Public Policy Success
Results of Recent Work
Agreement on Bright Start reached with the state Treasurer's Office, May 2011
- In lieu of legislation, the Treasurer's Office will collect data on race, ethnicity, income, etc. participants of the state's 529 Bright Start College Savings Program. Understanding who uses these accounts will allow targeted outreach and planning to increase college savings for all Illinois students, especially among low-income families and minorities.
Education reform passes with broad support, May 2011
- With our support of collaboration among stakeholders - teacher unions, education advocates and school administrators - all sides worked together to produce an education reform bill that will benefit students.
- Research shows that teacher effectiveness is the most important in-school factor in student achievement. SB 7 makes performance not seniority the main criterion in teacher layoffs, teaching assignments, tenure and certification.
Program to engage families in education reform saved, May 2011
- Advocacy efforts at the federal level helped secure funding for Parent Resource Information Centers. Action was taken after HB 1891, an education spending bill in the U.S. House of Representatives, would have eliminated the program. These centers are the sole provider of technical assistance and capacity building for local districts and states to engage families in education reform.
Immunization Data Registry Act passes, May 2011
- Promotion of HB 1338 during our annual Lobby Day in Springfield helped secure the bill's passage in both houses. The act gives the state authority to develop and maintain an immunization data registry to collect, store, analyze, release and report immunization data. Data in the registry would be used to ensure needed immunizations are provided and over-immunization is avoided.
Management Improvement Initiative Committee wins unanimous support, May 2011
- Our persistence in advocating for HB 1488 led to its easy passage in the Illinois General Assembly. The bill creates the Management Improvement Initiative Committee to review state contracts with community health and human service providers, eliminate redundancies, and integrate work processes across state divisions and departments.
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