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About project and reporter


In 2005, Scott Reeder, Small Newspaper Group Springfield bureau chief, conducted a months-long investigation into the difficulty of firing a tenured school teacher in Illinois, and how seldom administrators use job performance evaluations to push for improvements.

The Hidden Costs of Tenure won multiple awards for investigative reporting. Now, in a follow-up to the 2005 investigation, Mr. Reeder has spent seven months examining two further measures of educator accountability: teacher licensure and revocation of pension benefits.

His findings are detailed in the stories below.

Illinois does poor job of dealing with teacher misconduct

SPRINGFIELD -- A tinge of pain still can be heard in Rebecca Scott's voice as she talks of the price of speaking out.

Key findings from the Hidden Violations investigation:

Small Newspaper Group

* Of the 50 states, only Virginia revokes or suspends fewer teaching certificates than Illinois.

* No investigators are employed by the Illinois State Board of Education so reports of teacher misconduct are often not investigated or acted upon.

* The Department of Children and Family Services has found 323 cases providing credible evidence of abuse by teachers, but none have had their licenses suspended or revoked.

* Teachers hired before 2004 have not had to undergo a state-mandated national criminal background check.

* Physicians are 43 times more likely than the state's teachers to have their license suspended or revoked. Lawyers are 25 times more like than teacher to have their license suspended or revoked.

* None of the tenured teachers fired in the last decade have also lost their teaching certificate and certification officials are not notified when a school district disciplines an educator.

Twenty years ago, she was front page news across Illinois -- the woman who accused her high school teacher Kim Alan Courtwright of having a sexual relationship with her when she was a student. 'It was the most difficult thing I had done in my life -- having everyone I know hear the most personal parts of my life. But I did it because I didn't want others to go through what I did,' Ms. Scott said in a recent interview.
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Teachers get fired, but don't leave classroom

SPRINGFIELD -- Downers Grove School District spent $134,799 in legal fees alone to fire Stephen Wright, a tenured teacher. His conduct was considered so bad, that this is what tenure hearing officer Julius Menacker had to say in 2002 when he upheld Wright's firing:
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Illinois lacks investigators, background on teachers before 2004

SPRINGFIELD -- Most teachers are committed to helping children learn and protecting them from harm, but like any profession there are a few wormy apples. Some states are willing to put up with more worms than others.
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