Back to school: 3rd grade reading key to helping 2-in-3 struggling Illinois juniors

By Hannah Schmid

08/14/2025

Students in Illinois are steadily returning to class across Illinois’ 866 school districts and 3,835 schools. The state’s public schools have a lot of room for improvement to prepare students for life beyond the classroom.

TAGS: public schools

7 reasons Illinois should let students accept school choice scholarships

By Hannah Schmid

08/13/2025

The national Educational Choice for Children Act creates a federal tax-credit scholarship program for both public and private school students to help boost them academically. Here are seven reasons why Illinois should opt into the program.

TAGS: school choice

5 new bills help fix Illinois education, but more is needed

By Rich Witzel

07/31/2025

About 2-in-5 Illinois elementary students can read at grade level, so there is a lot of room for improvement. Five new bills would improve student outcomes and parental involvement.

TAGS: public schools

16 missed chances for state lawmakers to help out Illinoisans

By Joe Tabor

07/08/2025

Out of almost 7,000 bills filed, the Illinois General Assembly passed a little over 400. Some were good. Some were bad. Here are 16 bills that would have improved life in the state had they passed.

Contract negotiations in 52 school districts may see Chicago Teachers Union-style radicalism

By Mailee Smith

06/18/2025

At least 52 school districts represented by the Illinois Federation of Teachers – the parent union and chief ally of the Chicago Teachers Union – are up for contract negotiations this year. CTU’s militant social agenda is being spread by IFT to other teachers unions.

TAGS: CTU: Chicago Teachers Union

Nearly 1 in 3 Illinois school contracts mislead teachers about fees they owe

By Mailee Smith

06/16/2025

Seven years after they were freed from being forced to pay unions, at least 267 of Illinois’ 866 school districts still have “fair share” language in their teachers union contracts. Those contracts are wrong and should be fixed so teachers get the truth about their pay.

TAGS: public schools

9 things you’d likely get wrong about Illinois Federation of Teachers

By Mailee Smith

06/11/2025

The Illinois Federation of Teachers represents employees in more than 200 school districts across the state, but it does a lot that defies expectations. Here are nine things you and its members likely misunderstand, most related to colluding with the Chicago Teachers Union.

TAGS: IFT: Illinois Federation of Teachers

Teacher pension ‘pickup’ costs boost burden on Illinois taxpayers

By LyLena Estabine

05/12/2025

Illinois teachers are required to contribute 9% of their salary toward pensions, but many school districts “pick up” this cost – putting the pension burden on taxpayers.

Bill targets homeschool study groups with big school rules

By Dylan Sharkey

04/16/2025

Homeschool co-ops in Illinois would face several new rules meant for larger schools, according to the Illinois State Board of Education. The ‘Homeschool Act’ sponsor says her bill isn’t quite dead yet.

TAGS: homeschool

‘Homeschool Act’ creates serious legal problems, violates parents’ rights

By Mailee Smith

04/10/2025

House Bill 2827 would extensively regulate both homeschools and private schools in ways that could seriously violate Illinoisans’ rights, including a primary right established a century ago.

TAGS: homeschool

Illinois State Board of Education

Back to school: 3rd grade reading key to helping 2-in-3 struggling Illinois juniors

7 reasons Illinois should let students accept school choice scholarships

5 new bills help fix Illinois education, but more is needed

16 missed chances for state lawmakers to help out Illinoisans

Contract negotiations in 52 school districts may see Chicago Teachers Union-style radicalism

Nearly 1 in 3 Illinois school contracts mislead teachers about fees they owe

9 things you’d likely get wrong about Illinois Federation of Teachers

Teacher pension ‘pickup’ costs boost burden on Illinois taxpayers

Bill targets homeschool study groups with big school rules

‘Homeschool Act’ creates serious legal problems, violates parents’ rights

Pathway to a Profession: How Apprenticeships Could Reshape Illinois’ Beauty Service Industry

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