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Rauner education czar reaches out to superintendents

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* From a loyal reader…

Hi Rich

Do you have the letter that blames Madigan if K-12 schools are held up over the budget impasse that Rauner is sending to superintendents? If not, I can send it to you

Already had it, but it doesn’t blame Madigan by name…

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 9:11 am

Comments

The governor’s impotence is astonishing. And my first thought after reading this letter: pretty whiny.

Comment by Frenchie Mendoza Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 9:15 am
So does the “no strings attached” and “don’t hold up funding pending reform” apply to anything else? If not, why not?

Comment by Concerned Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 9:19 am
Logical. Use every avenue to support your position, just as the spkr does.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 9:20 am
My first take at reading this letter is that it’s a completely political document that was drafted to folks that would likely not be persuaded by any of the arguments laid out.

Like. What was the point?

Comment by Anon Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 9:20 am
The Cullerton Mistake

Ugh

Can’t unring a bell, and now solely because of the Cullerton Mistake, a clean bill, and only a clean bill, will be the only finding signed, and… it will be “Cullerton’s hostage”.

It’s like watching this in slo-mo…

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 9:20 am
Lemme see, where have I seen the phrase, “tie … funding to …”

Of course the Governor would never do that. Must be those all powerful Democratic leaders.

Comment by Sir Reel Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 9:21 am
3 more years of this.

Comment by Hedley Lamarr Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 9:24 am
Hey Gov,
Why are you attachin’ strings to other bills, but don’t want any strings on these types of bills? How about no strings attached to ANY bills, and let’s get a budget for 2016 passed before we talk about 2017, eh?? And stop makin’ any whiney press conferences and sit down with the Democratic legislative leaders to discuss getting somethin’ done for cryin’ out loud.

Comment by Big Joe Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 9:24 am
Rauner effort to leverage the Dems on education funding so he can look like the hero.

He needs clean K-12 funding bill to help his hostage strategy. As demonstrated by Yepsen poll, majority of folks not feeling impasse. K-12 hold up would change that. Although he’ll claim he was righteous on the issue, governor’s own and he’d still get heat.

Dem move is to include higher ed & human services funding with K-12.

Comment by Norseman Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 9:28 am
== Like. What was the point? ==

Preemptive finger pointing …

Comment by RNUG Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 9:31 am
What, no letter to university and college presidents?

Comment by My New Handle Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 9:32 am
===Dem move is to include higher ed & human services funding with K-12.===

Agreed, - Norseman -, it’s how you fix the Cullerton Mistake

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 9:32 am
So this is why he needed to create a Secretary of Education position, to lobby on his behalf.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 9:33 am
Maybe I am wrong, please correct me if this is not the case. But I thought that historically agency directors were not to engage in the political debate about the budget.

I remember one time one of Blago’s new appointees presented his budget with lots of political spin attached to it at an appropriations committee - and the committee members were shocked at how “partisan” the agency director really was.

Again, maybe I’m wrong but I thought that directors have agencies to run and they work for the people of the state - not one political leader.

Comment by siriusly Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 9:39 am
Agree with you Norseman they need to include more with K-12. At the very least include higher ed with it. What good is spending all this money on K-12 when so many of our best educated 18-year olds have to leave illinois to get an affordable good college education and they start businesses and families outside of illinois.

Comment by hisgirlfriday Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 9:39 am
When I was in Springfield the other day, all I heard from Republicans about higher ed and social services is “there is no money”. Then, how in the hell is there money for K-12? It makes zero sense. Does “no strings attached” mean “no money attached” too? I don’t understand the GSA language. Is that funding in name only, or is there actual money there?

Comment by Hope Dies Last Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 9:43 am
During the last education funding debate, back during the 1990s, I don’t recall Jim Edgar mass mailing letters to schools pleading that he isn’t to blame for whatever happens to them. That was twenty years ago, so perhaps things have changed, but I’m not convinced that it has changed to the point where governors should act like this.

Rauner seems confused as to his job and its powers. Governors don’t mass mail letters, or email state employees, because they shouldn’t have to. Governors have the political power to make an impact without doing this. Rauner is embarrassing himself.

Some might see this as some kind of new way of reaching for political support. Yet, if you read this letter, it really seems more like a plea for mercy and more finger pointing.

Rauner supporters didn’t elect him to act like this. They expected a man to stop the bleeding our state seemed to have experienced, and slowly push back towards a more secure financial footing. Bruce Rauner promised us a government as good as Wal-Mart, but at half the price. What disappoints so much is how he has turned out to be a guy who thinks if he refuses to govern or cooperate, he’ll get his way. How anyone with any business experience thinks this way is lost on most of us.

