On July 13, the Center for American Progress (CAP) (CAP) hosted “Illinois — The New Leader in Education Reform?,” which brought together key players involved in creating and passing Illinois Senate Bill 7, a series of important reforms that impact how teachers are hired, evaluated, awarded tenure, and dismissed.

Illinois Senator Kimberly Lightford noted that the collaborative process began with the state’s Race to the Top application. “I saw for the first time ever as a legislator that we could work together for students,” Lightford, who is the chair of the Illinois State Senate Education Committee, said.

The event’s other participants agreed that Illinois’s consensus-oriented process was vital in passing Senate Bill 7, because effective implementation will require these parties to continue their work together. “Passing the laws is the easy part,” said John Luczak, Joyce’s Education Program Manager. “Now we really need to focus on implementation.”
 

Resources:
EducationCounsel case study
Case study executive summary