On January 28, 2025, a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the Sandwich Community Unit School District 430. The request was made by us at DeKalb Times, a media organization committed to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs.
The FOIA request seeks copies of all emails and memos from the past year that contain the keywords "Lucy Calkins" and "Units of Study". As we are involved in gathering and reporting news to the public, access to these public records is essential for us to fulfill our professional responsibilities. These include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public. Given our role in disseminating information, we believe we are eligible for a fee waiver as media professionals.
In relation to this request, it's important to note some 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 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 statistics provide context for our FOIA request as they reflect the current state of education in Illinois. We look forward to receiving a response from Sandwich Community Unit School District 430 regarding our request.
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