Statements

 Please find our latest statements below.

Advance Illinois Advance Illinois

Advance Illinois Statement on the Executive Order to Dismantle the U.S. Department of Education 

CHICAGO (March 20, 2025)—The United States Department of Education is responsible for key functions impacting Illinois students’ ability to access high-quality, safe, and supportive learning environments from K-12 through postsecondary. Accordingly, it is important that the public be aware of today’s Executive Order seeking to abolish the federal agency. It is easy to criticize federal agencies and bureaucracies, and there is (always) room for improvement. But the call to eliminate the Department of Education in its entirety is another thing entirely. Indeed, it is hard not to see this action – taken in conjunction with other dramatic measures, as a concerted effort to undermine public education and many hard-won and ongoing efforts to ensure our education system works for every child and student.  

The underlying message of today’s action seems to be (1) that the federal government does not have a role to play in education, and/or (2) that this role is insignificant enough to be managed effectively across a half dozen different agencies and with minimal staff, and/or (3) that all children are equally well-positioned to succeed, so there is no need to support high-need populations. But let’s be clear: overwhelming research and data tell us these assumptions are misguided. What do high-performing countries (like Finland, Sweden and Norway) have in common in the education space? A coordinated national approach that includes clear, consistent expectations for what students learn, robust data and research to support strong practice, and strong financial support to ensure schools, childcare centers, and universities are available for all, and that they provide rich and rigorous opportunity. This measure and others are turning the clock back on those principles. 

It should go without saying that we all benefit when all children thrive. But the evidence is clear – not all students are succeeding. And while this administration seems to want to place the blame on the children themselves, evidence makes plain that all students can achieve if they get the instruction and support they need. While we may wish it were otherwise, students do not arrive at schools and colleges with the same set of needs.  Some students face poverty. Others are living with disabilities. Others face prejudice for their background, race, ethnicity, gender or religion. And still others live in remote areas with limited access to technology and services the rest of us take for granted. We are a country that, at its best, has worked – sometimes imperfectly – to give every child an opportunity – recognizing that that it is not only the right thing to do, but that doing so strengthens families, communities and, ultimately, the country as a whole. 

“To take this step at all, and especially now, when mountains of data point to slow but gradual progress in climbing back from COVID-related disruptions, highlights the administration’s disregard for its citizens, even as it flouts the legislative process,” notes Robin Steans, President of Advance Illinois, an independent, bipartisan nonprofit education policy and advocacy organization. 

In just a matter of weeks, the new administration has taken a number of steps to set back decades of work to support student progress and close racial, socioeconomic, regional, and generational gaps in academic opportunity and achievement. 

  • The administration's order “Ending radical indoctrination in K-12 schooling” issued in January not only misunderstands and misstates constitutional law, but seems designed to intimidate educators working to meet the needs of diverse students into ignoring the fact that students arrive at school with unique needs. Under the order’s threat of withholding funding, some schools have pulled back preemptively from efforts to foster rigorous, safe, and supportive learning environments that meet the needs of students from all backgrounds and experiences.  

  • When the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cut nearly $900 million in Institute of Education Sciences (IES) contracts and cut NCES down to 3 employees, it slashed the arms of the Education Department responsible for collecting data, conducting research and analysis, and reporting on student progress and performance – activities key to driving coherent and effective education practice and policy at every level and in every corner of the country, reversing investments made by a bipartisan set of administrations for over a century.   

  • Last week’s dramatic mass layoffs at the Department crowded out ongoing discourse and concern about the infamous ‘Dear Colleague Letter’ - a communication with no force of law, but one littered with misleading assertions of what constitutes violations of federal civil rights protections and that again threatened to withhold federal funding if institutions do not comply with restrictions that have no basis in law. The letter has created confusion and alarm, with the clear intent to halt practices that acknowledge the simple reality that students come to school with a range of learning styles and needs, and that educators and schools are and should work hard to address them so that every student succeeds. [Read guidance from Attorneys General from a range of states on how best to understand and respond to the “Dear Colleague” letter sent on February 14th.] 

