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* The Rauner campaign has been counting down the last 100 days of the race with a daily press release. I’ve been putting them in the live coverage post, but I thought we’d discuss this one…

95 Days Left: Pritzker Wants to Take Away Opportunity From Low-Income Children

August is here and Illinois students will be heading back to school soon, but JB Pritzker wants to take away a program providing educational choice to low-income families.

Despite his plans to raise taxes without saying how high, Pritzker has been adamant that he would immediately eliminate the Invest In Kids tax credit scholarship program.

The Invest In Kids Program provides opportunity for children and families who want the ability to choose the best educational option for their children. The scholarship program is the first in Illinois history, and is a cornerstone of the new education funding formula bill.

Here’s what the Chicago Tribune’s Kristen McQueary had to say when Pritzker said he would get rid of scholarships: “let’s give Pritzker the benefit of the doubt. He didn’t know what he was saying. He doesn’t understand the program. It’s the only plausible explanation. Why? Because the other explanation is that a billionaire candidate for governor is willing to impose a lower education standard on poor families that he would never tolerate for his own.”

Pritzker wants to take away educational opportunity for low-income families, but has no problem pushing tax hikes on Illinoisans while dodging his own taxes. Check out what he said during his April press conference:

Reporter: What happens to the tuition tax credits if you should win?

Pritzker: We’re gonna get rid of them.

Reporter: Immediately?

Pritzker: Yep. Yep.

* Video…

The Pritzker folks flatly denied a media report the other day that he might be wavering on the scholarship program.

* Just $40 million has been received so far in what was supposed to be a $100 million scholarship program. All but $3 million or so has come from northern Illinois contributors, and almost three-quarters of the cash has been donated by people in Chicago and suburban Cook County.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 9:32 am

Comments

“Taking away opportunity.” How about taking away an unconstitutional and dubious program?

Comment by Collinsville Kevin Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 9:35 am
For me, not for thee. Pritzker attended private school himself, as did his children. The majority of legislators too. Now he wants to take it away from low income children?

Comment by Ed Equity Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 9:40 am
The Trib ed board has no shame and very little credibility. Opppsing the program does not mean opposing kids getting scholarships. It means thinking the program is not the best way to reach that goal, and that there is a better way.

McQueary ought to throw it in. She’s not fair to those she disagrees with.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 9:46 am
“Taking away opportunity from low income kids” is a good talking point at first blush, but I don’t see much political risk at all for JB in eliminating the program. Who’s most passionate about the program? Right leaning “school choice” advocates, Catholic League football and basketball coaches? I think Pritzker will do fine without them.

Comment by Roman Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 9:51 am
===McQueary ought to throw it in. She’s not fair to those she disagrees with===

Same could be said of you. lol

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 9:51 am
Perhaps Katrina and the Rauner crew might want to work on increasing participation in the program now, if they’re so concerned about. Hasn’t exactly set the world on fire.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 9:52 am
Kristen it’s cool your white privilege is out there helping poor families now? Too funny
Thought everyone poor should be washed away from Katrina?

Btw you never told us your editorial thoughts on clouting an unqualified child from a suburban school district and knocking a qualified kid out of a Chicago public school?

Comment by Frank talks Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 9:52 am
Honestly, the most exciting part of this release is that we are so close to the three-month mark on ending this campaign.

It’s also not exactly a solid hit when reading it makes me (and I’m guessing about 50% of folks) go, ‘woohoo, go JB.”

Comment by lakeside Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 9:53 am
Here’s a radical idea. Let’s make public schools good across the board so kids can go to a good school that is also the one closest to home.

Comment by Cheryl44 Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 10:01 am
The program literally takes away state funds in order to pay for private schools. It might not take away money for public schools directly, but it adds yet more strain to an already strained system. Instead of potentially “stealing” from public schools (yeah, I know public schools are “supposed” to get hundreds of millions extra each year for the next decade by putting even more money on the State’s credit card, for however long that lasts) why don’t we try to improve public education for everyone?

