Below are links to news stories of interest from newspapers that came up during a search today. These links were active at the time of this e-mail, but should you want to save a story, printing it or cutting and pasting the entire article and saving it to your computer is recommended.
State News
A closer look at Illinois’ Race to the Top plan Posted By John …
Catalyst Chicago – For example,,. both the Illinois Federation of Teachers and the Illinois Education Association have signed letters of support for the plan. …
Biggert holds round table on education funding
Clarenden Hills Doings – state to ask for $500 million, saying “a lot of people are working very hard to make this happen.” Discussion of the separate topics sparked a lively back-and-forth. Naomi Shepherd, with the Illinois Education Association, stressed the factors beyond a teacher’s control. “You can’t control the quality of the child that shows up,” she said.
District 207 board hears impassioned pleas to spare teachers’ jobs
PioneerLocal.com – Dozens of students from Maine Township High School District 207 weeped into microphones, shouted at school board officials and even quoted Emerson last night while pleading for the jobs of teachers and coaches whom they called mentors, role models and friends.
Maine Township parents speak out on teacher issue
Chicago WLS (ABC) 7 – A plan to cut teachers and staff was not sitting well with parents in one suburban school district Wednesday. It was a packed meeting Wednesday night with school board members at the Maine Township high school. Administrators in District 207 want to cut more than a 130 jobs to help close a $19 million budget deficit.
More than 3,000 rally against proposed Dist. 207 cuts
Arlington Heights Daily Herald – students, parents and teachers who packed the auditorium at Maine East High School Wednesday night to protest Maine Township High School District 207’s proposed staff cuts and other reductions. school board members got an earful about the administration’s recommendation to eliminate 137 employees, including 75 teachers districtwide at the end of the school year.
Students plan protest against teacher cuts
PioneerLocal.com – Students at Maine South High School in Park Ridge will use a school holiday this week to rally against budget cuts and teacher layoffs under consideration by the Maine Township High School District 207 Board of Education. Organizer Anna Rangos said the protest will take place at 12:30 p.m. Friday
137 jobs on chopping block in District 207
Glenview Announcements – 137 jobs — including 75 teachers — and plug a $19-million projected deficit next year. The plan Wallace presented included $15 million in total budget cuts. If the cuts are approved by the school board, the district will go from 980 employees to 843 employees. Caps on class sizes are expected to increase from 22 students to 24 students.
District 203 pushes back start of school year — but just for 1 year
Arlington Heights Daily Herald – Naperville Unit District 203 students will have to find a way to squeeze studying for finals into their holiday shopping schedule this year. School board members Tuesday unanimously approved a one-year change to the calendar that has students starting and ending the 2010-11 school year a week later than usual.
Grant program comes with a catch
Joliet Herald News – but local administrators are worried that the price tag is too high. A total of $4.5 billion in grant money is available to all states through the U.S. Department of Education’s Race to the Top competition. Through submission of grant proposals, school districts and states are vying for a piece of the pie.
Running in circles
Belleville News-Democrat – The Obama administration’s Race to the Top competition is dangling $4.3 billion in front of states for innovative ideas in education. So what’s Illinois’ grand idea? Linking teacher evaluations to student achievement.
Alestleview: SIUE should not have to fix the state’s mistakes
Edwardsville Alestle – Almost every college student requires loans in order to pay for and complete their education. Since the university cannot get the money it needs to operate from the state, it may have to take out its own loans to meet payroll, among other expenditures.
SIUE Student Body president to unite state schools
Edwardsville Alestle – Because of this, Student Body President Brandon Rahn is trying to form a coalition of the 12 public universities in the state. “The main objective is to put a unified front for higher education,” Rahn said. “There is currently no group that represents higher education on a state level.” The coalition, once it is formed, will discuss issues as they come up.
Sandwich schools detail state’s IOUs
Beacon News – The state is close to $1 million short in its payments to the Sandwich School District. Superintendent Rick Schmitt told the school board this week that the district should have been paid $4,534,862 by the state by now, but the district has only received $3,565,615.
Waltham schools: State owes us money
LaSalle News Tribune – The state of Illinois owes more than $94,000 to Waltham schools. Superintendent Kristen School told the Waltham school board Wednesday that Springfield is far behind in making its state aid payments and stands $94,372.12 in arrears. Barring a significant reversal, the district might have to reach
Springfield School Board poised to propose sales tax referendum
Springfield State Journal Register – The Springfield school board is leaning toward proposing a countywide sales tax to pay for school construction projects. When, what projects and how much money is needed are among details to be worked out.
