PERA became law in IL in January 2010. Mixed reviews perhaps amongst all the teacher and school leader associations and legislators. We're fast approaching an even more crucial period of potential legislative changes,

where even more courage and difficult decisions will need to be made. Forecasts for losses of State revenues, which will impact school funding may compete directly with new and greater educational needs of students.

Fear and grieving of the loss of "normal" is to be expected, and will be universal-- all those pieces that have comprised our past expectations will be tested-- class sizes, teaching and learning materials, what the school day looks like.

Preparing for new ways to frame issues that are clear, concise, coherent, and collaborative will be a challenge during a period of partisanship and division that has been perhaps an undesired "normal". SB 7 may not have been our exemplar,

maybe EBFM gives public schools a launch pad to dive into the COVID-19 tsunami, and building upon that collaboration and advocacy-- in a responsible way-- gives us hope that we come through the other side. Not unscathed, not unchanged,

but with integrity and respect. All the good that educators strive to accomplish in the name of children should give us hope that schools will be capable of making our systems the most essential and vital they can be, despite great adversity.