Vision 2030: Promise & Future
By Illinois Vision 2030Vision 2030 is a blueprint for excellence in K-12 public education through future-focused learning, shared accountability, and predictable funding and seeks to engage parents, educators, policy leaders, elected officials, and the general public around a platform that emphasizes student and school safety, attracts and retains high-quality educators, enhances post-secondary success, and more effectively measures what is working well in schools in a timely, usable manner.
Partner organizations include the Illinois Association of School Administrators (IASA), Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB), Illinois Principals Association (IPA), Illinois Association of School Business Officials (Illinois ASBO), Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools (IARSS), Illinois Alliance of Administrators of Special Education (IAASE), the Association of Illinois Rural and Small Schools (AIRSS) and the Superintendents’ Commission for the Study of Demographics and Diversity (SCSDD). These organizations share the goals of “Fulfilling the Promise of Public Education in Illinois.”
Vision 2030 represents the second time education stakeholders fostered collaboration and unity among education organizations across the state to create an advocacy framework for public education in Illinois. The first initiative, Vision 2020, resulted in numerous achievements, including the passage of the Evidence-Based Funding Formula, Illinois Balanced Accountability Model, and Postsecondary Workforce Readiness Act.
The priorities of Vision 2030 are as follows:
- Future-Focused Learning;
- Shared Accountability; and
- Predictable Funding
Future-Focused Learning. Future-focused learning is about reshaping our schools and classrooms and redefining student success to reflect and prepare students for all the different ways the world and economy continue to change.
Here are some examples of what we mean:
We have to acknowledge that students learn best, and educators teach most effectively, when they feel safe and connected to one another and to their communities.
This is the single most important thing we can do to support both academic achievement and individual well-being—and it is something that has to be considered in our instructional approach, curriculum, student support services and funding, so that local districts have the resources needed to ensure school buildings are safe.
We want to engage students in thinking about their pathways to college and career sooner—as early as elementary school (grades K-5).
This means working with local businesses to cultivate awareness and engagement in opportunities that allow students to explore in-demand and emerging career fields — including the trades, agriculture, health care, AI, quantum computing, electric vehicles, advanced manufacturing, and the green economy.
It also means expanding partnerships and collaborations with our community colleges and universities to allow our kids to experience success in college-level courses while still in high school through advanced placement and dual-enrollment courses. This can encourage more students to enroll in college and vocational training opportunities and lessen the burden of student loan debt upon graduation or program completion.
We must encourage and preserve time and financial resources for local curriculum innovation and programming to best meet the needs of students in our communities.
This means we must look closely at the impact and cost of implementing additional curriculum and graduation requirements. We must maintain the flexibility needed for students to pursue meaningful college and career coursework through thoughtfully designed curriculum developed by local educators. In addition, we must carefully consider operational mandates to determine which ones are essential, or if we should be allowing local educators and school boards to make opt-in decisions based on the needs of their students and communities.
Vision 2030 is aligned with much of ISBE’s strategic plan and is focused on providing support for local school districts to develop new approaches to attract and retain excellent educators who have both the subject-matter expertise, compassion, cultural competency, and commitment to help all students at all levels achieve their full potential.
We know that there is still work to be done here, particularly in the areas of special education, math and science, and bilingual education.
We have to provide innovative and evidence-based opportunities for our educators to continue to learn and grow, especially considering the rate at which technology is changing the landscape of teaching and learning.
We are excited about and will advocate for pathways for school districts to create “grow your own” initiatives that encourage young people to consider careers in education and want to explore more flexible alternative licensure opportunities.
Priorities for the Future
Vision 2030 recommends state policy to promote future-driven skills that allow for more college and career exploration.
Encourage Career Exploration. Public education is responsible for preparing students for college and careers with the integration of emerging technologies, both known and unknown, as well as for global citizenship. Advocacy is needed for the development of more flexible certification pathways, industry credentials, and/or micro-credential programs to meet a greater pool of student needs.
Promote Dual Credit. Opportunities for students to experience college and careers while in high school support classroom learning and prepare students for post-secondary success. Currently, the decision to offer programming in conjunction with postsecondary institutions is still not delivered equitably nor is it focused on what is in the best interests of students. Our goal is to ensure equitable access for all students in Illinois within their current school district with funding to support free community college enrollment for students and to further develop the Dual Credit Quality Act or other alternative credentialing options to increase student access to these offerings.
Expand Dual Credit Teacher Pool. The ability of students to take dual-credit courses within the districts/schools in which they attend is important for expanding access to these opportunities. To accomplish this, advocacy for the expansion of the number of K-12 teachers eligible to teach dual credit courses is necessary, and advocacy for the removal of barriers to accreditation or eligibility is essential to achieving this goal.
Study the Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Establish a task force to study the impact of AI on K-12 school communities in Illinois and produce a toolkit regarding the responsible use of AI in Illinois K-12 schools. The task force should analyze potential benefits and challenges/risks, ensuring the integration of AI supports educational goals.<
Excerpted from the report “Fulfilling the Promise of Public Education in Illinois” and Key Message, both published by Illinois Vision 2030 in November and December 2024. The full documents, including all three priorities, are available at IllinoisVision2030.org.