Illinois Blog

Greetings from Springfield,

It’s been a busy week in the legislature as the May 31 adjournment date is getting close. Our biggest legislative priority this session has been to protect education funding and enhance funding equity. Regardless of where they live, all children should have the same right to a high-quality public education that prepares them for college or a successful career. But that’s not happening in Illinois, where we have the second-most regressive school funding system in the nation.

A flurry of activity is happening in Springfield today around this idea of a 'Pension Cost Shift'.  What is a 'cost shift' and why is this important for our most at-risk kids?

Check out our Government Affairs Director, Jessica Handy, talk with Illinois Watchdog reporter, Ben Yount, about how important this issue is for fair funding - and then check out his article. 

A September 2012 Center for American Progress study reaffirms what we’ve known for decades:  There are tremendous funding inequities between high- and low-poverty school districts in Illinois. We have the second most inequitable education funding system of any state, largely due to our heavy reliance on property taxes.

Ever wonder how you would figure out how to go to college if no one in your family has ever gone? How would you figure out application deadlines, which college to apply to and how you and your family would begin to pay for it? I myself was lucky that I had parents and extended family that went to college so I had people around me that knew the ropes but unfortunately so many of our children have loved ones that can’t help them navigate the system. Stand for Children has decided to try and help parents within Chicago with this very problem with Stand University.