Advance Illinois Responds to Governor Pritzker’s Proposed FY23 Budget

Contact:
Advance Illinois Communications
communications@advanceillinois.org

CHICAGO, IL (February 2, 2022) - We are delighted to see a proposed budget that is fiscally responsible, plays no games with federal funds, and includes powerful and needed investments across the entire birth through postsecondary (B-20) continuum. Students across the state, from early learners to college students, will find things to cheer in the governor’s proposed budget, and we appreciate his efforts to support students across the system.

While there is much to commend in the governor’s proposed education budget, we are especially pleased with the proposed 5 percent increase for our state’s public institutions of higher education and community colleges in FY22, and the whopping $122 million proposed increase to the state’s flagship scholarship program – its MAP grants. An increase of this magnitude will allow the state to help nearly every eligible student who applies, even as it allows the state to increase average individual awards. This change is good for the future of the state and extends serious support to students from low-income households and students of color at a time when COVID-19 has put postsecondary affordability and success in real peril.  

In addition, we applaud the governor’s proposal to increase support for the Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) Scholarship to $4.2 million, an investment which will help address the teacher shortage in our state while supporting more teaching candidates of color, including Black male and bilingual candidates. 

It is also terrific and important to see the governor propose an additional $350 million for Evidence-Based Funding, an investment that makes good on the state’s commitment to closing deep funding inequities at a time when student need has never been greater.  

Finally, we applaud the recommended 10 percent (or $54 million) increase in the Early Childhood Block Grant. That said, we hope the General Assembly will find ways to make additional (and complementary) investments in Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), Home Visiting (HV) and Early Intervention (EI) programs. We know there is much work to be done to close the resource gap in the ECEC system and individual early childhood programs and look forward to seeing what more can be done to address this issue. 

Overall, this budget demonstrates Governor Pritzker’s commitment to ensuring that all Illinois students, from birth through career, receive the quality education they so richly deserve. We now look to the General Assembly to do its part to invest in a flourishing public education system in Illinois.  

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About Advance Illinois
Advance Illinois is an independent policy and advocacy organization working toward a healthy 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.

Advance Illinois Statement on the Illinois State Board of Education 2021 Illinois State Report Card

Contact:
Advance Illinois Communications
communications@advanceillinois.org

CHICAGO, IL (October 29, 2021) - Today, the Illinois State Board of Education released its 2021 Illinois Report Card. On behalf of Advance Illinois, President Robin Steans shares the following statement: 

“As school communities across the state continue to address the ongoing challenges created by COVID-19, and amidst ongoing and serious data gaps and complexities, Advance Illinois applauds the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) for releasing important available information in its 2021 Illinois Report Card. We appreciate ISBE’s efforts to present data as accurately as possible and to indicate where data is reliable, where it should be considered with caution and where it is necessarily delayed.” 

“It comes as no surprise that schools across the state face real challenges in re-engaging students. Enrollment has dropped an unprecedented 3.6% from 2020, and chronic absenteeism has risen alarmingly 4.7 percentage points from 2019’s 16.5% pre-pandemic rate to 21.2% in 2020. Although high school graduation rates have remained strong, a dip in the 9th grade on-track rate suggests that students making their 9th grade transition experienced setbacks that may impede their chances of graduating. Taken together, these data underscore the need for strong student supports, intensive tutoring and student engagement and outreach.”  

“Amidst the discouraging news, there are some unexpected bright spots. It is terrific to see increases in the number of students enrolled in Dual Credit and Advanced Placement courses, more stability in staffing than we might have expected, and a modest increase in the number of teachers of color across the state. We are invigorated by ISBE’s inclusion of additional data on the diversity of administrators, which importantly highlights the work our state still needs to do to ensure school personnel, including school leadership, reflect the diversity of our students.” 

“Looking ahead, and knowing what a toll the past two years have taken on students and educators alike, it will be critical to gather additional data on school climate, social emotional learning and implementation of trauma-informed practices.” 

“It is essential that we understand the impact COVID-19 is leaving in its wake, identify places where students, schools and educators will need support and attention and monitor progress and challenges as we work together to rebuild and renew. Timely, reliable information will be key, and we appreciate ISBE’s ongoing efforts to illuminate this work under trying circumstances.” 

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About Advance Illinois
Advance Illinois is an independent policy and advocacy organization working toward a healthy 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.

Joint Statement in Support of SB815 Commission

Contact:
Advance Illinois Communications
communications@advanceillinois.org

CHICAGO, IL – As members of the Illinois Higher Education Network, we applaud Governor Pritzker in signing SB815 into law yesterday. With SB815’s creation of a Commission on Equitable Public University Funding, Illinois is a step closer toward not only having a funding model that considers what it takes to ensure institutions have the resources to adequately support students, but one that targets resources to colleges disproportionately serving students from low-income households and students of color, and incentivizes better-resourced universities to ensure their student body reflects the population of Illinois.

Years of disinvestment, racial and socioeconomic disparities in access and inequitable distribution of state funds have forced Illinois' Black and Latinx students and students from low-income households to pay some of the highest college costs in the nation. The state's public universities that serve greater percentages of students from low-income households and students of color are also its most financially vulnerable. Although these institutions need more funding to support students, they instead receive a fraction of the state's annual appropriations.

The commission created by SB815 will research, model and ultimately recommend specific criteria and approaches for an equity-based higher education funding model for Illinois’ public universities. Governor Pritzker’s signing of SB815 yesterday starts the process of bringing equity and stability to higher education funding.

An adequate, equitable, and stable higher education funding model is critical to ensuring every university can provide adequate academic, financial, and social-emotional support to improve college access, persistence, and success. Such a funding model is also critical to rebuilding a prosperous and equitable future for Illinois.

