School lobbyist provides insight to Grayslake District 46 board
- Article
- Comments
An official from a public school lobbying organization appeared before the Grayslake Elementary District 46 board a little more than a month after an elected official criticized some of the group's positions.
Education Research Development Executive Director Erika Lindley on Wednesday explained why the group supports or opposes certain proposals floated by state legislators, such as school vouchers. The organization Lindley represents commonly is known as ED-RED.
ED-RED's roster includes at least 13 high school districts and 75 elementary districts from Lake, Cook and DuPage counties. The lobbying group began with seven North suburban high school districts in 1971.
District 46 has paid an annual fee of about $1,600 for membership in ED-RED, which is based at Maine South High School in Park Ridge. ED-RED charges more to larger school systems.
During her presentation to the District 46 board Wednesday, Lindley explained why ED-RED's executive committee has come out against a House proposal in which parents would receive vouchers from the state to use for sending children to private schools. The eight-member committee is made up of suburban school board members and superintendents.
"As a public school advocacy organization, our executive board continues to feel that ... public dollars allocated for public school districts should remain in the public sector. It continues to be the position that they hold," Lindley said.
It was one of several education-related proposals in the General Assembly she discussed with the board.
In June, District 46 board member Michael Carbone criticized some ED-RED stances and claimed it's a lobbying organization that taxpayers would not support. He had said he didn't want an ED-RED representative to address the board.
