Tracy Smith
Tracy Smith
"The tax credit scholarship allowed my children to continue their education, but it also allowed me the opportunity to continue to put what I could back into the system."
Bill would allow Chicago Public Schools principals to go on strike
Bill would allow Chicago Public Schools principals to go on strike
A bill that passed the Illinois House and is now in the Senate would allow Chicago principals to unionize and strike, creating an even more unstable environment for the city’s school children.
Illinois lawmakers introduce bill to save scholarships for low-income Illinois families
Illinois lawmakers introduce bill to save scholarships for low-income Illinois families
House Bill 4076 would make the Invest In Kids Act permanent. The Invest in Kids Act provides a tax credit of 75 cents for every $1 donated to qualified scholarship granting institutions, up to a maximum of $1 million dollars. It’s currently set to expire in 2022.
Pritzker boosts public school funding by $350 million but wants to cut low-income scholarship program
Pritzker boosts public school funding by $350 million but wants to cut low-income scholarship program
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker wanted to renege on the promised $350 million increase in education spending until state lawmakers pushed back. He still wants to cut the scholarship program low-income and minority students use when public education doesn’t fit them.
Bose Clodfelter
Bose Clodfelter
“We are investing in our children’s education, and that money should be allocated where we choose for them to get the education that we would like for them to receive.”
Syreeta Plummer
Syreeta Plummer
“As a parent you sacrifice to do what’s best for your child. I wanted to give my children a jump start in life. Sending them to private school was my way of setting them up for success.”
Alexandria “Allie” Quigley
Alexandria “Allie” Quigley
"The Empower Illinois tax credit program is something that really hits home for me, personally, and for my family and my brothers and sister."
Illinois teachers unions push bill for new health rules on all in-person schooling
Illinois teachers unions push bill for new health rules on all in-person schooling
Legislation backed by teachers unions would require the Illinois Department of Public Health to create regulations before in-person instruction would be allowed at all public, private and parochial schools. State control would replace local control.
Pritzker threatens tax credit scholarship programs for low-income kids, families
Pritzker threatens tax credit scholarship programs for low-income kids, families
A tax credit is providing scholarships for Illinois’ low-income and minority students, but Gov. J.B. Pritzker is targeting the program that lets them thrive when public schools are a poor fit.
Ed Hendricks
Ed Hendricks
“My children were struggling before St. Teresa. They were in a public school in a much bigger population of students and less accountability. They had the wrong kind of friends.”
Brigette Barber
Brigette Barber
“We pretty much did what we had to do to survive.”
Nicole Sniff
Nicole Sniff
“It’s tight, but the scholarships help.”
Kimberly Brooks
Kimberly Brooks
"Through the Empower Illinois website you can designate which school the funds go to, so we designate the money to our children’s school so we can say with confidence that our donations go to families at the school."
Classrooms First Act unanimously passes Illinois House committee
Classrooms First Act unanimously passes Illinois House committee
A bill to channel education dollars from duplicate bureaucracy and into classrooms or back to property taxpayers won committee approval. It is headed for a full vote in the Illinois House.