Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Here's the Governor's Lottery Education Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 23, 2006
Governor Blagojevich unveils bold new plan to reform Illinois schools
Governor’s plan includes extending the school year, merit pay for teachers, mandatory after school tutoring, taking over failing school districts, school construction, parental involvement initiatives, textbook replacement, full day kindergarten, new school technology, and new accountability measures; Plan would provide $6 billion in new funding for schools over next four budgets
CHICAGO - Building on the work of the previous four budgets and legislative sessions which saw more than $3.8 billion in new funds invested in Illinois schools, the creation of universal preschool in Illinois, and raising graduation standards to req
Require students to take more reading, writing, math and science, Governor Rod Blagojevich today unveiled his new plan to continue reforming and improving schools, with initiatives including:
· Implementing full day kindergarten and universal preschool;
· Funding new school construction;
· Creating “Small Schools” and “Identity Schools”;
· Helping school districts regularly replace outdated textbooks;
· Extending the school year for underachieving schools;
· Performance pay for teachers;
· Increased state takeovers of failing school districts;
· Funding after-school tutoring for underachieving students;
· Helping schools afford special education teachers;
· Introducing new ways to help parents get involved;
· Increasing school district consolidations;
· More and better mentoring for principals and superintendents;
· Helping schools afford new technology to help parents track their kids performance;
· Improving school libraries;
· Improving Career and Technical Education curriculums; and
· Reducing school district administrative costs.
For the twenty five years preceding the Blagojevich administration, the State of Illinois consistently neglected and chronically underfunded its schools – increasing funding on a year to year basis by just .5% (after adjusting for inflation). Instead, the State spent the taxpayers money on things like a bloated state payroll, corporate loopholes that cost schools over $500 million a year in funding, and special purpose funds that held money aside for special interests.
For the rest of the press release, click here.
May 23, 2006
Governor Blagojevich unveils bold new plan to reform Illinois schools
Governor’s plan includes extending the school year, merit pay for teachers, mandatory after school tutoring, taking over failing school districts, school construction, parental involvement initiatives, textbook replacement, full day kindergarten, new school technology, and new accountability measures; Plan would provide $6 billion in new funding for schools over next four budgets
CHICAGO - Building on the work of the previous four budgets and legislative sessions which saw more than $3.8 billion in new funds invested in Illinois schools, the creation of universal preschool in Illinois, and raising graduation standards to req
Require students to take more reading, writing, math and science, Governor Rod Blagojevich today unveiled his new plan to continue reforming and improving schools, with initiatives including:
· Implementing full day kindergarten and universal preschool;
· Funding new school construction;
· Creating “Small Schools” and “Identity Schools”;
· Helping school districts regularly replace outdated textbooks;
· Extending the school year for underachieving schools;
· Performance pay for teachers;
· Increased state takeovers of failing school districts;
· Funding after-school tutoring for underachieving students;
· Helping schools afford special education teachers;
· Introducing new ways to help parents get involved;
· Increasing school district consolidations;
· More and better mentoring for principals and superintendents;
· Helping schools afford new technology to help parents track their kids performance;
· Improving school libraries;
· Improving Career and Technical Education curriculums; and
· Reducing school district administrative costs.
For the twenty five years preceding the Blagojevich administration, the State of Illinois consistently neglected and chronically underfunded its schools – increasing funding on a year to year basis by just .5% (after adjusting for inflation). Instead, the State spent the taxpayers money on things like a bloated state payroll, corporate loopholes that cost schools over $500 million a year in funding, and special purpose funds that held money aside for special interests.
For the rest of the press release, click here.
Comments:
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Would like to comment on just a few of the points:
- Implementing full day kindergarten and universal preschool; -
Make sure you take the babies from their mommas as soon as possible, and keep them in those schools as long as possible, let the state raise our children, they are doing such a good job.
- Creating “Small Schools” and “Identity Schools -
Like the "Gay" Harvey Milk School in NY?
- Extending the school year for underachieving schools -
see first comment
- Improving school libraries -
If school libraries are so important, tell me why I consistently see public schoolers in my local library during school hours? They bus them in and have them look up books and do research. (Can't do that in your local school library?) As a homeschooler, who regularly uses my library, I am offended when I am asked to move from a table where my children and I may be reading or researching because the public schoolers have come in by the busload. (And yes, I have been asked more than once to move from a location because they needed the space for the public schoolers. If they have their own school libraries, that we now need to improve, why am I, a tax paying-library supporting citizen, being asked to move to make room for the ps schoolers?)
- Implementing full day kindergarten and universal preschool; -
Make sure you take the babies from their mommas as soon as possible, and keep them in those schools as long as possible, let the state raise our children, they are doing such a good job.
- Creating “Small Schools” and “Identity Schools -
Like the "Gay" Harvey Milk School in NY?
- Extending the school year for underachieving schools -
see first comment
- Improving school libraries -
If school libraries are so important, tell me why I consistently see public schoolers in my local library during school hours? They bus them in and have them look up books and do research. (Can't do that in your local school library?) As a homeschooler, who regularly uses my library, I am offended when I am asked to move from a table where my children and I may be reading or researching because the public schoolers have come in by the busload. (And yes, I have been asked more than once to move from a location because they needed the space for the public schoolers. If they have their own school libraries, that we now need to improve, why am I, a tax paying-library supporting citizen, being asked to move to make room for the ps schoolers?)
