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 
New Trier voters asked to spend $174M on high school It’s a number that’s almost unbelievable: $174 million. While President Obama asks for $100 million to help Haiti recover from a terrible natural disaster, north suburban voters are asked to spend nearly twice that much to rebuild a high school. CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine asked school officials a simple question: Are you kidding me?
Plainfield School Board delays budget-cut vote :: Herald News :: Local News
Suburban Chicago News – A Plainfield school board meeting lasted late into the night Thursday as the board opted to delay voting on proposed budget cuts but did opt to cut seven administrative jobs.
New Lenox District 122 hands out some raises while cutting other positions
Frankfort Neighborhood Star – salary also will affect his pension once he retires, he said. The “substantial savings” was one of the reasons Miller said she was in favor of the extended contract. Normally, when a teacher or administrator announces he is retiring, there would be raises in the last five years of 10 percent for the first year and then 6 percent for the other four years,
District 300 board wades through details of cuts
Arlington Heights Daily Herald – The Community Unit District 300 school board is moving steadily toward a vote on 2010-11 budget reductions, scheduled for Feb. 22.
District 94 won’t cut teachers
Arlington Heights Daily Herald – A check for $170,000 in impact fees from Winfield arrived just in the nick of time for West Chicago Community High School District 94. The money saved three of the four teaching positions the school board was considering cutting this week due to a budget shortfall. The positions are in math/science, English and social studies.
School District 113A board OK’s financial plan for state
Lemont Reporter/Met – in the midst of a referendum push to help shore up its budget deficit, school officials approved a financial plan early Thursday morning that will be submitted to the State Board of education for review. The Lemont-Bromberek Combined School District 113A Board of education voted 4-2 to approve the financial plan just after midnight Thursday.
Orion schools could receive $500,000 less from state
Quad Cities Dispatch Argus Leader – ORION — Superintendent David Deets told school board members Wednesday there is a “very real possibility” the district will receive $500,000 less from the state next year.
State aid lacking in District 289
Mendota Reporter – The Jan. 20 Board of education meeting of the Mendota Consolidated School District 289 gave an indication of future money management problems that face Mendota Community school adminstrators and staff.
Valley View budget deficit could prompt big cuts
Bolingbrook Sun – A reduction in force of 56 employees is part of a proposed $8.7 million in budget cuts at Valley View School District 365U. The cuts are being proposed because of a projected $14.7 million
Price of education Though common in Illinois, lane movements are not universal, a representative from the Illinois Education Association said. He and others interviewed for this story were unsure why and when the practice began except that it predated their careers in education. Whether lane movements, an item decided during bargaining, might be reduced in the future is a question school officials said they couldn’t answer but added it’s fair to ask during times of financial uncertainty.
Daley Names New School Board Prez
NBC Chicago – Mayor Daley today named a new school board President. Mary Richardson-Lowry will fill the seat left vacant when Michael Scott killed himself this fall. Daley called the appointment bittersweet because Scott was a close friend
Study of Illinois Teacher Preparation Programs begins
Advance Illinois, an independent organization promoting an effective public education system in Illinois, has commissioned the National Council on Teacher Quality to conduct a study intended to help strengthen pre-service preparation of Illinois teachers. The study will rate 56 Illinois teacher preparation programs against a set of common standards. A FAQ has been developed to answer questions about the study and its intended outcomes. A calendar indicating the progress of the study is available. A report will be issued in early summer 2010.
Political News
Eight candidates for governor seeking unenviable job
Springfield State Journal Register – is being relentlessly hammered home by Dillard. Dillard’s other endorsements are an eclectic mix, including anti-tax conservative Jack Roeser and pro-tax hike Illinois Education Association. Dillard said he thinks a tax increase can be avoided, but he has not signed a no-tax-hike pledge like some other Republicans.
