State of education: Budget cuts
Updated: March 6, 2013
CHAMPAIGN -- To keep the pension crisis under control, the governor is taking millions from the classroom. This teacher says he needs to leave education alone. But Quinn says he has no other choice.
Wednesday he announced he has to cut $400 million from public schools. Educators are surrounded by a lot of unknowns right now.
One thing they know for sure, districts all over the state will lose millions in funding. Now they're trying to figure out how they're going to work through it.
"Education is the building blocks of our society."
She would know. Kathy Mannen has been teaching for 15 years.
"That's what readers do. Nice work, keep going," Mannen said.
She's a reading recovery teacher. Mannen meets with first graders everyday, working to bring up their reading levels.
"Everything in your life involves reading in some way. Even going to the grocery store, being able to read labels, filling out job applications. What we're teaching kids impacts them for a lifetime."
Here's what the governor announced. He's cutting close to $278 million from secondary education. That's just elementary and high schools. On top of that, $150 million will be cut from general state aid.
"Will we have to make do with less?" Mannen said.
That's what Mannen and her coworkers are preparing for now. Bigger classrooms, fewer programs and less one-on-one time is what the district could be facing. Something that this teacher says is vital to success.
"You're not just impacting today, you're impacting the future."
Schools will start to see effects of these cuts by July 1. Districts say it's too soon to tell what this will hurt the most.
The governor's cuts to education are reaching beyond the elementary and high schools. Places like UI will be hit as well. Higher education's funding will be cut by 5% percent. That's $80 million.
Wednesday he announced he has to cut $400 million from public schools. Educators are surrounded by a lot of unknowns right now.
One thing they know for sure, districts all over the state will lose millions in funding. Now they're trying to figure out how they're going to work through it.
"Education is the building blocks of our society."
She would know. Kathy Mannen has been teaching for 15 years.
"That's what readers do. Nice work, keep going," Mannen said.
She's a reading recovery teacher. Mannen meets with first graders everyday, working to bring up their reading levels.
"Everything in your life involves reading in some way. Even going to the grocery store, being able to read labels, filling out job applications. What we're teaching kids impacts them for a lifetime."
Here's what the governor announced. He's cutting close to $278 million from secondary education. That's just elementary and high schools. On top of that, $150 million will be cut from general state aid.
"Will we have to make do with less?" Mannen said.
That's what Mannen and her coworkers are preparing for now. Bigger classrooms, fewer programs and less one-on-one time is what the district could be facing. Something that this teacher says is vital to success.
"You're not just impacting today, you're impacting the future."
Schools will start to see effects of these cuts by July 1. Districts say it's too soon to tell what this will hurt the most.
The governor's cuts to education are reaching beyond the elementary and high schools. Places like UI will be hit as well. Higher education's funding will be cut by 5% percent. That's $80 million.
