Retirement was not at 55 for teachers?
Union pressure force competent and qualified teachers to leave the profession?
Did you know that there are over 74000 teachers collecting retirement from Illinois. Same may be actually working in other states collecting a salary to work on collecting a second pension.
Saturday, May 13, 2006
Friday, May 12, 2006
"There Is No Shortage of Teachers, Just Skilled Teachers"
The following piece is a speech from the President of Northeastern University.
Opinion Pieces by Richard M. Freeland
"There Is No Shortage of Teachers, Just Skilled Teachers"
Connection: The Journal of the New England Board of Higher Education
Fall 2001
We have once again experienced an annual ritual that speaks volumes about the state of our states and, indeed, our republic. As one school year ends, many public school teachers of long standing conclude that it is time to end their careers in education and move on to another profession or to retirement. By mid-summer, reports begin to appear in the local and national media about a looming teacher shortage as school districts anticipate September. By late summer, media coverage of the teacher shortage has taken on a sense of panic a la “Mass. schools scrambling to fill teacher vacancies.” The newspapers create the impression that fall will bring rooms full of 13-year-olds left to their own devices. Then comes September, as it always does, and we learn that virtually every teaching job is filled.
This annual roller-coaster ride suggests a few propositions:
First, getting the best teachers with the strongest skills in front of our students is the key not only to giving young people the chance to live full and rewarding lives, but also to improving the economy and the society.
Second, we do not face a "teacher shortage" per se, but rather something like a "skills shortage" among those who enlist to serve as teachers.
Third, without a doubt, there exists today sufficient numbers of individuals with the talent, interest, patience, intellect, character and determination to provide all students with the kind of teaching and nurturing we would want for our own children.
A further proposition: we as a society (we university presidents, we neighborhood residents, we corporate CEOs, we community activists, newspaper publishers, mayors and governors and senators and legislators) are responsible for letting our school districts down, for placing them in the unholy posture of having to "scramble" every year to find the talent they need to fulfill their responsibilities and to realize our hopes for our children and our communities.
A new study by Northeastern University’s Center for Labor Market Studies offers the first statistical glimpse into the challenge faced by Massachusetts school districts each year. The Northeastern study found that, come late September, all but a few classrooms in Massachusetts were staffed by a teacher. At the same time, the study found that more than one-quarter of all secondary school teachers hired in Massachusetts last year lacked certification in their primary teaching area. The problem was particularly acute among special education, foreign language and math and science teachers.
The study also anticipates that, over the next five to seven years, this fundamental teacher skills deficit will worsen considerably. An aging teacher work force combined with new incentives for older teachers to retire means that last year’s comparatively low teacher turnover rate will rise over the next several years. The increased rate of retirement will not only boost quit rates directly but will also increase teacher turnover indirectly as school districts replace experienced teachers with new entrants in the teaching field. These freshly minted teachers are much more likely to leave the teaching profession in the first few years after entry than their older counterparts — further exacerbating the shortage of qualified teachers throughout New England.
The much-discussed teacher shortage is not a classic labor shortage in which too many jobs chase too few qualified individuals. Rather, our predicament is the result of a recruitment and compensation system designed decades ago which has not kept pace with the contemporary economy. The hidebound set of contracts, rules, customs and professional relationships that may have worked in decades past to enrich our schools are now encumbrances that keep us from placing the teachers we need in front of students.
Is there a shortage of math and science teachers? How could there not be, when most of those men and women who are trained to teach math and science can substantially increase their salaries with a short hop into the private sector where they will surely encounter far better working conditions and greater societal respect for their efforts.
New England can rest on its laurels and revel in past glories. Or we can think anew about the implications of the so-called teacher shortage. Should we take the latter course, we might begin by asking ourselves what kinds of changes in teacher compensation and working conditions it would take to put in front of a class of 13-year-olds a woman or man who has dedicated her or his career to learning and teaching and who is richly equipped to impart to students the knowledge, skills and inspiration they need to make their maximum contribution to our communities.
Opinion Pieces by Richard M. Freeland
"There Is No Shortage of Teachers, Just Skilled Teachers"
Connection: The Journal of the New England Board of Higher Education
Fall 2001
We have once again experienced an annual ritual that speaks volumes about the state of our states and, indeed, our republic. As one school year ends, many public school teachers of long standing conclude that it is time to end their careers in education and move on to another profession or to retirement. By mid-summer, reports begin to appear in the local and national media about a looming teacher shortage as school districts anticipate September. By late summer, media coverage of the teacher shortage has taken on a sense of panic a la “Mass. schools scrambling to fill teacher vacancies.” The newspapers create the impression that fall will bring rooms full of 13-year-olds left to their own devices. Then comes September, as it always does, and we learn that virtually every teaching job is filled.
This annual roller-coaster ride suggests a few propositions:
First, getting the best teachers with the strongest skills in front of our students is the key not only to giving young people the chance to live full and rewarding lives, but also to improving the economy and the society.
Second, we do not face a "teacher shortage" per se, but rather something like a "skills shortage" among those who enlist to serve as teachers.
Third, without a doubt, there exists today sufficient numbers of individuals with the talent, interest, patience, intellect, character and determination to provide all students with the kind of teaching and nurturing we would want for our own children.
A further proposition: we as a society (we university presidents, we neighborhood residents, we corporate CEOs, we community activists, newspaper publishers, mayors and governors and senators and legislators) are responsible for letting our school districts down, for placing them in the unholy posture of having to "scramble" every year to find the talent they need to fulfill their responsibilities and to realize our hopes for our children and our communities.
A new study by Northeastern University’s Center for Labor Market Studies offers the first statistical glimpse into the challenge faced by Massachusetts school districts each year. The Northeastern study found that, come late September, all but a few classrooms in Massachusetts were staffed by a teacher. At the same time, the study found that more than one-quarter of all secondary school teachers hired in Massachusetts last year lacked certification in their primary teaching area. The problem was particularly acute among special education, foreign language and math and science teachers.
The study also anticipates that, over the next five to seven years, this fundamental teacher skills deficit will worsen considerably. An aging teacher work force combined with new incentives for older teachers to retire means that last year’s comparatively low teacher turnover rate will rise over the next several years. The increased rate of retirement will not only boost quit rates directly but will also increase teacher turnover indirectly as school districts replace experienced teachers with new entrants in the teaching field. These freshly minted teachers are much more likely to leave the teaching profession in the first few years after entry than their older counterparts — further exacerbating the shortage of qualified teachers throughout New England.
The much-discussed teacher shortage is not a classic labor shortage in which too many jobs chase too few qualified individuals. Rather, our predicament is the result of a recruitment and compensation system designed decades ago which has not kept pace with the contemporary economy. The hidebound set of contracts, rules, customs and professional relationships that may have worked in decades past to enrich our schools are now encumbrances that keep us from placing the teachers we need in front of students.
Is there a shortage of math and science teachers? How could there not be, when most of those men and women who are trained to teach math and science can substantially increase their salaries with a short hop into the private sector where they will surely encounter far better working conditions and greater societal respect for their efforts.
New England can rest on its laurels and revel in past glories. Or we can think anew about the implications of the so-called teacher shortage. Should we take the latter course, we might begin by asking ourselves what kinds of changes in teacher compensation and working conditions it would take to put in front of a class of 13-year-olds a woman or man who has dedicated her or his career to learning and teaching and who is richly equipped to impart to students the knowledge, skills and inspiration they need to make their maximum contribution to our communities.
Thursday, May 11, 2006
To Destroy Public Education. Part two: The Munger Plan.
The following article appeared at american-partisan.com .
To Destroy Public Education.
Part two: The Munger Plan.
by Dave Munger
To review: the current educational system must die a violent death:
• Because the things that are accomplished by the government controlled system are either unnecessary, harmful or could be accomplished in other ways.
• Because even the proponents of the status-quo concede that the coercive, monopolistic bureaucracy would work best if it was run AS IF it were a private enterprise.
• Because it is so resistant to change that any reform profound enough to make a difference would be destructive anyway.
• Because an education system based on socialistic premises necessarily teaches socialistic values, and can't maintain neutrality on any issue, since socialist ideology is dogmatic on every conceivable issue.
• Because of numerous flaws in the system that are inherent and proverbial.
Glad we could get that out of the way in a hurry.
Post-literate America demands that whenever the elimination of a government institution is proposed, the party making the proposal must present them with an alternative government program to replace it. Catch-22: the only way to remedy this would be by educating the populace under a different system, one enforcing standards alien to the society we've got now; hence, one not likely to spring forth organically.
As odious as this sounds, in order for an alternative to be put into practice in the atmosphere and for the foreseeable future, it has to be passed into law at the federal level. A solution that requires initiative from the people acting independently of politics will have to wait for a later, less political era. The solution will have to provide education free of charge to the children of "the poor," as the current system purports to do.
