Archive for December, 2009


Voter Registration Information

Thursday, December 31st, 2009

December 31, 2009
 

Dear neighbor,
  
Whether you are a Democrat, Republican, independent, or other political persuasion, we can all agree our democracy is strengthened with more participation.  The last day to register to vote before the February 2, 2010 Primary election is Tuesday, January 5. You can register by downloading the form available at www.chicagoelections.com or you can stop by my office at 5533 N. Broadway on Monday, January 4 during business hours.
 
Don’t forget that if you have moved since the last time you registered to vote, you must re-register at your new address.  Please encourage new neighbors and others who are not registered to do so.
 
In addition, please use this information from the Chicago Board of Elections to assist with any questions you may have about voter registration and voting.
 
  • Click here to check your voter registration status.
  • Early voting begins January 11.  For more information on hours and locations, click here.
  • If you haven’t registered by the deadline, grace period registration and voting is available only at the Chicago Board of Elections site at 69 W. Washington from January 6 through January 26.  For more information, click here.
 
If you have any questions about voter registration, feel free to contact my office at 773-769-1717 or reply to this e-mail. 
 
Finally, read below for information on our upcoming Martin Luther King, Jr. Service Day.
 
Sincerely,
 
Heather A. Steans
State Senator 

Posted in Human Rights


Data Quality Campaign’s 2009 State Policymaker Award Recipients

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

Congratulations 2009 Award Recipients

Judy Erwin, Executive Director, Illinois Board of Higher Education
Christopher Koch, Superintendent, Illinois Board of Educatio
Geoffrey Obrzut, President, Illinois Community College Board
Senator Heather Steans, Illinois General Assembly

Building and codifying a P-20/Workforce data system to meet user’s needs through an inclusive, collaborative process

Through collaboration and leadership of state policymakers, the State of Illinois has made tremendous progress in the codification and implementation of a statewide longitudinal system. In 2009, with Governor Quinn’s signature, Illinois passed significant comprehensive legislation around building and using a statewide longitudinal data system (Senate Bill 1828, Public Act 96-0107). Introduced and championed by Senator Heather Steans, the law requires state education authorities to collect student records and integrate the data with instructional management tools that will ultimately improve instruction and enhance educational decision-making. The political and education coalition providing the driving force behind the bill’s success included Chris Koch (Superintendent of Education), Geoffrey Obrzut (President, Illinois Community College Board), and Judy Erwin (Executive Director, Illinois Board of Higher Education).

The inclusive process that Illinois pursued brought advocacy groups such as Advance Illinois together and ensured that experts including the Consortium on Chicago School Research and major stakeholders such as unions and the higher education community were heard throughout the discussions. These state data champions were able to successfully bring K-12, postsecondary, unions, and advocacy groups together to craft this important legislation, overcome obstacles, and pass it unanimously through both chambers of the General Assembly. The result of the legislation is a resounding statement about the critical role the state must play in providing education stakeholders access to important data to improve student outcomes while protecting student privacy. These state data leaders continue to work collaboratively to advance the development and implementation of a statewide longitudinal data system, as demonstrated by their collaboration on the recent IES SLDS grant, and the implementation of a MOU to facilitate the sharing of data amongst institutions and agencies.

For more information, view the press release and read the legislation.

From:

http://www.dataqualitycampaign.org/recognition_program/state_policy_makers

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Posted in Education, Legislation