Chicago Public Schools enrollment dropped 80,900 from the 2011-2012 school year to 2023-2024. But staffing increased by over 2,500 and costs rose $3.5 billion.
Chicago Public Schools Board of Education candidates have varying positions on school choice, according to a Chicago Sun-Times and Chalkbeat Chicago questionnaire.
The Chicago Board of Education’s five-year plan includes redefining student success and ending school ranking based on performance. It also includes expanding sustainable community schools, which record among the lowest student outcomes.
More than a dozen candidates filled out an Illinois Policy questionnaire to give voters a better idea of who is running for office. Read their answers below.
Years of exorbitant political spending in Illinois – more than $24.3 million since 2010 – has secured an enormous amount of political influence for the Chicago Teachers Union. It is now the main political player not just in Chicago, but across the state.
Illinois’ tax code stands in the way of the state’s economic competitiveness. The combination of high tax burdens and a poor tax structure contributes to the loss of jobs and investment to other states. From a place of former economic dominance, Illinois now ranks 45th in gross state product (GSP) growth over the past decade...