Illinois Policy

The Chicago Teachers Union's fringe politics are causing literacy rates to tank – and spending to explode. CTU President Stacy Davis Gates bears the bulk of the blame. She helped kill the state's only school choice program while demanding Illinoisans pay her their "fair share" in taxes. Meanwhile, she enrolled her son into a private school and took out an illegal property tax break in Indiana. Our managing editor, Brad Weisenstein, chronicles the hypocrisy in RealClear Media Group. #politicalscience #education #literacy

🌟 Staff Spotlight Alert! 🌟 Meet Mark Miller, the dynamic President of Bearing Tree, where he steers the ship across development, delivery, and growth. 🚀 Mark brings a wealth of experience from his extensive career as a management consultant. He’s been at the forefront of #strategy development, #planning, and #implementation, delivering #impactful results for a diverse range of industries—including global consumer products, financial services, automotive, technology, and industrial sectors. 📊 A true leader, Mark is dedicated to crafting robust yet practical strategies that drive tangible outcomes while enhancing organizational capabilities. His collaborative approach ensures open communication, seamless knowledge transfer, and strong stakeholder engagement. 🤝 Before joining Bearing Tree, Mark held influential roles as a partner and practice leader with Ernst & Young and A.T. Kearney, as well as senior executive positions at two NYSE-listed companies. He holds a B.A. in Business and a B.S. in Mathematics from Southern Methodist University, and an MBA from Harvard Business School. 🎓 Beyond the office, Mark enjoys quality time with his wife and family. He’s also an avid golfer with a “high enthusiasm to ability” ratio! ⛳ 🏌️♂️ #StaffSpotlight #Leadership #MarkMiller #ConsultingExcellence #GolfLover #MakingItEasierToMakeADifference #BearingTree #PEO #NonprofitSupport #Payroll #Benefits #Finance #Accounting #Development #Growth #BoardManagement #Administration #ITSupport #Cybersecurity #StartupSolutions #MissionDriven #Professional #Dedicated #Collegial #Trustworthy #Grateful

Had a great conversation on the Free the Economy podcast about poverty and social mobility with my former CEI colleague Richard Morrison: https://lnkd.in/gEZauUGn

Announcement: Congress is listening. Today, U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, cited Hannah Schmid's original education research in a Senate hearing on public school challenges. He highlighted Hannah's startling finding that while spending is up 97% at Chicago Public Schools, student proficiency is down 63% in math and 78% in reading. The session, chaired by Bernie Sanders, was filled with union rhetoric about "underfunded" public schools. The public education system in Illinois and across the U.S. is simply broken. And "funding" isn't to blame. Its outdated and monopolistic model is one that Americans simply wouldn't tolerate in virtually any other industry. But union interests in education have a vested interested preserving its failed monopoly. Their ethos: protect personnel convenience at the expense of students' futures. Strong research influences sound policies. This is influence in action. #education #civics #leadership

Another gamble failed to pay off in Chicago. Political leaders promised the city's new Bally’s Casino would generate nearly $3 million a month. It's fallen drastically short. In fact, it's pulling in less than half that. Revenue overestimates are a recurring theme in Illinois – especially when it comes to gambling. The consistent gap between what's promised and what's delivered is a product of politicians' desperation to account for soaring public pension obligations. Jump into the comments for the full story. ⬇️ #publicpolicy #fiscalpolicy #taxes

Check out this podcast episode with Nic Dunn about our innovative poverty work, at the nexus of research and praxis: https://lnkd.in/gY9wPFGn

There's a lot you don't know about the Chicago Teachers Union. That's because they're infamously hostile to transparency. But one thing you do know is that they're militant in ideology and strategy alike. Look no further than their new, aggressive slate of demands. As student performance and enrollment rolls dwindle, CTU's appetite for money and power only accelerates without interruption. Now, with one of their own occupying City Hall – and thus the opposite side of the bargaining table – Chicago taxpayers and parents should be watching with considerable interest. Our new explainer unpacks it all. ⬇️ #education #publicpolicy #politicalscience

Chicago is bleeding residents at an alarming rate. In 2023 alone, 8,208 people left the city. With over 128,000 residents lost since 2015, Chicago's future as the third-largest U.S. city is in jeopardy. It's likely to be surpassed by Houston by 2035. The primary drivers are high taxes and decades of poor policy decisions. Unfortunately, Mayor Brandon Johnson has only promised to double down in the city's mistakes. He wants to raise taxes, threatening to accelerate the crisis. A strategic shift towards fostering economic growth and balancing union demands is the only way Chicago can hope to reverse course. Our team joined NBC Chicago to explain the trend. #census #population #demographics #publicpolicy

Work conquers despair. Finding dignity in work transformed my life. And it can uplift countless others from the despair of dependency. It's time to embrace policies that prioritize employment over welfare. It's time to restore hope and autonomy to those trapped in poverty. I hope you'll read and share my latest for RealClear Media Group. #publicpolicy #leadership #policymaking

“The initial reaction was just shock. But then, you know, I've been around in Chicago for a very long time. After thinking about it, I wasn't shocked at all. I was just like, ‘Yeah, that sounds like something they would do.’” “I went out collecting signatures right after I heard. I told people, ‘I need your signature like right now because they’re trying to change the law.’ The people I was asking just couldn’t believe it. I had the news article on my phone so they could read it if they wanted.” “I feel like people have been talking about election tampering in this country for about eight years now. This is the clearest example I’ve seen in any state.” “One of the reasons I decided to run was because I found out some of the laws that have recently passed were specially spearheaded by the senator from my district. Like people who are illegal immigrants being allowed to become police officers.” “Another reason is because our police and fireman pensions are only 43% funded. What is that? These people are for all of us.” “The main reason I am running for state senator is that I care deeply about our state and my fellow citizens that live here. For too long, we have allowed complete nonsense to flourish. We need to bring back sanity and common sense.” “I think people realize that in the state of Illinois we have serious problems. Not esoteric, complex problems. Simple, straightforward problems. We have to budget correctly, make people accountable when we’re spending money, and so on. We need to get these fixed.” “As long as I am able to appear on the ballot, I think this move is actually going to do nothing but help. Because if they’re that afraid just to have another person on the ballot, that speaks volumes.” James Kirchner Potential candidate, Illinois Senate District 13 Chicago, Illinois #government #elections #politicalscience #ethics