Vallas: All Illinois parents deserve school choice because it works

By Paul Vallas

04/12/2024

Private education excels and school choice help students across race and income demographics. So why are teachers unions working against parents having choices and students excelling?

How Chicago, Illinois can prepare so workers don’t become obsolete

By Ravi Mishra

04/12/2024

Jobs are the best way to escape poverty, but the workplace will continue to change rapidly. To ensure Illinoisans don’t lose the jobs that lift them up, job skills will need to evolve along with education.

Teachers unions lobby to limit high schoolers’ access to college credit

By Hannah Schmid

04/11/2024

The federal government sees giving high school students college credit for advanced courses as a big win. Teachers unions see it as a job threat, so they are working to limit students’ potential.

TAGS: teachers union

Chicago Teachers Union contract demands about politics, bosses’ power

By Mailee Smith, Hannah Schmid

04/11/2024

A 142-page leaked document contains hundreds of Chicago Teachers Union contract demands, from 100% abortion coverage to pay for surrogates, from housing students in old schools to a fleet of electric school buses. Then there are 180 more of the union’s favored, failing schools.

TAGS: CTU: Chicago Teachers Union

Illinois cities could significantly speed up new home, business construction

By Patrick Andriesen

04/09/2024

Illinois cities and villages could reduce from months to just days the time it takes to issue permits for new residential and commercial construction. Phoenix saw housing units increase 10% in a decade by cutting costly delays.

TAGS: affordable housing, zoning

What you should know about the Chicago Teachers Union

By Brad Weisenstein

04/04/2024

The Chicago Teachers Union put its lobbyist in the Chicago mayor's office and is now negotiating its next contract with him. What taxpayers should know about CTU, how it's impacted education, its leadership and its ambitions to be the political machine running the nation's third-largest city.

TAGS: CPS: Chicago Public Schools, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union, education

Universal licensing bill would help professionals move to Illinois

By Patrick Andriesen

04/03/2024

House Bill 5608 would allow professionals with out-of-state licenses or experience to work in Illinois and help residents with certifications from other states to work. Universal licensing was already adopted by 22 other states.

TAGS: occupational licensing

Illinois has worst rainy-day fund in nation

By Bryce Hill, Dylan Sharkey

04/03/2024

Illinois has the worst rainy-day fund in the nation and has only enough cash to last for 15 days. It’s the only state that wouldn’t last a month.

Pritzker’s new budget would create state child tax credit

By Bryce Hill, Dylan Sharkey

04/02/2024

Illinoisans with children younger than 3 could soon get a break on their state taxes. Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s newest budget would let qualifying parents around the state keep $12 million in taxes.

TAGS: JB Pritzker

Pensions eat up $11.6B of Illinois’ budget

By Bryce Hill, Dylan Sharkey

04/02/2024

Despite taking up 20% of the state’s general funds and $11.6 billion in total, experts said lawmakers still underpaid the five statewide government retirement plans.

Illinois

Vallas: All Illinois parents deserve school choice because it works

How Chicago, Illinois can prepare so workers don’t become obsolete

Teachers unions lobby to limit high schoolers’ access to college credit

Chicago Teachers Union contract demands about politics, bosses’ power

Illinois cities could significantly speed up new home, business construction

What you should know about the Chicago Teachers Union

Universal licensing bill would help professionals move to Illinois

Illinois has worst rainy-day fund in nation

Pritzker’s new budget would create state child tax credit

Pensions eat up $11.6B of Illinois’ budget

FAQ: How the federal scholarship program would help 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