Chronic absenteeism rates among Illinois public school students increased after the pandemic-era school closures. Rates are even higher among low-income students, limiting their futures.
Chicago voters disapproved of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s handling of every issue, but nearly 70% found fault with his handling of the migrant crisis, a new poll showed. Crime and housing disapproval were not far behind.
This edition of The Policy Shop is by Head of Policy Joshua Bandoch. When President Lyndon B. Johnson told the U.S. Congress in 1964 he was declaring the War on Poverty, he did not set out a vision for an America in which over $12 trillion in taxes would be spent over more than 60 years to...
The Chicago Teachers Union’s answer is always “more money.” But the question is why Chicago’s students are doing so poorly when there’s more money than ever to teach fewer of them.
Illinois businesses pay the nation’s second-highest corporate income tax rates. Chicago is considering taxing them more.
The Illinois Supreme Court voted to uphold a law consolidating 649 municipal police and firefighter pension funds. It may help the state’s pension woes, but amending the Illinois Constitution is needed for real solutions.
Seven of 13 Illinois metro areas added jobs from November to December 2023, led by the St. Louis area. Five metros still reported fewer jobs than prior to the pandemic.
The Chicago Board of Education is limiting students’ education options and now is putting their safety at greater risk. Bowing to the Chicago Teachers Union’s ‘defund the police’ ideology can expose students to more violence.
This edition of The Policy Shop is by writer Patrick Andriesen Detroit is the Motor City. Chicago is the Stolen Motor City. Car thieves and carjackers have gotten so bold, that a carjacking recently took place near Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Gold Coast mansion. The only reason the two suspects didn’t finish the crime was because they...
“I’ve been in Chicago 30 years. I came to Chicago to do inner-city youth and children’s ministry. I was 36 years old then, and violence has gotten much worse since then. That’s horrendous for somebody to be killed by a couple of criminals in his own yard while putting [Christmas] lights on his house.” “Jose [Tellez]...
Public and private sector unions in Illinois saw another 27,000 workers reject union membership in 2023. Just 12.8% of public and private-sector workers chose union membership, the lowest it’s been in 34 years on record.
Chronic absenteeism rates are higher in Chicago than statewide, with 44% of low-income Chicago students missing at least 10% of their days in school.
With Invest in Kids scholarships expiring, four schools across Illinois already decided to close their doors for good. Futures for nearly 10,000 low-income students remain uncertain.