Public Education
Chicago Public Schools facing lower enrollment but more teachers(The Center Square) – A new report shows a decade-long problem of low test scores and enrollment decline for Chicago Public Schools. The report was done by… Read More
Public Education
Study: teacher benefits causing education spending to go up despite falling enrollments(The Center Square) – A new study shows inflation-adjusted per-pupil K-12 school revenues in Illinois grew by 55% between 2002 and 2020 while enrollment numbers decreased. The rise in overall… Read More
Economy
Report details threat to future Illinois taxpayers posed by excessive borrowing(The Center Square) – A report shows the state of Illinois has one of the largest debt liabilities in the country. The American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, released its… Read More
Public Education
Illinois school districts trying to help students catch up after remote learning loss(The Center Square) – Illinois school districts are in catch-up mode after the COVID-19 pandemic set back the development of many students. During Wednesday’s Illinois State Board of Education… Read More
Culture, Public Education
Parents’ rights group rallies outside Illinois State Capitol, criticized new sex ed standards(The Center Square) – As schools across the state begin this week, a parents’ rights group rallied outside the Illinois statehouse Tuesday to call attention to issues they say are hurting… Read More
Public Education
Some Illinois school districts facing bus driver shortages(The Center Square) – The school bus driver shortage that was prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic is still affecting some Illinois school districts with higher costs covered by taxpayers. Read More
Culture, Public Education
Motions to dismiss challenges to COVID-19 school mandates under advisement(The Center Square) – As schools prepare to start a new year, whether the case challenging broad COVID-19 mandates on schools is dismissed is still up in the air. Earlier… Read More
Public Education
Most Illinois schools opt out of new sex education standards that critics say are age-inappropriate(The Center Square) – With the new school year upon us, it is more apparent that many school officials and parents in Illinois want no part of new standards of teaching… Read More
Public Education
As Illinois adds teachers and sheds students, is there really a teacher shortage?(The Center Square) – Illinois schools employed more teachers in 2021 than it had at any point over the past decade while student enrollment declined over the same period. Despite… Read More
Crime
Gov. Pritzker defends end to cash bail despite law enforcement criticisms(The Center Square) – Gov. J.B. Pritzker is defending the SAFE-T Act despite criticisms from law enforcement statewide that it will make Illinois less safe. The Safety, Accountability, Fairness and… Read More
State Government
Federal report calls out Illinois for not reporting unemployment fraud(The Center Square) – The federal government issued a scathing report on the Illinois Department of Employment Security’s failure to disclose misspending during the pandemic. A report… Read More
Culture, Public Education
Majority of Illinois schools opt out of National Sex Ed Standards(The Center Square) – Opposition is growing from parents, religious groups and Republican lawmakers on sex education standards for Illinois schools. Gov. J.B. Pritzker said when signing the legislation into… Read More
State Government
Pritzker under fire for continued COVID emergency mandates(The Center Square) – Illinois continues to be in a state of emergency, according to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s continued COVID-19 declarations. The Land of Lincoln is one of 14… Read More
Culture, Public Education
Vaccine mandates remain for K-12 staff, not higher ed staff and students, as Pritzker looks to ‘resume normal operations’(The Center Square) – Gov. J.B. Pritzker has modified his COVID-19 executive orders “to ensure governments are resuming normal operations.” The move relaxes the vaccine or testing mandates in some… Read More
Education
Illinois parents’ rights group urges parents to opt children out of controversial sex ed(The Center Square) – An Illinois parents’ rights group is advocating for parents to opt their children out of controversial sex ed courses. Awake Illinois founder Shannon Adcock said with… Read More
Government
Three bills impacting Illinois higher education now law(The Center Square) – Three different bills looking to address issues within the state's higher education system are now law. Gov J.B. Pritzker signed the bills into law last month. Read More
Government
SCOTUS nonpublic school funding ruling a victory for Illinois school choice advocates(The Center Square) – Opponents of school choice in Illinois who say extending public funding to religious schools would be a violation of the separation of church and state… Read More
Public Education
Leaked social media posts show how Chicago Teachers Union leaders smuggled woke ideology into school lessonsSocial media posts by Chicago Teachers Union members and executives describe how they covertly insert far-left woke indoctrination into their lessons. The alarming Facebook posts in the “CTU Members Only… Read More
State Government
Amid possible blackouts, Illinois lawmakers call for scrapping ‘Green New Deal’(The Center Square) – In the wake of an alert warning of possible rolling blackouts this summer, some Illinois lawmakers want to revise the state’s energy policies. Midcontinent Independent… Read More
Government
Illinois’ Invest In Kids school choice program, set to expire in 2023, enhanced under new law(The Center Square) – Illinois’ public schools are not performing well, but the state does have a program in place that gives some families a choice. The latest Illinois public… Read More