A Titanic mistake or nothing at all Phil Kadner – In about a month, hundreds, if not thousands, of teachers are going to be getting notices that their jobs are not guaranteed next fall. The state’s multibillion-dollar construction plan, designed to put people to work, is in jeopardy because people are voting not to adopt legalized video gambling. And the bond rating agencies are saying there may soon come a time when loaning money to Illinois may be too great
A video report on this weekend’s IEA Board of Director’s meeting can be found at this link: http://ieanea.blip.tv/file/3279950/ The password is iea (all lower case)
State News 
Former State Schools Chief Says Time for Education Funding Reform is Now
WGIL AM Radio 14 (Galesburg) – Schools across the state are suffering large budget cuts and staff layoffs. Much of the problem comes from unpaid state bills. The state faces a multi-billion dollar budget deficit,
Student test will grade schools’ progress
Belleville News-Democrat – Make sure your child gets a good night’s sleep the night before testing. * Provide breakfast the mornings of testing. * Remind your child to ask the teacher questions if he or she does not understand the test directions. * Let your child know you have confidence in his or her ability to do well.
When we don’t make money, government doesn’t, either
Crystal Lake Northwest Herald – state revenues mean less for county and municipal governments, which also are struggling with lower sales tax receipts. Many school districts are slashing their budgets and laying off teachers. Your federal, state, property and sales taxes keep things running. And legislators, from Washington, D.C., to village hall, are struggling to deal with the shortfall, either by tightening
State owes school $499K
Joliet Herald News – The Minooka High school board is keeping a close eye on money the state owes the district. While a half million dollars may seem like a drop in the bucket to the district’s $40 million-plus budget,
U-46 union, superintendent detail concerns in budget cut plan
Arlington Heights Daily Herald – But, because of the board and the (teachers union) agreement we have the layoff process that we have. There is a conversation nationally that perhaps when we go through RIFs, we should go through by evaluations, not seniority and tenure. The union is not ready for that, obviously, and I’m not ready for that myself. Yet. It makes sense to cut those who are the least
Funding loss forces Unit 2 to consider cuts
Streator Times-Press – In other action, the board employed Sandy Brown as a full-time special education route driver and accepted the resignation of Kathryn Ewers as high school biology teacher at the end of the school year.
United superintendent addresses staff about budget situation, facing $400K in cuts
Monmouth Daily Review Atlas – but had to address the funding issues for the good of the school. He said Gov. Pat Quinn’s budget, posted online just Wednesday, called for a reduction of $1.5 billion dollars in K-12 education funding. “It will absolutely hit everybody and anybody,” Whitsitt said. “We won’t know all the details until April or May or more likely June.
State’s red ink likely to mean cuts for schools
Mattoon Journal Gazette – And the question of whether Congress will send more money to states remains unclear. Clearly, though, Quinn wants them to help chip in. On a recent trip to Washington, D.C., the governor asked officials from the Obama administration to send more cash Illinois’ way
Teachers tell Hare NCLB all about scores
Galesburg Register Mail – We are feeding kids, getting them health care. We are practically raising kids now — not teaching them.” Campagna said his letter to Hare questioned President Obama’s Race to the Top agenda, which proposes to evaluate teachers based on student’s test scores. “To me there are so many variables when it comes to students,” he said.
Seniority may save some D150 employees
Peoria Journal Star – at the district are eligible by law to return to the classroom to teach, provided space is available and depending on seniority of those vying for a particular job. Bob Darling, a teacher at Richwoods High School and Peoria Federation of teachers union president, saw his extra duties as the district’s driver education manager among those highlighted for possible change.
OPINION SHAPER: Should teachers get merit pay?
St. Clair County Journal – OPINION SHAPER: Should teachers get merit pay? By Carl Peterson A standardized test almost ruined my life.I was 12 and transferring from a rural Illinois K-8 school to a junior high
JWCC reacts to state’s $1.5 billion cuts in education
Quincy WGEM (NBC) 10 – Illinois Governor Pat Quinn proposes cutting more than one-point-three million dollars in state education funding. That includes four thousand for higher education. John Wood Community College is just one school that’s looking into tuition changes to supplement the shortfall.
