Post by title1parent on Jun 3, 2010 4:59:17 GMT -5
www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=385196&src=
Postpone new rules for preschool
Daily Herald Editorial 6/3/2010
State school officials want to require that local districts provide the same bilingual services to preschool children that are offered in grades K-12 - a change that would make Illinois the first in the nation to do so.
Giving the state's neediest youngsters a better chance of success certainly is admirable, but the Illinois State Board of Education's proposal comes with funding that is fuzzy at best.
It looks like yet another blow to local districts already scarred by budget cuts and still waiting on state money to pay their bills.
Here's how the proposal came about. Federal law exempts preschools from accountability in bilingual education. But a 2009 change in Illinois law made it mandatory for local school districts to provide services to the 3- to 5-year-old English language learners they enroll. The state board responded with comprehensive regulations that include bilingual certification for teachers by 2014, ongoing teacher development, ramped-up screenings and mandatory ELL programs where there are 20 or more bilingual students who speak the same language.
Local school officials, knowing these things don't come cheap, were flabbergasted, and 199 of them wrote to the board with objections. State officials - to their credit - recognized the state's dire situation and delayed some requirements.
But they are still too burdensome.
Under the rules, school districts would be able to apply to the state board for reimbursement. But what are the odds they'll get it anytime soon? Districts still are awaiting more than $1.4 billion promised by the state, general aid to schools is expected to remain flat, and grants to cover bilingual funding have dropped 10 percent.
Several suburban preschool coordinators told staff writer Kerry Lester that, while they've tried to prepare for the changes, they fear money will dry up and children will be turned away.
This exercise in futility will do little to make Illinois a model for school reform.
Also stunning is that later this month, during the very meeting where the state board is expected to approve costly new regulations, it will be looking to make some painful budget cuts.
We've seen what the state's financial crisis has done to education already. Administrators are laying off teachers, dropping extracurricular programs and putting school improvements on hold. Some have gone beyond cutting the fat.
These preschool rules essentially would be mandates that come without the cash to pay for them. Such proposals demand more discretion.
We don't doubt that better serving at-risk youngsters would greatly enhance their ability to succeed in school. Nor do we want school districts to stop offering what they already do. But this is not the time for expensive new programs. Our local districts with preschools should continue to determine the best way to give these students a solid start in a way that won't hinder important programs already in place.
Postpone new rules for preschool
Daily Herald Editorial 6/3/2010
State school officials want to require that local districts provide the same bilingual services to preschool children that are offered in grades K-12 - a change that would make Illinois the first in the nation to do so.
Giving the state's neediest youngsters a better chance of success certainly is admirable, but the Illinois State Board of Education's proposal comes with funding that is fuzzy at best.
It looks like yet another blow to local districts already scarred by budget cuts and still waiting on state money to pay their bills.
Here's how the proposal came about. Federal law exempts preschools from accountability in bilingual education. But a 2009 change in Illinois law made it mandatory for local school districts to provide services to the 3- to 5-year-old English language learners they enroll. The state board responded with comprehensive regulations that include bilingual certification for teachers by 2014, ongoing teacher development, ramped-up screenings and mandatory ELL programs where there are 20 or more bilingual students who speak the same language.
Local school officials, knowing these things don't come cheap, were flabbergasted, and 199 of them wrote to the board with objections. State officials - to their credit - recognized the state's dire situation and delayed some requirements.
But they are still too burdensome.
Under the rules, school districts would be able to apply to the state board for reimbursement. But what are the odds they'll get it anytime soon? Districts still are awaiting more than $1.4 billion promised by the state, general aid to schools is expected to remain flat, and grants to cover bilingual funding have dropped 10 percent.
Several suburban preschool coordinators told staff writer Kerry Lester that, while they've tried to prepare for the changes, they fear money will dry up and children will be turned away.
This exercise in futility will do little to make Illinois a model for school reform.
Also stunning is that later this month, during the very meeting where the state board is expected to approve costly new regulations, it will be looking to make some painful budget cuts.
We've seen what the state's financial crisis has done to education already. Administrators are laying off teachers, dropping extracurricular programs and putting school improvements on hold. Some have gone beyond cutting the fat.
These preschool rules essentially would be mandates that come without the cash to pay for them. Such proposals demand more discretion.
We don't doubt that better serving at-risk youngsters would greatly enhance their ability to succeed in school. Nor do we want school districts to stop offering what they already do. But this is not the time for expensive new programs. Our local districts with preschools should continue to determine the best way to give these students a solid start in a way that won't hinder important programs already in place.