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
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
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
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
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
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
Another Year of Legislative Success for the Children of Illinois!
From youth safety issues to juvenile justice, from children’s health to readiness for college and the work-force, from childhood hunger to an interim budget in a year of fiscal deadlock, the Illinois PTA has advocated successfully for all our children. The highlights are below. Illinois PTA will continue to advocate for every child, and urges … Continue reading Another Year of Legislative Success for the Children of Illinois!
Illinois Atlas of Austerity Maps the Costs of the State Budget Impasse
The state of Illinois has currently been without a budget for almost one complete year. Illinois PTA focused on the budget issue at our 2016 Legislative Conference and has called for PTA members to contact their legislators and the governor to urge them to pass a budget. A new website provides an interactive visual representation … Continue reading Illinois Atlas of Austerity Maps the Costs of the State Budget Impasse
Helping Your School Go 1:1 with Technology
Technology is becoming ever more necessary in our society, in our jobs, and increasingly in our schools. Many school districts are now planning on “implementing 1:1”—providing each student with a networked device, whether it is an iPad, Chromebook, laptop, or other technology. Just as PTAs were asked to help put computers in the classroom in … Continue reading Helping Your School Go 1:1 with Technology
PTA Advocacy is Easier than You Think
Like many Illinoisans, you are probably concerned about the lack of a current state budget and the outlook for next year’s budget. You might be wondering if your child’s school will be able to stay open for the full 2016-2017 school year or if it will open at all. You would be willing to contact … Continue reading PTA Advocacy is Easier than You Think
News from the Illinois PTA Legislative Conference—The Illinois Budget
At the Illinois PTA 2016 Legislative Conference, one of the focus issues was the Illinois budget situation. Today is the 280th day without a budget in Illinois, and this lack of a budget is having profound effects on the lives of children, families, and our state’s economic future. The “Do Nothing” Budget Illinois currently has … Continue reading News from the Illinois PTA Legislative Conference—The Illinois Budget
New Report Highlights 21st Century School Facility Needs
When thinking about what makes a quality school, most people cite quality teachers, good curriculum, and perhaps modern technology. Very few think about the school building itself; after all, in many cases the building has been there largely unchanged for decades. In 1995, a U.S. Government Accounting Office (GAO) report, School Facilities: Condition of America’s … Continue reading New Report Highlights 21st Century School Facility Needs
Do’s and Don’ts of PTAs and Elections
Illinois’s primary election is coming up on March 15th and the presidential election is November 8th. While most local elections in Illinois are in odd years, your school district may have a bond referendum on the ballot. With elections dominating the news, it’s a good time to review what PTAs can and can’t do as … Continue reading Do’s and Don’ts of PTAs and Elections
10 Questions Your PTA and School Should Ask Before Buying Technology
First, it was computers in the classroom; next, it was Smartboards; and now it is iPads and Chromebooks. Schools often turn to their PTA to help bring technology into the classroom, and families wanting the best for their children often step up to help do so. But a Smartboard used only as a digital chalkboard … Continue reading 10 Questions Your PTA and School Should Ask Before Buying Technology
Navigating the Illinois School Report Card
Last week, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) released the 2014-2015 version of the Illinois Report Card. This online, interactive version of the report card was launched last year and provides significantly more information for parents about their child’s school than the old paper report card you might have seen a few years ago. … Continue reading Navigating the Illinois School Report Card
10 Ways to Get Community Support for Your School
As school budgets continue to shrink, school districts are turning to their local communities to enhance children’s education. The Family Education website has a slide show of 10 Ways to Get Community Support for Your School. Their ten ideas are: Organize workplace tours Have a career day Volunteer reading programs Interview local community members Attend community … Continue reading 10 Ways to Get Community Support for Your School
One Voice Illinois 