On January 28, 2025, we at South Cook News sent a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to Oak Lawn Community High School District 229. The request sought copies of all emails and memos from the past year that contained the keywords "Lucy Calkins" and "Units of Study."
As a media organization dedicated to comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, we believe access to these public records is essential for our work. Our professional responsibilities include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public.
We have requested these documents in an electronic format for ease of access and dissemination. Given our role in gathering and reporting news to the public, we also requested a fee waiver as a media professional.
In relation to this, it's worth noting some key statistics about education in Illinois. According to the Illinois Report Card, the average state teacher salary in 2023 was $73,916, while the state average administrative salary was $116,908. The average student-to-administrative ratio stands at 141:1, with an average student-to-teacher ratio of 17:1. Furthermore, 58% of teachers in Illinois hold a master's degree or higher.
Our commitment remains steadfast in providing comprehensive coverage on matters related to education and government transparency. We will continue pursuing this FOIA request until we obtain the necessary information that will shed light on how our educational institutions operate.
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