How Illinois lawmakers can give school choice to 9,000 low-income students

By Dylan Sharkey

01/06/2023

A scholarship program that has helped more than 9,000 low-income students choose to attend private schools will expire at the end of 2023 unless lawmakers expand the Invest in Kids Act.

TAGS: Invest in Kids, school choice

Chicago Teachers Union tries to kill school choice for low-income students

By Hannah Max

12/30/2022

Spring test data shows demographic achievement gaps persist in Chicago Public Schools, yet the Chicago Teachers Union wants to eliminate a scholarship program giving low-income students a way out of the underperforming public school system.

TAGS: CTU: Chicago Teachers Union, Invest in Kids, tax credit scholarships

CTU allies push to end school choice program for low-income Illinois students

By Dylan Sharkey

11/30/2022

A government union-backed group is pushing parents to ask state lawmakers to kill tax credit scholarships serving the state’s most vulnerable students. Other parents are trying to make the program permanent. Here’s why opponents need to fail.

TAGS: CTU: Chicago Teachers Union, IFPS: Illinois Families for Public Schools, Invest in Kids

Parents push to expand Illinois’ Invest in Kids school choice program

By Dylan Sharkey

11/18/2022

Illinois state lawmakers are hearing from parents who want to see the Invest in Kids program expanded. Giving families a choice about their schools can boost student achievement.

TAGS: Invest in Kids, school choice

Pritzker flips on school choice scholarships he tried to cut

By Dylan Sharkey

10/19/2022

Gov. J.B. Pritzker now supports the Invest in Kids tax credit scholarship program, according to a candidate survey. Pritzker in the past called for eliminating the program.

TAGS: Invest in Kids, JB Pritzker

Bullied students find better education thanks to Illinois’ school choice program

03/30/2022

Jerry Valdivia’s children were scarred in a fire that killed their mom. They avoided bullying and found a nurturing private school thanks to Illinois’ school choice scholarship program.

TAGS: Illinois, Invest in Kids, school choice

How school choice helped a Joliet student escape public school bullying

03/28/2022

When her son’s public school couldn’t stop the bullying, this Joliet mom took an administrator’s taunt about switching schools to heart. Illinois’ Invest in Kids tax credit scholarships have let them choose a private school despite COVID-19 hurting family finances.

TAGS: Illinois, Invest in Kids, school choice

After losing scholarship, Chicago family sold car to keep kids in private school

03/01/2022

Invest in Kids tax credit scholarships give opportunities to minority families and stability to students when hard times hit. Tough choices await when the scholarships dry up.

TAGS: Illinois, Invest in Kids, school choice

Invest in Kids scholarships help single moms get kids through tough times

02/09/2022

Illinois’ tax credit scholarship program for low-income families helped these three single moms and their children. Education during COVID-19 is failing low-income students, but the program can help if state lawmakers back bills to save and expand it.

TAGS: Illinois, Invest in Kids, school choice

Illinois lawmakers file bill to save school choice program for low-income kids, families

By Amy Korte, Hannah Max

02/08/2022

Roughly half of the low-income students benefitting from Illinois’ tax credit scholarships are minorities, and about 26,000 students are waiting for a chance at a private school that better fits their needs. State lawmakers are working on a permanent fix.

TAGS: Illinois, Invest in Kids, school choice

Fixing Illinois pension crisis by amending nation’s most-restrictive pension law is legal, effective

Illinois is home to one of the worst pension crises in the country.1 At 39% funded, according to the nonpartisan Pew Charitable Trusts, Illinois has the worst pension funding ratio of any state.2 By contrast, neighboring Wisconsin’s pension system is 103% funded.3 In fiscal year 2022, Illinois’ total general funds pension costs, including pension bond...

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Fixing Illinois pension crisis by amending nation’s most-restrictive pension law is legal, effective

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Cathy Stuehmeier

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

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