The timing of the legislature’s actions is not lost on us. It’s the end of the school year and everyone is busy with graduations, presentations, finals, productions. They know you’re distracted. They’re doing their best to ensure you are cut out of the process. Don’t let them!

Everything is very fluid right now. There is a legislative deadline of May 31, but we’re not sure lawmakers will stick to it. They could stay into June. Could their strategy be to wait until school lets out to do their damage?

We encourage you to set up phone trees within your locals so that if something should happen, there is a way to mobilize members. Also, if you could ask your members to go to the IEA website and  update their member profiles with home email addresses and to check them often, it would be most helpful.

The mess in Proviso Township  Chicago Tribune – The Proviso Township High School District 209 board has asked the state to disband a panel that has overseen the district’s shaky finances since 2009. This is a very bad idea. Sen. Kimberly Lightford, D-Maywood, had an even worse idea, but more on that in a minute.

Two children still hospitalized after bus-truck crash  The State Journal-Register – Trooper Doug Francis, safety education officer for Illinois State Police in Litchfield, said the crash was apparently caused by a momentary …

Freeport Schools selected for Race to the Top competition  Freeport Journal Standard – The Illinois State Board of Education announced the 37 school districts that will receive federal funding to implement “Race to the Top” initiatives.

Conflicting testimony in U-46 bias trial  Chicago Daily Herald – Rivera claimed that students in the English Language Learners Program were automatically transferred to the general education population …

Teachers union accuses ousted member of being a ‘spy’ for CPS  But Chicago Teachers Union officials are calling Marc Wigler “a spy,’’ a “stool pigeon” and a “rat’’ following his April 24 ouster for life from the union for allegedly feeding a top Chicago Public Schools labor official information about an internal union meeting. 

Building better city schools
Chicago Sun Times – Rahm Emanuel – Given all the challenges facing our city, I understood their skepticism. After one year in office, I don’t hear that question any more. I hope people can tell that I consider being mayor to be the best job I’ve ever had. I get to take in the full sweep of this incredible city and see all that Chicagoans are doing to build a brighter future.

Poll shows support for longer school day  Chicago Tribune – … but far more of them side with the teachers union than the mayor on overall efforts to improve education, a new Tribune/WGN-TV poll shows.

CTU: Poll shows members unhappy with contract proposal
A Chicago Teachers Union poll found that more than 90 percent of members feel CPS’ current contract proposal would lower the quality of education in schools. The poll sparked debate between CPS and CTU over the proposal’s details

Charter bill not yet a done deal
Charter advocates and proponents sparred at an Illinois House Executive Committee meeting where members considered a bill to increase school districts’ per-pupil funding to charters

Comings and Goings: Foundation News, Chapman
Local foundations supporting education get new leaders and Golden Apple teachers are announced

From security guard to teacher
In the first of an occasional series, Catalyst Chicago profiles a student teacher who is Latino and male—a group that is in short supply in Chicago, where the teaching force is becoming whiter.

Political News

Union ad challenges governor’s pension plans  After weeks of relative quiet, public employee unions are airing television ads statewide to highlight what they say is the unfairness of Gov. Pat Quinn’s pension ideas.

Madigan proposes diverting local funds to pensions  Local governments are balking at a proposal by House Speaker Michael Madigan to divert revenue from them to the Teachers’ Retirement System. If the measure passes, it would blow multimillion-dollar holes in the budgets of the city of Springfield and the Springfield School District and hit other local government budgets in varying degrees.

Madigan pension fix could take local tax dollars
Southern Illinoisan – A House panel is scheduled to discuss a plan Wednesday that could divert more than a billion dollars from local governments to help plug a hole in the state’s underfunded teacher retirement system.

Kadner: Madigan plan takes cash from suburbs and schools   Confusion. Panic. Division. It seems those are the goals of Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan as he leads the Legislature toward teacher pension reform. On Monday, groups representing suburban mayors and school districts were in a state of panic because of three legislative amendments that

Quinn to lawmakers: Don’t cave to ‘delay lobby’
WJBC AM 1230 Bloomington – “We cannot take this moment in history and squander it,” he said. “I’m very grateful to all the business groups, the economic groups that have stood for us and come forward and helped us out here. We have to tell Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate, there is no time for delay or denial. We have to address these issues.”

Illinois Transportation Funding Questioned
WIFR (CBS) 23 Rockford – Controversy could be brewing in Springfield over how the Illinois Department of Transportation receives funding. The Illinois Statehouse News is reporting money meant for maintaining state highways could be paying for some of IDOT’s everyday expenses.

Here they come  The Capitol Fax Blog (blog) – The Chicago Teachers Union reportedly has a “bus convoy” on its way to Springfield. Today is apparently the union’s lobby day.  They might want to head to the Senate Pensions and Investments Committee this afternoon at 2 o’clock and keep an eye on this bill. Just sayin’…

Illinois legislative leaders eye gambling as for budget ills  Quincy Herald Whig – Pat Quinn and other leaders urging them to support online poker and other …

John Cullerton wants to make Illinois an ‘internet gambling hub’  WLS – The Tribune reports the Chicago democrat sent a letter to Governor Quinn writing in … Governor Quinn has stayed away from the topic of gambling as of late, …

National News

Activist targeting schools, backed by big bucks  Chicago Tribune – Rhee has emerged as the leader of an unlikely coalition of politicians, philanthropists, financiers and entrepreneurs who believe the nation’s $500 billion-a-year public education system needs a massive overhaul. She has vowed to raise $1 billion for her national advocacy group, StudentsFirst, and forever break the hold of teachers unions on education policy.

Federal Agency to Review ‘Best High Schools’ Data  The National Center for Education Statistics is rechecking data on about 5,000 high schools after faulty information from the agency led to erroneous rankings for the high schools on U.S. News & World Report’s “Best High Schools” list.

