Continuing her support for education, State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel is again hosting monthly Teacher Forums for educators and Youth Advisory Board meetings for high school students.

“I know how important it is to hear concerns and feedback from teachers around the district,” said Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood). “My goal with my monthly Teacher Forums is to create a space where local educators can voice their concerns and help create real solutions for their communities.”

Loughran Cappel’s forums aim to address the issues teachers face in the classroom, ensure they have the tools and resources available to effectively do their job, and set students on a path of success. The initial meeting for the 2025-26 school year is set for 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 23 at Loughran Cappel’s district office located at 20660 Caton Farm Road, Unit D in Crest Hill.

Loughran Cappel is also kicking off her 2025-26 Youth Advisory Board for high school students in October. The Youth Advisory Board will meet monthly to discuss issues that are important to young people and how she can use her position as a senator to better serve younger generations.

State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel’s office will hold traveling office hours at the Plainfield Area Public Library on Wednesday, Sept. 10 to give residents an opportunity to request assistance and ask questions about state and local programs.

“My office holds events like this frequently so we can hear directly from constiutents and give them answers or let them know about resources available to them,” said Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood). “If you have been needing assistance with state services, have any questions or simply want information about upcoming events, I encourage you to stop by next week.”

The free event will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 10 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Plainfield Area Public Library, located at 15025 Illinois St. in Plainfield. This is an initiative from Loughran Cappel’s office to assist residents with state resources, as well as increase accessibility, government accountability, and outreach by holding office hours for the public.

If anyone has questions or concerns, they are encouraged to contact Loughran Cappel’s office at 815-267-6119 or visit her website at SenatorLoughranCappel.com.

To address unnecessary and burdensome Illinois School Code mandates, State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel collaborated with colleagues and multiple statewide education stakeholders to create a new law that eliminates outdated school code mandates in Illinois.

“As time changes, especially in education, it’s essential we adapt with those changes, leading me to work with my colleagues and education advocates on the process of revising our school code,” said Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood). “With fewer mandates in the school code to worry about, this measure is about putting more control into our schools districts’ hands.”

This law initiates the reduction of unnecessary school code mandates agreed upon by statewide educational stakeholders. It also creates the School Code Mandate Reduction Council, comprised of eight members of the General Assembly and one member from each of the 12 statewide educational organizations, to identify and recommend the removal of mandates that align with the state's goal of providing high-quality education tailored to each student.

To better prepare all educators – including substitute teachers – for emergencies at school, a new law championed by State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel requires training in evacuation and lockdown procedures prior to being in the classroom.

“We drop off our children in the mornings and expect educators to know what they’re doing if an emergency occurs,” said Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood). “Full-time teachers receive training on all emergency protocols, and substitute teachers should receive the same.”

The new law requires school districts in Illinois to provide training to all substitute teachers on school evacuation drills and law enforcement lockdown drills. Additionally, all substitutes will be given the same information as full-time employees outlining all lockdown and evacuation procedures, and maps will be required to be displayed in every classroom showing all school exit points.