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Quick Hit
by Ashlee Rezin
6:23pm
Thu Mar 28

Foster Introduces Bill Aimed At Boosting Manufacturing Job Training

Kids don’t make stuff anymore, according to U.S. Rep. Bill Foster (D, IL-11). That thought motivated him to sponsor legislation that would establish a charter of Fab Labs across the nation.

Fab Labs are open-to-the-public digital fabrication laboratories where products can be invented, designed and manufactured by adults and children alike. First instituted in 2008 by the Media Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), there are approximately 160 Fab Labs nationwide with 150 more in development.

“A city grows when its manufacturing base grows,” said Foster at a roundtable discussion on the legislation today. “As a country, you can only consume what you create.”

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Quick Hit
by Ellyn Fortino
6:09pm
Thu Mar 28

Illinois Earns High Marks In Online Government Spending Transparency

Illinois received an “A-“ when it comes to online government spending transparency, according to the Illinois Public Interest Research Group’s annual “Following the Money” report.

The transparency mark is better than the “B-“ the state received in the group’s report last year.

But despite the positive rating, Hailey Golds, an advocate with Illinois PIRG, said Illinois' could do more to be transparent.

“The state of Illinois should build upon this year’s progress and further improve the breadth and ease-of-access of online government spending information,” Golds said. “Given our state budget problems, Illinoisans need to be able to follow the money.” 

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Quick Hit
by Ellyn Fortino
11:32am
Thu Mar 28

Valley View School Board Slams Proposal For Suburban Online Charter School

Valley View School Board members blasted the for-profit charter company K12 Inc. and its non-profit partner Virtual Learning Solutions at a hearing last night over plans to bring an online charter school to the Romeoville and Bolingbrook areas.

For nearly two hours, district officials grilled representatives from K12, a publicly held company that sells cyber schooling to states, on everything from its academic performance and accommodating students with disabilities to its lack of data showing student growth and success.

Virtual Learning Solutions and K12, which operates in at least 29 states outside of Illinois with two schools in Chicago, want to form the Illinois Virtual Charter School @ Fox River Valley for Valley View and 17 other school districts, including Plainfield and Oswego. Last night was the last of 18 hearings on the charter proposal.

“My fear is there’s something being hidden from us,” said Valley View School Board member Leo Venegas. “It sounds like it’s this fabulous program, but no substance, and I just don’t know if I can bring that to my community and say, ‘There’s value here, but we have no proof of the value.’” Read more »