Education Advocacy and Community Organizations Come Together with Local Leaders in Springfield to Discuss the Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Education in Illinois
A presentation on the key findings in Advance Illinois's report, The State We’re In 2022: A Look at the Impact of COVID-19 on Education in Illinois will be followed by a conversation with three state and local leaders.
Springfield, IL (December 12, 2022) – In collaboration with Advance Illinois, Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln, and United Way of Central Illinois, a presentation and panel discussion on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education in Illinois will be held at the Sangamo Club in Springfield on December 15.
Advance Illinois will present key findings from its report, The State We're In 2022: A Look at the Impact of COVID-19 on Education in Illinois, which looks at the effect the COVID-19 pandemic has had on Illinois school communities during the 2020-2021 school year. The report looks at notable changes in four areas including: student enrollment and attendance, access to instruction and student supports, academic progress, and social-emotional well-being. The data is examined according to region, ethnicity, English Learner status, household income, and geography.
The conversation to follow will include Doris Turner, State Senator from Illinois’ 48th District, Dr. Brian Durham, Executive Director of the Illinois Community College Board, and Dr. Becca Lamon, Superintendent of the Ball-Chatham School District, and will be moderated by Robin Steans, President of Advance Illinois, a bipartisan education policy and advocacy organization. Panelists will discuss the ongoing work needed to ensure students have access to the resources and support they need to succeed in the wake of COVID-19.
The panel will cover:
What is the data telling us: How have attendance, enrollment, and academic outcomes shifted over the last 2.5 years? Where have educational inequities been exacerbated by the pandemic? What are the biggest challenges facing care centers, schools, and colleges right now?
Work underway: How are local and state leaders addressing the pandemic’s significant impact on student academic progress and student well-being? What programs and supports are working?
Moving forward: What should our priorities be moving forward? How do we maintain energy around learning renewal efforts at the state and local level, especially as federal funds go away?
Robin Steans, President of Advance Illinois says, “The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on education across Illinois, from birth through college. The data is sobering, and we must continue to work together to face the challenges ahead and support all our students in Illinois.”
THE STATE WE’RE IN
Lunch and Panel Discussion
When: Thursday, December 15, 2022, 12 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Where: Sangamo Club, 227 E. Adams St., Springfield, IL 62701
MEDIA RSVP and INQUIRIES: Eucarol Juarez, communications@advanceillinois.org
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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, and advocacy.
Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln Through philanthropic services, strategic grantmaking and community leadership, the Community Foundation connects people who care with causes that matter. We serve Sangamon, Cass, Christian, Logan, Macoupin, Menard, Montgomery and Morgan counties by building permanent charitable funds, identifying current and emerging issues and channeling resources to address community needs.
United Way of Central Illinois Founded in 1922, United Way of Central Illinois creates a better life for us by advancing the common good. Our focus is on protecting services vital to the immediate basic needs of the most vulnerable members of our community; while making long term investments in education, financial stability and health, because these are the building blocks for a good quality of life.