Illinois quick hits: Judge declares mistrial in case of ex-AT&T Illinois leader; CPS faces criticism over alleged policy for migrant students

Judge declares mistrial in case of ex-AT&T Illinois leader

A mistrial has been declared in the trial of a former AT&T Illinois President accused of bribing former House Speaker Michael Madigan. Paul La Schiazza was charged in a five-count indictment that alleged he engaged in a conspiracy to bribe Madigan in 2017 while AT&T Illinois was trying to pass legislation it believed was worth millions to its bottom line. After three days of deliberation, the jury’s foreperson told the judge that she and her fellow jurors could not find a way out of a stalemate.

CPS faces criticism over alleged policy for migrant students

Chicago Public Schools is facing criticism over the alleged policy for migrant students. WGN-TV reports some district administrators instructed several elementary school teachers to give migrant students passing grades even if the child displayed severe academic deficiencies. In one case, a teacher said she was instructed to give a student a passing grade and send her to the next grade level even though the student was testing at a kindergarten level.

ISU to implement wage freeze

Illinois State University is implementing a wage freeze. During his annual State of the University address, Aondover Tarhule said ISU needs to cut expenses, so staff will not see wage increases this year. The school is also canceling plans to build a new residence hall. Tarhule said raising tuition to cover rising expenses is “no longer tenable because of questions about a college degree’s value and a reluctance to take on substantial debt.