The national Educational Choice for Children Act creates a federal tax-credit scholarship program for both public and private school students to help boost them academically. Here are seven reasons why Illinois should opt into the program.
With most property taxes going to local public schools, Illinois parents and taxpayers should know how well third- through eighth-grade students read and perform math at local public school districts compared to the cost per student.
The North Carolina state legislature became the first in the U.S. to approve a bill joining the Educational Choice for Children Act. Illinois owes the same to its children after taking away private-school choice from over 15,000 low-income students.
About 2-in-5 Illinois elementary students can read at grade level, so there is a lot of room for improvement. Five new bills would improve student outcomes and parental involvement.
The Chicago Teachers Union’s refusal to close near-empty schools and push for more “sustainable community schools” is hurting student achievement. CTU is about adding members and escaping accountability, not about what’s best for Chicago students.
Illinois state lawmakers listened to teachers unions and killed school choice for over 15,000 low-income students in 2023. Now Congress has restored a scholarship program for needy kids, but Illinois leaders must allow families to access the money.
Illinois students are not learning, but instead of boosting the quality of education state leaders are trying to lower standards so scores don’t look as bad. Blame it on the Chicago Teachers Union and other teachers unions pushing for less accountability.
Charter school contracts can be renewed for up to 10 years, but the Chicago Teachers Union has been pressuring for as few as two years. Sowing instability hurts charters and improves CTU’s odds of killing competition for their mediocre product.
Illinois’ university system is losing students to other states as prices per student top the nation. The system and its funding need an overhaul, but state leaders instead are considering letting community colleges create even more competition.
Illinois students are struggling to meet proficiency standards on state assessments. Instead of working to improve student learning, the state wants to lower standards to hide the crisis.
The Educational Choice for Children Act continues to progress after it was included in the budget reconciliation bill passed by the U.S. House on May 22. It is cause for hope for 15,000 low-income Illinois students who lost their private-school scholarships in 2023.
Tens of thousands of homeschool and private school families and other Illinoisans have filed opposition to House Bill 2827 – dubbed the ‘Homeschool Act.’ The bill is stalled on the House floor and poised for defeat.
A federal bill is cause for hope for 15,000 low-income Illinois students who lost their private school scholarships in 2023. That’s when teachers unions got state lawmakers to kill the Invest in Kids program.
Teachers unions have given millions to the state lawmakers targeting homeschoolers in their most recent effort to stifle educational freedom in Illinois.