By Ben Joravsky
“I’m not sure how we do it, but we’re hanging in there,” says Arlene Zielke, legislative coordinator for the Chicago Region PTA. “Maybe it’s because we’re so persistent. We’re not going down without a fight.”
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“In the last few years PTAs have become fund-raising tools at many schools, and I’m not comfortable with that,” says Zielke. “I tend to discourage fund-raising. I think we should march on Springfield to get the funds we deserve. But they like to keep the PTA busy raising funds so we don’t raise substantive educational questions.
One issue of paramount concern to the PTA is the tax credit bill first introduced in 1997 by representative Kevin McCarthy, a Democrat out of Orland Park. McCarthy’s bill would award a maximum tax credit of $500 to families who spend at least $2,250 in school fees or tuition.
“We’re forced to make the terrible decision to close schools when we just don’t have the enrollment, or the tuition is becoming too high for the community to bear,” Elaine Schuster, superintendent of Catholic schools, told reporters last week.
Despite these arguments, McCarthy’s bill won the support of Madigan and Philip, both of whom were looking to woo Catholic voters in November’s elections. Even Mayor Daley and Chicago schools CEO Paul Vallas were unwilling to take a strong stand in opposition.
The homeschoolers opposed the bill because it may lead to regulation. “If you’re going to take state funds, you have to open yourself to some regulation,” said Jackie Gallagher, a spokeswoman for the Chicago Teachers Union. “This is a big issue. Public moneys come with responsibilities and accountability and requirements. And homeschoolers are leery of accepting state money because it comes with all those regulations. With the Concerned Christian Americans we suddenly have allies among conservative Republicans who would never give us the time of day. It’s wild.”
