeal. Business Roundtable's
plan was offered as an alternative to Gov. Rod Blagojevich's proposal
for creating a Department of Education directly under him. Blagojevich's plan,
likewise, doesn't go far enough. To avoid the constitutional
amendment process, Blagojevich would keep the Board of Education, but
strip it of nearly all authority. The board would still appoint the
superintendent, as required by the Constitution, but the superintendent
would be just a figurehead. House Speaker Michael
Madigan has rejected the governor's idea, backing the idea of giving
the governor more say in appointing the board. A better approach would
be to change the Constitution to eliminate the board and create a Department
of Education on par with other state departments, for which the governor
would be responsible. Some people object to
such a change because they think it would inject too much politics into
the education process. The current process
isn't devoid of politics; it's devoid of direct accountability. While some have philosophical
objections to the change, others seem to be letting a dislike or distrust
of Blagojevich stand in the way of supporting creation of a Department
of Education. It is important to look at the bigger picture. The idea of a Department
of Education is nothing new. It goes back at least to the Jim Edgar
administration. The turnaround experienced
in the Chicago Public School System after the mayor gained greater authority
shows what can be accomplished when accountability and authority are
lodged in the same place. Even accepting the argument
that the current system is less partisan and preserves the independence
intended under the 1970 Constitution, the inescapable fact is it's not
working. Too many schools are failing to educate our children. Some might argue that
inadequate funding is the culprit. But before there can be fundamental
changes in how schools are funded, there must be fundamental changes
in the education bureaucracy to ensure any additional money goes where
it is needed most. =========================================================================== NATIONAL Southern Baptist urges homeschooling By John Gerome, Associated
Press Writer, The resolution, co-authored
by T.C. Pinckney, publisher of a Baptist newsletter in "God gives the
responsibility for education of children to the parents, not to the
government," Pinckney said in an interview Thursday. "And
parents should be taking responsibility, primarily through homeschooling." His proposal has been
submitted to the convention's 10-member Resolutions Committee, which
will decide whether to present it for a vote when the convention meets
June 15-16 in John Revell, a spokesman
for the Southern Baptist Convention, declined to comment on the resolution
or its chances of passage. But he noted that many resolutions submitted
to the Resolutions Committee are not presented to the convention for
a vote. Richard Land, head of
the Southern Baptists' public policy arm, did not immediately return
calls seeking comment. The proposal, which
was also written by Texas attorney Bruce Shortt, says the public school
system claims to be neutral, but it is actually opposed to Christianity
and provides an education that is "godless." "Just as it would
be foolish for the warrior to give his arrows to his enemies, it is
foolish for Christians to give their children to be trained in schools
run by the enemies of God," the resolution states. The resolution also
says public schools are "adopting curricula and policies teaching
that the homosexual lifestyle is acceptable." Pinckney, a retired
Air Force pilot and former second vice president of the Southern Baptist
Convention, said public schools are "harmful not just spiritually
and worldview-wise, but terrible academically. The If Baptist parents were
to comply with the resolution, the public school system probably would
collapse, said Pinckney, who publishes "The Baptist Banner." "I think that would
be one of the finest things that can happen for the With 16.3 million members,
the Southern Baptist Convention is the nation's second-largest denomination.
