On January 28, 2025, we at the Lake County Gazette submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to Lockport School District 91. The request pertains to emails and memos from the past year that contain the keywords "Lucy Calkins" and "Units of Study".
As a media organization committed to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, we believe access to these records is essential for our professional responsibilities. These include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public.
In our request, we have asked for these records under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140, preferably in electronic format. Given our role in disseminating information, we believe we are eligible for a fee waiver as media professionals.
According to the Illinois Report Card, the average state teacher salary in 2023 was $73,916, and the state average Administrative Salary was $116,908. The average student-to-administrative ratio is 141:1, and the average student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1. Interestingly enough, it appears that about 58% of teachers in Illinois have a master's degree or higher.
We await response from Lockport School District 91 regarding our FOIA request. We hope this will shed light on any possible issues or discussions surrounding "Lucy Calkins" and "Units of Study" within their institution over the past year.
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