Jeremiah made it, but 2 Illinois education reforms could help others

By Ann Miller

11/10/2021

Illinois has too much school district administration. It has too much education pension debt. There are ways to solve those problems to help students facing challenges and taxpayers facing ever-increasing demands.

TAGS: Classrooms First Act, education bureaucracy, education spending, K-12, pensions

Nearly 40 cents of every education dollar in Illinois goes to pensions

By Adam Schuster

09/22/2021

Rapidly rising pension costs compete with classroom spending, reducing resources for teachers and students while driving up property taxes.

TAGS: education spending, K-12, pensions

Frequently asked questions: Updated rules on COVID-19 and schools

By Mailee Smith

06/07/2021

Breaking down the state's latest rules concerning COVID-19 restrictions in Illinois K-12 schools.

TAGS: COVID-19, IDPH: Illinois Department of Public Health, Illinois, ISBE: Illinois State Board of Education, K-12

Illinois lawmakers approve controversial ‘culturally responsive’ teaching rule

By Amy Korte

02/23/2021

Illinois state lawmakers recently approved a rule requiring Illinois teacher training programs to adopt ‘culturally responsive teaching and leading’ standards. Critics say a political litmus test is the wrong focus when students are underachieving on the basics.

TAGS: ISBE: Illinois State Board of Education, JCAR: Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, K-12, public schools

Pritzker benches fall football, puts COVID-19 restrictions on other amateur sports

08/03/2020

Fall’s most popular high school sports lost out as public health, sports and academic leaders put pandemic restrictions on youth, high school and adult amateur sports starting Aug. 15.

TAGS: coronavirus, COVID-19, executive order, K-12, sports

Illinois students should return to classrooms this fall

By Amy Korte

07/13/2020

Gov. J.B. Pritzker should set the expectation that Illinois schools will welcome students back to campus full-time for the 2020-2021 school year.

TAGS: emergency, executive order, JB Pritzker, K-12, public schools, stay at home order

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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Susie Warden

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

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