Written by Administrator Wednesday, 08 December 2010 15:49
"Education has been one of my biggest passions during my entire time here," Lightford, who will co-chair the committee, said. "Education is a foundation on which we build the future, so it is critical that our children have the opportunity to learn from quality teachers in good schools." "Many Illinois communities have fantastic schools with strong graduation rates, great teachers, and involved parents," Maloney said. "Unfortunately, there are also students trapped in failing schools. We can’t rest until every child has an equal chance to succeed. I hope that I will be able to work with my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to improve educational equity and fairness on the Special Committee on Education Reform." Lightford has served as a member of the Senate Education Committee since 1998 and served as chair of the Senate Education Committee from 2005 until her appointment as Assistant Majority Leader in January 2009. Since that time, Lightford has been instrumental in passing key reforms to Illinois’ education system. Over the last two years she has passed measures to expand the number of charter schools in Illinois, establish a longitudinal data system to track and determine effective teaching methods, and provide incentives for highly qualified teachers to relocate and teach in lower achieving schools. Senator Maloney has been involved with education for his entire adult life. Before joining the General Assembly, he was principal and dean of Brother Rice High School in Chicago. He remains a card-carrying member of an education union to this day. He sponsored the Truth-in-Tuition Law of 2003 and also introduced the legislation that created the College and Career Readiness Program, which partners community colleges with local high school to help ensure that all high school seniors graduate prepared for the rigors of postsecondary education. "We have made positives steps over the last two years, but there is still a lot of work to do," Senator Lightford said. "We need to address funding inequities and work to find ways to close the achievement gaps between various communities in Illinois." The committee is expected to begin its work within the next few weeks. 
SPRINGFIELD, IL –Senators Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) and Ed Maloney (D-Chicago) have been tapped by Illinois Senate President John Cullerton to serve on the newly created Senate Special Committee for Education reform. The bipartisan, four-member committee will be charged with exploring ways to improve learning for students in Illinois.