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School Board News Bulletin
February, 2004

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Governor blasts ISBE; seeks to replace, control it

State Board suggests $600 million education budget increase

Deadline nears for notifying teachers of non-renewal

Most teachers say they are unfairly held accountable

Governor seeks ban on junk food and soda vending units

NEWS FROM IASB

IASB division meetings set

IASB divisions elect new directors

IASB 2004 awards programs seek nominees by April 15

NEWS HEADLINES

WORKSHOPS & MEETINGS

IASA annual conference is April 28-30 in Springfield

FEDERAL UPDATE

No Child Left Behind law has failed: FairTest

Federal budget provides 'meager increases' for schools

LEGISLATIVE DEVELOPMENTS

Laws require verbatim recordings, allow for diabetes screening

Waivers increasingly sought to raise driver education fees

ILLINOIS SCHOOL DISTRICTS

Tax hikes, bond issues top March 16 primary ballot

Summit seeks support for 'Grow Your Own' project

Governor blasts ISBE; seeks to replace, control it

Teachers groups endorse proposed agency; critics say plan ignores rising sea of red ink

Gov. Rod Blagojevich announced the introduction of a bill on Feb. 6 designed to replace the Illinois State Board of Education agency with one under his direct control. He pledged to help local schools obtain more money for the classroom by cutting $1 billion in waste at ISBE over four years.

The governor's plan also would transfer ISBE's authority over teacher certification to a new cabinet-level Education Department, changing procedures long criticized by teachers' organizations as too burdensome. Officials of the state's two largest teachers' organizations have said they raised the idea of removing teacher certification authority from ISBE in talks with the governor's office.

The governor followed his State of the State address on Jan. 15 with a news conference, at which nearly a dozen lawmakers and the presidents of the state's two largest teachers organizations-the Illinois Federation of Teachers, and the Illinois Education Association-pledged support for his plan.

In his Jan. 15 speech, Blagojevich said "the Illinois State Board of Education has failed in its mission," adding "It's a burden to the taxpayers. It's a drain on local schools. It's an albatross to our principals and our teachers. It's not helping our children."

The General Assembly and past governors have been looking to reduce the size of the state board for years. Budget cuts have effectively reduced the agency's staff from 1,300 to around 500 in the past five years, but few have called for ISBE's replacement.

ISBE board members later accused the governor of ducking the problems of education funding to grab power and divert attention from school underfunding and funding inequity. They said the governor's plan came at a time when nearly 80 percent of local school districts are mired in deficit spending, and the state itself is facing roughly a $2 billion shortfall.

"This plan is a smokescreen," said board member Greg Kazarian. "We are open to discussions about all things that will make schools in Illinois better, but frankly the focus on governance is a red herring."

Likewise, Sen. Miguel del Valle, D-Chicago, chairman of the Senate Education Committee, called the governor's plan a diversion from the largest problem facing education in Illinois: funding inequity. "That issue is not addressed at all in this plan," he said.

Under provisions of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, the governor appoints the nine members of Illinois' State Board of Education and those board members, by state law, appoint the state superintendent of education.

IASB has no position on the governor's plan, but has supported a change in state law to require regional election of the members of ISBE's board. The aim of this is to ensure continued independence for the board and greater regional balance.

ISBE's board oversees an $8 billion annual budget and establishes state regulations on statewide testing, teacher certification and many curriculum matters. All eight of the board's current members-who serve six-year terms-were on the board when Gov. Blagojevich took office. One post has been vacant since May and the governor has not sought to fill it.

Gov. Blagojevich sketched out several cost-cutting proposals for his replacement agency, including a centralized system for purchasing school supplies, regional offices aiding schools with administrative tasks, and reduced fees for state assistance with construction.

In his address, Gov. Blagojevich also offered several other education proposals, such as requiring high school students to perform community service, expanding the Early Childhood Block Grant to send 25,000 more at-risk children to preschool, and spending $26 million to give books to kids each month up to age 5.

While his January speech was short on plans about school funding, Gov. Blagojevich will deliver an annual budget address on Feb. 18.

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State Board suggests $600 million education budget increase

The Illinois State Board of Education voted on January 8 to recommend a Fiscal Year 2005 elementary and secondary education budget increase totaling more than $600 million. The plan earmarks $413 million of that new money for general state aid.

