Statements
Please find our latest statements below.
Advance Illinois Statement on Status of the Minority Teachers of Illinois Scholarship
According to research, students do better in school when they have diverse teachers: When a student has a teacher who looks like them, they are more likely to score well on tests, consistently come to school, and graduate. Studies attribute this impact at least in part to the culturally responsive practices and mindsets that teachers of color often bring to the classroom – all of which have a positive impact on students generally, and on students of color in particular.
It was these research-based insights that drove the state to create the Minority Teachers of Illinois scholarship program more than 30 years ago. Going to college is expensive. Through MTI, Illinois has helped reduce this ‘cost to entry’ for students who aspire to a career in teaching but come from limited family wealth. Impressively, Illinois has awarded over 13,000 scholarships since the program’s start.
In response to a lawsuit challenging MTI, the General Assembly recently considered legislation that would create a new program, the Teachers of Illinois Scholarship. We were pleased to see that this new program would still be dedicated to growing the teacher pipeline and to making it easier for students with financial need and from high need districts to become classroom educators. And while that is heartening, there is little doubt that a change from MTI to this new program will reduce the diversity of Illinois’ teacher pipeline, despite research making plain how important it is to student learning. The measure passed the house, but did not move in the Senate, so while we have insight into what may happen in the future, for now MTI remains on the books in Illinois.
“We appreciate the state’s ongoing commitment to growing and strengthening the teacher pipeline. Well-prepared teachers are the single most important factor in student learning,” according to Robin Steans, President of Advance Illinois. “That said, it is sad that Illinois is being pushed to turn its back on a program that is research-based and designed to tackle persistent opportunity and achievement gaps.”
While diversity is a key goal in the educator pipeline, students are also harmed by shortages in particular areas such as special education and bilingual education, and in specific geographies and types of schools, particularly high-poverty schools. We appreciate the efforts to continue to prioritize these pipeline needs in the proposed legislation.
It must be emphasized – particularly in today’s broader political environment - that to pretend race and racial disparities do not exist is to consign ourselves to perpetuating longstanding inequities.
“We can all agree that discrimination on the basis of race is wrong, and understand that we have a responsibility to address ongoing disparities in our educational and economic systems that have been driven by historical race-based discrimination,” Steans said. “When the research tells us it matters that we have teachers of color in our classrooms, we should be ready to respond – exactly as Illinois has for the past thirty years.”
MTI is a perfect example of why this works. The affordability supports provided through MTI were working to address the harmful consequences of decades of disparities driven by economic and educational policies; policies which have presented Black and Latinx students with massive barriers in accessing higher education, including disproportionate challenges meeting high and rising costs.
Without MTI, we will not be able to make the same amount of progress towards closing the student and teacher diversity gap, which harms so many of our K-12 students. That is a great loss for students in our state and will impede our progress towards equitable student outcomes.
This will not be the last instance of tension between the goals and priorities of our state and those of the new federal administration. We look to state leaders to continue to do the best possible work with the resources and capabilities at hand—always keeping student needs as the north star—and we look forward to partnering with state policymakers in this work.
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About Advance Illinois
Advance Illinois is an independent bipartisan policy and advocacy nonprofit organization working toward a healthy public education system that enables all students to achieve success in college, career, and civic life.
Advance Illinois Statement Regarding the FY26 State Budget
Recent and pending federal policy actions are impacting education access and complicating Illinois’ fiscal decision-making for FY26. In the teeth of significant uncertainty, the Illinois General Assembly passed a budget filled with hard choices; one that takes efforts to protect important investments for Illinois children and students, even as it misses key opportunities to double down on progress the state has made to improve quality and access.
“We recognize and appreciate the efforts the Governor and lawmakers have made to protect public education, but hope we can and will find ways to further strengthen support for early childhood, K12, and higher education,” said Robin Steans, president of Advance Illinois.
Supporting Our Youngest Learners
Our state has long acknowledged the importance of a strong start for young children in Illinois, so we commend the General Assembly’s continued commitment to investing in early childhood education and care for FY26. Increases to the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) ($75M) and the Smart Start Workforce Grants ($90M) to replace expiring federal relief help support program affordability, workforce retention, and quality care – all of which are crucial to a strong system.
