Yes, where education is no longer important and the kids of today have no marketable skills for tomorrow. That's just want you want in a global economy that is based on competition among countries.

Oh don’t worry Sully.

The kids are going to be just fine.

Certainly you're not suggesting state funds grow on trees..

Next years choices will be the same; raise taxes, or make cuts. Perhaps they will follow the same path as this year and incorporate a little of both.

Just in case you didn't realize, the max levy would NOT have covered the budget deficit.

BTW, raising taxes every year is not fiscal sustainability and that is what this district needs.

You can blame the higher class sizes and more RIFs to the union reps who knowingly argued for unsustainable increases during the strike.

Voting for the levy freeze resulted in reducing the upcoming operating levy revenues by approximately $750,000. And more importantly, diminished revenues by a similiar amount in perpetuity, thereby creating a long term structural deficit. The net result was to widen the deficit and place more reliance on State revenues. So they doubled down on State GSA revenue at a time when they should have known that, given the state's fiscal problems, the state will continue to prorate their GSA payments and D46 will never see GSA revenues anywhere close to PMA's forecast. So the BOE chose to run a strategy that purposely reduced revenue and then caved on a labor contract that resulted in increased expenses. And now they sit at the table with a glum look on their faces wondering what to do about a $2.2 million deficit. Shouldn't they have looked at what cuts they would have to make and their impact BEFORE voting on freezing the levy and caving on a labor contract?

Thank you Mr. Johnson. It would have been prudent for the BOE to ahead before any action. But I don't think they "caved" on the labor contract. I don't see any Master's Degree, highly educated teachers making loads of money as they would in the private sector with these degrees. Their sacrifice was supposed to be protected by the guarantee of a pension. Which we all know what happened to the money the teachers gave the legislators for their pension. Looks like the teachers lose on both counts.

Please keep in mind, every reference to levy revenues, state revenues, GSA revenues and GSA payments could also be referred to as levy revenues generated by tax payer dollars, state revenues generated by tax payer dollars, GSA revenues generated with tax payer dollars, and GSA payments made with tax payer dollars..

Certainly you're not suggesting federal and state funds grow on trees...

Johnson, couldn't agree with you more. My children have graduated from D46 but that doesn't lessen my responsibility to the community to support D46. My point was that those whose goal is to stop tax increases without regard to the impact couldn't or wouldn't field a slate of candidates that would allow them to win a majority. It is easier to criticize and prolong controversy than to govern.

I will preface this by saying I am not a huge fan of Ms. Correll. However, I don't think she has had a raise in three years. Teachers have not gone without an increase yet. Out of curiosity, who took a hit on their pay in the district in the last few years?

I believe her pay was frozen as well.

"On a related note, a vote to extend Correll's $170,844 annual contract through June 2014 failed for a second time. The vote ended in a 3-3 tie (as it did on Oct. 17). Board member Sue Facklam was again absent." (Perhaps Facklam was out picking up some gift cards.)

Yeah, $170K for Correll vs. $50K for teachers (with a masters degree). I would hope her pay was frozen.

Correll received a 14 percent pay raise in 2010.

@ Tony, Feb 6 minutes record motion passed to 5-2 to extend Superintendent one year through June 20, 2014.

How about just local? Why choose 2000?
Is it because in 2000 spending on education (~6.5% of GDP) was the lowest it had been since the early 60's?
Why not compare to 1978 when it was ~1.2% of GDP?
Now, education spending is ~8.5% of GDP. Hardly out of line with history.

That would require some research, Doug. Lennie doesn't seem to believe in that. I guess it's one of those "sciences" that isn't really real.

Mr Jarratt...
Your post fell below the fold on the Blogroll. Better get hoppin'! Maybe something original with empirical research or significant practical experience? Nah...Google's easier...LOL!!!

I chose 2000 because it was before NCLB and its adverse unintended consequences was passed.

And NCLB was whose baby? LOL!!!

NCLB was bipartisan legislation most notably by ted Kennedy and Pres. Bush. It is disaster which gave the feds more control at the expense of the local district, teachers and parents. Pres Obama reauthorixrd it while grabbing even more federal control st the expense of the local community.

