Issue Position: Education in Illinois

Issue Position

* ALLOW "NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND" (NCLB) TO EXPIRE.

* REDUCE DEPENDENCY ON STANDARDIZED TESTS AS A MEASURE OF GROWTH.

* We need to move away from teaching our students how to take a test and prepare them for the challenges of the real world.

* In 2010, 56 of 665 schools met Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). In 2011, this number was reduced even more.

* We have set a plan in place to ensure that schools in the State of Illinois fail. The result is majority of schools in the state not meeting the standards of AYP.

* CHARTER SCHOOLS

* It is unfair to keep establishing charter schools when the real goal is to increase the quality of education statewide.

*Charter schools are essentially making a two-tier education system, separate and unequal.

*Let's focus on improving the schools that we already have in place, rather than creating new ones.

* PREPARING OUR STUDENTS TO COMPETE IN A GLOBAL MARKETPLACE.

*Illinois needs to invest in our children by expanding vocational education and training programs available to students. Instead of losing jobs overseas to foreign and cheaper labor, let's keep the work at home.

*We need to ensure all students meet the minimum education standards set by the Common Core to ensure they have the knowledge and skills necessary to compete in today's society.

*Recent research has shown that today's students need a higher level of training and education to do what we used to call "blue collar" jobs.

* "ENTREPRENEUR" ILLINOIS

*Expand the subjects fundamental to entrepreneurialism in education (finance, marketing, advertising).

*Rather than being thousands of dollars in debt with no skills to show for it. Students who major in subjects like aroma therapy, basket weaving, etc. have the education on what is required to start their own business rather than depending on jobs paying minimum wage working at the mall.

* VALUES & WORK ETHIC STARTS AT HOME.

*Under my plan, I will propose legislation that begins a state wide campaign focusing on how families can support their children at home. Many of our children have difficulties in education due to their environments at home.

* ENSURE THAT THE STATE BUDGET IS NOT BALANCED ON THE BACK OF EDUCATION.

*Illinois is falling behind other states in terms of its focus on education.....if we are not spending our money on our children, what are we spending it on?

*If we do not make the education of our young children a priority, then Illinois will never move forward.

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