Good news from the Chicago Board of Education, which voted unanimously yesterday to pass a resolution opposing Illinois participating in the federal school voucher program. You can read the resolution here. Our ED Cassie Creswell spoke during public comment; her remarks are below.

There was a debate among members about the resolution, which you can watch here.

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.

Update: The Chicago Board of Ed did not hold a vote on the anti-federal voucher resolution on Mon. March 30th, and it is now on the agenda (26-0408-RS1 p. 16) for the Wed. April 8th meeting. You can register for the lottery to speak at the meeting here. And you can submit a written remark here. Suggested comment language and details on contacting your Board of Ed member below.

Tuesday’s primary election was momentous for the big changes to come in Illinois’ Congressional delegation with an open US Senate seat and four open US House seats on the ballot. It was also historic in the volume of dark money poured into federal and state legislative races—with mixed success.

Much further down the ballot, some Illinois voters were asked to weigh in on whether Illinois should participate in the new federal voucher program.

No matter their zip code, their religion, or their race, what most Illinois families want is a well-resourced public school right where they live and play, a school where every child is welcome and has the freedom to learn and grow. As an advocacy organization, we support bills that get us closer to that vision, and oppose bills that push that vision even further out of reach. 

Read on for news on primary ballot questions about the federal voucher program, dozens of advocacy groups calling on Gov. Pritzker to refuse vouchers for Illinois, and the latest on federal funding with public schools under siege due to federal immigration agents...

Today a coalition of organizations delivered a letter to Governor Pritzker calling on him to act on his values and commit to opting Illinois out of a new federal school voucher program championed by the Trump administration. Full press release below.

It's a new year on the calendar, but the fights to defend and improve our public schools continue. Read on for the latest news on the looming threat of the new federal voucher program and a potentially positive development for state school funding in Illinois...and action steps to take on both these issues.

The US Treasury Department and the IRS are now writing the regulations to implement the new federal voucher program and issued a request for comments from the public in November. Below you can read the comment that Illinois Families for Public Schools submitted.

Congress passed a massive new federal voucher program as part of the One, Big, Ugly Bill this summer. The language of the law falls under the Internal Revenue Code, so the US Treasury Department and the IRS are writing the regulations to implement the program and put out a request for comments from the public last month. Comments are due December 26, 2025. Read on for more background and info on how to submit your own comment.