On January 28, 2025, a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to Glenbrook High School District 225 by North Cook News. The media organization, known for its comprehensive coverage of local governmental affairs, requested copies of all emails and memos from the past year that contained the keywords "Lucy Calkins" and "Units of Study."
As representatives of North Cook News, we believe that access to public records is crucial in fulfilling our professional responsibilities. These include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public. In light of our role in disseminating information, we consider ourselves eligible for a fee waiver as media professionals.
The requested documents are believed to provide insight into the school district's internal communications and operations. This comes at a time when education policies and practices are under increasing scrutiny across Illinois.
According to the Illinois Report Card, the average state teacher salary in 2023 was $73,916, while the state average administrative salary stood at $116,908. The report also revealed that the average student-to-administrative ratio is 141:1, with an average student-to-teacher ratio of 17:1. Furthermore, it was noted that 58% of teachers in Illinois have a master's degree or higher.
We at North Cook News continue to strive for transparency and accountability in our local government institutions. We believe this FOIA request will contribute significantly towards these goals.
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