ESL and North Chicago Schools Get State Takeover

The Illinois State Board of Education has ousted the elected school boards in the East St. Louis and North Chicago districts.
The state board took the action yesterday in Springfield, citing nagging academic underperformance.
Under Illinois law, state education chief Christopher Koch will direct the regional superintendents over the affected districts to replace the locally elected board members. Koch then will appoint a five-person independent panel to take their place.
The East St. Louis district has more than 7,000 students, while the North Chicago system has nearly 4,000.  
North Chicago school superintendent Milt Thompson said the process won’t “adversely affect the children at all.”
A message left with Garrett Hoerner, the general counsel for East St. Louis schools, was not immediately returned.  (AP)