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Strike gains less than 1% over 3 years by idling Bourbonnais students for week

By Patrick Andriesen
03/15/2021
The Bourbonnais Education Association walked out, gaining 10.25% over 3 years rather than the 9.5% the district offered before the strike. Students lost a week of school.

TAGS: Bourbonnais, education, strike, teachers union

Illinois students safe at 3-foot distance, unless they are in Chicago

By Patrick Andriesen
03/11/2021
New COVID-19 guidance from Illinois health and education departments allows schools to reduce social distancing to three feet. But the Chicago Teachers Union intends to ‘vigorously’ keep a six-foot distance.

TAGS: COVID-19, education

Bourbonnais union strikes; claims to fight for students ‘out on the picket line’

By Brad Weisenstein
03/05/2021
A disagreement over final contract details caused the teachers union to strike in Bourbonnais, putting 2,452 elementary students out of class.

TAGS: Bourbonnais, COVID-19, education

Holiday scratch-offs win bupkis for Illinois students

By Ann Miller
12/23/2020
Anyone betting those lottery tickets they gifted will help education would lose.

TAGS: education, illinois lottery, pensions, public schools

Illinois school standards proposal pushes ‘progressive values’ over diverse views, critics say

By Ben Szalinski
12/07/2020
Illinois educators may face controversial rules encouraging teachers to review their biases and privilege, accept multiple views as correct and encourage student activism.

TAGS: education

Free resources to keep learning going while COVID-19 keeps students at home

By Ben Szalinski
03/30/2020
COVID-19 has forced classes to close, but children’s educations can continue with some creativity and a wealth of free resources for online learning at home.

TAGS: coronavirus, COVID-19, CPS: Chicago Public Schools, education, school choice

Illinoisans want cleaner state government more than great schools, less crime

By Austin Berg
02/13/2020
A common misconception in Illinois is that voters are numb to this reality. But polling released this week, commissioned by the Illinois Education Association, shows that’s not true.

TAGS: bipartisan, corruption, education, ethics, federal investigation, Legislative Inspector General, revolving door

Chicago Teachers Union votes to strike for third time in 7 years

By Mailee Smith
10/01/2019
After rejecting an offer based on the recommendations of a neutral third-party report, Illinois’ largest teachers union voted to walk out on their students as soon as Oct. 7.

TAGS: Chicago, CPS: Chicago Public Schools, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union, education, Jesse Sharkey, labor, Lori Lightfoot, strike, unions

Illinois K-12 school districts losing students, gaining administrators

By Adam Schuster
08/27/2019
Despite shrinking populations of students and teachers, Illinois school districts have continued to grow their administrative bodies.

TAGS: education, municipal pensions, pension guarantee, pensions, school district consolidation, school district efficiency

Cost of Illinois’ education bureaucracy crowds out classroom spending

By Adam Schuster
08/20/2019
More than 9,000 Illinois school district administrators earn more than $100,000 a year. Each of them will collect at least $3 million in pension benefits during retirement.

TAGS: education, municipal pensions, pension guarantee, pensions, Rita Mayfield, school district consolidation, school district efficiency

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Budget + Tax / Research Report

Illinois Forward 2022: COVID-19 makes pension reform imperative to protecting taxpayers, services for vulnerable Illinoisans


Illinois has a chance to fix its state finances, thanks to federal relief. But unless pension growth is brought under control, both retirees and taxpayers will be at risk as debt continues to consume state services.

View Report

Report Archive

Education / Your Story

Brigette Barber

Jobs + Growth / Policy Point

Policy lessons from Illinois’ exodus of people and money

By J. Scott Moody, Wendy Warcholik
07/07/2014
Illinois Policy In the News

CBS Chicago: Illinois’ highest-paid superintendent receives $400K per year to oversee 1,200 students

By Ted Dabrowski
05/02/2016

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Illinois' comeback story starts here