Miguel del Valle
(Chicago, IL) — December 6, 2009. Governor Pat Quinn last week made 25 important appointments to the P-20 Council, a key education advisory panel, and named Chicago City Clerk and former state senator Miguel del Valle, as Chair.
The P-20 (pre-school through graduate school) Council will play a role in Illinois’ quest to win approximately $400 million in federal “Race to the Top” education money.
“With these appointments, Illinois is sending a strong signal to Washington that a top-notch education for all students is a foremost priority,” said Quinn.
The U.S. Department of Education “Race to the Top” is a $4.35 billion competitive grant process focused on innovative approaches to education. Illinois could receive approximately $400 million in discretionary funds made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
That’s a lot of dough. As discretionary money, school systems would have extraordinary flexibility to apply it to innovative programs.
Ron Huberman
The 25 appointments, which includes Chicago Public Schools CEO Ron Huberman, made by Quinn include a broad range of individuals.
They include business leaders, teachers, parents, civic groups, university, community colleges and school officials. There are four legislative members on the council and six ex-officio members from state agencies.
Quinn was joined at announcement by Dr. Chris Koch, Illinois State Board of Education Superintendent and a P-20 Council ex-officio member; Chris Koch, Illinois State Board of Education Superintendent, House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie (D-Chicago); and State Rep. Jerry Mitchell (R-Sterling).
Quinn’s choice of del Valle as panel chair is an inspired choice. In the state senate, del Valle served as Vice Chair on Senate Education Committee and as a member on the Senate Higher Education Committee.
When Mayor Richard Daley originally appointed del Valle to the City Clerk’s office, he said:
“As vice chairman of the Education Committee and a member of the Higher Education Committee, he has been one of the most forceful advocates in the entire General Assembly for the school children of Illinois.”
Good for Quinn.
Good for the P-20 Council.
Quinn’s appointments to the Council:
- Miguel del Valle, Chair
- Joshua Anderson
- Perry Buckley
- Ron Bullock
- Sharon Thomas Parrot
- Traci Cobb-Evans
- Dr. Thomas L. Choice, President, Kishwaukee College
- Glenn Poshard, President, Southern Illinois University
- Ray Hancock
- Ron Huberman, CEO, Chicago Public Schools
- Dr. Erika Hunt
- Debra Kasperski
- Maggie Laslo
- John Luczak
- Dea Meyer
- Fr. Dennis Holtschneider
- Jeff Owens
- Cyntha Plouche
- Laurel Prussing, former State Representative
- John Rico
- Kathy Ryg, former State Representative
- Audrey Soglin
- Robin Steans
- Rick Stephens
- Debra Strauss
Gov. Pat Quinn
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