(FeeLoona / Pixabay)

“As a city, we must ensure every child, regardless of their ZIP code, receives a high-quality early education, providing them the tools and opportunities they need to thrive,” said Mayor Lightfoot in a statement.  

The Illinois Governor’s Mansion (Illinois Governor’s Mansion Association)

Outgoing Gov. Bruce Rauner and first lady Diana Rauner are leaving the Governor’s Mansion in significantly greater – and greener – shape than they found it. And now the historic home has the paperwork to prove it.

Gov. Bruce Rauner’s critics can accurately say he has failed to pass major parts of his agenda. But Rauner has made good on pledges to live in the capital city and revitalize the executive mansion.

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Early childhood care advocates say Gov. Bruce Rauner’s proposed budget will hamper their ability to expand high-quality services to low-income families.

More than 50 organizations are urging the Illinois congressional delegation to reauthorize funding for programs that provide health insurance to children and support for low-income and at-risk families, before it becomes a crisis in the state.

School districts across the state already track how prepared students are to enter high school, but beginning this fall they’ll also start measuring their development before they enter elementary school.

(Barnaby Wasson / Flickr)

New Illinois law helps protect pre-K students from expulsion

Illinois parents faced with the expulsion of a preschool-age child are often put in a difficult situation, but a new state law seeks to end that practice and get schools thinking about alternative solutions.

A leaky roof, rotting walls and crumbling stairs – that was the condition of the Illinois executive mansion in 2015. Now a renovation of the 161-year-old mansion is underway.

(Barnaby Wasson / Flickr)

How young is too young for a student to be expelled from school? A new bill going through the state Legislature would keep preschoolers from being kicked out of class.