Partisan Politics Should End at the Schoolhouse Door

By Steven Isaacson Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner (R-IL) is holding hostage billions of dollars in state education funding. If the Democratic state legislature does not approve Rauner’s demands on tax freezes, collective bargaining, worker compensation, and inequitable school spending, he will veto the 2017 budget wholesale. The governor is, according to Chicago Mayor Raum Emanuel,

Chicago Sun-Times | Nieves-Huffman: Time for Rahm, CTU to mend fences

By Rebeca Nieves-Huffman, DFER Illinois State Director The Chicago Teachers Union threw everything but the kitchen sink at Mayor Rahm Emanuel in the 2015 elections, putting their credibility and political reputation on the line. They recruited a challenger to take on the mayor, spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on anti-Emanuel attacks, released a list

POLITICO Morning Education: Rahm comes out on top

By Caitlin Emma With help from Nirvi Shah RAHM COMES OUT ON TOP: Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel soundly defeated his challenger Jesus “Chuy” Garcia on Tuesday night, carrying the vote 56 percent to 44 percent with 73 percent of the vote tallied. Emanuel now heads into his second term after winning the first runoff in

RELEASE: DFER Executive Director Joe Williams Issues Statement on Chicago Mayoral Election Victory

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE       Contact: press@dfer.org Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) Executive Director Joe Williams issued the following statement on Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s reelection: “Chicago showed up today and voted for what parents across the country support: expanded pre-K, more instruction time in the classroom, the ability to choose to send their child

POLITICO Pro: Morning Education 2/25/15

By Caitlin Emma RAHM HEADS FOR A RUNOFF: Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel fell short of clinching a second term outright on Tuesday night when he failed to secure a majority of the vote. Recent polls predicted a close race and ultimately, Emanuel pulled in 45 percent of the vote to 34 percent for his Democratic

RELEASE: DFER on Chicago Election Results: Education Reform Works for Schools and at the Polls

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: press@dfer.org Following Mayor Emanuel’s strong showing of over 45 percent of the vote and double-digit lead over his closest competitor, and decisive wins for pro-education reform Aldermen Will Burns, Patrick O’Connor, and Michelle Harris, DFER Executive Director Joe Williams released this statement: “Tonight’s results are a win for the students in

DFER-IL Endorses Chicago's Champions of Education

Democrats for Education Reform – Illinois (DFER-IL) has made several endorsements for the 2015 municipal elections. The candidates were evaluated on their responses to a questionnaire, as well as their public statements and city council votes. The candidates we’re supporting in this election are champions of our public school children and they are fighting for

RELEASE: DFER-IL Applauds Mayor Emanuel's Education Speech Outlining 2nd Term Priorities

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 8, 2015 DFER-IL Applauds Mayor Emanuel’s Education Speech Outlining 2nd Term Priorities “Mayor Emanuel should be commended not only for his record of raising graduation rates and expanding access to pre-K, but for the forward-looking vision he outlined today that would give successful schools more autonomy to offer Chicago students a

RELEASE: DFER-IL Announces First Round Of 2015 Endorsements

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 22, 2014 DFER-IL Announces First Round Of 2015 Endorsements Democrats for Education Reform -Illinois (DFER-IL) today released its first round of endorsements for the 2015 municipal elections. The candidates were evaluated on their responses to a questionnaire, as well as their public statements and city council votes.  “The candidates we’re supporting

"Who The Heck Are They Endorsing?!" – Part Eight

Happy Election Day! In honor of the days leading up to Election Day, we’ve been featuring some facts about candidates that surprised us…and we thought would also raise the eyebrows of our fellow progressive reformers fighting for our kids every day. We thought we’d just offer a sampling of some folks who are anything but