Here are 4 interesting/frustrating excerpts from recent news articles I've read this week about education in Illinois.....
1)
Legislation allowing schools to opt out of teaching topics like drivers' education and black history has received backing from an Illinois Senate committee.
There are dozens of topics schools could decide not to teach including physical education. The idea is to save money. Some districts say they've been required to teach more topics but not funded adequately.
There are dozens of topics schools could decide not to teach including physical education. The idea is to save money. Some districts say they've been required to teach more topics but not funded adequately.
2)
Illinois high school students will have to learn how to conduct cardio pulmonary resuscitation and operate automatic external defibrillators under a new law passed by the Legislature on Tuesday.
Gov. Pat Quinn says the legislation is "common sense" and makes sure high school students are prepared to handle life-and-death situations.
3)
Proposed legislation has been amended to cap the amount of state funds given to the poorest Illinois schools to ensure money can be spread around evenly to districts with average amounts of poverty. The measure is aimed at streamlining the state’s school funding formula by requiring districts to demonstrate need before receiving money.
Under the plan, 92 percent of total state education funding would be distributed by factoring in districts’ poverty levels, accounting for low-income students using a weighted formula. The legislation also uses the number of students receiving free and reduced-price lunches to determine who qualifies for additional low income dollars.
Only specialized programs for special education and early childhood education would be exempted from the formula. And, for the first time in decades, funding for Chicago Public Schools would be treated under the same formula as the rest of the state.
Only specialized programs for special education and early childhood education would be exempted from the formula. And, for the first time in decades, funding for Chicago Public Schools would be treated under the same formula as the rest of the state.
NOTE FROM MATT: go for it! it should be this way!! no special treatment for Chicago!!!
4)
Then, there is the issue of the traditional three-month summer vacation. Teachers tell us they spend several weeks at the beginning of each school year reviewing what was learned the preceding year — and forgotten over the summer.
We recommend a year-round school calendar, with a one-month break in the winter and a one-month vacation in the summer, for about 200 days of school each year, and school days six-and-a-half to seven hours long.
read the whole thing.... it's good.....
Yeesh, our state needs help!
Get your priorities in order Springfield!
Failure to give kids a strong education will do nothing but perpetuate the cycle of folks needing assistance = expensive entitlement programs.
Out for now....
Matt