Chicago Reporter (https://www.chicagoreporter.com/tag/finance/)
Tony Smith previously ran the school system in Oakland, Calif., and is the newly named state superintendent for Illinois. Melissa Sanchez talked to him about his vision for education, the role of testing, charters, finding teachers of color and whether CPS should declare bankruptcy.
SPRINGFIELD – The pending amendment to SB 16, the 419-page school funding reform amendment, was pored over and examined and scrutinized, argued over and debated by witnesses and legislators on the Special Issues Subcommittee of the Senate Executive Committee for nearly three hours yesterday before it was approved for full committee consideration.
As the district’s hopes for a state pension holiday fade, CPS has confirmed it is laying off nearly 1,200 additional teachers and nearly 1,100 additional support workers, in addition to 855 teachers and other staff pink-slipped at turnarounds and closing schools last month.
Two years ago the Chicago Urban League and a group of plaintiffs went to
court to root out what we believe lies at the heart of the continuing
failure of Illinois public schools: the state’s fundamentally flawed and
discriminatory funding system. As children return to school and our
lawsuit resumes its progress through the courts, it is a good time to
look at where we’ve been and where we’re going.
A dozen families join in suing the state on school funding
More than 90 percent of black children live in high-poverty school districts that rely heavily on state funding and generate less money from local property taxes, according to a new analysis.
Lawmakers need to accept that money matters and go for real funding reform.
Officials say a switch to student-based budgeting is on the back burner because of the district’s budget problems. But principals say the approach allows them more control over their budgets, and a noted advocate says the district’s plan needs to move ahead to bring equity to local school funding.
The state’s share of education funding has declined in four of the last five years, and Illinois has one of the largest spending gaps in the nation.
Each spring, the district kicks off the budget process by estimating school-by-school enrollment. A Catalyst Chicago analysis found that this year, one in five schools—most often, neighborhood schools—had projections that were substantially off, affecting staffing levels.