Title Page & Abstract
An Interview with Sen. Jason Barickman
Part of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
Education is Key - Public School Funding Oral History project
Interview #EF-A-L-2019-055
Senator Jason Barickman, an Illinois state senator involved with school funding legislation, was interviewed on the date listed below as part of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library’s Education is Key—Public School Funding Oral History project.
Date: August 21, 2019 Location: Illinois State Capitol, Springfield, Illinois
Interview Format: Digital audio
Interviewer: Philip Pogue/ALPL volunteer
Transcription by: _________________________
Edited by: _______________________________
Total Pages: ______ Total Time: 1:40 / 1.67 hrs
Accessioned into the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Archives on January 29, 2020.
The interview is archived at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield, Illinois.
© 2019 Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
Abstract
Jason Barickman, Education Is Key, EF-A-L-2019-055
Biographical Information Overview: Jason Barickman was born in Streator, Illinois on May 1, 1975. He grew up on a family farm in the Woodland School District. Upon graduating from high school, Jason joined the Illinois National Guard. He also attended Illinois State University, earning a BA in political science, then continued his education at the Illinois College of Law (C-U) with an emphasis on real estate. Jason was a 2012 Edgar Fellow and became Champaign County GOP chair. He worked for Ernst and Young and several start-up companies. He moved to McClean County and joined the firm of Meyer Capel PC. Upon learning of an opening for state senator, Jason won the State Senate seat in the newly revised 53rd District. At the time of the interview, Senator Barickman served on the Education, Judiciary, Executive, Criminal Law, and Labor committees.
Barickman discusses legislative action related to public school funding from 2012-2017, reflects on school funding equity issues exacerbated by rising costs with state pensions and Medicaid., the growing number of Illinois children living in poverty, diverse learning populations, and a budget crisis in the Chicago Public Schools. Barickman explains different funding bills that were proposed and why he ultimately began to support the Evidence Based School Funding Model, passed in 2015. Jason also talks about the role of the No Free Lunch Republican Report of 2014, the Senate Bipartisan Task Force (2013), and the Governor’s Bipartisan Bicameral Commission (2016). In 2017, legislative bills led to the passage of Senate Bill 1947 following the Governor’s amendatory veto of Senate Bill 1. The new bill, later signed into law, included not only the evidence based school funding model, but also some school mandate relief, flexibility on mandates for top scoring schools and for special education students, and tax scholarships for private schools serving needy children. Barickman also discusses how the new funding formula is working and the status of the oversight committee since 2017.
Subject Headings/Key Words: school funding; rural schools; New Evidence Based Model (2015); Republican No Free Lunch; Senate Bipartisan Education Funding Task Force; Governors 2016 School Funding Commission; 2017 Senate Bill 1; Senate Bill 1947
Notes to the Reader: Readers of the oral history memoir should bear in mind that this is a transcript of the spoken word, and that the interviewer, interviewee and editor sought to preserve the informal, conversational style that is inherent in such historical sources. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library is not responsible for the factual accuracy of the memoir, nor for the views expressed therein. We leave these for the reader to judge.
COPYRIGHT
The following material can be used for educational and other non-commercial purposes without the written permission of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library. “Fair use” criteria of Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976 must be followed. These materials are not to be deposited in other repositories, nor used for resale or commercial purposes without the authorization from the Audio-Visual Curator at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, 112 N. 6th Street, Springfield, Illinois 62701. Telephone (217) 785-7955