{"id":526292,"date":"2010-04-13T16:10:20","date_gmt":"2010-04-13T20:10:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/illinoiseducationassociation.org\/?p=7135"},"modified":"2010-04-13T16:10:20","modified_gmt":"2010-04-13T20:10:20","slug":"in-the-news-april-13-2010","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/526292","title":{"rendered":"In the News ~ April 13, 2010"},"content":{"rendered":"

Below are<\/strong>\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 <\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n

State News \"\"<\/em><\/h2>\n

\u00a0Even in tough times, extracurriculars hang on<\/a>
\nSpringfield State Journal Register – In \u201cClubs and activities: A hidden benefit of equitable funding,\u201d published in the March\/April 2010 issue of the Illinois Association of School Boards Journal, Joseph Matula said he found while comparing Illinois school districts that \u201cthose with an equalized assessed valuation (EAV) greater than $100,000 per pupil provide 48 percent more clubs and activities than school districts with an EAV per pupil of less than $100,000.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Clubs and activities: A hidden benefit of equitable funding<\/a>
\nIllinois Association of School Boards – Advocates of a change in the emphasis of school funding on property taxes see the things that wealthier school districts have and would like all children to have the same opportunities. Some feel this disparity is tied to racial bias (see Chicago Urban League v. State of Illinois). Others fear the wrath of taxpayers in that any change will be interpreted as a tax increase and the legislators who support it will surely lose in the next election.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Expert says 4-day schools don’t always save as much money as expected<\/a>
\nDecatur WAND (NBC) – allow school districts to cut one day of school each week to save money. Custer, S.D. has had 4-day weeks for 15 years. Superintendent Tim Creal says it saves up to $70,000 a year — enough for two teachers. Gore, Okla. schools are going back to five days after one year. Officials say class periods on in-session days are too long for pupils.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lawmakers may let schools adopt 4-day week<\/a>\u00a0 Illinois school districts would have the option of dropping one day of classes per week\u00a0 under legislation making its way through the Statehouse. The move could save districts thousands in transportation and utility costs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dist. 300 board reviews what’s been cut, what it still needs to<\/a>
\nChicago Daily Herald – budget reductions made to date and those likely to come. The board is trying to slash $15 million from the 2010-11 budget to cope with delayed state payments, Gov. Pat Quinn’s proposed reduction in education funding and expected increases in insurance costs. Between cuts that have been approved by the board and tentative agreements reached with the district’s unions,\u00a0<\/p>\n

7,457 voters sign petition blocking Palatine Dist. 15’s $27 mil loan<\/a>
\nArlington Heights Daily Herald – It seemed like an impossibility given the monumental task and the minuscule amount of time to do it.\u00a0 But opponents of the $27 million bond issue narrowly approved last month by Palatine Township Elementary District 15 knew not to underestimate the attention voters are giving to government spending in the midst of a recession.\u00a0<\/p>\n

District 205 Deans Won’t Be Laid Off Yet; More Staff Let Go<\/a>\u00a0 WGIL Radio News\u00a0– ? $3.5 million in changes to the Galesburg School District budget are being set in motion now that the Galesburg School Board …\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Galesburg Athletic Pay to Play Proposal Discussed<\/a>\u00a0 WGIL Radio News\u00a0– ? Galesburg School officials are clarifying a part of the proposal to make $3.5 million in changes to the District’s budget \u2013\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Galesburg Parents Save Cooke Elementary School Gain<\/a>\u00a0 WGIL Radio News\u00a0– ?- \u00a0Parents around one Galesburg School District elementary school have essentially saved their school …\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Evanston cops looking into ‘malicious’ Facebook site linked to school<\/a>\u00a0 <\/span>Police are investigating a Facebook site called “Evanston Rats,” and have contacted several Evanston Township High School students who appeared to post comments attacking other students.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Schools chief warns of malicious Facebook site<\/a>
\nPioneerLocal.-\u00a0 Evanston Township High school Superintendent Eric Witherspoon warned students today that posting malicious comments on the “Evanston Rats” Facebook site could result in criminal prosecution and school discipline,\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Township democrats spurn corrupt post<\/a>
\nChicago Daily Southtown –\u00a0 Phil Kadner – \u00a0Democratic township committeemen have decided not to run a candidate for Cook County regional schools superintendent in November. “We felt the money as a budget item is best invested in the classroom as opposed to administration,” said Frank Zuccarelli, the Thornton Township Democratic committeeman who was picked by Cook County party leadership to head a search team for a possible candidate.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Fees keep kids from prom<\/a>
\nPlainfield Sun – A Plainfield South parent who owes the district money doesn’t understand the why the school is preventing her son from going to prom. On Wednesday, she received an automated phone message saying all outstanding school fees must be paid in full before students can purchase prom tick\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

