Jobs for Justice to discuss budget threats to schools

In response to Gov. Quinn’s pension plan and recent legislative initiatives, Northern Illinois Jobs with Justice has assembled a panel of professional educators who will discuss the issues surrounding education reform and what they mean to the quality of education throughout Illinois.

This forum will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 12, at First Congregational Church, 256 E. Chicago St., Elgin.

The meeting is free and open to the public.

According to John Laesch, former candidate for Congress in Illinois’ 14th District, “We’re sponsoring this forum to foster an understanding of what’s behind the current budget threats our schools and teachers face.”

Funding, privatization of schools, and the impact of recent legislation are some of the topics to be discussed by the panel of speakers that includes:

Ÿ Vincent Gaddis, moderator and chairman of the Department of History at Benedictine University;

Ÿ Jean Pierce, retired professor of educational psychology at Northern Illinois University;

Ÿ Dan Kenney, a teacher in the DeKalb school district and community organizer;

Ÿ Sarah Hainds, member of the research team at the Chicago Teachers Union;

Ÿ Maria Owens, educator and regional induction specialist with the Illinois New Teacher Collaborative in conjunction with the University of Illinois.

For more information about the forum, call (847) 742-6602 or visit the website at nijwj.org.