Illinois’ average in-state tuition to public universities is among the highest in the nation. Getting an education is crucial to escaping poverty, putting Illinoisans at a great disadvantage.
A study found charter students in poverty had stronger growth in reading and math compared to their peers in traditional public schools, especially minority students in poverty. But the Chicago Teachers Union wants to limit families’ options to enroll their students in charter schools.
The union’s federal reports show the union has suffered membership loss during the past two decades. It could be because the union’s spending priorities are completely misplaced.
The Chicago Teachers Union’s current contract limits the growth of charter schools in Chicago. The union’s new contract demands seek to further deny access and limit parents’ options for their children’s educations.
Students at a private school and a Chicago public school in the same neighborhood experience very different outcomes in their educations. Which one produces struggling students? The one dominated by the Chicago Teachers Union.
Douglass Academy High School had 35 students with nearly 900 seats unfilled. None were proficient on the SAT. The Chicago Teachers Union wants to add at least eight staffers there and at every other school in the district at a cost of $1.7 billion.
This episode of The Policy Shop is by policy analyst Hannah Schmid. If you are spending part of your day reading this, it’s more than a little likely you had solid teachers in first through third grades. They taught you to read, which was essential to learning all that was to come during the rest...
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson sees unlimited migration as a solution to population loss. What he should be doing is recognizing crime and a lack of quality school choice is driving out families.
Half of Chicagoans said their biggest concern was “students not learning enough academically.” They expect Chicago Public Schools to “prepare students to go to college.” But the Chicago Teachers Union is demanding more schools that fail those expectations.
Third grade is a critical year for young readers, predicting the success of their entire educations. See how well your local schools are doing at producing proficient readers by the end of third grade.
Third grade marks a critical reading milestone: if students struggle then, they will face greater problems during the rest of their educations. State data shows 7 of 10 Illinois third graders can’t read at grade level, meaning there’s trouble awaiting most Illinois students.
As public school enrollment continues to drop, Illinois faces the prospect of a smaller future workforce.
Illinois has limited charter school options or open enrollment policies. Lawmakers should expand public school choice options in Illinois to give families more control over their children’s education.
There are 18 private school choice programs called “education savings accounts” in 16 states and growing. But Illinois leaders refuse to let parents decide how their taxes are used to educate their children.