Statements
Please find our latest statements below.
Advance Illinois Responds to Governor Pritzker’s Proposed FY21 Budget
“The State of Illinois faces real and serious financial challenges, that much is clear and known. That said, we are deeply disappointed that, in his FY21 budget proposal, Governor Pritzker has chosen to invest in the children of Illinois based on the hope that a fair tax amendment will pass in November.”
CHICAGO, IL (February 19, 2020) Advance Illinois President Robin Steans released the following statement in response to Governor Pritzker’s proposed FY21 budget:
“The State of Illinois faces real and serious financial challenges, that much is clear and known. That said, we are deeply disappointed that, in his FY21 budget proposal, Governor Pritzker has chosen to invest in the children of Illinois based on the hope that a fair tax amendment will pass in November. This two-tiered budget—with some dollars immediately available and authorized, and some dollars held in reserve pending passage of a constitutional amendment enabling a progressive income tax—is a significant blow to our children and the adults who are committed to shaping their futures.”
“In his proposed budget, the governor has allocated $200Mfor Evidence-Based Funding, with an additional $150M held in reserve. This raises two very serious alarms. First, and most importantly, the state has made a clear and statutory commitment to invest no less than $350million in the K-12 system each year for ten years. As proposed, this budget runs the real risk of turning its back on that commitment and the children who depend on it.”
“Secondly, and practically speaking, the budget, as proposed, means that school districts around the state must and will plan around the assured $200M increase, depriving students in already underfunded districts of additional programming and supports enabled by the $150M reserve. This same planning and budgeting challenge will play out in child care centers, preschools, community colleges and universities.”
“In a world where the current Minimum Funding Level won’t get us to full funding in the promised ten-year timeframe, and where we want schools to put new dollars to work for children as quickly and effectively as possible, theFY21 investment strategy is devastating.”
“We urge Governor Pritzker and the members of the General Assembly to seriously reconsider the budget as presented and find ways to invest in the future of Illinois with resources that are available now. Our schools need the full $350 million that has been promised, even as we work to assure a stronger fiscal base to permit even greater investments going forward. Childcare centers, schools, colleges and universities need both adequate funding and predictability throughout the academic year to provide for the diverse needs of students across the state. They cannot build budgets based on hopes and assumptions. Our children’s futures require dependable and steady investments, and they count on us to keep our promises.”
Robin Steans
President
Advance Illinois
Advance Illinois Congratulates Ginger Ostro on Appointment as Executive Director of the Illinois Board of Higher Education
CHICAGO, IL (January 8, 2020) “All of us at Advance Illinois congratulate our former colleague and friend Ginger Ostro on her appointment as the next Executive Director of the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE).
CHICAGO, IL (January 8, 2020) “All of us at Advance Illinois congratulate our former colleague and friend Ginger Ostro on her appointment as the next Executive Director of the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE). Ginger led Advance Illinois during a critical time in our growth and was on the front lines of the coalition that fought for and won a more fair and equitable school funding model for our state.”
“Ginger is an outstanding leader who is passionate about education and public service. She is an experienced and smart choice for this role. We wish her and the IBHE board and staff success as they work to ensure that our public and private colleges and universities have the resources and support they need to prepare our students for success in the workforce and in civic life.”
Robin Steans
President
Advance Illinois
About Advance Illinois
Advance Illinois is an independent policy and advocacy organization working toward a health public education system that enables all students to achieve success in college, career and civic life. Since its founding in 2008, Advance Illinois has become a nationally recognized thought leader in education policy advocacy. To learn more visit advanceillinois.org
Contact:
Roderick Hawkins, Communications Director
rhawkins@advanceillinois.org
Ammanuel M. Ayalew, Communications Associate
aayalew@advanceillinois.org
Click here to read the announcement of the governor’s announcement of the Illinois Commission on Equitable Early Childhood Education and Care Funding.
Advance Illinois Statement on Governor Pritzker’s Announcement of the Illinois Commission on Equitable Early Childhood Education and Care Funding
“For decades, Governor Pritzker has been a champion for early childhood education. We are pleased that he has made this a priority for his administration and applaud today’s announcement of the Illinois Commission on Equitable Early Childhood Education and Care Funding.”