That said, there were some notable budget casualties. The Early Childhood Block Grant (ECBG) received insufficient funding to expand Preschool for All and Prevention Initiative programs, undermining the state’s goal to provide universal preschool to all 3- and 4-year-olds by 2027. At the same time, level funding for the Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) scholarship program fails to meet growing workforce demands and provide the critical support needed to help future early childhood educators complete their degrees; Five million dollars is simply not enough to address shortages in providers and stave off the negative implications for children and families when well-prepared providers are unavailable.
As federal support wanes and the new Illinois Department of Early Childhood continues to take shape, sustained and increased state investments remain critical to ensuring all young children in Illinois have access to the care and education they need to thrive.
Funding Concerns for K-12 Schools
In what was anticipated to be a tough fiscal environment, we appreciate the difficult choices lawmakers confronted when considering support for Illinois’ public k-12 student and schools. First, we applaud the state for maintaining funding for critical systemic mental health supports in the form of the REACH pilot and SEL hubs. Every data point we have reminds us that students in every corner of the state are struggling, so while a larger investment is needed, this ongoing investment is as compassionate as it is critical.
As for the big picture, at $307M, the investment into the Evidence-Based Funding Formula (EBF) provides important and vital support to school districts, though it foregoes opportunities to reduce local property taxes and falls below the minimum funding called for in statute. When EBF was first signed into law in 2017, 169 school districts were funded at 60% or below full funding. Today, just 1 district is. But over 1.3 million students still attend schools in underfunded districts – districts that are disproportionately rural and urban and that serve students from low-income households, English language learners, and Black and Latinx students. Further, the fact that all Mandated Categoricals (except those statutorily required to be funded at 100%) will be held at level funding for FY26 means districts face increased proration and growing budget gaps. This in turn means EBF funds will likely be used to backfill mandates, rather than addressing critical gaps. Therefore, while we applaud efforts to maintain EBF increases, the hard truth is that we have work to do here.
Ensuring Quality by Supporting Our Educators
Given how fundamental a diverse, well-supported, and well-prepared teacher workforce is to driving student growth and achievement, we are pleased that several critical programs were included in the final budget. We are also pleased to see ongoing or increased support for key strategies that allow Illinois to grow and strengthen its educator pipeline. Investments in teacher coaching and mentoring ($5M) help support retention of early career educators and new school leaders and are the type of state-level investments Illinois should continue to prioritize. An increase of $4M in Grow Your Own helps expand and diversify the educator pipeline, especially for male candidates. Further, we are heartened to see maintained funding for programs such as Golden Apple, Teach for America, and Affinity Groups in FY26. These programs play an important role in the state’s strategy to recruit, prepare, and support excellent and diverse teachers for Illinois students. We hope these programs will be sustained and expanded in future budget cycles.
Finally, we appreciate the $8M investment in the Minority Teachers of Illinois scholarship program. Though the program remains the subject of an ongoing lawsuit and a bill creating an alternative Teachers of Illinois Scholarship was introduced and passed the House over the weekend, we appreciate the state's ongoing commitment to growing our pipeline and doing so in a way that clears a path for a wide range of candidates.
Supporting Our Colleges and Universities
Illinois’ long-term prosperity depends on making postsecondary opportunity more affordable for all. So while we commend the state for increasing investment in our community colleges and public universities, the respective 1.5% and 1% increases from last year fall significantly short of what our institutions need to operate and serve students to and through their college journey. Thanks to the work of the Commission on Equitable Public University Funding, Illinois now knows just how much investment each of our public universities needs to fulfill their unique missions and support their unique student bodies. This proposed budget falls far short of what is needed, nor did legislators take action this Spring to adopt a university funding formula that would ensure growth into the future. This is an area for further effort if and when the General Assembly reconvenes later this year.
