As a friend of and fighter for public schools, there are advocacy steps you can take right now at every level of government to keep school vouchers from returning to Illinois! Your quick action to-do list this week is after the jump.
☑️ Federal: Last summer shortly after legislation passed to create the new federal K-12 voucher program, all Democratic US Senators and a few Republicans voted to rescind the program altogether. Now a bill to repeal the program is set to be introduced next week by Senators Mark Kelly (AZ) and Maizie Hirono (HI), the Keep Public Funds in Public Schools Act.
Sen Tammy Duckworth is a co-sponsor, but we’d like Sen. Dick Durbin to sign on as well. Contact Senator Durbin’s office and ask that he sponsor this legislation. Here’s a fact sheet about the bill.
Script suggestion for when you call:
| Hi, I'm a constituent, and I'm calling to ask Sen. Durbin to sign on as a co-sponsor of the Keep Public Funds in Public Schools Act, a bill to be introduced in the Senate next week. It would repeal the federal voucher program. The voucher program will destabilize public schools all over the country, and it is important that Sen. Durbin continues to demonstrate his opposition to it by sponsoring this bill. |
Sen. Durbin’s office numbers:
202-224-2152 - DC
618-351-1122 - Carbondale, IL
312-353-4952 - Chicago, IL
309-786-5173 - Rock Island, IL
217-492-4062 - Springfield, IL
The Chicago number is most likely to let you leave a voicemail if no one answers. But if you are having trouble getting through, you can also send a message via this form.
☑️ State: Ask your State Senator to sponsor Senator Guzmán’s bill that would keep federal vouchers out of Illinois, SB 3966. The IL Senate is not in session in Springfield this week, so try their district office first, but it’s fine to leave a message at both offices.
If you haven’t already done so, send Governor Pritzker and both your state senator and rep an email about opposing the federal voucher program here.
☑️ County: The Cook County Board has a pro-voucher resolution that’s been assigned to a committee that will meet on April 15th at 10:45am. You can find your Cook County Commissioner here, along with their phone and email. (If their email isn’t listed, find it here.) Ask your Commissioner to vote NO on Resolution 26-0974. You can also email them this 1-pager.
We expect another resolution that opposes the voucher program to be introduced either this month or next month, so keep an eye out for another action alert for the Cook Co. Board.
Not in Cook County? Your own county board could pass a resolution opposing the federal voucher program. Please reach out, and we can share sample language: [email protected].
☑️ School district: The Chicago Board of Ed was set to vote on an anti-voucher resolution last week; the vote was postponed until this week, (TOMORROW!) Wed. April 8th. Find your Chicago Board of Ed member, and email them asking them to vote YES on resolution 26-0408-RS1. You can read the resolution here on p. 16. We have sample language to use here.
Not in Chicago? Ask your school board members and school superintendent to weigh in on this harmful program by passing a resolution. Both the National School Boards Association and the AASA, The School Superintendents Association opposed the federal voucher program.
The flip side of defunding via vouchers? Full, fair funding for public schools!
At the very same time that we're fighting to prevent federal school vouchers from draining public funds from public schools, we need to be demanding full, fair funding for public schools— no gimmicks and no giveaways to the wealthy.
What’s the latest on this front? The Cook County Treasurer released a report last week on the steep increase in property taxes over the last thirty years. This isn't just a problem in Cook County, and Ralph Matire of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability made some key points about why this is the case in the Sun-Times yesterday. In particular, “Illinois ranks last in the nation in the portion of K-12 education covered by state-level tax revenue.”
Illinois also is one of the worst states for regressive tax policy, i.e. those who can least afford to, pay the most. This regressive tax policy means we can’t afford the things that all of us in Illinois need: schools, healthcare, universities, infrastructure.
When asked about the Cook Co Treasurer’s report, Gov. Pritzker blamed school districts for raising property taxes despite the fact that state funding has increased since 2017.
We think the Governor needs to read the room. Yes, it is true that state school funding has been inching up and new dollars have been going to the districts that need them most. But, it’s also true that Article X of Illinois’ Constitution says: “The State has the primary responsibility for financing the system of public education.“
We’re now on the eve of the 2027 deadline for when the General Assembly promised public schools would be fully funded. We’re still billions away from what the state’s own formula says our public schools need! And the threats to federal funding for public schools and public goods in Illinois aren’t going away.
Gov. Pritzker also dismissed the efficacy of a millionaires tax to address the school funding shortage. But another report out last week, this one from the Illinois Economic Policy Institute, “Adopting a Millionaires’ Tax in Illinois: Impacts on Property Taxes, Public Schools, and the Economy,” makes a convincing case that a 3% tax on net income over $1,000,000 would apply to less than 1% of tax payers in Illinois, and provide enough revenue to fully fund public schools immediately.
A millionaires tax would require voters to approve a constitutional amendment. That requires the General Assembly to vote to put that amendment on the ballot.
One more action step! Call Speaker of the House Chris Welch (again!) and ask when he’ll be introducing a resolution to get this done: (217) 782-5350. Then call your own state representative and ask them to support a resolution.
Illinois’ students, families and public schools have waited long enough. Full, fair funding is in reach if we ask millionaires to finally pay their fair share.
Upcoming Event ✶ Thursday, April 9, 6pm: What's Wrong with AI in Schools?
Rethinking Schools is hosting an online conversation with a panel of educators (and Rethinking Schools contributors). Register here:
"In the next 10 years the AI education market is projected to reach between $112 billion and $127 billion — more than double the federal government’s entire K–12 education budget. Tech executives, administrators, and even some teacher union leaders are urging educators to utilize AI for everything from lesson planning to giving feedback, and to teach students how to use AI 'ethically.”' Join Rethinking Schools contributors and editors in conversation about what’s wrong with AI in schools, and how we can teach and organize for human-centered learning."
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Thanks for continuing to fight in a bleak and uncertain time—collective advocacy is our best defense!