Joplin Poised to Rebuild Tornado-Damaged Schools  A year after a tornado destroyed six of its schools, a Missouri district is building facilities that match its new vision for education. 

The Legal Cost of Improper Internet Censorship  Schools cannot block access to nonpornographic websites that deal with homosexuality, the ACLU’s Joshua Block writes.  

TIME.com’s Top Stories

Is the Fed to Blame for JPMorgan’s $2 Billion Blow-Up?

Critics are arguing that excessive intervention by the central bank has distorted financial markets and forced big banks resort to risky moves in order to maintain profits

White Elephants on Parade: The Unloved New Castles in Spain

In the boom years, Spain raised some of the most spectacular new architecture in the world. Now that the economy is bust, who is going to pay for them?

NASA Renovates its Biggest, Baddest House

The massive vehicle assembly building gets a much needed makeover.

Retirement Woes: 401(k)s That Look Like Old-Fashioned Pensions

A frantic search for safe, guaranteed monthly income in retirement is leading government and big employers to make their 401(k) plans look a lot more like a traditional pension. But you will still have to self fund

Mental Ills Top Reason U.S. Troops Now Hospitalized

The Washington Post
Syrian rebels get influx of arms with gulf neighbors’ money, U.S. coordination

Syrian rebels battling the regime of President Bashar al-Assad have begun receiving significantly more and better weapons in recent weeks, an effort paid for by Persian Gulf nations and coordinated in part by the United States, according to opposition activists and U.S. and foreign officials.

Read full article >>
(Karen DeYoung, Liz Sly)

Obama executive order will give Treasury authority to freeze U.S.-based assets in Yemen

President Obama plans to issue an executive order Wednesday giving the Treasury Department authority to freeze the U.S.-based assets of anyone who “obstructs” implementation of the administration-backed political transition in Yemen.

Read full article >>
(Karen DeYoung)

Many will profit if Pakistan reopens NATO supply routes

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — U.S. commanders in Afghanistan want to get war supplies rolling across Pakistan’s borders again. So do Pakistanis in places high and low — from officials trying to balance the nation’s budget to black marketeers who stand ready to plunder the NATO-contracted trucks and oil tankers expected to shortly resume passage into Afghanistan after nearly six months of closed border crossings.

Read full article >>
(Richard Leiby)

Greece fails to form new government, calls new elections

ATHENS — The threat of a full economic collapse in Greece escalated Tuesday after warring political factions here failed to forge a new government, triggering fresh elections and heightening chances that this rudderless Mediterranean nation could be forced to abandon the euro.

Read full article >>
(Anthony Faiola)

George W. Bush endorses Mitt Romney

As presidential endorsements go, this one could hardly have been more low-key. ABC News caught up with former president George W. Bush in an elevator in downtown Washington on Tuesday and asked the question that elicited the sound bite.

Read full article >>
(Karen Tumulty)

Word of the Day for Wednesday, May 16, 2012

spruik \sprook\, verb:

To make or give a speech, especially extensively; spiel.

We Are One Illinois, a coalition of unions (including IEA, IFT, AFSCME, AFL-CIO and SEIU) representing public employees from all walks of life, is attempting to provide reasonable and reasoned solutions to a pension problem caused by politicians who for decades have failed to pay their share into Illinois public retirement systems.

We Are One Illinois is mobilizing its 1 million members, their families and the public to call, e-mail or visit their legislators to support such a fair solution to the pension funding problem. The coalition is also airing new ads statewide on broadcast and cable TV, radio and online.

“Workers know there’s a pension crisis, so they’re stepping up again, offering solutions to fix pensions they paid for, to clean up a mess they didn’t create. But politicians want to take more,” says the TV spot, titled “Fair Solution.” “Tell Springfield politicians, ‘Don’t punish workers for your mistakes. Work with them to find a fair solution.’”

Corporate CEOs and lobbyists pushing unfair, unconstitutional cuts are drowning out the voices of middle class public employees who earn modest pensions—just $32,000 a year on average—typically contribute 8 to 10 percent of every paycheck toward their pension, and rely on the pension they earn since nearly 80% aren’t eligible for Social Security.

We Are One Illinois unions have met repeatedly with legislative leaders and the governor, offering to help save the state billions of dollars in pension costs. But rumors persist that legislation may sabotage the prospect of a collaborative, fair solution.

Such legislation may be modeled on Governor Quinn’s proposal to saddle teachers, caregivers and other public employees with the entire burden of solving the pension problem alone. Quinn’s plan would unconstitutionally cut COLA protections that ensure pensions keep pace with inflation,1 force employees to work longer and make them pay an additional 3 percentage points from every check (an increase of 28% to 75%).

The coalition is urging legislators to hear the voices of public servants who earn, pay for and depend on their modest pensions, and to work together with their unions to develop a fair solution to fund pensions going forward.

District 113, teachers agree to salary freezes next year
Deerfield Review – The High School District 113 Board of Education has announced a two-year compensation agreement with its teachers that will freeze salaries for the next school year. According to the district news release, The District Education Association also agreed to limit pay increases related to step and lane changes, which boost pay for added experience, degrees or credentials.

School bus, semi collide on I-55; several children injured    Mike Sutton, superintendent of the Highland Community School District, said he couldn’t help but feel fortunate following a scary crash late Monday afternoon involving a school bus and tractor-trailer on Interstate 55 about 40 miles south of Springfield. 

More than a dozen students hurt in bus crash near Litchfield, Ill.  A bus carrying 33 sixth-grade students on their way back from a field trip to Springfield, Ill., slammed into the back of a semi truck Monday afternoon, injuring more than a dozen students and the bus driver.

D300 charter up for renewal  Elgin Courier News – ALGONQUIN – The Community Unit School District 300 Board of Education is considering renewing the charter for Cambridge Lakes Charter School in Pingree Grove through 2017.