We hope, too, that the General Assembly will work to further increase support for the Monetary Award Program (MAP), if and when it has an opportunity. The $10M increase approved this weekend is better than no increase in this tough budget year, but according to ISAC data, will not be enough to cover all anticipated qualified applicants. Moreover, recent federal actions changing financial aid requirements and terms for prospective borrowers means state efforts to ensure college access are more important than ever.
Final Thoughts
This session, the General Assembly had a challenging task in passing a budget that both recognized financial realities on the ground and anticipated significant fiscal changes ahead at the federal level. We commend our lawmakers and the governor for the steps they’ve taken to sustain critical areas of work and progress, and for remaining true to Illinois values and priorities. We commit ourselves to working with other advocates and officials to see what more can be done in the months ahead to further strengthen educational opportunities and outcomes for Illinois children, students, and families.
Advance Illinois Statement on the Executive Order to Dismantle the U.S. Department of Education
CHICAGO (March 20, 2025)—The United States Department of Education is responsible for key functions impacting Illinois students’ ability to access high-quality, safe, and supportive learning environments from K-12 through postsecondary. Accordingly, it is important that the public be aware of today’s Executive Order seeking to abolish the federal agency. It is easy to criticize federal agencies and bureaucracies, and there is (always) room for improvement. But the call to eliminate the Department of Education in its entirety is another thing entirely. Indeed, it is hard not to see this action – taken in conjunction with other dramatic measures, as a concerted effort to undermine public education and many hard-won and ongoing efforts to ensure our education system works for every child and student.
The underlying message of today’s action seems to be (1) that the federal government does not have a role to play in education, and/or (2) that this role is insignificant enough to be managed effectively across a half dozen different agencies and with minimal staff, and/or (3) that all children are equally well-positioned to succeed, so there is no need to support high-need populations. But let’s be clear: overwhelming research and data tell us these assumptions are misguided. What do high-performing countries (like Finland, Sweden and Norway) have in common in the education space? A coordinated national approach that includes clear, consistent expectations for what students learn, robust data and research to support strong practice, and strong financial support to ensure schools, childcare centers, and universities are available for all, and that they provide rich and rigorous opportunity. This measure and others are turning the clock back on those principles.
It should go without saying that we all benefit when all children thrive. But the evidence is clear – not all students are succeeding. And while this administration seems to want to place the blame on the children themselves, evidence makes plain that all students can achieve if they get the instruction and support they need. While we may wish it were otherwise, students do not arrive at schools and colleges with the same set of needs. Some students face poverty. Others are living with disabilities. Others face prejudice for their background, race, ethnicity, gender or religion. And still others live in remote areas with limited access to technology and services the rest of us take for granted. We are a country that, at its best, has worked – sometimes imperfectly – to give every child an opportunity – recognizing that that it is not only the right thing to do, but that doing so strengthens families, communities and, ultimately, the country as a whole.
“To take this step at all, and especially now, when mountains of data point to slow but gradual progress in climbing back from COVID-related disruptions, highlights the administration’s disregard for its citizens, even as it flouts the legislative process,” notes Robin Steans, President of Advance Illinois, an independent, bipartisan nonprofit education policy and advocacy organization.
In just a matter of weeks, the new administration has taken a number of steps to set back decades of work to support student progress and close racial, socioeconomic, regional, and generational gaps in academic opportunity and achievement.
The administration's order “Ending radical indoctrination in K-12 schooling” issued in January not only misunderstands and misstates constitutional law, but seems designed to intimidate educators working to meet the needs of diverse students into ignoring the fact that students arrive at school with unique needs. Under the order’s threat of withholding funding, some schools have pulled back preemptively from efforts to foster rigorous, safe, and supportive learning environments that meet the needs of students from all backgrounds and experiences.
When the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cut nearly $900 million in Institute of Education Sciences (IES) contracts and cut NCES down to 3 employees, it slashed the arms of the Education Department responsible for collecting data, conducting research and analysis, and reporting on student progress and performance – activities key to driving coherent and effective education practice and policy at every level and in every corner of the country, reversing investments made by a bipartisan set of administrations for over a century.
