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Why are you here?
School policy is the top priority of Illinois citizens. All the polls show that. Most of what happens in the public schools of your community is decided at the state level, by the Illinois General Assembly and the Governor. This is true in spite of the federal government's growing tendency to meddle with our schools.
So you may be here because you have some questions about that. Where are our policymakers taking school policy? Why are they going there? How effective are their decisions? What does it mean for our children and their future? Is learning some kind of a contest? Who is winning?
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We produced about 90 Updates in 2010.
Click the link to see them all. Here are a few that that evoked an especially
positive response:
Tax
Increase: We
told readers last May why House Speaker Michael Madigan could not let a tax hike
vote happen then, and correctly predicted a vote in early January. (We were
right.)
Education
Reform: We
evoked much feedback with this item demonstrating how trends in education
policy have run counter to clear implications emerging from the 'cognitive
revolution' since the 1980s.
Fiscal
Recovery: We
continually documented evidence that Illinois' flawed revenue system has
been blocking the state's recovery from the 'Great Recession.'
2010
Elections:
The outcomes of November's elections had huge implications for school policy and
funding. We covered the Quinn-Brady contest from that
perspective.
Legislative
Mysteries:
One of our goals is to demystify how our policymakers enact laws. This is not
always easy. Often a bill will divide the political parties for no apparent
reason.
Accountability
Call: When
an interloper of ill repute won a primary election for Lieutenant Governor, we
called on his party's chairman to admit failure and resign.
Off-Books
Spending:
While state spending is usually thought of as done by appropriations - a statute
you can read - our readers saw how Illinois spends $6.6 billion off the
books.
The Texas
Effect: While
the Texas Board of Education may not think like the majority of Illinois
citizens, they have much to do with the choice of textbooks in our children's
schools.
Religious
Challenge:
When a noted athiest sued the state over its capital construction play, our
readers learned the school projects were not threatened.
The 'Promise'
Difference:
An inspiring story showed the miraculous effects of a promise to believe in,
even as the state broke a promise to aspiring college
students.
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Response to 2011 Illinois School
Policy Updates has been entusiastic as well. You can receive them under a
risk-free trial subscription. Apply by clicking here.
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