It’s just a bill
Tuesday, Apr 1, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Senate Democrats…
Members of the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus will outline a package of measures aimed to address the mental health crisis through workforce development initiatives and expanded access to care during a press conference Wednesday.
WHO: State Senators Javier Cervantes (D-Chicago), Laura Ellman (D-Naperville), Robert Peters (D-Chicago), and Mike Simmons (D-Chicago), as well as CEO of The Center for Youth and Family Solutions Patrick Phelan, and Vice President of Government Relations of the Illinois Association for Behavioral Health Randy Wells
WHAT: Press conference on measures to prioritize mental health
WHEN: Wednesday, April 2 at 11 a.m.
* Rep. Kelly Cassidy…
Today is Transgender Day of Visibility. While the transgender community has never had the comfort of widespread support and allyship, the volume, intensity, and danger brought about by the current administration’s hateful focus on attacking trans people is unlike anything we’ve seen in my lifetime. Hundreds of bills attacking their very existence have been introduced in state legislative bodies across the country, including somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 here in Illinois. While those bills will not see the light of day because of our pro-equality majority here, every day the members of the Fearful Caucus (they like to call themselves the Freedom Caucus, but we know the truth) get up and spew hatred, usually including a transphobic rant or two. More often than not, the people in the chamber continue their conversations about legislation or lunch and ignore them. However, I started hearing from people who were tuning into the live stream who were concerned that their lies were going unchallenged. I realized that it wasn’t enough to treat their rants as irrelevant. We had to ensure that our constituents listening to their words knew they weren’t going unchallenged and along with some of my colleagues have refused to let them have the last word.
Today, I introduced HR221, honoring Transgender Day of Visibility. I’m pleased that 25 of my colleagues have already signed on in support. While symbolic, it’s important that we take steps to acknowledge the contributions of the transgender community and the many ways our world is a better place because of our commitment to inclusion in Illinois. The Resolution honors many trailblazing members of the community, from Albert Cashiers who passed as a man to join the Union Army in the Civil War and lived most of his post war life as Albert, to Judge Jill Rose Quinn who was the first trans person to win countywide office, to Lilly Wachowski and her groundbreaking filmmaking, philanthropy, and advocacy, to the incredible Commissioner Precious Brady-Davis of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Illinois, we simply can’t pretend that trans people have not always been here, always a critical part of the fabric of our community.
* WAND…
A bill by Illinois House Democrats have three major goals. One, ban expulsions from kindergarten through second grade. Two, require superintendent approval for K-2 suspensions. Three, report annual discipline data to Illinois State Board of Education.
Most of the pushback comes from the first two proposals. Some school groups oppose the new plan, but advocate for the bill State Rep. Will Davis (D-Hazel Crest) said that these expulsions don’t make a lot of sense. […]
Some of the opponents to the bill include the Illinois Principals Association. In a statement they said they urge lawmakers to change the language of the plan.
“The Illinois Principals Association urges lawmakers to not limit school disciplinary options without adequately addressing the critical shortage of behavioral health personnel and supports in schools,” Alison Maley with IPA said. […]
Davis said he’s currently working with some opponents to make some possible amendments, but he will not kill the bill.
* Rep. Janet Yang Rohr…
State Rep. Janet Yang Rohr, D-Naperville, is working to help Illinois students succeed by advancing new legislation creating additional paths for students seeking to expand the scope of their education, and empowering advanced middle schoolers to get a head start on their high school coursework. […]
Yang Rohr’s House Bill 3250 gives students more options for completing the Illinois Global Scholar Certification by expanding their ability to use digital badges and online micro-credentials to meet criteria for their capstone project. These methods allow for more affordable ways for students to verify that they have met Global Scholar requirements. This bill received bipartisan support in committee and now awaits consideration before the full House.
Yang Rohr also advanced House Bill 3039, which allows students in 7th or 8th grade taking high school-level courses to receive high school credits if they pass the end-of-course exam at the high school granting credit. This expands credit-earning opportunities, which are currently limited based on a teacher’s certifications or a student’s physical attendance at the high school.
Currently, students can receive high school credit during middle school, if the course is offered by the high school the student would otherwise attend, and the course is taught by a teacher who holds a valid teaching license and is endorsed in both the content area and grade level for the course.
