New education funding plan repeats Chicago Public Schools bailout history

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner

07/25/2017

Senate Bill 1 is yet another unfair bailout of long-term mismanagement within Chicago Public Schools.

TAGS: budget, Chicago, CPS: Chicago Public Schools, education, pensions, Senate Bill 1

Illinois’ $21 billion in school debt pushes up property taxes

By Ted Dabrowski, Evelyn Hussey

07/11/2017

Illinois’ debt per student is the 11th highest of any state in the nation. It is almost 15 percent higher than the national average of $8,764.

5 things Illinoisans need to know about House Democrats’ budget

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner

06/29/2017

Much like other plans in the General Assembly before it, the House Democrats’ budget plan does nothing to structurally reform state government and bring down costs, but instead increases the burden on Illinois taxpayers.

TAGS: budget, Illinois House of Representatives, Mike Madigan

Amended cursive writing mandate passes Illinois Senate

By Brendan Bakala

06/02/2017

A Senate amendment would require public elementary schools to teach cursive writing, while the original House bill would extend the handwriting instruction mandate to all Illinois public elementary and high schools.

TAGS: Chris Welch, education, regulations

Fact-checking BGA’s claims on ‘low-spending’ Illinois

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner

05/23/2017

While the Better Government Association has claimed Illinois’ budget contains no fat to trim, a deeper analysis reveals the state has many areas of expensive inefficiency to reform in state and local government costs, the Medicaid program and K-12 education.

TAGS: BGA: Better Government Association, budget, education, local government, Medicaid, municipal government, state worker pay, taxes

Mautino committee fined $5K for campaign finance disclosure violations

By Eric Kohn

05/15/2017

The Illinois State Board of Elections cast a tie vote on whether to refer to the Illinois attorney general or LaSalle County state’s attorney the disclosure violations case regarding Illinois Auditor General Frank Mautino’s previous campaign funds.

TAGS: campaign finance, corruption, Frank Mautino, Illinois State Board of Elections

Workers’ compensation estimated to cost Illinois taxpayers nearly $1 billion per year

By Michael Lucci

04/05/2017

Workers’ compensation is a significant cost to Illinois taxpayers and drains scarce tax dollars from government coffers. A previous report in this series estimated the direct cost of workers’ compensation to state, county and municipal governments is $402 million in worker payouts per year.1 Building upon those findings, this report estimates that the total cost of workers’ compensation to...

Unpaid sick leave spikes Illinois teachers’ pension benefits

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner

03/08/2017

While sick leave is necessary for working teachers, letting unpaid sick leave accumulate for the purpose of boosting pensions is an expensive perk that taxpayers cannot afford.

Education finance solutions

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner

02/09/2017

Making Illinois’ system fairer through pension reform, consolidation and accountability to parents and students.

Full text: Gov. Bruce Rauner’s 2017 State of the State Address

By illinoispolicy

01/25/2017

Delivered on Jan. 25, 2017.

TAGS: Bruce Rauner, State of the State

Illinois State Board of Education

New education funding plan repeats Chicago Public Schools bailout history

Illinois’ $21 billion in school debt pushes up property taxes

5 things Illinoisans need to know about House Democrats’ budget

Amended cursive writing mandate passes Illinois Senate

Fact-checking BGA’s claims on ‘low-spending’ Illinois

Mautino committee fined $5K for campaign finance disclosure violations

Workers’ compensation estimated to cost Illinois taxpayers nearly $1 billion per year

Unpaid sick leave spikes Illinois teachers’ pension benefits

Education finance solutions

Full text: Gov. Bruce Rauner’s 2017 State of the State Address

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