Posted on 04/02/2010 4:30:49 AM PDT by Daisyjane69
ILLINOIS -- Illinois state senators approved a school voucher measure by a vote of 33-20 on Thursday, March 25. Sponsored by Rev. Sen. James Meeks, Senate Bill 2494 would create a pilot school voucher program for students in struggling Chicago public schools.
(Excerpt) Read more at edchoice.org ...
"This is a huge step forward for school choice, for Illinois, and, most important, for families in need of educational change," said Robert Enlow, president and CEO of the Foundation for Educational Choice. "Illinois lawmakers proved they have the courage to give Chicago's residents an opportunity to escape poorly performing schools. We are happy to be involved with this effort."
Illinois' voucher legislation won approval in the full Senate after passing out of committee late Wednesday, March 24, on a vote of 8-3. It next faces the Illinois House of Representatives.
"Thanks to Rev. Sen. Meeks and other leaders in the Senate, Illinois could be the next state to bring safer, quality schooling options to its families in need," said Collin Hitt, director of education policy for the Illinois Policy Institute. "Now we must do our part to ensure their efforts become a reality. We invite Illinois families to stand with us in this fight for greater educational opportunity."
The Foundation for Educational Choice is the continuation of the Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation, established by the Friedmans in 1996 to promote school choice as the most effective and equitable way to improve the quality of K-12 education in America. The Illinois Policy Institute is a nonpartisan research organization dedicated to supporting free-market principles and liberty-based public policy initiatives for a better Illinois.
Resources from The Foundation for Educational Choice and the Illinois Policy Institute:
•Illinois' Opinion on K-12 Education and School Choice •Vouchers Would Keep Our Students Safe •School Vouchers and the Students Who Use Them – What the Research Says •Kids Win. Taxpayers Win: The Fiscal Benefits to State Government of a School Voucher Program •The Jury on School Vouchers: A Pilot Voucher Program Passes State, Federal Constitutional Muster
Who were the 20 that voted against it!
yeah no kidding!
What are the chances of this getting through the Illinois house?
I dunno.
But the state of Illinois is short of money and if they can make the case, this would SAVE the state a ton of money. And it is, of course, an election year.
Good luck to them, I say. Should be a riot fighting the Chicago teacher’s union.
meh
A “Rev. Sen.” Well, he’s got his priorities straight.
I just did a little research of Meeks. He is a black Democrat from south Chicago and is executive VP of the Rainbow-PUSH Coalition. However, he stands against the black elites in his support for vouchers. In fall 2008, he called for a boycott of Chicago Public Schools until they got more funding from Springfield. Interestingly, he has also been targeted by the Southern Poverty Law Center for opposing gay rights legislation and was named one of the 10 leading black religious voices in the anti-gay movement. Well, at least we now know that the SPLC doesn’t just target white guys.
That bill should apply to all Illinois children, but it would only give vouchers to children who attend some of Chicago’s worst schools.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.