"Raise the bottom, help to maintain and not hurt or take away from the top. That's what our goal has to be," State Superintendent Robert Schiller said. The State Board's FY05 recommendation includes:

• A $250 per pupil increase of general state aid, which equals $396.5 million.
• Restoring the School Safety and Educational Improvement (ADA) Block Grant to its FY03 level of $66.9 million, an increase of $24 million.
• An additional $139.1 million to fully fund the state Mandated Categorical grants including special education and transportation.
• A $13.3 million increase for the Bilingual program to increase the pro-ration from 64% to 75%.
• Restoration of $19 million in grant money for Gifted Education that was eliminated last year.
• $30 million for Early Childhood.
• $23.7 million for Bridges Extended Learning Opportunities (formerly known as Summer Bridges).

Additional ISBE-proposed increases include: $2.6 million for Reading, $6.2 million for System of Support, $3 million for Career and Technical Education, $4.5 million for Truant and Alternative Learning Opportunities, and $11.6 million for Regional Offices of Education.

"In FY04 the State Board recommended and the Governor agreed to begin to phase in the Education Funding Advisory Board proposal over a four- or five-year period," Schiller said. ISBE therefore recommended, for the second year in a row, an FY05 increase of $250 to the foundation level, from $4,810 to $5,060 per student.

"Our schools are struggling to make ends meet with the current level of resources available to them, and we recognize that," said Board Chair Janet Steiner. "Transporting the student to the classroom, staffing the classrooms, assisting the students who have special needs, integrating general education and special education students together, supporting our teachers, and communicating to parents are all very real costs."

The Education Trust recently found Illinois to have the highest funding gap between the highest and lowest poverty districts and last month Illinois was the only state rated "F for funding equity by Education Week.

"The ISBE's 2003 The Condition of Public Education report documents these trends-costs rising faster than revenues, an increasing number of districts in deficits and remaining there for longer periods of time, more and more reductions to extra-curricular activities as well as basic classroom costs, and the inability of schools to provide the services necessary to have all students achieve standards," said an ISBE statement.

Copies of the state board's report, The Condition of Public Education, are available on the ISBE Web site: www.isbe.net/budget/FY05/2003_Condition_of_Public_Education.pdf .

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Deadline nears for notifying teachers of non-renewal

School districts are required by law to serve written notice 45 days before the end of the school term to probationary teachers not being reemployed for the following school term. Notice is required 60 days before the end of the school term for any tenured teacher being honorably discharged because of a reduction-in-force (RIF) or the discontinuation of a program.

Notice must be given directly and mailed to the teacher, either by certified mail, return receipt requested, or personal delivery with receipt, along with a statement of honorable dismissal and the reason for the dismissal. Under some circumstances these provisions also apply to the dismissal of an administrator. Any employee not properly notified is deemed reemployed.

Note: Collective bargaining agreements, policies or evaluation plans often have different notice requirements from those required by statute, therefore school district employers must be careful to meet all relevant notice requirements.

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Most teachers say they are unfairly held accountable

A new Public Agenda poll has found public school teachers love their work and are confident in their ability to reach most students. But a majority believes that teachers are unfairly being held accountable when so much that affects learning is beyond their control.

Teachers acknowledge that some of their colleagues shouldn't be teaching, but see unions and tenure as necessary protection against school politics and unfounded accusations by parents and students. Teachers are receptive to "merit pay" for those who work harder or in the most challenging schools, but not based on test scores or the subject they teach.

Other findings from the study "Stand by Me" indicate that teachers:

• love their profession but often see themselves under siege
• have confidence in their own skills, but doubt whether teachers, by themselves, really can make sure all children learn
• feel vulnerable to many dangers, including unfair charges, bureaucratic machinations and favoritism.

The report is available for free download online at: www.publicagenda.org/specials/standbyme/standbyme.htm.

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Governor seeks ban on junk food and soda vending units

"Because overweight and unhealthy children are an epidemic in America," Governor Rod Blagojevich has proposed to ban soda and junk food from school vending machines by January 1, 2005. The governor made the proposal just weeks before his annual State of the State address in January.

