We will use these funds to begin hiring 10,000 more teachers. And we will upgrade facilities so our children benefit from smaller class sizes and more personalized instruction. We will increase reading grants and early childhood and summer bridge programs. Closely linked with education is technology. The governor announced during his State of the State Message that he is creating a state Office of Technology.
Technology is one of the best tools available for connecting rural Illinois with the world.
The Governor's Office of Technology will help ensure rural Illinois has access to the information it needs regarding public and private services. There are services, though, that you can only get in person. And in rural Illinois, more often than not, that means by driving. We need to improve our infrastructure to make driving easier and to open up new corridors for business in rural Illinois. Half the state's population may be in the Chicago metropolitan area, but we need good roads statewide.