Big news this week on tech from the nation's largest school districts: both New York City and Los Angeles’ public school systems announced bans on generative artificial intelligence product use. Los Angeles’ more sweeping ban applies to PreK through 12th grade. It follows on LAUSD’s strict limits on screentime for all grades as well, which also bans 1:1 device use before 2nd grade.

Illinois Families for Public Schools' Cassie Creswell and Jen Jones spoke at the August meeting of the Chicago Board of Education about the Pledge to Protect Human-Centered Education, which 12 of 21 sitting board members have now committed to as well as issues with CPS compliance with the transparency requirements of the Student Online Personal Protection Act.

Chicago Public Schools appears to have reversed an earlier plan to give all high school students access to Google Gemini via their Google Workspace for Education accounts at the start of this school year. School starts on August 24th for CPS students. Our full response is below.

School is starting around the state, and here’s what we’re keeping tabs on with ed tech and school funding…

Today pro-public school advocacy organization Illinois Families for Public Schools announced a Pledge to Protect Human-Centered Education. The organization is asking all Chicago Board of Education candidates to commit to the Pledge, which calls for policy actions on generative AI, screen use, biometric information and a Chief Privacy Officer. Full press release below.

The General Assembly is back in Springfield this evening to start their last week of Spring Session. Scroll to the end for a complete to-do list of actions for reaching out to your legislators! But first, here are our updates on what’s needed and what’s still moving…

A few days ago we shared information about a strongly protective bill in the IL Senate that addressed several areas related to ed tech, protecting student data and AI in schools, SB 3735.

Sadly, that bill has not moved, but the Senate Democratic Caucus has a working group on artificial intelligence, and they released a package of bills that will have a hearing this afternoon in the Senate Executive Committee at 2pm.

We are very concerned about one of those bills related to education, SB 415. Please put in a witness slip to oppose this bill before 2pm!

The latest wave of a backlash against Big Tech’s takeover of the K-12 education system has been building around the country in recent months.After the jump we’re covering a few of the symptoms of this takeover first and then take a look at what solutions might be brewing here in Illinois:

We've got lots of important updates below, including good news on protecting student privacy in CPS and recent wins on the voucher front, bad news on the millionaires tax, and our plans for May Day.

If you are on social media, you can get many of these updates as they break via our feeds: Facebook, Bluesky, Instagram, Threads.

A millionaires tax could still appear on the ballot in November. The last day for the General Assembly to approve a resolution to put a ballot referendum to amend the Constitution is May 3rd. This is under discussion among House members today because the resolution is starting on the House side.