Studies show more than three times as many children now are considered overweight compared to 20 years ago, and 15 percent of U.S. youngsters aged 6 to 19 are seriously overweight. Additionally, a study in Arkansas found that Type II diabetes, once found almost exclusively in adults, is up 800 percent among children compared to the previous decade.

Meanwhile, the American Academy of Pediatrics announced in January that soft drinks should be eliminated from schools to help tackle the nation's obesity epidemic. The group urged pediatricians to work with their local schools to ensure that children are offered healthful alternatives.

In a new policy statement, the academy said doctors should contact superintendents and school board members and "emphasize the notion that every school in every district shares a responsibility for the nutritional health of its students."

Banning junk food and soda would not financially burden local school districts, according to Gov. Blagojevich. In fact, some schools with junk food bans already in place are making money. New York schools, for example, earned $166 million as a result of a contract with Snapple to provide vending machines that offer only water and fruit juices.

Legislation-H.B. 3974 (sponsored by Rep. Tom Cross, R., Oswego)-has been introduced in the spring session of the General Assembly that would prohibit school boards from allowing soft drinks and candy to be dispensed to students by school vending machines. In his State of the State address, Gov. Blagojevich repeated his call for the General Assembly to pass such a proposal.

IASB has yet to take an official position on the governor's proposal, but local control needs to be maintained, lobbyists say.

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NEWS FROM IASB

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IASB division meetings set

Below is a list of IASB spring dinner meetings for various divisions of the association. More information is available from the IASB Web site: www.iasb.com/calendar/

Feb. 26 -- Illini Division
Rantoul THSD 193 6:30 p.m.

Mar. 2 -- Western Division
Roseville CUSD 200 6:00 p.m.

Mar. 2 -- Egyptian Division
Rome CCSD 2, Dix 6:30 p.m.

Mar. 3 -- Southwestern Division
East Alton-Wood River CHSD 14 6:00 p.m.

Mar. 3 -- Central Illinois Valley Division
Pekin CHSD 303 6:00 p.m.

Mar. 4 -- Abe Lincoln Division
Williamsville CUSD 15 6:00 p.m.

Mar. 4 -- Northwest Division
Deer Valley Country Club, Deer Creek 6:00 p.m.

Mar. 4 -- Shawnee Division
Harrisburg CUSD 3 6:30 p.m.

Mar. 4 -- Blackhawk Division
United THSD 30, East Moline 6:00 p.m.

Mar. 9 -- Wabash Valley Division
Teutopolis CUSD 50 6:30 p.m.

Mar. 9 -- Corn Belt Division
Normal Community High School, McLean Co. USD 5 6:00 p.m.

Mar. 10 -- Kaskaskia Division
Carlinville CUSD 1 6:00 p.m.

Mar. 11 -- DuPage Division
York Community High School, Elmhurst CUSD 205 6:00 p.m.

Mar. 23 -- Two Rivers Division
A-C Central CUSD 262 6:00 p.m.

Mar. 24 -- Kishwaukee Division
Huntley SD 158 6:00 p.m.

Mar. 31 -- South and West Cook Divisions
Radisson Hotel Chicago-Alsip 6:00 p.m.

Apr. 7 -- Lake County Division
To be determined 6:30 p.m.

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IASB divisions elect new directors

Most IASB divisions are boasting new officers, including new directors chosen recently in three divisions. IASB Directors chosen since June 2003 are: Mark Metzger, Indian Prairie C.U. Dist. 204, DuPage Division; Carol Farnum, Aurora East C.U. Dist. 131, Kishwaukee Division; and Fred Blue, Waltham C.C. Dist. 185, Starved Rock.

Others new to division officer positions-and their division posts-will be listed in upcoming editions of the Newsbulletin.

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IASB 2004 awards programs seek nominees by April 15

Each year IASB recognizes individuals, agencies, corporations or non-governmental organizations whose actions have contributed to excellence in education for Illinois children. Recognition is provided through the Harold P. Seamon Award for Distinguished Service to public education. Nominations are now being sought for this prestigious award.

Recipients must have accomplished one or more of the following: 1) displayed exceptional service and commitment to public education in Illinois; 2) provided innovative and creative approaches to meeting the challenges facing public education; or 3) enhanced local, lay control of, and responsibility for, the governance of public education by school boards.