* Rep. Natalie Manley…
A bill making it easier for certified public accountants (CPAs) to work in Illinois has passed unanimously out of the Financial Institutions & Licenses committee, thanks to state Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Joliet, working to add two additional methods for CPAs to gain licensure and cut red-tape for non-resident CPAs. […]
Manley’s House Bill 2459 would amend the Illinois Public Accounting Act by carving two new pathways for accounting professionals without disturbing the current path to licensure, allowing CPA applicants to now become licensed with:
A bachelor’s degree in accounting, at least two years of experience, and the passage of the CPA exam; or
A bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree with 30 hours of accounting concentration, at least one year of experience, and passage of the CPA exam.
Additionally, pending the bill’s passage, out-of-state CPAs in good standing and who meet state requirements would have the ability to gain licensure to practice in Illinois.
House Bill 2459 passed with a committee vote of 12-0 and will soon be debated on the House floor.
- H-W - Tuesday, Apr 1, 25 @ 10:29 am:
Re: WAND story on expulsions
I am not sure what to make of the idea of expelling 5, 6, an 7 year old children from public schooling.
When we study the history of public education, one term that is often used to define “dropouts” is “push outs.” This term is used most often in reference to our historic pattern of expelling Native American children and other children of color. It refers to children who were deemed unworthy of being educated because of behavioral issues or cultural differences between the student and the middle-class, white Anglo curriculum (think in terms of what Trump wants - a white Anglo education system devoid of “culture”). Sometimes these children were kicked out after 8th grade, and in other cases they were allowed to just leave the system after 8th grade.
The idea that we in Illinois, are even remotely considering the need to recognize a problem exists in which our public schools cannot address the emotional and spiritual needs of 5, 6, and 7 year old children in our communities is an abomination, period. (I intentionally did not say academic, since that is the realm of special education, and has legal protections already in place).
When adults, and in particular leaders and role models for children, cannot find a solution for children who have been given a weak foundation in socialization skills, it is not the children who are problematic. It is the education system, and the community writ-large.
- thechampaignlife - Tuesday, Apr 1, 25 @ 10:33 am:
===expulsions from kindergarten through second grade===
If a kid is being considered for expulsion at such a young age, they must not have a great home life. Maybe the compromise is that the kid is first suspended and DCFS or social worker makes a home visit to see if the family needs help or the child needs temporary foster care.
- JS Mill - Tuesday, Apr 1, 25 @ 11:54 am:
=DCFS or social worker makes a home visit=
Lol, whew…oh, wait you were serious?
So many pieces to this puzzle. I have never been part of an expulsion for a k-2 student. In our small district we have placed a couple in very expensive therapeutic day schools because of their violence (I can hardly believed I typed that but it is true). Both children repeatedly attacked teachers and peers. One destroyed a counseling office before the CPI team could arrive. We didn’t teach this to these children. Speaking to peers in small districts we all have multiple stories of children like this. No one wants to expel a young student. At least no one I know. But the level of violence and the pervasiveness is growing rapidly and the state is offer no answers or support. None. The placements available are mostly full, at least in rural Illinois and I hear it is getting very challenging in the suburbs as well. At least in my experience most of these younger students are special needs and that is how we approach them, but the state needs to step up rather than just tell schools what they can’t do.
- H-W - Tuesday, Apr 1, 25 @ 1:12 pm:
=== the level of violence and the pervasiveness is growing rapidly and the state is offer no answers or support. ===
As you suggest later, therein lies the answer. We cannot abandon children who are improperly socialized. The state needs to provide fiscal resources to allow either direct one-on-one adult supervision, or specially developed facilities designed to address behavioral problems. My wife was hired as a “paraprofessional” to work directly with an elementary student several years ago. In our rural district (West Prairie), I believe we also have a facility for such children in Macomb (although I am not sure if it serves children this young).
But in any case, we cannot simply abandon (expel) these children without a direct plan. I know you did not suggest this in the slightest JS Mill, thechampaignlife. Expelling children only postpones/delays the return of the problem in the absence of direct supervision. And direct supervision can be very expensive at the district level. The solution rests with the state, the parentis locus, assuming responsibility.
- JS Mill - Tuesday, Apr 1, 25 @ 2:07 pm:
=The state needs to provide fiscal resources to allow either direct one-on-one adult supervision, or specially developed facilities designed to address behavioral problems.=
The latter more so than the former is the answer.
Bless your wife for her role. Seriously. They don’t get paid much and do a lot of the “dirty work” as a one-on-one. We actually have a two-on-one set up going right now trying to keep everyone safe. We are trying to keep that student in district because he isn’t aggressive toward other, a bit of a different safety issue, and they were waitlisted anyway.