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Schools

What is the Role of the Federal Government in Public Education

Four local chapters of the League of Women Voters are sponsoring a forum to address these questions and others related to equity in public school funding, early childhood funding, and national education achievement standards. The program and discussion is open to the public, and will be held at the New Trier Northfield Campus in the C building, room 234.

The forum supports a national study currently in process by the US League of Women Voters to develop a position addressing the role of the federal government in public education.  The League, a non-partisan political organization, will use the position reached from this study to speak out on federal education legislation dealing with this controversial subject.

Public schools in Illinois receive a majority of their funding from local taxes and are governed by elected residents, who sit on local school district boards.  Does local funding mean children living in poor communities get a poor public education? Why do some school districts in Illinois depend heavily on state funding while others take less than 8% of their budgets from the state? Does a child in Illinois have to meet the same standards of learning as a child in Florida? Do we need national standards to answer those questions?

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This forum seeks to open the public discussion on changes being discussed for our public schools across the nation at a time when Congress is considering the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which includes the No Child Left Behind Act, (NCLB).  How important is local control in public schools, and what are the pros and cons of national common core standards? - This discussion is important to all.

Featured speakers include:

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Ralph Martire: Mr. Martire is executive director of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability and serves on the U.S. Department of Education Equity and Excellence Commission. He will address funding and equity issues.  

Madelyn James: Ms. James is Project Director of the Great at Eight Initiative, Voices for Illinois Children. She will address funding and equity for early childhood education.

A third speaker, TBA, will address national common core standards and assessments.

The Leagues of Evanston, Glencoe, Glenview and Winnetka/Northfield/Kenilworth are jointly sponsoring this program.

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