Education

Sheila Passehl

“Private education has positively impacted my children in so many ways. They’ve built friendships. They attend Mass together as a school community weekly and on holy days.”

Lucas Stangler

“The tax credit scholarship program has enabled so many families that want to come to St. Jude to be able to do it financially. I think that’s the most important impact that the program has had."

Invest in Kids Act could reduce inequality, lower crime in Illinois’ big cities

A solid education and satisfying employment will go a long way toward reducing crime in Illinois. State lawmakers already have a solution in place, but it needs a boost.

By Orphe Divounguy

Nearly 1 in 3 Illinois students didn’t take assessment tests

Lots of Illinois students missed lots of school during 2021, meaning state test scores suffered. Chronic truancy led to drops across demographics.

By Dylan Sharkey

Chicago schools prep for omicron, let some unvaccinated students test out of COVID-19 quarantine

Chicago Public Schools will increase testing and give unvaccinated students a chance to test out of quarantine after exposure to COVID-19. Administrators are bracing for the omicron variant

By Dylan Sharkey

Statewide COVID-19 school mandates draw ire of superintendents

A group of school district superintendents called on the Illinois State Board of Education to oppose statewide mask and other mandates, letting local schools decide how best to handle COVID-19 mitigation.

By Patrick Andriesen

Equating parents with terrorists leads Illinois Association of School Boards to quit U.S. group

The Illinois Association of School Boards is among 15 state boards to terminate their National School Boards Association membership after the national group sent a letter to President Biden asking that upset parent be monitored as domestic terrorists.

By Patrick Andriesen

Jeremiah made it, but 2 Illinois education reforms could help others

Illinois has too much school district administration. It has too much education pension debt. There are ways to solve those problems to help students facing challenges and taxpayers facing ever-increasing demands.

Chicago schools cancel class for COVID-19 ‘Vaccine Awareness Day’

Chicago Public Schools declared a day off for students ages 5 to 11 to get their COVID-19 shots. But little notice and the fact the vaccines were just approved for younger children mean parents face challenges to actually getting shots for their kids.

By Dylan Sharkey

1-in-5 Illinois students chronically truant thanks to COVID-19 mandates

Illinois students were missing – in masses – during the COVID-19 restrictions on in-person learning. As a result, nearly 20% fewer students met math and English proficiency standards.

By Patrick Andriesen

Amendment 1 will cement teacher strikes in Illinois Constitution

Voters will decide in November 2022 whether teachers’ unions will have a permanent right to walk out on students.

By Mailee Smith

Chicago Sky standout’s rise started with scholarship to private school

Allie Quigley’s team just brought Chicago the WNBA championship, but her success story started with someone donating a scholarship that let her and her siblings attend private school. The result: lessons that built a champion.

By Brad Weisenstein

Aryana Franco

“They didn’t ask them what was going on at home. They just cared about their behavior. I know some students who couldn’t afford to do laundry or others who were in a toxic household. When you’re going through that, you can’t focus on school.”

Making Illinois’ tax credit scholarships permanent will let more students excel

Illinois state lawmakers can give low-income students the security of an education that best fits their needs by making the Tax Credit Scholarship a permanent fixture.