Illinois House rejects vouchers

CPS | Would have let 30,000 kids switch to private schools

May 6, 2010

BY DAVE McKINNEY AND STEVE CONTORNO Staff Reporters
SPRINGFIELD -- A bid to arm up to 30,000 students in the lowest-performing and most-overcrowded Chicago public schools with vouchers so they could transfer to private schools went down in flames Wednesday amid heavy opposition from teachers unions.

The legislation devised by Sen. James Meeks (D-Chicago) drew only 48 votes in the House, far fewer than the 60 votes necessary to pass what would have been the largest urban voucher program in the country.


"I've lost bills before. That's just part of life," said Rep. Kevin Joyce (D-Chicago), the bill's chief House sponsor. "But these kids had a great opportunity with some really strong leadership. Today, those kids lost out because the people that are a part of that system are afraid of one little change: giving kids an opportunity to go to a better school."

Opponents included the Chicago Teachers Union, the Illinois Federation of Teachers and the Illinois Education Association.

Their legislative allies said allowing the best students to leave the lowest-achieving schools would only make a bad educational environment worse.

"We are attempting to destroy public education for some children. And when we do that, we deny all of them an opportunity to be the best they can be," said Rep. Monique Davis (D-Chicago), who voted against the plan. "It's so unfair."

Joyce kept the voucher plan alive through a parliamentary maneuver, but it won't resurface during the remaining two scheduled days of the Legislature's spring session. Instead, Joyce said he may try to revive it after the fall elections.

In other legislative action, the Senate sent a revised plan to the House that would stop free mass-transit rides for middle- and upper-income senior citizens.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/2241842,CST-NWS-leg06.article