The Capitol Buzz…
Off to the races!
Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Education named the 16 finalists in the first round of its “Race to the Top” competition, which will deliver $4.35 billion in school reform grants to chosen states, AND ILLINOIS IS ONE OF THE FINALISTS.
The grants are designed to reward states that have exhibited progress in boosting student achievement scores by developing strong standards, getting high-quality teachers in the classroom and turning around low-performing schools. The winners will be selected in April.
The announcement is very timely in light of the fact that Sen. Meeks (D-Calumet City) has introduced a voucher bill (SB 2494) that would allow the students in Chicago attending schools whose performance is in the lowest 10 percent to receive a voucher to attend a parochial or private school of their choice. Sen. Meeks, who had been the chief sponsor of HB 174, the school funding reform bill, has expressed frustration with the lack of funding for public schools and sees vouchers as the only alternative. IEA testified in opposition to the Meeks’ proposal and has made the point that the Race to the Top grant and School Improvement Grants would provide some of the funding for low performing schools that Meeks is looking for.
Special note:
This week was the final week for the Senate to move bills out of committee to be heard on the floor for final action. Often there are unresolved issues and the sponsor, advocates and opponents will continue to work on bills with an attempt to come to an agreement. In these cases, the sponsor will agree to “hold” the bill on second reading until an agreement is reached and then bring the bill back to committee for an amendment reflecting any changes. We refer to this process several times in our report on issues ranging from unfunded mandates to school funding issues.
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia (D-Aurora) made good on her word and called HB 5154 for a vote in the House State Government Committee. The proposal would prohibit the disclosure of performance evaluations under the Freedom of Information Act. The scope of this proposal had been agreed to during the negotiations on Race to the Top but was amended in the House. The Attorney General’s office is opposed to the bill. The bill passed out of committee with bipartisan support on an 11-2 roll call.
Student assistance health needs
SB 3822 (Steans, D–Chicago) creates the Care of Students with Diabetes Act, which:
- Allows self-administration of medication by a pupil with diabetes.
- Defines a “delegated care aide” as a school employee who has volunteered to receive training in diabetes care and to assist students in implementing their diabetes care plan.
- Requires a parent or guardian to submit a diabetes care plan for a student with diabetes who seeks assistance with diabetes care in the school setting.
- Provides that a delegated care aide (teacher or school personnel) shall perform the activities and tasks necessary to assist a student with diabetes in accordance with his or her diabetes care plan.
- Delegated care aides are authorized to provide assistance by a student’s parent or guardian and serve under the supervision of the principal. The intent is to have the parent or guardian choose the teacher to be the designated care aide.
The IEA opposed this legislation. The bill passed out of the Senate Public Health committee unanimously and will be heard by the full Senate.
SB 2929 (Kotowski, D-Park Ridge) requires that when a student needs to receive any medication in school or during school activities, a medication management plan be established and requires that absent a full-time school nurse, the school principal must appoint, supervise, and coordinate the training of a designated health care aide to perform the tasks necessary to assist a student in accordance with the plan.
IEA opposes this bill which was held in the Senate Education committee this week and then transferred to the Senate Public Health committee for consideration next week.
Higher education issues
Tuition waivers
HB 4706 (Winters, R-Shirland) removes the statutory provision for 50 percent tuition waivers for children of university employees. This IEA-opposed bill was not called for a vote in the House Higher Education Committee.
University borrowing authority
SB 642, Amendment #1 (Haine, D-Alton) allows all public universities to borrow funds in anticipation of receiving tuition, state of Illinois appropriations or other revenue sources to be paid back within 12 months.
IEA supports this bill. The bill passed the Senate and moves to the House.
College Insurance Program
HB 6162 (Currie, D-Chicago) and SB 3532 (Trotter, D-Chicago) allow retirees from City Colleges of Chicago to join the College Insurance Program (CIP). In order to fund this move, all full time community college faculty and staff would see their statutory contributions to this fund increase from a half a percent of payroll to three-quarters of a percent of payroll. The IEA opposes these bills as the additional retirees would strain a fund that is already running out of operating money. Neither bill was called for a vote this week but the House bill could be called for a vote next week.
School funding
The IEA, in alliance with a number of educational organizations, sent a letter to members of the Senate and House revenue committees conveying that we are committed to funding education and are opposed to all legislation that would erode the state’s tax base and/or the local property tax base available for schools in this time of fiscal turmoil. Last week the Taxpayer’s Federation of Illinois took the same stand as our alliance. Read the letter here.
SB 3086 (Raoul, D-Chicago) requires that every bill that creates a new program or service that will be provided by the ISBE, shall include a budget impact note. The IEA-supported bill passed unanimously in committee.
SB 3106 (DeLeo, D-Chicago) would allow school districts that are within property tax cap districts to exempt from the tax cap levies for special education expenses. IEA supported this legislation that moved to the full Senate.
SB 3117 (Garrett, D–Lake Forest/McCarter, R–Lebanon) extends the time period for allowing interfund transfers by three years, from June 30, 2010 to June 30, 2013. The IEA-supported bill passed unanimously in the Senate Education committee.