CHICAGO, IL (December 16, 2019) Advance Illinois President Robin Steans released the following statement on today’s announcement of the Illinois Commission on Equitable Early Childhood Education and Care Funding:
“For decades, Governor Pritzker has been a champion for early childhood education. We are pleased that he has made this a priority for his administration and applaud today’s announcement of the Illinois Commission on Equitable Early Childhood Education and Care Funding.
“We are also pleased that the Governor announced a 15% Child Care Assistance Program rate increase for centers in rural counties and an across the board 5% increase statewide for centers and homes starting January 1st. These are important step towards ensuring all Illinois children have access to affordable and high quality early childhood programs and services.
“Right now, there are communities across our state that are in ‘deserts’ where there are scarce, if any, early childhood programs or services. Our children deserve better.
“It is our hope that this commission will provide the data, research and recommendations needed to give all Illinois families access to early childhood services. Advance Illinois is pleased to have been invited to serve on the commission and we look forward to this partnership that will have long term benefits for the state.”
Robin Steans
President
Advance Illinois
About Advance Illinois
Advance Illinois is an independent policy and advocacy organization working toward a health public education system that enables all students to achieve success in college, career and civic life. Since its founding in 2008, Advance Illinois has become a nationally recognized thought leader in education policy advocacy. To learn more visit advanceillinois.org.
Contact:
Roderick Hawkins, Communications Director
rhawkins@advanceillinois.org
Ammanuel M. Ayalew, Communications Associate
aayalew@advanceillinois.org
Click here to read the announcement of the governor's announcement of the Illinois Commission on Equitable Early Childhood Education and Care Funding.
Advance Illinois Responds to the Illinois State Board of Education 2019 Illinois Report Card
“The 2019 Illinois Report Card takes a major step forward by providing more data and transparency on how schools are funded and how students are performing.”
CHICAGO, IL (October 30, 2019) Advance Illinois President Robin Steans released the following statement about the Illinois State Board of Education 2019 Illinois Report Card:
“The 2019 Illinois Report Card takes a major step forward by providing more data and transparency on how schools are funded and how students are performing. By shining a light on new data, including site-based expenditures, student groups, and Civil Rights Data Collection, the Illinois State Board of Education empowers people to have more informed conversations about the public education system generally, and with an equity lens.”
“Upon preliminary review of the report card, we applaud the progress that has been made in some areas of student achievement, but there is still significant work to be done, and major inequities remain. We look forward to using the data provided in the report card to inform conversations with policy makers and education champions across the state.”
Robin Steans
President
Advance Illinois
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About Advance Illinois
Advance Illinois is an independent policy and advocacy organization working toward a health public education system that enables all students to achieve success in college, career and civic life. Since its founding in 2008, Advance Illinois has become a nationally recognized thought leader in education policy advocacy. To learn more visit advanceillinois.org.
Statement on the Appointment of Illinois' State Superintendent of Education and ISBE's Board of Directors
“We are thrilled by the announcement that Dr. Carmen Ayala has been appointed as Illinois’ State Superintendent of Education. Dr. Ayala will be our state's first female superintendent, as well as the first Latina to take the helm of the state's schools.”
“We are thrilled by the announcement that Dr. Carmen Ayala has been appointed as Illinois’ State Superintendent of Education. Dr. Ayala will be our state's first female superintendent, as well as the first Latina to take the helm of the state's schools. She has been a trailblazer on behalf of kids throughout her career, most recently ensuring equity for all students through her leadership in passing an equitable school funding formula. We have also seen remarkable progress made in student outcomes during her tenure as superintendent at Berwyn North.
We are equally pleased to hear the selection for the Illinois State Board of Education's board. Together, these new members have spent decades upon decades championing a high quality education for Illinois’ students. We look forward to working with Dr. Ayala and the board during this period of transition and for the next four years.”
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Advance Illinois is a bipartisan education policy and advocacy organization committed to ensuring all children have access to a world-class education from birth to postsecondary and/or career. For more information please go to advanceillinois.org or follow us on Facebook @AdvanceIllinois or Twitter @AdvanceIllinois.
Contact:
Anna Schneider, Senior Communications Associate
217-242-9645
aschneider@advanceillinois.org