7 reasons the Illinois Republicans’ budget plan fails taxpayers

By Craig Lesner, John Klingner

06/16/2017

The budget plan proposed by Republican General Assembly members would raise taxes by over $5 billion without enacting any significant spending reforms.

TAGS: Bruce Rauner, budget, education, grand bargain, Illinois House of Representatives, income tax, Jim Durkin, pensions, property taxes

3 reasons charter school teachers should vote against union merger with CTU

By Mailee Smith

06/07/2017

Unionized teachers at Chicago charter schools are voting on whether to merge with the Chicago Teachers Union – a move that would be detrimental to both teachers and students in Chicago.

TAGS: Chicago, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union, education

Bill regulating school buses heads to Rauner’s desk

By Brendan Bakala

06/03/2017

House Bill 3293, which would force any person or group that is not a school district, religious organization or transportation company, but that possesses a school bus, to change the appearance of the school bus, passed the Illinois General Assembly on the last day of spring session.

TAGS: Dan McConchie, education, Illinois General Assembly, Kyle McCarter

Illinois Senate’s education finance bill bails out Chicago, fails at reform

By John Klingner, Ted Dabrowski

06/02/2017

Senate Bill 1 provides a $215 million annual pension bailout and other carve-outs worth hundreds of millions of dollars to CPS.

TAGS: budget, CPS: Chicago Public Schools, education

Amended cursive writing mandate passes Illinois Senate

By Brendan Bakala

06/02/2017

A Senate amendment would require public elementary schools to teach cursive writing, while the original House bill would extend the handwriting instruction mandate to all Illinois public elementary and high schools.

TAGS: Chris Welch, education, regulations

Lombard school district pays more than $400,000 to dismiss 2 administrators

By Joe Kaiser

05/26/2017

A DuPage County school district is severing ties with two administrators before their contracts expire, and it’s going to cost taxpayers.

TAGS: DuPage County, education, Lombard, property taxes

In East Aurora, battle over busing is just the tip of the iceberg

By Mailee Smith

05/26/2017

In East Aurora, Illinois, the District 131 school board has approved a proposal to provide bus transportation for students, but the teachers union has balked at a quick implementation of the plan.

TAGS: Aurora, education, IFT: Illinois Federation of Teachers, labor, unions

Fact-checking BGA’s claims on ‘low-spending’ Illinois

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner

05/23/2017

While the Better Government Association has claimed Illinois’ budget contains no fat to trim, a deeper analysis reveals the state has many areas of expensive inefficiency to reform in state and local government costs, the Medicaid program and K-12 education.

TAGS: BGA: Better Government Association, budget, education, local government, Medicaid, municipal government, state worker pay, taxes

Illinois lawmakers attempt to bail out Chicago Public Schools yet again

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner

05/16/2017

State lawmakers’ latest bill not only forces a failed “evidence-based” education funding program on Illinois, but also bails out Chicago Public Schools.

TAGS: budget, CPS: Chicago Public Schools, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union, education

Illinois teachers get no respect from state government

By Austin Berg

05/11/2017

Illinois has been using its teachers as a piggy bank.

TAGS: education, pensions