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Prairie State Wire

Thursday, June 12, 2025

K-12 Schools News

K-12 Schools

Homeschool Act HB 2827 dies after fierce backlash: ‘Most draconian Homeschool bill in decades’

In an anti-climactic conclusion to a months-long legislative battle, Illinois’ controversial Homeschool Act—HB 2827—is officially dead for the 2025 session.

By Prairie State Wire reports | Jun 4, 2025

K-12 Schools

Illinois House Republicans: Keicher bill to improve school safety passes unanimously

The Illinois House Republican Caucus has announced the unanimous passage of Senate Bill 71, introduced by Representative Jeff Keicher.

By Prairie State Wire | May 30, 2025

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K-12 Schools

Rep. Niemerg: 'Democrats change house rules in order to pass free public education for illegals'

By Prairie State Wire | May 30, 2025

Adam Niemerg, Illinois State Representative for District 102, said that changes to legislative rules enabled the passage of a bill offering public education to undocumented students.

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K-12 Schools

Lake County Moms For Liberty chair: Telling a child they are born in the wrong body 'is very wrong'

By Prairie State Wire | May 29, 2025

Marsha McClary, Chair of the Lake County Division of Moms For Liberty, expressed concerns over schools promoting gender identity changes to children, describing such teachings as harmful.

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K-12 Schools

ISBE outlines agenda for upcoming Springfield business meeting

By Prairie State Wire | May 9, 2025

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has released the agenda for its upcoming regular business meeting scheduled for May 14 in Springfield.

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K-12 Schools

Illinois hosts annual summit to support bilingual parents

By Prairie State Wire | May 6, 2025

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) organized the 19th annual Statewide Summit for Bilingual Parents on May 3 in Oak Brook.

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K-12 Schools

Illinois honors educators during Teacher Appreciation Week

By Prairie State Wire | May 5, 2025

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is marking Teacher Appreciation Week from May 5 to May 11, 2025, by acknowledging the significant contributions of educators in the state.

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K-12 Schools

Illinois House Republicans reaffirm opposition to Homeschool Act

By Prairie State Wire | Apr 30, 2025

Illinois House Republicans have reaffirmed their opposition to a proposed amendment to the Homeschool Act, which advanced on a partisan vote.

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K-12 Schools

Víctor Gómez named 2025 Illinois Teacher of the Year by ISBE

By Prairie State Wire | Apr 30, 2025

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has announced Víctor Gómez as the 2025 Illinois Teacher of the Year.

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K-12 Schools

Illinois unveils effort for statewide numeracy plan to enhance math learning

By Prairie State Wire | Apr 16, 2025

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has initiated a statewide effort to create an Illinois numeracy plan.

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K-12 Schools

Illinois updates school vaccination dashboard with new data for 2024-25 school year

By Prairie State Wire | Apr 14, 2025

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has updated its Illinois School Vaccination Coverage Dashboard to include the latest data from the 2024-25 school year.

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K-12 Schools

Illinois Christian Home Educators’ Smith on Homeschool Act: ‘I still remain cautiously optimistic’

By Prairie State Wire reports | Apr 11, 2025

A controversial bill that homeschool advocates say threatens parental rights and educational freedom has been delayed, at least temporarily, as lawmakers prepare to leave Springfield for spring break.

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K-12 Schools

ISBE sets agenda for Springfield meeting on April 16

By Prairie State Wire | Apr 11, 2025

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is set to convene for its regular business meeting on April 16 at 9 a.m. in Springfield.

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K-12 Schools

Estrada on amended Homeschool Act: ‘Illinois could become one of the worst states to homeschool in’

By Prairie State Wire reports | Apr 10, 2025

The Homeschool Act (HB2827), currently being considered in the Illinois House, is under scrutiny from homeschooling advocates who argue it could drastically undermine parental rights and freedoms.

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K-12 Schools

Illinois ranks 6th among 38 U.S. states for teacher shortages

By Prairie State Wire | Apr 9, 2025

As of 2025, Illinois reported 1,703 teacher vacancies, equating to 9 vacancies per 10,000 students, positioning it 6th among 38 U.S. states facing teacher shortages, according to the World Population Review.

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K-12 Schools

Illinois ranks 24 among U.S. states for teacher starting salary

By Prairie State Wire | Apr 2, 2025

Illinois ranks 24 among U.S. states for teacher starting salaries, with an average starting salary of $43,515 in 2024, according to the National Education Association (NEA).

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K-12 Schools

Trump administration ends liquidation extension for Illinois school funds

By Prairie State Wire | Apr 1, 2025

The Trump administration has decided to withdraw funds for Illinois schools, reversing a previous approval from the U.S. Department of Education.

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K-12 Schools

Illinois Family Institute’s Smith: ‘School administrators should never allow or pressure students to share intimate spaces with individuals of the opposite sex’

By Prairie State Wire reports | Mar 25, 2025

David E. Smith, Executive Director of the Illinois Family Institute, is voicing strong opposition to the policies that allow transgender students to use facilities that align with their gender identity, emphasizing the importance of maintaining separate spaces for biological males and females.

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K-12 Schools

Illinois attracts over 17k potential teachers through new recruitment campaign

By Prairie State Wire | Mar 17, 2025

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) announced that its $6 million teacher recruitment campaign, "The Answer is Teaching," has drawn interest from over 17,000 individuals since its launch on July 1, 2024.

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K-12 Schools

Rep. Wilhour: School personnel forcing girls to change in front of biological males ‘need to be immediately terminated’

By Prairie State Wire | Mar 17, 2025

Illinois State Rep. Blaine Wilhour said that school personnel involved in forcing a girl to change in front of a biological male in a Deerfield, Illinois, locker room should be immediately terminated. Wilhour made his comments in a March 14 social media post on X.