On January 28, 2025, we at the Peoria Standard submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Spoon River Valley Cusd 4 School District. The request was made in pursuit of emails and memos from the past year that contain specific keywords.
The sought-after records are expected to provide insights into the district's operations and decision-making processes over the past year. The keywords specified in our request were "Lucy Calkins" and "Units of Study". These terms may relate to curriculum development or educational strategies employed within the district.
As part of our commitment to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, we believe access to these public records is essential. It enables us to fulfill our professional responsibilities which include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public.
We have requested these documents in an electronic format for ease of access and dissemination. As a media organization, we also believe we are eligible for a fee waiver for this request.
In relation to this, it's worth noting some key statistics about education in Illinois. 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, and the average student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1. Interestingly, more than half - 58% - of teachers in Illinois have a master's degree or higher.
We will continue our efforts to keep you informed about developments within our local school districts and how they affect our community.
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