Statements
Please find our latest statements below.
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
Statement on the Governor’s Budget Address
The below statement can be attributed to Robin Steans, President of Advance Illinois: “Gov. JB Pritzker’s address today solidifies his promise to invest in all students statewide. We applaud him for ensuring that investment in public education is the state’s top priority.”
The below statement can be attributed to Robin Steans, President of Advance Illinois: “Gov. JB Pritzker’s address today solidifies his promise to invest in all students statewide. We applaud him for ensuring that investment in public education is the state’s top priority. Investing in the entire continuum of education— early childhood through career— will begin to restore our state’s devastated economy and ensure that our communities across the state can thrive.Gov. Pritzker proposed increases over last year’s funding to early childhood, K-12, and higher education. His proposal includes:
an additional $100 million to early childhood education
an additional $375 million to K-12
a 5 percent increase for community colleges and public universities
$50 million for MAP grants
This step towards equity for our most underserved students and communities is a huge step in the right direction, especially for children birth to 5 years old. But, we know there are difficult challenges ahead including the need for broader fiscal health to sustain these important and necessary investments. We hope the Governor and legislators will tackle these issues in a serious way. We are ready for this new path forward and are eager to work together toward achieving the world-class public education system we know our Illinois students deserve.”
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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
Advance Illinois Announces Leadership Transition
January 24, 2019 Chicago, IL – Advance Illinois announced today that Robin Steans will be returning to Advance Illinois as President effective Friday, January 25. Robin succeeds Ginger Ostro, who has served as Executive Director of the organization for the past three years.
January 24, 2019
Chicago, IL – Advance Illinois announced today that Robin Steans will be returning to Advance Illinois as President effective Friday, January 25. Robin succeeds Ginger Ostro, who has served as Executive Director of the organization for the past three years. Robin was the founding Executive Director of Advance Illinois at its inception in 2008 and was instrumental in building it into one of the most recognized and well-regarded education policy and advocacy organizations in the state and across the country.“Under Robin’s leadership, Advance Illinois will continue its important work, building on recent progress and helping us shape an equally dynamic set of priorities as we head into our next ten years,” wrote John Edwardson and Marin Gjaja, co-chairs of the board of directors at Advance Illinois in a recent letter to stakeholders. “You can expect us to continue to work on fully funding the new formula, focusing on quality instruction, ensuring all children get a strong, early start, and finding new and innovative ways to create a culture of continuous improvement.”Robin, a former public school teacher in Boston, San Francisco, and Chicago, has been a driving force in public education for over 25 years. A Chicago public school parent herself, Robin has worked with stakeholders, families and community leaders to advocate for policies that improve student outcomes for all children from birth through college or career. Among other notable accomplishments, Robin was instrumental in the state’s recent success in creating a more equitable K-12 school funding formula.
About Advance Illinois:
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.
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