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* Um, it’s two legislators and they are in the super-minority…
BREAKING: Illinois legislators introduced a bill to fund students directly if their schools don't reopen in person.
— Corey A. DeAngelis (@DeAngelisCorey) January 27, 2021
More…
House Bill 273 requires the State Board of Education to issue vouchers to the parents or guardians of a student who previously was enrolled in a public school but was taken out of school to be either home schooled or enrolled in a private school as a result of no full-time, in-person instruction being offered at the school where they were enrolled. The amount paid to the parents or legal guardians would be equivalent to what the State pays the local school for per pupil enrollment for the entire school year.
“The public schools can’t have it both ways,” Wilhour said. “Our public school system does not give parents a choice in which public school they enroll their children. For better or worse, parents and students are stuck with the schools that serve their particular neighborhoods. So, if a student is enrolled in a school that does not have in-person learning, the parent should have the choice to enroll the student in a nearby school that does offer in-person learning. Unfortunately, our system has given parents no choice but to seek private sector options and so it is only fair for the state to reimburse these parents for the additional educational cost. If teachers’ unions and broken education bureaucracies are going to thwart established science and the best interests of the students, the least they should do is to reimburse parents for the cost of seeking private school alternatives to get the in-person learning their children need.”
OK, expand that concept to poor Black and Brown kids living in towns like Springfield who want to go to Chatham and maybe they can pick up some majority party co-sponsors.
* But, really, we hear “Local control!” all the time from a certain political party, and yet…
“There’s absolutely no reason that these public education institutions aren’t providing the option of full-time in-person learning, and what this legislation does is simply gives parents a choice,” Wilhour said.
It’s a choice that involves taking away money from some local schools and giving it to others. Talk about a slippery slope.
* Rep. Wilhour was on Anna Davlantes’ WGN Radio program today…
Davlantes: Well, you’re thinking outside the box and I think a lot of those parents that would like this option would appreciate that you’re doing that.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 1:12 pm
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Absolutely no reason? Really?
Comment by Ok Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 1:17 pm
One of the things that is allowing in person learning to work is the de-densifing we see right now from hybrid models and some students option to stay online. If everyone flocked to the schools with in person learning it would quickly become difficult to maintain those safety standards.
Comment by tea_and_honey Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 1:17 pm
“Local reps propose stripping money from schools, laying off teachers, to cover 15-20% of wealthy families’ private school tuition”
Comment by Ok Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 1:21 pm
Meeks wanted everybody to take CTA to North end of Evanston Express and enroll in the Wilmette schools
Comment by Annonin' Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 1:22 pm
I love the term “super-minority.”
Comment by Southsider Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 1:29 pm
I wish I could say that they simply don’t understand the concept of a public school. They just don’t agree with the concept.
Comment by Jibba Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 1:32 pm
So let’s have school choice. But think about what an actually fair system of school choice entails. Fortunately, in the US, we have a blueprint — Minnesota, for the past 30 years. Statewide open enrollment with state funds following students to the chosen school, passed at the end of the 1980s. Statewide equalization of local school property tax revenues, passed in 1971-2. Statewide full funding of classroom instruction, passed in 2001. Statewide progressive income taxation, also passed in 1971-2 and with taxes on the rich significantly boosted in 2013, underwriting the whole thing.
Somehow I’m not sure if that’s the school choice the Illinois GOP has in mind.
Comment by Angry Chicagoan Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 1:33 pm
To the post,
This bill specifically is designed to make folks think two different things and ignore the nuance and realities of it’s impossibility of passage;
Kids aren’t in school, parents want to be heard in that frustration.
Punish schools, and let’s do that by money, even though funding rarely gets to equilibrium.
It’s a “bill” you’d think about in before times with folks at a table to grandstand, now frame it in a pandemic, no social connections (including the table where it could be hatched) and a valve to let off steam at an easy target.
It does eat time for a radio show, so there’s that too.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 1:34 pm
Interesting, after reading the bill it says nothing about taking money from the home district. Zippo. Only that the family will be reimbursed for the tuition cost incurred in a manner equivalent to the per-pupil state support of the home district. This strikes me as a new type of socialism.
As Rich stated- Local control?
Comment by JS Mill Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 1:39 pm
The bill has the funding mechanism backward. First, I guess the positive is the bill does not take any local money in property taxes. But the bill says the money follows the student. The amount is prorated for the time the student was in school. That means they want to take away the money from the school for the time the school already invested in the student. Backwards. They should have the revenue stream prorate for the time the student is not in school from what the school would have otherwise received from the state for educating the student. Either way it is dead on arrival.
Comment by Nagidam Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 1:43 pm
Well, technically 2 is “legislators” so the tweet is correct. S/
Comment by Bruce( no not him) Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 1:49 pm
===technically 2 is “legislators”===
It was one legislator when he originally tweeted it.
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 1:50 pm
This is the same group of people who say it isn’t safe for them to be in session but push 1500 students into a school. What could go wrong???
Comment by Old Saluki Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 1:51 pm
This bill doesn’t stand a chance, nor does any other school reforms, until parents decide they’ve had enough of the teachers unions running the show.
Proof?
Mayors, school boards, others “in charge:” “We’re opening the schools. Come to work, teachers.
Teachers unions: “No.”