Former Macomb teacher pleads guilty to misconduct  A former Macomb High School teacher has pleaded guilty to an official misconduct charge for having inappropriate communications with a then-17-year-old student.

Political News

Kadner: Madigan plan takes cash from suburbs and schools  Confusion. Panic. Division. It seems those are the goals of Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan as he leads the Legislature toward teacher pension reform. On Monday, groups representing suburban mayors and school districts were in a state of panic because of three legislative amendments that Madigan (D-Chicago) introduced late Friday.

The Rhubarb Patch: Teacher pensions (Part Four, conclusion)  Chicago Tribune (blog) – This is the final installment in my conversation about issues related to teacher pensions with Glen Brown, a retired suburban public high school teacher whose blog deals with education.
Part One of the exchange includes Brown’s full bio.
Part Two
Part Three

Education could take next budget hit  The Southern – As lawmakers grapple with a bleak budget picture, a proposal in the Illinois House could cut education funding by at least $258 million.

Quinn: Reform plans a rescue operation  CHICAGO — Gov. Pat Quinn appealed Monday to an influential group of business leaders in Chicago to add their weight to his push to reform Illinois’ debt-laden Medicaid and public pension systems, describing the plan as a tough sacrifice and an urgent “rescue operation” for future generations.   

State proposal to have shared revenues pay for teacher pensions worries area leaders
Quincy Herald-Whig – Both the city of Quincy and Adams County stand to lose millions of dollars if the Illinois General Assembly enacts legislation that would divert shared revenues to help fund public school teacher pensions in the state.

Pension woes continue to spur state discussion
Charleston Daily Eastern News – “The way things are working, unless something miraculous happens, I think we can be sure that the Illinois Supreme Court is going to have a shot at this (pension reform) at some point,” Dively said.

Illinois universities seek softened pension approach
Ottawa Daily Times – Public universities in Illinois are asking Gov. Pat Quinn not to cut retirement benefits for current employees in his plan to overhaul state pension programs.

ISU’s Bowman joins peers in pension reform plea
WJBC AM 1230 Bloomington – Public universities in Illinois are asking Gov. Pat Quinn not to cut retirement benefits for current employees in his plan to overhaul state pension programs.

Rescuing Illinois  Two more weeks. That’s how long your legislators are scheduled to be in Springfield for the remainder of their thus far do-little spring session. 

Our View: State throws local schools under the bus
Lake County News Sun – Let’s ask a fundamental question — does the Legislature really care about public education or must schools be shoved ever closer to the precipice in the name of fiscal balance? We ask because of several odious ideas emanating recently from Springfield related to the public schools. It has led us to wonder if there’s an undeclared war by state legislators on public schools and, by extension, the parents and students of Illinois.

Editorial: This is no time for Republican legislators to delay reforms
Chicago Sun Times – With a little more than two weeks to go in Illinois’ legislative session, there’s talk that some Republicans are trying to delay major reforms in hopes of getting more leverage. Don’t do it.

Brady: SB 1313 ‘most difficult vote I’ve taken’
WJBC AM 1230 Bloomington – Longtime state employees will be losing the free health insurance they received in retirement. Legislation to end the benefit was approved by both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly last week and now goes to Gov. Pat Quinn, who says he will sign Senate Bill 1313 into law.

On pension reform
Pekin Daily Times – To the editor:  Due to decades of abuses, there’s currently a big push by Gov. Pat Quinn and legislative leaders to dramatically change the public school Teachers Retirement System. As of last year, this pension system was $43.8 billion under-funded, or in the red. 

Simon kicks off Bike to Work Week by riding to office  Illinois Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon officially kicked off Bike to Work Week by pedaling to her office Monday at the Illinois Department of Transportation building in Carbondale. 

National News 

Feds: Wisconsin education waiver proposal lacking Rockford Register Star – The US Education Department wrote a letter to state education officials last month saying that a peer review panel found deficiencies in the state’s waiver … 

New K-12 Advocacy Groups Wield State-Level Clout  New organizations are making their impact felt in statehouses on issues such as teacher evaluation and charter schools. 

NCLB Waiver Plans Push School Grading Systems  States are proposing the use of complex formulas to shed more light on individual schools and help pinpoint improvement strategies. 

TIME.com’s Top Stories

Captive of the Taliban: In the Hometown of an American Prisoner of War

Hailey, Idaho remains hopeful that a native son held captive by the Taliban will be released. But it has been a harrowing three year ordeal and hope has been dashed before

Bashing Bain: Why Obama’s New Attacks on Romney Might Not Work

The much-heralded and long-awaited campaign media attack on Mitt Romney began Monday. But it might not succeed just as Obama’s advisers hope

A Close Look at a Jewel Box Asteroid

New findings from the Dawn spacecraft reveal the complexity — and the beauty — of the Asteroid Vesta

Will JPMorgan’s $2 Billion Blunder Finally End ‘Too Big to Fail’?

Why Obama Hasn’t “Lost” The South

A shift in thinking means entire regions are less prone to such tribalism

The Washington Post
Taxmageddon sparks rising anxiety

Defense contractors have slowed hiring. Tax advisers are warning firms not to count on favorite breaks. And hospitals are scouring their books for ways to cut costs.

Across the U.S. economy, anxiety is rising about the potential for widespread disruptions after the November election, when a lame-duck Congress will have barely two months to resolve a grinding standoff over taxes and spending.

Read full article >>
(Lori Montgomery, Rosalind S. Helderman)

David Rubenstein, co-founder of Carlyle Group and Washington philanthropist

Another milestone they count down in Times Square, less deliriously, is the moment a company goes public by selling shares on the Nasdaq Stock Market. Thursday, May 3, at 9:29:50 a.m., it’s the turn of the Carlyle Group, Washington’s semi-mythic private-equity leviathan, the capital’s most fabled generator of cash, conspiracy theories and conspicuous philanthropy.