A few kids getting a better education is good, all kids getting a better education is better. The program is completely wrong headed, and the hit on JB is likewise off course. For me at least, but then it’ll be a cold day in Heck before I vote for Rauner, so I’m not really the intended audience.

Comment by Perrid Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 10:09 am
Eliminating the scholarships does not equate to eliminating opportunities. If J.B. plans to fund schools and programs better he can increase opportunities beyond what the poorly funded and implemented”scholarship” program is doing. Rauner crew knows that, they just are not honest.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 10:10 am
The current program is a bust, but that was expected. Katrina and other anti CPSers (GovJunk &Co) were hoping for more loopholes —100% deductible/allow fed deduction, etc) but no one fell for it —- even Durkie and NoTaxBill.
Mr/M Anonymous is correct Tribbie have little or no influence

Comment by Annonin' Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 10:10 am
==Here’s a radical idea. Let’s make public schools good across the board so kids can go to a good school that is also the one closest to home.==

What makes public schools good?

Comment by City Zen Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 10:11 am
Rauner returning to this line of attack is odd. It’s never really taken off. The problem is there’s a real “intensity of opinion” problem- liberals *hate* this program, while its supporters only seem lukewarm on it. I get that it has some personal appeal to Rauner, but it’s not a vote getter.

Comment by Arsenal Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 10:12 am
University of Virginia just completed an interesting study showing that there is little difference between public and private school quality, when accounting for educational attainment and income of parents. So why take money from the tax base to subsidize private schools when they don’t provide a tangible benefit to lower income families? This is just another way to profit from what should be public resources.

Comment by DarkDante Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 10:15 am
The guy who vetoed three annual budgets in a row — which included funding for educational programs for the poor and a host of other safety net items — is dissing on Pritzker for wanting to eliminate one tax credit. Ok.

Comment by Nick Name Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 10:16 am
==What makes public schools good?==

How about art and after school programs, and social workers in every school? A clean school would also be a beneficial. The answer is really pretty obvious: more money with adequate oversight.

Comment by DarkDante Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 10:18 am
–Let’s make public schools good across the board so kids can go to a good school that is also the one closest to home.–

The point of the program was to get an indirect taxpayer subsidy to the Archdiocese of Chicago schools, with a 75 cents on the dollar tax credit on donations.

It was the face-saving out for Rauner after he and BTIA(TM) put all schools at-risk from opening last summer because they were ignorant as to how the amendatory veto process works (big part of their job).

Turned out in the entire state there were donors willing to take $30 million in tax credits for $40 million in donations.

In other words, the state subsidized a $30 million contribution to the Archdiocese, while donors put up $10 million of their own money.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 10:20 am
“Pritzker Wants to Take Away Opportunity From Low-Income Children” sounds a lot better than “Most everyone has seen through Rauner’s backdoor school voucher program”.

Comment by Jocko Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 10:22 am
===It was the face-saving out for Rauner after he and BTIA(TM) put all schools at-risk from opening last summer because they were ignorant as to how the amendatory veto process works (big part of their job).===

It had the added benefit of smoothing over the hurt feelings over HB40.

“Sorry I lied to you about HB40. Here’s $100 million. No hard feelings now, eh Blase?”

Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 10:23 am
–It had the added benefit of smoothing over the hurt feelings over HB40.–

True.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 10:25 am
Is there a reporting component of the scholarship bill? Not names of students obviously but which schools end up with the most scholarships?

Comment by DuPage Saint Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 10:27 am
If JB and some of the comments in this section understood the issue and the success it has had in many other states, he would feel differently (I hope). Education options and choices for low income kids, as well as kids at all income levels are key to their success. Programs like this improve not only outcomes for the students, but also the public schools who are forced to compete for kids. The free market at work.

