Teachers unions have given millions to the state lawmakers targeting homeschoolers in their most recent effort to stifle educational freedom in Illinois.
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...
Declining reading and math scores decrease opportunity for students in Illinois. Apprenticeships, which provide paid on-the-job training and classroom instruction, are an in-demand alternative to a college degree that can build key skills and help meet future employment needs.
Published Oct. 16, 2024 Illinois finds itself at a crossroads: will it empower minorities and poor people to unleash their potential, or will it perpetuate an inequitable status quo? For far too many Illinoisans, opportunity is unfairly and unnecessarily out of reach. Illinois ranks in the bottom ten among all states in social mobility and...
Apprenticeships are a great alternative to a college degree, and there is high demand in Illinois. They can help the 177,000 Illinois youths who are out of work and out of school.
Student literacy is in trouble nationally, which is why Illinois is one of 35 states where just 1 in 3 – or fewer – of its fourth graders met reading standards in 2022.
Published July 9, 2024 America is facing a housing affordability crisis. According to a 2022 survey, 73% of Americans said the average person could not afford a home in their area, and 69% were worried about their children and grandchildren being able to afford a home. That’s unfair. Everyone deserves a good roof over their...
The Chicago Teachers Union is putting political goals in its contract demands, something not found in other large cities. It is trying to impose policy on the public without elected representatives debating whether the policies will hurt students and taxpayers.
Third grade marks a critical reading milestone: if students struggle then, they will face greater problems during the rest of their educations. State data shows 7 of 10 Illinois third graders can’t read at grade level, meaning there’s trouble awaiting most Illinois students.
Illinois students could soon benefit from scholarship money to help them find a tutor, attend ACT or SAT prep sessions, pay tuition, get special education services or assist with other academic needs. That will happen in Illinois only if Gov. J.B. Pritzker lets the state’s schoolchildren benefit from the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program, established...