* The Tribune ran a profile today of some public school teachers worried about whether they will lose their jobs in the face of 20,000 layoff notices…

In a normal year, the majority of teachers let go in March are rehired in the summer after lawmakers approve a budget. For example, about 4,700 teachers were laid off during the 2007-08 school year, but nearly 60 percent were recalled.

The following year, as the recession deepened, more teachers were laid off — 6,139 — and fewer, about 50 percent, were recalled, according to an Illinois State Board of Education survey released Wednesday.

This year, as many as 20,000 school positions could be lost, according to some estimates.

“It’s completely different than any year I’ve been part of in my three decades in public education,” said Ken Swanson, president of the Illinois Education Association.

That 20,000 layoffs figure bandied about all over the media is based on a proposed $1.3 billion cut to education funding by Pat Quinn. Union contracts require that layoff notices must be issued, and the governor’s original cut was all the local school districts had to go by.

However, it now appears that there will be no significant cut - or any cuts at all - to education funding, unless something really goes off the rails with the budget.

…Adding… The Illinois Federation of Teachers took questions from the media today about new revenues…

* While hyperbolic, it would be nice if we could have seen stories like this when the McCormick Place reform plan was being negotiated. Only a couple of us ever really wrote about it, even though the facility is such an important economic engine…

It was supposed to change everything. Lure new trade shows. Keep the ones we have. Even bring back the ones we’ve lost. But CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine says Gov. Pat Quinn is thinking twice before signing the new McCormick Place bill — because of a sneaky maneuver.

Mostly because of the trustee lawmakers want to put in charge. A longtime political insider: Jim Reilly. And how it all went down.

James Reilly, a former McPier CEO, was paid big money to recommend changes. Among them, a new trustee to oversee all operations.

He writes the set of recommendations calling for a trustee and the recommendations just happen to fit him to a tee. Doesn’t that sound suspicious?

Actually, it’s not suspicious at all. It was done that way at Speaker Michael Madigan’s behest. In return, the Republicans demanded and received a one-year revolving door prohibition to prevent Reilly from immediately cashing in on his 18-month tenure as McPier’s czar. And I really doubt that Quinn will touch that bill. Hinz explains why…

In the end, my guess is that Mr. Quinn signs rather than risk horrid headlines in Chicago newspapers when a couple of big shows walk. If he really has problems with the bill, he ought to sign it anyhow, and then push for passage of a “trailer bill” that would meet his concerns.

This one is awfully important. Mr. Quinn ought to sign, even if the bill is less than perfect.

The only way he’d touch that bill is if there was an agreement up front to hold an immediate vote to accept the changes. Otherwise, he’d probably get overridden.

* Chris Wetterich thinks Quinn might listen to CUB and change AT&T’s so-called “jobs bill”…

So why wouldn’t Quinn sign it? Because one of the planks he used to build his political career was the Citizens Utility Board, which is real skeptical about this bill. Quinn is probably also more attuned than the average Chicagoan to the needs of rural Illinoisans, who might be given the shaft by AT&T under the bill.

The legislation also doesn’t require the telecom giant to actually create any jobs, despite its promises, something that might offend the governor’s sense of fairness.

Then again, Attorney General Lisa Madigan, who’s also painted herself as a defender of consumers, was neutral on the bill. Her stamp of approval (or lack of disapproval) would probably be enough for any other governor.

Given that it’s an election year and Quinn is going to want to pump up his populist bona fides, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him issue some sort of amendatory veto – the power Illinois governors have to add and subtract things from legislation passed by the General Assembly.

Given that this is an election year and AT&T did a remarkable job of lining up newspaper editorial support (including Wetterich’s) and unanimous legislative support, plus the fact that the company and its allies (including newspaper editorial boards) are hailing the legislation as a major “jobs bill,” I doubt he’ll change it. He wants jobs and he wants to cut ribbons, and the word is there was a side deal for a big ribbon-cutting opportunity. More later.

* Related…

* Illinois school officials warn of more layoffs & cuts from state budget impasse

* Voice of The Southern: Legislators need to step forward now

* Quinn calls on lawmakers to prevent education cuts

* Quinn pushes for borrowing to save state budget

* Quinn still wants to borrow money

* Quinn right to veto waiver bill

* Get lawmakers out of granting tuition waivers

* Voting in favor of bad schools

* Collins turns to writing in lifelong corruption fight

* State transportation officials lose car perk

* Illinoid Department of Transportation to hire 170 new workers

* Lisa Madigan Cracks Down On Contractors

* Madigan Cracks Down on Bad Labor Practices

* Metro-east ineligible for STAR bonds under new bill

* Village asks Gov. Quinn to sign new crosswalk law