The first forum event focused on education policy in the Education and Workforce Equity Act (Public Act 101-0654). The bill was first sponsored by Senator Kimberly Lightford and Representative Carol Ammons with the support of the Illinois Black Caucus. Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the act into law in 2021.
Free and open to the public, the event was held on Thursday, March 28, at the I Hotel and Conference Center on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus.
State Representative Carol Ammons (D-Urbana), a co-sponsor of the act, delivered a keynote address at the event. “As one of the most progressive states in our nation, it is imperative that we amend a backward system built to ensure the failure of students notoriously left behind — our Black, Brown, and poor population," Ammons said. "While we’ve made impactful strides, our mission is far from over. We will not close this chapter until equity and fairness are the guiding principles at all our schools nationwide."
Ammons continued, "When we met to construct the Education and Workforce Equity Act, it was of utmost importance that we strengthened the state's priority in focusing on communities disproportionately impacted by Illinois' history of damaging policies and procedures. “This legislation places Illinois on the trajectory of delivering the best education in the country and ensures equitable outcomes for our children, no matter their racial or socioeconomic background.”