To view the rest of the article go to american-partisan.com.
To Destroy Public Education.
Part two: The Munger Plan.
by Dave Munger
To review: the current educational system must die a violent death:
• Because the things that are accomplished by the government controlled system are either unnecessary, harmful or could be accomplished in other ways.
• Because even the proponents of the status-quo concede that the coercive, monopolistic bureaucracy would work best if it was run AS IF it were a private enterprise.
• Because it is so resistant to change that any reform profound enough to make a difference would be destructive anyway.
• Because an education system based on socialistic premises necessarily teaches socialistic values, and can't maintain neutrality on any issue, since socialist ideology is dogmatic on every conceivable issue.
• Because of numerous flaws in the system that are inherent and proverbial.
Glad we could get that out of the way in a hurry.
Post-literate America demands that whenever the elimination of a government institution is proposed, the party making the proposal must present them with an alternative government program to replace it. Catch-22: the only way to remedy this would be by educating the populace under a different system, one enforcing standards alien to the society we've got now; hence, one not likely to spring forth organically.
As odious as this sounds, in order for an alternative to be put into practice in the atmosphere and for the foreseeable future, it has to be passed into law at the federal level. A solution that requires initiative from the people acting independently of politics will have to wait for a later, less political era. The solution will have to provide education free of charge to the children of "the poor," as the current system purports to do.
To view the rest of the article go to american-partisan.com.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
To Destroy Public Education, part 1: Die Monster Die
The following article appeared american-partisan.com.
Public education is one of those phrases that is now almost exclusively used in combination with the word "reform". Unfortunately, by the time something is so screwed up that the sheep realize that reform is necessary, it's too late, and the only satisfactory remedy is to destroy the thing and start over (or leave it behind and create an alternative, like the Puritans who originally set out to reform the Church of England, then gave. All new hope comes from despair, the death of old hope). Since systems tend to perpetuate themselves (actually most of them don't, but the successful ones are the ones that do, and that's what we're left to deal with), there is much more resistance to this than would seem to be warranted by the possible negative consequences of replacing the system, considering the supposed purposes of the system and whether it has ever filled these purposes better than an entirely different system (or no system at all) would. Even such a no-brainer as abolishing the Department of Education is considered too controversial for a politician to even mention, even though no one has ever gone so far as to come up with a reason for it to exist in the first place (Maybe there was something, I think it had to do with Sputnik...).
Next to the table I type on is a pile of books, topped with one by Major General John Stanford (foreword by Albert Gore),
subtitled "We CAN Give Our Children Excellent Public Education" (OUR children? Never mind). It is not made clear therein exactly why it is so important that education be public as well as excellent. One of the noteworthy premises of the book is that public schools ought to be run as if they were private enterprises. I've never been entirely clear about the meaning of the phrase "begging the question", but if that isn't it then it isn't a very useful expression.
The burden of proof is placed upon those who would eliminate public education, although it belongs on those who defend it, since what they defend is expensive, and their position concerning it is affirmative (this is why someone on trial is considered innocent until proven guilty. The prosecutor is saying that he DID do something. That he DID NOT is a negative statement, so it does not have to be proven.) When one tries to figure out why some feel public education is the only possible answer, one is almost forced to guess.
To view the rest of the article go to american-partisan.com.
Public education is one of those phrases that is now almost exclusively used in combination with the word "reform". Unfortunately, by the time something is so screwed up that the sheep realize that reform is necessary, it's too late, and the only satisfactory remedy is to destroy the thing and start over (or leave it behind and create an alternative, like the Puritans who originally set out to reform the Church of England, then gave. All new hope comes from despair, the death of old hope). Since systems tend to perpetuate themselves (actually most of them don't, but the successful ones are the ones that do, and that's what we're left to deal with), there is much more resistance to this than would seem to be warranted by the possible negative consequences of replacing the system, considering the supposed purposes of the system and whether it has ever filled these purposes better than an entirely different system (or no system at all) would. Even such a no-brainer as abolishing the Department of Education is considered too controversial for a politician to even mention, even though no one has ever gone so far as to come up with a reason for it to exist in the first place (Maybe there was something, I think it had to do with Sputnik...).
Next to the table I type on is a pile of books, topped with one by Major General John Stanford (foreword by Albert Gore),
subtitled "We CAN Give Our Children Excellent Public Education" (OUR children? Never mind). It is not made clear therein exactly why it is so important that education be public as well as excellent. One of the noteworthy premises of the book is that public schools ought to be run as if they were private enterprises. I've never been entirely clear about the meaning of the phrase "begging the question", but if that isn't it then it isn't a very useful expression.
The burden of proof is placed upon those who would eliminate public education, although it belongs on those who defend it, since what they defend is expensive, and their position concerning it is affirmative (this is why someone on trial is considered innocent until proven guilty. The prosecutor is saying that he DID do something. That he DID NOT is a negative statement, so it does not have to be proven.) When one tries to figure out why some feel public education is the only possible answer, one is almost forced to guess.
To view the rest of the article go to american-partisan.com.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
D-158 wants audit answers
Hmm. I am sure many voters have similar questions in regard to the cost of educating our students. The following story appeared in the Northwest Herald.
D-158 wants audit answers
[published on Mon, May 8, 2006]
HUNTLEY – District 158 school board members want to know why fees for the district's audit have ballooned to more than three times the initial forecasts.
Stanley Hall, the district's chief financial officer, said Friday that he would meet with representatives from the accounting firm William F. Gurrie to determine whether costs could be cut.
"Everything's negotiable," said Hall, who projected the audit's final cost to approach $90,000. That is about triple the amount called for in the district's contract with Gurrie.
Meanwhile, a bill from Gurrie for about $13,000 and expected additional fees remain unpaid while the district seeks answers.
Gurrie's representatives could not be reached for comment Friday.
Board member Larry Snow, who first called attention to the issue, said the firm charged the district $275 an hour and sometimes more for an audit beset by delays and discrepancies.
The district's audit was finalized in April, almost nine months after the end of the fiscal year. The audit contained a gap of about $60,000 between the district's books and bank balances, officials have said.
"A lot of the auditing work was needless because the monthly bank statements weren't balanced," Snow said.
Hall said he was not sure how the firm's hourly rate of $275 compared with previous years.
"It sounds high," he said, "but I'm from downstate and everything up here sounds high."
The district already has paid most of Gurrie's fees, Hall said, despite totals higher than expected.
That raised questions with Snow, who said he and other board members assumed that the bill would be closer to $30,000 than $90,000.
"[Administrators] didn't tell us that they had authorized the spending," Snow said. "Sixty-thousand dollars is at least one highly qualified teacher. It's not a small amount of money."
Hall said he hoped to have an update for the board in time for its monthly meeting May 18.
To view the rest of the story visit the Northwest Herald.
D-158 wants audit answers
[published on Mon, May 8, 2006]
HUNTLEY – District 158 school board members want to know why fees for the district's audit have ballooned to more than three times the initial forecasts.
Stanley Hall, the district's chief financial officer, said Friday that he would meet with representatives from the accounting firm William F. Gurrie to determine whether costs could be cut.
"Everything's negotiable," said Hall, who projected the audit's final cost to approach $90,000. That is about triple the amount called for in the district's contract with Gurrie.
Meanwhile, a bill from Gurrie for about $13,000 and expected additional fees remain unpaid while the district seeks answers.
Gurrie's representatives could not be reached for comment Friday.
Board member Larry Snow, who first called attention to the issue, said the firm charged the district $275 an hour and sometimes more for an audit beset by delays and discrepancies.
The district's audit was finalized in April, almost nine months after the end of the fiscal year. The audit contained a gap of about $60,000 between the district's books and bank balances, officials have said.
"A lot of the auditing work was needless because the monthly bank statements weren't balanced," Snow said.
Hall said he was not sure how the firm's hourly rate of $275 compared with previous years.
"It sounds high," he said, "but I'm from downstate and everything up here sounds high."
The district already has paid most of Gurrie's fees, Hall said, despite totals higher than expected.
That raised questions with Snow, who said he and other board members assumed that the bill would be closer to $30,000 than $90,000.
"[Administrators] didn't tell us that they had authorized the spending," Snow said. "Sixty-thousand dollars is at least one highly qualified teacher. It's not a small amount of money."
Hall said he hoped to have an update for the board in time for its monthly meeting May 18.
To view the rest of the story visit the Northwest Herald.
Monday, May 08, 2006
Behind in postings.
We have been a bit behind in postings. Once in a while we will back date and date forward some posts.
Sunday, May 07, 2006
Unrealistic voucher system
The following letter to the editor appeared in the Northwest Herald.
