Original News, Features & Opinion on Chicago, Illinois and America
Argo High opens “amazing” Portillo Center Donation from hot dog chain founder helps build $17 million center By Steve Metsch Moments before the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Richard and Sharon Portillo Performing Arts Center at Argo Community High School, school board trustee Nick Caprio smiled when asked about the interior. “It’s beyond my expectations….
Is the school year starting too soon? It’s the beginning of August and my son is already consumed with figuring out his high school schedule and buying his books and schools supplies. Isn’t that too early for young people to stop enjoying summer vacation and worry about school? By Ray Hanania When I was a…
Rauner protects suburban schools against Chicago fund grab Gov. Bruce Rauner won his battle against the bloated and failed Chicago public schools forcing the legislature to significantly cut-back additional funding to bailout Chicago and redistribute those monies to needy suburban and state school systems that had been ignored. The plan also allows a 75 percent…
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Eclipse viewing downstate for Lyons Township students Chance to witness rare solar event is too big to ignore By Steve Metsch About 40 students from Lyons Township High School will have a memorable first day of school Aug. 21. They will arrive at the north campus no later than 5:15 a.m., climb into a coach…
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Governor misleads voters over education funding veto By Illinois Senator Steve Landek In recent weeks, you may have heard Gov. Bruce Rauner justifying his opposition to an historic education funding reform bill by calling it a “Chicago Bailout.” That narrative is false and purposefully misleading. The governor’s veto is nothing more than an attempt to…
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Suburbs should not have to pay Chicago’s spending shortfalls SW Newspaper Group Feb. 23, 2017 By Ray Hanania Don’t waste your time trying to figure out how Illinois divides the property taxes it collects to support local schools and the sales and income taxes it collects to subsidize Chicago’s bailout. It’s too complicated, intentionally. The…
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Great teachers are hard to find. Chicagoland schools in the city and the suburbs are deficient and not doing their jobs. A major responsibility falls on the teachers, whoa re not doing enough, and the excessive focus and resource commitments to school administrations. Cut the administrations and grade teachers for their work By Ray Hanania…
Common Core and our failing high schools. Too many high schools are graduating students who are “not ready” for college, achieving under 21 on ACT testing. By Ray Hanania When I was young, if my grade point average was under 60 percent, I flunked. The grading system we used then applies today: A=90+; B=80+; C=70+;…