I would like to comment on Donna's comments...:
1) Implementing full day kindergarten and universal preschool
Donna: Make sure you take the babies from their mommas as soon as possible, and keep them in those schools as long as possible, let the state raise our children, they are doing such a good job.
rusrus: So, there's no benefit to full-day kindergarten or preschool? To me, this sounds like an improvement over the current system.
2) Creating “Small Schools” and “Identity Schools"
Donna: Like the "Gay" Harvey Milk School in NY?
rusrus: C'mon. That's a stretch.
3) Improving school libraries
Donna: If school libraries are so important, tell me why I consistently see public schoolers in my local library during school hours?...
rusrus: So, what's the answer: abolishing school libraries? Or is it re-creating a local library in every elementary school, middle school, and high school. Surely you can understand that there are not enough resources to do that: sharing libraries is a reality - even with the best funded school libraries. I'm sorry you have had to move (more than once) - have you brought this up at a school board / library board meeting? Have you considered running for office? You already have a platform.
Donna, let's not forget that the governor is trying to fix an entire state's educational shortcomings. You, for one, have chosen to home-school your children. Good for you, but there are millions of others in this state without that luxury of time and ability. Most of us rely on our public schools to educate our children. As such, we want the best educational system possible.
I don't know if this lotto plan is THE answer, but it is a place to start. See, it's already got people talking.
Your venomous knee-jerk reactions aren't helping. You've shown you know what won't work, do you have any ideas of what will?
1) Implementing full day kindergarten and universal preschool
Donna: Make sure you take the babies from their mommas as soon as possible, and keep them in those schools as long as possible, let the state raise our children, they are doing such a good job.
rusrus: So, there's no benefit to full-day kindergarten or preschool? To me, this sounds like an improvement over the current system.
2) Creating “Small Schools” and “Identity Schools"
Donna: Like the "Gay" Harvey Milk School in NY?
rusrus: C'mon. That's a stretch.
3) Improving school libraries
Donna: If school libraries are so important, tell me why I consistently see public schoolers in my local library during school hours?...
rusrus: So, what's the answer: abolishing school libraries? Or is it re-creating a local library in every elementary school, middle school, and high school. Surely you can understand that there are not enough resources to do that: sharing libraries is a reality - even with the best funded school libraries. I'm sorry you have had to move (more than once) - have you brought this up at a school board / library board meeting? Have you considered running for office? You already have a platform.
Donna, let's not forget that the governor is trying to fix an entire state's educational shortcomings. You, for one, have chosen to home-school your children. Good for you, but there are millions of others in this state without that luxury of time and ability. Most of us rely on our public schools to educate our children. As such, we want the best educational system possible.
I don't know if this lotto plan is THE answer, but it is a place to start. See, it's already got people talking.
Your venomous knee-jerk reactions aren't helping. You've shown you know what won't work, do you have any ideas of what will?
rusrus:
I don't put much time into what I think will work for the public schools because I don't believe in the institution. (If you are at all interested in my views, go find them somewhere in the 200's of the education discussion.)
I don't believe keeping children, especially young children, locked in buildings all day, under the influence of strangers, is a benefit to them. Mandating pre-school and all day Kindergarten is a bad idea to me. I am sure many parents are jumping for joy at the thought that they can now pass their kiddos off to someone else sooner and longer. I am not one of them.
Learning should at least begin at home, and 3, 4 and even 5 year olds should be spending the majority of their time in the care of their mother or father for as long as possible. No one else cares for a child the way a parent does (don't get started about abuse situations, you know what I mean). I believe children need to feel secure and loved and have a sense of self before they are thrust into the world.
As far as the my issue with public schools and libraries: My point was if local libraries are available for use, and the schools are currently using them, why does more money need to be dumped into school libraries? It is about the money, and the best way to spend it.
Lastly, I don't consider my reactions to be knee-jerk or venomous. Just calling it as I see it.
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I don't put much time into what I think will work for the public schools because I don't believe in the institution. (If you are at all interested in my views, go find them somewhere in the 200's of the education discussion.)
I don't believe keeping children, especially young children, locked in buildings all day, under the influence of strangers, is a benefit to them. Mandating pre-school and all day Kindergarten is a bad idea to me. I am sure many parents are jumping for joy at the thought that they can now pass their kiddos off to someone else sooner and longer. I am not one of them.
Learning should at least begin at home, and 3, 4 and even 5 year olds should be spending the majority of their time in the care of their mother or father for as long as possible. No one else cares for a child the way a parent does (don't get started about abuse situations, you know what I mean). I believe children need to feel secure and loved and have a sense of self before they are thrust into the world.
As far as the my issue with public schools and libraries: My point was if local libraries are available for use, and the schools are currently using them, why does more money need to be dumped into school libraries? It is about the money, and the best way to spend it.
Lastly, I don't consider my reactions to be knee-jerk or venomous. Just calling it as I see it.
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