Today’s guest post comes from the Real Learning for Real Life Coalition, of which Illinois PTA is a member, and is by Stephanie J. Schmitz Bechteler, Ph.D., the Vice President and Executive Director of the Chicago Urban League. High school graduation is one of the most important milestones teenagers must achieve as they transition into … Continue reading Understanding the Barriers to High School Graduation
Advance Illinois Launches Equity Dashboard
The new Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) model for school fundingin Illinois has had the first $350 million payment delivered earlier this month. This new funding begins the process of improving Illinois’s worst-in-the-nation funding equityby targeting the largest increases in state funding to the districts furthest from an adequate level of funding based on the EBF formula. … Continue reading Advance Illinois Launches Equity Dashboard
The Importance of Teacher Leadership for Student Success
It’s sometimes said that teachers reach the pinnacle of their career the first day they walk into their classroom. Unless they wanted to go into administration, a classroom teacher had no advancement track. But that is changing in many school districts as they begin to embrace teacher leadership. What is Teacher Leadership? Teacher leadership can … Continue reading The Importance of Teacher Leadership for Student Success
Illinois Student Advisory Council Launches Student Voices Microsite with ISBE
The Student Advisory Council (SAC), which provides feedback and insights to the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), launched a new Student Voices microsite at http://www.isbe.net/studentvoices to create space for students statewide to ask and answer questions about preparing for their futures. The microsite links to resources such as the Illinois Reality Check personal budgeting … Continue reading Illinois Student Advisory Council Launches Student Voices Microsite with ISBE
Early Learning Council’s New Guidelines for Community Engagement
The value of PTA can be measured in a wide variety of ways, but one of the most strategic is representation of the parent community at the state level through participation in meaningful relationships. One such relationship is with the Illinois Early Learning Council. Created by Public Act 93-380, the Council is a public-private partnership … Continue reading Early Learning Council’s New Guidelines for Community Engagement
Essence of ESSA: School Climate and Culture
Today’s guest post comes from the Real Learning for Real Life coalition, of which Illinois PTA is a member. The coalition helps families and communities understand how our education system is changing to provide the children of Illinois the best education possible. The article looks at the difference and importance of school climate and culture … Continue reading Essence of ESSA: School Climate and Culture
Illinois’s Teacher Shortage Visualized
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) recently released a survey showing school districts in Illinois have 1,006 unfilled teacher positions this year. Teacher vacancies can mean larger class sizes or, in smaller school districts, classes that just aren’t offered. In addition, 74% of the vacancies are in majority-minority school districts, while 81% are in … Continue reading Illinois’s Teacher Shortage Visualized
Essence of ESSA: Growth versus Proficiency
Today’s guest post comes from the Real Learning for Real Life coalition, of which Illinois PTA is a member. The coalition helps families and communities understand how our education system is changing to provide the children of Illinois the best education possible. The article details how schools in Illinois are changing instruction as the Every … Continue reading Essence of ESSA: Growth versus Proficiency
New Parent Guide on Education Data
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is a dramatic change from the law it replaced, No Child Left Behind (NCLB). An important part of ESSA, as well as Illinois’s plan to implement the law, is the use of data to inform policymaking, to help teachers improve student achievement, and to aid families in supporting their … Continue reading New Parent Guide on Education Data
Engaging Teens at School
As high schools work to improve their graduation rate, a new study from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute highlights how teens engage with their schools. The report, What Teens Want from Their Schools, presents the results of a survey of over 2,000 high schools students. The authors of the study have also provided a short … Continue reading Engaging Teens at School
Illinois Public Schools Rank 11th Nationally
Illinois’s public schools face a lot of challenges—inequitable funding, underfunding by the state, and more. But a recent report released by WalletHub indicates when it comes to a broad measure of how public schools are doing, Illinois does better than most. The report didn’t focus solely on school funding or academic outcomes, but aggregated two … Continue reading Illinois Public Schools Rank 11th Nationally
Ending the Expulsion of Preschoolers in Illinois
“Expelled from preschool” sounds like a headline from a humor website like The Onion, but in fact preschoolers are expelled nationwide at more than three times the rate of students in K-12 classes. More significantly, these expulsions are disproportionately given to boys and to African-American and Hispanic students. Preschool education is critical to preparing students … Continue reading Ending the Expulsion of Preschoolers in Illinois
Revamped FERPA|Sherpa Provides More on Student Privacy
Online access and technology plays an increasing role in classrooms, and with that increase comes concerns about student data and privacy. Illinois PTA highlighted this issue a few years ago when National PTA partnered with the Future of Privacy Forum and ConnectSafely to create the Parents’ Guide to Student Data Privacy. The guide was part … Continue reading Revamped FERPA|Sherpa Provides More on Student Privacy
National PTA Statement on President Trump’s Budget Proposal
National PTA released the following statement on Wednesday regarding President Trump’s proposed budget. President Trump’s Cuts to Public Education Devastating for America’s Children President Donald Trump released his budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2018. The proposal cuts funding for public education programs by $9.2 billion. “Equitable, high-quality public education for all students is essential to … Continue reading National PTA Statement on President Trump’s Budget Proposal
Bullying Doesn’t Happen Where You Think It Does
Where does bullying take place? Most parents would answer out on the school grounds, in the cafeteria, or perhaps in a bathroom or locker room—all places where teachers are less likely to be present or where there are a lot of kids. A new report from the US Department of Education’s National Center for Education … Continue reading Bullying Doesn’t Happen Where You Think It Does
New Illinois ABLE Program Helps Families with Special Needs
Raising a child with special needs can be expensive. Last week, Illinois State Treasurer Michael W. Frerichs unveiled the Illinois ABLE plan to help families save for future expenses. The plan was developed by the National Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Alliance, a consortium of 13 states that worked with Congress and state legislatures … Continue reading New Illinois ABLE Program Helps Families with Special Needs
ISBE Unveils New Friendlier Website
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) provides a wealth of information for families, teachers, administrators, and community members on their website. However, finding the information you were looking for used to involve navigating an extremely complicated series of menus and links, backing up from dead ends, and sometimes futile searches. However, right before the … Continue reading ISBE Unveils New Friendlier Website
The Illinois ESSA Plan Draft #2 Highlights
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) became law almost one year ago. During this past year, Illinois and every other state has been working hard to develop a plan to implement ESSA in their state, with the final plan due to the US Department of Education on April 3, 2017. The Illinois State Board of … Continue reading The Illinois ESSA Plan Draft #2 Highlights
Every Student Counts—A New Report on Public Education in Illinois
The state of Illinois has a goal of 60% of Illinoisans with a post-secondary degree or credential by the year 2025. Today, thatnumber is 50%. Advance Illinois just released a new report, Every Student Counts—The State We’re In, that documents where public education stands in Illinois on several key measures related to that goal. The … Continue reading Every Student Counts—A New Report on Public Education in Illinois
Open eBooks Provides Free Books to Children in Need
A critical part of a child’s academic success is learning to read and developing a love of reading. For many children, developing this love is hindered by a lack of access to books in their home. Now, Open eBooks is helping educators, librarians, and program leaders working with children from in-need families get free access … Continue reading Open eBooks Provides Free Books to Children in Need
One Voice Illinois 