But resolutions approved by the convention are nonbinding, and all member
churches are autonomous in their ministries. In some years, the Resolutions
Committee receives more than 30 proposals, and it typically presents
only eight to 10, Revell said. Last year, the committee presented eight
resolutions, and the convention approved all eight. A resolution that fails
to make it out of the committee can be brought up for a convention vote
if two-thirds of the "messengers," or qualified members, agree
to consider it. The convention already
has passed resolutions supporting homeschooling (1997) and Christian
education (1999). But the Pinckney-Shortt
resolution goes much further by making it a Christian duty to abandon
public schools, said Robert Parham, executive director of the Parham called the resolution
inflammatory and a violation of the Ten Commandments. "There's a clear
commandment that says 'Thou shall not bear false witness,' and this
resolution bears false witness about school teachers and schools when
it says they have an agenda other than education and that agenda is
godless," he said. Study faults computer use in AP, PROVIDENCE, R.I. --
Rhode Island exceeds the national average in the percentage of schools
with Internet access, yet many children -- especially poor and minority
students -- don't use the technology in the classroom, a new study shows. According to Education
Week magazine, which just released a survey on technology in the nation's
schools, 97 percent of schools in Despite this, fourth
graders in " But Bill Fiske, technology
coordinator for the Rhode Island Department of Education, disputes the
numbers. "I challenge you
to walk into any school and not find a dozen classrooms connected to
the Internet," Fiske told The Providence Journal. "Those numbers
aren't real. It's shameful." Education Week collected
its data using Market Data Retrieval of Shelton, Conn. The company sent
surveys to every school in the country, and nearly 25,000 schools responded. Education Week found
that nearly every school in the nation has access to computers and the
Internet, and most have computers in their classrooms. The magazine
also found that the gap between poor and affluent schools is closing. In Statewide, 75 percent
of all schools report that at least half of their teachers use the Internet
for instruction. In schools with many poor or minority students, however,
that number drops to 50 percent. Compare those figures
to "I don't understand
where this data is coming from," Fiske said. "All my teacher
training takes place in Fiske said the state
runs the most intensive computer-training program for teachers in the
country, adding that half of the state's 10,000 teachers have received
professional development in this area. Recent troubles in Susan Essoyan, The flaws just discovered
on tests taken this spring by A study published last
year documented numerous errors by testing companies in recent years,
including mistakes that led students to be denied diplomas. The paper,
"Errors in Standardized Tests: A Systematic Problem," was
issued by the National Board on Educational Testing and Public Policy,
based at Boston College. "Over the last
few years, all the major test companies have had problems," Monty
Neill, executive director of FairTest, an advocacy group based in The San Antonio-based
company that produced » In Nevada, 736 sophomores
and juniors failed math tests in 2002 that they should have passed because
Harcourt Education Management had miscalculated the cut score by one
point. The company was fined $425,000. The following year, it used the
wrong scoring system to grade third- and fifth-graders, and agreed to
provide $435,000 in additional services to make up for it. » A » In Georgia the Board
of Education deemed its students' 2002 test results unusable because
they were so late and riddled with errors. It withheld payment to Harcourt
Brace. » Earlier this year,
CTB/McGraw Hill agreed to rescore the open-ended questions on its tests
in While giving the Hawaii
State Assessment this spring, teachers and test coordinators discovered
several errors, including missing pages and mistakes in instructions.
Sample questions that were given to some students had incorrect answers,
which could have thrown off the children's confidence and concentration
and taken away time from the rest of the test as they puzzled over them. All students in grades
3, 5, 8 and 10 took the Hawaii State Assessment in math, reading and
writing this year, and some students in grades 4, 6 and 7 took new tests
that are being evaluated for next year. More than 30 different test
forms were used. Harcourt is working
with "We're going to
make sure that Harcourt does this right," said Bob McClelland,
acting director of planning and evaluation for the state Department
of Education. "That means ensuring that none of these errors will
negatively impact any student or any school." State Superintendent
Pat Hamamoto said Thursday that she does not expect any students will
have to be retested, although that possibility has not been ruled out. Unlike states where
a single test can spell the difference between graduating or not, scores
on the Hawaii State Assessment do not count toward a child's grades
or promotion to the next grade. However, they can dramatically affect
a school's future. The scores determine which schools fail to meet federal
benchmarks and could face sanctions such as replacement of staff. The No Child Left Behind
Act, which became law in 2002, requires testing of all students in reading
and math in grades 3 through 8 starting next year. "One of the concerns
of educators, given the magnitude and scope of testing across the nation
under No Child Left Behind, was whether these testing companies have
the capacity to take care of the needs," Hamamoto said. Neill, of FairTest,
said the mistakes that have emerged show they do not and that other
errors no doubt go undetected. "The states are
requesting customized tests, and there's a lot of work to be done and
it's technically complicated work," he said. "There's a limited
supply of qualified people. The testing companies are really in a jam,
and they are likely to stay in a jam." Testing company officials
counter that they have hired more staff to keep up with growing demand,
and while they strive for perfection, mistakes can happen when millions
of students are being tested and time is limited. "Every testing
company has experienced errors," said Mark Slitt, spokesman for
Harcourt Assessment Inc., the San Antonio-based company that produced
"We have a very
vigorous quality-assurance department, and clearly something here didn't
pass muster," he said. "We don't think there's a capacity
issue. As we've gotten more state contracts, we have added new people." Neill said the pressure
could be relieved if the federal government backed off on its mandate
that all students in grades 3 through 8 be tested, and instead allowed
states to choose selected grades. He also said the government should
not mandate high-stakes decisions based on the results of a test. "If you remove
the high stakes, then there may be errors," he said, "but
they won't have these kinds of damaging consequences." U.S.