Read full article >>
(David Montgomery)

Greek deadlock heightens fears of full European economic crisis

Political deadlock in Greece rattled world markets Monday, reviving fears that the fractious Mediterranean country could spurn an international bailout, abandon the common European currency and risk a fresh round of world economic turmoil.

Read full article >>
(Howard Schneider, Anthony Faiola)

House of Delegates rejects gay judge Tracy Thorne-Begland

Virginia’s General Assembly rejected a gay man for a Richmond judgeship early Tuesday, after conservatives argued that his support for gay marriage and challenge to the military’s now-defunct “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy made him unfit for the bench.

Read full article >>
(Laura Vozzella)

President Obama, Mitt Romney do battle over Bain Capital

The Obama campaign launched an attack against Mitt Romney’s business experience at Bain Capital on Monday, marking the beginning of what is almost certain to be a defining debate in the presidential campaign.

Read full article >>
(Amy Gardner, Philip Rucker)

Word of the Day for Tuesday, May 15, 2012

altiloquent \awl-TIL-uh-kwuhnt\, noun:

High-flown or pretentious language.

Illinois lawmakers want to change your pension before you can stop them.  Don’t let them do it. Act now!

1. Call your legislator at 888-412-6570.

You could say the following:

As your constituent, a voter and an IEA member I am calling to urge you to vote NO on any pension bill opposed by the IEA.

Please oppose any legislation that forces public employees to unfairly pick up the entire cost of the state’s pension debt.

The pension represents the entire life savings for most Illinois public education employees, as they do not receive Social Security.

The public employees didn’t cause this mess but we are willing to help fix it. You and the other members of the legislature need to work with the unions to find a fair and constitutional solution to the pension problem.

Thank you for considering my views.

2. Send a pre-written email message to your lawmakers and Gov. Pat Quinn

3. Read/print talking points for IEA contacts with legislators

The fight to defend member pensions is underway!

Pension Update for May 14, 2012

For weeks, IEA leaders, as well as leaders from IFT, AFSCME and other labor unions that are part of the We Are One Illinois coalition, have been meeting with top legislators to exchange ideas on how to fix the state’s pension crisis in a fair way that respects the Illinois constitution and helps ensure the sustainability of the pension systems.

Despite the willingness of the We Are One coalition to accept ideas that would have saved the state billions of dollars, the legislative leaders and Gov. Quinn appear ready to plan to “fast track” legislation that would forever alter your retirement security by making you pay more to get less. It would require employees to work until age 67 and change Cost of Living Adjustments for current retirees as well as active employees.

You may recall 2010, when lawmakers introduced and voted on a two-tier pension system within a 24-hour period. This method of lawmaking is called fast-tracking. It is designed to catch our members off guard, to dull our reaction and shut us out of the legislative process. It’s often used to move bad legislation. In fact, it was just used last week to change retiree healthcare. It’s perfect timing, too, if you’ll note that many of our members are making end of school year preparations – finals, graduations, class programs, etc.

The We Are One Illinois coalition has been discussing shared sacrifices that preserve pension benefits for members and ensure the long-term stability of the systems. We’ve been involved in many hours of discussions to find a constitutional solution. We’ve offered to accept compromises that would cost our members more and have put forth a proposal that would save the state billions of dollars.

The governor’s plan puts the responsibility of bailing out the pension systems – a problem created by legislators and not by participants — completely on the backs of public employees. This is unacceptable.

A bill will likely be introduced this week. Make contact with your legislators now.

After you act, make sure to update your profile on the IEA website to include a home email address so that we can keep you informed on this issue even after the school year ends.

ACT NOW! Please call your state legislators at 888-412-6570, or drop them an email. Tell them the state must share this sacrifice.

Thank you for your time and efforts. Your future retirement security depends on it.

College sets up fight with faculty
Chicago Tribune – Boards infrequently impose contracts on unions, said Bob Ray, a spokesman for the Illinois Education Association. “When one party walks out of negotiations and says, ‘I’m not coming back, I’m going to impose my offer,’ it really is a breakdown that harms relationships or has the potential to harm relationships for a good long time thereafter,” Ray said. 

District 113 Board of Education Approves Two-Year Salary Agreement
Trib-local Highland Park – Township High School District 113 and the District Education Association (DEA) have reached a salary understanding, resulting in a two-year agreement … 

Student loan blues
Chicago Tribune – Brenda Small didn’t think twice about taking out student loans to pay for nursing school in the late 1980s. She figured she could easily pay off the $20,000 bill — until an injury a few years later left her permanently unable to work. 

Charter funding bill not yet a done deal
Catalyst Chicago – The Chicago Teachers Union and other charter critics spoke out strongly in opposition to a proposal that would increase the funding that school districts must provide for charter schools, squaring off against supporters who want equal funding with traditional public schools. 

Political News 

State, teachers far from deal on pension reform
Chicago Daily Herald – Suburban teachers turned up the heat on Illinois leaders last week, gathering by the hundreds to get information about their future retirements while state lawmakers face a deadline in less than three weeks to find a way to lower the state’s escalating pension costs. 

Quinn: Pension, Medicaid reform a rescue operation  cbs4qc.com – CHICAGO (AP) – Gov. Pat Quinn is urging an influential group of business leaders in Chicago to add their weight to his push for reforms to Illinois’ … 

OpEd: Teachers Retirement System’s next lesson: slicing fees
Crains Chicago Business – We’re good. That’s essentially the attitude of those running the Teachers Retirement System of Illinois, which spent a whopping $1.3 billion over the last decade on financial management fees only to get a lackluster 3.7 percent annual return during that span, according to a recent Better Government Association investigation. 

Editorial: Control of pensions should rest locally
Chicago Daily Herald – Last week, two commissioners from the Cook County Board visited with us to provide an overview of an ambitious plan to reform the county’s public pension program and ensure its sustainability…. 