  • Finally, today, the White House issued an Executive Order directing Sec. McMahon to take "all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return education authority to the States” - a direction that misunderstands that education authority already sits primarily with states.  

The new administration’s mission is increasingly, and tragically, clear.  

On average, the federal government provides roughly 12% of overall K-12 funding in Illinois, with higher-poverty schools and districts relying more heavily on those dollars. While spokespeople are claiming that efforts to dismantle the Department of Education will not impact services or programs (presumably other than those that have already been cut or targeted), it defies credulity that such significant layoffs will have no impact in the field.  

Those who care about public education and about the next generation should be alarmed, and that alarm should motivate action. The stakes are critical and high. The United States has enjoyed outsized prosperity driven by having one of the most educated populations in the world. Sadly, we have been losing ground internationally, a trend that should concern us all and that is entirely at odds with recent actions. All of us benefit when the next generation is well-cared for and educated. Ours is a responsibility to make sure families have access to affordable high-quality early childhood education and care for their young children; that our under-resourced schools – prevalent in both urban and rural parts of our country and state –  are supported to meet the academic and learning needs of students enrolled; and that students with limited family wealth can afford to earn degrees that improve their employment opportunities and earnings. That worthy and ambitious goal takes national coherence and national effort, even as it champions and supports ongoing state authority. 

For our part, we will work with state elected officials and state and national partners to continue to fight for access, quality, and equity in education. Changes happening at the federal level matter, but they cannot and should not change our core values. Our mission remains clear – we need schools that work for every child and student.  

 

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About Advance Illinois 

Advance Illinois is an independent policy and advocacy organization working toward a healthy public education system that enables all students to achieve success in college, career, and civic life. 

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Advance Illinois Statement on Governor Pritzker’s FY26 Budget Proposal

In the face of a budget deficit and an environment of challenge and great uncertainty at the federal level, we recognize the difficult decisions that leaders are facing and appreciate the Governor’s focus on fiscal responsibility and stability, which help anchor progress over time. Today’s proposal by the Governor represents a restrained but ongoing commitment to Illinois’ education system and the children, students, and families it serves. That said, we are honor-bound to address important remaining needs and gaps. 

"While we understand the complexities of this year’s environment and recognize the Governor's commitment to young children and students, we hope the General Assembly will build on this proposal to sustain the educational progress the state has made to ensure our students can thrive,” said Robin Steans, President of Advance Illinois. 

It is good news that the Governor remains committed to the Evidence-Based Funding formula (EBF), and we are pleased to see some modest increased investments across the B-20 continuum. That said, the proposal leaves some important gaps and needs unaddressed. Were the proposed budget to pass unchanged, it would challenge Illinois’ ability to support every child and student and maintain the steady progress the state has made toward a system of equitable, high-quality education. We cannot let up on strong investments now.  

On Proposals for Illinois’ Early Childhood System 

We applaud the Governor’s recommendation of $160 million to meet the growing demand for the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), the increase of $10 million in Early Intervention to support rate enhancements for providers (though more is needed), and his continued support for the new Illinois Department of Early Childhood (IDEC) with a $7 million increase. Unfortunately, the Governor’s recommendation pauses new investments in the Early Childhood Block Grant (ECBG), which would limit the state’s ability to expand and improve quality for Preschool for All programs and prevention initiative, programs necessary to ensure our youngest learners are prepared to be successful in kindergarten and beyond.  

We are delighted that the Governor is recommending a $90 million increase in the Smart Start Workforce Grants to replace expired federal covid relief funding. Unfortunately, the Governor’s recommendation misses a critical opportunity to meet extremely high demand for the Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE ) scholarship program that helps grow the ECEC workforce. With the current $5 million appropriation, just 666 students received the scholarship this year, leaving out roughly 2,300 educators who applied, and limiting the state’s ability to grow the workforce fundamental to Illinois’ system of care and education for its youngest learners. 

