20% fewer Illinois public school students proficient in reading, math

By Hannah Max

11/18/2022

Illinois students’ academic proficiency remains below pre-pandemic levels. Demographic achievement gaps persist. School choice is part of the solution.

TAGS: Illinois, public schools

Chicago parents spend $886 per child on school supplies

By Dylan Sharkey

08/09/2022

Chicago parents spend one-third more than the national average on school supplies. A 5% state sales tax holiday does little to help those struggling with back-to-school costs.

TAGS: Chicago, education spending, parenting, public schools, school, teachers

Amendment 1 would give teachers unions more power over students’ health

08/01/2022

The number of students enrolling in Chicago Public Schools continues to fall as teachers’ unions impose COVID-19 policies and infringe on parents’ choices about their childrens’ health and safety. A ballot proposal would make that worse.

TAGS: Amendment 1, Chicago, COVID-19, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union, government unions, mask mandate, parenting, public schools, teachers union

Longer public schools closed for pandemic, more students they lost

By Hannah Max

05/26/2022

New research shows remote learning spurred the enrollment declines plaguing public schools. Schools with more in-person instruction lost fewer students.

TAGS: COVID-19, public schools, teachers union

Over 23,000 Illinois public school employees leave unions

By Hannah Max

04/14/2022

Membership in teachers unions has decreased nearly 10% since 2017, when public educators gained the right to stop handing their pay to unions.

TAGS: Illinois, opt out, public schools, teachers union

Illinois COVID-19 school closures hurt math, reading scores

By Hannah Max

03/29/2022

SAT math scores dropped nearly 15%, and reading scores dropped 9% from 2019 to 2021 among Illinois high school juniors. Low-income and minority students saw bigger losses.

TAGS: COVID-19, ISAT: Illinois Standards Achievement Test, public schools, school closures

Illinois schools pay $8.8M in penalties for pension spiking

By Dylan Sharkey

03/25/2022

Illinois school districts paid out $8.8 million in penalties over two school years to cover salary and sick days in excess of what is allowed by law. Those are dollars taken from classrooms, but only hint at the full taxpayer cost.

TAGS: pension spiking, public schools, teachers union

Illinois Supreme Court denies Pritzker’s appeal of school mask mandate decisions, schools move to mask optional Feb. 28

By Amy Korte, Mailee Smith

02/25/2022

After the Illinois Supreme Court determined the state’s appeal of decisions regarding the governor’s school mask rules was moot, the governor declared schools can move to mask optional policies on Feb. 28.

TAGS: Illinois Supreme Court, JB Pritzker, mask mandate, public schools

What you need to know about Pritzker’s legal fight to keep students masked

By Mailee Smith

02/24/2022

Gov. J.B. Pritzker is asking the Illinois Supreme Court to let him keep his authority to force Illinoisans to mask. But his effort to keep his COVID-19 mandate power is ignoring relevant data.

TAGS: JB Pritzker, mask mandate, public schools

Illinois appellate court rejects Pritzker’s appeal to keep kids in masks

By Mailee Smith

02/18/2022

The appellate court ruling marks Pritzker’s second loss in cases challenging his mask mandate in schools.

TAGS: JB Pritzker, mask mandate, public schools

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