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Contents                     April 1993

Illinois
Issues




Vol. XIX    No. 4
Established 1975



A child

Nobody
listens to
Bob Leininger

Donald
Sevener

12









Columns

Politics
Budget's first casualty: truthfulness
Charles N. Wheeler III ______ 6

Guest Column
Tax caps undermining open space preservation
Lawrence B. Christmas ______ 8

The state of the State
Edgar lays claim to revenue from surcharge
Caroline A. Gherardini_______ 10

The Pulse
Why family values didn't sell
Deserrie Ruptash, Kristal Brazaitis and Richard Schuldt________ 30

Chicago
Maryville Academy's alternative for kids
Paul M. Green __________ 32

Departments

Letters ________________ 4

Esprit de Pol
'Toilet wars' along the Senate corridor __________ 7

Legislative Action
Agendas of campaign-driven politicos:
Will anything really change?
Jennifer Halperin _________ 23

Judicial Rulings
F. Mark Siebert __________ 25

Names
James Pollock ___________ 26

Book Reviews
Harold Washington phenomenon and 'politics of change'
Alton Miller____________ 28

State Reports
Anna J. Merritt ___________ 29

State Stix
Minorities on campus: slow progress in Illinois
Donald Sevener __________ 34

Cover illustration: The classroom of kids in the photograph are apparently enthralled with their teacher-for-a-day, none other than state school Supt. Robert Leininger. Donald Sevener's article explores Leininger's role in education leadership in Illinois, beginning on page 12. Kids also were central to Gov. Jim Edgar's theme of "kids vs. concrete" in his budget message. For a political analysis of that theme and the budget, see Charles N. Wheeler III's "Politics" column on page 6. The cover photograph is courtesy the State Board of Education.

April 1993/Illinois Issues/5


Published by Sangamon State University/
cosponsored by the University of Illinois

Readers:

How officials explain any highly visible public policy issue may not be the real issue at all.

Nearly every politician pontificates on behalf of education, for example. Yet every year, many people say that government efforts to push education forward have fallen way short of desired goals.

Our cover story by Don Sevener examines leadership and K-12 public school financing in Illinois. This article has some bite. Rather than repeat the usual spin about taxes and tax caps and the oft-trumpeted phrase "quality education," it describes why Illinois is still struggling to find a long-term solution to educational problems. Have we had an education governor? No. Has the legislature done all it can do? Hardly. Does the state superintendent of education have the clout to make significant changes independently? Not really.

The spin control, trial balloons and vague pronouncements in support of education often leave me wondering: Is anyone really addressing this issue effectively?

One of my favorite parts of this magazine is our section of letters to the editor. You may recall that last fall, as the new publisher, I inserted a response card into the magazine and asked for your feedback. You provided it — thank you! And this month we publish more letters than usual, including one from Atty. Gen. Roland W. Burris. It is vital for public policy issues to be always open to intelligent discussion. Illinois Issues provides one forum for this dialogue.

Finally, we welcome Phil Rock, the former Senate president, to the Board of Illinois Issues. In my first conversation with him after he joined the Board, he said of Illinois Issues, "I'm a fan of the magazine and I want to help." Rock is universally recognized as one of Illinois' few statesmen, and his contributions are certain to help sustain Illinois Issues, reputation as the state's leading public affairs magazine.

Ed Wojcicki
Signature

April 1993/Illinois Issues/3


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