CPS Faces Possible $1B Budget Gap
Chicago WFLD (Fox) 32 – “We have simply not kept pace with the rest of the country on how we fund public education.” The union representing Chicago’s public school teachers released a statement in support of Huberman’s work for more school funding, but they call talk about potential job cuts and pension changes a threat they will not tolerate.
Facing $1 Billion Deficit, CPS Plans Big Cuts
Chicago Chicagoist – The projected budget shortfall for the CPS is $700 million but Gov. Quinn’s new budget adds in an additional $275 million in cuts. Huberman is also asking the Chicago teachers Union, due a four percent cost of living increase in wages next year ($169 million), for concessions as well as for pension reform and a delay in payments due to the pension.
Political News
Cullerton: Lawmakers not cheering for tax increase
Crystal Lake Northwest Herald – llinois Senate President John Cullerton believes any income tax increase must pass with bipartisan support. That’s according to Cullerton spokeswoman Rikeesha Phelon. She was responding to Gov. Pat Quinn, who said Friday that Cullerton and House Speaker Michael Madigan aren’t “cheerleaders” for an income tax increase.
Madigan May Not Support Tax Hike
WGIL AM Radio 14 (Galesburg) – but a new Democrat lieutenant governor candidate is. House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) is not saying if he and Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago) have advised Gov. Pat Quinn to leave an income tax hike out of his budget proposal. But he is hinting that it’s a non-starter. He reminds lawmakers that Quinn’s tax hike proposal won only 44 votes last year,
A no-tax-hike option Chicago Tribune Editorial – Gov. Pat Quinn is 10 days away from a budget address in which he’ll reassert that you should pay higher taxes. He’ll say the State of Illinois cannot eliminate a $12.8 billion shortfall that’s been years in the making without more of your money.
A different way for Illinois to put in the fix Could there be a bigger waste of time than having to listen to a group of Illinois politicians collectively make excuses about our school funding crisis? Although, when you think about it, being subjected to a gaggle of incoherent tea baggers trying to make sense of the same thing would be worse. Pitting the merits of politicians versus tea baggers ain’t exactly setting the bar too high.
Our View: Share your budget opinions on Web site Mt. Vernon Register-News – ? Pat Quinn apparently wants to hear from you. The recently launched Web site, budget.illinois.gov, aims to communicate with residents the current financial …
Finke: Budget Web site gives forum for venting
Peoria Journal Star – Finally, a government program that is popular. Gov. Pat Quinn’s administration posted some outlines of the state’s budget crisis and asked the public for input. As of mid-afternoon Friday, nearly 2,000 comments had been recorded.
Mike Lawrence: Those who betray public trust must pay a high price
Springfield State Journal Register – tapped to head a presidential commission that forthrightly addressed racism in America after the urban riots of the late 1960s, eventually installed as a U.S. Appellate Court judge. But his education, military record and rise to prominence did not matter on this day or in the ensuing litigation. Two years after he donned judicial robes, federal investigators became convinced
CAPITOL FACTS: ‘Brady budget’ to get hearing
Streator Times-Press – “Brady budget” proposal may finally break the media coverage logjam. But the coverage might not all be positive. “When are they going to hold hearings on Quinn’s budget?” cracked a Brady campaign aide yesterday afternoon when told of the planned hearings. The aide accused the Democrats of using a Senate committee and state agency higher-ups
Now Hiring: State’s No. 2 Executive
NBC Chicago – Illinois Democrats have posted a job application to their Web site in hopes of finding a good No. 2 to run with Gov. Pat Quinn in the fall election.
Want to be lieutenant governor? Apply online
Chicago Tribune – the debacle that led to their lieutenant governor nominee dropping from the ticket, Illinois Democrats on Friday began an online open casting call for applicants interested in serving as Gov. Pat Quinn’s running mate in November. Though the decision of who will be paired with Quinn on the fall ballot will ultimately be made by the 38-member Democratic State Central Committee,
Our View: Time to reform pensions, not add more sweeteners
Peoria Journal Star – People in Illinois can disagree over what to do, if anything, about public pensions in Illinois, but what is not in dispute is that the state’s $54 billion unfunded pension liability – the state’s auditor general puts the number as high as $78 billion – represents the worst record of fiscal irresponsibility in the nation, by far, bar none. It is painfully, abundantly clear that Illinois hasn’t
National News
Obama to focus on education
Washington Post – President Barack Obama begins the week with a focus on education and keeping kids in school. At an event Monday hosted by former Gen. Colin Powell and his wife, Alma, Obama will announce new steps aimed at improving the nation’s schools. Later, Obama receives his daily briefing on the economy and meets with senior advisers.