The activity for which the nomination is made should extend statewide or have an impact on a large region of the state - not just a district-wide impact. Only one such award may be given annually. The deadline to submit nominations is April 15. The award is presented at the annual conference in November.

IASB Honorary Memberships for Exceptional Service are awarded to people who have rendered distinguished service to the Association or to public education generally. These contributions may be district-wide or regional. Up to three awards may be given each year. They are presented at regional meetings.

Submit a brief letter of nomination for either award to the awards committee liaison. Deadline for submissions is April 15 for both awards. Current school board members and IASB staff are not eligible to receive awards.

In addition, IASB offers the IASB Service Award to an individual who: 1) has given 25 years of service (not necessarily continuous) to schools and children; 2) has had a positive impact through that service; and 3) has had a close affiliation with and been of direct service to schools, either as an employee or volunteer.

Service Awards are presented at regional meetings. There is no deadline for submission of names.

Submit nominations to: IASB Awards Committee Liaison, 2921 Baker Drive, Springfield, IL 62703-5929, phone IASB, ext. 1139, fax 217/753-2485.

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Some school districts in the Chicago area have added background checks to their employee hiring process this year. Such checks would be required under a bill introduced in January in the General Assembly. Illinois and two other states stand alone in not requiring fingerprint checks of prospective teachers (Chicago Tribune, Jan. 16, 2004) ... Northern Illinois University professors recently launched a new Web tool to make school report card data sorting easier. The Web site, iirc.niu.edu, enables users to compare test performance, school spending and demographics for as many as 10 schools within any school district or between different districts. (Courier-Sun, Dec. 29, 2003) ... Fully 61 percent of the state's voters believe public schools are under-funded in Illinois, according to a recent Copley News Service poll. The statewide poll also found that 53 percent of Illinois voters would support an income tax increase to fund education (The Associated Press, Jan. 14, 2004) ... Just 18 months after it faced dissolution, Hazel Crest Dist. 152 1/2 won an official reprieve on Jan. 22 when the State Board of Education voted to allow the economically distressed district to remain open (Chicago Tribune, Jan. 22, 2004).

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WORKSHOPS & MEETINGS

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IASA annual conference is April 28-30 in Springfield

"A Legacy of Pride-A Future of Responsibility" is the theme of the 2004 Annual Conference of the Illinois Association of School Administrators (IASA), scheduled for April 28-30 at the Springfield Hilton and Springfield Renaissance hotels. A brief summary of the conference program is available online at www.iasaedu.org/conferences/conf.htm.

As an added bonus this year, the IASA school of professional development is offering all 12 IASA administrators' academy credit courses as pre-conference activities on Wednesday, April 28. The cost will be $150 per course. Additional information on professional development activities for administrators is available on the IASA Web site at www.iasaedu.org/conferences/profdev.htm .

For information about the conference, which annually draws more than 600 school administrators, contact IASA by phone at 217/787-9306 or e-mail cmiddleton@iasaedu.org.

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FEDERAL UPDATE

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No Child Left Behind law has failed: FairTest

Flaws in the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and growing criticism of its mandates indicate that the federal law will do more harm than good, according to FairTest, the National Center for Fair and Open Testing.

"NCLB's test-and-punish approach to school reform relies on extremely limited, one-size-fits-all tools that reduce education to little more than test prep programs," according to FairTest. "It produces unfair decisions and requires unproven, often irrational approaches to complex educational problems.

"NCLB is clearly underfunded. But fully funding a bad law is not the solution. If the nation's goal really is to leave no child behind, the federal government must overhaul NCLB to ensure that assessment and accountability genuinely improve learning for all students," FairTest declared.

FairTest-a nonprofit advocacy group that criticizes standardized testing and urges changes on equity grounds -leveled the following specific criticisms at NCLB:

• NCLB is based on false assumptions and therefore offers false remedies. The facade created to portray Houston and "the Texas Miracle" as national models is crumbling.
• Nearly all schools will eventually be rated "In Need of Improvement" because of the way Adequate Yearly Progress statistics are calculated.
• NCLB's obsessive focus on raising test scores will mean an increasing emphasis on test preparation, undermining the higher-order thinking skills all students need to succeed in work and life.
• The demand that disabled and limited English proficient students reach "proficiency" sets those students up for failure. Rather than provide resources these students need to succeed, NCLB suggests that if we hold these students to the "same standards," they will magically rise to the occasion.
• Tutoring provisions take money from schools that most need it and turn public funds over to private entrepreneurs. "NCLB paves the way for private firms to reap huge profits," said FairTest. Meanwhile, financially strapped districts will see their budgets pinched further.
• Transfer provisions make matters worse at both the home and receiving school while diverting money from education to "busing."
• Many of the best teachers will flee schools where they are most needed. The abandoned schools will be hard-pressed to recruit replacement teachers of good quality.
• NCLB funds fall far short of what would be needed to make every student in every school proficient.
• NCLB ignores the real reasons many children are left behind. The failure to address factors outside of school that influence academic achievement guarantees NCLB will not succeed. Basic needs like housing, health care and nutrition must be addressed.
• The law's remedies for "failing" schools do not work. A series of studies demonstrate that most attempts to "reconstitute" troubled schools fail to improve student performance. Moreover, few if any states will have the capacity to intervene in the large numbers of public schools that NCLB will eventually identify for severe sanctions.
• Better alternatives exist to improve troubled schools. Educators have developed far better tests that meet the primary purposes of education assessment: improving teaching and learning while informing the public about school quality.

For more information about NCLB testing, and assessment alternatives that FairTest suggests will help improve academic performance for all students, contact: FairTest: National Center for Fair & Open Testing 342 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139; phone 617/864-4810; fax (617) 497-2224; or visit their Web site www.fairtest.org.

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Federal budget provides 'meager increases' for schools

Congress recently gave final, long-delayed approval to a federal budget for fiscal year 2004, which began on October 1. The final omnibus appropriations bill also creates a controversial voucher plan for Washington D.C.

The $328 billion omnibus measure includes an increase of $1.8 billion (or 5 percent) for K-12 education. The 65-to-28 Senate vote in favor of the bill on Jan. 22 ended a three-month congressional impasse that opponents carried through the winter recess in objection to the voucher amendment and other controversial parts of the bill.

Among the critics of the omnibus bill was Anne L. Bryant, executive director of the National School Boards Association (NSBA), who said: "The meager increases proposed for critical programs like Title I and IDEA are over $17 billion short of the federal commitment to our public schools.

"The omnibus bill shortchanges public schools, Bryant charged, "but Congress found millions of dollars to create a new federal program -- private school vouchers -- without requiring even the most basic of accountability standards deemed so important for our public schools."

This year's education budget gave Title I the biggest influx of new money, an increase of $727 million or 5.6 percent more than last year, nearly the amount the president had proposed.

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LEGISLATIVE DEVELOPMENTS

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Laws require verbatim recordings, allow for diabetes screening

New state laws affecting schools cover a wide range of topics, from generally requiring verbatim recordings of closed school board meetings, to requiring regulations to mandate diabetes screening in school health exams.

The latter law, P.A. 93-530, specifies that the Illinois Department of Public Health must promulgate rules that require diabetes screening be included in school health examinations. The act, which took effect on January 1, does not require diabetes testing, which is more costly.

The new verbatim recordings law-which amends the Illinois Open Meetings Act to require school boards and other public bodies to make audio or video recordings of closed meetings (P.A. 93-523)-also establishes procedures for destroying the verbatim recordings. It gives judges (including administrative hearing officers) the authority to review verbatim records.

Other significant new laws that took effect recently included provisions:

• Requiring the State Police to conduct a search of the Illinois criminal history records database whenever they are performing a criminal background investigation of prospective school employees (P.A. 93-418).
• Requiring that for the first six months after being licensed to drive or until age 18, a person may not drive with more than one other person (except for family members) who is under age 20 (P.A. 93-101).
• Requiring that public hearings of school boards to consider waiver applications be held on days other than those used for regular board meetings, and requiring that the school district must provide written information to its state legislators beforehand. (P.A. 93-0557).

The full text of each of these new state laws is available at: www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts.

Source: Illinois Statewide School Management Alliance, New School Laws 2004, January 2004. (Copies of this new publication were mailed to all school board members and districts superintendents on January 28.)

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Waivers increasingly sought to raise driver education fees

At the end of 2002 only 25 Illinois school districts had obtained waivers allowing them to increase their driver's education fees. A year later the total was 35 districts, and today 52 districts have been granted such waivers, according to a new report from ISBE.