Not surprising it is from a teacher on government dole.
If public schools are so great teachers and teachers unions should not oppose vouchers. Students and family would not leave the public school system if they were properly educating our children. The writer and the unions must fear vouchers because they know they are inadequate and given the chance students and families would leave the public education system. Opposing vouchers by these groups is about greed.
The following letter to the editor appeared in the NWH.
Unrealistic voucher system
[published on Sat, May 6, 2006]
To the Editor:
Those who would compare private and public schools and who support a state-funded voucher system do not paint a realistic picture.
Such comparisons are invalid because a level playing field does not exist.
For example, private schools are not bound by the federal No Child Left Behind Act, Illinois State Standards, or the Illinois School Code.
Private schools are not required to adhere to any state mandates. Most important, private schools are not required to serve the needs of the physically, emotionally or educationally disadvantaged.
The rules are different. Vouchers will serve only to enhance those differences.
If we assume that a voucher system goes into effect, and as a result, private school enrollments swell, then private schools will choose whom to accept and whom to reject.
The current trend of private schools to deny services and programs to "special" students will continue.
Tax-supported vouchers will not provide a choice for America's neediest students.
Let's stop battering public education, and let's stop perpetuating the myth that private schools are doing a better job.
As an educator for 37 years, I never have been more proud of public education, its teachers and its students.
Robert Doran
McHenry
Annual Salary in 2005 $93,692
Not surprising it is from a teacher on government dole.
If public schools are so great teachers and teachers unions should not oppose vouchers. Students and family would not leave the public school system if they were properly educating our children. The writer and the unions must fear vouchers because they know they are inadequate and given the chance students and families would leave the public education system. Opposing vouchers by these groups is about greed.
The following letter to the editor appeared in the NWH.
Unrealistic voucher system
[published on Sat, May 6, 2006]
To the Editor:
Those who would compare private and public schools and who support a state-funded voucher system do not paint a realistic picture.
Such comparisons are invalid because a level playing field does not exist.
For example, private schools are not bound by the federal No Child Left Behind Act, Illinois State Standards, or the Illinois School Code.
Private schools are not required to adhere to any state mandates. Most important, private schools are not required to serve the needs of the physically, emotionally or educationally disadvantaged.
The rules are different. Vouchers will serve only to enhance those differences.
If we assume that a voucher system goes into effect, and as a result, private school enrollments swell, then private schools will choose whom to accept and whom to reject.
The current trend of private schools to deny services and programs to "special" students will continue.
Tax-supported vouchers will not provide a choice for America's neediest students.
Let's stop battering public education, and let's stop perpetuating the myth that private schools are doing a better job.
As an educator for 37 years, I never have been more proud of public education, its teachers and its students.
Robert Doran
McHenry
Annual Salary in 2005 $93,692
Saturday, May 06, 2006
Rotten Apples - Teachers Unions
The following editorial appeared in the Wall Street Journal.
This editorial hits the nail on the head describing how teachers unions are the worms in the apple of the American public education system. Copy and forward this Wall Street Journal editorial to all of your friends who do care about the public education system.
Rotten Apples
May 4, 2006
If there were lingering doubts that teachers unions are the worms in the apple of the American education system, take a look at the monumental setback for school reform in Florida this week.
On Monday the unions in Tallahassee bullied all but one Democrat and four Republicans in the state senate to kill a school voucher bill that has already had a sterling record of success for thousands of children in districts with failing public schools. If that decision isn't reversed by Friday, one of the most heralded school reform measures anywhere in the country will be dismantled, and 775 school kids, 90% of whom are minorities, will be returned to the warehouses that are failed inner-city schools. A related voucher program that serves 18,000 learning disabled kids is also in jeopardy.
The program at issue is Governor Jeb Bush's seven-year-old "Florida A+ School Accountability and Choice Program." For the first time, schools have been graded on the reading, writing and math progress made by the children they are supposed to be teaching. (Imagine that.) Any school that received an F in two of four years is deemed a failure, and the kids then get a voucher to attend another school, public or private.
One immediate impact -- according to researchers at Harvard, Florida State, and the James Madison Institute -- has been that the mere threat of competition caused many inner-city school districts to improve. The percentage of African Americans who are now performing at or above grade level surged to 66% last year, from 23% in 1999. No union-backed school "reform" has had that rate of success -- not more funding, not higher teacher pay, not smaller class sizes, and so on. Two school districts in the state failed the program and the families were given vouchers. Those children have since made big academic gains.
But in one of the most absurd legal decisions in modern times, the Florida Supreme Court ruled 5-2 that the voucher program violated the "uniformity clause" of the state constitution guaranteeing a high-quality system of public schools. Because the performance of the voucher kids was superior to those in public schools, the court ruled that education was not uniform -- or in this case not uniformly miserable. As they used to say in the Soviet Union, everyone gets to share their poverty equally.
Governor Bush and minority families throughout the state were so enraged that they vowed to change the state constitution through a vote of the people to allow the A+ Program to go forward. But the state senate this week failed by one vote to allow that referendum to take place. Union pressure was so intense that the GOP state senate majority leader broke with his own party, his own governor and the pleas of parents and voted to topple the measure; he was removed from leadership by his fellow Republicans on Tuesday.
We're not sure whom to hold in highest contempt here: the four Republicans who buckled to union pressure, the Democrats who voted en masse against the interests of their own constituents, or the unions that pretend their political actions are in the interests of "the children" -- except when that conflicts with their own economic self interest.
The senate Republican president says he will force one more vote before Friday. The lone Democrat to vote for the measure, state senator Al Lawson, charged that his fellow party representatives, including other black members, put their fealty to the unions ahead of what's best for poor children. "Don't their parents have a right, when they pay taxes, to have their kids get the best education?" he asked.
In Florida, at least for now, the sad answer is no. And what is worse is that this week the unions and their Democratic allies -- who claim to represent these black and Hispanic families -- are celebrating their triumph in relegating another generation of children to their educational ghetto.
This editorial hits the nail on the head describing how teachers unions are the worms in the apple of the American public education system. Copy and forward this Wall Street Journal editorial to all of your friends who do care about the public education system.
Rotten Apples
May 4, 2006
If there were lingering doubts that teachers unions are the worms in the apple of the American education system, take a look at the monumental setback for school reform in Florida this week.
On Monday the unions in Tallahassee bullied all but one Democrat and four Republicans in the state senate to kill a school voucher bill that has already had a sterling record of success for thousands of children in districts with failing public schools. If that decision isn't reversed by Friday, one of the most heralded school reform measures anywhere in the country will be dismantled, and 775 school kids, 90% of whom are minorities, will be returned to the warehouses that are failed inner-city schools. A related voucher program that serves 18,000 learning disabled kids is also in jeopardy.
The program at issue is Governor Jeb Bush's seven-year-old "Florida A+ School Accountability and Choice Program." For the first time, schools have been graded on the reading, writing and math progress made by the children they are supposed to be teaching. (Imagine that.) Any school that received an F in two of four years is deemed a failure, and the kids then get a voucher to attend another school, public or private.
One immediate impact -- according to researchers at Harvard, Florida State, and the James Madison Institute -- has been that the mere threat of competition caused many inner-city school districts to improve. The percentage of African Americans who are now performing at or above grade level surged to 66% last year, from 23% in 1999. No union-backed school "reform" has had that rate of success -- not more funding, not higher teacher pay, not smaller class sizes, and so on. Two school districts in the state failed the program and the families were given vouchers. Those children have since made big academic gains.
But in one of the most absurd legal decisions in modern times, the Florida Supreme Court ruled 5-2 that the voucher program violated the "uniformity clause" of the state constitution guaranteeing a high-quality system of public schools. Because the performance of the voucher kids was superior to those in public schools, the court ruled that education was not uniform -- or in this case not uniformly miserable. As they used to say in the Soviet Union, everyone gets to share their poverty equally.
Governor Bush and minority families throughout the state were so enraged that they vowed to change the state constitution through a vote of the people to allow the A+ Program to go forward. But the state senate this week failed by one vote to allow that referendum to take place. Union pressure was so intense that the GOP state senate majority leader broke with his own party, his own governor and the pleas of parents and voted to topple the measure; he was removed from leadership by his fellow Republicans on Tuesday.
We're not sure whom to hold in highest contempt here: the four Republicans who buckled to union pressure, the Democrats who voted en masse against the interests of their own constituents, or the unions that pretend their political actions are in the interests of "the children" -- except when that conflicts with their own economic self interest.
The senate Republican president says he will force one more vote before Friday. The lone Democrat to vote for the measure, state senator Al Lawson, charged that his fellow party representatives, including other black members, put their fealty to the unions ahead of what's best for poor children. "Don't their parents have a right, when they pay taxes, to have their kids get the best education?" he asked.
