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Prairie State Wire

Friday, May 2, 2025

K-12 Schools News

K-12 Schools

Illinois House Republicans reaffirm opposition to Homeschool Act

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

By Prairie State Wire | Apr 30, 2025

K-12 Schools

Víctor Gómez named 2025 Illinois Teacher of the Year by ISBE

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

By Prairie State Wire | Apr 30, 2025

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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.

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K-12 Schools

Aptakisic Jr. High and Meridian School recognized as Apple Distinguished Schools

By Prairie State Wire | Mar 14, 2025

Aptakisic-Tripp Community Consolidated School District has announced that Aptakisic Junior High and Meridian School have been recognized as Apple Distinguished Schools for the period 2024-2027.

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K-12 Schools

Illinois State Board hosts first-ever summit amplifying student voices

By Prairie State Wire | Mar 14, 2025

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) held its inaugural Student Summit on March 13, 2025, at the Bone Student Center at Illinois State University in Normal.

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K-12 Schools

Trump administration cancels funding for Illinois school meal program

By Prairie State Wire | Mar 12, 2025

The Trump Administration has canceled funding intended for the Local Food for Schools and Child Care Cooperative Agreement.

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K-12 Schools

Illinois honors top educators at 2025 Teacher of the Year reception

By Prairie State Wire | Mar 11, 2025

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) held a reception on March 8 in Bloomington-Normal to honor the 2025 Illinois Teacher of the Year Cohort.

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K-12 Schools

ISBE announces agenda for March business meeting in Plainfield

By Prairie State Wire | Mar 7, 2025

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has outlined the agenda for its upcoming regular business meeting scheduled for March 12 in Plainfield.

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K-12 Schools

Argo Community High School, said "Mr. Taylor Loux as the recipient of this year’s Lions Club Teacher of the Year Award!

By Prairie State Wire | Mar 4, 2025

On February 6, Argo Community High School announced that Mr. Taylor Loux has been named Lions Club Teacher of the Year, recognizing his contributions to students and the school community.

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K-12 Schools

Illinois sets new records in Advanced Placement performance

By Prairie State Wire | Feb 25, 2025

The Illinois State Board of Education has announced that the state's Class of 2024 has set new records in Advanced Placement (AP) participation and performance, according to data from the College Board.