Legislative Action                                                                                

Education chief hopes to make his
own mark with a 'quality schools' plan

By JENNIFER HALPERIN

If one person came on the job with big shoes to fill, it was Joseph Spagnolo, the state's superintendent of education. His predecessor, Bob Leininger, had a penchant for blunt talk about revising the way schools in Illinois are funded and for taking state leaders to task for shying away from the issue.

But Spagnolo hopes to start making a name for himself through his "Quality Schools Initiative" — a 60-page paper detailing his ideas for improving education in Illinois.

The document contains plenty of safe suggestions — non-controversial proposals aimed at identifying school districts' financial problems earlier, and increasing support for technology and telecommunications in the classroom. And Spagnolo jumps on an already crowded bandwagon by calling for the creation of charter schools and by supporting a plan to allow schools to seek waivers from restrictive rules and regulations — a proposal Gov. Edgar signed into law earlier this year.

But buried way in the back of the report, on page 56, is a clue that the superintendent has strong feelings on changing the way schools are funded. He says the state should shoulder more responsibility when it comes to paying for public education so that reliance on property taxes can be reduced. That means increasing the state income tax and/or sales tax rate, doing away with sales and income tax exemptions, or taxing services.

Other states have dealt with many of the same financial crises as Illinois by shifting from local property taxes to broader statewide taxes, he says. For example, Michigan moved toward a sales tax, Kansas used a statewide property tax and Kentucky used a mix of statewide taxes, including an income tax increase.

Spagnolo cites a state comptroller report from fiscal year 1993 to point out that Illinois could collect $3.062 billion more each year if it did away with sales and income tax exemptions, deductions and credits. Raising the income tax rate by 1 percent, he adds, would yield about $1.8 billion.

Of course, Spagnolo's support doesn't mean such proposals will make even the slowest track moving through the legislature these days. But it should nudge Illinois leaders and lawmakers: The people they've selected as experts on education think the state could do a better job of funding schools.

Although this message probably will be ignored by lawmakers, maybe they will take more seriously some of Spagnolo's other suggestions. Among them:

• Remove schools' temptation to borrow on a short-term basis, and their authority to convert short-term debt to long-term debt. Spagnolo supports legislation repealing and limiting schools' short- and long-term indebtedness, saying moves like these simply mortgage one generation's educational expenses onto another generation of students and taxpayers.

Joseph Spagnolo has big shoes to fill when it comes to pushing for changes in school funding

• Increase weighting in the school aid formula on early grades. Doing so may not lead to immediate student achievement gains, Spagnolo says, but would improve student performance in the long run. He cites research during the last 25 years that indicates children's experience during their first few years of schooling have enduring effects on the years that follow. He wants to incorporate more parental training, community services and use of technology into early childhood education.

• Study the possibility of longer school days or year-round schools. Since research suggests continuity plays a strong role in student achievement, Spagnolo suggests reducing the "down time" of long summer breaks, during which students may forget things they've learned.

• Combine different education levies into one general fund. Spagnolo says taxpayers are confused by the assortment of education tax levies (including one for operations and maintenance, one for transportation, one for special education). Combining them into one fund, he says, will give local districts flexibility to improve their schools without worrying about having a deficit in one fund and a surplus in another. He also wants to see the current maximum rates allowed by districts rolled back over four years.

• Develop "Project Jumpstart" to help schools that aren't meeting state academic standards. Spagnolo suggests that consultants be used to help determine problems in the schools' programs and plan appropriate curricula. And he recommends arranging time off from regular duties for staff members to work on school improvements.

For fiscal year 1995, $4.1 million was available for awards to help 508 schools improve in these ways. But more than 1,000 proposals were received from schools requesting more than $12 million. Spagnolo would like to see more money appropriated for these activities in the next fiscal year.

• Revamp the teacher certification process to reduce the paperwork involved in getting a teaching certificate. He also says the state board of education should adopt an alternative licensing process that takes into account life-long skills acquired in fields outside of education.

• Develop a "schools-to-careers" program that helps kids select a "career major" at or before the 11th grade. After 10th grade, all students would take the Illinois Assessment of Critical Knowledge and Skills test to measure skills.

Students whose tests show they're ready to move on in their education would be able to choose from three career preparation plans: university, two-year college, or a career immediately following graduation. Those whose tests show they're not prepared to move on academically would be moved into programs that teach specific work skills.

There is some support for these ideas. But Spagnolo will have to get out front if he wants to be a player. It could help turn his ideas into action. And it could help him fill the big shoes left for him. *

34/April 1995/Illinois Issues