The Chicago Teachers Union has registered opposition to just one bill in the Illinois General Assembly’s current legislative session: one that would have created opportunities for low-income parents to send their children to private schools.
“Mom says the cost is normally $700 a month and we’re paying about $100. If the scholarship goes away, I’m afraid that my future could be in jeopardy. My friends and my support system could disappear overnight.”
Data from the Mercatus Center shows Illinois faces a high regulatory burden at both the federal and state level. Research shows these regulations place a disproportionately high burden on the poor, helping to keep them in poverty.
Illinois Families for Public Schools released a pamphlet with misleading information about the Invest in Kids Tax-Credit Scholarship program and its effects on the public school system in Illinois. Here are corrections to seven things they got wrong.
“Think about your kid struggling throughout high school or struggling in middle school, trying to find a place to fit in and finding purpose. Think about all the kids who could be able to find their purpose and be able to move into something positive because of this scholarship.”
Stacy Davis Gates’ hypocrisy isn’t just about denying families the private school choices she enjoys. It’s also a blatant attack on public school options, particularly public charter schools.
Some Illinois lawmakers and the Chicago Teachers Union want to cut off 9,600 students across the state from attending a school of their choice. Here’s how you can save their scholarships before they expire at the end of 2023.
“Our public school is overcrowded; safety is a concern. Also, we noticed the difference in the homework at their private school. My children there are more prepared for college.”
Sean Denney, director of government relations at the Illinois Education Association, makes four times more than the average family receiving an Invest in Kids tax credit scholarship. He can afford private school for his children but is trying to end that option for others.
Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates makes over $262,000 a year. The average household income of the families receiving Invest in Kids scholarships is just $45,046. She chose a private school for her child, but wants to kill the option for 9,600 low-income students.
This edition of The Policy Shop is by Director of Policy Research Joseph Tabor. Geraldine Tyler is a 94-year-old Minnesota grandmother who in 2010 fell behind in the property taxes on her one-bedroom condo after moving into a senior living apartment. Hennepin County took the condo, sold it for $40,000 to cover a tax debt...
The SAFE-T Act could make it too hard for Chicago to detain offenders. Residents can’t afford that when the city is already amid a violent crime surge. Chicago leaders should use home rule powers to create a city public safety act.