education chief assails critics of No Child Left Behind Joyce Gannon, Responding to charges
that the Bush administration's No Child Left Behind Act is underfunded
and not adequately addressing problems in poor neighborhoods, U.S. Secretary
of Education Rod Paige yesterday called those claims "bogus and
unreal." Secretary of Education
Rod Paige defended the Bush administration's No Child Left Behind initiative,
saying, "The federal government has supplied sufficient funding." Click photo for larger
image. "It's an attempt
to muddy the water," he said of recent criticism by Democratic
presidential challenger John Kerry, that the education reform isn't
working. "The federal government
has supplied sufficient funding ... It's an unsubstantiated claim,"
Paige said in a press briefing following his commencement address at
No Child Left Behind
is the 2001 bipartisan legislation that, among other things, holds schools
accountable for student performance and identifies schools that don't
meet state standards. While campaigning in
The Bush administration
claims that total federal spending on grades K-12 has jumped by $9.7
billion, or 35 percent, since No Child Left Behind was enacted. Paige, a former dean
of education at Texas Southern University and former superintendent
of schools in Paige, 70, was a junior
at a black college, He and his peers were
"jubilant" at the ruling, but 50 years later, Paige said,
there's still much work to be done to close the "achievement gap"
between blacks and whites. "Just because a
child can sit in a classroom doesn't mean he can learn. Brown v. Board
of Education just opened the door. No Child Left Behind is the logical
next step." Paige asked Robert Morris'
1,000-plus graduates to pursue service opportunities such as volunteering
in after-school programs and becoming mentors. He singled out graduate
Ashley Henry, 22, of the North Side, for volunteer activities during
her four years at the school, including work with Project Bundle-Up
and the Race for the Cure. The university also
yesterday awarded honorary degrees to Henry and Elsie Hillman for their
civic and philanthropic efforts in More
rules, less money taxing schools Diane Erwin, Less funding and higher
expectations prevent some schools from meeting the standards of the
federal No Child Left Behind Act, superintendents and other administrators
told state and federal education officials Monday. U.S. Rep. David Hobson,
R-Springfield, hosted a meeting attended by about 30 superintendents,
school board members, state legislators and other community and school
officials from Scott Spears, superintendent
of Springfield City Schools, said districts have been aiming at a moving
target as educational standards and requirements have changed. No one
challenges the intent of No Child Left Behind Act, he said. “It's not a new
‘ah ha!’ from the federal government,” Spears said. "It's
something we've worked on for years and years." The act is the framework
states use to meet testing and educational requirements for students
in kindergarten through high school. States created their own plans
for testing that were approved by the U.S. Department of Education,
said Karen Johnson, the department's assistant secretary for congressional
affairs. Many myths surround
the law, she said, including that it is an unfunded mandate. Federal
funding for education has increased since 2001. But state funding has
not. "The law hit The increase in federal
funds wasn't enough to overcome the reduction in state money, Hobson
said. Some educators said
students are not prepared when they begin school. Several were concerned
about the testing of students with learning disabilities. Alternate
tests can be given to 1 percent of a schools' students, but that isn't
enough for some. In the "We clearly have
a need and students who warrant a different kind of consideration,"
Schiraldi said. The district has applied
to the state to raise the percentage of alternate tests it can give
to students. Lois Rapp, assistant
superintendent of Greenon Local Schools, said the forum was a good chance
to hear from the state education department. Randy Overbeck agreed.