Last week’s dramatic mass layoffs at the Department crowded out ongoing discourse and concern about the infamous ‘Dear Colleague Letter’ - a communication with no force of law, but one littered with misleading assertions of what constitutes violations of federal civil rights protections and that again threatened to withhold federal funding if institutions do not comply with restrictions that have no basis in law. The letter has created confusion and alarm, with the clear intent to halt practices that acknowledge the simple reality that students come to school with a range of learning styles and needs, and that educators and schools are and should work hard to address them so that every student succeeds. [Read guidance from Attorneys General from a range of states on how best to understand and respond to the “Dear Colleague” letter sent on February 14th.]
Finally, today, the White House issued an Executive Order directing Sec. McMahon to take "all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return education authority to the States” - a direction that misunderstands that education authority already sits primarily with states.
The new administration’s mission is increasingly, and tragically, clear.
On average, the federal government provides roughly 12% of overall K-12 funding in Illinois, with higher-poverty schools and districts relying more heavily on those dollars. While spokespeople are claiming that efforts to dismantle the Department of Education will not impact services or programs (presumably other than those that have already been cut or targeted), it defies credulity that such significant layoffs will have no impact in the field.
Those who care about public education and about the next generation should be alarmed, and that alarm should motivate action. The stakes are critical and high. The United States has enjoyed outsized prosperity driven by having one of the most educated populations in the world. Sadly, we have been losing ground internationally, a trend that should concern us all and that is entirely at odds with recent actions. All of us benefit when the next generation is well-cared for and educated. Ours is a responsibility to make sure families have access to affordable high-quality early childhood education and care for their young children; that our under-resourced schools – prevalent in both urban and rural parts of our country and state – are supported to meet the academic and learning needs of students enrolled; and that students with limited family wealth can afford to earn degrees that improve their employment opportunities and earnings. That worthy and ambitious goal takes national coherence and national effort, even as it champions and supports ongoing state authority.
For our part, we will work with state elected officials and state and national partners to continue to fight for access, quality, and equity in education. Changes happening at the federal level matter, but they cannot and should not change our core values. Our mission remains clear – we need schools that work for every child and student.
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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.
Advance Illinois Statement on Governor Pritzker’s FY26 Budget Proposal
In the face of a budget deficit and an environment of challenge and great uncertainty at the federal level, we recognize the difficult decisions that leaders are facing and appreciate the Governor’s focus on fiscal responsibility and stability, which help anchor progress over time. Today’s proposal by the Governor represents a restrained but ongoing commitment to Illinois’ education system and the children, students, and families it serves. That said, we are honor-bound to address important remaining needs and gaps.
"While we understand the complexities of this year’s environment and recognize the Governor's commitment to young children and students, we hope the General Assembly will build on this proposal to sustain the educational progress the state has made to ensure our students can thrive,” said Robin Steans, President of Advance Illinois.
It is good news that the Governor remains committed to the Evidence-Based Funding formula (EBF), and we are pleased to see some modest increased investments across the B-20 continuum. That said, the proposal leaves some important gaps and needs unaddressed. Were the proposed budget to pass unchanged, it would challenge Illinois’ ability to support every child and student and maintain the steady progress the state has made toward a system of equitable, high-quality education. We cannot let up on strong investments now.
On Proposals for Illinois’ Early Childhood System
We applaud the Governor’s recommendation of $160 million to meet the growing demand for the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), the increase of $10 million in Early Intervention to support rate enhancements for providers (though more is needed), and his continued support for the new Illinois Department of Early Childhood (IDEC) with a $7 million increase. Unfortunately, the Governor’s recommendation pauses new investments in the Early Childhood Block Grant (ECBG), which would limit the state’s ability to expand and improve quality for Preschool for All programs and prevention initiative, programs necessary to ensure our youngest learners are prepared to be successful in kindergarten and beyond.
We are delighted that the Governor is recommending a $90 million increase in the Smart Start Workforce Grants to replace expired federal covid relief funding. Unfortunately, the Governor’s recommendation misses a critical opportunity to meet extremely high demand for the Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE ) scholarship program that helps grow the ECEC workforce. With the current $5 million appropriation, just 666 students received the scholarship this year, leaving out roughly 2,300 educators who applied, and limiting the state’s ability to grow the workforce fundamental to Illinois’ system of care and education for its youngest learners.
