PTA was founded 120 years ago to focus on advocacy on behalf of children, and many things we take for granted today—child labor laws, the juvenile justice system, childhood immunizations, the school lunch program—happened because of PTA advocacy. But when we look back at those examples today, our thoughts may lean towards those being obvious … Continue reading Does Advocacy Matter?
Illinois PTA Advocacy Day 2017
Today is Illinois PTA Advocacy Day. Even if you can’t join us in Springfield, you can still participate. If you have a few minutes sometime in the next few days, send an e-mail to your legislators. The text is prewritten for you, though you can edit it or add more if you would like to. … Continue reading Illinois PTA Advocacy Day 2017
Aligning National PTA and Illinois PTA Legislative Priorities: Special Education
The National PTA Legislative Checklist calls for the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) that further supports and improves the lives of more than 6.5 million eligible children, from infants through youth. Reauthorization must: Include a statutory definition of family engagement in education based on National Standards for Family-School Partnerships within section 602 … Continue reading Aligning National PTA and Illinois PTA Legislative Priorities: Special Education
ESSA, Family Engagement, and Your PTA
Implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) continues to make progress, with the US Department of Education approving Illinois’s ESSA plan. In Congress, the House of Representatives has included funding for the Statewide Family Engagement Centers (SFECs) in its appropriations bill. With the approval of the Illinois ESSA plan, attention now turns to Local … Continue reading ESSA, Family Engagement, and Your PTA
Aligning National PTA and Illinois PTA Legislative Priorities: Juvenile Justice
The 2017-18 Federal Public Policy Agenda Checklist of the National PTA calls for the reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA), reducing the number of youth unnecessarily involved in the justice system. Reauthorization must include that the juvenile justice system: Incentivize family and community based alternatives to incarceration Eliminate certain exceptions to … Continue reading Aligning National PTA and Illinois PTA Legislative Priorities: Juvenile Justice
Illinois PTA Statement on SB1947
Today, Governor Bruce Rauner signed Senate Bill 1947 (SB1947), the negotiated agreement of Senate Bill 1 (SB1), into law. While Illinois PTA supported SB1, we called for an override of the governor’s amendatory veto of SB1 and did not support SB1947. Illinois PTA has long supported adequate, equitable, and sustainable funding of public schools, and … Continue reading Illinois PTA Statement on SB1947
Aligning National PTA and Illinois PTA Legislative Priorities: School Funding
Primary goals of both the National PTA and Illinois PTA are the adequate funding of education programs. The National PTA puts funding front and center in the 2017-18 Federal Public Policy Agenda Checklist with a call for a regular appropriations process replacing the current practice of sequestration “with a balanced approach to deficit reduction that … Continue reading Aligning National PTA and Illinois PTA Legislative Priorities: School Funding
Aligning the National PTA Public Policy Agenda and the Illinois PTA Legislation Platform
Want to know how positions of the National PTA and the Illinois PTA align on advocacy issues? Over the next several months, we will be providing you with information on the Public Policy Agenda of the National PTA and offering insights into how the Illinois PTA Legislation Platform fits into advocacy efforts at the national … Continue reading Aligning the National PTA Public Policy Agenda and the Illinois PTA Legislation Platform
FAQ: Amendatory Veto of Senate Bill 1
Last week, Governor Rauner issued an amendatory veto of Senate Bill 1 (SB1) that significantly changed the provisions of the bill to the point where the Illinois PTA cannot support the amended version of the bill. As a result, Illinois PTA is calling for members to contact their legislators to override the governor’s veto. Here’s … Continue reading FAQ: Amendatory Veto of Senate Bill 1
Tell Your Legislators to Override the SB1 Veto Today to Keep Our Schools Open
Today, Governor Rauner vetoed part of Senate Bill 1 (SB1), which would have fixed Illinois’s inequitable school funding formula. Key elements of Illinois PTA’s support of SB1 are that no school district receives less funding and that all school districts are treated in the same manner regarding current (but not legacy) pension costs. The governor’s … Continue reading Tell Your Legislators to Override the SB1 Veto Today to Keep Our Schools Open
Illinois PTA Urges Governor Rauner to Sign SB1
Illinois PTA president Brian Minsker spoke on Tuesday at a press conference in Decatur calling on Governor Rauner to sign Senate Bill 1 (SB1), a bill that would change Illinois’s school funding formula. His remarks are below, and you can view a video of the press conference courtesy of the Decatur Herald and Review (President … Continue reading Illinois PTA Urges Governor Rauner to Sign SB1
Understanding SB1: Changing the Illinois School Funding Formula
Senate Bill 1 (SB1) is aimed at improving how Illinois distributes money to local school districts. The bill uses an Evidence-Based Funding Model, as recommended by Governor Rauner’s Illinois School Funding Reform Commission to distribute new state education funding in a more equitable manner than the existing formula. SB1 has passed both houses and awaits … Continue reading Understanding SB1: Changing the Illinois School Funding Formula
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
The Woke PTA’s Guide to Advocacy
The last few weeks have seen an unprecedented level of civic engagement. Huge demonstrations have drawn out people who have never marched. Congressional switchboards have received more calls than ever before. Your PTA may have many members who are now looking for ways to advocate on behalf of children through PTA. Here’s a guide to … Continue reading The Woke PTA’s Guide to Advocacy
National PTA Provides New Resources for PTA Advocates
PTA is the nation’s oldest and largest volunteer child advocacy organization, with a legacy of work that has improved the lives of every child in this country. On Friday, January 27, National PTA announced its 2017 Federal Public Policy Agenda with a Facebook Live event (view recording). As part of this announcement, National PTA released … Continue reading National PTA Provides New Resources for PTA Advocates
4 New Year’s Resolutions for PTA Leaders
The start of a new calendar year is about the midpoint of the PTA year. Your PTA may have been less active during the holiday season when so many other events are going on at school and in life. Now that the new year is beginning, it is a good time to reflect on what … Continue reading 4 New Year’s Resolutions for PTA Leaders
Lead in School Drinking Water—What Families Need to Know
Note: Illinois PTA has an advocacy campaign running now through January 10, 2017 to urge the Illinois House to join the Illinois Senate in passing SB550, a bill that would require testing every unique drinking water source in all Illinois schools and report high lead levels to families. If you were looking to make a … Continue reading Lead in School Drinking Water—What Families Need to Know
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
Illinois PTA Advocacy Day in Springfield a Big Success
It was a beautiful fall day in Springfield on Tuesday as Illinois PTA members gathered for Advocacy Day. The Illinois PTA table in the capitol rotunda welcomed advocates and greeted passersby all day. By the end of the day, 79 legislators or their staff had had face-to-face contact with Illinois PTA. If you couldn’t make … Continue reading Illinois PTA Advocacy Day in Springfield a Big Success
Join Us for Illinois PTA Advocacy Day in Springfield on November 15th
November 15, 2016 is Parents Day as part of American Education Week. It is also Illinois PTA Advocacy Day in Springfield, an opportunity for PTA members from across Illinois to speak up for children. While you may not feel like you can be a PTA advocate, you likely already have been one. If you have … Continue reading Join Us for Illinois PTA Advocacy Day in Springfield on November 15th
One Voice Illinois 