"Those of us in
the trenches often feel those making the rules don't have an interest
or desire to hear us," said Overbeck, director of instructional
services for the As the law matures,
"The question is,
how do we handle the glitches?" he said. Karla Scoon Reid, Education
Week An overwhelming majority
of public school teachers and students believe that racially integrated
schooling is important, a national poll commissioned by Education Week
suggests. But when asked what
effect racially diverse environments have on achievement, half of teachers
and three-quarters of students responded that integrated classes have
no impact on student learning. The survey, which gauges
racial attitudes in schools a half-century after the U.S. Supreme Court
struck down separate schooling for black and white students, found differences
between teachers and students on questions of race and education. Teachers depicted more
positive cultural climates in their schools than did students, who were
more likely to report that racial tensions exist and that teachers have
lower expectations for black and Hispanic students. The poll by Harris Interactive
of Sixty-five percent of
all teachers surveyed agreed that the goal of school integration in
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, decided 50 years ago next week,
has been met. And 60 percent of teachers said they believe that the
But there was a marked
divide in responses from teachers of different racial and ethnic backgrounds. Majorities of black
(67 percent) and Hispanic (54 percent) teachers believed diverse classes
would improve student learning, compared with 44 percent of white teachers. While 69 percent of
white teachers and 60 percent of Hispanic teachers said racially integrated
schooling has been achieved, only 31 percent of black teachers agreed.
When asked whether they thought equal academic opportunities were available
to students regardless of race, 63 percent of white teachers and 52
percent of Hispanic teachers agreed, compared with just 28 percent of
the black teachers polled. A separate national
online query of 3,698 Both teachers and students
were asked to rank the factors that they believe contribute to the "achievement
gap," which finds black and Hispanic students posting lower test
scores than their white and Asian counterparts. Teachers were more apt
to attribute the gap to family- or student-centered factors. Overwhelming
majorities pointed to lack of family support or involvement, challenging
family conditions, and lack of student motivation or effort as reasons
for the gap. Black and Hispanic teachers
however, were more likely than white teachers to identify low teacher
expectations and "injustice or discrimination" as contributing
factors. Black teachers also cited unequal access to challenging coursework
and good teachers as a reason the gap exists more often than their white
and Hispanic colleagues did. Students were more inclined
than teachers to identify school-related causes as explaining a great
deal or some of the achievement gap. While 67 percent of students noted
unequal access to challenging coursework and good teachers, 55 percent
of all teachers selected that factor. But 57 percent of students cited
"injustice or discrimination" in society as an explanation,
compared with 44 percent of teachers. When asked how the achievement
gap could be closed, a large majority of teachers (85 percent) recommended
increased parent involvement. Sixty-three percent argued that boosting
student effort and motivation also would eradicate the test-score disparities.
Few teachers said that
school remedies, such as giving more money to schools serving greater
numbers of disadvantaged students (26 percent) and making sure students
at risk of failure have good teachers (20 percent), would bridge the
learning gap. Race Relations The survey also turned
up differences between teachers and students on questions about their
perceptions of race relations in their schools. Overall, students appeared
to hold less promising views of racial interactions, with 28 percent
of the students surveyed rating relations between students of different
races as "excellent," compared with 34 percent of teachers.
