UPDATE: I wasn't very clear when I wrote about what happened with SB 612 - guess I was just too mad -- but here's a little more detail:

SB 612 is what they call a "shell bill" - they leave the bill open and then at the last minute they add a lot of amendments to it. One amendment that was added to SB 612 was to section 5/34-2.4 b of the school reform law called the "small schools exemption," which allows CPS to eliminate LSCs in certain small schools.

The new amendment in SB 612 is an attempt to allow CPS to eliminate LSCs from more school. That is very bad news. Our legislators allowed them to sneak this amendment in at the last minute so that no one knew they were doing it and we had no way to stop it. 

The best thing to do now is ask the Governor to veto the bill. You can call his office at 312-814-2121.

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Some time on Saturday, May 30, legislators sneaked in an amendment to SB 612 that will allow CPS to create turnaround contract schools without real LSCs. SB 612 passed both houses on Sunday.

CPS: Ha, ha! We have paid lobbyists and you don't!

It was a nasty twist that this betrayal of LSCs was slipped in as an amendment to a bill that will add 45 more charter schools in Chicago. Charter schools are also not required to have LSCs. This will make it easier for CPS to move ahead with what we have been trying to stop in our small schools lawsuit, that is, ban LSCs from most if not all Renaissance 2010 schools.

Take a look here to see how it all happened at the last minute., and who was responsible.

This is just one example of how CPS takes advantage of the fact that grass roots advocacy groups can't afford to have full-time lobbyists to keep track of all the game playing that happens in Springfield.

It's also an example of the kind of bad law that gets passed in the final hours of the session.  

The lawsuit will go on, and we will win, but this new law will make it harder for parents to have a voice in the future.       

Unless Governor Quinn decides to veto it. After all, shouldn't Chicago parents and others have some say in laws that affect us before they are set in stone?

Springfield

Office of the Governor 207 State House Springfield, IL 62706 Phone: 217-782-0244 TTY: 888-261-3336

Chicago

Office of the Governor James R. Thompson Center 100 W. Randolph, 16-100 Chicago, IL 60601 Phone: 312-814-2121