Those “in charge:” “Upon further review, we’ve decided to not open the schools. Up to you to figure it out, parents.”
By the way, first installment of your property taxes still due this spring.
Comment by JB13 Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 1:54 pm
“It was one legislator when he originally tweeted it.”
Maths is hard.
Comment by Bruce( no not him) Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 1:56 pm
Lets put the question on the ballot and let voters decide if parents should be allowed to choose how best to spend their tax dollars on education. I think voters will be smart enough to vote for their own interest and their children’s interest rather than the interests of the teacher union bosses.
Comment by Southsider Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 1:56 pm
While they are at it why not require school districts without total in person learning to refund all the real estate taxes they collect? /s
Comment by DuPage Saint Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 1:57 pm
“…established science.”
I always find it amusing when my representative uses this term.
Comment by Don't Bloc Me In Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 2:01 pm
=== the interests of the teacher union bosses.===
You are the target of this endeavor, it is working.
Referendum? If you can get it on the ballot…
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 2:04 pm
===Lets put the question on the ballot===
Move to California or change the constitution.
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 2:06 pm
CPS question, if the outmigration data (which is hard to do by municipalities) and the stories regarding mostly empty CPS schools before the pandemic are true, has anyone seen numbers showing how many kids/school CPS will need to keep open post pandemic? I remember reading they had 100’s of underenrolled schools prepandemic. Anyone covering this question? Is this why CTU needs to bargain class size?
Comment by Rutro Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 2:09 pm
Mayors, school boards, others “in charge:” “We’re opening the schools. Come to work, teachers.
Teachers unions: “Follow CDC guidelines and open safely” adequate cleaning supplies provided by the school; proper ventilation; smaller class sizes with students staying in same cohort small groups all day; etc.
Mayors, school boards, others “in charge:”: “No, just come back to the classroom and risk your life for the kids.”
There fixed it for you.
Comment by Steve Polite Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 2:12 pm
=Lets put the question on the ballot and let voters decide=
They call them school board elections. As a former History and government teacher I feel compelled to educate you on hour our country,state, communities work. You see, we do not practice the Athenian style of democracy, we are a representative republic. Imagine every single eligible citizen voting on every single decision. We may still be trying to decide if we want electricity or indoor plumbing.
I would say “you get the drift” but I am not so sure.
=Teachers unions: “No.”=
Besides CTU, what other Illinois districts are dealing with this issue?
CTU is just wrong, but now we are generalizing based off of one district?
Our teacher wanted to go back to school 5 days a week from the start of the year.
And bosses? I think maybe CTU leadership is paid but I don’t know of any other districts that are. The leadership ios usually made up of classroom teachers tha volunteer for the position.
Not exactly Jimmy Hoffa types outside of CTU.
Comment by JS Mill Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 2:13 pm
Polling shows a large majority of parents think it too soon to send the kids back, and that’s even more true for poorer families. Once again super minority legislators representing super minorities of voters pretending to speak for a majority
Comment by SWIL_Voter Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 2:23 pm
Let’s have a pilot program start in their districts and see how well school choice works in small underfunded rural districts.
Give the people what they voted for.
Comment by ArchPundit Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 3:10 pm
While I get their point on this, even discussing legislation that has zero chance of reality does really nothing. If you don’t like the direction and decisions of your schools, elect new board members.
Comment by LessThanZero Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 3:12 pm
If you don’t like the direction or decisions of your schools, you periodically get your chance by voting for your school board.
Really big study on the topic was released by the CDC this week. Give it a read.
Comment by Jerry Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 3:31 pm
=This bill specifically is designed to make folks think two different things and ignore the nuance and realities of…=
Covid. The realities of Covid. A natural disaster requires adaptation, and the state is adapting temporarily to that disaster. People who want to believe there is no disaster that requires adaptation are probably not the best people to be talking about “choices.”
Comment by H-W Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 3:55 pm
JS Mill thank you for clarifying to those who don’t know, or just really never gave it much thought that CTU is not typical of probably ANY teachers’ organization anywhere in Illinois. Yes, regular old classroom teachers volunteer their time to meet with administration over contracts and work issues. Scary that anyone would think all teacher organizations operate like CTU.
Comment by A Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 4:41 pm
==This is the same group of people who say it isn’t safe for them to be in session==
No, it’s the same legislators who say the GA should be in full session in the Capitol building with anyone who wishes to be present in close quarters with no masks required; indeed wearing mask, distancing, etc, are signs of weakness. They also don’t believe in vaccines, global warming, or evolution…all of which are presently changing our lives in significant ways. These are folks who openly and aggressively deny reality whenever reality is inconvenient to them.
Comment by Pot calling kettle Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 4:53 pm
After seeing the Chicago teachers union dance I am 100% on board with this.
Comment by The Dude Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 5:50 pm
It’s crap thrown to the window to see if it sticks. Start introducing bills that have no chance or make sense in the long run to get the media hype at the beginning of a legislative season.
Comment by Gus Thursday, Jan 28, 21 @ 8:00 pm
With the hold harmless in the EBF (see how long that lasts) which fixed a base amount of funding that is not based upon the number of students and this funding not counting against the schools, this would be a net positive for some districts. No chance of passing.
Comment by eyeball Friday, Jan 29, 21 @ 10:38 am