On January 28, 2025, we at Sangamon Sun sent a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Rochester Community Unit School District 3a. The request pertains to all 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 it is essential to have access to these public records. This will enable us to fulfill our professional responsibilities which include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public.
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. It's worth noting that 58% of teachers in Illinois have a master's degree or higher.
We believe that as members of the media involved in gathering and reporting news to the public, we are eligible for a fee waiver as media professionals. We await a response from Rochester Community Unit School District 3a regarding our request.
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