An Advocacy Resource – Illinois Families for Public Schools

Advocacy Resource for Illinois

Illinois Families for Public Schools gives a real, regular voice in Springfield to parents and other supporters of public schools from around the state. Our goal is to defend and improve Illinois public schools as a public good for the benefit of not only of our own children, but our state as a whole.

Our vision is for every family in Illinois to have a well-resourced local public school—one that’s able to nurture and educate each and every child that comes in the door to take on the complexity of adulthood in a 21st century democratic society.

To make that vision a reality, we keep Illinois families informed about the issues that impact our public schools, connect them in hubs by legislative district and mobilize them to make policy change happen:

• Stay informed: Our blog posts, social media feeds, email blasts and webinars provide the background you need to stay up-to-date on the policies and politics that impact our public schools. We track and lobby for and against bills in the IL General Assembly and US Congress and provide you with alerts so you can take timely action.
• Connect by legislative district: A network of constituents means elected officials aren’t just talking to individual parents; they are hearing the collective voice of public school families in their district. We can provide you with the tools, techniques and contacts you need to connect to and coordinate with others in your area. More info here.
• Mobilize to take action: Phone calls, office visits, witness slips, lobby days, petitions are all tactics to get better policies and laws enacted on behalf of our schools and our kids. We train you to talk to and interact effectively with your elected officials. We demystify the legislative process by giving you a blow-by-blow of how the sausage is made.

Our work falls into six main issue areas. Here’s our legislative agenda for the 102nd General Assembly (2021-2022).

Some of Their Successes

Illinois Families for Public School have been busy with the Illinois State Legislature.   They recently got passed legislation that mandates recess for all students from Kindergarten to 5th grade.   They are currently working on expanding this mandate to all children through 8th grade, with their  Right to Play Every Day bill.  A bill that Defending the Early Years’ supports.  They recently worked to get legislation passed to protect student data privacy for all students, K-12th grade, with the  Illinois Student Online Personal Protection Action.  This is one of the most far-reaching student data protection laws in the country.

 

DEY Resources

In our monthly blog, we talk about the work of Illinois Families for Public School in getting this legislation passed.  “Taking the Right To Play to the Illinois General Assembly“.  You can also hear the President of IFPS talk about their efforts in our 2021 Summer Institute’s Advocacy Talk & Play Chat.

Do you know of legislation or organizations in your State, that is helping to return early childhood education to one grounded in child development?  If so, please send us the information at info@dey.org

Resources

• Resource Url:

  https://www.ilfps.org/