Educators want to 'take back' public education conversation

This past fall, the Wheaton Warrenville Unit District 200 community spent a great deal of time advocating against Senate Bill 16.

If enacted into law, SB16 would have had a severe, negative impact on District 200 by reducing state revenues by $9.8 million.

While SB16 was not called for a vote during the last legislative session, there is a new bill, Senate Bill 1, that would change the way all school districts receive state funding.

Throughout these conversations, school districts across our state have not really "had a seat at the table."

It's time for educators and members of the community to take back the conversation about public education in Illinois.

That's why I am excited to share with our community a new initiative through the Illinois Association of School Boards called Vision 20/20. It's a blueprint for the future of public education that has been developed by Illinois educators from all regions of the state.

The goal of Vision 20/20 is summarized in its tagline: "Fulfilling the Promise of Public Education." Education is an investment in our children's future, our state's future, and our nation's future. It is our responsibility as educators to reflect upon the current state of education in Illinois and take action to create an education system that meets the needs of all students.

Vision 20/20 connects closely with District 200's strategic plan, Vision 2018 (www.cusd200.org/vision2018).

Vision 20/20's policy platform is divided into four main pillars:

• 21st Century Learning: Not just knowledge of reading and math, but providing the technology and tools for learning in today's world as well as a commitment to the "whole child."

• Highly Effective Educators: Policies to help attract, develop and retain the highest quality of teachers and administrators.

• Shared Accountability: Creating a shared accountability model that includes more input from educators, increases collaboration with legislators and restructures mandates to allow more flexibility for local school districts and communities.

• Equitable and Adequate Funding: An evidence-based funding model that takes into account what it actually costs to educate a student in various parts of our state and utilizes research to identify those things that have the most impact on student success.

This plan is representative of educators' opinions and expertise from the southern tip of Illinois through the northern Chicago suburbs. The plan already has been endorsed by the Illinois PTA and the Ounce of Prevention Fund, an organization dedicated to providing children in poverty the best chance for success in school.

I believe educators should be held to the highest standards, but also be given the flexibility to apply their experience and knowledge to match local needs in order to best support each individual student.

I invite you to learn more about Vision 20/20 by visiting the website at www.illinoisvision2020.org

Ensuring that educators have a seat at the table while changing the course of public education in Illinois can only happen with grass-roots support. I am asking you to help us fulfill the promise of public education to children in our community and the more than 2 million schoolchildren in our state.

• Jeff Schuler is superintendent of Wheaton Warrenville Unit District 200. His column appears monthly in Neighbor during the school year.