SPRINGFIELD – A measure sponsored by State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood) to create a Children’s Mental Health Council passed the Senate Behavioral & Mental Health Committee Tuesday.

The proposal – Senate Bill 3889 – would create a council that would provide recommendations to the General Assembly each year regarding children with mental health conditions and behavioral disabilities.

“As a state, we need to raise our level of ambition to support children’s mental health,” Loughran Cappel said. “The goal of this legislation is to give our children living with mental health conditions a voice to be heard by their state officials.”

The council would be tasked with collaborating to gain a better understanding of residential and emergency placements children experience and how the state can provide better support for children with mental health issues. 

Loughran Cappel’s proposal passed the committee 9-0.

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.

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.

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.”