A central Illinois school leader believes Governor-elect JB Pritzker will continue to make education a priority when he takes office later this month.

Dr. Kristen Kendrick-Weikle is the Superintendent of Warrensburg-Latham Schools and believes the incoming governor will continue to be an advocate for education, specifically the funding of Illinois schools.

Unfunded mandates have been a big burden on school districts, specifically smaller downstate schools. Dr. Kendrick-Weikle believes the State Board of Education (ISBE) will begin to loosen up on their requirements.

For many years, the lack of funding has been the biggest challenge school leaders face. Dr. Kendrick-Weikle says that is still a challenge facing schools but maybe not as big of one as in years past.

Dr. Kendrick-Weikle calls on community members, parents and students to better support teachers. She feels teachers are ridiculed more than they ever have been in recent years and it comes at them from all sorts of directions.