This week, a bipartisan group (including Golden Apple Board President Max McGee) released its Burnham Plan for a World-Class Education. Named for Daniel Burnham's famed Plan of Chicago.

The plan was developed in the wake of the Chicago Tribune's editorial series "From Here to Excellence," published in February.

The proposals include:

• Improved accountability, including improving student data systems, financial accounting, and teacher evaluation.
• Specific education reforms, including digital education grants, professional development for school boards, a statewide new teacher induction program, tenure reform, performance pay for teachers, and raising the cap on charter schools.
• School funding reform.

As might be expected the funding reform is the vaguest part of the plan. The proposal is summarized as "Identify stable, predictable, and sustainable revenue sources and continuing appropriations to guarantee a system of adequate state funding." Well yes, we should. But where?

Not surprisingly, the Tribune thinks the plan is, "worth reading -- and enacting. It's thoughtful, bipartisan, results-oriented and, most compelling, it's within reach." The Sun Times is more measured, reminding us that several of the proposals are fairly controversial, particularly tenure reform, merit pay, and raising the cap on charter schools.

Expect to hear a lot more about these issues in the next few months. Wheels seem to be turning in Illinois education these days. It'll be interesting to see where we go.

Resources:
Burnham Plan Summary from A+ Illinois
Burnham Plan Legislative Proposal from the Illinois Education Association.

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