Teachers’ rights: What if someone doesn’t want to participate in CTU’s 1-day strike on April 1?

03/30/2016

CPS teachers who are unsure about their options on April 1 can call 312-805-0969 for information or assistance.

TAGS: CTU: Chicago Teachers Union, strike

6 reasons why Chicago taxes will keep going up

By Ted Dabrowski

03/24/2016

Even with the city’s record tax hike and massive borrowing, lack of reform means Chicagoans can expect to open up their wallets yet again.

Chicago Teachers Union’s threatened April 1 strike date isn’t legal

By Jeffrey Schwab

03/03/2016

The Chicago Teachers Union has threatened to strike as early as April 1 over Chicago Public Schools’ announced plan to stop paying a portion of teachers’ required contributions to their pension fund. Under Illinois labor law, however, CTU cannot legally strike before mid- to late-May.

TAGS: CPS: Chicago Public Schools

11 things you need to know about Chicago teacher pensions

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner

03/01/2016

Pension holidays, steep increases in teachers' salaries, and lopsided ratios of teacher contributions to pension payouts have caused the Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund’s unfunded liabilities to shoot up to $9 billion in 2015.

TAGS: CPS: Chicago Public Schools, pensions

CPS budget breakdown: Where has the money gone?

By John Klingner, Amy Korte

03/01/2016

Unaffordable salaries and pension benefits on top of a structurally unstable retirement system have pushed CPS to the brink of insolvency despite record tax revenues.

TAGS: budget, CPS: Chicago Public Schools, pensions

Education labor board to Chicago Teachers Union: No step-and-lane raises

By Ted Dabrowski

02/19/2016

The value of these raises is estimated at $26 million. CTU wanted the education labor board to compel CPS to pay out, even though the district and the union hadn’t agreed to a labor contract.

TAGS: CPS: Chicago Public Schools, step and lane

Springfield couldn’t bail out Chicago Public Schools even if it wanted to

By Ted Dabrowski

02/05/2016

State-run teacher pensions have a shortfall of $37,000 per student, while Chicago's shortfall totals $24,000.

TAGS: Chicago, CPS: Chicago Public Schools, education, pensions

Chicago teachers highest paid among nation’s 50 largest school districts

By Amy Korte

02/05/2016

Among the U.S.’ 50 largest school districts, CPS teachers’ pay ranks No. 1 for teachers with a bachelor’s degree and five years’ experience, No. 2 for first-year teachers with a bachelor’s degree, and No. 3 for first-year teachers with a master’s degree.

TAGS: Chicago, CPS: Chicago Public Schools

Chicago Public Schools sells $725M in bonds with 8.5% interest rate

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner

02/03/2016

The district’s borrowing does take pressure off of the district’s immediate cash-flow problem. However, it does nothing to solve the CPS’ long-term financial crisis and its structural imbalances – in fact it only makes things worse.

TAGS: Chicago, CPS: Chicago Public Schools, credit rating, education

Pensions 101: Understanding Illinois’ massive, government-worker pension crisis

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner

02/03/2016

The crisis threatens to burden taxpayers with massive, ever-escalating taxes to bail out a system that is not sustainable – government-worker pensions consume a fourth of the state’s budget.

Chicago Teachers Union

Teachers’ rights: What if someone doesn’t want to participate in CTU’s 1-day strike on April 1?

6 reasons why Chicago taxes will keep going up

Chicago Teachers Union’s threatened April 1 strike date isn’t legal

11 things you need to know about Chicago teacher pensions

CPS budget breakdown: Where has the money gone?

Education labor board to Chicago Teachers Union: No step-and-lane raises

Springfield couldn’t bail out Chicago Public Schools even if it wanted to

Chicago teachers highest paid among nation’s 50 largest school districts

Chicago Public Schools sells $725M in bonds with 8.5% interest rate

Pensions 101: Understanding Illinois’ massive, government-worker pension crisis

What is the Education Freedom Tax Credit and how can it benefit Illinois students?

Report Archive

Diana Graham

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

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