Illinois is resisting attacks on public schools that serve all kids
The daily ramping up of authoritarianism by the Trump regime is distressing and daunting. And we’re seeing the impact of attacks on Illinois’ public schools, where federal funds are being slashed for everything from HVAC improvements to local foods in school cafeterias to National History Day. But there is also resistance taking place at all levels—including protecting public schools and public school students—that we must celebrate and build on.
Read moreAction alert: Witness slips needed to protect rights & safety of IL students
We all want our public schools to be safe and nurturing environments for children and young people. But, in 2019 shocking investigative reporting by Pro Publica and the Chicago Tribune showed that, unfortunately, schools across Illinois were using practices to physically restrain and seclude students—especially those with disabilities—that subjected them to harm, trauma and even the risk of death. Now a new bill would undermine the reforms passed to address those terrible practices.
Read moreLegislation 2025
Thousands of bills are introduced in Springfield every session. Here's some of the bills that we are supporting or following closely during the spring 2025 session of the 104th IL General Assembly.
IL-FPS Legislative Initiative
Strengthen SOPPA - HB 2696 [Fact Sheet] This bill would give families the right to sue tech companies and other school vendors who violate the Student Online Personal Protection Act (SOPPA) instead of relying only on the IL Attorney General, who has taken no action to enforce the law's ban on data sales against state standardized testing contractors. Write to ask your state senator to sponsor this bill here.
Other bills we support
Too Young to Expel - SB 2423/HB 3772 [Fact Sheet] Schools are subjecting their youngest students to exclusionary discipline, like expulsion and suspension, too often, and disproportionately imposing these consequences on Black students and students with disabilities. This bill would ban expulsion for 2nd grade and below, and ensure that when students that age are suspended, their time out of school is kept to the minimum it takes to set up a behavior or safety plan to return the child to their educational environment. It also seeks to expand push-in supports for K-2.
Clean Air for Healthy Equitable Schools -HB 429/SB 2193[Fact Sheet] Initiative of Illinois Stakeholders for Air Quality in Schools. It includes not just ventilation verification assessments but the distribution of high-quality HEPA filters and air quality monitors to immediately improve air quality for all children, teachers, and staff in IL public schools.
Biometric Information in Schools - SB 1239 This bill would substantially strengthen the existing school code's restrictions on the collection of biometric information in schools, including prohibiting districts from purchasing or otherwise acquiring biometric systems to use on students and also prohibiting any collection or storage of biometric information or entering into agreements with contractors to do the same. Biometric data that schools previously held will be destroyed.
Bill we're opposing
Rollback reforms of seclusion and restraint - SB 1943 In spring of 2021, due to the hard work of disability rights advocacy groups and others, legislation and administrative rules finally passed to address horrific systemic abuse of students, via seclusion and restraint practices in schools across the state, exposed by investigative reporting by Pro Publica and the Chicago Tribune. SB 1943 would rollback crucial aspects of the reforms in PA 102-0339 with respect to training staff, reporting, investigations and limiting and eliminating practices that endanger students, even though data on seclusion and restraint has not yet shown significant improvements. Read more background on why this bill shouldn't pass here.
Looking for our past legislative agendas? 2024 - 103rd GA, 2023 - 103rd GA, 2022 - 102nd GA, 2021 - 102nd GA; 2020 - 101st GA; 2019 - 101st GA; 2018 - 100th GA
Dust settles on Spring Session: What bills moved and what didn't?
The General Assembly’s Spring Session wrapped up last week in a flurry of votes on budget legislation. Here’s where some of the bills and issues on our legislative agenda ended up.
Read moreCalls needed on police in CPS schools, air quality & funding equity
The General Assembly's Spring Session scheduled end date is May 24th. While that deadline may get extended as the budget gets hammered out, there are a lot of non-budget bills that are poised to keep moving in each chamber. Here are status updates on a few that we've been telling you about this session and actions for you to take.
Read moreCall your state rep: Bad and good education bills in Springfield this week
The deadline for passing bills out of the Illinois House and over to the Senate is this Friday 4/19. Here are two bills that IL-FPS has been following closely, and we encourage you to call your state rep about both of them.
Read moreUpdates on the shift to an elected school board for Chicago
It’s been almost three years since the General Assembly passed a law to create an elected school board for Chicago. Unlike the rest of Illinois, Chicago has never had a school board directly elected by voters, and from 1995 on, the Board was appointed by the mayor.
After 15+ years of organizing, agitation, ballot referenda, rallies, protests, and bills introduced but not passed, the legislation creating the elected board passed in May 2021 with a timeline of a hybrid board starting in January 2025 and a fully-elected board seated in January 2027.
Read moreStatement on WestEd Evaluation of the Invest in Kids Voucher Program
A report from research group WestEd on the Invest in Kids voucher program was made public this week and further bolsters the wisdom of the decision of the Illinois General Assembly last fall to let the Invest in Kids program sunset.
Read moreVouchers are sunsetting: What's next?
The Illinois General Assembly left Springfield at the end of Veto Session without taking a vote to extend the program beyond its current sunset date, and the program will begin to sunset on Dec. 31, 2023. This was a huge organizing win for public schools in Illinois and a major victory in the national fight to rollback privatization of the public school system.
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