Ordinarily under state law $50 is the most schools can charge students to teach them how to drive. But school leaders say that amount-set back in 1985-is insufficient to help cover the current actual costs of providing drivers' education, including rising expenditures for gas, maintenance of cars, and teacher salaries and benefits, among other costs.

What's more, schools are required to waive their fee for students who can't afford it. Meanwhile private firms charge hundreds of dollars to provide similar drivers' training courses.

The state requires high schools to offer a driver's education course that includes 30 hours of classroom time and six hours of behind-the-wheel training. Besides authorizing a student fee, Illinois reimburses school districts about $100 per pupil for behind-the-wheel training and $26 for classroom instruction.

The 52 school districts that have obtained permission through the state waiver law to increase student driver fees have set their fees based on local costs at anywhere from $75 to $400.

Illinois' waiver act permits school districts to petition ISBE for a waiver or modification of School Code mandates or of the State Board's rules and regulations. To apply, a school district must demonstrate that it can address the rule or mandate's intent in a more "effective, efficient, or economical manner" or that the waiver is needed "to stimulate innovation or improve student performance."

The next two deadlines for the submission of requests for waivers of School Code mandates for the General Assembly's consideration are postmarked by March 12, 2004 (to ensure inclusion in the May 1, 2004 report) or postmarked by August 13, 2004 (to ensure inclusion in the October 1, 2004 report).

There is no deadline for modifications of School Code mandates or waivers and modifications of administrative rules; however, approval must be granted before a modification can be implemented.

A brief overview of all waivers granted to school districts to date is contained in the new ISBE report, Summary Of Approved Waivers And Modifications, Cumulative Report -- 1995-2003, which was released in February. The report is available free online at: www.isbe.net/isbewaivers/pdf/cumulativewaiver.pdf.

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ILLINOIS SCHOOL DISTRICTS

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Tax hikes, bond issues top March 16 primary ballot

About 115 school finance questions will appear on the March 16 general primary ballot, including at least 87 tax propositions, and 28 bond issues, according to State Board of Elections' Web site: www.elections.state.il.us/rps/pages/referendascrit.asp .

Of the tax propositions, five are operations and maintenance fund increase proposals, four would set new district tax rates if proposed consolidations are approved, one is a transportation fund increase proposal, one is a Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL) limit increase, and 76 are education fund increase proposals.

Of roughly 28 bond issues placed before voters, all but six seek approval for building bonds. The other six districts all seek working cash bonds, namely: Avoca District 37, Wilmette; Hardin County C.U. Dist. 1, Elizabethtown; Quincy Dist. 172; Salt Creek Dist. 48, Villa Park; Union Dist. 81, Joliet; and Venice C.U. Dist. 3.

School bond proposals on the March 19 ballot range in size from $79.4 million in Crete-Monee C.U. District 201 to $500,000 in Hardin County C.U. Dist. 1, Elizabethtown. Tax rate percentage increases range from a high of 1.5 percent proposed in Abingdon C.U. District 217, to a low of .05 percent in Salem Elementary Dist. 111 (for transportation purposes).

A summary of election results will be reported in the Illinois School Board Newsbulletin.

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Summit seeks support for 'Grow Your Own' project

A proposal to support recruitment of potential teachers from inner-city neighborhoods drew support from legislators, educators and foundation representatives at a January 21 reform group summit in Chicago.

State Sen. Iris Martinez (D-20, Chicago) said she would sponsor legislation to provide funding for the project, "Grow Your Own," which is touted as a way to attract and retain teachers in high-poverty, ethnic and traditionally underserved areas. It would be modeled after similar, successful projects conducted in North Carolina and Chicago's Logan Square.

"Grow Your Own" would establish seven "cohorts" throughout the state to assist and encourage people already living in underserved areas - parents, volunteers and school paraprofessionals - to obtain teaching degrees and certificates. Cost estimates for the five-year project are $10.5 million, approximately half of which would be sought from existing Title II funds and half from new funds, whether from the state or private foundation grants.

State Sen. Miguel Del Valle (D-Chicago) said classrooms and students need the stability that recruiting people from the neighborhoods to be teachers could provide. And it makes more sense, he said, to recruit people who are already invested in an area.

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