Rauner has paralyzed our government, and to some who don’t know what government does, this makes them think we’re seeing progress. However, what Rauner supporters need to realize is that paralysis isn’t reform. We cannot change government at all without a participating governor unwilling to listen or negotiate.

Bruce Rauner feels a need to send a letter out to cover himself when our education system collapses completely. Because he won’t do his job. Because he doesn’t seem to understand what his job is. Because he thinks he can political win at everyone else’s expense be it Republican, Democrat, liberal, conservative or a migrating prairie chicken.

Rauner is a failure. This letter is just another bit of proof that he doesn’t know what he is doing.

Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 9:43 am
There are two pieces to this. There is the Senate President’s statement that school funding reform be tied to the budget. (Although it could also be interpreted as school funding reform being tied to the governor’s reforms which are tied to the budget.)

But now there is this additional piece that the ISBE budget should not even be tied to the budget? What the what? If you think about it for just a second, that is one of the most ridiculous demands that the Governor has made so far.

Comment by Juice Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 9:45 am
Yup the Doc is rite
Attachin’ strings sux
So you GA mutes must roll out more cash to k-12 based on a FY17 $uper$tar budget about $4 billion
What nonsense

Comment by Annonn'' Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 9:48 am
Two unbalanced budget submissions, constant complaining on the current piecemeal approach to funding (while complaining about court orders and consent decrees gettin’ in the way of governin’), and the GA should just roll over and say, “No problem, we’ll cut K-12 out of the budget special, just for you Guv!”

The heat is on. Submit a “clean” budget first, Governor. Let’s not start the FY17 discussions off on a piecemeal fashion. The State of Illinois is not yours for the takin’. There is laid out a certain set of directions that you swore to uphold and follow - the Illinois Constitution. Will you do so? If not, then please retire from the stage.

Comment by Anon221 Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 9:57 am
“an historic”?

Is the Governor’s Secretary of Education dropping her “h’s” as a homage to her boss?

Comment by Henry Francis Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 10:00 am
What next? Requests that they support RTW, that they freeze their property tax levies, pick up more of teachers’ pension costs? A lot for an extra education tsar to do.

Comment by walker Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 10:07 am
More campaigning. I bet the Superintendents’ eyes were rolling around like loose ball bearings.

Comment by RIJ Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 10:24 am
So, he blames Dem leaders generally for holding the public school budget hostage over the State budget…??? Wow.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 10:52 am
Fro years, by policy (proration of TRS and using Federal funds to pay back pension debt by surcharging salaries paid with federal funds )Illinois has systematically cheated poor and minority students out of the education that they need in order to have a chance to achieve full access to the opportunity of a high quality life. And so few seem to really care.

Comment by nobody Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 10:57 am
While not yet official hostages in the budget childishness, K-12 school superintendents and their students now are introduced as pawns.

Comment by Decaff Coffee Party Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 10:58 am
My district’s State Representative tells me that if he could just wave a wand and fix this mess he would. But there’s no money to fund higher ed or human services. Our only option is to give the Governor unrestrained power to sweep funds with no obligation to repay any fund.

Soooooooooo, where’s the K-12 funding coming from?

Comment by illini97 Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 11:00 am
===So, he blames Dem leaders generally for holding the public school budget hostage over the State budget…??? Wow.===

Cullerton put that in play. Hit the Search Key.

It’s fair game now.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 11:03 am
I hope none of these happen, but it seems the possibility is there by next Fall for:

- shutdown of K-12 due to lack of budget
- shutdown of state universities due to lack of budget.
- shutdown of community colleges due to lack of budget
- shutdown of state agencies due to strike over the Governor’s draconian contract.
- shutdown of many more social services due to lack of budget
- curtailment of the ability of many law enforcement agencies due to lack of budget.

Did I miss anything?

Comment by Joe M Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 11:13 am
Wonder if a state, with consent of its citizens, can be annexed by another state? Not that any other state would want this imploding mess.

Comment by Decaff Coffee Party Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 11:28 am
As a superintendent of schools, I find it appalling that the czar for education spent time to send out a political letter. I am a republican and this ticks me off. Spend the time to make the right decisions instead of politicizing. Most administrators will take this bait.

Comment by Pete Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 11:55 am
I meant, most administrators will not take this bait.

Comment by Pete Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 11:56 am
Is Rauner going to let Republicans vote for the K-12 this time?

Comment by Person 8 Thursday, Mar 3, 16 @ 12:26 pm