Fixing Illinois schools

A couple of months ago, Illinois failed to score the $400 million jackpot in the federal Race to the Top sweepstakes. That wasn't about politics or, as Education Secretary Arne Duncan said, because there were really so many great entries.

Illinois failed to push enough dramatic changes to convince the feds that the state was serious enough about swift, top-to-bottom reform.

Eleven states and the District of Columbia outmatched us and got the money. Some were more aggressive on efforts to recruit and reward high-performing teachers, to weed out failing teachers, to eradicate caps on charter schools. Some persuaded more of their teachers unions and school boards to endorse vital changes, including tougher standards for teacher tenure.

Those states won. Illinois lost.

Think about that when you vote on Nov. 2. Think about pols who parry school reforms with a nervous glance at the powerful teachers unions. Think about leaders who adopt a yikes!-that's-too-fast approach to ambitious changes. Or those who elevate the entrenched interests of the adults in schools ahead of the kids.

Illinois ranks 18th in the nation in per-pupil spending for elementary and secondary schools. But the performance of our schools recently earned a dismal grade of D from the advocacy group Advance Illinois. Judging from the state's nearly flat-lined test scores and other measures, that D is generous.

Too many schools fail to meet children's needs and prepare them to compete for good-paying jobs. Too many kids and their parents are told: You have to wait. It takes time to make schools better.

Kids don't have time.

The agenda for fixing Illinois schools can be summed up in two words: Choice and accountability. That means:

•More quality charter schools. Lawmakers last year doubled to 120 the state's cap on the number of charter schools. But there is no valid reason to have any cap. There are 15,000 children on waiting lists to attend charter schools in Illinois. 15,000! Their parents want a better education for their kids. They want charter schools, which often offer longer school days, fewer creativity-deadening rules and more dedicated teachers.

Sen. Bill Brady, the Republican candidate for governor, favors eliminating the cap on charter schools right now; Gov. Pat Quinn doesn't.

One more thing on charters: The state doesn't attract as many top-notch charter school operators as it should. The reason: money. State law allows local school districts to shortchange funding for charters. Springfield needs to fix that. Charters have to scramble for private donations. The charters shouldn't be placed at a financial disadvantage because local officials want to choke off the competition for their traditional schools.

•More options for schooling. We enthusiastically supported a bid to provide private-school tuition to as many as 30,000 kids in Chicago's worst schools. The bill passed the Senate last spring with the strong backing of Sen. James Meeks, but failed in the House. State Rep. Karen Yarbrough says she'll bring it up again in November.

Brady voted for this program. Quinn — a product of the finest private schools, Georgetown University and Fenwick High School — would deny Chicago's children the opportunity.

•Compensation based on performance.

Illinois is revamping teacher evaluations and building a data system that should help track students' progress from kindergarten through high school. The state needs a robust "value-added" system that identifies those teachers who help students advance and those teachers whose students lose ground. The best educators should be paid more. The worst should find new jobs. Teacher ratings should be available to parents.

• Consolidation of school districts. Illinois has 869 districts, more than any other state. That's makes for expensive bureaucracy, not for better schools. A lot of small districts can't afford specialized courses in areas such as science and languages. Quinn says combining school districts is "a great place to start" reducing the size of government in Illinois. Brady says he would slash the State Board of Education's "bloated" bureaucracy. It's all music to our ears.

School reform routinely runs into protection of the status quo — a status quo that serves adults well but miserably fails children. "The temptation at every turn is to water down, to seek less controversy and preserve the illusion of success and harmony," Tim Daly of The New Teacher Project told us.

Voters: You have to break that nasty habit in education. Illinois faces a steep climb to the top. The path is clear: Expand choice. Enhance accountability. Lure the best people into teaching. Put every dollar available on the kids.

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