State Board of Education Meets in Effingham Wednesday

(LAURA SULLIVAN OF EASTERN ILLINOIS EDUCATION FOR EMPLOYMENT SYSTEM LISTENS AS EHS STUDENT SPENCER FOX SHARES HOW HE HAS BENEFITTED FROM THE PROGRAM WITH MEMBERS OF THE ILLINOIS STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION WEDNESDAY AT EFFINGHAM HIGH SCHOOL)

The Illinois State Board of Education held their meeting in Effingham Wednesday.

The Board holds some of its meetings in various parts of the state. Former legislator Roger Eddy is a member of the state board and contacted Unit 40 Superintendent Andy Johnson last year about holding a meeting in Effingham. Wednesday's meeting was the culmination.

The state board members toured the school district and met with administrators, teachers and many students. The board meeting took place in the library at Effingham High School. 

Various stakeholders from throughout the state attended the meeting including a large contingent from Quest Charter Academy that might be in danger of losing its funding.

Several state school board members were very complimentary of the way they were received during Wednesday's visit. They also enjoyed a PowerPoint presentatation put together by Unit 40's Marketing and Communications Specialist Erin Hartke focusing on various happenings in district schools throughout this year.

In welcoming the board and Illinois State Superintendent of Education Tony Sanders to Effingham, Johnson raised the issue of properly educating a group of ESL students now in the area and asked for the State's assistance in that endeavor.

The Board also heard from Laura Sullivan of Eastern Illinois Education for Employment System about their work on behalf of students and from Effingham High School senior Spencer Fox about his opportunity to learn things that will further his education, even in the aftermath of a sports-related injury. Fox said he was equipped to even discuss his medical situation with those who cared for him. He plans to study Medicine.