Senate committee starts education reform hearings

SPRINGFIELD — An Illinois Senate committee is hearing differing opinions on how to reform public education.

Education reform groups called for tying teacher pay to student performance, making it easier to dismiss poor teachers and reducing the number of teachers' strikes in four hours of hearings Monday.

School management groups such as the Illinois State Board of Education, Chicago Public Schools and teachers unions testified in favor of reform but do not necessarily agree with those proposals.

Democratic Senator Kimberly Lightford of Maywood is presiding over the special committee set up by Senate Democrats. She says it's important that all sides participate in making schools better and she hopes a compromise can be reached.

A similar House committee has already conducted several hearings.