Needs for Our Educator Workforce
Over the last five years, the state has worked hard to invest in programs that build a stronger, more diverse teacher pipeline. While the Governor recommends level funding for key scholarship programs like ECACE, the budget fails to include essential teacher and principal mentoring programs. These programs, established with ESSER funds, cannot survive without state support, leaving new educators without crucial early career supports – supports that have been shown to increase effectiveness and retention. Worse still, if we cut these programs now to help balance this year’s budget, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to rebuild the program once we’ve lost the infrastructure. This pattern of stopping and starting key programs is neither good for educators nor the state.
K-12 Funding – Evidence Based Funding Formula
The Governor’s proposed $350 million increase in Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) for Illinois schools represents a continued commitment to more fully and equitably funding our K-12 system. We acknowledge and appreciate the significance, even as we know that our students need more. The 2024 Nation’s Report Card (NAEP) scores provide evidence for this need, with the gap between the lowest-performing and top-performing students in Illinois in reading and math persisting and even widening; more of our state’s attention is needed. EBF plays a critical role in Illinois’ ability to interrupt this trajectory by directing new resources to the school districts and students that need them most.
And while EBF investment is needed, its impact would be diminished by the increased proration of Mandated Categoricals proposed in this budget. These are key funding streams that reimburse districts for required expenses such as transportation, special education services, and school meals. Several of these programs have been underfunded for years – the Governor’s proposal would take the overall underfunding of these programs from approximately $380 million in FY25 to nearly $550 million in FY26. This means districts will have to use EBF dollars in order to continue funding these mandatory services – effectively reducing the impact of EBF increases.
Supporting the Needs of the Whole Child
Our schools will also be directly impacted by reductions to programs that foster healing-centered, trauma-informed practices in schools. While the budget proposes the same total state investments in REACH and SEL Hubs for FY26, these programs currently leverage both federal and state dollars, but will need to rely solely on state funds moving forward. REACH, in particular, supports schools across the entire state and simply cannot continue at scale without additional funding. Thanks to the smart investments we have made in REACH and SEL Hubs over the past several years, Illinois is on a path to more systemic mental health and well-being programs for students and families. Now is not the time to reduce these critical services for schools.
Proposed Investments for Higher Education
Although we applaud the administration's continued support of the Monetary Award Program (MAP), the proposed increase of $10M is not enough to ensure that all students have access to an affordable postsecondary pathway. College affordability remains the number one barrier to postsecondary enrollment and completion – and at the current rate it is unlikely that all eligible applicants will continue receiving a grant. This will further exacerbate financial burdens for students across the state, effectively pricing out more students at a time when postsecondary degrees are increasingly important in employment and earning a living wage. On the institutional side, the Govenor proposes a 3% increase for higher education, using the state’s status quo funding approach – a system that we know is inequitable in its distribution and inadequate in the funds needed. We now know our public universities are nearly $1.4B underfunded after nearly two decades of disinvestment by the state. Without a change in how we fund the state’s public universities, and the amount we invest on an annual basis, students face another year of attending institutions with dramatically disparate resources. This disparity plays out in differences in the services and supports students receive, and, by extension, their ability to persist and complete their degree.
But we can do better. The Adequate and Equitable Funding Formula for Public Universities, as proposed by Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford’s and Representative Carol Ammons’s SB13/HB1581, would transform higher education funding for the state, sending increased investments to our institutions, and prioritizing those universities and students furthest from adequacy. Grounded in recommendations by the Commission on Equitable Public University Funding, this student-centered formula is grounded in more than two years of research into evidence-based, impact-driven practices that work to support student persistence.
At a time when actions and communications from the new White House administration signal an adversarial posture toward research-based school and campus programs and practices used to level a playing field that has historically been structured to exclude and under-resource marginalized students, it is critical that our state stands firm on its commitment to promoting an inclusive economy by making the right decisions today. The choices that lie ahead, regardless of the budget environment, must be ones that prioritize removing systemic barriers so that every student can realize their potential and use their skills and talents to contribute to Illinois’ future health, vibrance, and vitality.
