The month of December is a turning point for all of us.
In your districts, you have made it halfway through the school year. In
We know there is a critical need to improve how
education is funded and the level of funds available for education in
I have asked the superintendents who serve on the IASA
State Superintendent’s Advisory Group, superintendents at a variety of regional
meetings, and our State Board members over the past weeks if there was only so
much money available next year, what they would focus on first? Resoundingly, I have heard: “Fund the
mandated categoricals”. Further, many of those responding to my question
specifically elaborated on how an excessive amount of their resources is being
absorbed by the rising costs related to special education, which in turn can
short change other important programs.
In the short-term the ISBE is focusing our top priority
on recommending new funds in FY05 be used for the full funding of the mandated
categoricals for FY 05 at the statutorily formulated levels. In the long-term we
know, and are working toward, changes in the formula that fund the mandated
categoricals for special education, so that the dollars received best reimburse
districts for the expenses incurred.
I appreciate your continued support and input on this
matter.
Robert Schiller
State Superintendent
of Education
Aso in this week’s message:
·
Downstate Schools Earn
“Spotlight”
·
·
Regional Middle Grades
Reading Conference
·
Panasonic Academic
Challenge Accepting Applications
·
Summer Institute
Scholarships Available
·
School Breakfast
Conference
·
Newsclips
Downstate
Schools Earn “Spotlight”
The Illinois
State Board of Education (ISBE) gave
“
State Superintendent of Education Robert E. Schiller
presented plaques to each of the “Spotlight Schools” during a special reception
at
Please go to http://www.isbe.net/news/2003/dec02-03.htm
for the complete media advisory.
The Lincoln Foundation for Performance Excellence
recently named five schools or districts as recipients of the 2003 Lincoln
Bronze Award for Commitment to Excellence:
Community Consolidated School District 59 in
The Lincoln Foundation for Performance Excellence is a
not-for-profit organization that assists
Regional
Middle Grade Reading Conferences
I am pleased to announce a series of three regional
conferences to address ways to improve middle-grade (4 to 8) reading
comprehension.
Our program for each one-day conference will run from
February 23 –
February 27 –
March 4 –
Please save the date for your regional ISBE Conference
on Middle-Grade Reading and plan now to attend. I strongly urge district
superintendents to identify, principals, school reading specialists, and or
curriculum specialists to attend. I look forward to seeing you there. Further information regarding
registration will be forthcoming.
Panasonic
Academic Challenge Accepting Applications
The Florida Department of Education and Panasonic invite
you to compete in the 17th Annual National Panasonic Academic
Challenge. The Challenge showcases
the excellence of our nation’s education and rewards individual scholastic
achievement.
Panasonic will award $31,500 in scholarships to the
members and coaches of the 2004 winning teams. Applications and additional information
may be accessed at www.academic-challenge.org
Summer
Institute Scholarships Available
The Public Policy High School Initiatives at the
University of Illinois at Springfield is offering full scholarships for up to
150 Illinois sophomores and juniors to attend the
one-week workshops on leadership
and the four-week Institute on
Students will be selected based on their written essay
and successful completion of the application. The deadline for applying is
Applications and more detailed information is available at http://pphsp.uis.edu.
School
Breakfast Conference
A one-day conference focusing on school breakfast will
be held on December 12 at the Holiday Inn Select in
Newsclips