Washington

Public Education 2.0

08/19/2010
by Collin Hitt A new national group has formed to advance online and technology-driven learning in public schools, the Digital Learning Council. I’ve been asked to serve on the council, an honor considering the accomplished careers of those who’ll also be joining the group – for starters, the council is co-chaired by former governors Bob Wise and Jeb Bush. It looks...

D.C. Schools Superintendent Wants Vouchers

07/26/2010
by Collin Hitt Special education in Washington D.C. public schools is mired with problems. So much so that legally savvy parents of special needs students often win big-dollar lawsuits to have their children placed in city private schools. Across the country, the role that private schools play in special education is small but significant.  Parents,...

Constitutional Challenge to Illinois’s Campaign Finance Laws

07/15/2010
by Kristina Rasmussen The Center for Individual Freedom (CFIF) is challenging Illinois’s new campaign finance laws. From CFIF’s press release: Center for Individual Freedom Files Federal Lawsuit Challenging Constitutionality of Illinois’ Campaign Finance Law Vagueness of Illinois law and its discriminatory exemption for labor unions violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments ALEXANDRIA, VA — The Center for...

Vouchers a Win-Win-Win: Trib

07/02/2010
by Collin Hitt In the wake of a recent study showing strong results for a Washington D.C. voucher program, the Trib is again urging Illinois lawmakers to support a school voucher bill that would provide students in Chicago’s worst and most overcrowded elementary schools with the choice of attending a city private school instead: No, we haven’t...

Vouchers in D.C. Rock: New Study

06/22/2010
by Collin Hitt Using a school voucher in D.C. significantly boosted students’ chances of graduating high school, according to an official evaluation released today by the federal Department of Education.  Students who used vouchers, versus those who were eligible but did not receive or use vouchers, had a 21 percent greater chance of graduating high...

The Jury on School Vouchers

03/24/2010
This report, prepared by the Institute for Justice, says SB294 is constitutional under both the federal Establishment Clause and the Illinois Constitution.

State Funding for Mass Transit

01/31/2010
by Mark Cavers In 2009, the Department of Transportation gave the National Railroad Passenger Corporation $24,902,584.31 in grants.  The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, also known as Amtrak, “is a for-profit corporation that operates intercity passenger rail services in 46 States and the District of Columbia, in addition to serving as a contractor in various capacities for several commuter rail agencies.” ...

Bring in the Cameras

01/06/2010
As the national health care debate moves behind closed doors, CSPAN tries to let the sunshine in...and Obama's campaign promises come back to haunt him.

Chicago Forward 2026: A pro-growth plan to end city budget deficits

Chicago’s $1.15 billion projected budget gap is the latest in a decades-long string of structural deficits. Making Chicago’s high taxes worse is not the solution.

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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