![\"\"](\"http:\/\/illinoiseducationassociation.org\/media\/in_the_news-277x300.jpg\" "\\"in_the_news\\"")
<\/h2>\nSchool officials take hassle out of writing legislators<\/a> State fiscal woes forcing more school layoffs<\/a> Mautino: Illinois educators can expect state budget woes to continue<\/a>\u00a0 LaSalle News Tribune\u00a0– The state gave governor Pat Quinn free reign to make whatever cuts and adjustments he thought necessary to the budget. \u201cHe was sent lump sums and given the … \u00a0<\/p>\n ISBE scrutinizing local schools financial profiles<\/a> State’s IOU to U46 now $20M<\/a> U-46 official: District now $50 million in the red<\/a> 2 top officials, 6 principals leaving U46<\/a> Farnham faces layoff fallout at Elgin forum<\/a> Dist. 300 cuts 27 more positions; 51 may be called back<\/a> Second round of school cuts approved<\/a> 2011 Looking Rough for District 205<\/a> Chop the salaries of ‘public servants’<\/a> Schools bracing for budget hit<\/a> Second round of school cuts approved<\/a> Teachers, parents plead: Save music in D204 :: Beacon News :: Local News<\/a> ROWVA board cuts 23 jobs, closes school<\/a> District 303 prepares more than $4 million in new cuts<\/a> District 186 spokeswoman resigns over plagiarism flap<\/a> News-Gazette: Schools bracing for budget hit<\/a>\u00a0 The (Champaign) News-Gazette – It’s fair to say that education, both K-12 and higher education, is at the core of the state’s mission when it comes to funding public services. Despite that, education, particularly higher education, has seen its state support coming under increasing pressure in recent years – all this in a state where, until recently, revenue increases were a staple of the state’s budget picture.\u00a0<\/p>\n Public school district sued over transport fees<\/a> Letters to the Editor: Leadership at state level is ludicrous<\/a> Our Opinion: School voucher pilot program deserves support<\/a>\u00a0 Springfield State Journal Register – On the first day of the 2008-09 school year, Meeks protested funding inequity at Illinois public schools by busing 1,000 students from Chicago public schools to the wealthier New Trier school district in suburban Northfield. The students were not successful in their attempt to enroll in New Trier schools, but Meeks\u2019 effort brought ample attention to a state funding system that links a school district\u2019s budget to the property values in its community.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Letters to the Editor: Leaders lack backbone to fix pension problems<\/a> Students with Diabetes act endangers school nurse jobs, schoolchildren<\/a> U. of I. narrows presidential candidates to 10<\/a> GSU awarded $7.1 million teacher training grant<\/a> Knox College president to step down<\/a> \u00a0<\/p>\n Bill Brady Leads Pat Quinn By 10 Percent In Latest Poll Of Illinois Governor’s …<\/a>\u00a0 Huffington Post (blog)\u00a0– In another disheartening poll for Illinois Democrats, incumbent governor Pat Quinn fell well behind his Republican challenger Bill Brady in a recent survey. …\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n IL-Gov: Brady Posts a Big Lead Over Quinn<\/a>\u00a0 Swing State Project\u00a0– ?The scariest number, though, is this one: Pat Quinn’s job approval rating is 25-53. Those are some true toilet bowl numbers. It’d be an amazing feat for an …\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Brady’s Bunch: Leads Quinn by 10pts in New Poll<\/a>\u00a0 NBC Chicago (blog)\u00a0– ?In a new poll from Dem-leaning Public Policy Polling, Brady’s leading Quinn 43-33 and garnering 80% of the GOP vote. Quinn, meanwhile, has just 53% of the …\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Republican leads in Illinois governor’s race<\/a>\u00a0 The Hill (blog)\u00a0– Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn (D) trails his Republican opponent by 10-points in a poll released Wednesday. State Sen. …\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Poll Shows Brady Leading Quinn In Race For Gov.<\/a>\u00a0 CBS2 Chicago\u00a0– ?Incumbent Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn (left) is running for his first elected term in 2010 after replacing ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Republican State Sen. …\u00a0<\/p>\n Quinn mum on radical letter<\/a>\u00a0 Chicago Daily Herald\u00a0– Pat Quinn is keeping mum on whether he received one of dozens of foreboding letters sent to governors throughout the country threatening to remove them from …\u00a0<\/p>\n Gov mansion needs $12M in repairs<\/a>\u00a0 ABC7Chicago.com\u00a0– ?Governor Pat Quinn’s budget proposal allows for just $75000 in repairs, which is far short of what’s needed to complete the job.\u00a0<\/p>\n Gov. Quinn Dismisses Blagojevich’s Radio Comments<\/a>\u00a0 MyFox Chicago\u00a0– ?Pat Quinn is dismissing the comments Rod Blagojevich made while filling in on a Chicago radio show, calling the former governor “yesterday’s tomatoes.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Blago and brother in conflict<\/a> The Watcher: Blagojevich done with TV after ‘Apprentice’? Don’t count on it<\/a>\u00a0 Chicago Tribune – Is Rod Blagojevich done with television? Don’t count on it. In a conference call with members of the media on Tuesday, Blagojevich, who was ejected Sunday from “The Celebrity Apprentice,” said he’s got another “potential” reality show in the works and he’s said he’s also participating in a documentary.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n DA to teachers: New sex ed course could get you arrested<\/a>\u00a0 A district attorney in Juneau County, Wisconsin, warned teachers in a memo sent to schools that if they teach the new sexual education curriculum mandated under state law, they could be arrested for contributing to the delinquency of a child.