Web exclusive: No agreement reached in teachers’ strike Kankakee Daily Journal – ? The teachers’ strike in Kankakee School District 111 will continue at least until Thursday as negotiators with the Kankakee Federation of Teacher’s union …
Strike leaves 200-some employees without a salary Kankakee Daily Journal – Most teacher’s aides, secretaries and food-service employees in Kankakee School District 111 were told by the district administration not to …
Students back teachers on picket line Kankakee Daily Journal – Striking Kankakee School District teachers were fortified Tuesday by layers of clothing, plenty of hot coffee — and the surprising arrival …
Massive school-spending cuts may loom
Peoria Journal Star – including early childhood, bilingual education and summer programs. A “Grow Your Own” program that helps paraprofessionals and others to become certified teachers already is slated to be cut 44 percent in the proposed budget. “It’s low-hanging fruit. We were able to get funding restored (for the current year),
Top editors resign from Stevenson High newspaper
Chicago Tribune – “The teachers and administration were looking forward to working with them to address the concerns,” he said. Randy Swikle, Illinois director of the Journalism Education Association, said it’s the first example he has heard of in 40 years of journalism education where all the top editors at high school newspaper quit in protest.
Political News
Dan Hynes Harold Washington ad YouTube video
Gov. Quinn: Early Childhood Programs Vital to Illinois Economy
Chicago Extra News – The best way to invest in Illinois’ future is to fully fund the public education system, starting with early learning programs that begin at birth,” said Diana Rauner, executive director of the Ounce of Prevention Fund, an early childhood advocacy organization.
Dillard touts independent thinking in bid for Republican governor …
Chicago Tribune – The Illinois Education Association, which has long supported a tax increase, also backs Dillard. To reach his goals, Dillard won’t rule out an income tax …
The Madigan Rules
Chicago Tribune – In his rise to the pinnacle of Illinois politics, House Speaker Michael J. Madigan built a reputation for wielding control over every bill, every budget line and every Democratic representative elect
Hynes leads Quinn by $1M in final stretch of gov race
Chicago Sun Times – With the Democratic race for governor tightening, Comptroller Dan Hynes has roughly a $1 million cash advantage over Gov. Quinn as their bitter primary battle enters the homestretch, newly filed reports and interviews with the campaigns showed Wednesday. Quinn, however, has made up some ground against Hynes.
Hynes has twice as much campaign cash as Quinn Democratic candidate for governor Dan Hynes had twice as much money as Gov. Pat Quinn leading into the final month before the Feb. 2 primary election, campaign finance reports show. Meanwhile, Republican candidate for governor Andy McKenna raised and spent more money the last half of 2009 than any of his six opponents.
The $$$ race — who gave what to whom, as primary election nears?
Crain’s Chicago Business – 31, Mr. Dillard really, really needs that huge check that’s supposedly on the way to him from the Illinois Education Association, the big teachers’ union. …
Bernard Schoenburg: Bomke says Dillard’s ties with Edgar give him edge
Springfield State Journal – State Sen. LARRY BOMKE has chosen one of his Senate colleagues, KIRK DILLARD, as his favorite in the race for governor. “I do believe Kirk Dillard provides the best opportunity
GOP governor candidates: We can fill budget hole
Springfield State Journal Register – spending 10 percent across the board, using $55 billion as a base for the budget. That figure includes money the state receives from the federal government. He wants to eliminated the State Board of education and replace it with a different entity, eliminating about 100 jobs along the way. Andrzejewski called that approach irresponsible, while Dillard ridiculed it as “sophomoric.”
Pension fund proposal draws rage from state employee union
Medill News Service – payments are putting the state on a path to bankruptcy”, Tillman said. The union’s Lindall isn’t buying that worst-case scenario. “What this corporate front group really wants is to slash public education, healthcare, public safety, and retirement security,” he said. Illinois is currently operating with a projected annual deficit of more than $4.1 billion at the end of the current fiscal
Blagojevich attorney: Refusal to turn over evidence unfair
Springfield State Journal Register – Rod Blagojevich’s attorney accused the government Wednesday of unfairly refusing to turn over evidence, including interviews with President Barack Obama, to the defense and added that remarks by a top federal prosecutor created “horrendously prejudicial public feeling” against the former governor.