The legislation was proposed by President George W. Bush on January 23, 2001. It was coauthored by Representatives John Boehner (R-OH), George Miller (D-CA), and Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Judd Gregg (R-NH).

That's your opinion about NCLB (legislation which has been reckless at best- unfunded mandates are a joke). But how about offering some facts about how NCLB has failed local districts. You've offered your opinion- now back yourself up.

Non Tenured staff never has to be re-hired they are not tenured they simply don't get re-hired.

The Center for American Progress is a progressive public policy research and advocacy organization. Its website states that the organization is "dedicated to improving the lives of Americans through progressive ideas and action". The Center presents a liberal viewpoint on economic issues. It has its headquarters in Washington, D.C.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_for_American_Progress

Yes, Tony...the Champion is a far better resource.

This was not liberal at all. It was a research study that basically supported your points. Why don't you try looking at something before commenting on it?

@ Terri: Huh?

@ Sully: I didn't suggest your post was liberal. I simply stated your link came from a liberal source.

Did you not read the post prior to commenting on it?

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) is an American non-profit think tank that describes itself as a "policy organization ... working at the federal and state levels on fiscal policy and public programs that affect low- and moderate-income families and individuals.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_on_Budget_and_Policy_Priorities

Again...The Champion is a far better resource, right?

Sure thing Tony. I'm sure the research was just faked. Demonstrating your extremely closed mind there.

@ Terri: Again... Huh?

@ Sully: Speaking of faked research, did you happen to notice all the global warming which occurred overnight? lol

Come on Sully, don't be so mean spirited. A comment such as yours would suggest perhaps maybe you are the one suffering from closed mind syndrome.

I have a question for you sully, would you have the nerve to confront people, face to face, in the same manner and tone as you do here?

I think not. I think Sully's lacking testosterone levels would prohibit such an action.

But we've had this conversation in the past......

So Tony- it snows in the winter when it's supposed to , so that means the climate is not changing. Okay. If you really want to talk about research and the percentage of scientists around the globe who believe in it's existence vs. the percentage of those who don't, I'd be happy to provide that for you. Maybe I'll start with the Koch Brothers team who were supposed to disprove it, but came out with the opposite instead. Or maybe I'll point you in the direction of the oil and coal industry CEOs who paid millions of dollars in order to debunk scientists.

Oh come on little Sully, we’ve been slowly warming from the last ice age for the last 10k years or so.

I know, I know; this tends to counter the creation theory (another one of your favorite immature rants).

I have to be honest with you, I don’t care about the single sided research, the percentage of scientists who believe or don’t believe, nor do care what parts of the world any of them reside.

And, I congratulate the Koch brothers for building such a successful private enterprise, which provides many opportunities for others.

Oh and those horrible oil and coal CEO’s, you libs and your goofy conspiracy theories. lol

Thanks for the offer, but no thanks. Why don’t you have that little conversation with yourself, inside your closed mind…..

http://www.care2.com/causes/corporations-funding-climate-change-denial.html

http://www.policymic.com/articles/24604/3-states-are-pushing-a-bill-to-require-teaching-climate-change-denial-in-schools

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/feb/14/funding-climate-change-denial-thinktanks-network

http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2010/04/inside-kochs-climate-denial-machine

http://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/mandias/global_warming/global_warming_denial_machine.html

http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/3722126.html

http://www.prwatch.org/node/9915

http://newint.org/features/2009/12/01/corporate-influence/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2006/sep/20/oilandpetrol.business

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/mar/30/us-oil-donated-millions-climate-sceptics

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Exxon_Mobil

-and so many more, but this has nothing to do with this article, Tony.

I just couldn't imagine having so little to do, especially on a Friday evening. Every evening for that matter. Every day if you really think about it. What a pathetic, boring, lonely existence. I suggest Sully, like so many have done, "retire" this login and create another one named Gullum. lol...

Yes, Grayslake has fewer administrators in the central office than other districts, but those that D46 has, I would not consider particularly competent. I'm not referring to principals; I'm referring the ones who lead supervisory roles as district directors.

