The Wikiness

Dear Superintendent Koch,

As your fellow educator, I write in response to the rapid changes going through Illinois public schools this spring. At a time of unparalleled disruption in Illinois public education, it is important to act flexibly and wisely, and to take advantage of the opportunities that arise in crises.  When your reform efforts  endorse the right initiatives, Illinois learners learn more and progress better. Specifically, Superintendent Koch, I want to be sure that your office is working to clear any hurdles that might stand in the way of online project-based learning hybrids that are making gains right now in Michigan. We need these in Illinois now more than ever.

A committed educator for 20-plus years and a parent of three Illinois children, I am extremely concerned that the choices we make now work for the future. All too often, the response to budget shortfalls and revenue drops are educationally unsound.  This is where your office steps in, Superintendent Koch. By endorsing hybrid and project-based learning programs to districts throughout the state, and by clearing their way to passage in the legislature, you help ensure that this educational crisis is turned to our children’s continuing advantage.  Illinois schools may not have the most funding, but investing in virtual schooling now will make the most of what there is.

In this dynamic episode of American public education history, it is important to not to hold fast to the status quo of the past.  The future of schooling lies outside the classrooms and schools of twenty-five years ago, Superintendent Koch.  Please assist Illinois schools to develop the new classrooms and schools of the 21st century.

Let me know how I can assist you in your reform efforts.

Sincerely,