Latest News and Comment from Education

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

11-12-13 Fred Klonsky | Running for our pensions. | VOTE 4 Fred Klonsky

Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.:



Stats.
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The in box. Progressive Reform Caucus to Call Votes on TIF Surplus Ordinance, Elected School Board Resolution.
CHICAGO (November 12, 2013)–The Chicago City Council Progressive Reform Caucus on Wednesday will invoke Rule 41  to allow an open debate and vote on the floor of the City Council for  two education-related ordinances that have been stalled in the Committee on Committees, Rules and Ethics for months. Under consideration is an ordinance, introduced by Progressive Caucus Co-Chair Ald. Bob Fioretti

George Schmidt. “What counts on election day is who we walk the precincts for.”
George Schmidt publishes Substance News. I’m really loving these updates on Pat Quinn’s political suicide. Quinn’s slap in the face to the Chicago Teachers Union will prove as big a mistake as any of the others. On October 25, Quinn was at our LEAD (Legislators Educators Appreciation Dinner) where 2,000 CTU members and friends cheered him (although some actually booed even then). Obviously by that


The in box. “Let’s get out of our denial.”
Drawing from my blog, June 13, 2013. Fred, We already know for sure Quinn/Vallas aren’t going to be good for public education, current teachers, retired teachers, ALL unions, and regular working families in Illinois. And we know for sure that Republicans won’t offer anyone better and probably worse than Quinn/Vallas. So why don’t all the unions–including SEIU, IFT, IEA, AFSCME and all others get


Vallas is not Squeezy’s only union problem.
The Paul Vallas choice for lieutenant governor isn not Squeezy’s only union problem. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) ponied up $2.5 million the last time Squeezy ran for governor. Remember he only won by around 30,000 votes. SEIU represents the six thousand Chicago Park District employees that are covered by SB 1523. Sun-Times: Under the plan carried by House Speaker Michael Madi


Bev Johns from the CMS meeting in Springfield.
Teacher and Special Education advocate Bev Johns is attending the CMS meeting in Springfield today. She is sending me frequent reports from the meeting which I will repost during the day. Check back during the day for her latest comments. 9:02 AM: We arrived. Hard to find. Most people parked illegally in a lot that has a tow away sign. Janice Bonneville from CMS is here. Crowded already and it is

Life in Rahm’s Chicago. Who do you Trust?
In 2012 Rahm and Bill Clinton announced the creation of the Infrastructure Trust. They claimed it was a way to address the city’s decaying infrastructure using private sector money. Today the Infrastructure Trust will announce it’s first project: A $27 million plan to retrofit City Hall and some other public buildings and make them more energy efficient. Who could be against energy efficiency? Un

Yolanda relief.
The videos are almost too painful to watch. I cannot imagine what is must be like to have family there and not know if they are dead or alive. If you can, make a donation to the typhoon Yolanda relief. I prefer to donate to smaller, on-the-ground organizations. But do what you can to which ever relief group you prefer.


11-11-13 Fred Klonsky | Running for our pensions. | VOTE 4 Fred Klonsky
Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.: The in box. Benefits with strings attached.Patrick Yeagle, The Illinois Times A new package of health benefits for state retirees comes with a string attached: an audit to make sure every dependent on the new plans is eligible for coverage. But some retirees say the audit is skewed to kick people off