Needs for Our Educator Workforce 

Over the last five years, the state has worked hard to invest in programs that build a stronger, more diverse teacher pipeline. While the Governor recommends level funding for key scholarship programs like ECACE, the budget fails to include essential teacher and principal mentoring programs. These programs, established with ESSER funds, cannot survive without state support, leaving new educators without crucial early career supports – supports that have been shown to increase effectiveness and retention. Worse still, if we cut these programs now to help balance this year’s budget, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to rebuild the program once we’ve lost the infrastructure. This pattern of stopping and starting key programs is neither good for educators nor the state.

K-12 Funding – Evidence Based Funding Formula 

The Governor’s proposed $350 million increase in Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) for Illinois schools represents a continued commitment to more fully and equitably funding our K-12 system. We acknowledge and appreciate the significance, even as we know that our students need more.  The 2024 Nation’s Report Card (NAEP) scores provide evidence for this need, with the gap between the lowest-performing and top-performing students in Illinois in reading and math persisting and even widening; more of our state’s attention is needed. EBF plays a critical role in Illinois’ ability to interrupt this trajectory by directing new resources to the school districts and students that need them most.   

And while EBF investment is needed, its impact would be diminished by the increased proration of Mandated Categoricals proposed in this budget. These are key funding streams that reimburse districts for required expenses such as transportation, special education services, and school meals. Several of these programs have been underfunded for years – the Governor’s proposal would take the overall underfunding of these programs from approximately $380 million in FY25 to nearly $550 million in FY26. This means districts will have to use EBF dollars in order to continue funding these mandatory services – effectively reducing the impact of EBF increases.  

Supporting the Needs of the Whole Child 

Our schools will also be directly impacted by reductions to programs that foster healing-centered, trauma-informed practices in schools. While the budget proposes the same total state investments in REACH and SEL Hubs for FY26, these programs currently leverage both federal and state dollars, but will need to rely solely on state funds moving forward. REACH, in particular, supports schools across the entire state and simply cannot continue at scale without additional funding. Thanks to the smart investments we have made in REACH and SEL Hubs over the past several years, Illinois is on a path to more systemic mental health and well-being programs for students and families. Now is not the time to reduce these critical services for schools.  

Proposed Investments for Higher Education 

Although we applaud the administration's continued support of the Monetary Award Program (MAP), the proposed increase of $10M is not enough to ensure that all students have access to an affordable postsecondary pathway. College affordability remains the number one barrier to postsecondary enrollment and completion – and at the current rate it is unlikely that all eligible applicants will continue receiving a grant. This will further exacerbate financial burdens for students across the state, effectively pricing out more students at a time when postsecondary degrees are increasingly important in employment and earning a living wage. On the institutional side, the Govenor proposes a 3% increase for higher education, using the state’s status quo funding approach – a system that we know is inequitable in its distribution and inadequate in the funds needed. We now know our public universities are nearly $1.4B underfunded after nearly two decades of disinvestment by the state. Without a change in how we fund the state’s public universities, and the amount we invest on an annual basis, students face another year of attending institutions with dramatically disparate resources. This disparity plays out in differences in the services and supports students receive, and, by extension, their ability to persist and complete their degree.  

But we can do better. The Adequate and Equitable Funding Formula for Public Universities, as proposed by Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford’s and Representative Carol Ammons’s SB13/HB1581, would transform higher education funding for the state, sending increased investments to our institutions, and prioritizing those universities and students furthest from adequacy. Grounded in recommendations by the Commission on Equitable Public University Funding, this student-centered formula is grounded in more than two years of research into evidence-based, impact-driven practices that work to support student persistence. 

