Et Tu Gov. Quinn? -OR- Kids Over Concrete

"When the choice is between kids and concrete, the kids must win," Illinois Governor Jim Edgar, March 4, 1993.

In the seventeen intervening years, any way you spin it, the kids have lost. Education in Illinois plays a sick twisted game of Kick the Kids. What the hell, kids can't vote. The school kids Edgar talked about in 1993 are all of voting age now, many with kids of their own. With the nepotistic practice embodied in Illinois politics, many of the same family names are still kicking the kids around. A family tradition?

I looked for some charts and graphs to illustrate the Illinois Funding Method.
None matched the accuracy provided by this one.



The worst kept secret in Illinois is the glad-handing that stands as government. Its arcane financial alchemy steeped in cronyism along with its Rube Goldberg-ian taxation model that defies explanation, -let alone any accounting- assures costly diffusion of reform attempts.

Our lottery was/is heralded as providing MORE money for education, but that's just another twist. For every Lotto dollar that flows in, a dollar from the general fund is removed.

I challenge anyone to explain Illinois' school funding formula. It too reduces the State's burden for every dollar raised locally at the same time it insists that more dollars be raised locally. It tried to tie funding to test scores, but welshed on the deal by repeatedly moving the goalposts.

It's always a new day and a new shitty deal for the kids and despite the agitprop that education has failed, the kids have LEARNED this.

Presently, School Districts all over the state are in full panic mode. Teacher contracts looming, budget decisions in a tizzy because the state has once again ruled that more precious revenue MUST be retained for CONCRETE (and etceteras).

A BILLION DOLLARS MORE, with even more "cuts" to come. Clearly, the movers and shakers of Illinois have a vested interest in "Kids" not learning MATH. It's long past time for Edgar's kids to rise up angry and speak for the kids they used to be.

The leaky money-bucket short-sheeting conga line never stops. Cut the crap. Stop the insanity, blaming, shirking, finger-pointing, LYING and scaring and do right by the kids.

The kids are hip to your playground games. They aren't stoopid.