From the Desk of Robin Steans - A Reflection on the 102nd Session – Celebrating and Appreciating Putting Students’ Needs First

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From the Desk: A Reflection on the 102nd Session – Celebrating and Appreciating Putting Students’ Needs First

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

It is said that budgets reflect priorities, and Illinois’ FY23 budget reflects an ongoing commitment to supporting Illinois schools and institutions, as well as the significant educational recovery and renewal needs brought on by the pandemic. It is hard to imagine, but this was the third legislative session impacted by COVID-19, and in January, it was far from clear how it would proceed. Early fiscal forecasts seemed promising, but with the omicron surge, conflict in Ukraine, rising inflation, and more, things were anything but certain. With tremendous leadership from both chambers and the governor's office, Illinois passed a balanced budget – early, and with clear wins for children, students and educators. In addition to the budget, we also saw thoughtful and targeted efforts to address short- and long-term needs related to the pandemic, the educator pipeline, and efforts to double down on supporting students to complete high school college and career ready. 

FY23 BUDGET

As we shared in our initial statement, there are many things to celebrate in this budget. Increases in funding for the state’s higher education system (public 4-year institutions, community colleges, and a stunning increase to MAP scholarships), Evidence-Based Funding, educator pipeline (including Educators Rising and Minority Teachers of Illinois Scholarships), and some early childhood and care programs (Early Childhood Block Grant, Early Intervention, and home visiting) represent a clear commitment to increasing access and equity across the birth through postsecondary (B-20) education continuum.  

The budget also reflects the collective voices of parents, educators, students, and Illinoisans from communities throughout the state. Coalition members of We, The Village sent more than 4,300 letters to state legislators calling for increased investment in early childhood and care. The Funding Illinois’ Future coalition brought together district leaders, parents, caregivers, educators, and civil rights organizations from rural, suburban and urban communities to speak with a united voice to increase funding for EBF. Members of the Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship Advocacy Team, which included civil rights and faith-based organizations, universities, educator leadership, and advocacy groups, actively engaged decision-makers to ensure aspiring educators of color have increased access to funding. And members of the recently created Coalition for Transforming Higher Education Funding mobilized their communities and advocated for increased MAP funding. People made noise and were heard!

That said, there were some disappointments. I would be remiss not to note the lack of additional investment in certain early childhood and care programs. The governor's Early Childhood Funding Commission outlined the need for an additional $10 billion to be invested in our early childhood and care system. That’s a big hill to climb, and together with partners, we pushed for a 10 percent across-the-board increase to begin this important journey. The increases that occurred are important and appreciated. But some critical programs, including childcare, received just a fraction of the ask or were flat-funded. We now know what it costs to truly meet the needs of Illinois’ children and families, close equity and opportunity gaps, and pay our early childhood workforce at a rate commensurate with the value of their work and sufficient to attract and keep staff. We need to do even more to make up valuable ground.

LEGISLATION HIGHLIGHTS

Though the budget stole the show, a number of bills passed that will impact education. The vast majority reflect a healthy balance of addressing immediate needs, planning for the future, and codifying policies that support access. Here are a few highlights:

Early childhood education and care awareness and services

Early childhood education and care-related bills that passed this session include efforts to extend child care (CCAP) and Early Intervention (EI) services to some of our most vulnerable children in the child welfare system; ensure families receive EI services in a timely fashion; and require that postsecondary students receive notification of child care services and eligibility. All of these reflect important steps in increasing access to vital services for our youngest children.

Addressing the teacher shortage

Some sensible bills passed that provide immediate and targeted relief around the teacher shortage. These include efforts to increase the availability of substitutes and paraprofessionals, as well as short-term relief on some professional development requirements required for licensure renewal. Given the immediate staffing challenges schools are facing, these flexibilities strike the right balance of providing immediate support while not compromising Illinois’ efforts to grow a strong and diverse educator workforce.

Planning for the future

Additionally, resolutions passed on key topics that we know the state is going to have to tackle over the next few years. These types of efforts help us work smarter and make informed decisions. For example, 10 years into implementation, SR774 calls on the Performance Evaluation Advisory Council (PEAC) to review research and data on the implementation of our educator evaluation system (PERA) and make recommendations for ongoing improvements. SR900/HR722, charges ISBE and the Professional Review Panel (or PRP) to continue building upon recent findings to analyze and understand the potential costs and implications to EBF. Both of these resolutions allow the state to review critical policies in a coherent, rather than piecemeal or anecdotal, fashion.

College and Career Readiness

On another front, several bills passed that build on and expand elements of the Post-Secondary Workforce Readiness Act, including efforts to expand dual credit as well as accelerate the implementation of postsecondary and career expectations framework, and Career Ready Endorsement/Pathway programs across the state.

Data to inform decision making 

Finally, legislation passed prohibiting ISBE from requiring a standardized assessment in Pk-2nd grade, or from providing or funding assessments on an optional basis.  We supported the main goal of the bill, which was to prohibit required assessments in the early grades or to use them for accountability purposes. But we would have liked to see the bill amended to permit optional support from ISBE for interested districts who would benefit from financial help and/or assessment expertise that they do not have in-house. Importantly, the bill exempts certain diagnostic assessments and observational assessments, like language or dyslexia screeners and KIDS. 

BUDGET IMPLEMENTATION BILL (BIMP)

In true Springfield fashion, the budget implementation bill (also known as the BIMP) included some impactful legislative changes and requirements.  

• Legislators raised the maximum grant size for Illinois’ signature scholarship program (MAP) from $6,468 to $8,508 and expanded the program to include career and technical certificates and credentials. This is obviously terrific news for affordability and accessibility. 

• Starting January 1, 2023, tax credits for teachers/school staff purchasing instructional materials will be raised from $250 to $500. This is in addition to legislation allowing for a 10-day sale tax reduction for school supplies and a one-time tax rebate for dependents.  

• And not to be missed, ISBE is required to take action to correct an error in how enrollment was calculated in EBF for the Chicago Public Schools in FY19-21 by both fixing the miscalculations moving forward (thereby adjusting adequacy targets and base funding minimums) and retroactively addressing impacts to other districts.  

• The BIMP also directs the agency to work outside of the formula and provide one-time “Significant Loss” grants to certain eligible districts that may see a significant drop in their local contribution, a direction made on top of legislative changes designed to systemically ease the impact of dramatic changes in local revenues.  

All told, this session was marked by a budget that reflected student needs, with a focus on equity and access, and it is worth pausing to celebrate and appreciate. But we cannot rest. A great deal of work remains to ensure that all students, from birth to career, have sufficient resources, excellent educators, and system-wide support for success. The full and long-term impacts of the pandemic on our education community are still emerging, and the only thing that is crystal clear is that we will (and should) be addressing them for years to come.

Robin Steans

President