SPRINGFIELD 鈥撎鼳bout 10 percent of Illinois voters听will see an advisory referendum on their primary听election听ballots听asking them to weigh in on whether they think the state should join a federal school voucher scheme.
The Illinois Education听Association (IEA)听urges听Illinoisans听to听vote 鈥淣O鈥澨齩n the question,听which is听misleadingly听worded听to make voters think听no public money听will be听used.
As it stands now, 80 percent of public schools are underfunded听in Illinois. The federal plan, much like听Illinois鈥檚听recently听lapsed 鈥淚nvest in Kids鈥� program, takes tax dollars away from public schools and gives that money to private schools.
In Illinois, it drained up to $75 million in state money听from听public听schools that educate 90 percent of our students.
In Illinois, we learned that vouchers:
- Benefit听mostly听white students;
- Fund听private听schools that are not subject to the same听state听testing standards, nor are teachers held to the same professional standards, as those in public schools;
- Failed to听demonstrate听a听financial听need among student recipients by not tracking how听many听students听actually switched听from public schools to private schools听after receiving a scholarship, or whether public money funded students who had been in private schools all along;
- Sent public money to private schools which can discriminate based on physical or emotional special needs, gender identity issues, moral听values听and听religion.
- And,听research听demonstrates听that students using vouchers often perform worse academically than their peers in public schools.
The IEA鈥檚 annual Illinois State of Education听in听Illinois report,听shows听69 percent of residents in our state support increasing funding to public schools in Illinois and that 85 percent believe ALL students are entitled to a public education.
鈥淧ublic money should stay in public schools,鈥� said IEA President Karl Goeke. 鈥淲e鈥檝e听already walked this path in Illinois,听and we learned that vouchers are a scheme. Education is听the听great equalizer for the youth in our state. We owe our children, no matter where they live, the color of their skin, how much money their parents earn, the best we can听possibly give听them. Vouchers do the exact opposite.听We鈥檝e听learned this lesson.听Let鈥檚听not repeat it.鈥�
To see听if your county听(or in some cases听your township)听will have the question on the ballot,听you can听听The听primary is March听17.听Early voting听began听Feb.听5.听You can read more about the question听in听materials prepared by听
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The 135,000 member 黑料视频 (IEA-NEA) is the state鈥檚 largest union. IEA represents Pre K-12 teachers outside the city of Chicago and education support staff, higher education faculty, retired education employees and students preparing to become teachers, statewide.