In Florida, at least for now, the sad answer is no. And what is worse is that this week the unions and their Democratic allies -- who claim to represent these black and Hispanic families -- are celebrating their triumph in relegating another generation of children to their educational ghetto.
Friday, May 05, 2006
Did you know ?
Did you know that TheChampion.org
now has a pension button option? Be sure to click the pension button to view pensions.
now has a pension button option? Be sure to click the pension button to view pensions.
Saturday, April 29, 2006
WoodfordTaxFacts.com
Another Illinois tax fighting group has entered the arena. Please welcome Woodford Tax Facts.com - The Truth Detectors
to the world of tax fighting.
to the world of tax fighting.
Letter to the Editor: Public school monopolies
The following letter to the editor appeared on the Northwest Herald and Students First websites.
Letter to the Editor: Public school monopolies
4/28/2006
By Robert and Kimberly Sperlazzo , Carpentersville, IL
Northwest Herald
Most people lack appreciation of free-market principles in education. The public school system is a government monopoly that doesn't compete fairly, yet avoids all anti-trust lawsuits.
Private and home-schooled students' families must pay for government overhead, while reaping none of the benefits. We're funding a bloated bureaucracy instead of funding the students, the true goal of education.
Education tax credits are one solution. The government would not siphon off their huge expenses. More money would directly fund students, allowing many teachers to migrate from government schools.
No teacher should have to leave government schools. But the total number of students wouldn't change - only where they attend school and create jobs. Thus, teachers could transfer to private schools, teaching those same students while receiving better salaries.
The TV show, 20/20, reported: "American schools don't teach as well as schools in other countries because they are government monopolies, and monopolies don't have much incentive to compete. In Belgium ... the money is attached to the kids ... government funds education - at many different kinds of schools."
Let's end government's stranglehold on education (www.sepschool.org). More money is no answer to substandard schools. We must end our dependency on a failed system where the costs keep rising.
Letter to the Editor: Public school monopolies
4/28/2006
By Robert and Kimberly Sperlazzo , Carpentersville, IL
Northwest Herald
Most people lack appreciation of free-market principles in education. The public school system is a government monopoly that doesn't compete fairly, yet avoids all anti-trust lawsuits.
Private and home-schooled students' families must pay for government overhead, while reaping none of the benefits. We're funding a bloated bureaucracy instead of funding the students, the true goal of education.
Education tax credits are one solution. The government would not siphon off their huge expenses. More money would directly fund students, allowing many teachers to migrate from government schools.
No teacher should have to leave government schools. But the total number of students wouldn't change - only where they attend school and create jobs. Thus, teachers could transfer to private schools, teaching those same students while receiving better salaries.
The TV show, 20/20, reported: "American schools don't teach as well as schools in other countries because they are government monopolies, and monopolies don't have much incentive to compete. In Belgium ... the money is attached to the kids ... government funds education - at many different kinds of schools."
Let's end government's stranglehold on education (www.sepschool.org). More money is no answer to substandard schools. We must end our dependency on a failed system where the costs keep rising.
Friday, April 28, 2006
Socialization and Homeschooling
This is a cute little piece on homeschooling and socialization. This piece came from the New Oxford Review
Apparently, the problem with homeschooling is the socialization of children. In the Kolbe Little Home Journal (Fall 2005), there is a brief item called "Homeschooling Family Finds Ways to Adapt to a Public School 'Socialization' Program." Here it is:
"When my wife and I mention we are strongly considering homeschooling our children, we are without fail asked, 'But what about socialization?' Fortunately, we found a way our kids can receive the same socialization that government schools provide. On Mondays and Wednesdays, I will personally corner my son in the bathroom, give him a wedgie and take his lunch money. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, my wife will make sure to tease our children for not being in the 'in' crowd, taking special care to poke fun at any physical abnormalities. Fridays will be 'Fad and Peer Pressure Day.' We will all compete to see who has the coolest toys, the most expensive clothes, and the loudest, fastest, and most dangerous car. Every day, my wife and I will adhere to a routine of cursing and swearing in the hall and mentioning our weekend exploits with alcohol and immorality.... And we have asked them to report us to the authorities in the event we mention faith, religion, or try to bring up morals and values."
So much for socialization!
--
"You can have Peace or you can have Freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at the same time."
--Robert Anson Heinlein
Apparently, the problem with homeschooling is the socialization of children. In the Kolbe Little Home Journal (Fall 2005), there is a brief item called "Homeschooling Family Finds Ways to Adapt to a Public School 'Socialization' Program." Here it is:
"When my wife and I mention we are strongly considering homeschooling our children, we are without fail asked, 'But what about socialization?' Fortunately, we found a way our kids can receive the same socialization that government schools provide. On Mondays and Wednesdays, I will personally corner my son in the bathroom, give him a wedgie and take his lunch money. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, my wife will make sure to tease our children for not being in the 'in' crowd, taking special care to poke fun at any physical abnormalities. Fridays will be 'Fad and Peer Pressure Day.' We will all compete to see who has the coolest toys, the most expensive clothes, and the loudest, fastest, and most dangerous car. Every day, my wife and I will adhere to a routine of cursing and swearing in the hall and mentioning our weekend exploits with alcohol and immorality.... And we have asked them to report us to the authorities in the event we mention faith, religion, or try to bring up morals and values."
So much for socialization!
--
"You can have Peace or you can have Freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at the same time."
--Robert Anson Heinlein
Thursday, April 27, 2006
It's time for "Taxpayers Week"
Thanks to our friends at the the Family Taxpayers Foundation for this piece.
It's time for "Taxpayers Week"
By Bill Zettler
After reading various news reports recently promoting “Education Week” I decided it would only be fair that I represent the taxpayer for “Taxpayer Week” where we taxpayers would solicit praise from various public employee groups. I can see something like the following press release from the teachers union:
“We teachers want to take this opportunity to thank all the taxpayers out there who make our jobs possible.
First of all we want to thank you for giving us two weeks off during the Christmas Holidays and three months off during the summer. It would be a real drag having to work during the holidays and trying to find something to do with your kids during the summer is impossible. We would love to work 12 months but we know you need the kids in the fields for the summer harvest.
And thanks for the guaranteed jobs. We know it must be tough getting laid off and having to find health insurance and a way to make the mortgage payment, but hey, God must have loved taxpayers because he made so many of them. If a few of you go down the tubes the others can easily pick up the tax ball and carry it across the goal line. And to think some of us almost went to work for Motorola – whew, close call.
And thanks again for the 8% raises you gave us this year. We know that the average white-collar worker only received about 3% while their property taxes went up 7% but if you drop your vacation plans you should be okay. Let the kids watch Disney on TV - they don’t actually have to go there. And the really neat thing is we get the raises whether we do a good job or not. Meritocracy is so overrated.
Thanks also for allowing us to retire at 55 on multi-million dollar pensions. We know most of you will have to work until you are 65 or 70 to pay the $197 billion due to the Teachers Retirement System over the next 40 years but don’t worry Walmart is growing fast and there will be a huge need for greeters. And besides those 401K’s and IRA’s that all of you have are so annoying having to worry about the stock market and stuff like that. And did you know you have to invest your own money in those things? What’s that about?
Oh, and thanks for making us the highest paid white-collar workers in the Chicago area. Being ranked first on the Bureau of Labor Statistics list is really impressive. How cool to make more than engineers, computer programmers and accountants. And we didn’t have to take those impossible math courses in college either. Maybe our new motto should be “First in pay, last in test scores.”
And finally, thanks for giving us the money to give to the politicians in Springfield. It’s so much easier for you if you just let us do it. After all, we gave the governor $2.5 million for his campaign and he hasn’t mentioned that silly voucher thing even once.”
It's time for "Taxpayers Week"
By Bill Zettler
After reading various news reports recently promoting “Education Week” I decided it would only be fair that I represent the taxpayer for “Taxpayer Week” where we taxpayers would solicit praise from various public employee groups. I can see something like the following press release from the teachers union:
“We teachers want to take this opportunity to thank all the taxpayers out there who make our jobs possible.
First of all we want to thank you for giving us two weeks off during the Christmas Holidays and three months off during the summer. It would be a real drag having to work during the holidays and trying to find something to do with your kids during the summer is impossible. We would love to work 12 months but we know you need the kids in the fields for the summer harvest.
And thanks for the guaranteed jobs. We know it must be tough getting laid off and having to find health insurance and a way to make the mortgage payment, but hey, God must have loved taxpayers because he made so many of them. If a few of you go down the tubes the others can easily pick up the tax ball and carry it across the goal line. And to think some of us almost went to work for Motorola – whew, close call.