At a time when actions and communications from the new White House administration signal an adversarial posture toward research-based school and campus programs and practices used to level a playing field that has historically been structured to exclude and under-resource marginalized students, it is critical that our state stands firm on its commitment to promoting an inclusive economy by making the right decisions today. The choices that lie ahead, regardless of the budget environment, must be ones that prioritize removing systemic barriers so that every student can realize their potential and use their skills and talents to contribute to Illinois’ future health, vibrance, and vitality. 

We appreciate the Governor’s historic and ongoing commitment to a strong education system for the state and the decisions he and our lawmakers must consider amid challenging circumstances. That said, more can and must be done for Illinois’ children and students. We now look to the General Assembly to respond to the needs left unaddressed or requiring more support than what is offered in today’s proposal. We encourage them to take advantage of key opportunities to sustain and grow Illinois students’ continued recovery from COVID disruptions, and to support their ability to excel and reach their full potential. Our students need this, and the future of the state depends on it. 

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Advance Illinois Statement on Recent Executive Actions 

Like others, Advance Illinois has been working to process rapid and unfolding executive actions by the new White House administration - actions that have created great unease and fear in communities across our state; actions that challenge the diverse identities we walk in and disrupt the sense of security children and families find in hospitals, places of worship, colleges, childcare centers and schools.  

With a diverse set of partners, Advance Illinois works hard to build and sustain an education system that supports all children to reach their full potential, knowing that when children thrive, so, too, do their families, communities and the broader state and nation in which they live. All of us benefit when the next generation is well cared for and educated, and we have a responsibility to make sure families have access to and avail themselves of affordable high-quality early childhood education and care for their young children, public schools that are well-resourced to meet the academic and learning needs of students, and opportunities to afford and seek a college or technical degree.  

Like many others in this work, we have seen the devastating impact that trauma and stress can have on students and families, and on the schools and communities in which they live and learn. Illinois has directed significant new dollars to schools over the past seven years, and we were not surprised to see districts hire additional counselors, social workers, and generally invest more deeply and intentionally in addressing mental health issues. This investment reflects what every educator and parent knows: students cannot learn if they are not safe and supported, they cannot learn if they are ostracized, and they cannot learn if their parents are afraid to send them to school. 

So we are concerned to see executive orders fomenting dramatic policy changes around the rights afforded to transgender and undocumented students and individuals – changes being implemented quickly and with little input or discussion, and changes spurring significant fear and uncertainty. We know that educational and care professionals across Illinois and the country will be working hard to maintain as much stability and security as they can in the face of these broader policy moves, and in the face of possible law enforcement actions. To those of you in our childcare centers and homes, schools, and colleges, thank you for being the consistent supportive presence our young people and their families need. Thank you for availing yourselves of every resource you can to ensure families know their rights and can continue to access health care, education and worship in a way that benefits all of us and that upholds the standards of humanity, equity, and decency we hold dear. 

As we work with so many across Illinois to build a healthy education system and nurture the next generation, we have fought to make schools, childcare centers, and colleges places where children can learn and thrive. We lament any action that brings politics, division, and intolerance into such spaces. We hope national leaders will give this issue the attention it deserves, and we appreciate and applaud those at the local level providing badly needed information, support, and courage. 

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Advance Illinois Statement on ISBE FY26 Budget Recommendations  

Today the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) approved and sent to Governor Pritzker recommendations for its FY26 Budget. In the face of significant budget constraints, ISBE’s proposal maintains several key investments, underscoring its dedication to making sustainable progress on early education and K-12 funding. But the proposal comes up short in some important areas, which will challenge the state’s ability to comprehensively meet the needs of every child and maintain the steady progress that has been made to strengthen and diversify Illinois’ educator pipeline.  

