FACTORS THAT IMPACT PRE-K-12 TEST SCORES IN ILLINOIS

This study evaluates 543 collective bargaining agreements across Illinois – nearly two-thirds of all school district CBAs – to provide an understanding of Illinois’ large public education system and the students that attend Illinois’ public PreK-12 school districts. The study explores what district-level factors impact student academic performance.

ASSESSING POTENTIAL OPTIONS TO PROVIDE PROPERTY TAX RELIEF IN ILLINOIS

The Project for Middle Class Renewal investigated ways to flatten the growth property of taxes in Illinois. The report discusses the present situation in Illinois, the regressive nature of property taxes as a form of public revenue, and the importance of property taxes for k-12 public education. Local schools are responsible for about two-thirds of … Read more

BARGAINING FOR INNOVATION | AN ANALYSIS OF COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS IN ILLINOIS PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS

More than two million children attend over 3,800 public schools in 852 local school districts across Illinois. Nearly all of these districts have collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) that determine the terms and conditions of employment. This study evaluates 543 collective bargaining agreements across Illinois, representing nearly two-thirds of all school district CBAs. While labor agreements … Read more

PREVAILING WAGE AND THE AMERICAN DREAM: IMPACTS ON HOMEOWNERSHIP, HOUSING WEALTH, AND PROPERTY TAX REVENUES

Prevailing wage laws establish a local wage floor for different types of skilled construction work on public construction projects. This study examines links between prevailing wage laws and homeownership, housing wealth, and property tax revenues for these workers and their communities. By stabilizing the wage floor and supporting apprenticeship programs, state prevailing wage laws promote ladders … Read more

STUDENT BASED BUDGETING CONCENTRATES LOW BUDGET SCHOOLS IN CHICAGO’S BLACK NEIGHBORHOODS

In 2014, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) adopted a system-wide Student Based Budgeting model for determining individual school budgets. Our report examines the impact of Student Based Budgeting. Our findings show that CPS’ putatively color-blind Student Based Budgeting reproduces racial inequality by concentrating low budget public schools almost exclusively in Chicago’s Black neighborhoods. The clustering of … Read more

WORKERS’ RIGHTS IN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT: SUCCESSES AND STRUGGLES OF CHICAGOLAND WORKFORCE PRACTITIONERS PERSUING HIGHER JOB QUALITY

PMCR, in collaboration with Chicago Jobs Council and UIC’s Great Lakes Center for Occupational Health and Safety are excited to share findings from their survey of Chicagoland workforce providers who are actively educating their participants about their rights on the job and pursuing collaborations with high road employers. Through connecting workers’ rights education to job … Read more

THE IMPACT OF CONSTRUCTION APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS IN MINNESOTA: A RETURN-ON-INVESTMENT ANALYSIS

Construction is the 3rd fastest growing industry in Minnesota. Over the next decade, construction employment is projected to expand by 9 percent in Minnesota, and 7-in-10 contractors already report difficulties in filling skilled craft positions. For many young Minnesota workers, enrolling in a registered apprenticeship program is a better option than attending college. Construction apprenticeship … Read more

THE STATE OF THE UNIONS 2019: A PROFILE OF UNIONIZATION IN CHICAGO, IN ILLINOIS, AND IN THE UNITED STATES

Chicago:  On Labor Day 2019, researchers from the Illinois Economic Policy Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and University of California, Irvine released the sixth annual State of the Unions report for Illinois. The study finds that unions play an important role in Illinois’ economy communities, despite declining union membership over the past decade. Since … Read more

RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE TO $15 IN CHICAGO BY 2021

Chicago is considering increasing its minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2021, four years earlier than the rest of Illinois. Polls suggest that four-in-five Chicago residents support a $15 minimum wage. By raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2021, the City of Chicago can grow the economy, reduce income inequality, reduce … Read more