High school student helps draft bill to require opioid overdose medications in Illinois libraries
Legislation would follow a model already at work in Chicago, other cities and states By ISMAEL M. BELKOURA Medill Illinois News Bureau [email protected] ELGIN – High school students generally don’t participate in drafting legislation. Jordan Henry is an exception. A senior at the Illinois Math and Science Academy, the Elgin native is working with her…
Read MoreGreenville University updates MOU with ROE, allowing for employee scholarship program
An updated agreement between Greenville University and the Regional Office of Education #3 has been renewed to enhance cooperation between the two parties, allowing for a scholarship program aimed at employees of local school districts. This program will support enrollment in GU’s online graduate and undergraduate courses. The Regional Office of Education #3 serves Bond,…
Read MoreRural schools face unique challenges filling teaching positions
Districts finding creative solutions to persistent shortage By JESSIE NGUYEN and Medill Illinois News Bureau, Capitol News Illinois March 10, 2025 SPRINGFIELD – When Gretchen Weiss applied for a teaching position at Macomb Middle School in west-central Illinois more than 20 years ago, the school’s policy was to keep applications on file for only a…
Read MoreSIDEBAR: Educators say low pay hinders teacher recruitment, retention efforts
‘Poor Working Conditions’ also cited as deterring new hires: 2024-25 teacher shortage report By JORDAN G. OWENS and Medill Illinois News Bureau SPRINGFIELD – Increased pay for educators, better school conditions, mentoring and mental health support are key factors cited by educators that could help alleviate the critical ongoing teacher shortage in Illinois. “Poor Working…
Read MoreIllinois schools turn to retirees, substitutes, outsourcing, state grants to combat prolonged teacher shortage
Annual educators’ survey showed lack of applicants, salary issues and poor working conditions among main causes By JESSIE NGUYEN, JORDAN OWENS and Medill Illinois News Bureau SPRINGFIELD – From hiring retired educators to adjusting class offerings, Illinois schools are relying on a variety of short-term, innovative measures to cope with a prolonged and critical statewide…
Read MoreSchnucks customers, company give $112,000 to support the Urban League
Funds were raised through a “Round Up at the Register” in February Schnuck Markets Inc. and the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis (ULSTL) today announced that Schnucks customers and the company donated a total of $112,000 to support the Urban League through the fifth annual “Round Up at the Register” campaign in February. Customers donated…
Read MorePritzker wants Illinois to be latest state to ban cellphones in classroom
Limits already are in place in some Illinois school districts By BEN SZALINSKI [email protected] Capitol News Illinois Are cellphones a useful tool or a distraction in the classroom? According to Gov. JB Pritzker, they’re a distraction, and he has proposed banning them during classroom instruction. Pritzker proposed legislation during his State of the State speech…
Read MoreCurrent flag wins state flag redesign vote
Senator behind flag contest has no ‘preconceived notions’ about next Illinois flag By BRIDGETTE FOX Capitol News Illinois [email protected] The Illinois state flag may be around a lot longer, it turns out. About 43% of the 385,000 votes in an advisory state flag revision contest decided they’d prefer to resist change and keep the current…
Read MoreHoffman, Belt highlight state funds release for MetroLink extension to MidAmerica Airport
State Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-Swansea) and state Sen. Christopher Belt (D-Swansea) are highlighting the recent release of $31 million in state support toward the construction of the MetroLink light rail extension to MidAmerica St. Louis Airport. “This is needed investment that is supporting local jobs, strengthening our transit network and better positioning our region to…
Read MoreBudzinski leads 159 Congressional members on letter to President on USPS privatization
On March 10, 2025, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13) led 159 members of Congress in a letter to President Trump expressing concern over his proposal to fire the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) Board of Governors and merge the Postal Service into the Department of Commerce. The members wrote: “Any attempts to privatize the Postal Service would…
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