(Chicago Tribune) – Illinois lawmakers got rave reviews nationally for major education reforms aimed at improving teacher performance, but the state schools chief is warning they didn’t provide enough money to put the plan in place. The result is that it could take longer than advertised for the much-heralded changes to kick in, and education officials are scrambling to find cash to plug the gaps. ”In many ways, we are making the most aggressive reforms in the history of the state here for education, and we keep doing it for less and less money, and there’s a point, there’s a breaking point for all that, where things will fall through the cracks,” said Chris Koch, the state’s school superintendent. The new law, signed last month by Gov. Pat Quinnand supported by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, garnered significant attention because it will make it easier to lengthen school days, simpler to fire incompetent teachers and harder for Chicago Public Schoolsteachers to strike.
