Governor's Commission Announces Hearing to Revise School Code

SPRINGFIELD -- Governor George H. Ryan today announced that the Governor's Commission on Revising the Illinois School Code will conduct hearings at local community college campuses to discuss proposed School Code changes and gather public opinion on the commission-recommended revisions.

"Education has been the top priority of this administration. In order to provide an effective and efficient system of high quality public education, a comprehensive revision of the School Code is necessary. It requires a significant redesign of state policies, procedures and programs," Governor Ryan said.

The School Code of Illinois took effect forty years ago, on July 1, 1961. However, the Code contains outdated information, making it difficult for educators, parents and the general public to understand. Several years ago, the Illinois Bar Association (IBA) began work on re-writing the Code and the Governor's Commission will continue the work started by the IBA.

Approximately 130,000 full and part-time public school teachers educate over two million students in 4,290 public schools in the State of Illinois. The State's educational system has undergone a fundamental shift to standards-led reform in recent years, focusing on student achievement as the primary result of the educational system. The school code needs to be updated to reflect this new approach.

The Governor's Commission on Revising the School Code was created in Executive Order #7 and is comprised of a variety of persons from across the state. The purpose of this commission is to conduct a comprehensive study of the existing school code.

The Commission will hold hearings from 5:00 - 9:00 PM at the following community college sites:

Participants who require special accommodations should submit a written request to the Illinois State Board of Education at least one week prior to the hearing to 100 North First, Springfield, IL 62777.