Eye on Education 6/21/2018

June 21, 2018

Your daily synopsis of education news

Lawmakers excoriate CPS; background checks could be expanded

The Chicago Tribune reports on yesterday's hearing in Chicago in response to the newspaper's investigation into a sexual abuse scandal.

The newspaper writes:

After hearing powerful testimony from two young women who said they were sexually abused by teachers they trusted, angry Illinois lawmakers thanked them for their courage, then turned on Chicago Public Schools officials, excoriating the district for failing to protect and support students.

Wednesday's hearing was informational only and no legislation was discussed. Bills have been filed in the House and Senate and one House bill, introduced by Rep. David McSweeney, R-Barrington Hills, has 61 co-sponsors, showing the measure has broad support from a body with 118 members.

The Tribune also notes at the hearing, officials from the Illinois State Board of Education suggested the creation of a statewide background-check database that would allow the board to check educators' criminal history. Now, individual school districts are responsible for conducting employee background checks and do not share the results with the state, which issues and renews educator licenses.

The ISBE's general counsel, Stephanie Jones, also testified that the agency wants the ability to suspend educators' licenses while they are being investigated for serious alleged crimes involving physical and sexual abuse.

Chicago Tribune

More coverage on teacher shortage in Illinois

NPR Illinois continues its coverage on the teacher shortage in Illinois.

Chuck Bleyer, superintendent of of Pope County Community Unit District 1, a small school district with about 540 students on the edge of southeastern Illinois, was among people interviewed for the story.

Bleyer called recent legislation passed at the statehouse to address the teacher shortage a "band-aid." Those bills include making it easier to work as a substitute teacher and to switch teaching specialties. Lawmakers want more reciprocity for teachers licensed outside of Illinois, to allow retired teachers to work short-term and a mandated $40,000 minimum wage for Illinois teachers by 2022.

NPR also spoke to ISBE, whose spokesperson said the state agency is well into a year of study on the state's teacher shortage issue and plans to publish a report that includes its findings and recommendations about how the state can reverse the shortage in September

NPR Illinois

Trump wants to merge Education and Labor departments

A number of media outlets report on how the Trump administration hopes to merge the the Education and Labor departments as part of a sweeping government overhaul.

The new combined agency, if approved by Congress, would be part of a broader government reorganization plan that could be announced as soon as Thursday, according to Politico. Mick Mulvaney, director of the OMB, has been working on the reorganization plan since his confirmation more than a year ago.

The plan, if undertaken by the administration, would pose a heavy political and legislative lift. Past attempts to eliminate the Education Department haven't proven popular in Congress.

Politico

New: Trauma-informed care

Dr. Heidi Podjasek, director of professional development at Oswego Community Unit School District 308, discusses why and how her district switched to a trauma-informed care approach to better understand student behavior and help students stay on track.

Listen Here

Dugan named superintendent of Hononegah High School District

The Decatur Herald-Review reports Michael Dugan has been named superintendent of the Hononegah High School district.

Dugan, the assistant superintendent-secondary for Decatur School District, will begin his new position on July 1 and will sign a three-year contract. He joined the Decatur schools in July 2014 as principal of Eisenhower High School, and became assistant superintendent in July 2015.

Decatur Herald-Review