Pritzker Announces $1.6 Billion In Federal Funding For Early Childhood Services
SPRINGFIELD — Gov. JB Pritzker announced Friday that $1.6 billion in federal funding will be allocated toward early childhood education and child care providers in Illinois. The funds will be provided through the American Rescue Plan passed by Congress in March, Pritzker announced at a news conference in Aurora on Friday, and will include $140 […]
Pritzker Urges Schools To Focus COVID Relief Funds
SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker took to the road Monday to urge local school districts in Illinois to carefully target the roughly $7 billion in federal funds they will soon receive in order to help students overcome the learning loss they may have suffered during the pandemic. “We’re all wondering if this was a lost […]
State Releases Guide To School Reopening
SPRINGFIELD — Educators, students and families will face a host of new challenges in overcoming the learning loss that occurred over the past year of mostly remote learning as COVID-19 vaccines become more widely available and schools prepare to fully reopen for in-person learning. To aid in that process, Gov. JB Pritzker announced the release […]
Proposed Legislation Looks To Mandate Sex Education For Schools, Teach Dangers Of ‘Sexting’
SPRINGFIELD – Some Democratic Illinois lawmakers want to adopt more comprehensive sex education standards for K-12 schools to ensure students have a firm understanding of the importance of consent, the consequences of sharing underage sexually explicit material, and knowing when an action is considered sexual abuse. This week, the House Elementary and Secondary Education: School Curriculum […]
Bill Would Allow Special Needs Students To Stay With School Program Past Age 21
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House Human Services Committee advanced two bills Tuesday, one allowing special needs students to stay with a school program past their 22nd birthday and another allowing the use of certain federal nutrition benefits to purchase feminine hygiene products. House Bill 40, introduced by Rep. Frances Hurley, D-Chicago, would allow special needs students […]
Bill Would End Restraint And Isolation of Students
SPRINGFIELD – A House committee agreed Wednesday to continue working on a bill that aims to end the use of physical restraints and isolation as a way of controlling misbehaving students in public school classrooms. House Bill 219, sponsored by Rep. Jonathan Carroll, D-Northbrook, was introduced in response to a 2019 article by Pro Publica Illinois and […]
Rural Locations, Pandemic Worsen Educator Shortages In East Central Region
Editor’s Note: Lee Enterprises reporters Lenore Sobota, Kelsey Watznauer and Lyndsay Jones of The Pantagraph in Bloomington; Valerie Wells of the Herald & Review in Decatur; and Rob Stroud of the Journal Gazette/Times-Courier in Mattoon-Charleston contributed to this story. SPRINGFIELD – East central Illinois school districts have an even greater difficulty filling teaching positions than […]
ISBE Seeks To Waive State Assessments, Address Drop In Public School Enrollment During Pandemic
SPRINGFIELD – For the second year in a row, the Illinois State Board of Education is seeking a waiver from the U.S. Department of Education for standardized tests normally given during schools’ spring semester. Earlier this month, State Superintendent Carmen Ayala sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Education asking for the waiver on assessments, […]
GOP Members Hope To Block New Teacher Standards
SPRINGFIELD – Republican Illinois state lawmakers are pushing back on proposed new standards for teachers and administrators that are scheduled for a hearing before a legislative rulemaking committee later this month. Supporters of the proposed “Culturally Responsive Teaching and Leading Standards” say they’re merely an attempt to make sure that all educators are trained in […]
State School Board Member Criticizes New Graduation Requirements
SPRINGFIELD – New high school graduation requirements that were part of an omnibus education bill passed during the lame duck session are drawing criticism from some members of the Illinois State Board of Education. Those new requirements were included in House Bill 2170, Amendment 3, which was introduced by Sen. Kimberly Lightford, D-Maywood. They include the addition […]
Education Bill To Revamp Social Studies Classes
SPRINGFIELD – Social studies classes in Illinois public schools are about to get a major overhaul, with more emphasis on Black history and the contributions of other underrepresented groups to American culture. In addition, within the next few years, all school districts in the state will be required to offer computer science courses and more […]
Champaign Unit 4 Schools Propose Hybrid In-Person And Distance Learning For Second Quarter
Champaign Unit 4 school officials outlined a plan for a mix of in-person and distance learning for elementary students in the Second Quarter, at Tuesday night’s school board meeting. Since school began in August, Champaign Unit 4 Schools have been operating on an entirely distance learning basis. However, challenges remain, despite efforts to provide students […]
News Around Illinois – May 19, 2020
Illinois Supreme Court Disbars Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich CHICAGO — Disgraced former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has been officially disbarred. The Illinois Supreme Court announced on Monday that it revoked Blagojevich’s law license. The announcement was not a surprise, as Blagojevich didn’t even attend a March hearing in which the matter was discussed and indicated […]
News Around Illinois – May 12, 2020
Gov. Pritzker’s Office Working From Home After Senior Staffer Tests Positive For COVID-19 CHICAGO – Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Monday that his office is working from home after a senior staffer tested positive for COVID-19. The staff member is reportedly asymptomatic, but staying in isolation. The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) also reported 1,266 new […]
Former Urbana Substitute Teacher Accused Of Abusing Students
URBANA – Police in Urbana say a former substitute teacher is accused of abusing several 10-year-old students at an elementary school. In a press release on Tuesday, police identified the suspect as 36-year-old Clarence Walker of Champaign. He is scheduled to be arraigned on charges of aggravated criminal sexual abuse on Wednesday. As of late […]