A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the Tuscola Community Unit School District 301 on January 28, 2025. The request, made by East Central Reporter, a media organization dedicated to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, sought copies of all emails and memos from the past year containing specific keywords.
The keywords in question were "Lucy Calkins" and "Units of Study". The request was made under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, with a preference for receiving the information in an electronic format.
As part of our role as media professionals at East Central Reporter, we are committed to gathering and reporting news to the public. Access to public records is crucial for us to fulfill our professional responsibilities, which 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 related news, according to the Illinois Report Card, the average state teacher salary in 2023 was $73,916, while the state average administrative salary stood at $116,908. The average student-to-administrative ratio is reported as 141:1 and the average student-to-teacher ratio is at 17:1. It's worth noting that 58% of teachers in Illinois have a master's degree or higher.
We await a response from Tuscola Community Unit School District 301 regarding our FOIA request and will continue our efforts to provide comprehensive coverage on local governmental affairs.
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