Chicago Teachers Union leaders fought members, a Congressional inquiry and a potential U.S. Department of Labor investigation over audits. Now we know why.
Just 10 cents of every dollar the National Education Association spent in 2025 was on representing teachers. Politics and contributions took nearly four times that amount.
Just 17% of the union’s spending in 2025 was on representing teachers. But it spent a record-breaking amount on politics and paid many staffers over $100K.
Chicago Teachers Union members were encouraged to skip class to lobby state lawmakers during the veto session. Politics over student learning, at taxpayers’ expense.
Occupational licensing requirements present one of the steepest barriers to low-income Illinoisans starting careers in beauty services. Illinois requires anyone seeking to become a barber, cosmetologist, nail technician or hair braider to obtain a state license, essentially a permission slip to work. Unlike 45 other states, Illinois offers only one pathway to licensure for each...