Obama takes on high school dropout crisis, proposing $900 M in return for drastic changes …economy, giving up on your education and dropping out of school…including teacher effectiveness, instruction, learning and teacher planning…personalized and individual instruction and support to keep students…announced his plan Monday at an education event sponsored by the America…
Wash. Teacher’s Stalker Waited Outside School for Hours Before Shooting
Chicago WFLD (Fox) 32 – about once a year, from an old college acquaintance. Then, flowers and unwanted visits, an anti-harassment order, an arrest — and bail. Jennifer Paulson, a 30-year-old special education teacher at a Tacoma elementary school, knew she was in danger this week when her alleged stalker was released from the Pierce County Jail, three days after she had him arrested.
Top 10 Memorable Moments of the Winter Olympics It started with tragedy, and technical mishap or two, but the Vancouver Winter Games also had its share of athletic triumphs. Here a look at this year’s Olympic highs and lows
Chile and Haiti: A Tale of Two Earthquakes The Chile quake was 500 times stronger than the Haiti quake, so why did it cause so much less destruction?
The Loneliest Senator: Can the Democrats Forgive Joe Lieberman? Working with the White House but still at odds with Democrats, Lieberman tries to overcome the past
How Governors Could Be Key to GOP Resurgence If Republicans can take advantage of the prevailing political winds to reassert control at the state level this year, that could in turn provide an opening for the GOP to win back the White House in 2012
In Haiti, Aid Workers Help Orphans Find Relatives An army of aid workers is helping orphans and displaced children find their families
Most Viewed Articles on washingtonpost.com
1) Gun case presents quandary for court
As a member of the Junior ROTC, teenager Antonin Scalia toted his rifle on the subway ride back and forth to Queens. As a hunter, he speaks lyrically of stalking wild turkeys. And as a justice, he may have reached the pinnacle of his more than two decades on the Supreme Court when he wrote the ma…
2) Democrats will have votes for health bill, Obama aide says
Raising the prospect of a “simple up-or-down vote” on health-care reform, White House adviser Nancy-Ann DeParle said on Sunday she thinks Democrats will secure enough ayes on the measure and signaled that the administration could be moving toward trying to pass it along party lines.
3) Court dismisses appeal of Uighurs detained at Guantanamo Bay
The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a major separation of powers case that would have determined what rights judges have to free detainees at Guantanamo Bay who have been found not to be enemy combatants.
4) Misdials help ‘crammers’ ring up millions in phone bill scam
Roy and John Lin made a devilish fortune in the details of phone bills, according to a federal investigation.
5) Bomber’s video says he lured CIA targets with misleading data
The suicide bomber behind the Dec. 30 attack on a CIA base in eastern Afghanistan claims in a posthumously released recording that he lured U.S. and Jordanian intelligence officers into a trap by sending them misleading information about terrorist targets as well as videotapes he made of senior a…
6) Rising with a bullet among top pollutants: Number Two
Nearly 40 years after the first Earth Day, this is irony: The United States has reduced the manmade pollutants that left its waterways dead, discolored and occasionally flammable.
7) Medvedev demands resignations over Olympic flop
MOSCOW — Russian President Dmitry Medvedev demanded Monday that sports officials step down over the country’s dismal performance at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
8.) Obama to announce get-tough strategy for struggling schools
President Obama outlined Monday a get-tough strategy for turning around persistently struggling schools, offering an unprecedented increase in federal funding for local school systems that shake up their lowest-achieving campuses.
9) Living with partisanship
Sometimes, ‘cheap partisanship’ is actually a fundamental divide.
10) The right count
Why the Census Bureau is courting conservatives.
Word of the Day for Monday, March 1, 2010
pablum \PAB-luhm\, noun:
1. Something (as writing or speech) that is trite, insipid, or simplistic.
2. (capitalized) A trademark used for a bland soft cereal for infants.