Clark: As education in Illinois changes, don't forget students
Pension reform. Education reform. Common Core Standards. Budget cuts. As we start a new school year in Illinois the most important priority is probably the least discussed: The children in our public school systems.
Standardized tests, higher standards and new laws aside, anyone who ever has run a school system will tell you that people – teachers, principals, administrators and parents – are the most important factors in a child’s educational success.
Despite all of the attacks on public education and the educators themselves, 77 percent of the public school children in Illinois met or exceeded the standards for all standardized tests last year. That’s a 28 percent improvement compared to the 60 percent that passed in 2002, according to the Illinois Interactive Report Card.
Public education never has been more