Donors can help Illinois students, but will Pritzker let them?

By Lilly Rossi

01/20/2026

A new federal program would provide donor funds to school children in Illinois. But the governor must allow it.

Vallas: Stacy Davis Gates’ destructive vision for Chicago schools

By Paul Vallas

09/26/2025

The Chicago Teachers Union is shutting down school choice by attacking charter schools, hurting Black and Latino families who rely on them. Their actions put power over student success.

TAGS: CTU: Chicago Teachers Union, Stacy Davis Gates

Report: Illinois lags neighbors in school choice after killing scholarships

By Tom Viz

08/28/2025

Illinois is among the few states to offer no private school choice scholarships after killing its Invest in Kids tax-credit program in 2023. The new federal Educational Choice for Children Act would again give Illinois families access to educational options.

TAGS: Invest in Kids, school choice

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

Illinois’ low social mobility: causes and cures

01/28/2025

Published Jan. 28, 2025 Illinois Policy Institute Center for Poverty Solutions, in partnership with the Archbridge Institute By Joshua Bandoch, Ph.D., head of policy, Illinois Policy Institute and Justin Callais, Ph.D., chief economist, Archbridge Institute EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A low-income person’s ability to move up in society is worse in Illinois than in any other Midwestern...

How government unions work against interests of private-sector unions, taxpayers

By Mailee Smith

01/08/2025

Government unions posed threats to public welfare that were recognized by founders of the labor movement and by progressive icon Franklin D. Roosevelt. Those threats have become reality, with government union power dominating – especially in Illinois.

Illinois’ tax credit scholarship program for low-income students saved taxpayer dollars

By Hannah Schmid

10/23/2024

The Invest in Kids Tax Credit Scholarship program saved taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars before it was killed by teachers’ unions, according to a new study.

TAGS: Invest in Kids

Illinois General Assembly OKs $1.1B in tax hikes for record $53.1B spending

By Bryce Hill

05/29/2024

Illinois state lawmakers’ spending plans came in $410 million higher than what Gov. J.B. Pritzker originally proposed. Taxpayers will be forced to pay $1.1 billion more so Illinois can spend record amounts in fiscal year 2025.

TAGS: budget, JB Pritzker, taxes

More states give parents control over education funds, so why not Illinois?

By Hannah Schmid

04/30/2024

There are 18 private school choice programs called “education savings accounts” in 16 states and growing. But Illinois leaders refuse to let parents decide how their taxes are used to educate their children.

TAGS: education spending

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

Investment

Donors can help Illinois students, but will Pritzker let them?

Vallas: Stacy Davis Gates’ destructive vision for Chicago schools

Report: Illinois lags neighbors in school choice after killing scholarships

7 reasons Illinois should let students accept school choice scholarships

Illinois’ low social mobility: causes and cures

How government unions work against interests of private-sector unions, taxpayers

Illinois’ tax credit scholarship program for low-income students saved taxpayer dollars

Illinois General Assembly OKs $1.1B in tax hikes for record $53.1B spending

More states give parents control over education funds, so why not Illinois?

What you should know about the Chicago Teachers Union

4 ways to break out of Illinois’ pension trap

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