Illinois

Tribune Letter to the Editor: ‘Dreadful’ Condition

01/13/2010
The Institute's Kristina Rasmussen has a letter to the editor featured in the Chicago Tribune. She points out how, despite being nearly bankrupt, our state government continues to grow, adding over 2 thousand employees.

Ahead of the Curve: An Introduction to Public Education Reform in Illinois

01/13/2010
Download the full report here (pdf).Download the one-page Policy Point summary here (pdf).The ProblemDespite the $25 billion flowing into our public school system annually, a full 81 percent of people polled in Illinois would send their child to a school other than a traditional public school in order to receive the best possible education. Parents...

Capital Bill = More Empty Buildings?

01/06/2010
Could the mixture of Illinois's new capital building program and a lack of operating funds leave us with new -- but empty -- state facilities?

Contracting for Success: An Introduction to School Service Privatization

By Collin Hitt
12/17/2009
The Problem During these trying fiscal times, many school districts are attempting to find ways to become more efficient. Private firms are able to assist in this goal, while often improving the quality of certain services. For example, support service providers can offer more efficient busing or cafeteria services, and instructional service providers can offer...

Getting Less For More: A Report Card on Illinois State Higher Education

By Collin Hitt
10/27/2009
The Problem Tuition at Illinois’s state universities is becoming less affordable for Illinois families. From 2002 to 2007, in-state tuition and fees jumped by an average of 56 percent, with no campus increasing rates by less than 42 percent and two campuses increasing rates by more than 70 percent [in inflation-adjusted dollars]. In just five...

Charter Schools and Changing Neighborhoods: Hispanics and English Learners in Chicago

By Collin Hitt
09/30/2009
The Problem Illinois’s Limited English Proficient (LEP) and Hispanic students will play a major role in determining the state’s economic future. Unfortunately, these two critical groups of students have remained among the lowest-performing in our schools. This is especially the case in Chicago Public Schools, where the problem is exacerbated by the fact that thousands...