Derek Cantù
Derek Cantù is NPR Illinois' graduate student Public Affairs Reporting intern for the spring 2021 legislative session.
Derek earned a B.S. in History and Secondary Education from Bradley University and an M.S. in Curriculum & Instruction from Kansas State University.
Derek has previous experience
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The Illinois State Board of Education is weighing whether to replace the state’s annual Illinois Assessment of Readiness standardized test for grades 3 through 8 with three separate tests spread out in a school year. But teacher unions and education advocacy groups claim the proposed change would amount to more class time being dedicated to test preparation. -
The Illinois General Assembly on Friday narrowly approved a proposal calling for state sex education curriculum in grades K-12 to be “culturally... -
As lawmakers’ end-of-session budget-making process wraps up, Republican lawmakers assert the state has enough money on hand to achieve a balanced budget... -
Democratic state lawmakers want to adopt state sex education standards that are aligned with a national model. But Republicans say the national... -
Illinois voters next fall will weigh in on whether the state’s constitution should be amended to include a provision that will establish a fundamental... -
Gov. JB Pritzker is pushing to scale back a state income tax refund for private school scholarship donors from 75 cents on the dollar to 40 cents . -
The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred a renewed focus on mental health issues, particularly among students. Some Illinois lawmakers say schools must bolster... -
For the second year in a row, the Illinois State Board of Education is seeking a waiver from the U.S. Department of Education for standardized tests... -
Republican state lawmakers — who are in the super-minority in the state legislature —introduced a package of election-focused bills aimed at making it... -
GOP lawmakers are again demanding answers from Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Employment Securities over the state’s processing of...
