By: Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner
Last week, Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Jordan Peterson helped expose the failures of Illinois’ public education system on X. Their engagement with a Wirepoints report, “Illinois education 2022: Not a single student can do math at grade level in 53 schools. For reading, it’s 30 schools,” revealed the thousands of students trapped in completely failing schools in 2022.
But those results are now old news. Wirepoints has just run the new Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) 2023 Report Card data and the outcomes are worse even though the impacts of covid are another year behind us.
In 2023, there were 67 Illinois schools where not a single student tested was proficient in math and 32 schools where no student tested was proficient in reading. What’s worse, officials in those schools graduated nearly 70% of their students.
More than 12,000 students attend Illinois’ zero-proficiency schools. Every single one of those children will struggle in life because they lack basic reading and math skills.
Take Collins Academy High School on Chicago’s West Side. With 219 students and 55 employees, Collins spends $27,163 per student. The Illinois State Board of Education declares the school “commendable,” the state’s 2nd-highest rating. Not a single student tested was proficient in reading or math in 2023. And yet 79% of students there graduated.
Nearby North Lawndale Prep Charter-Christiana spends over $20,000 for each of its 308 students. It’s also rated “commendable” by the state. Not a single student tested was proficient in math and only 1 student tested proficient in reading. The graduation rate? 85%.
Far to the south, about 60 miles west of the state’s capital of Springfield, there’s the three-school district of Meredosia-Chambersburg 11. Not a single student tested at the elementary school could read at grade level. At the middle school, none were proficient in math. And in Meredosia-Chambersburg High School, where 75% of students graduated, not a single student tested was proficient in either reading or math.
Teaching students the basics of reading and math is the bare minimum function of an education system. Unfortunately, an increasing number of Illinois schools can’t even accomplish that.
Pre-covid, there were 21 zero-reading schools and 37 zero-math schools in Illinois. In 2023, that grew to 32 and 67, respectively.
Wirepoints’ count of zero-proficiency schools is based on data straight from ISBE’s 2023 Illinois Report Card. The state board measures students’ reading and math proficiencies based on the test results of the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (grades 3-8), the Scholastic Aptitude Test (grade 11) and the Dynamic Learning Maps assessment (students with cognitive disabilities).
It’s important to note that many of the schools on the two lists above are part of Chicago’s Youth Connection Charter School network – schools that target dropouts and other at-risk students. For sure, educating those students represents an additional challenge, but that’s no excuse for such dismal outcomes. They can’t even get one kid to proficiency? Even in these schools, officials still end up graduating nearly 50% of students despite their total lack of proficiency in reading or math.
Illinois’ education system is failing its students
Wirepoints’ analysis above focuses only on the Illinois schools where zero of kids were able to read or do math out of the more than 3,500 schools (grades 3 through 12) that test their students every year.
But we could have just as easily looked at the 408 schools where only 1 out of 10 kids or fewer can read at grade level. Or the 873 schools where just 1 out 10 kids or fewer can do math. That’s 12% and 25% of all grade 3-12 schools in the state, respectively.
In a sane world, a system that spends $24,000 per child, all-in, would be held accountable for such dismal failures. And schools that don’t and can’t teach a single student the most basic of skills would be shut down or at least subject to extreme intervention.
But in Illinois, such schools carry on, the system thrives, and students suffer.
Read more from Wirepoints:
- Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy and others draw attention to Illinois’ dismal education results
- Chicago Public Schools’ twisted goal: End selective enrollment schools while keeping nearly empty, failing schools open
- RIP Norman Lear. Fifty years ago he scorned Chicago Public Schools for its failures. His criticisms still matter today.
- Illinois per student spending jumps to nearly $24K, CPS at nearly $30K.
- Poor student achievement and near-zero accountability: An indictment of Illinois’ public education system
Details emerging about Chicago Teachers Union’s upcoming contract show just how divorced its demands, both extreme and expensive, are from the reality at Chicago schools. It’s not just about massive salary increases, but also about money for migrant students, climate initiatives, abortions and gender-affirming care. About blocking parental notification. Count on CTU’s demands to veer further from reality until the public finally says no. 
Weekly crime statistics from the Chicago Police Department: Report through 5/4/2024.
Gov. JB Pritzker calls it “ethics” reform.
It’s rare to see city leaders in Chicago take an open, unabashed stance on the collapse of literacy. To complain is deemed as too political, too racist or too anti-public schools. So it’s refreshing to see Willie Wilson, a successful businessman and leader of the black community, call for a literacy initiative “with the goal of getting 100% of Black students reading at grade level.”
This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen. The state test is not standardized. The data is flawed and any intelligent person would know this. You are comparing kids in Illinois to kids in Illinois. It’s a handmade test in Illinois. Use a normed test instead. Fear mongering at its highest level.
These tests, the IAR and SAT, are the state standard set by the Illinois State Board of Education to measure students’ basic skills. We are simply highlighting their results, which you can find here: https://www.isbe.net/pages/illinois-state-report-card-data.aspx
The gold standard national test is the NAEP, called the nation’s report card. That test shows only 3 in 10 Illinois children were proficient in reading in 2022, close to the state’s own results.