While 23 percent of teachers reported "often or sometimes"
hearing or seeing conflicts between students of different races, including
fights, 40 percent of students acknowledged often or sometimes witnessing
such behavior. When it comes to cross-racial
relationships, more students (70 percent) than teachers (54 percent)
agreed that students who share similar racial backgrounds "stick
together" in school. Students reported that interaction between
students of various racial backgrounds occurs less often than teachers
said it did. For example, 83 percent of teachers said cross- racial
interaction occurs "often" during classes, while just 60 percent
of the students agreed. Asked whether teachers
have lower expectations for black and Hispanic students, 18 percent
of students and 10 percent of teachers said that was the case. Students were more likely
than teachers to say that black and Hispanic students are disciplined
more harshly than white students for the same behavior. But just 17
percent of students and 6 percent of teachers said so, meaning that
large majorities of both groups responded that minority students aren’t
singled out for tougher punishments. In fact, overwhelming
majorities of teachers and students, 91 percent and 81 percent respectively,
said that regardless of race or economic background, all students are
treated fairly by teachers and administrators. ‘Hard Issues’ Education experts who
were asked to comment on the poll’s findings sounded one common
theme: the need for better teacher training. As more white teachers
work in schools with racially diverse student populations, cultural
barriers can emerge that can lead to "conflicts and disharmony,"
said Lois Harrison-Jones, an associate clinical professor at Howard
University in Washington and a former superintendent of the Boston public
schools. More must be done to
prepare teachers—before they enter the classroom—to teach
in increasingly heterogeneous environments, she said. "Teachers need
to understand and look at their own practices to make sure they’re
not engaging in activities or behaviors that are a detriment to one
group of students," agreed Nat LaCour, the executive vice president
of the American Federation of Teachers. The differences between
teachers’ and students’ perceptions of racial interaction
in schools were not surprising to Rossi Ray-Taylor, the executive director
of the Minority Student Achievement Network, an Evanston, Ill.-based
coalition of districts working to close racial and ethnic gaps in achievement. Teachers tend to observe
superficial interactions—such as whom students talk to in class,
she said. But students, she said, are seeking a deeper level of interaction:
"Who hangs out with who? Who’s dating who?" For teachers to point
to more parental participation in schools as the solution to the achievement
gap, she cautioned, is looking at education too narrowly. To Ms. Ray-Taylor,
"parent involvement" has become a cliché. "We’re avoiding
the hard issues of what we can do differently in classrooms and schools,"
she said. "Not that we should ignore poverty or segregated housing.
But those realities cannot get in the way of what schools have to do."
Eric J. Cooper, the
president of the Washington-based National Urban Alliance for Effective
Education, which focuses on training teachers to improve urban schools,
said teachers are "often unaware of the stereotypes they place
on students." "Inadvertently,
[teachers] are creating a self-fulfilling prophecy that gets [minority]
students to believe that they’re not really capable," he said.
The rejection by majorities
of teachers and students of the idea that racially diverse classes positively
affect student achievement seems to conflict with their support for
integrated schools, though teachers were only narrowly divided on the
question. Willis D. Hawley, a
professor emeritus of education at the Few people would espouse
the belief that minority students get smarter simply by sitting next
to white students, he said. Instead, one of the ways people learn is
by comparing different perspectives on a given problem. In a classroom
mixing students from different racial backgrounds, in Mr. Hawley’s
view, learning is more nuanced. "So much of our
learning is impeded by stereotypes about race and class," he added.
The attitude that diverse
classes don’t help student achievement dismayed Raul Gonzalez,
the legislative director for the National Council of La Raza, a Washington-based
advocacy group for Hispanics. "We’ve given
up on the idea that diversity is valuable," he said. "We tried
busing. We tried magnet schools. Now we’ve run out of ideas. The
value of diversity is not measured necessarily by reading and math scores.
It’s part of creating the strongest citizenry we can possibly have." But Todd F. Gaziano,
the director of the center for legal and judicial studies at the Heritage
Foundation, a "Too much time
is wasted on calculating the metrics of racial balance in the classroom,"
he said, "when what really matters is whether the schools are any
good that parents without independent means have to send their kids
to." Wendy D. Puriefoy, the
president of the Public Education Network, a Washington-based coalition
of local education funds, argued that the Brown decision was not about
integration, but about ending legal segregation. Schools were asked to
pick up the charge of integration, she said, "without the rest
of society doing anything at all. I think it’s an undue burden."
