About 2-in-5 Illinois elementary students can read at grade level, so there is a lot of room for improvement. Five new bills would improve student outcomes and parental involvement.
Illinois’ latest drop in gross domestic product shows broader issues with the state. The state’s real GDP has been struggling for years.
Illinois has the nation’s worst public pension crisis. Nationwide analysis from the Equable Institute shows Illinois state pensions remain fiscally unstable and threaten retirees and taxpayers, underscoring the need for reform.
Just 15% to 26% of Illinois teachers union spending was on representing teachers in 2024. But public education employees can opt out of union membership and keep their hard-earned money.
The Chicago Teachers Union’s refusal to close near-empty schools and push for more “sustainable community schools” is hurting student achievement. CTU is about adding members and escaping accountability, not about what’s best for Chicago students.
A bill in Congress would hold the National Education Association accountable, forcing it to once more put students and educators first or risk losing its special status as a chartered organization.
Despite record revenues, Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s 2026 budget hikes taxes by another $482 million. Illinoisans are paying 44% more than six years ago and getting higher tax burdens as thanks.
State employees represented by AFSCME Council 31 received an automatic annual raise on July 1, highlighting the salary discrepancy between government and private sector workers.
State lawmakers boosted benefits for Chicago police and firefighters in the final days of the legislative session. Gov. J.B. Pritzker should reject this bill, or else it will add billions in debt to an already struggling city.
Illinois was No. 12 in the U.S. for its June unemployment rate. It’s not been ranked that low since before the pandemic. Still, the state trails the national average thanks to anemic private-sector growth.
Summer jobs programs are not enough to keep Chicago’s youth out of trouble. To reach their potential, a year-round answer is needed. Paid apprenticeships or other work-study need to become part of public education.
Illinois just ranked as having the highest property tax rate in the country. Property taxes in Illinois are an especially heavy burden without the tradeoff seen in states such as Texas or New Hampshire, where there are either no sales taxes or income taxes.
Ridership on Metra, the Chicago Transit Authority and Pace is still down 30% from pre-pandemic levels. The agency overseeing all three needs to look at spending before demanding $1.5 billion from taxpayers.
The Illinois Federation of Teachers, the parent union of the Chicago Teachers Union, should be worried about the three Rs, but its main R is “radicalism.” Transgender restrooms, defunding the police and getting rid of charter schools top its radical agenda.