Paul Vallas, former CEO of Chicago Public Schools, said State Sen. Graciela Guzman filed a bill blocking Illinois from a program that provides federal tax credits for donations funding scholarships and public school services, noting the legislation follows recent union contributions and could limit resources available to families.
The proposed bill would prohibit Illinois from opting into the federal scholarship tax credit program, denying students access to privately donated funds for educational needs such as tutoring and transportation. This program allows taxpayers a dollar-for-dollar credit up to $1,700, costing the state nothing while benefiting families, according to the Illinois Policy Institute.
“Guzman is another example of an elected official who does the bidding of CTU like Mayor Johnson… She introduced her anti-family bill right after receiving a $72,000 campaign contribution from her bosses at CTU… Since October 2023, she’s received over $519,000 from the teachers unions according to Illinois Sunshine… CTU, in its determination to deny working families any financial support to place their children in better schools, would deny public school families, overwhelmingly Black and Latino, the needed resources,” Vallas said on his X account. Vallas addressed the conflict of interest in Illinois education policy on his X account, highlighting how the bill would prevent access to federal funds for tutoring and scholarships. The post details Guzman’s ties to the Chicago Teachers Union and the timing of her campaign donations.
Illinois’ former Invest in Kids scholarship program served over 9,600 low-income students in the 2022-23 school year, with more than 20,000 on a waitlist. More than half of recipients through the largest distributor were Black or Hispanic and came from families earning below 300 percent of the federal poverty level. The program provided educational options without additional state costs as reported by the Chicago Tribune.
Data from the George W. Bush Institute shows that competition from school choice programs has resulted in modest public school test score gains of 2 percent to 4 percent nationwide. Students using vouchers are 12 percent to 15 percent more likely to enroll in college than similar peers in public schools.
Vallas began his career as a policy adviser in the Illinois General Assembly before serving as revenue director and budget director for Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. In 1995, he became the first CEO of Chicago Public Schools and later led districts in Philadelphia, New Orleans, and Bridgeport. He was named “One of America’s Best Leaders” by U.S. News & World Report in 2006.