\u00a0 Because the law requires teachers to instruct children not only about contraceptives but about how to use them, Juneau County District Attorney Scott Southworth said, schools are forced to encourage students to “engage in sexual behavior, whether as a victim or an offender.”\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Study: Calif. pensions underfunded by $500 billion<\/a> TIME.com Today’s Top Stories<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Can the Tea Party Movement Take the Next Step?<\/a><\/p>\n The challenge now is to move beyond rallies and e-mails to real political action. But that won’t be so easy<\/p>\n Obama’s Nuclear Strategy: What’s Changed, What Hasn’t<\/a><\/p>\n The Nuclear Posture Review, released this week by President Obama, marks a shift in U.S. nuclear policy. On some points, however, things remain very much the same<\/p>\n \u00a0U.S. Cashes In on Corporate Corruption Overseas<\/a><\/p>\n The U.S. Government has ramped up efforts to uncover corrupt practices of companies abroad. The moves have enriched government coffers and made executives more cautious<\/p>\n \u00a0Judging American Idol<\/em>: The Final Nine<\/a><\/p>\n The nine remaining Idol finalists sang their way through the Lennon-McCartney songbook in this week’s competition. Did they take sad songs and make them better? What would you think if they sang out of tune?<\/p>\n \u00a0A New Website for Taking Shots at Your Boss<\/a><\/p>\n A new website is betting you’re willing to comment about your co-workers’ job performance just as you would a Netflix movie or an Amazon purchase<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0Most Viewed Articles on washingtonpost.com<\/p>\n At South Hadley High, kids went wild. But where were the parents?<\/p>\n The Republican National Committee’s chief of staff resigned under pressure Monday, which Chairman Michael S. Steele described as an effort to reassure wavering donors in the wake of a controversy over its most recent expense accounting.<\/p>\n Rescuers suspended efforts early Tuesday to find four missing coal miners in West Virginia after a mine explosion killed 25 others in the deadliest such disaster in the United States in decades.<\/p>\n By trading for Donovan McNabb, the Redskins show that they remain addicted to the idea that the Lombardi Trophy is just one player away.<\/p>\n The District is putting down the first miles of track for a planned 37-mile streetcar network, a throwback of a kind popping up in many cities that advocates hope will bring back Washington’s still-languishing neighborhoods.<\/p>\n As the Redskins embark on contract negotiations to lock quarterback Donovan McNabb into a long-term deal, they apparently haven’t ruled out the possibility of Jason Campbell returning for one more season.<\/p>\n President Obama will sit down Tuesday with about 20 black religious leaders, including representatives of the major African American denominations, in the second White House meeting in three months to discuss the needs of the black community.<\/p>\n Where’s the help for the black underclass?<\/p>\n A year after his groundbreaking pledge to move toward a “world without nuclear weapons,” President Obama on Tuesday will unveil a policy that constrains the weapons’ role but appears more cautious than what many supporters had hoped, with the president opting for a middle course in many key areas.<\/p>\n Yes, they booed President Obama at Nationals Park on Monday. And he deserved it.<\/p>\n megrim<\/strong> \\MEE-grim\\, noun<\/em>:<\/p>\n 1.<\/strong> A migraine. Below are\u00a0links to news stories of interest from\u00a0newspapers that came up during a search\u00a0today.\u00a0\u00a0These 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\u00a0your computer is recommended.\u00a0\u00a0 State News\u00a0\u00a0 School officials take hassle out of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4160,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-519481","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/519481","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4160"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=519481"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/519481\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=519481"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=519481"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=519481"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nEvanston Review – The Web site also urges constituents to “join the Illinois Education Association’s Back Home Lobby Days” and contact lawmakers before they return to …\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nStreator Times-Press – In recent years, school administrators have had to wait for state funding or grants for transportation, special education and childhood education. This year, those problems have worsened and been compounded by a potential $1.3 billion cut to state education funding, causing the layoff of teachers and other school employees.<\/p>\n
