2025-2027 EAC Spotlight: Joseph Brewer
This fall, Advance Illinois welcomed the 2025-2027 Educator Advisory Council (EAC) cohort, bringing together educators across early childhood to postsecondary, representing the diversity across Illinois. In the next two years, they will deepen their policy knowledge, explore the root causes of the disparities we see in education, and take action together through advocacy efforts including legislative testimony, writing op-eds, and organizing their peers. As part of the 2025-2027 EAC Cohort Spotlight series, we look forward to introducing each member and highlighting their journeys as educators and the experiences they bring to this space.
Introducing: Joseph Brewer, Dean of Students
Tell us a little about your teaching journey — what subjects, grades, or communities have you served?
My teaching journey began in rural western Illinois, where I spent 17 years teaching social studies courses at Cuba High School including U.S. History, Civics, Sociology, Psychology, and Current Events. I have also taught GED and dual credit sociology courses through Spoon River College.
In recent years, I have transitioned into school leadership roles as a Dean of Students and Athletic Director, and I was recently selected to serve as principal of Lewistown Junior High and High School beginning in the 2026–27 school year. Across each role, I’ve remained focused on helping students connect learning to their communities through civic engagement, local history, and place-based learning.
What are some challenges or opportunities you see in education today that motivate your work?
One of the biggest challenges I see is ensuring that students in rural communities have access to the same opportunities and innovative learning experiences as students in larger districts. At the same time, rural schools have unique strengths—strong relationships, deep community ties, and opportunities for authentic, place-based learning.
I’m motivated by the opportunity to help schools build on those strengths. Whether through civic education, community partnerships, or responsible uses of emerging technologies like AI, I believe schools can help students see themselves as active contributors to their communities and to our democracy.
How does being part of the EAC connect to your goals or passions as an educator?
Being part of the Education Advisory Council allows me to contribute a rural educator’s perspective to statewide conversations about policy and innovation. Much of my work has focused on connecting classrooms with community history, civic engagement, and local problem-solving. Through the EAC, I hope to help ensure that policies support schools in creating those kinds of authentic learning opportunities. It’s also a chance to learn from educators across Illinois and bring new ideas back to the students and communities I serve.
Can you share an example of a time you advocated for your students, school, or community?
Through my work with Teach Plus, I helped advocate for a bill supporting the safe and responsible use of AI in classrooms. I authored op-eds, gave interviews, and had the opportunity to testify before the Illinois House Education Committee. In my testimony, I shared how AI has made my classroom more engaging—for example, when students creatively modernized Edgar Lee Masters’ Spoon River Anthology into teen slang. This helped bring new life to one of our community’s most important but increasingly overlooked local figures. I emphasized that while AI can enrich learning, teachers and students need guidance to use it safely and equitably, ensuring it enhances education without widening gaps across the state.
What advice would you give students to help them stay inspired?
Stay curious about the world around you—especially the place you come from. Some of the most interesting stories, problems, and opportunities are right in your own community. Ask questions, talk to people who have different experiences than you, and don’t be afraid to try new ideas. Education isn’t just about preparing for the future; it’s about discovering how you can contribute to the world right now.
Learn more about the Educator Advisory Council here.