Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for July 12, 2007 LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Politics?

From The News-Gazette.com...

State must increase education funding

The temporary budget passed by the Illinois General Assembly keeps government working for the month of July.

The passage of this one-month budget also makes it incumbent upon all of us, the governor, the leaders and the members of the General Assembly, to use July to resolve the per student funding level as well as to pass substantive accountability proposals before Aug. 10 – the date that the first school aid payment is due for the 2007-2008 school year.

We should use July to accomplish two goals: to pass accountability measures and to increase funding for public schools. Those two efforts should be the measure of this General Assembly.

Some will argue to hold schools at the same funding level as last year. That is bad public policy. A budget that funds our schools at the Fiscal Year 2007 level will create a shortfall to schools throughout Illinois of $260 million. There is no funding in a level budget to make up this shortfall. And our children will pay the price. This is not an issue that affects one region of the state; it affects every area because it affects the quality of our children's education.

We have an opportunity in the next few weeks to secure a win-win for the schoolchildren of Illinois. This is an easy "A" for legislators. We must not fail.

EMIL JONES

Illinois Senate President

Chicago