On January 28, 2025, we at the Carbondale Reporter submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Giant City Community Consolidated School District 130. The request was specifically for copies of all emails and memos from the past year that contain the keywords "Lucy Calkins" and "Units of Study."
As a media organization dedicated to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, access to public records is essential for us to fulfill our professional responsibilities. These include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public.
The requested documents are expected to shed light on how these terms have been used in official communication within the school district over the past year. The terms "Lucy Calkins" refers to an influential figure in literacy education whose Units of Study curriculum has been widely adopted across many schools.
In relation to this, it's worth noting some statistics about Illinois' education system. According to the Illinois Report Card, the average state teacher salary in 2023 was $73,916, while the state average administrative salary was $116,908. The average student-to-administrative ratio stands at 141:1, with a student-to-teacher ratio of 17:1. Furthermore, it's reported that 58% of teachers in Illinois hold a master's degree or higher.
We believe that as media professionals involved in gathering and reporting news to the public, we are eligible for a fee waiver under FOIA provisions. We eagerly await a response from Giant City Community Consolidated School District 130 regarding our request.
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