Column by David S. Broder,
May 13, 2004 In his "two Americas"
stump speech -- the single most powerful message anyone delivered in
the Democratic primaries this winter -- Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina
talked bluntly about the differences between the education, health care,
housing and other basics available to the well-off and the working poor
in this country. "We have two different
school systems," Edwards said in countless appearances, "one
for people in the most affluent communities and another for everyone
else." That message -- largely dismissed by the Bush White House
and de-emphasized by John Kerry in his reach for middle-class votes
-- is of special relevance as the nation prepares to note the 50th anniversary
on Monday of the Supreme Court decision that formally ended racial segregation
in our schools. Brown v. Board of Education
was a legal landmark, but the reason that the anniversary is being observed,
rather than celebrated, is what Edwards had the courage to point out.
In far too many places, the notion of equal opportunity in education
is still far from reality. In "Beyond Brown
v. Board: The Final Battle for Excellence in American Education,"
written for the Rockefeller Foundation and published this week, Ellis
Cose of Newsweek cites example after example of the holes that remain
in the system. "[B]lacks (and Puerto Ricans and Mexican-Americans)
do not, for the most part, go to the same schools, or even the same
types of schools, as do the majority of non-Hispanic whites," Cose
wrote. "They are more likely to go to schools such as those found
in parts of rural South Carolina; schools that, were it not for the
American flags proudly flying over the roofs, might have been plucked
out of some impoverished country that sees education as a luxury it
can barely afford." The law firm headed
by Richard Riley, the former secretary of education in the Clinton Cabinet,
represents parents and school officials in several of those poor The suits, which have
begun to win scattered success in states as diverse as New York, North
Carolina, Arizona and Idaho since the first breakthrough in Kentucky
in 1989, ask the courts to require that the state determine what it
takes to educate a child adequately -- in staff, facilities, books and
equipment -- and come up with the money to provide it. The movement fits logically
with the standards set in President Bush's No Child Left Behind education
reform. The 2002 law aims at either rescuing or shuttering low-performing
schools and especially at helping students who have been shuffled through
grades without really getting an education. By measuring youngsters'
competence in basic skills at regular intervals and requiring adequate
progress for all parts of the school population -- not just the bright
students -- NCLB pressures states and districts to take steps to eliminate
education failures. And that in turn sets up a demand for better principals
and teachers and materials. But standards by themselves
will not end the two-track education system. Resources have to flow
to the schools and districts that lack the tools they need. A recently
published "Look Inside 33 School Districts" by the Center
on Education Policy, an independent advocate for more effective public
schools, draws the contrast. The A few pages later in
the report one finds the The Wis. AG: School reforms can't be forced By Todd Richmond, Associated
Press Writer, Attorney General Peg
Lautenschlager said "clear and compelling" language in the
law itself says the federal government can't make states or school districts
pay the law's mandated costs for improved education. The opinion could be
the first step toward a lawsuit challenging the law, said Scott Young,
NCSL education policy associate. State education officials
did not immediately return messages from The Associated Press Thursday
evening. No Child Left Behind
is the centerpiece of President Bush's domestic agenda. Teachers and
lawmakers nationwide have criticized the measure, saying it costs too
much and its requirements are too strict. The law mandates that
all school children be proficient in math and reading by 2014. It requires
districts to identify schools with weak reading and math test scores
and begin applying sanctions if the scores do not improve. Penalties range from
making schools implement tutoring programs to letting students transfer
to higher-achieving schools. Non-failing schools
might have to expand to take in more students, which could drive up
property taxes, the attorney general's opinion said. The law "doesn't
really help education," said state Sen. Fred Risser, who asked
Lautenschlager for the opinion. "Education needs smaller class
sizes and well-paid teachers. This bill doesn't give any of these items.
