At least he's not saying, "It's all about the kids..."

At least, when Gov. Quinn, announced he was cutting the state's education budget by $1.3 billion, forcing the firing of possibly thousands of teachers and support staff, he didn't say, "it's for the kids."

The cuts will most certainly put an end to lots of the reform/speak about a longer school day and school year. Illinois can't even pay what it currently owes to schools. At the same time, the state will face the loss of more than $1 billion in federal money that has been used to soften cuts in education funding this year. While Chicago will be hard hit, suburban schools are also in trouble:

In the Thornton Fractional District in the south suburbs, the superintendent is considering eliminating one period a day...The singing will be silenced next year for 1,400 students in the Carpentersville school district. Gone will be music, and gym for kindergarteners, and some bus service, along with 112 teachers...The Kaneland School District is cutting 21 staffers and 10 athletic coaching jobs. (ABC News)

Quinn'a plan would cost some 13,000 teachers and staff their jobs, cut off poor seniors from help in paying for costly prescriptions and shut down some health care programs for the indigent. But even after about $2 billion in cuts, the state would still be $11 billion in the hole.