And thanks again for the 8% raises you gave us this year. We know that the average white-collar worker only received about 3% while their property taxes went up 7% but if you drop your vacation plans you should be okay. Let the kids watch Disney on TV - they don’t actually have to go there. And the really neat thing is we get the raises whether we do a good job or not. Meritocracy is so overrated.
Thanks also for allowing us to retire at 55 on multi-million dollar pensions. We know most of you will have to work until you are 65 or 70 to pay the $197 billion due to the Teachers Retirement System over the next 40 years but don’t worry Walmart is growing fast and there will be a huge need for greeters. And besides those 401K’s and IRA’s that all of you have are so annoying having to worry about the stock market and stuff like that. And did you know you have to invest your own money in those things? What’s that about?
Oh, and thanks for making us the highest paid white-collar workers in the Chicago area. Being ranked first on the Bureau of Labor Statistics list is really impressive. How cool to make more than engineers, computer programmers and accountants. And we didn’t have to take those impossible math courses in college either. Maybe our new motto should be “First in pay, last in test scores.”
And finally, thanks for giving us the money to give to the politicians in Springfield. It’s so much easier for you if you just let us do it. After all, we gave the governor $2.5 million for his campaign and he hasn’t mentioned that silly voucher thing even once.”
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Comrade columnist
The following letter to the editor appeared in the Northwest Herald.
If the Founding Fathers could read comrade Jennifer Martikean's April 14 column, they'd spin even faster in their graves.
Her puffery shows what's wrong with our country. The primary elections showed that like her, the majority prefer socialism and government nannies over freedom and responsibility.
I have my job because I studied hard in school and work hard at my job, not because I'm "lucky."
Your 1040 doesn't tell you how much you can give government.
You can give government everything you own if you want. Your 1040 tells you how much government forced out of you in exchange for not imprisoning you. In that sense, freedom indeed isn't free.
Compare the Bill of Rights to the Communist Manifesto's 10 planks at www.chrisjenner.org/BoRvCM-.htm. Which one lists "A heavy progressive or graduated income tax" (and also "government schools")?
In the Declaration of Independence, the Founding Fathers told us what to do: After a "long Train of Abuses and Usurpations ... it is their Right, it is their Duty, to throw off such Government."
A government that swipes half of its citizens' earnings, fattens itself inexorably, and operates with monumental inefficiency is nothing to be proud of.
Chris Jenner
Cary
The following is the article to which Mr. Jenner was responding.
Take pride in paying Uncle Sam, I do
[published on Fri, Apr 14, 2006]
This time of year might be taxing for some, but for me it always has made me proud to live in America.
No matter what form you fill out this weekend, you should feel good about the contribution you are making to keep the country running.
On the Internal Revenue Service Web site, the main piece of advice is not to procrastinate filling out the tax forms. Frankly, it is too late for that now. But this year you get a slight break because Tax Day, April 15, falls on a Saturday. So after eating a big slice of Easter ham on Sunday, you can sequester yourself and get cooking on the 1040 form and pop it in the mail first thing April 17. Or at least before midnight.
To view the rest of the article go to the Northwest Herald.
If the Founding Fathers could read comrade Jennifer Martikean's April 14 column, they'd spin even faster in their graves.
Her puffery shows what's wrong with our country. The primary elections showed that like her, the majority prefer socialism and government nannies over freedom and responsibility.
I have my job because I studied hard in school and work hard at my job, not because I'm "lucky."
Your 1040 doesn't tell you how much you can give government.
You can give government everything you own if you want. Your 1040 tells you how much government forced out of you in exchange for not imprisoning you. In that sense, freedom indeed isn't free.
Compare the Bill of Rights to the Communist Manifesto's 10 planks at www.chrisjenner.org/BoRvCM-.htm. Which one lists "A heavy progressive or graduated income tax" (and also "government schools")?
In the Declaration of Independence, the Founding Fathers told us what to do: After a "long Train of Abuses and Usurpations ... it is their Right, it is their Duty, to throw off such Government."
A government that swipes half of its citizens' earnings, fattens itself inexorably, and operates with monumental inefficiency is nothing to be proud of.
Chris Jenner
Cary
The following is the article to which Mr. Jenner was responding.
Take pride in paying Uncle Sam, I do
[published on Fri, Apr 14, 2006]
This time of year might be taxing for some, but for me it always has made me proud to live in America.
No matter what form you fill out this weekend, you should feel good about the contribution you are making to keep the country running.
On the Internal Revenue Service Web site, the main piece of advice is not to procrastinate filling out the tax forms. Frankly, it is too late for that now. But this year you get a slight break because Tax Day, April 15, falls on a Saturday. So after eating a big slice of Easter ham on Sunday, you can sequester yourself and get cooking on the 1040 form and pop it in the mail first thing April 17. Or at least before midnight.
To view the rest of the article go to the Northwest Herald.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Pay hikes given to 7 in D-50
The Harvard school board has put the pocketbooks of the administrators ahead of the need of the children they are to protect and educate while not in parental care. Funny how a public school thinks raises are more important than textbooks. Surely this so called found money will be depleted with their recent spending sprees (salary increases). The question is will they plead poor and say they must run a thefterendum come November to buy new textbooks?
Pay hikes given to 7 in D-50
[published on Mon, Apr 24, 2006]
HARVARD – Although there still are a few things the district would like to accomplish financially, annual raises for administrators have been approved.
District 50 spokesman Bill Clow said the school board recently decided to give $2,665 raises for each of the district's seven administrators.
"They did flat across the board raises for all administrators," Clow said. "I think they felt it would be equitable, that everyone would get the same raise."
Those who received an increase, which will go into effect July 1, include Business Manager Donna Joyce, whose salary with pension will go to $72,705; Assistant Superintendent Sue Smith, who also works as principal of Central Elementary School, will have a salary of $84,534 after the increase.
Superintendent Randy Gross, who with pension now earns about $115,427 annually, was not among those slated to receive the pay hike. Gross plans to take a position with a Rockton school district after his contract with District 50 expires June 30.
Gross' departure has Harvard High School Principal Michelle McReynolds topping out as the highest paid administrator, with the upcoming raises putting her salary at $95,442.
School Board President Ken Book said the raises essentially were keeping in line with the cost of living.
At the same time, Book said District 50 still remained a "bare bones district" in terms of its finances. There still were several areas where officials would like to spend money, such as reducing class sizes and purchasing new textbooks, Book said. He said he understood that some people might question the annual raises.
"Everybody tries to watch their tax dollars and make sure those tax dollars are being spent properly," he said.
The district plans to hire an interim superintendent to replace Gross. Officials have said the person likely would work for between $40,000 to $60,000, because the person hired would work only 100 days out of the school year. The school board is expected to make a decision on the interim superintendent at its May meeting.
By GENEVA WHITE
gwhite@nwherald.com
To view the rest of the story go to the Northwest Herald website.
Pay hikes given to 7 in D-50
[published on Mon, Apr 24, 2006]
HARVARD – Although there still are a few things the district would like to accomplish financially, annual raises for administrators have been approved.
District 50 spokesman Bill Clow said the school board recently decided to give $2,665 raises for each of the district's seven administrators.
"They did flat across the board raises for all administrators," Clow said. "I think they felt it would be equitable, that everyone would get the same raise."
Those who received an increase, which will go into effect July 1, include Business Manager Donna Joyce, whose salary with pension will go to $72,705; Assistant Superintendent Sue Smith, who also works as principal of Central Elementary School, will have a salary of $84,534 after the increase.
Superintendent Randy Gross, who with pension now earns about $115,427 annually, was not among those slated to receive the pay hike. Gross plans to take a position with a Rockton school district after his contract with District 50 expires June 30.
Gross' departure has Harvard High School Principal Michelle McReynolds topping out as the highest paid administrator, with the upcoming raises putting her salary at $95,442.
School Board President Ken Book said the raises essentially were keeping in line with the cost of living.
At the same time, Book said District 50 still remained a "bare bones district" in terms of its finances. There still were several areas where officials would like to spend money, such as reducing class sizes and purchasing new textbooks, Book said. He said he understood that some people might question the annual raises.
"Everybody tries to watch their tax dollars and make sure those tax dollars are being spent properly," he said.
The district plans to hire an interim superintendent to replace Gross. Officials have said the person likely would work for between $40,000 to $60,000, because the person hired would work only 100 days out of the school year. The school board is expected to make a decision on the interim superintendent at its May meeting.
By GENEVA WHITE
gwhite@nwherald.com
To view the rest of the story go to the Northwest Herald website.
