On January 28, 2025, we at Chambana Sun sent a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Oakwood Community Unit School District 76. The request sought copies of all emails and memos from the past year that contain the keywords "Lucy Calkins" and "Units of Study".
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. This will enable us to fulfill our professional responsibilities, which include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public.
In line with this, it's important to note 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. Furthermore, the average student-to-administrative ratio is 141:1, and the average student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1. Interestingly enough, 58% of teachers in Illinois have a master's degree or higher.
These figures provide valuable context as we continue our investigation into local educational matters using information requested under the FOIA. As always, our goal is to keep you informed about important issues affecting our community. We will update you as soon as we receive a response from Oakwood Community Unit School District 76 regarding our request.
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