Blagojevich Abandons Plans for Education Dept.

By Bill Wheelhouse, Ill. Public Radio

Springfield, Ill. –

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich on Thursday scrapped the idea of creating a new state Department of Education.

In January, he criticized the state's Board of Education as a "Soviet-style bureaucracy." He urged lawmakers to let him take control of the agency which oversees the state's schools.

But his plan met with opposition from House Speaker Michael Madigan.

So now, Blagojevich is offering a compromise which would still give him more power over education than any governor in recent memory.

Illinois Public Radio's Bill Wheelhouse prepared this report.