Monday, April 24, 2006
‘Strong political economy’ key to reform in Illinois
The following editorial appeared in the Daily Herald. The following is a quote from the editorial below "Illinois is the perfect breeding ground for corruption. It shuns openness. It champions pay to play. It has more government than most other states, making it more distant from the public, less transparent. There is a pitiful lack of corruption prosecutions in state courts, and a glaring lack of interest in initiating reform. Even as aggressive and effective as federal prosecutors have been in Illinois, we wonder whether they can detect and pursue all official corruption.
There is no one pill to cure this political sickness, nor will a cure come quickly. But it will not come without a “strong political economy” and public officials who either come by their honestly naturally or are forced to it by reform."
My question is when will newspaper columnists and reporters realize that public schools are nothing more than GOVERNMENT schools with corruption, fraud, waste, patronage and pay to play politics. This group also refuses to reform itself. I look forward to the day when the federal prosecutors investigate Illinois' public education system.
‘Strong political economy’ key to reform in Illinois
After George Ryan’s conviction — and being mindful that so many other Illinois public officials have been sent off to Uncle Sam’s slammer — you might wonder whether we are the most corrupt state in the country.
Well, take heart. We are only the fifth worst when it comes to corruption. That’s according to the Corporate Crime Reporter, in a 2004 report to the National Press Club. Mississippi, North Dakota, Louisiana and Alaska are, respectively, ahead of Illinois in the number of federal corruption convictions.
But being fifth is bad enough. Federal prosecutors remove a bit of muck here and bit there, but the swamp of corruption is not drained. Why can Illinois not shake its well-earned reputation as a crooked state? What will it take to change this culture of corruption?
“Perhaps what matters more than strong laws is a strong political economy — reporters, citizen groups, prosecutors, judges, religious leaders — who are willing to speak out about the rampant corruption in our midst,” concludes the Corporate Crime Reporter, a legal newsletter edited by Russell Mokhiber.
But that community of voices for change can’t grow silent between scandals. It must be persistent in demanding reform, not least of which is opening up government in a state that too often claims entitlement to secrecy.
Consider that residents and journalists in one of the states deemed to be among the least corrupt by the Corporate Crime Reporter — Iowa — have worked tirelessly to open up government. There, the courts can actually oust public officials who are repeat violators of the state’s Open Meetings Act and Public Records Law.
Government in Iowa still can be stubborn about obeying sunshine laws. But a culture of openness has been established there as opposed to Illinois, where toothless open government laws would not even be feared in Beijing.
Leadership on accountability in government is hard to find, but at least Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has been receptive to, and acting on, citizen and media complaints of government in hiding. Those championing open government have an ally in Madigan. Legislators should share her respect for the public’s right to accountability in government and at last enact open government laws that carry real consequences for violators. And then those laws should be vigorously enforced by state and county prosecutors.
But it is not enough to open government. Change must come in the way people get into government.
In the wake of the Ryan verdict, candidates are doubtlessly going to declare themselves to be reformers. But take them as mere speechmakers in search of votes if they are not serious about changing the rotten pay-to-play system that gives special advantages to those who contribute to campaigns — or if they are players seeking pay themselves. The power of the return on a campaign dollar is also one than corrupts.
Beyond this, changing the culture of corruption in Illinois means giving a chance to those who actually believe their honesty, integrity and sincere desire to serve without individual gain — and without having to pay to play — are good enough to get them elected. It means demanding of candidates real answers about how they will change a corrupt state that takes little interest in governing the conduct of its elected officials.
Illinois is the perfect breeding ground for corruption. It shuns openness. It champions pay to play. It has more government than most other states, making it more distant from the public, less transparent. There is a pitiful lack of corruption prosecutions in state courts, and a glaring lack of interest in initiating reform. Even as aggressive and effective as federal prosecutors have been in Illinois, we wonder whether they can detect and pursue all official corruption.
There is no one pill to cure this political sickness, nor will a cure come quickly. But it will not come without a “strong political economy” and public officials who either come by their honestly naturally or are forced to it by reform.
Daily Herald.
There is no one pill to cure this political sickness, nor will a cure come quickly. But it will not come without a “strong political economy” and public officials who either come by their honestly naturally or are forced to it by reform."
My question is when will newspaper columnists and reporters realize that public schools are nothing more than GOVERNMENT schools with corruption, fraud, waste, patronage and pay to play politics. This group also refuses to reform itself. I look forward to the day when the federal prosecutors investigate Illinois' public education system.
‘Strong political economy’ key to reform in Illinois
After George Ryan’s conviction — and being mindful that so many other Illinois public officials have been sent off to Uncle Sam’s slammer — you might wonder whether we are the most corrupt state in the country.
Well, take heart. We are only the fifth worst when it comes to corruption. That’s according to the Corporate Crime Reporter, in a 2004 report to the National Press Club. Mississippi, North Dakota, Louisiana and Alaska are, respectively, ahead of Illinois in the number of federal corruption convictions.
But being fifth is bad enough. Federal prosecutors remove a bit of muck here and bit there, but the swamp of corruption is not drained. Why can Illinois not shake its well-earned reputation as a crooked state? What will it take to change this culture of corruption?
“Perhaps what matters more than strong laws is a strong political economy — reporters, citizen groups, prosecutors, judges, religious leaders — who are willing to speak out about the rampant corruption in our midst,” concludes the Corporate Crime Reporter, a legal newsletter edited by Russell Mokhiber.
But that community of voices for change can’t grow silent between scandals. It must be persistent in demanding reform, not least of which is opening up government in a state that too often claims entitlement to secrecy.
Consider that residents and journalists in one of the states deemed to be among the least corrupt by the Corporate Crime Reporter — Iowa — have worked tirelessly to open up government. There, the courts can actually oust public officials who are repeat violators of the state’s Open Meetings Act and Public Records Law.
Government in Iowa still can be stubborn about obeying sunshine laws. But a culture of openness has been established there as opposed to Illinois, where toothless open government laws would not even be feared in Beijing.
Leadership on accountability in government is hard to find, but at least Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has been receptive to, and acting on, citizen and media complaints of government in hiding. Those championing open government have an ally in Madigan. Legislators should share her respect for the public’s right to accountability in government and at last enact open government laws that carry real consequences for violators. And then those laws should be vigorously enforced by state and county prosecutors.
But it is not enough to open government. Change must come in the way people get into government.
In the wake of the Ryan verdict, candidates are doubtlessly going to declare themselves to be reformers. But take them as mere speechmakers in search of votes if they are not serious about changing the rotten pay-to-play system that gives special advantages to those who contribute to campaigns — or if they are players seeking pay themselves. The power of the return on a campaign dollar is also one than corrupts.
Beyond this, changing the culture of corruption in Illinois means giving a chance to those who actually believe their honesty, integrity and sincere desire to serve without individual gain — and without having to pay to play — are good enough to get them elected. It means demanding of candidates real answers about how they will change a corrupt state that takes little interest in governing the conduct of its elected officials.
Illinois is the perfect breeding ground for corruption. It shuns openness. It champions pay to play. It has more government than most other states, making it more distant from the public, less transparent. There is a pitiful lack of corruption prosecutions in state courts, and a glaring lack of interest in initiating reform. Even as aggressive and effective as federal prosecutors have been in Illinois, we wonder whether they can detect and pursue all official corruption.
There is no one pill to cure this political sickness, nor will a cure come quickly. But it will not come without a “strong political economy” and public officials who either come by their honestly naturally or are forced to it by reform.
Daily Herald.
Sunday, April 23, 2006
D-158 board checks out auditor's charges
Board present Mike Skala said the following about the audit firm investigating D - 158 "I want there to be some kind of checks and balances." The irony is that many of the taxpayers feel the same exact way about D - 158, it's administrators and it's board.
D-158 board checks out auditor's charges
[published on Sun, Apr 23, 2006]
HUNTLEY – Questions lingered Friday in District 158 over about $13,000 in additional charges from its auditor.
"We didn't give them authorization just for a blank check," school board President Mike Skala said Friday. "I want there to be some kind of checks and balances."
Board members on Thursday delayed a payment to accounting firm William F. Gurrie. Skala said he and his colleagues wanted more details to make sure that the firm's fees were accurate and necessary.
At Thursday's meeting, board members said they had agreed for the district to spend about $30,000 for its audit.
But the district already has spent more than double that – about $61,000 – its finance director, Stanley Hall, said Friday. That figure does not include the latest fee of about $13,000 and possible additional payments, Hall said.
Workers from William F. Gurrie recently finalized the district's audit more than nine months after the end of the fiscal year. A discrepancy of about $60,000 remains between the district's books and bank balances, down from about $2 million before experts discovered input errors and other problems.
To view the rest of the story go to the Northwest Herald website.
