A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the Spring Valley Community Consolidated School District 99 regarding specific emails and memos dated January 28, 2025. The request, made by Illinois Valley Times, a media organization dedicated to providing comprehensive news coverage on local governmental affairs, seeks access to all emails and memos from the past year containing the keywords “Lucy Calkins” and “Units of Study.”
The purpose of this request is to gather information for news reporting purposes. As members of the media, we at Illinois Valley Times are involved in gathering and disseminating news to the public. Access to public records is essential for us to fulfill our professional responsibilities, which include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency.
In relation to this request, it's worth noting some statistics about education in Illinois. According to the Illinois Report Card, the average state teacher salary in 2023 was $73,916, while the state average administrative salary was $116,908. The average student-to-administrative ratio stands at 141:1, and the average student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1. Additionally, 58% of teachers in Illinois have a master's degree or higher.
We believe that these figures highlight the importance of scrutinizing educational materials and practices within our schools. We await a response from Spring Valley Community Consolidated School District 99 regarding our FOIA request.
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