E4E
Educators for Excellence-Chicago ensures that CPS teachers’ voices are a powerful presence at every table where policy decisions are being made about what’s happening in their schools and classrooms – whether in Springfield, at City Hall, or the Board of Ed.
E4E supports Chicago educators to form policy leadership teams that collaboratively tackle pressing challenges in their schools and the broader educational landscape. Our teachers drive transformative change through advocacy, engaging with elected officials, hosting public events, and rallying educator coalitions to sign petitions and take action.
Join the movement and become an E4E-Chicago member by endorsing our declaration, and help shape the future of Chicago’s education system. All CPS and Chicago educators can get involved by signing up for our newsletter to learn about our current campaigns. Ready for more? Learn more about what it means to be an E4E Teacher Leader and upcoming events by reaching out to connect with an organizer. Your voice matters.
Teach Plus
Teach Plus offers leadership opportunities for teachers looking to change outcomes for students in their schools. We offer three different paid fellowships for educators: Policy Fellows and ECE Policy Fellows seek to make changes in the policies that affect their students and schools; Change Agents who lead a small team to address a key challenge in their schools, and Affinity Group facilitators who create restorative spaces to improve the retention of educators of Color. Applications for all programs open up around February 1 and are usually due in April. To make sure you know about these opportunities and more, sign up for Teach Plus Illinois once-a-month newsletter here (choose the “Local Event and Leadership” Option).
Educator Advisory Council
The Educator Advisory Council (EAC) is a group of 20 diverse educators from across the state who support Advance Illinois in policy and advocacy work across the B-20 education continuum. Through a two-year commitment, educators are empowered as advocates and learn more about the policy landscape of education in Illinois. You can learn more about the council here. We are currently in the middle of a cohort, but if you are interested in learning more, please reach out to Maty Ortega Cruz at engagement@advanceillinois.org. Recruitment for the next cohort is set to begin in Summer 2025.