D-158 board checks out auditor's charges
[published on Sun, Apr 23, 2006]
HUNTLEY – Questions lingered Friday in District 158 over about $13,000 in additional charges from its auditor.
"We didn't give them authorization just for a blank check," school board President Mike Skala said Friday. "I want there to be some kind of checks and balances."
Board members on Thursday delayed a payment to accounting firm William F. Gurrie. Skala said he and his colleagues wanted more details to make sure that the firm's fees were accurate and necessary.
At Thursday's meeting, board members said they had agreed for the district to spend about $30,000 for its audit.
But the district already has spent more than double that – about $61,000 – its finance director, Stanley Hall, said Friday. That figure does not include the latest fee of about $13,000 and possible additional payments, Hall said.
Workers from William F. Gurrie recently finalized the district's audit more than nine months after the end of the fiscal year. A discrepancy of about $60,000 remains between the district's books and bank balances, down from about $2 million before experts discovered input errors and other problems.
To view the rest of the story go to the Northwest Herald website.
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Dist. 214 cuts take their toll
The following article appeared in the Daily Herald and on Students First. Hmmm how will this play out is the school district really trying to balance the budget or are they starting to board the threat train on the way to thefterendumville?
Dist. 214 cuts take their toll
4/21/2006
By Erin Holmes
Daily Herald
For weeks, it's been about the numbers. The amount that has to be cut. The amount that can be saved. The budget.
On Thursday night, backed up by dozens of his co-workers, Tom Wiedemann stepped to the microphone and gave the whole scenario a human face.
Wiedemann, a Buffalo Grove High graduate who's worked at the school for more than two decades, is one of nearly three dozen Northwest Suburban High School District 214 staff members who got notices of possible termination this week - part of an ongoing effort to trim nearly $3 million from the still-pending 2006-07 budget.
In his role, Wiedemann does locker room security, works as a physical education assistant, bellows from the stands at football games as the "Voice of the Bison," is licensed to repair high-tech equipment in the weight room - he was there the night that room was dedicated; he helped raise the cash - and has done a plethora of other things at the school.
He's not sure how all those jobs can be eliminated, he says, but, beyond that, "I'm part of the family," he says simply.
His words drew a standing ovation from others in the district's support staff union - clerical staff, tech assistants, security personnel and others - who pushed the board to rescind any planned staff cuts and find different savings.
"Without these quality workers, some of whom have been with the district for over 25 years, the quality of education will suffer at our schools," union President Bob Kramer said.
The nearly 30 support staff notices represent the latest wave of a district-wide cost-cutting that Superintendent David Schuler said will impact all categories of employees.
The board in March OK'd 13 teacher layoff notices; the custodial maintenance union is next up for consideration. The administrative staff also has shrunk its ranks, in part by choosing not to fill positions that will be vacated in June.
But there will not be a full 30 support staffers laid off, Schuler insisted, saying that sum really represents "three or four times" the actual number of positions that will be officially nixed.
He could not say how many spots truly will be eliminated. Kramer put that figure around 13; Schuler said it most likely would be between six and 13.
Language in the support staff contract calls for those with high seniority whose jobs are terminated to bump those with less seniority out of their slots.
Since that has the makings of a domino effect, anyone who could potentially be affected is handed a so-called pink slip -the reason, officials say, for the larger number of layoff notices.
Schuler said a "vast, vast majority" of those who got the notices still will have jobs next year - just not necessarily the positions they're holding now.
No matter how many people get offered jobs again, though, Kramer pointed out some roles still will be lost, asking, "Who's going to do all this work?"
Beyond that, there's the sad reality of the bumping process: It's not exactly a great feeling to know you've pushed someone else out of a job, employees say.
Weidemann should know.
With so many years under his belt, he's got top billing.
But "How does that make me feel?" he said. "Pretty crappy."
Kramer and others will meet today with district leaders to go over some contract language and discuss the situation.
Dist. 214 cuts take their toll
4/21/2006
By Erin Holmes
Daily Herald
For weeks, it's been about the numbers. The amount that has to be cut. The amount that can be saved. The budget.
On Thursday night, backed up by dozens of his co-workers, Tom Wiedemann stepped to the microphone and gave the whole scenario a human face.
Wiedemann, a Buffalo Grove High graduate who's worked at the school for more than two decades, is one of nearly three dozen Northwest Suburban High School District 214 staff members who got notices of possible termination this week - part of an ongoing effort to trim nearly $3 million from the still-pending 2006-07 budget.
In his role, Wiedemann does locker room security, works as a physical education assistant, bellows from the stands at football games as the "Voice of the Bison," is licensed to repair high-tech equipment in the weight room - he was there the night that room was dedicated; he helped raise the cash - and has done a plethora of other things at the school.
He's not sure how all those jobs can be eliminated, he says, but, beyond that, "I'm part of the family," he says simply.
His words drew a standing ovation from others in the district's support staff union - clerical staff, tech assistants, security personnel and others - who pushed the board to rescind any planned staff cuts and find different savings.
"Without these quality workers, some of whom have been with the district for over 25 years, the quality of education will suffer at our schools," union President Bob Kramer said.
The nearly 30 support staff notices represent the latest wave of a district-wide cost-cutting that Superintendent David Schuler said will impact all categories of employees.
The board in March OK'd 13 teacher layoff notices; the custodial maintenance union is next up for consideration. The administrative staff also has shrunk its ranks, in part by choosing not to fill positions that will be vacated in June.
But there will not be a full 30 support staffers laid off, Schuler insisted, saying that sum really represents "three or four times" the actual number of positions that will be officially nixed.
He could not say how many spots truly will be eliminated. Kramer put that figure around 13; Schuler said it most likely would be between six and 13.
Language in the support staff contract calls for those with high seniority whose jobs are terminated to bump those with less seniority out of their slots.
Since that has the makings of a domino effect, anyone who could potentially be affected is handed a so-called pink slip -the reason, officials say, for the larger number of layoff notices.
Schuler said a "vast, vast majority" of those who got the notices still will have jobs next year - just not necessarily the positions they're holding now.
No matter how many people get offered jobs again, though, Kramer pointed out some roles still will be lost, asking, "Who's going to do all this work?"
Beyond that, there's the sad reality of the bumping process: It's not exactly a great feeling to know you've pushed someone else out of a job, employees say.
Weidemann should know.
With so many years under his belt, he's got top billing.
But "How does that make me feel?" he said. "Pretty crappy."
Kramer and others will meet today with district leaders to go over some contract language and discuss the situation.
Friday, April 21, 2006
OF 100 CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOL FRESHMEN,
The below story is yet another example of how the current public education is failing to educate the students of Illinois.
OF 100 CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOL FRESHMEN,
SIX WILL GET A COLLEGE DEGREE
By Jodi S. Cohen and Darnell Little, Tribune staff reporters. Tribune staff reporter Tracy Dell'Angela contributed to this report
Published April 21, 2006
Of every 100 freshmen entering a Chicago public high school, only about six will earn a bachelor's degree by the time they're in their mid-20s, according to a first-of-its-kind study released Thursday by the Consortium on Chicago School Research.
The prospects are even worse for African-American and Latino male freshmen, who only have about a 3 percent chance of obtaining a bachelor's degree by the time they're 25.
The study, which tracked Chicago high school students who graduated in 1998 and 1999, also found that making it to college doesn't ensure success: Of the city public school students who went to a four-year college, only about 35 percent earned a bachelor's degree within six years, compared with 64 percent nationally.
Researchers say they're not exactly sure why Chicago schools alumni graduate from college in such low numbers, but that poor preparation during high school and too few resources at the college level contribute to the problem.
"Just focusing on getting kids to survive in high school isn't going to be enough," said study co-author Elaine Allensworth, a researcher at the consortium, a group that works closely with Chicago Public Schools. "This report raises a lot of issues that the colleges need to struggle with."
Schools chief Arne Duncan said the grim statistics in the report and the variation in college rates among city high schools are no surprise--they are what is driving massive private investment in high school reform.
"When students here are unprepared for college or the world of work, they are condemned to social failure," he said. "We're doing everything we can to dramatically change the high school experience for our teenagers."
Among other findings:
- Students who graduated from high school with a grade-point average below 3.0 were unlikely to graduate within six years, lacking the study skills that contribute to college success. Only about 16 percent of students with a high school GPA between 2.1 and 2.5 graduated during that time, compared with 63 percent of students who had a 3.6 GPA or better.
- African-American and Latino students from Chicago high schools have the lowest graduation rates--lower than the national average for those groups and lower than their white and Asian peers from Chicago. Just 22 percent of African-American males who began at a four-year college graduated within six years.
Chicago high school graduate Nigel Valentine, 26, is on the 10-year plan. He graduated from Kennedy High School in 1997. After getting an associate's degree from Daley College in 2003, he is now a junior at Northeastern Illinois University. He expects to graduate next year.