We appreciate the Governor’s historic and ongoing commitment to a strong education system for the state and the decisions he and our lawmakers must consider amid challenging circumstances. That said, more can and must be done for Illinois’ children and students. We now look to the General Assembly to respond to the needs left unaddressed or requiring more support than what is offered in today’s proposal. We encourage them to take advantage of key opportunities to sustain and grow Illinois students’ continued recovery from COVID disruptions, and to support their ability to excel and reach their full potential. Our students need this, and the future of the state depends on it.
Advance Illinois Statement on Recent Executive Actions
Like others, Advance Illinois has been working to process rapid and unfolding executive actions by the new White House administration - actions that have created great unease and fear in communities across our state; actions that challenge the diverse identities we walk in and disrupt the sense of security children and families find in hospitals, places of worship, colleges, childcare centers and schools.
With a diverse set of partners, Advance Illinois works hard to build and sustain an education system that supports all children to reach their full potential, knowing that when children thrive, so, too, do their families, communities and the broader state and nation in which they live. All of us benefit when the next generation is well cared for and educated, and we have a responsibility to make sure families have access to and avail themselves of affordable high-quality early childhood education and care for their young children, public schools that are well-resourced to meet the academic and learning needs of students, and opportunities to afford and seek a college or technical degree.
Like many others in this work, we have seen the devastating impact that trauma and stress can have on students and families, and on the schools and communities in which they live and learn. Illinois has directed significant new dollars to schools over the past seven years, and we were not surprised to see districts hire additional counselors, social workers, and generally invest more deeply and intentionally in addressing mental health issues. This investment reflects what every educator and parent knows: students cannot learn if they are not safe and supported, they cannot learn if they are ostracized, and they cannot learn if their parents are afraid to send them to school.
So we are concerned to see executive orders fomenting dramatic policy changes around the rights afforded to transgender and undocumented students and individuals – changes being implemented quickly and with little input or discussion, and changes spurring significant fear and uncertainty. We know that educational and care professionals across Illinois and the country will be working hard to maintain as much stability and security as they can in the face of these broader policy moves, and in the face of possible law enforcement actions. To those of you in our childcare centers and homes, schools, and colleges, thank you for being the consistent supportive presence our young people and their families need. Thank you for availing yourselves of every resource you can to ensure families know their rights and can continue to access health care, education and worship in a way that benefits all of us and that upholds the standards of humanity, equity, and decency we hold dear.
As we work with so many across Illinois to build a healthy education system and nurture the next generation, we have fought to make schools, childcare centers, and colleges places where children can learn and thrive. We lament any action that brings politics, division, and intolerance into such spaces. We hope national leaders will give this issue the attention it deserves, and we appreciate and applaud those at the local level providing badly needed information, support, and courage.
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If you want to learn more:
Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE): Non-Regulatory Guidance on Immigration Enforcement Actions
The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights has an abundance of resources for immigrant families, including a Know Your Rights fact sheet in:
Know Your Rights fact sheet inEnglish
Know Your Rights fact sheet inSpanish
The ACLU also provides a Know Your Rights resource with guidance for families in specific immigration enforcement scenarios in both Know Your Rights resource with guidance inEnglish and Know Your Rights resource with guidance inSpanish.
The National Partnership for New Americans has compiled a live document with legal protection resources and materials from across the country that will continue to be updated.
Latino Policy Forum Immigration Resources (ENG/SPAN): https://latinopolicyforum.org/essential-immigration-resources-for-immigrants-allies/?mc_cid=85a7a3fe49&mc_eid=9af324f8a2
Chicago Public Schools (CPS): Updates For CPS Families Regarding New Presidential Administration
Immigrant Defense Project has some general information on Know Your Rights
On the ground news coverage
Five things to know about immigration policy and Illinois schools (Chalkbeat)
What can CPS schools and parents do in the face of Donald Trump’s mass deportation threat? (WBEZ)