Quinn marks first year since Blagojevich exit flanked by Durbin, Daley Chicago Tribune (blog) – Gov. Pat Quinn marked the one year anniversary of his ascension to the state’s top office by joining Mayor Richard Daley and US Sen. …
Gov’s race gets prickly
Crystal Lake Northwest Herald – The governor’s race got pricklier Thursday as Gov. Pat Quinn accused his Democratic primary opponent of creating racial divisions and Republican Jim Ryan called on one of his opponents to withdraw. Quinn and his Feb. 2 opponent Dan Hynes continued to spar over a campaign ad Hynes ran that featured video of late Chicago Mayor Harold Washington
With plea to black voters, Quinn tries to limit harm from Hynes ad Chicago Current – Pat Quinn tried to ameliorate the effects of a controversial campaign advertisement yesterday, making a direct plea to black voters to remember his record …
If Quinn loses, Illinois gets lame duck for a year Chicago Tribune – CHICAGO – If Gov. Pat Quinn loses the Democratic primary on Tuesday, it will be more than just a stinging political defeat for …
Quinn, Hynes in testy radio debate Chicago Tribune – ?Gov. Pat Quinn and Comptroller Dan Hynes met Thursday in a final debate before Tuesday’s primary election The two Democratic governor candidates on Thursday …
Governor’s race endorsement: Dillard gets downstate Republican nod, Hynes gets … Chicago Tribune (blog) – Democratic governor candidate Dan Hynes got the endorsement of Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas today. On the Republican side of the race, state Sen. …
On the campaign trail: Candidates attack on ethics, budget
Mattoon Journal Gazette – Heading into the weekend before the Feb. 2 primary, candidates for governor from both major parties spent Thursday leveling more criticism at each other.At a news conference, former Republican attorney general Jim Ryan criticized former GOP chair Andy McKenna for skipping debates and not facing questions directly from voters and the media.
Jackson campaign pulls in more than $200K in January; Officer gets $8,800
Belleville News-Democrat – according to records from the Illinois State Board of Elections. He also received $20,000 from the Illinois Political Action Committee for Education, a political arm of the Illinois Education Association, a teacher’s union. The largest source of campaign contributions for Jackson came from the Friends of Michael J. Madigan,
Illinois saving $188 million with union deal
Ottawa Daily Times – “When you add [all of] that up, that’s $188 million.” He said about $20 million will be saved this year. The rest of the saving won’t be seen until next year. Gov. Quinn will have to find a way to slash a lot more than $20 million to make ends meet this week. The latest report on Illinois’ budget puts the deficit at $12.8 billion.
$5,000 tax credit for each new job a big part of Obama’s plan
USA Today -WASHINGTON — President Obama will promote tax cuts for small businesses today as he continues his renewed focus on job creation, but some of the nation’s job creators are dubious. One sentence from his State of the Union address Wednesday night will become the focus of his visit to Baltimore: a $5,000 tax credit for each job created on a net basis in 2010, up to $500,000 per company. The idea
Bernanke wins 2nd term as Fed chief
Washington Times – The Senate on Thursday handed Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke a second term after a week of contentious and sometimes suspenseful debate. Easily approving the nomination with a 70-30 vote, the Senate rejected arguments by senators mostly at the political extremes on the left and right that Mr. Bernanke made fatal mistakes that led to the global financial crisis and great recession of
Government to cut its emissions 28%
USA Today – The federal government, the nation’s largest energy consumer, will reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 28% over the next decade, the White House will announce today. “It’s a real opportunity to lead by example,” says Nancy Sutley, chairwoman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). “And not just for the environment but to spur innovation and create jobs and
Health Bill ‘On Life Support’ After Obama Appeal
Fox News – President Barack Obama’s health care appeal failed to break the congressional gridlock Thursday, dimming hopes for millions of uninsured Americans. Democrats stared down a political nightmare — getting clobbered for voting last year for ambitious, politically risky bills, yet having nothing to show for it in November. The grim reality opened a divide between the rank and file and
Obama decries partisanship in Fla. swing
Boston Globe – Trying to bury a year of polarization, President Obama yesterday escalated his appeal for politicians and voters alike to settle differences without tearing each other apart. His plea: “Let’s start thinking of each other as Americans first.’’ Obama made sure to weave that message throughout his stops in Florida, one otherwise intended to promote his economic agenda
Paperwork Eased in Loan-Modification Program
The Wall Street Journal – The Obama administration is trying to simplify the paperwork for people seeking lower home-mortgage payments in an effort to avert more foreclosures. The Treasury outlined new guidelines Thursday aimed at streamlining requirements for mortgage relief under the administration’s Home Affordable Modification Program launched a year ago. The guidelines specify that borrowers
Senate OKs new debt limit, raised by $1.9 trillion
Washington Times – Acknowledging that the U.S. must continue to borrow to keep the government open, Senate Democrats on Thursday pushed through a $1.9 trillion increase in the nation’s debt limit. The vote, along partisan lines, will boost the government’s total borrowing power to a staggering $14.3 trillion. Just a day after President Obama called on Congress to freeze much non-defense spending in future
White House looking to expand lobbying registration requirements
The Hill – The White House is looking to expand lobbying registration requirements to those who spend less than a fifth of their work time lobbying. The Obama administration wants to close a “loophole” in the 1995 Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA) that allows individuals to avoid registering as lobbyists if they spend less than 20 percent of their time lobbying.
