Loughran Cappel advances measure to help schools confront teacher shortages

• SB 3915
• Education
• Teacher Shortage

SPRINGFIELD – Application fees may soon be waived for short-term substitute teaching licenses under a plan by State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood) that advanced out of the Senate Education Committee Tuesday. 

“Staffing is one of the most important, if not the most important, challenges that our schools are facing during this awful pandemic,” said Senate Education Committee Vice-Chair Loughran Cappel. “We have a responsibility to do all we can to ensure our students have access to teachers, and it’s my goal to get them there.”

According to the Illinois State Board of Education, there are more than 4,000 unfilled positions in schools. In an attempt to address the void, Loughran Cappel’s plan would waive the application fee for short-term substitute teaching licensees when the governor has declared a disaster due to a public health emergency.

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Loughran Cappel: Budget proposal is promising for education

• budget

SPRINGFIELD – Following Governor JB Pritzker’s budget address Wednesday, State Senator Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood) is pleased to see the state fully fund K-12 education and provide more funding for need-based higher education grants.

“The pandemic has created many difficulties for families with school-aged children and adults seeking further education,” said Loughran Cappel, vice-chair of the Senate Education Committee. “Now, more than ever, we must support educators and students — and this is a good starting point as we begin the budget process.”

The budget proposal builds upon the state’s promise to allocated money toward the K-12 education evidence-based funding formula, as well as increasing funds for early childhood education, state universities, and career and technical education programs. Loughran Cappel is especially supportive of proposed increases to MAP, or Monetary Award Program funding, which greatly improves access to higher education for low-income students. Under the proposal, more than 24,000 additional students would be able to receive assistance.

“In these unprecedented times, I am in strong support of prioritizing COVID-19 relief,” Loughran Cappel said. “However, COVID relief must include provisions to our education systems that have faced immense setbacks providing quality education and ensuring safe operations during this pandemic.”

Loughran Cappel looks forward to negotiating the budget with her colleagues this spring.

Loughran Cappel works to declare February Career and Tech Education month

• Higher Education
• CTE

SPRINGFIELD – February 2022 may soon be Career and Technical Education Month in Illinois, thanks to State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood).

“Career and technical education is another tool to give our children real-world skills to excel in their future careers,” Loughran Cappel said. “CTE connects and creates a pathway for Illinois students to be prepared for the jobs of the future.”

Approximately 12.5 million high school and college students are enrolled in CTE courses across the country. Advance CTE reports that the high school graduation rate for CTE concentrators is about 90%– 15 percentage points higher than the national average.

Loughran Cappel’s district is served by the Wilco Area Career Center, which works with area students to develop skill sets that provide a pathway to college and career readiness.

“On behalf of the nearly 1,200 hundred students at Wilco Area Career Center, the 30,000 CTE students in Will County and the additional thousands in the State of Illinois, we appreciate Senator Loughran Cappel’s recognition of Career and Technical Education month and her ongoing work to support College and Career Pathways in Illinois,” said Dr. Elizabeth Kaufman, executive director of Wilco. “Career and Technical education programs in the State of Illinois have worked tirelessly to prepare essential workers, connecting students to further education and employment opportunities. Along with the State of Illinois, Wilco celebrates Career and Technical Education month and the possibilities that CTE provides to the students, the employers, and the economic development of Illinois.” 

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Loughran Cappel invites residents to virtual educational workshop on fraud prevention

• Community Events

PLAINFIELD – State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood) will host a virtual Theft and Scams Prevention Workshop with the office of the Illinois comptroller Wednesday.

The hour-long workshop, which takes place Wednesday, Jan. 26 at 12 p.m., will inform residents of the best practices to avoid becoming a victim of fraud, scams and identity theft

It will be livestreamed through State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel’s Facebook Page, which can be found at @SenatorMegLoughranCappel.

“The pandemic has opened more opportunities for scammers to take advantage of residents,” Loughran Cappel said. “Join our informative virtual seminar from the comfort of your own home to learn about signs to look out for, and resources to take advantage of if you fall victim.”

From phishing emails to illegal robocalls, scammers are getting creative with how they take advantage of their victims. The COVID-19 pandemic has only made these issues worse, with some scammers asking people to give their bank account information to receive fraudulent checks, invest in fake companies and more.

Loughran Cappel urges residents to reach out to her office with questions or concerns at 815-267-6119. If someone is unable to watch the livestream of the workshop a recording will be accessible on her Facebook Page account at a later date.