☎️ Action Alert: Our schools need more funding (not less!) in a pandemic

The General Assembly is back in session tomorrow in Springfield. This is likely to be a whirlwind three-day session covering a very barebones legislative agenda compared to a normal spring. (Politico shared this list of bills/topics on Tuesday.)

And, unfortunately, other than the state budget for Fiscal Year 2021, it's likely that not that much directly relevant for K-12 schools will be tackled.

That said, funding is as fundamental as ever to our schools' functioning! If your state rep and state senator haven't heard from you as a public school supporter recently, this is an important time to contact them!

Calls to both their district and their Springfield offices are best (find those numbers here). You can also send them a letter via our form here.

If you have an extra minute, you can call Governor Pritzker too: 217-782-6830 or 217-782-6831

What should your message be?

I'm a constituent and a public school [parent/teacher/supporter]. Whatever happens in the fall, public schools will need more resources next year than they had for the school year just ending. The General Assembly must honor their commitment to an annual increase of $350 million to the evidence-based formula funding. In the current public health emergency---one that will last many more months---our schools can't bear cuts and still serve our families and communities.

Schools' need for state funding will be greater whether schooling resumes in physical buildings, whether remote learning needs to continue, or whether some hybrid of the two attempts to balance the competing demands of health, safety and quality of our children's educational experience. You can read some more about this here.

Thank you for your advocacy during these difficult times!

[Photo used via Creative Commons]

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