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In a move that could give Illinois more flexibility over how it holds schools accountable, the Obama administration announced Thursday that it will waive key portions of the federal No Child Left Behind Act for states that commit to certain reform efforts. In recent years, state superintendents, educators and critics of the law have argued … Continue reading
Voters in at least one Illinois congressional district will have to choose between two Republican incumbents next year after Representative Joe Walsh announced Wednesday that he will seek re-election in a new district, pitting him against a fellow Republican, Representative Randy Hultgren, in a primary. Mr. Walsh, a darling of the Tea Party and a … Continue reading
Not long after ink from the governor’s signature had dried on Illinois’ civil unions law, Todd and Mark Wathen began preparations for a June ceremony. The couple wanted to hold the event somewhere quaint in central Illinois, a place that would be convenient to family in Kentucky and Indiana and to their home in Mattoon. … Continue reading
Charles H. Percy, a former United States senator from Illinois and a moderate Republican who clashed with President Richard M. Nixon over Watergate and whose own presidential ambitions were stymied by Nixon’s resignation, died Saturday in Washington. He was 91. His death was announced by the office of his son-in-law, Senator John D. Rockefeller IV … Continue reading
Federal prosecutors argue Rod Blagojevich could serve 30 years to life in prison, sources say — a sentencing range that will be bitterly disputed by the former governor’s defense lawyers. Blagojevich attorney Sheldon Sorosky wouldn’t discuss the government’s numbers, which were submitted in private. But he said the defense will submit its own calculations. “We … Continue reading
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has shot down legislation that would have made it easier for the state’s two largest electric utilities to raise rates in order to make improvements to the power grid. “It may be a dream come true for Commonwealth Edison, but it’s a nightmare for consumers in Illinois,” Quinn said before vetoing … Continue reading
U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Friday that teachers have been “beaten down for too long” and endorsed “doubling’’ their salaries. “We need to elevate teachers,’’ Duncan told a gathering of officials and educators in the fresco-ceiling library of Carl Schurz High School. “I think we need to double salaries for teachers. We need to … Continue reading
When President Obama addresses a joint session of Congress about jobs Thursday night, one Illinois congressman won’t be there. Freshman Tea Party Republican Joe Walsh (8th) is making good on promises not to show up for the speech. Instead Walsh will hold a “small business job forum” in his Illinois district “with the people who … Continue reading
Workers across Illinois will find out Thursday whether they’ll lose their jobs. Gov. Quinn said earlier this week thousands of state workers will be out of work because of a budget shortfall that doesn’t leave enough money to pay them. He also plans to make cuts to services, which could include closing a prison, a … Continue reading
Higher education just got cheaper — for one course. National Louis University on Tuesday will offer a Groupon for a graduate-level introduction to teaching course, officials said. With the Groupon, prospective students can save nearly 60 percent on tuition for the single, three-credit course and earn credit toward a graduate degree, said Jocelyn Zivin, the … Continue reading
The Brandt Standard 