The state’s largest education employees’ union is part of a coalition including civic, business and education leaders behind the release of
"The Burnham Plan for a World-Class Education;" a blueprint for reforming school quality and fiscal accountability.
The plan is named for architect Daniel Burnham, whose visionary plans helped transform Chicago into a world-class city. The plan aims to give Illinois a world-class education system by, among other things, ensuring both teachers and administrators have the training and guidance they need to be successful educators.
This plan includes measures to:
- Create valuable assessments of student achievement and teacher and administrative performance;
- Provide transparent financial and educational data to parents and other stakeholders;
- Prepare students for the modern workplace with access to science and technology programs;
- Provide struggling schools with targeted resources for closing the achievement gap;
- Enhance teacher and principal performance with ongoing induction, training and mentoring;
- Require school board members to complete leadership training in issues such as labor law, financial oversight, accountability, and ethics;
- Create a system of teacher incentives for high performance and teaching in “hard-to-staff” schools;
- Expand the current limit on charter schools statewide;
- Fully-fund the per-pupil foundation level and increase state reimbursement for special education staff.
"While we debate the best way to fund Illinois schools, let’s not forget our top priority—to provide every child in our state with a top-quality education," said Max McGee, former state superintendent and current superintendent of Wilmette School District. "We have an historic opportunity to increase school performance and close the achievement gap in Illinois."
"Parents and taxpayers want to know that an increase in school funding will produce results for Illinois students," said Bill O’Connor, attorney and former Republican state representative. "A real investment in reform will allow today’s students be competitive in tomorrow’s global economy."
The Burnham Plan for Education is the product of more than a year of debate and discussion between a group of civic, business and education leaders concerned with the future of Illinois schools. While the group agrees that Illinois schools need additional resources, the plan does not endorse a particular funding source, instead keeping its focus on improving the standards for school quality and accountability.
"We all agreed that Illinois needs to invest more in education," says Michael Jacoby, executive director of the Illinois Association of School Business Officials. "But Illinois won’t achieve high-performing schools unless we also put resources into serious quality and accountability reforms that will help students succeed."
The Burnham Plan for a World-Class Education was drafted primarily by the following individuals:
Other contributors include:
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MarySue Barrett, president of the Metropolitan Planning Council;
- Mary Ellen Guest, campaign manager of A+ Illinois;
- Ralph Martire and Chrissy Mancini, executive director and director of policy for the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability;
- Edward Schock, Mayor of Elgin and education chairman of the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus;
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Adele Simmons, vice chair of Metropolis 2020