April 19, 2011
7:30 PM - 9:30 PM
OGS JUNIOR HIGH GYMNASIUM
Join us in this opportunity for two-way communication. Topics will include:
Consolidation Legislation
Special Guest, Erika Lindley, ED-RED
ED-RED is an advocacy organization that monitors and actively influences education policy at the Illinois Statehouse, particularly issues that are priorities for our member school districts.
Brief School District Update
Proposed Idea to Change School Schedule for 2011-12
Dialog on other topics presented by the community
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Elementary Consolidation SB 626
Senate Bill 626 http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09700SB0626sam001&ga=97&sessionid=84&doctypeid=SB&legid=55455&docnum=626&gaid=11&session
The amendment to Senate Bill 626 creates one elementary district for each high school district.
Senator Chris Lauzen (R)
25th District
Senator Chris Lauzen (R)
25th District
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Consolidation is a Study Now
Linda Chapa LaVia, an Aurora Democrat, is sponsoring a plan to form a 19-member commission to study consolidating school districts.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Oak Grove Committee First Meeting Summary
The Committee to Protect Oak Grove School (CPOGS) had its initial meeting on 4/4/2011. Members at the meeting reviewed options available to the district with regards to opposition to forces school consolidation. We discussed a proposed framework that addresses five areas:
1) Engaging the community
2) Influencing our legislators
3) Consideration for media relations
4) Shared services opportunitie
5) Preemptive consolidation scenarios
Please check this blog often and watch your email for important consolidation related information and activities. Make plans to join CPOGS for future meetings and events!
1) Engaging the community
2) Influencing our legislators
3) Consideration for media relations
4) Shared services opportunitie
5) Preemptive consolidation scenarios
Please check this blog often and watch your email for important consolidation related information and activities. Make plans to join CPOGS for future meetings and events!
Meetings with Legislators
Here are some of my views on HB 1216 and SB 2134. I went to Rep. Sente's Coffee in Vernon Hills Saturday morning and I attended Senator Garrett's Forum on April 4.
HB 1216- Rep. Sente confirmed at the coffee on Saturday that forced consolidation seems to be off the table but that her committee's job to study consolidation is still alive and well. She tried to emphasize that her co-sponsored bill is a study bill and that the only thing that will come from it is recommendations. The House and Senate would need to accept the recommendations, and then after an acceptance (or rejection) a new bill would have to be written for any action (i.e., actualconsolidation) to take place.
SB2134 I am not sure how Senator Garrett's SB 2134 bill works with/against Sente's/Chapa LaVia's 1216 bill. Garrett said it is a compromise bill. It would encourage districts to share resources in areas such as transportation, maintenance, personnel (business office, superintendent office, curriculum, testing, staff development, grant writing, instructional programs, etc) in a way that would save money and in turn put the money back into classrooms/student learning. It would require that districts report to/document their efforts (annually?) to their ROE. This bill is currently being redrafted/amended and should be finished by the end of the week.
Paula Sterner
Oak Grove School Board Member
HB 1216- Rep. Sente confirmed at the coffee on Saturday that forced consolidation seems to be off the table but that her committee's job to study consolidation is still alive and well. She tried to emphasize that her co-sponsored bill is a study bill and that the only thing that will come from it is recommendations. The House and Senate would need to accept the recommendations, and then after an acceptance (or rejection) a new bill would have to be written for any action (i.e., actualconsolidation) to take place.
SB2134 I am not sure how Senator Garrett's SB 2134 bill works with/against Sente's/Chapa LaVia's 1216 bill. Garrett said it is a compromise bill. It would encourage districts to share resources in areas such as transportation, maintenance, personnel (business office, superintendent office, curriculum, testing, staff development, grant writing, instructional programs, etc) in a way that would save money and in turn put the money back into classrooms/student learning. It would require that districts report to/document their efforts (annually?) to their ROE. This bill is currently being redrafted/amended and should be finished by the end of the week.
Paula Sterner
Oak Grove School Board Member
Monday, April 4, 2011
Little Support for Forced Consolidation
Governor Quinn has assigned consolidation to the Lt. Governor Sheila Simon. She indicates that this is just a discussion starter.
Daily Herald 3/31/2011
Daily Herald 3/31/2011
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Shared Services Meeting with Senator Garrett
Last week, the Senate Education Committee approved SB 2134 which encourages districts to engage in shared services with other districts. The sponsor, Sen. Susan Garrett, met with ED-RED prior to the committee hearing and agreed to amend the legislation to address concerns about the scope of the bill. Last week, we met again to discuss the importance of starting with data to determine how districts are collaborating and if policy changes are necessary to help districts coordinate efforts.
Sen. Garrett will hold a forum on Monday, April 4 at 10am at Oakton Community College to hear from local districts on these issues. The meeting will take place in Room 1610 and attendees are asked to park in Lot D. Please RSVP to Sen. Garrett’s office at ilsenate29@sbcglobal.net or 847/433-2002 by April 1st.
Oak Grove School District will be represented at this meeting by Board Members, our Business Manager and a parent from the Consolidation Committee.
Sen. Garrett will hold a forum on Monday, April 4 at 10am at Oakton Community College to hear from local districts on these issues. The meeting will take place in Room 1610 and attendees are asked to park in Lot D. Please RSVP to Sen. Garrett’s office at ilsenate29@sbcglobal.net or 847/433-2002 by April 1st.
Oak Grove School District will be represented at this meeting by Board Members, our Business Manager and a parent from the Consolidation Committee.
The Myth About School Consolidation
http://www.iasaedu.org/images/stories/op%20ed%2032811.pdf
Longer version of this report
IASA Brief on Consolidation Facts and Myths
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Rep. Pam Roth on School Consolidation
Rep. Pam Roth, Full-time legislator 75th District, certified public accountant since 1999; former board member and President of Saratoga School District 60c in Morris, Illinois. Rep. Roth supports choice in consolidation, shared services and the need for the ROE (Regional Office of Education).
Message from Rep. Carol Sente
April 1, 2011
Dear Neighbors,
It has been a busy and productive week in Springfield! After many people reached out to my office expressing concerns over the forced consolidation of schools, I am happy to report that those voices have been heard and forced consolidation has been taken off the table.
Yesterday, Illinois State Superintendent Christopher Koch said opposition to the idea came from all over — local school officials, lawmakers and voters. Koch offered assurance that forced consolidation is all but dead, and that the state would instead focus on incentives, saying, “I doubt there is going to be anything that comes out this year that gives that kind of direction, that says you have to consolidate.”
I want to assure you, that I will continue to fight to ensure that any measure that comes forward in the future that would force our local schools to merge and jeopardize the quality of education and property values in our area should require local taxpayers to approve the measure.
Carol Sente
State Representative, 59th District
Dear Neighbors,
It has been a busy and productive week in Springfield! After many people reached out to my office expressing concerns over the forced consolidation of schools, I am happy to report that those voices have been heard and forced consolidation has been taken off the table.
Yesterday, Illinois State Superintendent Christopher Koch said opposition to the idea came from all over — local school officials, lawmakers and voters. Koch offered assurance that forced consolidation is all but dead, and that the state would instead focus on incentives, saying, “I doubt there is going to be anything that comes out this year that gives that kind of direction, that says you have to consolidate.”
I want to assure you, that I will continue to fight to ensure that any measure that comes forward in the future that would force our local schools to merge and jeopardize the quality of education and property values in our area should require local taxpayers to approve the measure.
Carol Sente
State Representative, 59th District
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