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Needs of private schools in America are group’s priority

Everyone would like to see better education in America’s schools, but it takes someone to make a move. The Illinois Advocates of Educational Choice made the move in 1991 and the organization is still working with politicians to improve education in Illinois schools, reports Kim Lovejoy-Voss, Catholic Explorer.

Don Gimbel of Elmhurst started the advocates group because he was interested in promoting legislation favorable to non-public schools. With three daughters in Catholic elementary and high schools, Gimbel has a strong interest in the topic.

“I had a meeting in my home and I invited local candidates to the meeting,” he told the Catholic Explorer during a phone interview. “Then we decided to meet every year with our state representatives and senator and eventually expanded to include senators from three districts.”

The state senatorial districts the organization includes are the 21st District, which covers North Riverside west to Downers Grove and south of Elmhurst; the 23rd District which is north Elmhurst to Itasca in the Joliet Diocese; and the 39th District which is all of Cook County from Austin to O’Hare Airport, Schiller Park to Northlake. Group members hope to eventually expand to every senate district in the state.

IAEC sponsors meetings between representatives of non-public schools, including parents, principals and teachers, to discuss topics that pertain to the schools. Once a topic is created, arrangements are made for the representatives to host a meeting with a local politician.

“The two main things we try to do are to have meetings with the parents and to augment communication when representatives need to be contacted,” Gimbel explained. “Our goal is to promote legislation that will benefit children in non-public schools and to improve education in Illinois.”

Several topics that have created change include the Education Expense Tax Credit passed in 1999 that provides up to $500 per family to any parent with a child in school. The money is to help pay for tuition and/or school fees. The Parental Transportation Reimbursement Program provides up to $103 per qualifying pupil for students whose parents drive them to school because they live more than 1.5 miles from school or there is a serious safety hazard near the school prohibiting the child from walking to school. The Illinois Textbook Loan Program began in 1975 and provides textbooks and textbook substitutes to public and non-public schools allowing approximately $35 per pupil. Since 1996 it also provides instructional computer software. “The group gives schools the means of contacting legislators,” Gimbel explained. “We go to the school board to try to get them to invite legislators to their school and to encourage them to write to legislators when needed so (the legislators) know what the school’s needs are.” Illinois Advocates of Educational Choice communicates the efforts of the Catholic Conference of Illinois, Christian Schools International, Missouri Synod Lutheran schools, the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago and the Diocese of Joliet, the Illinois Coalition of Non-Public Schools and School Choice Illinois.

Parents with students in senatorial District 21 met Jan. 19 at Timothy Christian School in Elmhurst. According to Nick Tancredi, an advisor to the group’s board of directors, 25 parents and non-public school representatives attended the meeting to discuss topics with state Sen. Dan Cronin and state representatives Bob Biggins and Sandra Pihos.

“We had a very positive discussion about effective ways of communicating with the state representatives,” Tancredi explained. “They suggested they be invited to tour schools and, in turn, (told school representatives) that they should visit their legislative offices in Springfield.”

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[02/01/2008]

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