State will soon cut off MAP scholarships for college students<\/a>
\nJournal&Gazette Times-Courier –\u00a0 Illinois higher education officials next week likely will stop telling applicants they\u2019re approved for the state\u2019s largest need-based college grant program.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Our Opinion: LLCC stays true to its mission<\/a>\u00a0 IF IT’S BEEN a few years since you\u2019ve been on the Lincoln Land Community College campus, you\u2019re in for a surprise on your next visit.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After $8.5 million in cuts over past three years, Quincy School Board members willing to discuss new sources of revenue<\/a>
\nQuincy Herald-Whig – the average education fund tax rate among the 25 downstate Illinois’ large-unit districts at $2.50 per $100 of assessed valuation. The district’s finances also will be affected by how the teacher contract is resolved this summer. The last contract covered three years. The salaries and pay increases included have become a template for other contract agreements in the district.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Student teacher arrested for sexual abuse<\/a>
\nQuincy KHQA (CBS) 7 – A student teacher at a Quincy Elementary School is behind bars after police say he had inappropriate sexual contact with a 16 year-old boy.<\/p>\n

Political News <\/em><\/h2>\n

Quinn heads to Springfield to push for tax hike<\/a>\u00a0 AP Gov. Pat Quinn is heading to Springfield, and he wants lawmakers to act on his proposal to raise the state income tax. The Democrat has proposed raising …\u00a0<\/p>\n

Illinois Lawmakers Facing Several Battles in New Sesssion<\/a>
\nChicago WFLD (Fox) 32 –\u00a0 not be able to reach an agreement by May 7 when the session closes.\u00a0 If the session goes past then, the budget will require a super-majority to pass. Lawmakers will also be working on two key school funding issues: vouchers and four-day school weeks. Illinois state representatives have already approved a new law that would allow school districts to operate just four days a week,\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Cash-strapped Illinois owes companies $4.5 billion<\/a>
\nChicago Tribune – State government is such a deadbeat because its coffers are nearly empty, dating to ex- Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s overspending and a decline in revenue because of the poor economy. As a result, Gov. Pat Quinn’s administration has stopped paying service providers in order to keep government functioning day to day. The state owes more than $4.5 billion to such providers,\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Is Gov. Quinn even thinking?<\/a>
\nChicago Tribune \u2013 Eric Zorn \u2013 Once again, we have a Democratic governor \u2014 Pat Quinn, successor to the ousted and indicted Blagojevich \u2014 with dismal approval ratings trailing his GOP challenger, state Rep. Bill Brady of Bloomington, in early polling. Public Policy Polling has Brady up 10 points \u2014 43 percent to 33 percent \u2014 with 53 percent of those surveyed saying they disapprove of the job Quinn is doing. Rasmussen Reports has Brady up 7 points \u2014 45 percent to 38 percent \u2014 with 56 percent saying they disapprove of the job Quinn is doing. Both organizations surveyed approximately 500 voters the first week of April\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lawmakers Debate Ways to Rework Political Map<\/a>\u00a0 MyFox Illinois\u00a0– SPRINGFIELD \u2013 State senators from both parties are calling for changes to the way legislative maps are drawn. …\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Citizen Redistricting Effort Up Against Senate Plan<\/a>\u00a0 WSIL TV\u00a0– Some say changing the culture of corruption in Illinois will require changing the way the state draw legislative districts. …\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Giannoulias fundraising falls short of Kirk total<\/a>\u00a0 CHICAGO (AP) \u2014 Democrat Alexi Giannoulias said Monday that his campaign posted its best fundraising quarter yet in the first three months of the year but that he didn\u2019t match the quarter posted by Republican Mark Kirk, his opponent for President Barack Obama\u2019s old U.S. Senate seat.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

