Statements
Please find our latest statements below.
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 stand firm on its commitment to promoting an inclusive economy by making the right decisions today. The choices that lay 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.
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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If you want to learn more:
Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE): Non-Regulatory Guidance on Immigration Enforcement Actions
The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights has an abundance of resources for immigrant families, including a Know Your Rights fact sheet in:
Know Your Rights fact sheet inEnglish
Know Your Rights fact sheet inSpanish
The ACLU also provides a Know Your Rights resource with guidance for families in specific immigration enforcement scenarios in both Know Your Rights resource with guidance inEnglish and Know Your Rights resource with guidance inSpanish.
The National Partnership for New Americans has compiled a live document with legal protection resources and materials from across the country that will continue to be updated.
Latino Policy Forum Immigration Resources (ENG/SPAN): https://latinopolicyforum.org/essential-immigration-resources-for-immigrants-allies/?mc_cid=85a7a3fe49&mc_eid=9af324f8a2
Chicago Public Schools (CPS): Updates For CPS Families Regarding New Presidential Administration
Immigrant Defense Project has some general information on Know Your Rights
On the ground news coverage
Five things to know about immigration policy and Illinois schools (Chalkbeat)
What can CPS schools and parents do in the face of Donald Trump’s mass deportation threat? (WBEZ)
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.
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.
Advance Illinois Statement on HR0942/SR1303 Affirming Illinois’ Commitment to Teacher Diversity and the Minority Teachers of Illinois Scholarship
For 32 years, the Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) scholarship has been helping Illinois improve student access to the support and educators they need to succeed. We were therefore deeply disappointed to see that a lawsuit has been filed in an attempt to halt MTI and its work to diversify Illinois’ teaching force – a strategy, which, research tells us, has a beneficial effect on student learning. We urge state leaders to stand firm in their commitment to the state’s vision for equitable student outcomes, and to continue to support and defend MTI as a proven and valuable state program.
Illinois school districts have long produced inequitable outcomes for students of color. Data shows that as recently as last year, fewer than half as many Black students were proficient in Math and English Language Arts as White or Asian students. Our state continues to make commendable efforts to understand what is driving the gaps and deploy evidence-based strategies to close them. Teachers of color are a key resource and asset in this effort. Decades of research show that when teachers share racial and ethnic identities with their students, student outcomes ranging from academic proficiency to disciplinary incidents to overall educational attainment improve. However, in Illinois, there is a steep mismatch between student and teacher diversity where more than half of all students in Illinois are students of color, but less than 18% of our teaching workforce are teachers who share their racial and ethnic backgrounds.
The causes of this disparity are numerous, including systemic barriers to accessing the profession that begin early in students’ educational journeys (for example, unequal high school graduation rates) and compound over time. Among the points in the teacher pipeline where the disparity is most evident is at the postsecondary level where Illinois’ teacher preparation programs prove to be much less diverse than the colleges that house them.
In Illinois, it costs an average of $22,500 per year to become a teacher, unfairly screening out individuals who cannot access and persist along this pathway into the profession based only on affordability. The impact of this is devastating for students, particularly students who come from less generational wealth. But these barriers can be addressed.
Since 1992, MTI has been helping to attract talented students interested in teaching who might otherwise be unable to afford the cost of educator preparation, having provided more than 13,000 scholarships to aspiring teachers in our state. Its role in increasing the number of teachers who look like the students they instruct makes it an accelerant for helping close the equity gap and a winning strategy for helping every Illinois student succeed. Further, MTI is an impactful strategy for our schools and state generally. By requiring scholarship recipients to teach in schools with at least 30% students of color, or for bilingual recipients, at least 20 English Learners, MTI is helping address our state’s most pressing educator pipeline needs in a targeted way.
We have been pleased to support Illinois’ strategic efforts to increase teacher diversity, and they are paying off. Educator preparation programs have gone from 20% candidates of color to 36% in the last decade. The recently filed lawsuit that questions the constitutionality of MTI, wholly overlooks the program’s research basis and its targeted K-12 student-centered mission and parameters. This misguided effort threatens further progress and is antithetical to the vision the state itself possesses to be the best in the nation to raise a child.
For that reason, we applaud the General Assembly for filing joint resolutions (HR0942/SR1303), affirming Illinois’ commitment to teacher diversity and the Minority Teachers of Illinois Scholarship. We call on both chambers to pass them and to continue appropriating and supporting this important program. Being the best and doing right by every child in our state requires doing everything in our power to foster their success. This includes heeding relevant data and research and investing in strategies we have every reason to believe will help all students reach their full potential.