\nBelleville News-Democrat – As if they needed another reminder of their precarious financial condition, in recent weeks some local school districts have been notified by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) that their financial profiles are under scrutiny.\u00a0 Both O\u2019Fallon Township High School District 203 and O\u2019Fallon District 90 find themselves on the financial early warning list. And Central District 104 has been placed in financial review status, according to ISBE\u2019s recently released annual financial profile of the state\u2019s public schools. Shiloh District 85 has been given financial recognition.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nElgin Courier News – only to find out when he arrived the meeting had been cancelled. U46 board member Karen Carney said that “everything that we’ve used hasn’t worked” to get money from the state. That proves that “education funding in this state is broken,” board President Ken Kaczynski said. Which is why, Ally said, the district made about $30 million in “real cuts” from teachers to sports for next school year\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nArlington Heights Daily Herald – Ron Ally says he feels like a “bit of a broken record these days.” For the past several months, Elgin Area School District U-46’s Chief Financial Officer has reported a similar story to the school board – millions in missing state funds and a growing deficit. Only the picture’s getting bleaker with each report.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nElgin Courier News –\u00a0 Excellent Schools to open a charter school in the Chicago area. Currently, O’Connor oversees programs in U46 that address barriers to learning, including programs for students who are in special education, and for non-native English-speaking students. O’Connor joined U46 in July 2009 after spending several years as the founding principal of KIPP Ascend Charter School in Chicago\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nChicago Daily Herald – State Rep. Keith Farnham faced the music for the state’s budget disaster Tuesday night during a town-hall meeting, vowing to fight future attempts to cut pensions of current teachers and pushing for the state to contract its spending instead of relying on tax increases to make ends meet. “People don’t trust government right now. Somehow we’ve got to earn that trust back,\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nArlington Heights Daily Herald – by which it must notify teachers they will be dismissed; they allow the district to work toward balancing its 2010-11 budget; and they ensure the district is not overstaffed next year. While the teacher layoffs – 180 in total to date – will pose challenges for the district’s class sizes and leave many young teachers without a job, there are a couple of bright spots.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nOswego Ledger Sentinel – forced to make because the State of Illinois is behind in making its General State Aid and Categorical Grant payments to the district. He said the recommended cuts will be needed if Governor Pat Quinn’s proposed 17 percent cut in school funding goes through. He could not say when the state might make a decision, but said the legislators can act quickly if they decide to.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nRockford WIFR (CBS) – the district is not planning on any layoffs. They will instead borrow $41 million from the district’s savings account and will rehire most of the hundreds of non-tenured teachers who received a pink slip “We have not just randomly fired all of our staff, what we have done is given principals the chance to pick their staff\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nChicago Tribune – It’s bad enough to suggest that “public servants” forgo raises, even when pay increases in the private sector are as rare as, well, pay increases in the private sector. But imagine the din that will be aroused when someone, in all seriousness, exhorts public servants to take pay cuts.\u00a0 It makes sense. Reductions in pension benefits for future state workers do nothing to pull Illinois out of its financial sinkhole\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nChampaign News Gazette – Last week, in a pre-emptive act of financial self-defense, the Champaign school board took the ax to its employee roster, laying off 149 employees including 96 teachers. Board members’ action came after an earlier, much publicized decision to cut $2.3 million in spending from the budget for the school year beginning in fall 2010.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nOswego Ledger Sentinel –\u00a0 He could not say when the state might make a decision, but said the legislators can act quickly if they decide to. The cuts include the release of 49 first-year teachers, but O’Donnell said, “We want to make it perfectly clear that we want to bring those teachers back. Their release is primarily for our purposes to allow us to staff and move people around\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nSuburban Chicago News –\u00a0 Greg Lyons comforts his girlfriend, Gretchen Pearson (center right), an orchestra teacher at Hill Middle School, after Pearson spoke during the Indian Prairie School District 204 special board meeting Monday night to discuss cuts to the district’s music program.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nGalesburg Register Mail – saying that going to the extreme you are is a leap right now. Being conscientious is one thing but this is another,\u201d said Deb Tuttle, who made another budget presentation on behalf of the Illinois Education Association using many of the same figures as Little, but with a different conclusion. \u201cThat\u2019s why you have rainy day fund.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nArlington Heights Daily Herald – solved their budget problems in January by instituting $5.5 million worth of cuts, but a tumultuous state budget will force the district to plan for an additional $4 million in belt tightening. The school board’s Business Services Committee has its first look at the cuts tonight. The majority of the expense reductions come in the form of delaying the update of science textbooks for one year\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nSpringfield State Journal – said late Sunday they either were not aware of Watson\u2019s resignation or could not comment because it is a personnel matter. Attempts to reach Watson today were unsuccessful. The school board is expected to take up the matter at its meeting tonight. According to WMAY radio, Watson said she was told she could either resign or be fired.<\/p>\n
