An Educational Diagnostic:Teaching for the 100%

By Lindsey Orlando

As of a 2007 survey, 80.2% of Illinois’ elementary schools were overcrowded. ◦ Peck Elementary is 206% overcapacity◦ The projected cost of reducing class size to the

State mandated level of 20 students per classroom was s $3.1 billion, of which, $2.7 would be for providing additional physical classroom space.

Schools lack of time, personnel and fiscal resources to plan, align, re-write curriculums, select materials, and train teachers.

The Illinois Educational System has Problems

Less than two-thirds of Illinois teachers surveyed stated that they were well prepared to help students meet the state’s educational standards.

As of 2011, 720 Illinois schools were on the State Board of Education’s academic watch list for schools failing to meet the standards required by the No Child Left Behind act.

On Top of Problems

Illinois spent $6 billion last year to educate kids and $7 billion to pay for teachers and other public workers to retire.

63% of our districts are in financial distress and require intervention.

At the end of this school year, we will have 23% of our school districts with less than 100 days of cash on hand.

On Top of Problems

KIPP: a national network Breakthrough Schools:

Cleveland Brighter Choice: Albany LEARN Charter School Network:

Chicago Noble Network of Charter School

s: Chicago

Charles A. Tindley Accelerated School: Indianapolis

Gestalt Community Schools: Memphis

IDEA Public Schools: south Texas Uplift: Dallas

YES Prep: Houston Achievement First: CT, NY & RI Brooke Charter Schools: Boston E.L. Haynes: Washington DC Success Charter Network: NYC DC Prep: Washington DC Chicago International Uncommon Schools: NY & NJ Mastery Charter Schools:

Philadelphia Match Education: Boston

And most notably (or in Chicago, notoriously): K12 Inc.

Recently, Private Education Companies have Tried to Pick up the Slack

Individualized learning plans for each and every student to accommodate diverse learning styles.

Rich, challenging, and engaging content. Traditional materials, including textbooks, CDs,

videos, and hands-on manipulatives that complement interactive online learning.

A learning coach (typically the parent) who facilitates progress and helps the student stay on task.

Cutting-edge technology that automatically updates lesson plans as the child progresses.

These Charter Schools Provide at Home Lesson and Include:

Controversy is an Understatement

Governmental◦ Local: School

Districts in Illinois, Mayor Emanuel

◦ State: Legislators, Illinois State Board of Education

◦National: Department of Education, Legislators, President Obama

Non-Governmental◦ Local: Illonettes, PTAs,

Teachers’ Unions, Chicago Educational Facilities Task Force

◦ State: Illinois Federation of Teachers, Illinois Network of Charter Schools, Illinois Policy Institute

◦National: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, National Public Education Support Fund

Stakeholders

Monopolies are illegal for a reason. They cause more problems than they solve.

Neither Public nor Private domination of education can result in quality education for everyone.

The State does not have the resources to create ideal learning environments for 2,032,451 kids.

Charter schools can solve some of the overcrowding and address child specific needs, but online learning will not work for all children or families.

Let Variety Stabilize the Marketplace

Only by Encouraging Families to Utilize both Public and Private Resources can the State give Illonettes their Best Shot at an Education

The Teach for the 100% Initiative will encourage parents and teachers to look for the educational programs that are best suited to each child’s needs.

This statute sets out the testing guidelines for Illinois schools and gives teachers an idea of what the testing is meant to accomplish.

Our goal should be identifying the educational needs of the children and then putting them in the program that is right for them, whether that program is online, in a classroom, remedial, accelerated, or some combination thereof.

Technology has advanced to the point that we can tailor educations to individual students.

It would be a shame if irrational fear and political rhetoric impeded the educations of the children raised in our state.

105 ILCS 5/2-3.64 State Goals and Assessment

Section (e) of current proposal reads: ◦ The results or scores of each assessment taken

under this Section shall be made available to the parents of each student.

I propose the following addition to (e):◦ Information about interpreting the assessment, a

list of alternative learning programs, and the eligibility requirements for those programs shall be attached to the results or scores. Alternative learning programs include, but are not

limited to: accelerated, remedial, disability, or charter school curriculums available in the child’s district.

105 ILCS 5/2-3.64a-5 (e):

Linda Chapa LaVia – she has sponsored a bill for charters outside of Chicago, she is the Chairperson for the Committee for Education, she is the Chairperson on the Charter school subcommittee, and she has two daughters.

Democratic House Sponsor for the Teach for the 100% Initiative:

Robert W. Pritchard – he is the Republican Spokesperson on the Appropriations-Elementary & Secondary Education Committee, Elementary & Secondary Education Committee, Charter Schools Subcommittee, and he has two sons.

Republican House Sponsor for the Teach for the 100% Initiative:

Kimberly Lightford  - she is the Assistant Majority Leader, she is Chairperson of the Education Committee, she helped pass legislation allowing for more charter schools both in Chicago and downstate, she has worked to pass legislation aimed at re-enrolling high school dropouts, and she has one son.

Democratic Senate Sponsor for the Teach for the 100% Initiative:

Karen McConnaughay – she is on the Committee of Education, the Subcommittee on Charter Schools, the Advisory Committee On Ed. Funding, and she has three children and two grandchildren.

Republican Senate Sponsor for the Teach for the 100% Initiative:

Teresa Groat of the Chicago Tribune wrote, “There is so much wrong with an overcrowded classroom, but, perhaps most important, a qualified, experienced and enthusiastic instructor is diminished to a person who hands out assignments and reprimands. Our teachers have the opportunity to inspire our children to learn, but that opportunity is lost on a supersize classroom.” 

This amendment is not indented to empty Public Schools, merely to remove the children that cannot flourish in a traditional school setting.

Let’s ensure that Illinois teachers have enough time give 100% of their student their best education.

Teach for the 100% Initiative

http://www.isbe.state.il.us/ http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-11-21/news/ct-school

-board-meets-met-1121-20131121_1_edwards-elementary-schools-ceo-barbara-byrd-bennett-lincoln-elementary

http://www.ilga.gov/default.asp http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/98/HB/09800HB6005.htm http://illinoisissues.uis.edu/archives/2011/06/setuptofail.html http://watchdog.org/125843/illinois-school-budget/ http://

www.k12.com/sites/default/files/pdf/2013-K12-Academic-Report-Feb6-2013.pdf

http://www.k12.com/ http://gettingsmart.com/2013/08/smart-lists-40-top-charter-n

etworks-school-managers/

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2005-01-28/news/0501280288_1_classroom-split-class-overcrowded

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