Washington

Rhee Gone

10/14/2010
by Collin Hitt Michelle Rhee has stepped down as head of Washington D.C. Public Schools. Her departure was widely expected after her boss, D.C. mayor Adrian Fenty, was defeated in the city’s mayoral primary election. The new documentary “Waiting for Superman” is making Rhee a household name.  But her bold vision for D.C. schools made...

Rhee or Vallas to Chicago?

10/12/2010
by Collin Hitt Chicago mayoral hopeful Gery Chico says that he’d be interested in bringing Paul Vallas back to run the city’s public school system.  Chico mentioned the possibility to Chicago Magazine columnist Carol Thelsenthal, who had floated the idea of bringing Michelle Rhee from Washington, D.C. to Chicago. I asked announced mayoral candidate Gery Chico, a...

TAGS: CPS: Chicago Public Schools

Chicago Public Schools new CEO?

10/07/2010
by Collin Hitt The unsurprising word has leaked that Chicago schools chief Ron Huberman – a Daley appointee – will leave his post before the beginning of a new administration. Greg Hinz… With Chicago Public Schools officials confirming a Chicago Sun-Times story that schools chief Ron Huberman will leave along with Mayor Richard M. Daley, who else...

Talking Without License = Jail

09/27/2010
by Kristina Rasmussen Can talking without a license land you in a DC jail? From our friends at the Institute for Justice: In Washington, D.C., talking without a license can land you in jail for 90 days. Tonia Edwards and Bill Main are lawbreakers. Nearly every day, they teach a group of people how to ride Segways,...

DuPage: $70 Million in Borrowing

09/07/2010
by Kate Piercy DuPage County Board Chairman Bob Schillerstrom has unveiled a $70 million capital plan with bond projects ranging from improvements to roads and campus grounds, creating bike trails and planting trees. The 30-year plan will cost taxpayers nearly $125 million. Although the projects may sound nice, is this fiscally responsible or fair to...

Fixed Race To The Top?

08/27/2010
by Collin Hitt Illinois lost a very-high-stakes federal grant competition. The “Race To The Top” program has gathered headlines across the country for the better part of a year.  It wrapped up earlier this week, with 12 states and the District of Columbia splitting $4B in stimulus largesse to fund public education. Ostensibly, the grant...

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...
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Illinois Forward 2027: How to fix Illinois’ state finances

Pro-growth policies and fiscal responsibility can ensure Illinois’ long-term budget health. Here’s how state leaders can do it.

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Diana Graham

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