Paul Vallas

Beyond degrees: Empowering Illinoisans through career-first education

By Josh Bandoch, Lauren Zuar
06/03/2025
Published June 3, 2025 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The best path to empowerment and success, especially for poor people, is work. Work allows us to prosper while providing dignity, upward mobility, the means to support ourselves and create value for others. It’s how we become thriving members of our community. Central to this process is our education...

Report: Chicago Teachers Union is new Chicago political machine

By Mailee Smith
09/25/2024
Years of exorbitant political spending in Illinois – more than $24.3 million since 2010 – has secured an enormous amount of political influence for the Chicago Teachers Union. It is now the main political player not just in Chicago, but across the state.

Chicago speed cameras fined motorists over $102M in 2023

By Patrick Andriesen
04/29/2024
Chicago speed cameras hit motorists with over $102 million in fines during 2023, and $879 million total since they started flashing a decade ago. The mayor promised to eliminate the automated traffic cams, which issued a ticket every 20 seconds last year.

TAGS: Chicago

Opinion: Brandon Johnson’s ‘moderate’ problem

By Hilary Gowins
02/14/2024
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson faces many challenges, but his biggest may be the loss of faith from moderate voters. Without their trust, he’ll have a tough time getting the higher taxes he seeks March 19.
Load More

Fighting poverty with employment: Chicago block clubs

Leaders of these organizations on the South and West sides connect residents to jobs and engage youth to build safer neighborhoods.

View Report

Report Archive

Diana Graham

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

By Paul Kersey
06/19/2014

CBS Chicago: Illinois’ highest-paid superintendent receives $400K per year to oversee 1,200 students

By Ted Dabrowski
05/02/2016