THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 2008
Letters To Our Editor
'No Child' Burdens School Districts
Editor, Journal:
Over the last six years, every school and community has been impacted by the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. Few envisioned the unintended consequences the act has created in our school district.
Significantly, the acts unfunded mandates have placed ever-increasing financial burdens on districts, and on property tax payers, whose payments increasingly must be used to pay for such mandates.
As districts painstakingly meet the requirements set forth by NCLB, school leaders understand well what changes are needed to preserve accountability and improve academic performance while correcting the law's numerous flaws:
* Funding levels are far from what Congress and the Administration promised.
* The over-reliance on a single test to measure accountability causing the mislabeling of school as failing, even as progress is made.
* The one-size-fits-all approach doesn't work for such a diverse student population enrolled in the approximate 900 Illinois and 15,000 national school districts.
The NCLB Improvements Act of 2007 will improve the law by enabling schools to assess student performance more fairly and accurately, and spend taxpayer dollars more appropriately. The bill is sponsored by a 21-member bipartisan coalition.
A growing number of school districts has already formally endorsed the bill, but Congress will only act now if they hear from their constituents.
This is why Mt. Prospect Dist. 57's Board of Education supports the bill as well.
We encourage others to contact their Congressional delegates in support of this important legislation as well.
Mt. Prospect Elementary Dist. 57 Board of Education
Thank You For Support
Editor, Journal:
Thank you to my fellow members of the Prospect Heights City Council for unanimously passing a resolution last week to call on the Illinois General Assembly to pass meaningful lawsuit reforms.
Our city's employers have enough burdens (including our county's massive sales tax) without having to worry about frivolous lawsuits putting them out of business.
Here in Cook County - the threat of frivolous lawsuits is real. A survey released this week by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform finds that Cook County is rated as the second-worst jurisdiction in the country for lawsuit abuse, and Illinois is ranked as one of the worst states (45th out of 50) in the country. Perhaps most troubling about this study's findings is the fact that nearly two-thirds of respondents in this study - who are senior attorneys at major American employers - say a state's legal climate can affect important decisions, such as where to locate or do business.
I was proud to introduce this resolution on behalf of our city's employers. I commend my fellow aldermen for passing it.
Richard Hamen, 1st Ward alderman, City of Prospect Heights
Need To Keep Up Awareness For Those With Autism
Editor, Journal:
As April, National Autism Awareness Month, draws to a close, Illinois residents need to continue to learn more about this developmental disability that affects over 1.5 million Americans. The struggle to provide greater access to services and programs that support children and adults with autism goes on year-round. Raising awareness of this issue will be especially important during the next month as the General Assembly works to assemble a state budget for the next fiscal year.
According to the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, a part of the National Centers for Disease Control, one in every 150 children born today will have autism.
Autism is a complex developmental disability that usually appears in the first few years of life and affects the individual's ability to communicate.
It is considered a "Spectrum Disorder" and affects different individuals to varying degrees. A general lack of understanding of this disability has left it often underfunded or ignored.
Last year the General Assembly passed a law that requires schools to consider specific needs related to autism when determining what services special education students require.
These include verbal and non-verbal communication, social interaction skills, needs that result from engagement in repetitive activities, and support to address any behavioral difficulties from autism spectrum disorders.
This year, pending legislation would require insurance companies to cover up to $36,000 a year for the diagnosis or treatment of autism spectrum disorders.
The state of Illinois must work to fully fund services and educational programs for people with autism.
We cannot deny people living with this disorder the help they need to live full, healthy and meaningful lives.
Elaine Nekritz, State Representative, 57th District