Chicago is facing record outmigration, failing schools, and rising taxes. In this debut episode, Paul Vallas—former Chicago Public Schools CEO and 2023 mayoral candidate—joins us to break down why families are leaving Chicago, how the Chicago Teachers Union controls city policymaking, the real state of crime and safety, and how things could have been different. Listen now and subscribe to the Illinois Policy Podcast for honest conversations about Illinois’ future. 00:00 – Chicago’s Crisis: Crime, Taxes, Schools 00:41 – Welcome to the Illinois Policy Podcast 01:07 – Introducing Guest: Paul Vallas 01:25 – What Could Have Been Different? 02:03 – Chicago’s Public Safety Problem 03:17 – Housing & Development Failures 04:03 – Springfield: Missed Opportunities 06:00 – Teachers Union’s Grip on Chicago 07:19 – CPS Staffing & Spending Issues 09:22 – Why Families Are Leaving Chicago 12:03 – How Schools Were Reformed in the Past 14:01 – Local Control and Magnet Schools 15:52 – Lowering Education Standards 18:22 – Attacks on Testing & Accountability 20:03 – Charter and School Choice Options 22:16 – Failing “Sustainable Community Schools” 24:19 – How Unions Block Real Options for Families 25:13 – Public Safety: The Reality vs. Rhetoric 27:18 – Schools, COVID, and the Crime Spike 28:39 – How Prosecutors Changed Crime Trends 29:39 – Domestic Violence on the Rise 30:39 – Why Crime is Underreported 33:30 – Chicago as a “Sanctuary City for Criminals” 35:09 – Police Staffing and Crime Correlation 37:14 – CTA Safety and Ridership Decline 39:11 – Chicago’s Future Forecast 41:07 – The Three Financial Crises Facing the City 42:51 – Who Will Lead Chicago Next? 44:23 – Cook County Politics & Preckwinkle’s Influence 45:46 – Closing Thoughts with Paul Vallas