I also agree with what you say about "standardized" education if you are referring to testing. The ISAT handcuffs a lot of teachers, and they take real teaching time out of the day (not just in D46). Schools start preparing for the ISATs any number of weeks before the actual administration of the test, lose more time during the testing (what kid seriously wants to take a long boring test and then go listen to lecture or instruction the rest of the day?). With MAP and Aimsweb testing, the outcomes are used to gauge where a student is at a particular time , and identifies students who may need additional assistance . Those tests are not ideal, but the purpose for which they are used is legitimate. ISATs simply compare a student's score with what other students in their grade score at a particular time during the year. Scores don't come back until well after the tests have been taken, so essentially, they do nothing for a specific student. At this point, those scores are used to evaluate teachers even though that was not what they were designed to do.

(part I) What difference does it make how long ago I was in school? ,,, The key is who today is teaching these courses to third graders and why not? If I could learn algebra, music theory, & French in 3rd grade then so can our children learn whatever high level skills they will need to face our future job markets competing in a global economy. Teaching to tests, is driven by programs like "no child left behind" and other federal and state mandates. In public education yes granted some schools don't teach at all, and a very few excel like the New Trier and the Stevensen District do. In these schools the parents demand their children be taught at a much higher level and they won’t sit silent and wait for someone else to do it for them. Yes, there are some here who demand it, we are one of those families, but they are few, and overpowered by a weak system bogged down in government red tape and the political correctness to treat everyone the same. NONSENSE I SAY !!! We were one of the parents who taught our kids, perhaps you may be too? It seems the ones who wanted more for their children were the ones who were active at our schools and BOE meetings. No we didn’t all agree on a lot of topics but we all agreed and demanded more for our children. We learned fast and didn’t wait for someone else to do it.

New Trier and Stevenson are also populated by those with a lot of money. Not much poverty in those areas, not a lot of kids lacking for anything.

Money isn't the issue parental attitude is. It doesn't take a lot of money to demand more from yourself, your children or a school. Obama is not always my favorite but he is an example of "I can do it" no one else but him and his family got this poor kid through Harvard.

Money is an issue if you don't have it. You can't pay for outside tutoring if it's needed, you can't "buy" a diagnosis such as ADHD in order to have special accommodations given on local and state tests, and college entrance exams, you can't always provide enough food for your children, and you don't have the luxury of buying computers, educational software, and learning toys for the younger kids. Parental attitude is very important, but so is just being able to live day to day. College educated parents are also better for the kids, but not everyone is college educated. Using money the same way for all IS a waste, but if used appropriately, it can provide resources that would help reach and educate the students (or schools, I should say), in a more realistic way.

Hal, you are also assuming that everyone has the same intellectual ability that you have. Even for kids who want to do well, if they don't have the basic skills, or have a learning disability or a cognitive impairment, they will not learn as easily as you were able to. They CAN learn- I wouldn't say they can't, but they may need different avenues in order to learn.

One more thought- research has proven that early exposure to education and young children being challenged cognitively with a broad variety of experiences, develops the mind to be more open to learning. The young mind needs stimulation or it will not be as proficient as it could be. Students who have not been stimulated beforehand, and who have not been exposed to early educational opportunities enter Kindergarten already behind their peers. In today's academic environment, when entering Kindergarten, kids have to already know things that when we were kids (or at least when I was a kid), weren't even thought about until sometime in the first grade at the least. Child development is no longer considered when curriculums are being formed, and that is not fair. My point is, the playing field is not the same for all students even when in the same grade.

Thanks for helping my argument for school choice.

Speaking of which, should funding follow the child, where would those funds come from? Whose money will "follow the child"?

Sorry Lennie. I prefer making the public schools better, rather than throwing them away. Some Charters actually follow rules and have a standard. CPS has some, as a matter of fact. They don't try to teach some made up, Christian fundamentalist version of life on Earth or revisionist history. Unregulated charters are not held accountable for either its curriculum or it's usage of public monies. Some for-profit charters break so many rules, and use so much money to line their leaders' pockets, these people should be in jail. But hey, when you have something that's not held accountable or has no regulations, what can you expect? No Lennie, I'm not advocating for more charter schools. Sorry about that.

Well Terri, certainly not Lennie's.

There you go again, making stuff up about what I want and then still expect me to answer your questions. So predictable.

Curmudgeon on the rocks.

Lennie, I've always heard you don't pay your taxes. Is that true?