Press release of the day  The Capitol Fax Blog (blog) – … the Civic Federation and others support Governor Pat Quinn’s call to action to reform Illinois’ pension laws and review Medicaid policy this session 

Pensions face new accounting rules  Pittsburgh Post Gazette – Pensions in Illinois, New Jersey, Indiana and Kentucky may have less than 30 percent of the assets needed to cover promised benefits under the measure, according to data from the Boston College Center for Retirement Research. 

Guest view: If schools pay pensions, we all benefit
Belleville News-Democrat – School districts in Illinois are grappling with a new reality: They soon may be asked to pay their own pension costs. For decades, Illinois state government has covered most of the “employer share” of teacher and administrator pensions — something not every state does. This subsidy has had massive, and now dire, consequences on state finances.

National News

New Advocacy Groups Shaking Up Education Field  The organizations’ influence over policy and politics appears to be growing, especially at the state and local levels.

TIME.com Today’s Top Stories

Inside the Rise of Extreme Parenting

Twin Blasts Kill More Than 50 in Damascus

In Gay-Marriage Reversal, President Obama Faces Risk on All Sides

What will be the political cost of Obama’s evolution? His position on gay marriage is unlikely to matter, unless the election is close, as many now expect

The Truth About Men, Women and Work

Seven Ways to Get the Most Out of an Internship

Inside the Rise of Extreme Parenting

Twin Blasts Kill More Than 50 in Damascus

In Gay-Marriage Reversal, President Obama Faces Risk on All Sides

What will be the political cost of Obama’s evolution? His position on gay marriage is unlikely to matter, unless the election is close, as many now expect

The Truth About Men, Women and Work

Seven Ways to Get the Most Out of an Internship

Inside the Rise of Extreme Parenting

Twin Blasts Kill More Than 50 in Damascus

In Gay-Marriage Reversal, President Obama Faces Risk on All Sides

What will be the political cost of Obama’s evolution? His position on gay marriage is unlikely to matter, unless the election is close, as many now expect

The Truth About Men, Women and Work

Seven Ways to Get the Most Out of an Internship

The Washington Post
Obama gay marriage endorsement mobilizes Christian conservatives

President Obama’s endorsement of same-sex marriage is energizing Christian conservative support for Mitt Romney in a way that the likely GOP nominee has so far not been able to do on his own, according to religious leaders and activists.

Read full article >>
(Dan Eggen, Sandhya Somashekhar)

JPMorgan losses reignite clash between Wall Street and Washington

Surprise trading losses at the nation’s largest and most respected bank reignited a long-simmering clash between Washington and Wall Street on Friday, as lawmakers blasted banks’ efforts to fight regulations passed into law after the financial crisis.

Read full article >>
(Zachary A. Goldfarb)

Afghan commanders show new defiance in dealings with Americans

KABUL —Afghan commanders have refused more than a dozen times within the past two months to act on U.S. intelligence regarding high-level insurgents, arguing that night-time operations to target the men would result in civilian casualties, Afghan officials say.

Read full article >>
(Kevin Sieff)

South Korea’s businesses pay the price for Lee’s tough policy toward the North

SEOUL — For much of the previous decade, South Korean leaders encouraged private companies to do business with the authoritarian North, seeing the joint ventures as a chance for both profitmaking and peacemaking. But South Korean President Lee Myung-bak has used a series of increasingly aggressive measures to cut off those deals, in the process forcing South Korean companies into bankruptcy and leaving business executives bitter about Seoul’s policy U-turn.

Read full article >>
(Chico Harlan)

Editorial Board: JPMorgan’s mishap bolsters case for Volcker rule

FEW WALL STREET institutions enjoy greater prestige than JPMorgan, whose $2.3 trillion in assets make it the largest U.S. commercial bank. Jamie Dimon, the 56-year-old chief executive, is an industry hero for building a “fortress balance sheet” and steering JPMorgan through the mortgage meltdown relatively unscathed. Of late, Mr. Dimon has been deploying his influence to resist tighter federal bank regulation — specifically, the “Volcker rule,” a provision of the 2010 Dodd-Frank law that would ban federally insured banks from speculating in hedge funds and the like.

Read full article >>
(Editorial Board)

The triage commander: Gen. John Allen hastily transforming U.S. mission in Afghanistan

Standing in a plywood-walled command post before Gen. John R. Allen, the supreme allied commander in Afghanistan, the nervous-but-earnest young lieutenant cast his platoon’s task for the day in the grand terms of counterinsurgency strategy — the American military’s wartime playbook for the past several years. The goal of the platoon’s walk through a bazaar and meetings with village leaders, the lieutenant said, was for the Afghan government to be “seen as an effective governing body that gains legitimacy with the local population.”

Read full article >>
(Rajiv Chandrasekaran)

As gay marriage debate rages on, Massachusetts couple enjoys married life

Linda will drive them to the barbecue, because she always drives. Gloria will close her eyes and sleep in the car, because Linda drives too fast. Linda will mix up her stories in a rush of nervous excitement, so Gloria will squeeze her hand as a signal to calm down. They will finish each other’s sentences and maybe each other’s plates, because that’s what happens after 41 years.

Read full article >>
(Eli Saslow)

John Edwards endures two-pronged trial, testing his morals and his actions

GREENSBORO, N.C. — John Edwards takes mincing, careful steps now, not the long strides of the triumphant. He shuffles to the right, but lawyers deep in conversation block the way, somehow not even noticing him. He pads to the left in his sensible, soft-soled shoes but is trapped by red leather chairs and an L-shaped defense table wedged into a tight corner in an even tighter federal courtroom.

