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League of Women Voters of Illinois®

A nonpartisan political organization, dedicated to Making Democracy Work, through voter education, issue advocacy, and citizen participation.
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Action Agenda:
Time for Action!
Action Articles
2009 Action Priorities

Advocacy Tools:
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Education Tool Kit

• League Position on Education

• Current Funding Mechanism

• Speakers on School Funding

• Organizations Supporting This Issue

• Template of Letter to the Editor

• Template of Letters to Legislators

• Sample Questions for Candidate Forums

• Guidelines on Forming Coalitions.

Education Tool Kit
About The Issues:
  1. Summary of the League's position and useful talking points.
    In brief, the League’s position is summarized in the Action Alert which was sent to Leagues on March 19, 2008. For a full description of the LWVIL’s position on all aspects of education, please consult the LWVIL Position on Schools in the 2007-2009 Where We Stand. Your League should have a hard copy, and it can be read or downloaded from HERE.

  2. Explanation of current funding mechanism — what the State Constitution mandates; how school districts meet their funding needs without full funding.

  3. Clear explanation of inequities caused by current funding method and explanation of where Illinois ranks in school funding ability.

    • www.aplusillinois.org ‘Facts About School Quality & Funding in Illinois.’
    • http://www.aplusillinois.org/documents/
      FACTS_ABOUT_SCHOOL_QUALITY_for_organizers.pdf
    • You may also go to www.ctbaonline.org for information. Click on the sidebar marked ‘Education’ for an in-depth look at the education issue in Illinois.

  4. Explanation of legislation.

    • www.ctbaonline.org and www.aplusillinois.org both have very thorough explanations of the pending legislation.
    • A+ Illinois also has a very good one-page explanation of SB 2288 entitled ’How Does Senate Bill 2288 meet A+ Illinois Principles’ that mirrors the League’s position.
    • www.ieanea.org has a weekly update on where the legislation stands. The updates will be posted on the LWVIL education listserv.

  5. Common Misconceptions about SB 2288

  6. Pension issues: See www.ctbaonline.org for information on pension issues.
Resources and Suggested Actions:
  1. List of speakers
    At this time, our focus should be on the bills being considered in the legislature and promoting the League‘s position.
  2. Other organizations supporting this issue and how to contact them.
  3. Template of a Letter to the Editor
  4. Template of letters to legislators
  5. Sample questions for candidate forums
  6. The League’s guidelines on meeting with legislators and the guidelines on forming coalitions. This information may also be found in the President’s Handbook.
  7. Newsletter items for local League newsletters — These will include updates on legislation and will be posted on the education listserv.
  8. Examples of press releases which include the League’s position and actions taken. These will be posted on the listserv as they develop.
  9. Joining the LWVIL Educational List Serv:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LWVILeducation/ — This link will bring you to the Education Listserv page. Go to the top of the page where it says Yahoo. Sign in as a new member. You will be asked to create a Yahoo account and password. After that, by going to http://groups.yahoo.com/, you will be able to sign in as a member to read and post information.
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