News

FED ED MEMBERSHIP REACHES 121

We want to welcome new FED ED members. Norridge District 70, Morton Grove District 70, Reavis High School District 220, Hawthorn District 73, Queen Bee District 16 and Evanston District 65 and Lansing District 158 have now joined. FED ED now has 121 district and corporate members and represents over 500,000 school children.

FED ED's growing membership enhances our influence in Washington and continually strengthens the voice of suburban schools.

FED ED GOES TO DC

FED ED Co-Directors Harry Rossi and Dave Peterson, District 112 Superintendent Maureen Hager, and District 27 Superintendent Dave Kroeze visited members of the Illinois Congressional delegation in Washington, DC the week of February 24, 2009.

We held meetings with the following legislators and/or their education staffers: Congressman George Miller (CA), Chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, Congressman Danny Davis (7th), Congresswoman Judy Biggert (13th, Education and Workforce Committee member), Congressman Mark Kirk, 10th, Appropriations Committee member), Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (9th), Congressman Peter Roskam (6th), Congresswoman Debbie Halvorson(11th), Congressman Bill Foster (14th) and Senator Dick Durbin. We also met with Mary Kusler, AASA Assistant Director of Government Relations and Ed Kealy, Executive Director of the Committee for Education Funding (CEF), an influential group devoted to increasing federal funding for education.

All of our meetings were devoted to gaining as much information as possible about the timing of the distribution of the education monies in the stimulus package as well as changes in the FY09 budget (now referred to as the Omnibus bill) and the President’s FY10 budget. We also discussed the content and timing of the reauthorization of the ESEA (formerly known, but not for long, as NCLB).

120 ATTEND FED ED FALL LUNCHEON

The FED ED Fall Legislative Luncheon was held on Friday, October 30, 2009 at 12 noon at the Rosewood Restaurant, 9421 W. Higgins Rd., Rosemont, IL. 120 FED ED members and guests attended.

We are extremely pleased that Charles P. Rose, Chief Legal Counsel to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, was our keynote speaker and the recipient of FED ED's Champion of Public Education award for his leadership on behalf of public education. Many Illinois educators know Charlie through his work in public education in Illinois and we are honored to award him our Champion of Public Education award in his new role as Chief Counsel. Charlie offered some valuable insights into the Race to the Top monies, Innovations Grants and other Department of Education priorities.