Barbara Flynn Currie.

16 September 2009

News from Springfield..................by State Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie (D-25)

As part of the federal economic stimulus package, Congress approved the creation of a new program in the U. S. Department of Education. Race to the Top will offer $4.5 billion in competitive grants, and it’s expected that fewer than 15 states will share in the winnings.

While not all the states are rising to the challenge, Governor Quinn has said that Illinois will compete and the state Superintendent of Education seconds the motion. Successful states will have to show progress in four areas: 1) strong student assessments and standards; 2) data systems that back up instruction; 3) quality teachers and school leaders; and 4) effective intervention in failing schools.

Illinois is on track in some of these areas. In others, most agree, some additional work could significantly improve our competitive ranking.

Illinois standards stack up well against those of our sister states. We’re a leader in a consortium developing assessments and standards that professionals regard as reliable and effective.

This session the legislature passed and the governor signed a measure that will collect student data over time. What better way to find out how effective our instructional programs are than to find out how well our students are learning one year after another? The state legislature appropriated funds to implement data collection, and we’ve won a $9 million federal grant that will also help.

On quality issues, we’re making progress. We’ve strengthened principal evaluation programs. We’re working with several well-regarded national organizations to revamp teacher preparation and evaluation programs and to develop effective ways to mentor new teachers. But we have no mechanisms in place to make sure that the very best teachers are shared with low-performing schools and we fall short in providing alternate mechanisms for teacher certification.

Illinois has several programs in place to help failing schools. We offer comprehensive improvement planning to low-performing schools. We’ve increased the number of charter schools that may do business in the state, and we do a pretty good job of checking the effectiveness of the charters we have. One of my bills this session created the Innovation, Intervention and Restructuring Task Force to work with educators, parents, civic, business and child advocacy organizations in the effort to find ways to turn our failing schools around. But we should further strengthen the state’s ability to intervene in low-performing schools and beef up the support we provide them.

So what exactly should Illinois do? And when shall we do it? The state Superintendent, Chris Koch, is setting up several conference calls this month with all the interested parties—lawmakers, teachers, advocates, parents. I’ll be on the line.

Perhaps in these discussions we can forge consensus about the steps we should take. The legislature returns to Springfield in October for the fall veto session. If we can decide on the steps, October is not a moment too soon to take the first of them. The initial application deadline for Race to the Top funding arrives before the beginning of next year—and our kids have a lot at stake.

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