‘All kids in Illinois should be in the same boat’

We write today as a coalition of parents, civil rights organizations, superintendents and teachers who have been advocating for a fix to the state’s school funding formula for years. The state is on the verge of ending an era of inequitable funding in Illinois and a three-year budget impasse if members of the Illinois General Assembly vote for the comprehensive, compromise, budget package in Senate Bill 6 and Senate Bill 9 and the governor signs Senate Bill 1.

Senate Bill 1 fixes the state’s broken school funding formula and is for us, all of us. It does so in a way that ties taxpayer investment in education to the evidence of what works to enhance student achievement. We’re presenting our perspective, with our biases, straight up, not only to share the facts about Senate Bill 1 but also to share information about our values — values that we think Illinoisans share.

We value children and students everywhere. Children shouldn’t bear the burden of the mistakes of the past. That means no schools should lose money. None. That means we should invest in all our students.

And we must support our most vulnerable students. We believe zip codes shouldn’t determine the quality of a child’s

education, and property-poor areas shouldn’t be punished for being poor.

We’re all in this together. All kids in Illinois should be in the same boat and adults are captaining the ship.

We can have a new formula when schools open in August, if the governor signs Senate Bill 1. And we can fund our schools if the General Assembly passes the budget package today. Let’s not stop now. We can put a “W” in everyone’s column if we do this now.

We urge every member of the General Assembly to vote their values—vote in support of kids and pass the budget package.

Dr. Brent Clark, Executive Director, Illinois Association of School Administrators

Dr. Jennifer Garrison, Superintendent, Sandoval School District 501

Dr. Michael A. Jacoby, Executive Director, Illinois Association of School Business Officials

Ralph Martire, Executive Director, Center for Tax and Budget Accountability

Ginger Ostro, Executive Director, Advance Illinois

Tony Sanders, CEO, School District U-46

No excuses for no budget

There are no excuses. If our so-called leaders’ failure — again — to pass a state budget is not criminal, it surely is a dereliction of duty and proof of incompetence. In the corporate world, the highest ranking execs would be shown the door, albeit with golden parachutes. Illinois taxpayers should rise up and mount a recall of our governor and every legislator who has been in office for more than one term.

Dan McGuire, Bensenville

It was oh so easy to say ‘no’

Republicans in Washington are finding it very difficult to create legislation that can be enthusiastically supported by a sufficient number of its senators and representatives, much less our president. It was much easier to just say “no” to anything President Barack Obama and the Democrats tried to do.

Mary F. Warren, Wheaton

Won’t one Republican step up?

Is there one Republican that will publicly tell Donald Trump to stop the lies, the vulgar bullying of women, the bigotry, the mistreatment of Muslims, the disregard for public education, the destruction of affordable healthcare, the denial of climate and the colluding with the Russians oligarchs?

Is there one Republican that will demonstrate honesty, moral fortitude and patriotism and tell him to get off Twitter and do his job? And do his job not just for his rich pals who don’t have to worry about Dodd-Frank anymore. But for the disappearing middle-class and those dependent on Medicaid, a program he’d like to eliminate.

Tom Minnerick, Elgin

Remember environment and health in state budget

Seven months ago, Illinois passed the bipartisan Future Energy Jobs Act — widely considered one of the most pioneering state environmental laws in the U.S. In part, the FEJA creates the Solar For All program, which will help communities across the state reap the benefits of solar power: cleaner air, high-paying jobs, and improved health.

So why are Gov. Bruce Rauner and Senate Republicans now trying to undermine that achievement? Their proposed budget raids hundreds of millions of dollars from the Renewable Energy Resources Fund and the conservation funds that protect our state parks–effectively ending Solar For All, and doing enormous harm to our natural resources.

Rather than cut wasteful subsidies to wealthy individuals and corporations like the governor and his allies, Illinois Republicans want to sell out our environmental and public health.

We need a budget that invests in our common good, not one that strip-mines it for the benefit of the wealthiest. Senate Democrats passed a balanced budget that, while far from perfect, does not sacrifice Illinois’ environmental and public health funding at this crucial moment. Lawmakers need not, and must not, destroy our Renewable Energy Resources Fund and our conservation funds.

Andrew Daglas, Park West