Supporting our Youngest Learners 

We applaud the state’s goal of expanding access to high-quality early childhood education and care for all Illinois children. Through the continuation of the Governor’s Smart Start initiative, and the creation of the new Department of Early Childhood, Illinois is working to achieve its vision of quality, equitable, and easy-to-navigate early learning and care. We support ISBE’s recommendation of an additional $75 million for the Early Childhood Block Grant – funding that would help state-funded preschool reach an additional 5,000 children and narrow access gaps across the state.   

Navigating Progress and Challenges for K-12 Funding 

In the face of a projected state deficit, we applaud ISBE for recommending a $350 million increase for Evidence-Based Funding (EBF). The proposal makes good on Illinois’ commitment to fully funding K-12 districts, and this investment will help all districts, and particularly our most underfunded districts, continue to strengthen the educational experiences they provide as students continue to rebound from pandemic disruptions. But for some districts, that progress will not feel as game-changing as it would have five years ago. As inflation continues to raise costs, the classroom impact of the $350 million statutory minimum has eroded.  And for many districts, while annual incremental progress is important, the road to full funding is simply too long. Unless we do more, most of our current first grade students will likely graduate from high school before their district is fully funded. Furthermore, while ISBE proposes increased funding for Mandated Categoricals, those increases are just enough to maintain current proration levels – not to improve them. This means that across the board, districts will not receive adequate reimbursement for transportation and critical special education services, and will continue to have to look to EBF dollars to plug in the gaps.  

MISSING: Critical Programming to Strengthen the Educator Pipeline 

Excellent educators are the most important resource our schools have when it comes to offering students a high-quality education. Making progress towards ensuring every child has access to diverse, well-prepared educators means investing in efforts to strengthen and diversify our entire educator pipeline, from recruitment and preparation through induction and retention. Sadly, ISBE’s proposed budget fails to include dollars for critical new teacher, clinician, and principal mentoring programs. Such programs are critical to retaining educators and ensuring they have the support needed to serve students in those challenging first years. Data makes plain that educators are most likely to leave the profession in the first five years – 40% of principals leave the role in that time -- and Black teachers and principals are retained at much lower levels than the state average. While we are glad to see ISBE propose level funding for key programs such as affinity groups and new principal recruitment, the absence of mentoring programs leaves a gaping hole in state support at a critical time in educators’ careers. 

Need Remains Urgent to Support Student Well-Being 

We were disappointed to see that ISBE did not recommend full funding for the REACH pilot and SEL Hubs. REACH programming and SEL Hubs have been key to supporting hundreds of thousands of students’ social-emotional health and have put Illinois on a path to systemic mental health and well-being for students and families.  In FY25, these programs were funded with a blend of state and federal resources, but with stimulus dollars now completely dried up, maintaining level state funding (as ISBE is recommending) has the effect of cutting these programs to a level that may undermine their ability to operate.  Our Governor and the General Assembly must find a way to sustain funding for REACH and SEL hubs with state dollars in FY26.  

We recognize that in times of scarcity, state leaders face tough choices, and we appreciate ISBE’s leadership over the past few years in launching and growing critical programs.  We look to the Governor and the General Assembly to support ISBE’s proposals to grow early childhood and EBF, and to find ways to support higher levels of investment in programs students and educators need to thrive. Governor Pritzker has proven himself a champion of children and education. In lean budget times, our students need that leadership more than ever. Indeed, the future of the state depends on it.   

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Advance Illinois Statement on the Appointment for Secretary of the Illinois Department of Early Childhood 

We applaud Governor JB Pritzker’s decision to appoint Dr. Teresa Ramos, First Assistant Deputy Governor for Education, as the new Secretary for the Illinois Department of Early Childhood (IDEC). Secretary Ramos brings many years of experience working on behalf of Illinois children across the educational continuum. Committed to equitable opportunities and outcomes, and dedicated to community empowerment, Dr. Ramos promises to be a strong founding leader for this important new agency. We look forward to working together to continue the state’s efforts to transform Illinois’ early childhood education and care system so the state’s youngest learners and families can thrive. 

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