The Illinois Loop is an organization of parents, teachers, school board members, and others working to restore academic substance and effective teaching methods into schools. The Illinois Loop started informally in about 1995, when a group of parents and teachers in the west suburbs of Chicago shared their concerns and opinions about what they perceived as dangerous trends in reading and math instruction in their schools. Using online message boards, and later the Internet, they shared news, tips and discoveries to better prepare for their efforts in their own schools.