ADVOCATE FOR HB 5693: FUNDING FOR COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
At the beginning of this year's legislative sessions, State Representative Will Burns introduced House Bill 5693 in the Illinois General Assembly. HB 5693 proposes to allocate $5 million in funding to support community schools in Illinois. Click here for a one-page fact sheet about HB 5693. Even in the midst of the state's budget crisis, community schools are a sound investment. Of the $5 million that the Chicago Public School district invested in 70 community schools, those schools were able to leverage an additional $10 million in "already-paid-for" supports, resources, programs, and services brought into the community schools, making them accessible to the people who need them, and ensuring that the investments in those resources are maximized.
Building on your successful advocacy efforts last year leading to the passage of HB 684, we are asking our members to engage in supporting HB 5693. We are urging each of you to make your State Representatives and State Senators aware of the importance of this bill and to ask them to sign on as co-sponsors. Click here to access a sponsorship letter that you can customize and use with your elected officials.
As this year's legislative session winds down, we will be keeping the pressure on in support of HB 5693 and in continued support of community schools in Illinois. We looking forward to building off of the momentum of and supported generated by HB 684 to successfully advocate for HB 5693 and funding for community schools in Illinois. Thanks for your work on behalf of community schools!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION!
During the month of March, the Federation for Community Schools asked you all to get involved in three important advocacy opportunities -- Community Schools Advocacy Day in Springfield, the Chicago Public Schools' Board meeting, and the Thompson Center Showcase and March to the Mayor's Office. We asked and YOU RESPONDED! We had more than 200 people at both the Springfield Advocacy Day and the Thompson Center Showcase. Your enthusiasm for your work and to link your work to policymakers made all the difference!
UPDATE FROM 2010's ADVOCACY TRAINING DAY!
This year's Advocacy Training Day was a big success! Attendees learned about the state political landscape, Federal-level opportunities to support community schools, and the Community Schools Appropriations Bill being introduced in the Illinois General Assembly this session. In the breakout sessions, attendees learned about engaging students and young people in advocacy efforts, linking parents to advocacy opportunities and chances to make their voices heard, and communicating the benefits of the community school model to stakeholders throughout the community. Click here to access a recap of the two panels, Rep. Burns' remarks, and the closing call to action.
Click to access the $5 million line item fact sheet, the examples of advocacy outreach activities one-pager, and the state budget crisis myths-and-facts handout.
En Español -- $5 millones para escuelas comunitarias, ejemplos de acciones de apoyo, y la crisis presupuestaria en Illinois -- mitos, realidades y acciones que usted puede tomar.
Click here to access the handouts from the How to Host a Site Visit breakout.
Click the links below to access the handouts from Enlace's rallying and informating stakeholders breakout --
Presentation handout, Community Education Fact Sheet, Education Workshop handout, Proyecto Exito Part 1, and Proyecto Exito Part 2.
Use Title I Dollars to Support Community Schools
In the federal Economic Recovery plan, Illinois will receive approximately $526.3 million over the next two years supporting increased Title I funding under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Title I funds are used to promote academic achievement through a wide range of support services, including out of school time programs, parent literacy training, parenting classes, early childhood services and coordinated community school strategies. The Federation for Community Schools encourages schools and school districts to use their increased Title I funds to support implementing the community school model because it is a proven investment that works. Investing in implementing the community school model is also a legitimate and effective use of Title I funds. Click here to learn more about why Title I funds should be used to support community schools.
One Message, Many Voices -- the Passge of Community Schools Legislation HB684
HB684 was signed into law by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn on Tuesday, August 25th, after passing out of the Illinois House of Representatives by a vote of 115-0. THANK YOU ALL for the work that you put into raising awareness about community schools in your communities and with your legislators. The bill text can be found here: HB 684. State Rep. Will Burns was the bill's main sponsor in the House; State Senator Kwame Raoul was the main sponsor in the Senate. Both will also be supporting 2010's appropriations bill.
The Federation for Community Schools compiled a "bill into law" case study using the passage of HB684 and the work that all of our stakeholders did around advocating for that bill as an example of the legislative process. Please click here to access the case study. The case study includes information about the advocacy steps that were taken, as well as sample tools and resources for use by other community school supporters.
