Lt. Gov. to host education hearing in Des Plaines

Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon’s Classrooms First Commission will hold its final public hearing of the fall Thursday, Nov. 3 at Oakton Community College’s Des Plaines campus. The hearing will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. in the college’s Main Building, Room 1604, 1600 E. Golf Road.

Rita Jacobson, executive director of the North DuPage Special Education Cooperative, will urge commission members to examine the structure and organization of special education cooperatives/joint agreements and intergovernmental agreements to identify the most efficient and effective way to deliver quality service to students with disabilities. Several superintendents from suburban Cook, DuPage and Lake counties also will offer testimony about the benefits of shared-service collaborations.

Parents, educators and taxpayers may provide suggestions on making school districts more efficient and effective through oral and/or written testimony. Time will be allotted on a first-come, first-served basis.

To watch live streaming video of the hearing visit ltgov.il.gov. The public can also submit ideas on how to improve school district efficiency and student learning opportunities using an online survey at the site.

The commission, which is tasked with finding ways to improve learning and efficiency at the state’s roughly 870 school districts, will report back to the governor and state legislature in the summer.