Colleagues:
As you might be aware, the Chicago Tribune has started a nine-part editorial series on the Illinois public school funding crisis called
From Here to Excellence. This series has the potential to help funding reform become the main focus of the spring session of the Illinois General Assembly.
So far, the editorials have focused on educating readers about where we are and how we got here.
The first in the series,
Smarter Schools for Illinois , sets the stage for what is to come. A key paragraph states:
This editorial page usually expresses skepticism about tax increases. But we will argue in this series that there is a substantial need to put school funding on a more stable footing.
That will cost each of us more money--and allow us to insist that our schools deliver much more.
The second editorial,
Coming up short, provides an easy-to-understand explanation of the crisis that is hurting districts and students throughout Illinois. It is extremely well-written and persuasive. I have been pleasantly surprised by the tone and thoughtful nature of the editorials so far.
Tomorrow’s editorial will likely be of great interest to IEA members. It will be titled:
What taxpayers should demand in exchange for more money. It is here that I expect the Tribune to echo and to amplify what we have been hearing for years. When we talk to policymakers about fixing a broken system, the response invariably is along the lines of, “Yes, we need to raise taxes, but more money must come with an expectation of better results.”
We will need to keep things in perspective when the Tribune and others start discussing accountability, as they most certainly will.
The 2006 IEA Representative Assembly designated fixing the broken school funding system as the Association’s top priority. To that end, in the last year we have spoken with and listened to education policymakers and those to whom policymakers listen. We believe it is imperative that IEA and the education community be seen as willing to at least listen to the ideas of others, with the exception of ideas that we simply cannot abide. For example, we have made clear that vouchers, merit pay and privatization are off the table as is the notion that teachers and support staff alone must somehow be “more accountable.”
Our goal is to move policymakers toward student assessment policies consistent with the
NEA Positive agenda for the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind. We welcome the opportunity to discuss the responsibility for student success that teachers and support staff share with administrators, school boards, parents, the community and the state.
We believe this is an opportunity to change the way students are assessed and to align Illinois with our efforts to replace Average Yearly Progress (AYP).
I urge you to read the entire
From Here to Excellence series and to share it with your colleagues, friends and family. When visiting the site, check out the tool the Tribune has designed to answer the question,
“Does your school fall short?” While it appears to have some bugs in it (I haven’t been able to get it to show me information on Elgin, for example), it will open people’s eyes about what our districts are up against, particularly with the under funding of special education.
The Invest in Excellence campaign is picking up steam and this series, I believe, will add to the momentum.
A great public school is a basic right for every child. Together, we can make that right a reality.