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Citizen Advocacy Center

 CAC Welcomes Teen Voting Advocate as 2015  Constitution Week Speaker  

8/27/2015

 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                          Contact: Maryam Judar
August 27, 2015                                                   Executive Director/Community Lawyer
                                                                                   Citizen Advocacy Center (630) 833-4080

CITIZEN ADVOCACY CENTER AND AREA HIGH SCHOOLS
 
WELCOME NELI FARAHMANDPOUR, TEEN VOTING ADVOCATE,
TO CELEBRATE CONSTITUTION WEEK

A former Stevenson High School student who helped win enactment of “Suffrage at 17” — a law that allows Illinois 17-year-olds to vote in primaries — will be the featured speaker at 2015 Constitution Week events co-sponsored by the Citizen Advocacy Center and area high schools. She will also be speaking at an evening forum to be held at 7 p.m. on Sept. 16, 2015 at the Citizen Advocacy Center office, 182 N. York Street, Elmhurst, Illinois.  

Neli Farahmandpour, a 2014 Stevenson graduate, will speak at suburban high schools about the First Amendment’s right to petition as an important thread in the fabric of American democracy.

“I think that everyone is passionate about at least one topic, and I sincerely hope that students across the state can use their constitutional rights to lobby for what they believe in,” said Farahmandpour, currently a freshman at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “And while that may not always be easy and may involve a lot of time and effort, every single student in Illinois is capable of contributing to changes that they would like to see in our state.”

Observed annually from Sept. 17 to 23, Constitution Week commemorates the signing of the U.S. Constitution on Sept. 17, 1787. Celebrating this event is a way to remember the importance of a document held in esteem worldwide for empowering “We the People” with the rights and responsibilities to engage in the democratic process. In particular, the First Amendment freedoms of speech, press, religion, assembly, and petition are essential to ensure a healthy democracy and hold government accountable.

“Constitution Week recognizes the importance of our founding document by introducing students and adults to constitutional issues through dynamic speakers with firsthand knowledge of what it means to fight for freedom,” said Andrea Alvarez, community lawyer at Citizen Advocacy Center. “Ms. Farahmandpour knows from her own experience the significant role that students can play in creating political change thanks to the First Amendment’s right to petition, and she has a remarkable personal story to share.”

During a summer class before her junior year in high school, Farahmandpour learned about “Suffrage at 17” — a proposal, already law in several other states, that 17-year-olds be permitted to vote in primary elections if they are going to turn 18 by the time of the general election. Her instructor, Stevenson government teacher Andrew Conneen, broached the subject while he took attendance one day.

“He asked a fellow classmate when his birthday was, and the student replied that it was in May,” she said. “I distinctly remember Mr. Conneen turning to him and asking, ‘Now wouldn’t it be great if you were allowed to vote in the primary elections?’ ”

As president of Stevenson’s Law Club, Farahmandpour recognized the potential lobbying power that her classmates could bring on behalf of a bill changing the Illinois voting age for primaries. By early 2013, HB- 226 had been introduced in the General Assembly with bipartisan support.

“Stevenson’s Law Club and Political Action Club teamed up to host meetings regarding the proposed law and what it would entail,” Farahmandpour recalled. “In March of 2013, several students from the two clubs went to Springfield to meet with members of the Illinois Senate to lobby for the bill. I had the distinct honor of testifying in front of the Senate Executive Committee, alongside Mr. Conneen, where we were able explain why we thought passing Suffrage at 17 would be so beneficial.”

The House passed the bill in April by a vote of 95-22, and a month later the Senate passed it 43-9. Then-Gov. Pat Quinn signed the measure into law July 3 in a ceremony at Stevenson High School, with Farahmandpour and other students looking on.

“One of the biggest lessons I learned was the value of bipartisan support,” she said. “I don’t think Suffrage at 17 would have passed if we didn’t have support from members belonging to both political parties. I also learned the importance of working together as a community. Everyone worked really hard — not individually but as a team.”

Farahmandpour’s experience with the First Amendment right to petition turned out to be a successful one. She believes other young people can achieve similar success if they’re willing to take the initiative and become engaged in civic life.

“One major point that I would really like to get across to my audiences during Constitution Week is the value of involvement, as well as the effects of persistence,” she said. “I think it is so important for high school students across the state — as well as across the nation — to get involved in civics.”

In previous years, Citizen Advocacy Center has hosted dynamic speakers showcasing other First Amendment freedoms. These include Mary Beth Tinker, free-speech advocate and plaintiff in a landmark Supreme Court student free-speech case, and Jessica Ahlquist, freedom-of-religion advocate and plaintiff in a successful lawsuit challenging her high school’s endorsement of religion.

The Citizen Advocacy Center is a nonprofit, nonpartisan community-based legal organization dedicated to building democracy for the 21st century by increasing the citizenry’s capacities, resources, and institutions for self-governance. For more information, visit www.CitizenAdvocacyCenter.org or call 630-833-4080.

                                                                                                                 ###

 

CIVICS EDUCATION RETURNS TO ILLINOIS PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS

8/24/2015

 
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.
###

Urge Governor Rauner to sign HB 4025

6/10/2015

 
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.    
Contact Governor Rauner via email

Suggested email script - please personalize:
  

I am respectfully asking you to sign HB4025 which requires high school students in Illinois to take a civics course before graduating. 
 

Illinois is one of only eleven states without this requirement.  

