LATEST NEWS

It’s one of the highest honors students and educators can receive in education and this year three West Cook County area schools have been named a 2026 Illinois Governor’s Blue Ribbon School. The honors go to John Mills Elementary (Elmwood Park District 401), Lincoln Elementary School (River Forest School District 90), and Seventh Avenue School (La Grange School District 105). The state-wide award honors schools that have demonstrated educational excellence through high acade

In our latest Walk in Their Shoes video, West40's Dr. Mike Popp shares what it means to advocate on behalf of West40, students, educators, and schools. Dr. Popp's work in Springfield and across Illinois truly helps shape the future of education!

Prospective elementary school teachers in Illinois will begin taking a redesigned licensing exam on July 1 that breaks the test into sections and allows them to retake only the portions they did not pass. The Illinois State Board of Education approved cut scores for the new Elementary Education content exam at its May 13 meeting. The exam will use a new “testlet” structure that separates subjects like literacy, math, and science into smaller sections. ISBE officials said th

Teachers and school administrators across Illinois who feel the weight of education mandates may soon see some relief. A new bipartisan group of lawmakers and education stakeholders called the School Code Mandate Reduction Council is charged with reviewing mandates considered outdated or overly burdensome and recommending whether they should be streamlined or eliminated — without compromising education quality or student safety. Education mandates, many of which are unfunded

Dr. Mark Klaisner leads West40 and champions students and educators across west suburban Cook County with purpose and compassion — and he...