Read full article >>
(Manuel Roig-Franzia)

PBS’s ‘King of Late Night’: Johnny Carson, deeper down

Looking for something to do in Kansas on a sunny Saturday last spring, I chose darkness, and drove to Hutchinson (pop. 42,000) to take a tour of the subterranean salt mines at the edge of town. At a museum, you buy a ticket and ride a large, clanky freight elevator 650 feet underground, into pitch black.

Read full article >>
(Hank Stuever)

Iran, unable to sell oil, stores it on tankers

Increasingly hard-pressed to find buyers for its petroleum, Iran has been routinely switching off satellite tracking systems on its sea-bound oil tankers for more than a month, in what U.S. officials and industry analysts describe as a cat-and-mouse game with Western governments seeking to enforce sanctions on Iranian exports.

Read full article >>
(Joby Warrick, Steven Mufson)

In military-rich battlegrounds, Obama targets new group: veterans

President Obama has wound down America’s war in Iraq, ordered the operation that killed Osama bin Laden and set in motion the end of U.S. combat operations in Afghanistan. He also has focused particular attention on veterans and military families, increasing funds for the Department of Veterans Affairs, implementing the post-Sept. 11 G.I. Bill and launching job programs for returning troops.

Read full article >>
(Amy Gardner)

Clarence Aaron was denied commutation, but Bush team wasn’t told all the facts

Clarence Aaron seemed to be especially deserving of a federal commutation, an immediate release from prison granted by the president of the United States.

At 24, he was sentenced to three life terms for his role in a cocaine deal, even though it was his first criminal offense and he was not the buyer, seller or supplier of the drugs. Of all those convicted in the case, Aaron received the stiffest sentence.

Read full article >>
(Dafna Linzer | ProPublica)

European austerity bites deep into Spain

ALBURQUERQUE, Spain— When officials in Madrid slashed support for alternative-energy programs this year as part of the campaign of government austerity sweeping Europe, ripples quickly hit this rural town with the cancellation of plans for a solar energy plant.

Read full article >>
(Howard Schneider)

Editorial Board: What the Keystone pipeline won’t do

CONGRESS IS BATTLING over whether to approve the Keystone XL oil pipeline, proposed for the heart of the country. The project has clear value to the United States. Yet, with all the amped-up rhetoric, it is important to remember what the project would not do. It would not endow the United States with “energy security” in the sense that most Americans understand the phrase and that many pipeline advocates wield it. It would not significantly lower oil prices. In fact, when it comes to oil, America will be affected by global events for decades, and that’s assuming the right policies are in place.

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(Editorial Board)

Word of the Day for Monday, May 14, 2012

intromit \in-truh-MIT\, verb:

To introduce; to send, put, or let in.

View an important message from Jim Reed, Director of IEA Government Relations.

Health insurance bill goes to governor

SB 1313 (Madigan, D-Chicago/Schoenburg, D-Evanston) will leave the health insurance benefit and premium structure for retired state employees, retired General Assembly members, retired judges, and retired state university faculty and staff to the discretion of the Director of Central Management Services (CMS). The legislation would require the modifications made by the Director of CMS to be approved by the legislative committee called the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR). This does not mean the health insurance program that current retirees are covered by will change overnight. It does mean that there is more discretion for CMS to make any modifications they see fit, if they go through JCAR and collectively bargain the changes. The IEA opposed this legislation. Those who participate in the Teachers’ Retirement Insurance Program (TRIP) or the College Insurance Program (CIP) are not impacted by this legislation. This legislation passed the House 74-43 and the Senate 31-20-1. The governor is expected to sign it shortly.

School transportation

Last week we reported on HB 5825, a bill that would eliminate the mandate for school districts to provide transportation for students. The bill was not called for a vote in Senate Education Committee this week and we don’t anticipate that this initiative by the Illinois State Board of Education will be called for a vote this legislative session. We are in conversations with Sen. Heather Steans, D-Chicago, the bill sponsor, and ISBE about the issue and will continue these discussions.

SB 3393 signed by governor, now Public Act 97-6082

Amends the Certification of Teachers Article of the School Code. Individuals who currently have lapsed certificates now have several options to reinstate their certificates before Sept. 1, 2012. Those include:

• For those who failed to pay registration fees, one can pay all back fees, including registration fees, owed from the time of expiration until the reinstatement.
• For those who have a lapsed certificate based on college coursework, one would pay a $500 penalty or demonstrate proficiency by completing nine semester hours of coursework in the content area that most aligns with the educator’s endorsement area or areas.

Until Sept. 1, 2012, certificates that have lapsed solely for the failure to pay a registration fee may be immediately reinstated upon payment of all back fees. The law is effective immediately. IEA supported this legislation.

Charter schools

On Wednesday, the House Executive Committee passed

HB 4277 by a 10-1 margin. The proposal, which was opposed by IEA, IFT and CTU, significantly alters the funding formula for charter schools in the state. IEA’s opposition to the bill focused on the fact that we have negotiated agreements in place between the school districts and charter schools. Additionally, at a time when school districts are facing likely cuts in funding, increased funding for charter schools is not warranted.

It was also noted in the hearing that negotiated charter school legislation passed in 2008 included a moratorium on new charter laws until June 30, 2013. The proposed legislation could be a significant change to charter law, thus violating the spirit of the agreement.

What’s next

The General Assembly will return next week. Continue to visit the IEA website for updates.

Today is National Teacher Day, and I want to thank you for your dedication, hard work and attention to our most important national resource — our students. And, on top of your busy and stressful days, you find the time to work in your communities, volunteer at events and lobby for issues. National Teacher Day is a time to ask state policymakers a couple of important questions: “Do you truly value the work that takes place in our schools?” Here’s another, “Are teachers entitled to a reasonable retirement after decades of service to students?”

Here’s what we all can do, right now, to protect our profession:

1) Contact your legislators.Tell them any pension-impacting proposals must be constitutional, fair to the participants in the pension systems and must stabilize those systems. More information available here.

2) Check the IEA website regularly.