The law could cost taxpayers millions of dollars." U.S. Department of Education
officials didn't immediately return a message left at their offices
Thursday evening. Senators approve special-ed changes Bill aims to help children
earlier By Ben Feller, Associated
Press, The main point of contention
was money, as senators overwhelmingly agreed to allow accelerated spending
in coming years, but rejected an attempt to make the increases mandatory. The Senate voted 95-3
to renew and update the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act,
the 1975 law guaranteeing equal education to children with disabilities,
who numbered 6.7 million at last count. ''It's our statement
as a nation that these children matter and that we will do our part
to help their parents and teachers and communities meet their education
goals," said Senator Edward M. nedy, Democrat of Massachusetts. The Senate rode a smooth
path in renewing the popular education law, as bill leaders worked out
a deal last year and avoided issues that divided the House, such as
private-school vouchers. Parent, education, and disability advocacy
groups largely supported the Senate bill, despite concerns over some
of its key provisions and what they saw as a limited chance to get the
bill amended. ''The fact that this
is something we've been able to accomplish through a bipartisan effort
is very positive, especially in today's climate around here," said
Senator Judd Gregg, Republican of New Hampshire. The House version, approved
more than a year ago, differs from the Senate plan in student discipline,
measuring of student progress, lawyers' fees, and other areas. It is not clear when
talks over a final bill will begin, though, as Democrats have opposed
the appointment of negotiators until they gain more assurances that
their views will be considered. The Senate bill strives
to improve the early identification of children with special needs,
reducing the number of students, particularly members of minority groups,
who are improperly labeled as disabled.. The bill tries to give
teachers more classroom control by allowing children with special needs
to be disciplined like other students, provided their misconduct is
not a result of their disability. The House bill goes further, freeing
schools from considering a disability in determining discipline. Critics say the bill
leaves key issues unresolved, including the definition of a ''highly
qualified" special-education teacher and a longstanding funding
shortfall. Senators Patrick Leahy,
Democrat of Vermont; Jim Jeffords, Independent of Vermont; and Debbie
Stabenow, Democrat of Michigan, voted against the bill. All-day kindergarten fails to clear House hurdle Chip Scutari, The Gov. Janet Napolitano's
dream of statewide full-day kindergarten hit a snag Thursday when a
Republican-controlled House panel shot down her plan that would provide
the state's poorest school districts with the program next year. Despite the setback,
the battle over full-day kindergarten is still in the early stages.
The House's proposed budget still has to be voted on, approved by the
state Senate and eventually signed by Napolitano. Backers of full-day
kindergarten are confident they can get the $25 million needed to launch
the program in the budget before it makes it to Napolitano's desk. "We don't want
this budget to do damage to the moms and dads out there whose money
we are spending," said Rep. Russell Pearce, chairman of the House
Appropriations Committee. "There is not enough money for this." Impassioned debate over
all-day kindergarten lasted for more than two hours in the House Appropriations
Committee, with both sides weighing in on the pros and cons of the program.
The House had planned on pushing its budget to a floor vote, but negotiations
broke down late in the evening. The cost of the all-day
kindergarten program would be $25.5 million this year but would grow
to about $208 million a year when it's phased in over the next five
years. Napolitano is flying
across The extra time in the
classroom, she says, would improve literacy, boost test scores in later
grades and reduce dropout rates. Some Republican legislative
leaders have called the plan "all-day baby-sitting" and say
the benefits of all-day kindergarten wear off by fourth grade. Supporters
say all-day kindergarten would have long-range benefits for "The dollars spent
on the front end of the educational pipeline is the best investment
we can make in early learning," said Jim Zaharis, a former school
superintendent speaking on behalf of the Greater Phoenix Leadership,
a prominent group of business leaders. House Republican leaders
have proposed cutting more than $100 million from a budget approved
last week by the state Senate. The House's plan reduces
money for child-care subsidies, welfare programs, aid to the disabled
and support for community colleges and universities to help balance
the state budget.
Illinois State Board of Education |
