(The Center Square) – Although most Illinois public school students test below grade level in reading and math, Gov. J.B. Pritzker is touting his administration’s record spending on public education.
Pritzker addressed the Illinois Education Association Representative Assembly in Rosemont Thursday. The governor encouraged union members to fight back against potential cuts to the U.S. Department of Education by President Donald Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency.
“IEA, are you ready for the fight? Let’s go get ‘em everybody. Let’s go beat ‘em,” Pritzker said.
The governor claimed that Trump and his appointees wanted to take funding away from kids.
“When you take away 10 to 12% of the funding for education across this nation, you’re damaging what we can do for our people here in the state of Illinois,” Pritzker said.
Separately, legislators debated education issues on the floor of the Illinois House Thursday.
State Rep. Will Davis, D-Hazel Crest, argued against cutting federal education dollars and called out Republican state Rep. Blaine Wilhour, R-Beecher City, over equity issues.
“Unfortunately, Rep. Wilhour and I disagree on this fact. We [Democrats] believe that equity is excellence,” Davis said.
Wilhour responded by saying he would take Democrats more seriously on equity if their policies didn’t destroy the communities they purported to uplift. Democrats trapped poor kids in failing schools by ending the Invest in Kids scholarship program, Wilhour said. Invest in Kids was a privately funded school choice scholarship program that gave tax credits to those who donated to a fund that qualified parents could use to send their children to a school of their choice. The program sunset at the end of 2023.
“Where were you on that? I’ll tell you where you’re at. You’re hiding under your desk like everybody else, because you guys care more about your bosses in the teachers union than you do about doing the best things for kids,” Wilhour said.
In terms of reductions at the federal education department, Wilhour said, “Get rid of it,” and said it might be time to make cuts at the state level.
“I think that we should actually take a look at limiting the powers or move toward getting rid of the Illinois State Board of Education, too, because their policies aren’t any good, either,” Wilhour said.
Earlier, Pritzker discussed reports that indicated that some Illinois students showed improvement in certain academic areas.
“I don’t want you to think that I’m suggesting that we don’t have a whole lot more to do. We do, but let’s take a moment to sing the praises of what we’re accomplishing for our children in this state,” Pritzker said.
The governor told teachers union members that he asked the General Assembly to fully fund their pensions more quickly.
Pritzker said he still loves the job of governor but would not say if he planned to run for reelection or possibly for president in 2028.