3) Make sure your home email address is on file. This will ensure we will be able to quickly alert you when there is important legislation moving at the statehouse.

It’s not always easy, but let’s all be proud to work in education and proud of our activism in support of students and schools.

Illinois performance evaluation and you!

Please join us at 4 p.m., May 10 for an hour-long webinar conducted by Meredith Byers, Susan Goudreau, Kathi Griffin, Mary Jane Morris and Jim Tammen.

Participants will:

• Identify the major components of the Performance evaluation Reform Act (PERA).
• Recognize the relationship between PERA and Growth Through Learning.
• Examine the impact of Growth Through Learning as it applies to the district and certified employee professional practice.
• Assess the impact of student growth on the evaluation process and classroom.

Click here for login information.

The Summer Leadership Academy returns July 24-27

You are invited to the IEA Summer Leadership Academy 2012, featuring a keynote address by Chris Gardner, author of the New York Times #1 bestseller The Pursuit of Happyness.

The theme for the 2012 SLA is “Power Through Unity.” Participants will come away with new tools, new connections and new ideas to effectively harness and strategically unleash the power that 130,000 members can generate to maintain and build strong schools, strong communities and a strong economy.

Register now! We have returned to the “schools” concept and many of the schools will reach their capacity limits during the early-bird registration period, which ends May 31. Click here for more information.

Be among the best 

National Board Certified teachers are among the nation’s most effective educators.

Application for the 2012 Illinois NBPTS candidate fee subsidy is open through May 13 (as funds continue to be available).

Visit the Illinois National Board Resource Center website for more information.

INTC beginning teacher conference    

Beginning teachers face unique challenges and rewarding experiences in their first year. “Y2: Moving Beyond Survival” is a two-day conference for new teachers who are just completing their first year of teaching in Illinois. The conference is an opportunity to:

• Reflect on and share the past year’s teaching experience
• Reflect on preservice education
• Network with beginning teachers from around the state
• Gain valuable teaching tools and ideas to use in your classroom
• Hear a motivational speaker

Conference dates are June 26-27. Click here for more information and to register. 

Best high schools in Illinois

Illinois has many schools ranked in 2012 among the U.S. News Best High Schools, including 20 gold medal schools, 51 silver medal schools, and 84 bronze medal schools.

Read the article and check where your high school ranks here.

Gail Banek's first grade class

When first-grade teacher Gail Banek invited her students to bring out the yarn and do some knitting during class time, she had no idea what kind of a trend she was starting.

She certainly does now.

The knitting adventure at Greenbrook Elementary School in Keeneyville District 20 (Hanover Park) started about four years ago when Banek first introduced knitting to her students as part of an effort to calm them and keep them from being too fidgety during certain class times. Since then her students in successive years have taken knitting to entirely new levels.

This year’s class has been packed with the most prolific group of knitters ever. And even now when the weather is warm, you can find samples of the students’ handiwork throughout Banek’s class and the school.

“I just can’t believe how it’s spread,” said Banek. “The students are always so excited about it. They take real pride in their work. It helps them focus and learn during class time. It’s really connected them with each other and their families.”

Gail Banek, Jashua Pacheco and Eman Ali knit.

Banek has been a teacher for 38 years. She’s a member of the Keeneyville Education Association, has served in the past as local president and negotiator, and currently serves as secretary for IEA Region 33 Council.

She says the knitting idea came to her when she had a small group of particularly high-energy first graders, a class of students who needed to keep their hands busy in order to stay out of trouble. As an experiment, she decided to bring a couple of knitting looms from her home to school, just to see if some creative handiwork could help the students engage and focus during classroom time.

“I had a couple of students who, if their hands weren’t busy, were causing havoc,” she said. “So I pulled out the knitters and showed them how to make a simple pattern. I told them they could knit during certain portions of their instructional time as long as they paid attention and didn’t let the knitting become a distraction. I hoped it would settle them down.”

At about the same time, the art teacher at school, Kathy Leeseberg, was also introducing knitting into her creative curriculum. She, too, had ordered some knitting spools and yarn for the art club and had introduced knitting to her students as a means of creative expression.

Isael Huitron, Xavier Narbaiz and Adjin Novkinic work on a project.

Student enthusiasm for their knitting projects followed quickly. Everyone at the school, including the parents and principal, sees the benefits.

“The students are truly engaged with their knitting,” said John Gustafson, interim principal at the school. “They love to show their work. It helps them settle down and control their actions. One little guy even knitted me a cap that I wore on the playground throughout the winter. He was so proud, and so was I.”

Since then, with help from the two teachers, knitting as a practice in the school has grown steadily.

Some students work on knitting every day. Because there are only so many looms to go around, the teachers have taught the students how to finger knit so all can participate even when a loom is not available. Friendly competitions among siblings have started. Student-made knit caps and scarves have become fashion statements.

Banek says the obvious instructional benefit of the knitting, for many students, is that it helps them settle down and concentrate during “listening” portions of instructional time. But, she says, there have been many other benefits that she never expected.

Iyanna Guyton shows off her knitting skills.

“We’ve had some children connect in new ways with their mothers and grandmothers who have shown them new stitches and even how to use needles in knitting,” Banek said. “We’ve engaged the parents at conferences who want to know where to buy looms. Some students even asked for looms and yarn for Christmas presents. We’ve had students helping each other, teaching each other, learning from each other. It’s really been amazing.”

Leeseberg, too, sees the great benefits to the school and especially to her art students.

“For many of our students, the knitting has been a beautiful form of their self-expression,” said Leeseberg. “Many of our students are on free and reduced lunch programs. Knitting is relatively inexpensive. It’s something they can do for themselves without a lot of equipment, something they can teach with pride to their siblings. It really gives them a sense of accomplishment.”

The biggest problem, she says, is that the program has become so popular that the art department has a hard time keeping yarn in stock.

