In the News ~ Dec. 16
December 16, 2009 by IEA Communications
Below are links to news stories of interest from newspapers that came up during a search today. These links were active at the time of this e-mail, but should you want to save a story, printing it or cutting and pasting the entire article and saving it to your computer is recommended.
State News 
Warning to teachers about those strikes Phil Kadner ~ I have long advocated an income tax hike to fund public education in this state, not only to provide more money for the schools but to eliminate the inequities between have and have-not school districts. Much has changed since I first endorsed that idea more than a decade ago. For one thing, the state is about tapped out, facing a roughly $11 billion revenue shortfall. That means even if a tax hike were passed, and Springfield insiders tell me that remains an uphill fight, much of the new income tax money would be used to plug holes in the budget outside of education.
District 207: Teachers will be cut Arlington Heights Daily Herald – Maine Township High School District 207 will cut roughly 75 teaching jobs for the next school year following a decision by the teacher’s union not to reopen contract negotiations. Most of the jobs cut would be of nontenured teachers across all departments, District 207 Superintendent Ken Wallace said Tuesday.
Kaneland budget-cutting process enters next phase DeKalb Daily – any proposals at a special hearing, likely to be scheduled for Feb. 8. The district, however, has taken steps to cut costs now, as well. The board approved a letter of agreement with the Kaneland education association allowing the district to extend an early retirement incentive to a small number of teachers. Under the program, staff members who have notified the district of their intent to
Kaneland offers early retirement incentives Beacon News – offers a $10,000 post-retirement stipend to certified staff members who have signed a letter of intent to retire in June 2011 but instead choose to retire at the end of this school year. Education association President Lynn McHenry said the agreement is an outgrowth of a conversation between both sides. “It was a mutual agreement,” McHenry said. McHenry said she doesn’t know how
Kaneland offers early retirement incentives Suburban Chicago News – incentive for teachers to help reduce an estimated $2.6 million deficit projected in the 2011 fiscal year budget. A “Letter of Agreement” approved this week by the School Board and Kaneland education association offers a $10,000 post retirement stipend to certified staff members who have signed a letter of intent to retire in June 2011 but instead choose to retire at the end of this
District 300 sets $6 million target for budget cuts Chicago Daily Herald – the district will need to trim. The answer came this week: $6 million. That is the amount District 300 officials say they will seek to save when they present a proposed list of budget cuts to the school board next month. That number, though, could change, depending on whether the state cuts funding for education next year and whether the state pays the $8.6 million it owes the district
T-town residents question large tax levy increase Effingham Daily News – church officials have signed an agreement to rebuild the school in case of disaster. Another speaker urged the board fight for teacher salary freezes in the next contract between the Teutopolis education association teachers union and the school district
Georgetown schools’ levy hike to raise tax bills slightly Champaign News Gazette – that it is hard to predict how many students will want to graduate early. School board President Jack Morrison said board representatives had met with members of the Georgetown-Ridge Farm education association last week to discuss contract negotiations, and that the discussions were off to a “good, positive start.”
West Richland board discusses possible cuts Olney Daily Mail – Noble, Ill. – West Richland School District Board of education discussed the possibility of making cuts to the district during its monthly meeting Monday, but took no action. Superintendent Anthony Galindo said the district is current on all of its
Political News
Quinn right to back Thomson There aren’t many politicians who would push for transferring suspected terrorists to their state on the eve of a primary election. But Gov. Quinn, to his credit, did just that, showing strong leadership by backing the federal government’s proposal to turn the Thomson Correctional Center into a new home for Guantanamo Bay detainees.
Hynes ties worries over Guantanamo detainees to ’secret’ release program Chicago Current - Pat Quinn suspended an unpublicized release of state prison inmates, rival Democrat and Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes has tied the “secret” release program …
Gitmo agreement raises hopes for everyday life in Thomson Rockford Register Star - ? Pat Quinn, touted the plan as an economic boon, others warned that it would make the state a target for terrorist attacks. Republican Rep. …
Ryan: Thomson prison sale should be postponed Bloomington Pantagraph - “Neither Governor Quinn nor President Obama has sufficiently articulated a reason as to why moving Gitmo detainees, who are the center of the Al-Qaida …
Terror trials at Illinois prison draw fire from Republicans Lynn Sweet: President Obama ordered the federal government Tuesday to buy the Thomson Correctional Center in northwest Illinois to house Guantanamo detainees as the administration revealed that military trials would be conducted at the prison. Meanwhile, critics of Obama’s plan to move the suspected terrorists now at the military prison in Cuba to Thomson included all seven Republican members of the Illinois congressional delegation.
Military tribunals in Illinois? — The White House announced Tuesday that in addition to using Illinois’ Thomson prison to hold terror suspects, it plans to conduct military tribunals for detainees there.
Union Opposes Thomson Deal MyStateline.com - ?The American Federal of State, County and Municipal Employees is urging Governor Pat Quinn to rethink the plan. Executive Director Henry Bayer says prisons …
Blagojevich to go to court, then debate Elvis Ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich will spend his afternoon at a hearing for his federal corruption case, but in the evening he plans to discuss the merits of the King.
Blago lawyers want Obama transcripts
Jacksonville Journal Courier – Rod Blagojevich’s lawyers are asking to see any notes, transcripts or reports of what President Obama said when he was interviewed in the investigation that led to the former governor’s indictment. The request may come up Wednesday as attorneys meet with federal Judge James Zagel for a pre-Christmas status hearing in the case.
National News
26,500 school cafeterias lack required inspections Food-borne viruses sicken thousands of children each year, but law requiring regular inspections of cafeterias is hard to enforce, feds say.
STATE BY STATE: Many schools not inspected enough
FULL COVERAGE: School lunch safety
In New York, a model for how to improve a school cafeteria The cafeteria of Eastchester Middle School had run afoul of the public health code for several years. Between 2006 and 2008, county inspectors found repeated food-safety violations: cold cuts stored at incorrect temperatures, no proper sink for sanitizing kitchenware and employees without required certification.
Senator seeks ’strict testing’ for meat sent to schools A senator on the committee overseeing the National School Lunch Program called Monday for the government to raise its standards for meat sent to schools across the nation.
Teens on surviving the walk to school This week, American Morning is examining the causes of youth-on-youth violence across the country. In part three of the series, “Walk in my Shoes,” CNN’s T.J. Holmes looks at the threats teens face when traveling to school in rough neighborhoods. FULL STORY
10 worst phrases to use at office YouGov published its list of the 10 worst business sayings months ago. Some I more than agreed with (“thinking outside of the box,” “blue-sky thinking,” “heads up”); some didn’t bug me too much (“at the end of the day,” “going forward,” “credit crunch”).
Word of the Day for Wednesday, December 16, 2009
doff \DOF\, transitive verb:
1. To take off, as an article of clothing.
2. To tip or remove (one’s hat).
3. To put aside; to rid oneself of.
My question for Phil Kadner (who has always seemed sharp on funding issues) is this: What is the point of having the right to strike if you never use it? It is not as if teachers have been striking willy-nilly and without restraint.