SB 3139 (Harmon, D-Oak Park) would allow the debt limit that a school district can use without referendum to grow at the same rate of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) or 5 percent, whichever is lower. Currently, to increase a district’s debt limit they must go to referendum. IEA supported this legislation. This bill passed Revenue Committee unanimously.
SB 3544 (Crotty, D-Oak Forest) and HB 6041 (Eddy, R-Hutsonville) current law allows the transfer of working cash to the education fund to pay “salaries and other necessary expenditures” and this legislation would change this to “any expenditure.” It moves the basic use from a reserve to take care of cash flow and opens up the possibility of using working cash to pay for a building. Although the bill passed out of committee, Sen. Crotty agreed to hold the bill on 2nd reading until further conversations could be conducted. IEA testified in opposition to this measure.
SB 3609 (Demuzio, D-Carlinville) provides that ISBE, in consultation with the state comptroller, may transfer line item appropriations for General State Aid between the Common School Fund and the Education Assistance Fund (instead of from the Common School Fund to the Education Assistance Fund) and removes the requirement that the salaries for regional superintendents and assistant regional superintendents of schools be payable from the Common School Fund. The IEA-supported bill passed unanimously in the Senate Education committee.
Pensions
HB 4582 (Davis, Monique, D-Chicago) would appropriate to the Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund (CTPF) an amount equal to 20 percent of the state’s contribution to the Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS). This contribution would be in addition to, and not a deduction from, the pension contribution to TRS. This legislation states that it would be implemented in the current fiscal year. If this becomes law, CTPF would receive a contribution from the state equal to an estimated $400 million. The state is facing a financial crisis and is having issues funding the current state retirement funds as it stands now. Since there is real concern that the state may not meet its pension payment obligation to TRS and SURS, the IEA opposed this legislation.
HB 5872 (Fortner, R-West Chicago) would create a defined contribution plan (401k) in TRS and the other state retirement systems. The plan would only call for pension contributions on salary in excess of the Social Security Wage Index (currently $106,800) to be placed into a defined contribution plan. The IEA is opposed to the creation of a defined contribution plan since our certified members do not receive Social Security. Additionally, the creation of a defined contribution plan would further strain the finances of TRS since this idea would require two retirement plans be funded instead of focusing on one and funding it properly. Watch for the action on this item next week when it is expected to be considered in committee.
SB 3663 (Noland, D-Elgin) would allow our non-certified members that participate in the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund employed at a special educational cooperative or educational cooperative to be eligible to accumulate sick leave between multiple IMRF educational employers. Last year, IEA was successful in passing legislation that allows ESPs employed in a school district to be able to accumulate their sick leave between multiple school district employers if they retired from a school district. Cooperatives were not included in the legislation last year. IEA supported this measure that passed out of committee.
SB 3726 (Frerichs, D-Gifford/Bomke, R-Springfield) as amended, would allow for university employees that took either a mandatory or involuntary furlough day between the July 1, 2009 and June 30, 2011 to establish credit for that time off in SURS. The employee would be required to pay the employee and employer contribution, plus interest. The IEA supported this measure.
Early childhood
SB 2594 (Lightford, D-Maywood) removes the “sunset date” for preschool educational program grants. The IEA supported bill passed unanimously in committee.
SB 3507 (Jones, D–Chicago) is a proposal to have the Illinois Early Learning Council make recommendations for the early childhood block grant appropriations needed to make available high quality early childhood and family education programs and services to all eligible children. The IEA-supported bill passed unanimously in the Senate Education committee.
Bullying
SB 3266 (Lightford, D-Maywood) requires a new comprehensive policy in every school district regarding bullying. The bill requires new bullying reporting and investigation provisions for school districts and requires the district to maintain data that records each bullying complaint and the result of the district’s investigation into the complaint. The bill calls for a handful of districts to test the idea if money is appropriated to the ISBE for this purpose. The IEA-supported bill passed the Senate Education committee 6-3-1.
Criminal background checks
SB 3375 (Haine, D-Alton) provides that if a criminal background check reveals certain convictions, then the person is ineligible for employment and shall be dismissed. IEA testified in opposition to this school management initiative. Although the bill passed out of committee, Sen. Haine agreed to hold the bill on 2nd reading until further conversations could be conducted.
Labor relations
SB 2497 (Koehler, D-Peoria) would remove peace officers, employed by school districts, from representation under the Illinois Education Labor Relations Act and place them under the Illinois Labor Public Relations Act.
The IEA testified in opposition to this legislation. The bill passed out of the Senate Labor committee, and is still in discussion.”
SB 3570 (Forby, D-Benton) removes language from the Educational Labor Relations Act that provides that the term “student” includes graduate assistants primarily performing duties that are pre-professional.
The IEA supported this bill which passed committee unanimously.
What’s next
Both chambers will be in session Tuesday through Thursday. The House will be working toward their deadline for bills to be passed out of committee, while the Senate will be considering bills which have already passed out of committee.
The annual IPACE dinner, which will be held during the IEA Representative Assembly on March 19, is now “sold out”, due in large part to the popularity of the entertainment, The Capitol Steps.
Please make your plans now to attend this year’s IEA Lobby Day on April 21.