Comment by Swan312 Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 10:46 am
You have to wonder why it’s ok to support corporations with tax credits, but it’s not ok to use them to support low income children of color to access the kind of education that politicians like Pritzker have had. #WhitePrivilege

Comment by axv Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 10:51 am
Why is it always a fight btw private vs. public school- can’t we support both? If a kid’s needs are better met, for whatever reason, at a particular school, shouldn’t that kid be able to attend that school no matter what their family’s income is? Sending your kid to the right school for their needs shouldn’t only be an option for families that can afford tuition.

Comment by hometownChiguy Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 11:00 am
“private vs. public school- can’t we support both?” Well, the First Amendment comes to mind pretty quickly. If dues going to a union violate “free speech”, how could tax $$ going to a parochial school not be?

Comment by Skeptic Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 11:11 am
If JB becomes IL’s Gov, there will already be hundreds, perhaps thousands, of kids attending schools using these scholarships. Has JB thought about how it’ll look when he takes away these kids scholarships? It’s one thing to kill it before it starts, but after? I can already see those interviews of poor kids that were succeeding for the first time…not good PR.

Comment by edforall Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 11:13 am
$40M in contributions = $30M in lost state revenue. Pocket change for JB. He spends that in a few commercials. I can’t believe he would hurt kids to keep a few more bucks in the state’s coffers

Comment by edforall Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 11:18 am
==If JB and some of the comments in this section understood the issue and the success it has had in many other states, he would feel differently (I hope).==

Then by all means, show these successes in specificity. Generally, the free market is pretty lousy at things that everyone needs but are hard to quantify.

Comment by Arsenal Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 11:24 am
Over 3,000 low income students and families will benefit from this program…who will tell THEM that politicians don’t think they deserve to choose a better school?

Comment by TimC Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 11:29 am
This is an issue that does not affect a huge number of Illinois voters but it matters greatly to the parents and scholarship children whom it does affect and they are watching closely. It seems to me that JB’s decision to take a firm stand on this is one that might cause a few families and coveted undecideds to pull away from him. In the big scheme of things it seems like an unnecessary position for him to take. But I do not pretend to understand the messaging focus of his campaign which appears to continue to focus heavily on his base while ignoring the current undecided votes he will need in Nov.

Comment by Responsa Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 11:39 am
A 2011 study by David Figlio and Cassandra Hart of Northwestern University examined the competitive effects of the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program on public schools. They learned that more access and variety of private schools increased the competitive pressure on public schools in the wake of the policy announcement. They state in their conclusion, “Our results suggest that policies that introduce competition to public schools spur improvements in public school students’ test scores. This work therefore helps inform a major policy debate regarding whether harnessing market forces is an effective way to help not only the students who enter the private education market, but also the students who remain behind in the public sector.”

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 11:46 am
This program isn’t necessarily new $ going to private schools–it’s a lot of the same donors just getting a tax break now. I wonder if there has been any noticeable increase in private school attendance or scholarship funding.

Comment by notsosure Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 11:48 am
==Programs like this improve not only outcomes for the students, but also the public schools who are forced to compete for kids. The free market at work.==

Private schools don’t provide better results once you control for parent’s income and educational level. Public schools can’t compete in an economic sense, as the shift of student headcount reduces their funding. Finally, this isn’t the free market, and is, in fact, the exact opposite. The state picking winners (private schools) and creating losers (public schools). Governmental intervention into the educational industry will have long term consequences.

Comment by DarkDante Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 11:56 am
Anon @11:46

Regression analysis vs reality, specifically Orlando Sentinel’s exposé “Schools without rules”
https://tinyurl.com/y8qldojw

Comment by Jocko Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 11:59 am
Private schools don’t provide better results once you control for parent’s income and educational level.

Care to cite a source?

“These schools have an impressive track record, according to the Archdiocese’s latest annual report. Across English, mathematics, reading, and science, Archdiocese of Chicago high schools outperformed the state average on the ACT. Across English, reading, writing, math and science, archdiocese elementary schools met or exceeded all ACT Aspire benchmarks for grades 3 through 8.