\nChicago WBBM 780 Radio – Northeastside parochial students claims Indiana law requires public schools to transport nonpublic school students for free. It seeks an end to the transportation charge. The Lawrence Township school board decided in November to start charging $1 per mile per student to transport 122 students to St. Simon the Apostle School and St. Lawrence schools.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nSpringfield State Journal Register – Dear Illinois state leaders,
\nI would like to express my thanks to the General Assembly, the governor, courts, and the Illinois State Board of Education. All of you have been setting a fine example for the people of Illinois. As a result of your example, the students and people of Illinois could learn to never think about what something is going to cost before voting to mandate it.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nSpringfield State Journal Register – State pensions are not being paid by taxpayers.\u00a0 When a person is employed by the state, 4 percent of the employee\u2019s salary is automatically deducted for his or her pension. The employee doesn\u2019t have a choice.\u00a0 The state is then supposed to match that with its 4 percent. However, the state hasn\u2019t funded its share in years\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nChicago Tribune \u2013 Letter to Editor – Encourage your State Senator to vote “NO” to HB 6065\/SB 3822 – Care of the Student with Diabetes Act – which allows an unlicensed person, without liability in schools to care for diabetic students including administering insulin, in essence alters state statue to replace the need for a school nurse. HB 6065 SB 3822 language will define a new low for all Illinois school children by removing the requirement for a licensed nurse to administer medications in schools.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nArlington Heights Daily Herald – University of Illinois trustees say a list of potential new presidents for the university has been narrowed to 10 people, five of them presidents at other schools. Trustee Pam Strobel said Monday after a closed-door meeting that the board is on schedule to name a new president by May. Trustees oversee the three university campuses run by the president.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nChicago Daily Southtown – Governors State University has been awarded a $7.1 million grant to place future teachers in an intense training program at some of the poorest schools in the south suburbs. The U.S. Department of Education awarded grants to Governors State and 11 other universities nationwide\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nDecatur WAND (NBC) 17 – The president of a western Illinois college says he’ll step down. Knox College President Roger Taylor tells WGIL Radio he wants to spend more time with his family. He adds that the Galesburg-based school will soon start planning for its next 10 years and so it’s a good time to start thinking about new leadership. It’s not clear when Taylor might actually leave.<\/p>\nPolitical News <\/em><\/h2>\n
\nChicago WLS (ABC) 7 – Lawyers for former Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s brother have asked a federal judge to bar prosecutors from playing FBI wiretap tapes at their corruption trial. The request filed Tuesday on behalf of the impeached governor’s businessman brother, Robert Blagojevich, appears to set up a direct clash between the two Blagojevich’s at the trial scheduled to get under way\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\nNational News<\/em><\/h2>\n
\nBelleville News-Democrat – says California’s public pension funds are underfunded by as much as $500 billion. \u00a0The estimated shortfall applies to the retirement systems for California state and local government workers, teachers and University of California employees. \u00a0Analysts at those funds estimated their unfunded liabilities to be much lower. But a Schwarzenegger economist says they have been underreporting\u00a0<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
1)<\/strong> Wanted: A few good parents <\/a><\/h3>\n
2)<\/strong> Top aide to Steele resigns post amid RNC spending controversy <\/a><\/h3>\n
3)<\/strong> 25 dead in W.Va. mine blast, worst since 1984<\/span> <\/a><\/h3>\n
4)<\/strong> Redskins are April’s fools <\/a><\/h3>\n
5)<\/strong> D.C. streetcar effort may go down to the wire <\/a><\/h3>\n
6)<\/strong> McNabb plans to stay for a while <\/a><\/h3>\n
7)<\/strong> Obama to discuss needs of black community <\/a><\/h3>\n
8.)<\/strong> The forgotten District <\/a><\/h3>\n
9)<\/strong> New nuclear policy takes middle course <\/a><\/h3>\n
10)<\/strong> Obama’s first pitch: Wild, to the left <\/a><\/h3>\n
Word of the Day for Wednesday, April 7, 2010<\/em><\/h1>\n
\n2.<\/strong> A fancy; a whim.
\n3.<\/strong> In the plural: lowness of spirits — often with ‘the’.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"