A solid education and satisfying employment will go a long way toward reducing crime in Illinois. State lawmakers already have a solution in place, but it needs a boost.

Chicago Public Schools will increase testing and give unvaccinated students a chance to test out of quarantine after exposure to COVID-19. Administrators are bracing for the omicron variant

Chicago Public Schools declared a day off for students ages 5 to 11 to get their COVID-19 shots. But little notice and the fact the vaccines were just approved for younger children mean parents face challenges to actually getting shots for their kids.

Illinois students were missing – in masses – during the COVID-19 restrictions on in-person learning. As a result, nearly 20% fewer students met math and English proficiency standards.