NEWS
information to state education leaders
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR INFORMATION, CALL
November 16, 2000 (217)
782-4648
Chicago
– After conducting 28 Schoolhouse Meetings statewide this past
summer and fall, State Superintendent of Education Glenn W. McGee certainly
knows what issues are most important to local school districts.
That
information has been compiled in a report, which was reviewed by the State
Board of Education at its regular monthly meeting.
The
comments from many of the nearly 2,700 parents, teachers, local school
administrators, students and community leaders who attended the meetings has
given McGee many ideas for how the state and local school districts can and
should work together to serve the state’s 2 million students, he said.
“We
learned many valuable things from the Schoolhouse Meetings,” McGee said, “and
the guidance and counsel given to us will be considered in the months ahead as
we continue to work together to make Illinois education Second to None.”
The
Schoolhouse Meetings grew out of a self- improvement plan McGee implemented
last spring focused on the State Board’s internal workings and improving its
relationship to local school districts.
The
meetings gave everyone touched by public education a chance to talk directly,
openly and honestly to McGee and to learn how the State Board works with and
supports local schools.
But
the bigger goal was to hear local folks’ concerns, and to try to address them.
Topics
ranged from the universal (education funding, learning standards, testing,
teacher pay, teacher shortages, special education) to the very local
(enforcement of district residency rules in one school district, and
agricultural education in central and southern Illinois.)