By Benjamin VanMetre
05/22/2015
Ending pension pickups is a simple, responsible way for cash-strapped school districts to free up money for the classroom.
TAGS: pensions
By Shawn Tonge
05/08/2015
April saw two major players in Illinois education ensnared in charges of cronyism, among more than 60 other corruption-related stories.
TAGS: good government
By Heather Weiner
04/24/2015
HB 494 empowers employers to find the best match for their school based on full information of a job applicant’s history.
By Brian Costin
09/05/2014
At least 84 corruption-related stories have been reported from across the state of Illinois in August alone. Atop August headlines is the recent revelation that a federal grand jury subpoenaed the emails of Gov. Pat Quinn’s ex-chief of staff in relation to Quinn’s anti-violence grant program. The case, which has been referred to by some...
TAGS: Chicago, corruption, cronyism, transparency, waste
Chicago’s North Shore is synonymous with million-dollar homes and top-notch schools. For decades, families have left Chicago to raise their families and educate their children in the North Shore suburbs. But tucked away within those wealthy villages is a city with schools on the other end of the spectrum. Waukegan, with a population of more...
By Anthony Trania
07/17/2014
Illinois’ public schools are in trouble. As if shuttering schools, the faltering Chicago Public Schools system and unfunded pension liabilities weren’t enough, it seems the teacher licensing system is mired in clout and corruption. A front page story from the Chicago Tribune on July 12 details findings of “nearly 100 cases in the past five...
TAGS: CPS: Chicago Public Schools
Unfortunately for taxpayers, June was a groundbreaking month for corruption in Illinois. In June alone, there were reports of 85 corruption-related stories in the state. Some of the record-breaking highlights include the following: For the first time in 33 years, the Illinois Legislative Audit Commission exercised its subpoena powers in the issuance of a subpoena...
After months of hounding by Illinois legislators, the Illinois State Board of Education has finally released a preliminary analysis of Senate Bill 16, a proposed education funding bill that completely transforms how the state distributes money to local districts. Proponents of the bill say the bill makes education funding more equitable. But, as many suburban...
By Brian Costin
04/30/2014
45. April 30, 2014 Sun-Times: Criminal probe of Quinn anti-violence plan rocks governor’s race A criminal grand jury has launched a probe into Gov. Pat Quinn’s troubled anti-violence program — once likened to “a political slush fund” — delivering a major blow to the Democrat as he seeks re-election this fall. On Tuesday, the Quinn...
Some Illinois lawmakers and special-interest groups are pushing for a so-called fair tax, or progressive income tax in Illinois. Among the leading advocates of the progressive tax is Illinois Education Association, or IEA, which misleadingly claims the progressive tax would “increase taxes on the rich” while “cutting taxes on the middle class.” The reality is...
