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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Maryam Judar August 24, 2015 Executive Director/Community Lawyer Citizen Advocacy Center (630) 833-4080 ELMHURST - On August 21, civics became law in the Land of Lincoln. A standalone civics semester will be required at all Illinois public high schools starting with the Class of 2020. The Citizen Advocacy Center (CAC) has been a tenacious advocate for bringing back civics to Illinois public schools and played a major role in the strong coalition effort that resulted in this successful outcome. “Civic education is core to the work of CAC as community lawyers routinely answer basic information about the structure and function of government. In addition, CAC community lawyers have worked with schools for over two decades to help teachers convert classrooms and communities into civic labs,” explained CAC Executive Director Maryam Judar. CAC’s advocacy efforts for civic education policy reform at the state level include: authoring and suggesting reform recommendations within the Illinois Civic Health Index 2010 that was published by the National Conference on Citizenship and in collaboration with the Robert R. McCormick Foundation; writing the “Advocacy and Policy” chapter within the Illinois Civic Blueprint that was published by the Robert R. McCormick Foundation; spearheading and advocating within the Illinois Civic Mission Coalition Public Policy Committee; spearheading the creation of the Civic Education Legislative Task Force which was charged with assessing Illinois civic education standards and making reform recommendations; and advocating for hands-on civic education as an appointee to the Task Force. “On behalf of CAC, I would like to acknowledge the partners and collaborators who played a leading role in the effort to bring civics back to Illinois public high schools,” said Ms. Judar. DuPage County Regional Superintendent Darlene Ruscitti has been a longtime advocate for civic education through supporting civic efforts throughout DuPage County, including the convening of two county-wide Civic Summits for high school students and advocating for the passage of the “Year of Civic Engagement” Resolution by the DuPage County Board. Former Attorney General Jim Ryan who established the Center for Civic Leadership at Benedictine University, is a vocal advocate for civic education of youth, and was pivotal in the creation of Illinois’ Legislative Task Force on Civic Education charged with assessing the current state of civics in Illinois. Shawn Healy, Civic Learning & Engagement Scholar at the McCormick Foundation and Chair of both the Task Force and the Illinois Civic Mission Coalition, is a champion for high quality civic education for all Illinois students, the promotion of the Democracy Schools program, and has been indefatigable in his efforts to strengthen civic education. “There are many additional organizations and people who came together to bring civics back to Illinois. CAC is proud to have worked with many outstanding collaborators and to have played an instrumental role to change the civic landscape that will impact all youth,” said Ms. Judar. “The commitment of the Robert R. McCormick Foundation was essential to the successful effort of returning civics to all public school students,” said Ms. Judar. “They have been a leader in promoting civic education for years through supporting organizations engaged in civic education. They have taken on a leadership role in advocating for legislative reform and in the implementation of their vision to hurdle financial obstacles through the establishment of a public-private partnership of foundation and corporations that will fund professional development to ensure that civics teachers receive adequate support to teach a high-quality, standalone semester of civics.” The Citizen Advocacy Center is a nonprofit, nonpartisan community-based legal nonprofit dedicated to building democracy in the 21st century by strengthening the citizenry’s capacities, resources, and institutions for self-governance. Visit www.CitizenAdvocacyCenter.org for more information. ###
Below is an update on HB 4025 from Shawn Healy, Chair, Illinois Civic Mission Coalition
Please prepare and send your emails no later than this Friday, June 12. Thanks for all of your help to date in our legislative effort to bring civics back to Illinois high schools through HB 4025. After passing the Illinois General Assembly by strong, bi-partisan majorities, the bill moves next to the Governor's desk. I'm writing to request your help in reaching out to him via email, urging Governor Rauner to sign this transformational legislation. Sample email language is provided below. I encourage you to add your own qualifications and experiences as a civics practitioner and/or advocate. Also here is a link to additional information on HB 4025. Upon completion, send your email to Governor Rauner using the online comment form on his web site. If time permits, you may want to follow up with a phone call to the Governor's office at 217-782-0244 to ensure that your email was received. Please prepare and send your emails no later than this Friday, June 12. Thanks in advance for your timely attention to this critical outreach. Together, we are bringing civics back to high schools throughout Illinois. Yours in civics, Shawn Shawn P. Healy, PhD Chair, Illinois Civic Mission Coalition Shawn Healy also served as the Chair of the Illinois Civic Education Task Force and has been working tirelessly to pass HB4025. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 2, 2015 Contact: Maryam Judar Executive Director/Community Lawyer Citizen Advocacy Center (630) 833-4080 ILLINOIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY PASSES BILL REQUIRING CIVIC EDUCATION AS A HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION REQUIREMENT; HEADS TO THE GOVERNOR ELMHURST – On May 30, House Bill 4025, a bill mandating civic education in Illinois as a high school requirement has passed through the General Assembly and now heads to the Governor. Illinois is currently one of only 10 states in the nation that does not require civic education. At a time when bipartisan divisions run deep in the General Assembly, the civic education bill sponsored by Representative Conroy (D-Villa Park) in the House and Senator Cullerton (D-Villa Park) in the Senate, passed with strong bipartisan support. In addition, the Citizen Advocacy Center played a major role in the strong coalition effort that successfully generated public awareness for how required civic education could change the civic landscape in Illinois. “Our state needs well-prepared students who have the ability to tackle tough issues impacting their communities and Illinois. A semester of civics will provide students with the knowledge of how government works and how to impact government decision-making on issues they care about,” said Maryam Judar, executive director of the Citizen Advocacy Center. The legislation is supported by funding through a public-private partnership led by the Robert R. McCormick Foundation to provide high-quality, school-based civic learning opportunities for all students in Illinois. Over three million dollars have been pledged over the next three years to provide history teachers with professional development in civic education. HB 4025 is based on recommendations of the General Assembly’s Task Force on Civic Education, of which Ms. Judar was an appointed member. In 2014, the Task Force recommended that Illinois require a stand-alone civic education course in high school after analyzing the current state of civic education in Illinois; civic education laws in other jurisdictions with mandated civic education; and best practices in civic education in other jurisdictions. The primary goal of requiring civic education is to increase civic literacy by increasing the capacity of youth to learn the knowledge, skills, and practices necessary to become civically informed and engaged. Hundreds of people testified in favor of civic education when the Task Force held multiple public hearings throughout Illinois. Additional Task Force recommendations include: revision of Illinois Social Studies Standards, which is currently underway; a required civic service learning project in middle and high school; access to professional development aligned to best practices; and involvement by students in the election process. The Citizen Advocacy Center is a non-profit, non-partisan community-based legal nonprofit dedicated to building democracy in the 21st century by strengthening the citizenry’s capacities, resources, and institutions for self-governance. Visit www.CitizenAdvocacyCenter.org for more information. ### Thank you for action and your passion! HB4025 passed in the IL House of Representatives on Friday April 24th with a vote of 81 in favor and 29 opposed. You can see how your representative voted here. Now it goes to the IL Senate. CAC will continue to keep you informed of developments and how you can help. Thanks again!
We want to keep you informed. If you have any questions, please call us at 630-833-4080. 
 This bill would deprive you of information that is rightfully yours! It could pass the Illinois House of Representatives this week unless you contact your Representative to urge them to vote NO! 
We last told you that HB 4024 and HB 4025 passed out of their respective committees. Before they go to the House floor, representatives are writing amendments to strengthen the bills' language. The Citizen Advocacy Center will keep you informed of developments. In the meantime, this infographic fact sheet will assist you in sparking conversation on the need for Civics Education in Illinois. 
#BringCivicsBack Overview of the need for civics education in IL and currently proposed legislation3/26/2015
#BringCivicsBack is a brief two-page document with supporting links that includes:
Overview The Need for Civic Education We Know Quality Civic Education Works The Proposed Legislation Meeting the Need for Teacher Professional Development Time to Act - Here's What You Can Do #BringCivicsBack is a document written by Shawn Healy, Chair, Illinois Civic Mission Coalition and Chair of the Illinois Task Force on Civic Education. |
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