* Illinois Federation of Teachers president Dan Montgomery and Illinois Education Association president Al Lorens…

In our ever-evolving society, education stands as the cornerstone of progress and prosperity. Yet, despite recognizing its paramount importance, we find ourselves in a perpetual cycle of underfunding, which preserves the systemic challenges that hinder our students’ potential – and hits our Black, Brown, and low-income students the hardest. […]

Established in 2017, Illinois’ Evidence-Based Model (EBM) for K-12 education was designed to equitably and effectively distribute resources. However, it falls short of its promise; it is not expected to meet adequacy standards until 2040—13 years behind schedule.

Since adopting the EBM, Illinois has only provided the statutory minimum of about $350 million annually, leaving a funding gap of $2.3 billion. Amid record inflation and shrinking government grants, this funding is increasingly insufficient. […]

Under Illinois’ school funding formula, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is owed over $1 billion per year from the state to meet adequacy standards. Elgin schools would need $219 million to reach adequacy, Peoria School District 150 would need $55 million, Cahokia CUSD 187 would need $10.5 million, Mahomet-Seymour CUSD 3 would need $14.5 million, and Carterville CUSD 5 would need $10.1 million to reach adequacy. […]

This is a pivotal moment for our lawmakers, who have the opportunity to be real heroes for our students by rectifying these disparities. Our plea to the governor and legislators is clear: we cannot afford to wait decades for adequate funding. The urgency of the situation demands immediate action to break free from this cycle of underinvestment.

* Tribune…

As the end date of Greyhound’s lease at its downtown Chicago bus station approaches, the company has begun routing more buses through Gary, Indiana, a new analysis of bus schedules shows.

The changes suggest a proactive response to the potential closure of the downtown station, according to the report from DePaul University’s Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development.

The institute and advocates have been sounding the alarm about the possible closure of the downtown Chicago bus station for more than a year, saying such a move would have repercussions for low-income travelers, residents of communities without easy access to train or airline service, and others who rely on buses to travel between cities, as well as Chicago’s status as a transportation hub. […]

The institute’s latest report, based on an analysis of bus schedules, found changes that have seemingly made Gary a hub for bus service. The city has been added as a stop on several routes, in some cases adding miles and time, the analysis found. […]

Such a move could also be a loss for travelers, said Joseph Schwieterman, director of the Chaddick Institute. The Gary station has a waiting room in a hub that also serves public transit buses and the South Shore rail line, but it could still mean longer travel times for intercity bus riders, fewer amenities and less overall service because of limits on the bus lines that might choose to serve the station, Schwieterman said. If fewer bus lines and routes run to Gary, that could mean fewer available transfers and fewer available destinations.

* Tribune reporter Kori Rumore Finley has a fun thread on Friday the 13th…

*** La Schiazza Trial ***

* Capitol News Illinois | On witness stand, former AT&T lobbyist describes how Madigan ally got $22,500 contract: La Schiazza wrote that getting AT&T’s bill passed “should be simple.” “And if our consultants can’t sell that then we should find new ones..…this should be an easy lift,” his email said. “Just saying.” A few weeks later, when one of those same colleagues forwarded news to La Schiazza about the retirement of ComEd’s longtime top outside lobbyist, the AT&T boss wrote back that it was “huge news.” The lobbyist, Mike McClain, was well-known in Springfield to be close to powerful House Speaker Michael Madigan, and therefore more influential than most.

When they told him $2,500/month, Selcke says Acevedo "did not respond favorably. He was upset. Commented that he thought he deserved more money than that. And that he would basically reject the offer."

— Jon Seidel (@SeidelContent) September 13, 2024

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | Facing defeat, Johnson pulls plug on Sigcho-Lopez as Zoning Committee chair: The Zoning Committee has been without a permanent chair for more than a year. It’s former chair, Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th), was forced to resign after being accused of bullying and intimidating his colleagues in an attempt to block a City Council vote on a non-binding resolution that would have allowed Chicago voters to weigh in on whether or not Chicago should remain a sanctuary city.

* Tribune | Mayor Johnson shifts course on Zoning chair, picks West Side moderate over progressive ally: The decision, confirmed by a top Johnson administration official Friday, marks a sharp change in course for Johnson, who for months had tried to put Southwest Side Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th, into the important position overseeing development. Sigcho-Lopez’s appointment faced strong opposition from council opponents who argued he would be too politically radical and hostile to developers. In Burnett, 27th, a mentee of former Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White who is the longest-serving alderman in the City Council and is currently Johnson’s vice mayor, aldermen said Friday they see a more acceptable pick.

* Tribune | City to announce phase one of plan to combine homeless and migrant shelter systems: The event, held from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at 2822 W. Jackson Blvd., culminates months-long discussions between city and state officials and non-profit leaders about how to turn the two systems into a unified shelter structure, dubbed the “One System Initiative.” Homeless advocates have long championed the move, saying it will better serve unhoused Chicagoans and recently arrived asylum seekers with wrap-around services: employment, food, and health care. Some have pointed out, however, that providers helping asylum seekers may be new to housing and homelessness, which could pose challenges.

* Block Club | Humboldt Park Tent Encampment Residents Will Get Housing By December, City Leaders Pledge: “In collaboration with Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office, the Department of Family Support Services, and Chief Homelessness Officer Sendy Soto, we seek to house ALL tent encampment residents and help them move out of the park by December 2024,” Fuentes wrote in her newsletter. People in the park will be connected to 60 apartments later this month through Chicago Rents. The program is organized by All Chicago and aims to end homelessness by working with private property owners who volunteer their units to house people. The program launched in 2020 and has been expanding its reach to the Northwest, North and West sides within the last year as more landlords offer up their apartments, organizers said.