We thank Governor Pritzker for signing SB815 into law and continue to applaud Leader Kimberly Lightford and Representative Carol Ammons for their steadfast leadership on this bill. 

Working together to create a more equitable higher education system, we are eager to support the Commission’s work and the much-needed transformation it is designed to spur. 

Advance Illinois
Partnership for College Completion
Women Employed
Young Invincibles
Illinois Higher Education Network

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About Advance Illinois
Advance Illinois is an independent policy and advocacy organization working toward a healthy 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.

Advance Illinois Statement on FY22 State Budget

Contact:
Advance Illinois Communications
communications@advanceillinois.org

CHICAGO, IL – In the wake of a pandemic and with many competing priorities, we applaud the appropriation of $350 million for the Evidence-Based Funding formula. This is a direct investment in the next generation and in Illinois’ own future. As importantly, it honors the state’s commitment to continue investing in our schools with a goal of getting all districts to at least 90 percent adequate funding. Never has the need been greater. Never has it been more essential for schools and leaders to have long-term funding they can rely on to meet student needs. Thank you to our elected leaders for rising to this moment.  

The appropriation of state funds for EBF allows the state to use short-term federal funds as intended: to safely reopen schools for in-person learning and support students socially, emotionally and academically as they recover from the many ways in which COVID-19 has disrupted their development and learning. 

A successful recovery from the effects of the pandemic depends heavily on critical investments across the education continuum. Accordingly, we also applaud increases to MAP funding - always important to providing equitable access to higher education, especially now. With that said, we know that children need support starting at birth, including investments in such vital programs as the Early Childhood Block Grant, Child Care Assistance Program and Early Intervention. In the teeth of greater need for support and access, we are disappointed to see cuts and flat-funding in early childhood.  

Given the ongoing need to strengthen and diversify the pipeline for teachers, social workers and other school personnel, we are heartened to see significant investments of federal funds in state-level mentoring, induction and other pipeline strategies, even as we are disappointed not to see increases to Minority Teachers of Illinois Scholarship. 

Budgets reflect priorities. This budget makes clear that the General Assembly prioritizes investments in Illinois students, even as it serves as a reminder that there is much work ahead to ensure the entire education continuum – from birth through college – is properly funded so all Illinois students are able to receive the quality education they deserve. 

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About Advance Illinois
Advance Illinois is an independent policy and advocacy organization working toward a healthy 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.

From Birth to Career, Fund the Entire Education Continuum

Just three months ago, we made the case that it would take new ways of thinking and working to ensure the state’s education system emerges from the pandemic able to serve kids better and more equitably. Policymakers must see education in Illinois as a single, interconnected system from birth to career that provides equitably and adequately for our students at every stage. And to create this improved system, funding and policies must extend beyond the traditional silos of early childhood, K-12, and higher education.

We’re happy to report signs of positive progress. In March, President Joe Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan, a sweeping $1.9 trillion stimulus package aimed to help families struggling with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The legislation includes historic one-time investments in child care, home visiting, Early Intervention, K-12 education, special education, Early HeadStart, Head Start, and higher education. These federal funds represent a lifeline for the children and families of Illinois.

While the federal government has provided important short-term funding as a stopgap to help weather the current storm, the state has a critical role to play to ensure the health and sustainability of our education system.

It is why we were thrilled to see the recent announcement from Governor Pritzker indicating he supports appropriating an additional $350 million in state funds for the Evidence-Based Funding formula as part of the fiscal year 2022 (FY22) state budget. Putting $350 million of state dollars into the school formula will allow districts to make the long-term investments necessary to create strong, sustainable educational programs. An infusion of state funding will allow school leaders to use the federal relief dollars as intended: to safely reopen schools for in-person learning and support students socially, emotionally, and academically as they recover from the many ways in which COVID-19 has disrupted their development and learning.

As excited as we are to see the governor and leaders of the General Assembly back these investments publicly, the rest of our education system also needs their support. Increases in funding to schools must be paired with similar increases in funding to early childhood and post-secondary education.

We call on the GeneralAssembly to increase appropriations for the Early Childhood Block Grant by $50million, the Monetary Award Program by $50 million, and the Mental Health onCampus Act by $19 million.

Illinois has increased state investments in early childhood alongside those in the K-12system, historically, because the state’s early care and education system plays such a critical role in the success of its future K-12 students. Current funding falls far short of what is needed to provide a fully-funded early learning system that supports communities, families, educators, and providers. Earlier this year, the recommendations from the Commission on Equitable Early Childhood Education and Care Funding estimated that the current level of state and federal investment in our state’s early childhood system is only about 14% of what is needed to provide high-quality services for all families. Fully funding the state’s early childhood system is a long-term project, but an investment of $50 million in the upcoming fiscal year would act as an important down payment, particularly if that investment is focused on reducing inequities in compensation for teachers working in community-based programs or with infants and toddlers.

As for post-secondary education, we know that disinvestment over the last few decades, particularly during difficult budget years, has forced institutions to more than double tuition and fees to stay open. Students from low-income households bear the brunt of this burden. While increasing MAP will help, it is not enough – we need long-term structural change to fund higher education. There is a bill making its way through the legislative process that would establish a Commission to make recommendations on how to fund higher education more equitably and adequately. This is a conversation worth having and we urge Springfield to act now.

The practice of supporting one part of the education continuum while freezing budgets in other parts is imprudent, as students cannot develop and thrive without a strong overall system that will see them through from birth to career. We’ve seen in 2021 that a lot can happen in a few short months when we work together to reimagine a better world for children and families. We encourage the Illinois General Assembly and the Pritzker Administration to keep the momentum going. Our children deserve nothing less.

Advance Illinois 
Illinois Action for Children 
Partnership for College Completion 
Stand for Children Illinois 
Start Early