All or nothing on Blagojevich FBI tapes, defense attorney says<\/a>\u00a0 CHICAGO — Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich\u2019s brother\u2019s attorney said Monday that all of the FBI\u2019s tapes of the ousted governor talking on the telephone should be kept sealed or else all of them should be released so the public can hear them in their entirety.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Economic stress eases, but Illinois still among the five worst<\/a>
\nArlington Heights Daily Herald\u00a0 – Economic stress declined in the nation’s most troubled areas in February as unemployment stabilized and the pace of foreclosures eased, according to The Associated Press’ monthly analysis of conditions in more than 3,100 U.S. counties. After peaking in January, economic stress dipped in February in half the states and half the 3,141 counties. “We are not out of the woods yet,\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

High cost of Illinois government planes<\/a>
\nQuincy KHQA (CBS) 7 –\u00a0 Everyone knows how much every penny counts in the State of Illinois — especially in today’s budget climate. Thousands of teachers have been cut to help make ends meet…..but there’s a huge expense you might not have thought about. And it’s sucking up a large chunk of change. Steve Staeger looks at the high cost of Illinois’ government planes\u00a0<\/p>\n

National News <\/em><\/h2>\n

NJ gov wants teachers union leader fired for memo<\/a>
\nBelleville News-Democrat – Christie spokesman Mike Drewniak said the governor wants Bergen County teachers union head Joe Coppola fired for his “irresponsible” memo. The memo from the Bergen County Education Association to its locals included a closing prayer that read: \u00a0”Dear Lord this year you have taken away my favorite actor, Patrick Swayze, my favorite actress, Farrah Fawcett,\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Rural Minn. School Replaces Books With iPads<\/a>
\nWBBM TV CBS 2 Chicago – watched a group of his students tap out a test drive on the new iPad. The iPad can access the Internet, hold the contents of books and provide a place for notes. The Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop school board turned a new page on learning by approving $265,000 on this high-tech program. In addition to buying 230 iPads, it will upgrade all school buildings with Wi-Fi\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Missouri gets $54M to fix struggling schools<\/a>
\nBelleville News-Democrat – \u00a0First priority will be given to 52 struggling schools – mostly concentrated in Kansas City and St. Louis. \u00a0The U.S. Department of education said districts must choose one of four options: closing the school and transferring students to higher-achieving schools; replacing the principal and rehiring no more than half the teachers;\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

TIME.com Today’s Top Stories<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

In Appeal for Diplomacy, Obama Invokes the Mushroom Cloud <\/a><\/p>\n

Bush used the image to justify invading Iraq; Obama hopes it will focus attention on tightening security around nuclear materials<\/p>\n

Is the U.S. Army Losing Its War on Suicide? <\/a><\/p>\n

The rate at which soldiers are taking their own lives is increasing under the burden of repeat deployments in war zones<\/p>\n

Getting Haiti’s Earthquake Homeless to Move<\/a><\/p>\n

The first of what may be a new model of shelters has opened up. But will Haiti’s homeless make the move there out of the capital?<\/p>\n

The Top Contenders to Replace Justice Stevens<\/a><\/p>\n

Though President Obama is considering as many as 10 candidates, most observers put the odds on his selecting from a short list of established legal minds who will likely deflect inevitable claims that they are outside the mainstream of legal thought<\/p>\n

For Foodies, Ramps Are the New Arugula<\/a><\/p>\n

There is no shortage of fans, at home and in restaurants; after all, the Church of the Ramp is one of the fastest-growing denominations in the religion of seasonality<\/p>\n

Word of the Day for Tuesday, April 13, 2010<\/em><\/h1>\n

ne plus ultra<\/strong> \\nee-plus-UL-truh; nay-\\, noun<\/em>:<\/p>\n

1.<\/strong> The highest point, as of excellence or achievement; the acme; the pinnacle; the ultimate.
\n2.<\/strong> The most profound degree of a quality or condition.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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 \u00a0 State News \u00a0Even in tough times, extracurriculars […]<\/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-526292","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/526292","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=526292"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/526292\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=526292"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=526292"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=526292"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}