Moreover, my research on Catholic schools in Chicago shows that they also act to deter violence and build social cohesion in neighborhoods. In the first study of its kind, my co-author and I found that the crime rate in police beats with Catholic schools was, on average, at least 33% lower than in police beats without them. We also linked Catholic school closures to increases in serious crime. In effect, they are part of the glue that reinforces the social cohesion of the surrounding community — meaning that the tax-credit scholarship program being considered by Illinois lawmakers would not just increase educational options but also help develop the community.”

There is no daylight between JB and whatever the unions demand on this issue. So much for reasonable and moderate

http://time.com/4911499/chicago-murder-rate-gun-violence-education-catholic-schools/

Comment by Lucky Pierre Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 12:07 pm
JB wants to cut some funding while Rauner wants to keep the program with no funding…what’s worse for the program?

Comment by Anon Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 12:10 pm
Edforall - really laying on the “won’t someone think of the children” schtick thick.

Comment by Ike Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 12:18 pm
Lucky Pierre - private schools actively select the best performing students and “dump” low performing/troubled students on the public system. Funneling tax money to these private schools takes away resources for the students who need it the most.

Comment by Ike Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 12:27 pm
==private schools actively select the best performing students and “dump” low performing/troubled students on the public system.==

Honors students in the public system rejoice as their class rankings are artificially inflated by the private schools dumplings.

Comment by City Zen Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 12:47 pm
City Zen - never said that public schools only have poor performing students, but don’t let the lack of your literacy get you down.

Comment by Ike Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 1:00 pm
School choice is working in 30 other states of the Union, and it helps Illinois families across the board… the working poor and the marginalized. Why are some Illinois elected officials and voters afraid to do something right?

Comment by Joe Langenderfer, CFRE Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 1:09 pm
== All but $3 million or so has come from northern Illinois contributors, and almost three-quarters of the cash has been donated by people in Chicago and suburban Cook County.==

And in the spirit of downsyate whiners, I’m sure they won’t take any of that money since they didn’t provide it.

Comment by Precinct Captain Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 1:23 pm
Joe- school choice doesn’t always mean that your child will be chosen.

Comment by Ike Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 1:31 pm
==school choice doesn’t always mean that your child will be chosen.==

#EverybodyIn

Not everyone can have it, so no one gets it. It’s that kind of thinking that has gotten us nowhere fast.

Lots of hubbub over this program that is just a drop in the educational funding bucket. When CPS reports their annual enrollment drop, take that number times the amount CPS spends per pupil. That amount will be greater than the scholarship amount granted to date.

Comment by City Zen Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 1:48 pm
==according to the Archdiocese’s latest annual report==

LOL. “Private schools are the best, say private schools!”

Comment by Arsenal Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 1:54 pm
==It seems to me that JB’s decision to take a firm stand on this is one that might cause a few families and coveted undecideds to pull away from him==

You’ve made it quite clear that you think everything up to and including his decision to get out of bed in the morning will cost JB votes.

Comment by Arsenal Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 1:56 pm
City Zen - the “hubbub” is that tax / public money is being used to fund religious and/or for-profit private institutions. If you want your child to go to a religious school or a private school, you pay for it your self.

Comment by Ike Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 2:08 pm
The fact you can’t trust the Archdiocese says more about you than them.

One more example of why Democratic politicians shouldn’t rubber stamp whatever the unions ask for

Comment by Lucky Pierre Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 2:27 pm
Its not about trust. Its about separation of church and state. Simple.

Comment by Ike Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 4:21 pm
It’s also not exactly a solid hit when reading it makes me (and I’m guessing about 50% of folks) go, ‘woohoo, go JB.”

Possibly even a higher percentage?

#The Rich will still be rich after they pay their true and fair share of the load!

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 4:26 pm
==The fact you can’t trust the Archdiocese says more about you than them.==

What, exactly, about the Catholic Church hierarchy suggests they are owed any sort of trust about anything when it comes to the well-being of children?

Comment by anon324 Friday, Aug 3, 18 @ 4:53 pm