"Originally, I was hoping to be out in four or five years," said Valentine, who is studying criminal justice. He says he blames himself and a school system that didn't ensure college readiness. "It's all about preparation. The structure of the classes in high school and elementary school were not up to par."
The study also found varying degrees of success among colleges in graduating students from Chicago schools.
Of the Chicago students who start as full-time freshmen at Northeastern, only 11 percent graduate within six years.
Northeastern officials said the study is unfair to the university, which primarily serves non-traditional students, including many part-time students who take an average of 9 years to graduate. Many students are older, low-income and work while in school, said Provost Lawrence Frank.
But Frank said the study does point "to things we need to address," particularly improving the experience for freshmen. The university next fall will require that all freshmen take a small seminar class with a maximum of 24 students. Sophomores will receive more advising about course selection and major.
To be sure, there were limitations to the study. It only provided graduation rates for students who enrolled full time in a four-year college. It did not include students from alternative high schools or those eligible for special education. Researchers also did not have graduation data from every Illinois college, and DePaul University, Northern Illinois University and Robert Morris College were among those left out.
The researchers used data from the non-profit National Student Clearinghouse, a group that collects data from secondary school officials who want to track their graduates. More than 2,800 colleges participate.
Carole Snow, an executive associate provost at the University of Illinois at Chicago, said many students start college unprepared in math and writing.
The university recently opened a math learning center where students can get tutoring and work on study skills.
About 46 percent of UIC students, including Chicago public school graduates, complete college within six years.
Loyola University has one of the highest graduation rates for Chicago students. About 66 percent complete college within six years, nearly the same as the school average.
Loyola Vice Provost John Pelissero attributes that success to individualized student attention, including mandatory academic counseling. All freshmen also get a peer adviser.
The researchers said that the study could help high school guidance counselors better advise students about where to go to college.
"Our kids could be making better choices than going to U. of. I. Urbana," said co-author Melissa Roderick. "That is a very significant statement on that college, and they need to be paying attention to that."
At the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where some of Chicago's brightest students enroll, only 42 percent graduate within six years compared with 81 percent of all students, according to the study.
Robin Kaler, spokeswoman for the Urbana campus, disputed the consortium's numbers and said the graduation rate for Chicago students is nearly 65 percent.
"It is still not acceptable to us," said Kaler, who attributed the low number to a challenging environment at U. of. I. "We work hard to attract and identify students that we think can succeed. ... There is no way to predict perfectly who is going to have the most success and who isn't'"
She said the university has worked on improving student advising, with several colleges now requiring it. The advisers are supposed to not only monitor a student's academic progress, but also connect them with career-focused clubs and other services. The university also started a program last fall called "University 101," which is intended to teach students how to study, conduct research, and locate programs and services at the university.
That program came too late for Crystalynn Ortiz, 19, who started at the Urbana campus in fall 2004 after graduating from Prosser Career Academy in Chicago with a 4.5 GPA. She dropped out of U. of. I. after the first year, and now attends nearby Parkland Community College.
"I wasn't prepared to go to U. of. I. I got my first bad grades and then I wasn't motivated to do well," she said. "I felt really unprepared in study habits, how hard it was going to be here."
To view the rest of the story go to the Chicagotribune.com.
OF 100 CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOL FRESHMEN,
SIX WILL GET A COLLEGE DEGREE
By Jodi S. Cohen and Darnell Little, Tribune staff reporters. Tribune staff reporter Tracy Dell'Angela contributed to this report
Published April 21, 2006
Of every 100 freshmen entering a Chicago public high school, only about six will earn a bachelor's degree by the time they're in their mid-20s, according to a first-of-its-kind study released Thursday by the Consortium on Chicago School Research.
The prospects are even worse for African-American and Latino male freshmen, who only have about a 3 percent chance of obtaining a bachelor's degree by the time they're 25.
The study, which tracked Chicago high school students who graduated in 1998 and 1999, also found that making it to college doesn't ensure success: Of the city public school students who went to a four-year college, only about 35 percent earned a bachelor's degree within six years, compared with 64 percent nationally.
Researchers say they're not exactly sure why Chicago schools alumni graduate from college in such low numbers, but that poor preparation during high school and too few resources at the college level contribute to the problem.
"Just focusing on getting kids to survive in high school isn't going to be enough," said study co-author Elaine Allensworth, a researcher at the consortium, a group that works closely with Chicago Public Schools. "This report raises a lot of issues that the colleges need to struggle with."
Schools chief Arne Duncan said the grim statistics in the report and the variation in college rates among city high schools are no surprise--they are what is driving massive private investment in high school reform.
"When students here are unprepared for college or the world of work, they are condemned to social failure," he said. "We're doing everything we can to dramatically change the high school experience for our teenagers."
Among other findings:
- Students who graduated from high school with a grade-point average below 3.0 were unlikely to graduate within six years, lacking the study skills that contribute to college success. Only about 16 percent of students with a high school GPA between 2.1 and 2.5 graduated during that time, compared with 63 percent of students who had a 3.6 GPA or better.
- African-American and Latino students from Chicago high schools have the lowest graduation rates--lower than the national average for those groups and lower than their white and Asian peers from Chicago. Just 22 percent of African-American males who began at a four-year college graduated within six years.
Chicago high school graduate Nigel Valentine, 26, is on the 10-year plan. He graduated from Kennedy High School in 1997. After getting an associate's degree from Daley College in 2003, he is now a junior at Northeastern Illinois University. He expects to graduate next year.
"Originally, I was hoping to be out in four or five years," said Valentine, who is studying criminal justice. He says he blames himself and a school system that didn't ensure college readiness. "It's all about preparation. The structure of the classes in high school and elementary school were not up to par."
The study also found varying degrees of success among colleges in graduating students from Chicago schools.
Of the Chicago students who start as full-time freshmen at Northeastern, only 11 percent graduate within six years.
Northeastern officials said the study is unfair to the university, which primarily serves non-traditional students, including many part-time students who take an average of 9 years to graduate. Many students are older, low-income and work while in school, said Provost Lawrence Frank.
But Frank said the study does point "to things we need to address," particularly improving the experience for freshmen. The university next fall will require that all freshmen take a small seminar class with a maximum of 24 students. Sophomores will receive more advising about course selection and major.
To be sure, there were limitations to the study. It only provided graduation rates for students who enrolled full time in a four-year college. It did not include students from alternative high schools or those eligible for special education. Researchers also did not have graduation data from every Illinois college, and DePaul University, Northern Illinois University and Robert Morris College were among those left out.
The researchers used data from the non-profit National Student Clearinghouse, a group that collects data from secondary school officials who want to track their graduates. More than 2,800 colleges participate.
Carole Snow, an executive associate provost at the University of Illinois at Chicago, said many students start college unprepared in math and writing.
The university recently opened a math learning center where students can get tutoring and work on study skills.
About 46 percent of UIC students, including Chicago public school graduates, complete college within six years.
Loyola University has one of the highest graduation rates for Chicago students. About 66 percent complete college within six years, nearly the same as the school average.
Loyola Vice Provost John Pelissero attributes that success to individualized student attention, including mandatory academic counseling. All freshmen also get a peer adviser.
The researchers said that the study could help high school guidance counselors better advise students about where to go to college.
"Our kids could be making better choices than going to U. of. I. Urbana," said co-author Melissa Roderick. "That is a very significant statement on that college, and they need to be paying attention to that."
At the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where some of Chicago's brightest students enroll, only 42 percent graduate within six years compared with 81 percent of all students, according to the study.
Robin Kaler, spokeswoman for the Urbana campus, disputed the consortium's numbers and said the graduation rate for Chicago students is nearly 65 percent.
"It is still not acceptable to us," said Kaler, who attributed the low number to a challenging environment at U. of. I. "We work hard to attract and identify students that we think can succeed. ... There is no way to predict perfectly who is going to have the most success and who isn't'"
She said the university has worked on improving student advising, with several colleges now requiring it. The advisers are supposed to not only monitor a student's academic progress, but also connect them with career-focused clubs and other services. The university also started a program last fall called "University 101," which is intended to teach students how to study, conduct research, and locate programs and services at the university.
That program came too late for Crystalynn Ortiz, 19, who started at the Urbana campus in fall 2004 after graduating from Prosser Career Academy in Chicago with a 4.5 GPA. She dropped out of U. of. I. after the first year, and now attends nearby Parkland Community College.
"I wasn't prepared to go to U. of. I. I got my first bad grades and then I wasn't motivated to do well," she said. "I felt really unprepared in study habits, how hard it was going to be here."
To view the rest of the story go to the Chicagotribune.com.
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