Quality civics courses have tremendous impact. For example, when Florida recently introduced a required civics course (in middle school), 61% of Florida students achieved proficiency in civics, compared to 23% of middle school students nationally in the most recent NAEP Civics Assessment.  

Citizens with high levels of civic knowledge vote regularly and participate broadly in our democracy.
 

Please help improve the civic health of our state by providing all students with a civics course.
 

Please sign HB4025.  

incerely,
XXX    

Call script:   I have just emailed Governor Rauner asking him/her to sign HB4025, but I wanted to call the office to also voice my request and confirm that my email was received.

HB 4025, Civic Ed Bill Passes IL Gen Assembly; Heads to Governor

6/2/2015

 
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.

                                                                                                        ###

IL House passes Civics Education Bill HB4025  

4/27/2015

 
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.  Thanks again!

Letter to the editor published in Chicago Tribune on Civics Education, HB4025 and HB4024 

4/21/2015

 
Letter: Save our democracy

Illinois is one of 10 states that doesn’t require a civics course to graduate high school despite research that civic learning translates into civic action.

State Rep. Deborah Conroy (D-Villa Park) introduced legislation to have Illinois join the majority of states that mandates civics. House Bill 4025 recommends a civics education requirement for Illinois public high schools, and House Bill 4024 requires the State Board of Education to ensure that teachers have access to professional development activities in civics education.

Studies show that students who receive effective civics learning are more likely to vote and discuss politics at home, four times more likely to volunteer and work on community issues, and are more confident to speak publicly and communicate with elected representatives. In fact, high-quality civics learning contributes to lower dropout rates. These statistics are true even with variables for income and race.

Civics learning promotes civic equality, meaning that poor, minority, urban or rural students perform considerably higher for having received civics learning than their peers do. Comprehensive civics education that aims to reach all public school students would likely decrease the “civic achievement gap” evidenced by the research.

A Paul Simon Institute poll revealed that more than 70 percent of Illinoisans favor a high school civics course requirement for graduation. Moreover, the integrity and health of democracy in Illinois depends on the active, informed and effective participation of Illinoisans. Everyone gains from a civically literate population where individuals have the knowledge, disposition and skills to make a difference in their communities and hold government accountable.

— Maryam Judar, executive director and community lawyer, Citizen Advocacy Center, Elmhurst

Published in Chicago Tribune online 4/20/15 and Voice of the People  in print 4/21/15




Also published in the
State Journal Register
Letter: Support bill requiring high school civics classes in Illinois

Urgent Action: Please file witness slip for civics education HB4025-HFA2

4/15/2015

 
Witness slips must be submitted before 10 a.m.
on Thursday, April 16th, 2015


Please join CAC to #BringBackCivics by filing a witness slip as a proponent by following the steps below.  Thank you in advance for supporting civics education in Illinois!

Go to www.ilga.gov 

1. Click GA Dashboard (red link on left side under Reports & Inquiry)
 
2. Click House (left column)

3. Click Committee Hearings (drop down menu after clicking "House")

4. Click Week (on the top bar)

5. Click Committee Name (Hint: Click word "Committee" at top of  column to put Committee names in alphabetical order)

HB 4025 Committee Name: Elementary & Secondary Committee: School Curriculum and Policies Committee

6. Click on the icon that looks like a sheet of paper at far right of page to view hearing details

7. Scroll to find HB4025-HFA2  and click on the icon at far right of page (pencil and paper) to create witness slip for that bill. There may be multiple pages. 
   
8. Fill in all fields in Section I (unless marked optional). May put "none" for firm/business or agency and title. Or can put "Citizen" or "Concerned Citizen" for title. Section II may not apply.

9. Section III: Position Click Proponent to support this amendment

10. Section IV: Testimony: Check Record of Appearance Only -- unless you will fax a written statement to 1-217-557-2165

11. Type the text, check box: I agree to the ILGA terms of agreement, click Create Slip

12. To create another witness slip: Click Create Another Witness Slip and begin again at Step
2

FAQ for Filing Witness Slips

Note: Registration is not required to submit a witness slip. However, to keep an online log of the witness slips you've submitted,  you must register from the home page by clicking on "My Legislation." The "My Legislation" tab is along the top or on the left side under Reports and Inquiry -- just above GA Dashboard. Registration will also automatically populate many of the fields on each witness slip you submit.
Quick Links

#BringBackCivics Fact Sheet

Letter to Representative Conroy from McCormick Tribune Foundation and Chicago Community Trust

House Bill 4025

aims to promote greater civic learning through a required civics course for all Illinois high school students.

  
FAQ for Filing Witness Slips

Task Force Final Report and Public Comments

What is happening with Civics Education in Illinois? 

4/2/2015

 
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. 
Picture
Download the flyer in pdf format to print or distribute.
Civics Education in Illinois Infographic
File Size: 306 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

House Bill 4025
aims to promote greater civic learning through a required civics course for all Illinois high school students.

House Bill 4024  supports teacher training, the greatest area of need for implementation of a new course.  This new measure ensures that professional development activities align with best practices in civics education.

#BringCivicsBack  Overview of the need for civics education in IL and currently proposed legislation

3/26/2015

 
#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.

Financial support for civics education professional development secured in public-private partnership

3/26/2015

 
Read the letter to Representative Deborah Conroy from the President and CEO of the Robert R. McCormick Foundation and the President and CEO of the Chicago Community Trust describing the commitment of the corporate and foundation communities to supporting a public-private partnership to provide funds needed for professional development for a three-year transition period.


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