National News
AP Exclusive: States struggle to keep top teachers
Quad Cities WHBF (CBS) 4 – Most states are holding tight to policies that protect incompetent teachers and poor training programs, shortchanging educators and their students before new teachers even step into the classroom, according to a new national report card. The study from the National Council on Teacher Quality – which will be released Friday – paints a grim picture of how states handle everything from pay to discipline for public school teachers. States are using “broken, outdated and inflexible” policies that ultimately hurt how children learn, according to the report.
| 2009 State Teacher Policy Yearbook NCTQ releases its annual 52-volume report on state policies that impact the teaching profession. This year’s edition is a comprehensive analysis of all aspects of states’ teacher policies including key policy areas such as teacher preparation, evaluation, tenure and dismissal, alternative certification and compensation. |
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Culpeper schools restrict book
“The Diary of a Young Girl: the Definitive Edition,” which was published on the 50th anniversary of Frank’s death in a concentration camp, will not be used in the future, said James Allen, director of instruction for the 7,600-student system. The school system did not follow its own policy for handling complaints about instructional materials, Allen said.
Race to the Top: Unions Asked to Play Ball for Education Dollars
Labor Notes (blog) – In a nod to teachers unions, both of which lent support—uneasy at times—to the Obama candidacy, Race to the Top awards states that get unions to sign onto applications. The results have been neither uniform nor smooth. Dozens of local and state unions refused to sign agreements in support of state applications, claiming they were not privy to the details of the hastily forged plans—some comprising more than 1,000 pages.
TIME.com Today’s Top Stories
Can Bashing the Banks Help Obama? Inside the Administration’s populist — and uncompromising — assault on Big Finance
Obama’s Mideast Peace Process: Can It Be Saved? Struggling to get Israeli-Palestinian talks restarted, the President’s special envoy gets advice from a discreet group of veterans of previous failed attempts
Gay Marriage: Prop 8 Trial Rests, and a Key Ruling Awaits A high-profile legal duo is taking the case against Prop 8 all the way to the Supreme Court. Here’s a look at the arguments so far
J.D. Salinger Dies: Hermit Crab of American Letters Author J.D. Salinger’s only novel, ‘The Catcher in the Rye,’ achieved a status that made him cringe. For decades the book was a universal rite of passage for adolescents
Our Debt Is Just Getting Scarier President Obama handled his first State of the Union pretty well on Wednesday evening. But overhanging his ambitious agenda is a darkening cloud of debt as we were reminded Thursday when the senate voted to raise the nation’s debt limit by $1.9 trillion.
Most Viewed Articles on washingtonpost.com
1) In the court of public opinion, no clear ruling
President Obama called out the Supreme Court. Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. winced at the accusation and muttered, “Not true.” And then official Washington and the legal community went to the tape, and examined it frame by frame.
2) Body found during search for missing lotto winner
PLANT CITY, Fla. — Human remains have been found near a home where investigators were searching for the body of a missing man who won millions of dollars in the lottery nearly four years ago, Florida sheriff’s officials said.
3) Democrats confused about road forward
A day after President Obama called on them to renew efforts to pass his ambitious agenda, congressional Democrats remained in disarray Thursday about how to move forward, with at least some pointing at the White House as the cause of the legislative standstill gripping Capitol Hill.
4) U.S. economy soars in fourth quarter of 2009
The U.S. economy roared ahead in the final months of 2009, growing at its fastest rate in six years, as corporate America stopped slashing its inventories and again started to invest for the future.
5) Miranda rights for terrorists?
The real scandal surrounding the failed Christmas Day airline bombing was what happened afterward.
6) A lobe divided will not stand
Obama tiptoed Wednesday along the seam that bifurcates the Democratic Party’s brain.
7) Senate holds up plan for student-lending overhaul
Four months after it sailed through the Democratic-led House, legislation to overhaul federal student lending and channel about $80 billion in savings toward an array of education initiatives has stalled in the Senate.
8.) Toyota eschewed brake override
Toyota Motor began facing complaints of runaway cars years ago, but the company did not install “brake override” systems in those vehicles, even as several other automakers deployed the technology to address such malfunctions.
9) For a very brief while, J.D. Salinger returned his calls
In 1988, Roger Lathbury , an English professor at George Mason University and owner of a small literary publishing outfit based in his house in Alexandria, decided on a lark to write to J.D. Salinger, asking if he could publish “Hapworth 16, 1924,” Salinger’s last published work, which appeared as a…
10) Pelosi’s silent consent
She stopped one CIA operation. So why not waterboarding?
Word of the Day for Friday, January 29, 2010
verboten \ver-BOHT-n\, adjective:
Forbidden, as by law; prohibited.