Who We Are:
We are a coalition of educators, parents, and students who have joined together to oppose the high stakes use of the edTPA™ in Illinois.  The Coalition grew spontaneously out of a small group discussion on the status of the edTPA™ among teacher educators attending the IACTE annual meeting in Springfield in May 2014.  Although we represent a variety of viewpoints about the edTPA™ , as well as the best way to pursue changing edTPA policy in Illinois, we oppose using the edTPA™ as the one and only evidence-based high-stakes assessment of student teachers. See our “Talking Points” for a summary of our major concerns. And be sure to check our "News and Updates" tab for the latest announcements about our progress, including:  

We are thrilled to announce--at long last--Public Act 102-0301, which removes the videotaping requirement for the edTPA in Illinois.

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=808&GAID=16&DocTypeID=SB&LegId=133435&SessionID=110&GA=102

The law was signed by Governor Pritzker this month.  While this law does not get rid of the edTPA requirement itself, it does achieve two goals.  One, it protects the privacy of students and student teachers.  Two, we believe it's an important step toward highlighting the reasons why the edTPA should be removed as a licensure requirement in Illinois.  Getting this bill passed and signed took three years of advocacy and patience, but we're not done yet.  Check back for updates in the coming year and be sure to email us for more information. You can send inquiries directly to:  petersjlk@gmail.com