Stacy Davis Gates’ income is 543% more than families she wants denied scholarships
Stacy Davis Gates’ income is 543% more than families she wants denied scholarships
New data filed with the U.S. Department of Labor shows Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates’ total income tops $289,000. The average household income of families receiving the Invest in Kids scholarships she wants to kill “for good” is just $45,046.
By Mailee Smith
Low 3rd-grade literacy is warning for future learning, earning potential
Low 3rd-grade literacy is warning for future learning, earning potential
Few Illinois third-grade students can read at grade level. Even fewer low-income and minority students are at grade level in reading. Research shows this is a warning sign for Illinois students’ academic success and adult earning potential.
By Hannah Schmid
Symara Moses
Symara Moses
“We struggled with public schools; the curriculums and most schools not having the resources that the arts can bring to children. Her being able to attend the academy has been life changing and I see her growth every single week. Something new that she’s learning, something that she’s picking up from faculty, staff, other students and just her confidence.”
Vallas: Call Johnson’s real estate transfer tax what it really is: a commercial property tax
Vallas: Call Johnson’s real estate transfer tax what it really is: a commercial property tax
Brandon Johnson’s ‘Bring Chicago Home’ transaction tax is primarily a tax on the already overburdened and depressed commercial property owners.
By Paul Vallas
Traci Crosby
Traci Crosby
"There’s a public school, but it wasn’t the same as CAA. There, she was connected instantly. If this scholarship program ends, that’s just something we have to be prepared for.”
Chicago Teachers Union spending on teachers down, politics up in 2023
Chicago Teachers Union spending on teachers down, politics up in 2023
The Chicago Teachers Union’s most recent federal report reveals just 17% of its spending in 2023 was on representing teachers, but it tripled its political spending from the previous year. Nearly 500 teachers left the union.
By Mailee Smith
How education impacts Chicago poverty
How education impacts Chicago poverty
1 in 5 Chicagoans living in poverty has a bachelor’s degree. Those without a high school diploma are four times more likely to live in poverty.
By Bryce Hill, Dylan Sharkey
Poverty in Chicago higher in 2022 than before War on Poverty
Poverty in Chicago higher in 2022 than before War on Poverty
Nearly 60 years after the U.S. began the War on Poverty, the rate of Chicagoans living in poverty is higher than it was before the effort. National poverty rates have fluctuated between 11-15%, defying solutions and perpetuating dependence.
By Bryce Hill, Dylan Sharkey
Chicago poverty higher than San Francisco, Los Angeles
Chicago poverty higher than San Francisco, Los Angeles
Chicago has one of the highest poverty rates among the nation’s biggest cities, including San Francisco and Los Angeles.
By Bryce Hill, Dylan Sharkey
Vallas: Chicago needs tools, transparency for responsible budgeting
Vallas: Chicago needs tools, transparency for responsible budgeting
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is continuing the mayoral tradition of giving the City Council and public too little time and too little information before a deficit city budget is passed. There’s little chance that will change soon, but it could be fixed.
By Paul Vallas
Wilbert Adams Jr.
Wilbert Adams Jr.
"I had a good future in that field, but God had another plan and he changed my life. The addiction caused me to draw close to God, and God drew close to me and put me in his service.”