Empower Illinois

Fighting for every child to have easy access to the school that empowers them to reach their fullest potential.

[Empower Illinois @EmpowerIL]

At the 56:10 mark.

This is a disappointingly silly take.

“We’ve got to look at [opting on to the federal tax credit scholarship]. Remember, Donald Trump is trying to take away funding from public schools, right? He has shut down funding to the states for public schools, and we’ve had to sue to try to get back. So this idea that he’s for education, and that’s why he pushed having this provision in the bill is just false narrative. So we’re going to have to look at whether or not we can implement a program that will be good for all students and all families that have students in school, and not just a program that’s about private schools, sometimes religious schools, and sometimes schools that would reject having an LGBTQ member as a teacher, whether we should be supporting a program that just does that, when, in fact, the federal administration is taking away money from people who can’t afford to go to a… private school, who would like to go to a public school that’s a quality school, but they’re having their funding taken away. That doesn’t seem fair to me.”

[Governor JB Pritzker @GovPritzker]

Governor Pritzker delivers remarks at the Chicago Union Station Centennial Celebration, honoring 100 years of service from a beloved Illinois landmark that has made our state the nexus of rail transit https://t.co/qH1ZinMgy2

[Ryan Quigley @Quigs22]

Illinois needs school choice NOW! @EmpowerIL @bigshoulderschi @AgudathIsraelIL

[Patrick Wolf @FlowTap1]

Listen to my great friend, @RobertEnlow, argue with himself over the significance of the new federal tax credit scholarship program. "There is much peril here but also great opportunity." 😉 @MichaelPetrilli @Dyrnwyn @rickhess99 @MQ_McShane @DaionDaniels https://t.co/brw0JGERgr

[Invest In Ed @Invest_InEd]

“This legislation promises generational change.” @nortonrainey3 of ACE Scholarships says the new school choice tax credit in the Big Beautiful Bill will help thousands of low-income students access a better future. 📚 #SchoolChoice #ECCA

Read the full article: https://t.co/3jY42rIl0s

[Empower Illinois @EmpowerIL]

Well…every state that opts in.

[Valeria Gurr, PhD 🐯 @ValeriaGurr]

I met @SenTedCruz two years ago when he visited my state and promised to fight for students. Last night, he proved he meant it. Thanks to his leadership, school choice is on its way to every state.

[Patrick Wolf @FlowTap1]

Yep, that about sums it up! @edchoice @jmkristof @mlueken2 @MQ_McShane @colynritter24 @RobertEnlow

[Empower Illinois @EmpowerIL]

Why. So. Serious?

[Mila Koumpilova @MilaKoumpilova]

Interim Chicago Public Schools CEO Macquline King told the school board today that the district needs $730 million to balance its 2025-26 budget.

That's up from a previous deficit calculation of $529 million.

[Empower Illinois @EmpowerIL]

School choice has already won. The only question is whether we’ll give poor families equal access or allow inequality to deepen.

[Aaron Smith @ASmithAZ]

Reason’s latest data tool examines K-12 enrollment trends from 2012 to 2024 for all 50 states.

In total, public schools have lost 1.28 million students since the start of COVID-19.

Here are five key takeaways from the data.

[Empower Illinois @EmpowerIL]

As long as we treat public schools like adult jobs programs and/or political indoctrination centers, there’s no incentive to reduce costs or improve outcomes.
https://t.co/ooZJ5fAS4j

[Empower Illinois @EmpowerIL]

According to ISBE, per pupil spending at Graham in 2024 was $29,000 and only 9% of students were proficient at reading.

[The Chicago Public Education Fund @TheFundChicago]

At Graham ES, this reality meant being asked to do more with less, continuing to meet the needs of students without sacrificing the quality of programs, services, or day-to-day supports.

[Robert Pondiscio @rpondiscio]

"Public schools cannot be both a core government service and a platform for personal or political expression. The tension between those roles results in a steady erosion of public trust—not because Americans don’t value education, but because they can no longer be certain whose interests it serves."

My latest for @educationgadfly

https://t.co/AH8O2TxYr5

[Robert Pondiscio @rpondiscio]

"Public schools cannot be both a core government service and a platform for personal or political expression. The tension between those roles has been allowed to fester unexamined for too long."

https://t.co/JeBkJ1Dnbr

[Empower Illinois @EmpowerIL]

Particularly egregious when you consider that the payoff for all that investment is zero kids reading at grade level and zero kids doing math at grade level.

And right across the street is the thriving Field School.
https://t.co/jcbHJxl8v8

[Shaka Mitchell @shakamitchell]

According to the article below and the school's website, Frederick Douglass Academy HS in Chicago has a 1:1 student-teacher ratio (28 students/27 faculty). That's close to $94k per pupil. I'm all about #microschools when they're intentional. This is malpractice. @rpondiscio @bendegrow @dyrnwyn https://t.co/H5N5v7yy3Z

[Ben Bradley @BenBradleyTV]

Ousted CPS chief recalls his firing after refusing to support mayor's borrowing plan: "He said, 'Pedro, you have credibility in finances. You were the CFO. You can sell this.’ I said, ‘Mayor, it’s not the right thing to do. You’re getting bad advice.’"
https://t.co/fI4u1whfB1

[EdChoice @edchoice]

Microschooling is booming and in a comprehensive analysis, done by the National Microschooling Center, 800 microschool leaders shared some fascinating insights on this sector of education. Dive into the findings in this blog!
https://t.co/tP572asUFu

[Matt Frendewey @mattfrendewey]

Education freedom isn’t partisan. It’s personal. It’s why the majority of all Americans support it, and the more families are exposed to the policy the greater the support.

[Shlomo Soroka @TheAskan]

This is big. Huge, actually.

[Dale Chu @Dale_Chu]

Randi Weingarten’s departure from the DNC may open the door to a broader range of voices on education policy. A chance for @TheDemocrats to engage new ideas—and put students at the center.

[Rise Chicago @RiseChicagoOrg]

The decision to appoint an interim CEO who had personnel matters related to negligence involving children, rather than one of the other two candidates who did not, ultimately came down to a final vote tally of 11-8-1.

Remember we have another school board election in November of 2026.

[Empower Illinois @EmpowerIL]

How wonderful that she had a choice to try something different.

[Reema Amin @reemadamin]

One tidbit: The vote was 11 yes, 8 no and 1 absention from elected board member Ebony DeBerry. She said that she abstained because her constituents wouldn't support her voting yes for King and voting no wouldn't have changed the outcome so she wanted to "try out" abstention.