Take me back to the Oral History landing page.

Jason Leahy - Public School Funding

Jason Leahy Ed.D discusses his involvement with the challenges of Illinois's public school funding from the perspective of a student (Griggsville High School), a teacher (Tremont), a high school principal (Illini Central and Highland) and as Executive Director of the Illinois Principals Association. He lays out the challenges with school budget deficits, school referendums, the passage of the new Evidence Based School Funding Model, and the accountability measures found in both the Evidence Funding law and in the new federal ESSA Act (Every Student Succeeds). Other topics discussed include Vision 20/20 and its goal of creating a high quality education, the ongoing teacher shortages, professional training for principals, and school climate assessments (the Five Essentials).