Though there are instructional times in which knitting in Banek’s first-grade class is prohibited – such as when students are using math manipulatives, writing assignments or at other times they need to use their hands – she tries to leave it to the students to decide when it is and is not appropriate for them to knit. They learn a sense of responsibility and that they can make decisions for themselves.

“I sometimes have six to eight students knitting at a time,” she said. “As long as they can pay attention, it’s OK with me.”

Ivette Gonzalez and Michael Walton concentrate on their special projects.

One of her star knitting students, seven-year-old Katie Ballew, says knitting is one of her favorite things about school.

Caden Sandusky displays his masterpiece.

“It’s awesome because you get to make a hat or a scarf,” she said. “I made a hat for my kitty but now it’s for my baby doll. My kitty doesn’t like hats on his head.”

First-grader Isael Huitron agrees.

“It’s fun because you get to make stuff you never made before,” he said. “I made a hat. My parents didn’t believe it. They were very proud.”

“As well they should be,” said Banek.

As we have been documenting for the past few weeks, everything this year is being heavily influenced by the state budget. For starters, there were varying revenue estimates that were being used by the legislative caucuses and the governor. The most recent revenue estimates vary between $33.7 billion from one caucus, $34.1 billion from the governor and a mere $31.5 billion from another caucus. With that much variance, it is understandable why crafting a budget is so difficult.

Let’s add into the mix the fact that with only four weeks left in the session there has been little or no progress on the budget and the dreaded “O” word is starting to be used. Yes, with a month left there is already talk of an overtime session. One would think that with new legislative districts, all of the members of the General Assembly would want to be back in their districts acclimating themselves to their new constituents. Or maybe with such dismal budget options, the preferred plan is to stay here as long as possible and share in the pain? I think we will soon find out. After all, the current scenario, which has the following proposed cuts, is not something any of them are looking forward to supporting:

1. $290 million in additional cuts to k-12 education,
2. $180 million in additional cuts to higher education,
3. $225 million in additional cuts to human services,
4. $11 million in additional cuts to public safety.

From our vantage point, the only way to begin to resolve what appears to be an insurmountable problem is with new revenue. So, it is extremely disappointing that the only revenue proposal that appears to have gotten any traction is the proposal to raise the tax on a pack of cigarettes by $1. View the fact sheet here.

Where we will be in three weeks is anyone’s guess. But, from the rhetoric that is coming from the caucuses no one is blinking quite yet.

Unconstitutional pension bill advances

HB 4513 (Cullerton, D-Chicago) is a piece of legislation that amends the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) article of the pension code. The pension board of MWRD proposed legislation that it felt would stabilize its financial position. The fund is roughly 60 percent funded. There are an estimated 2,400 active participants in this pension fund and those employees live in the Chicagoland area. It is one of the smallest public pension funds in the state. The legislation increased the active employee pension contribution by 3 percent of salary over the next 3 years (beginning in 2013). Currently, members of MWRD pay 9 percent of their salary toward their pension but after these increases, their contributions would rise to 12 percent of their salary. The legislation also required the employer to increase its contribution amount and requires the fund to be 90 percent funded by 2050.

The IEA took a position of opposition to this legislation along with the Illinois Federation of Teachers. However, neither organization represents employees that participate in this pension fund. The unions that represent members in this pension fund either took no position or were proponents of the bill. The IEA’s opposition to this legislation was based on our constitutional view that contributions by members cannot be increased unless there is a corresponding benefit modification. Some will argue that the funding of the pension benefit is a “benefit.” That line of thinking was ruled unconstitutional recently in Arizona, which has a protection in its Constitution that is almost verbatim to Illinois’. The bill passed the Senate Pensions and Investment Committee and is now before the full Senate.

Constitutional amendment on pensions passes Senate

House Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 49 (Cullerton, D-Chicago/Madigan, D-Chicago) passed the Senate on a vote of 51 yes and 2 no. HJRCA 49 would require any pension benefit modification that is being considered by the General Assembly to require a 3/5ths majority vote to pass. The constitutional amendment would also require that any local collectively bargained agreements be approved by a 3/5ths majority vote if those agreements had incentives or additional compensation increases beyond salary. The IEA opposed this amendment, which will now appear on the Nov. 6, 2012 ballot.

Senate Education Committee

HB 5825 (Steans, D-Chicago), as amended, would eliminate the mandate for school districts to provide transportation for students. This is an initiative by the Illinois State Board of Education to attempt to alleviate the increasing costs of transporting students from their homes to school. In addition to eliminating the mandate for school districts to provide transportation for students, the bill proposes a new funding formula basing reimbursement on the number of students transported or the number of miles traveled, whichever is greater for the school district. IEA opposed the bill as it was presented in the Senate Education Committee this week. The sponsor pulled the bill before a vote was taken and is interested in working on the issue further with the IEA and other opponents. We will keep you updated on any developments or changes.

House Executive Committee

SB 1313 (Madigan, D-Chicago), as currently amended, would leave the health insurance benefit structure for retired state employees, retired General Assembly members, retired judges, and retired state university faculty and staff to the discretion of the director of Central Management Services. The bill, as amended, passed the House Executive Committee 11-0-0 and is now before the full House. The IEA is opposed to this legislation. Those that participate in the Teachers’ Retirement Insurance Program (TRIP) or the College Insurance Program (CIP) are not impacted by this legislation.

University tuition waivers

Senate President Cullerton introduced several amendments to HB 3810. The amendments abolish the legislative scholarship program. They also establish a legislative task force to review all tuition waivers offered by public universities, including statutory tuition waivers for university employees. The task force will hold hearings and submit a report to the General Assembly by April 15, 2013. IEA will testify that the statutory tuition waivers are part of the compensation package for university employees and are a necessary and useful recruiting tool.

What’s next ?

The General Assembly will return next week on Tuesday. Continue to visit the IEA website for updates.