All About Charter Schools inIllinois: Charter Legislation and Law, Charter School Numbers, Enrollment and Academic Achievement, and Charter School Resources and Support Organization Contacts, as well as Illinois Department of Education Charter School Offices

Charter Schools in Illinois

Law:   Passed in 1996

Rank:   20th weakest of the nation's 40 charter laws

CER Grade:   C

Schools:   29

Students:  10,309

POLITICS:

MIXED BAG: Governor Rod Blagojevich signed legislation last week that raises the charter cap in Chicago to 30, paving the way for 15 new schools to be created within the city. This may seem like good news, but there's more to the story. In addition to raising the cap, the compromise bill restores collective bargaining powers to the city's teachers so that they can negotiate such issues as whether to privatize and class size. The new law may be viewed as a victory for the Chicago-based union and charter advocates, but charter proponents throughout the rest of the state are shaking their heads in dismay. From CER Newswire April 22, 2003.

PROSPECTING: Prairie State legislators are considering expanding their law to allow for more Chicago charters. A measure which passed the state senate would raise the cap from 15 to 30 schools but would also create more restrictions on chartering that many proponents there view as manageable given the current need for more schools. Prospects for charter expansion in the Windy City have been stagnant since the bill passed in 1996. CER Newswire February 11, 2003. Update: Be Careful What You Wish For ... CER Newswire February 25, 2003.

GOOD NEWS & BAD NEWS: A bill that will raise the charter school cap in Chicago will be presented to the Illinois legislature this week. SB 1240 is actually a labor bill that just happens to have a few charter school provisions inserted. The cap, which now stands at 15, will be raised to 30. This appears to be good news to Chicago reformers who have serious demand for charters but no open spaces. But with this one improvement comes several sacrifices: For example, the number and percentage of certified teachers in charter schools is raised even though certification is not a barometer of quality. Additionally, charters will now be restricted to one campus per charter. There is also language within the bill that puts a 2-year moratorium on charters from contracting with for-profit management companies. CER Newswire November 26, 2002

BENT BOARD: Governors State University Charter School, Illinois — The Illinois State Board revoked one of this state’s most successful charter schools citing minor violations of their charter. The school boasted excellent academic results and heavy parental and community support, but all that seemed irrelevant to a school board bent on revocation. From CER Monthly Letter, Back to School 2002.

LESS THAN APPEALING: The appeals process for charters in Illinois may not be all it was hoped to be. Recently the Illinois State Board of Education voted to deny the proposal for the YouthBuild Charter School in Rockford, Illinois. The charter's program was based on the already existent successful Rockford YouthBuild program, and would have provided a new alternative for the many students who have dropped out of Rockford public schools. The proposal had been denied by the local board and the decision appealed to the State Board Appeals Panel. The appeals panel and the State Superintendent both found the proposal to be in compliance with Illinois law and in the best interest of the children it proposed to serve. The State Superintendent forwarded the proposal with the recommendation to overturn the local decision and grant the charter. However, the motion to approve received only three of the five votes necessary. Reasons given by opponents included a desire not overturn a local decision (of course overturning such decisions is the purpose of an appeals board in a state where the only authorizer is local boards) and the alleged financial impact on the district, which the State acknowledged to be .0006 percent of the district's projected budget over the first five years of the charter. We hope this decision does not set a precedent of unwillingness by the State Board to utilize its appeals authority to authorize charter schools. If it does though, it certainly makes the case for new authorization avenues in Illinois. CER Newswire May 22, 2002.

ON AVERAGE: Illinois received a C in CER's latest state-by-state charter law ratings because despite having 28 charter schools, the law still limits authorization to school boards, which in the suburbs has proved a daunting experience. Chicago, on the other hand, is a willing and quality authorizer, but the law caps the number of charters there to 15 of 45 permitted. Already, Chicago has reached its cap, and without an amendment to increase or lift it, children will miss out. From CER's State-By-State Charter Law Ranking Report, October 2001.

CITY LIMITS: Charter activity in Chicago, Illinois is relatively high, due to a proactive reform attitude among city officials, but outside the city charter efforts have been stonewalled by local boards. CER Charter Law Rankings, April 2000

DEVELOPMENTS:

CHICAGO CHARTERS: A landmark grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was made to the Chicago Charter School Foundation, which currently has among the highest achieving high schools in all of Chicago. The multi-million dollar grant will be used to create new secondary schooling opportunities and an urban high school model. Long-time school reform activist and charter foundation president James Murphy is to be commended for his ongoing efforts to improve education in the Windy City. For information, contact Ben Lindquist at (312) 455-7892. CER Newswire October 21, 2002.

RESOURCES:

SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS:

Leadership for Quality Education
One First National Plaza, Suite 3120
21 South Clark St.
Chicago, IL 60603

Contact: Allison Jack
Telephone: (312) 853-3691
Fax: (312) 853-1214
Email: info@lqe.org

Website: http://www.lqe.org

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION:

Illinois State Board of Education
100 North First Street
Springfield, IL 62777

Contact: Janet Allison, Division Administrator, Charter Schools
Tel: 217-782-0083
Email: sroberts@smtp.isbe.state.il.us

Website: http://www2.isbe.state.il.us/charter/default.htm