Davlin to bring message to Obama
Springfield State Journal Register – The recession has created severe financial problems for municipalities nationwide, a message Springfield Mayor Tim Davlin said a group of mayors plans to deliver directly to President Obama today. Davlin is among mayors scheduled to meet with the president as part of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington
How Obama can get back on track CNN – Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates appear to be the only three who can hold their own …
National News
Staying the Course on the Race to the Top Huffington Post (blog) – ? President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan’s Race to the Top grant program is the most promising education initiative in decades, giving the nation …
Race to the Middle? Wall Street Journal – ?… story these days is the state competition for some $4.35 billion in Race to the Top grants to be passed out by Education Secretary Arne Duncan. …
State seeks nearly $502M through Race to the Top Murfreesboro Post – ? … reform priorities outlined by President and US Education Secretary Arne Duncan,” said Timothy Webb, commissioner of the state Department of Education. …
Many school groups gather at starting line for Race to the Top, but loophole … MinnPost.com – … Education Minnesota, took the opposite approach, expressing its opposition in a letter sent last week to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. …
U.S. Education Sec: MPS Control Won’t Affect Stimulus Chances WTAQ – ?That’s according to US Education Secretary Arne Duncan. President Obama’s “Race to the Top” program has states competing for big chunks of stimulus cash, …
ND Opts out of Race for the Top Education Fund KFGO – “This exceeded our expectations,” US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who has made Race to the Top the most high-profile piece of his education reform …
Starting Over: Can Obama Revive His Agenda? One year in, Obama’s agenda is on life support. What he must do to revive it
Mass Mutiny: How Scott Brown Shook the Political World Scott Brown’s surprise Senate win in the Bay State may have derailed Obama’s health care reform
Haiti’s Orphaned Kids: How the Quake Is Speeding Adoptions Marie Guerline Clerge Bryditzki could serve as the poster child for increased efforts to place Haiti’s orphans in adoptive homes following the devastating earthquake
FBI Broke Privacy Laws, Says Justice Department Probe A counterterrorism program that used employees of major telecom companies to search private phone records violated the law, according to a Justice Department investigation. But the political climate may preclude further action
Two Jersey Boys Watch Jersey Shore In which I get together with the bard of the Garden State to assess the merits of Jersey Shore
Most Viewed Articles on washingtonpost.com
1) How the mother of a slain 9-year-old sank into despair, then sought justice Erika Georgette Smith was a gorgeous 9-year-old with long black hair and dark brown eyes and honey-brown skin. She loved her cats Pounce and Floppy. She was thin and shy and popular. She was a girlie girl but liked to think of herself as a sporty girl.
2) Democrats reluctant to move forward with Senate bill House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that the Senate will have to amend its version of a health-care reform bill before her chamber can pass it.
3) McCain’s wife, daughter back gay marriage movement WASHINGTON — Cindy McCain, the wife of 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain, and their daughter Meghan have posed for photos endorsing pro-gay marriage forces in California.
4) Supreme Court rolls back campaign spending limits A divided Supreme Court on Thursday swept away decades of legislative efforts to restrict the role of corporations in election campaigns, ruling that severe restrictions on corporate spending are inconsistent with the First Amendment’s protection of political speech.
5) Obama points to middle-class economic pain President Obama on Wednesday blamed the Democrats’ stunning loss of their filibuster-proof majority in the Senate on his administration’s failure to give voice to the economic frustrations of the middle class, a disconnect that White House aides vowed to quickly address as they continue to work t…
6) Gibbs’s wisecrack answers come in waves One salutary result the Senate election in Massachusetts could have for Democrats is it could wipe the grin off Robert Gibbs’s face.
7) The two Obamas The president has made more promises than he can keep.
8.) John Edwards admits paternity Former senator John Edwards on Thursday admitted paternity of a daughter with former mistress Reille Hunter, despite his previous denials, in a statement given to the “Today” show.
9) The party of no won’t stop shouting ‘Yes!’ The “party of no” strategy is nothing to tout if Republicans want compromise from Democrats.
10) Democrats reluctant to move forward with Senate bill Determined to enact a health-care reform bill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi struggled Wednesday to sell the Senate version of the legislation to reluctant Democrats, even as party moderates raised doubts about forging ahead without bipartisan support.
Word of the Day for Thursday, January 21, 2010
bibelot \BEE-buh-loh\, noun:
A small decorative object without practical utility; a trinket.