* Sun-Times | Mixed immigration status families around Chicago hope Biden’s ‘parole in place’ plan survives legal challenge: A program announced this summer by President Biden would let undocumented immigrants married to U.S. citizens remain in the country while trying to adjust their immigration status. But a legal challenge halted the program until at least Sept. 23.

* Sun-Times | ‘Three Senators’ mural celebrates Illinois’ Obama, Braun and Burris — all from the South Side: Installed in Mahalia’s Mile in Chatham, the mural by Mike Stidham features the state’s three Black U.S. senators and many other famous Chicagoans, landmarks and symbols, encouraging passersby to pause for a treasure hunt.

* WBEZ | Welcome to the CTA bus ‘rodeo’: The history of the bus roadeo in Chicago goes back to the early 1980s. Since then, the annual event has grown to include competitions in mechanical, janitorial and other categories as part of a larger CTA transit “jamboree.” After going on hiatus starting in 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the jamboree returned earlier this month. We attended the fete and spoke with competitors, fans and event organizers about the history of the competition and what it means to them.

* The Athletic | Hawk Harrelson spent 3 decades calling the White Sox. Now he can’t stand to watch: “This team has no presence. After the pregame show is on, I basically watch part of the first inning to see if they get any presence. They don’t have a presence,” Harrelson told The Athletic in a phone interview this week, one of the few times he has spoken publicly this season.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* The Triibe | Family seeking answers about death of Chicagoland truck driver Javion Magee: One family is seeking answers from authorities about their son, Javion Magee, a 21-year-old truck driver from the Chicagoland area who was found hanging from a tree in Henderson, North Carolina. […] The case is under investigation.

* Naperville Sun | Naperville City Council to vote on $25.5 million settlement resolving federal civil rights lawsuit over wrongful conviction: With the six-page settlement, plaintiff Jeanne Olson — representing the estate of Amor, who died in 2023 — would agree to accept $25.5 million from the city “to resolve all allegations and claims,” the proposed agreement reads. To pay out the settlement, the city has $18 million in applicable insurance coverage, according to an agenda report for Tuesday’s meeting. The remaining $7.5 million would be accommodated as a one-time payment from the city’s self-insurance fund. The council is also scheduled to vote on a budget amendment Tuesday that would allow for the one-time payment.

* Daily Southtown | Dolton firefighters secure contract, trustees put temporary halt to travel by officials: The labor pact was announced Thursday at a special Village Board meeting, where four trustees who have battled Mayor Tiffany Henyard were joined by a fifth trustee who has been a staunch ally of the mayor. Trustees voted to put a temporary freeze on travel by village elected officials to curb costs, and said they hope to have a new village budget hashed out in about a month, although they warned job cuts are a real possibility.

*** Downstate ***

* WCIA | Illinois State Police Trooper returns to duty after being shot during traffic stop: The ISP trooper who was shot and injured in October of 2023 is back at work, with full duty status, according to Illinois State Police. Trooper Dakota Chapman-Green is back working for Illinois State Police sinceCristobal Santana is accused of shooting Trooper Chapman-Green during a traffic stop in Springfield.

* SJ-R | After two years of enrollment increases, here’s where UIS stands for 2024-25: Enrollment numbers at the University of Illinois Springfield held steady for the fall semester officials announced Wednesday, after the school had two years of increased numbers. A total of 4,628 students were enrolled at the 10-day count, compared to 4,661 students last year, a less than 1% dip, though the number of new first-year freshmen, first-time transfer students and online students all increased.

* WCIA | ‘I feel like he’s still helping me’: Former Danville mayor’s $100,000 legacy: For more than 40 years, Bob Jones owned and operated the Dairy Queen on Main Street in Danville. Although the former mayor died seven months ago, his legacy continues to live on helping employees going from serving ice cream to sitting in classrooms at Danville Area Community College. “He would also talk to his employees about attending DACC and how they can come here and get financial help,” DACC Foundation Executive Director Tonya Hill said.

* Smile Politely | Carle Illinois student team developing “space suit” to protect babies from radiation: Developed by primarily by CI Med student Annie Tigranyan, alongside fellow CI Med students Debora Nya and Madeline Minneci, and U of I chemical engineering student Katherine Park, the suit is meant to reduce the exposure in children in the NICU as some are subjected to dozens of x-ray screenings. Reducing the amount of radiation each baby receives is ultimately the goal, and the suit would be able to be worn in order to do just that.

*** National ***

* NYT | Jon Bon Jovi Helps Woman Off Ledge of Bridge: In a video released by the police, Mr. Bon Jovi and another person, whom other news outlets have identified as a production assistant, slowly approach the woman, who is on the edge of the bridge, facing outward, on the far side of a railing. They are seen speaking to her for a minute or so, before she turns around to face them, and they lift her over the railing to safety. Mr. Bon Jovi then hugs the woman and the three walk together along the bridge, attended by law enforcement officials. The woman was taken to a hospital for evaluation, the police told CNN.

* CNN | America’s stores are winning the war on shoplifting: At first, retailers underestimated how much merchandise they were losing. When they adjusted their metrics to compensate, they overestimated their original losses in some cases. Stores have also added ways to prevent theft, which may have been effective at reducing the problem, even if they frustrated shoppers. Companies locked up products and removed self-checkout stations.

* ProPublica | The NYPD Is Tossing Out Hundreds of Misconduct Cases — Including Stop-and-Frisks — Without Even Looking at Them: In one instance, an officer punched a man in the groin, the oversight agency found. In another, an officer unjustifiably tackled a young man, and then another officer wrongly stopped and searched him, according to the CCRB. The incident involving the young man was one of dozens of stop-and-frisk complaints the NYPD dismissed without review this year — a significant development given that the department is still under federal monitoring that a court imposed more than a decade ago over the controversial tactic.