Both sets of tests show the state’s education system is failing a majority of Illinois children.
First of all, no school in Rock Island co. is documented. These are mainly underprivileged schools in chicago. Which is not ALL of IL. That’s like going to IA city which is nice and clean and well educated and suggesting that ALL of Ia is such. When davenport IA alone with all the “choices” Reynolds has given, is just straight closing schools left and right. Most of the kids that got private school funding, didn’t need it to attend the schools they were already enrolled in. Secondly, to say NO child is meeting their expectations is a lie. My child… Read more »
There’s a link at the top labeled SCHOOL DISTRICT REPORT CARDS!! You can find reports for ALL of the school districts there, and that’s how I found Rock Island. Spoiler: none of the districts are doing good and all are spending wastefully. This is why we’re upset.
School choice is a path towards accountability.
“doing good” Ah, well
Funny! I’m human. Unlike others here, I do my best to learn from mistakes.
Another giant question, why is it that the only resource the voting /taxpayer public has to any kind of statistical analysis on how effectively their hard-earned tax $ are being spent at a CPS or statewide can only be found on WP or IPI? Why is it that Calkbeat, ST/WBEZ, Trib, etc are such fluffers for the machine (old machine or new machine) and still claim to part of some progressive politic?
How do you claim to be a “advocacy journalist” or “mission driven journalist” and ignore the absolute performance face-plant at a CPS at absolute astronomical cost to hardscrabble taxpayers (me) being taxed out of their homes? Who are you an “advocate” for? Who are you writing for? How do you look yourself in the mirror in the morning?
It’s bullshit my district isn’t on here and my kid is in state and federally funded preschool and she’s 4 reading at 1st grade level and exceeding math requirements. So this we also have a great excellerated program for advanced kids. So this is just bullshit.
What’s your district?
LOL just wait until they get rid of your accelerated program, “for equity”. My local high school just did that for most freshman and sophomores. And my elementary school board president campaigned on that premise, although she has yet to actually pull the trigger on it.
The problem isn’t teachers. Studies have shown the greatest factor for student success in schools is a two parent household that instill morals and values within the home.
Of course that’s true. It’s a validation of conservative values, which the left has mocked and disparaged for years. Now they want to use it to deflect blame for the complete failure of their policies and ideas?
Are you saying that schools have no responsibility to educate students who don’t come from a perfect Ozzie and Harriet background? Then why have public schools?
“Then why have public schools?”
The answer is simple: to indoctrinate students. They aren’t teaching reading or math in schools with the lowest proficiency. But rather, they are teaching progressive values and SEL and other nonsense to ‘heal trauma’.
Just curious- did you get indoctrinated at school, or by “doing your own research” on the internet?
Yes, like everyone else, I too was indoctrinated at public school, with patriotism, a love of learning, appreciation for the scientific method, and so on. Today these values are considered white supremacy, and are shunned. Kids aren’t taught to read, or write, or do math, but they are familiar with most if not all of the progressive ‘current thing’. That’s why schools across the country have children protesting for Gaza, a strip of land halfway across the planet most of them have never visited, nor will ever visit. The reason so few kids can read or write or do math… Read more »
Here is a good article and short video from John Stossel on public schools. I will have to watch the entire series. Caught my attention.
https://www.publicschoolreview.com/blog/who-oversees-public-schools
No child left behind… got them all left behind. Thanks to conservatives. I grew up in a one parent household in il and this wasn’t the case at all. I did fine in school. Infact my class got our school off the bullshit watch list Bush put in place when he decided to leave all kids behind.
There aren’t any conservatives in IL. The entire state is run by Democrats. There is plenty of info on all school districts if you scroll down or take 1 minute to look.
Does anybody from CTU/Brandon, to CPS, to CTU, to individual educators feel they owe the taxpayer ANY attempt at ‘cost efficiency metric accounting’ for the abysmal results at CPS for all the hard-earned $billions$ in taxpayer capital spent? Or just continue with the same old “scream fire in the theater”/systemic disinvestment bs…. sock it to the millionaires and billionaire, blah, blah, blah, shtick…. as a lifelong city resident, former cps product and parent, it’s getten so old folks
I think that parents should have a choice of sending their kids to private schools and pay them $27500 from the money that goes towards public school. That will create a competition between schools and they will think twice how to spend that money.
Then go to ia. With that mentality they’re closing schools.
Despite everything that goes on for the students outside of school walls YOU choose to write an article regarding a standardized (racist) test that you think tells you all about them!! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT to judge these communities, teachers, administrators OR students for their score, because evidently they are not getting the resources and good quality education they deserve!! How DARE you talk about every historically BLACK school and compare it to the “other” privileged schools in the state!! You ISOLATED THEM, and you all WONDER why a nonselective enrollment high school and HARDLY have enrollment at their schools!… Read more »
The article is SPOT ON! The CPS system is below average at best. Students in Austin and North Lawndale have to leave the community to get a better education because there are too many criminal distractions in those areas. How about elect some folks who are actually interested in bringing people up instead of keeping people down. Let’s start there
This article doesn’t represent the system or the average. Your public school education failed you specifically if you can’t define what an average is. I mean you don’t even know the median and that mode me mad. I agree the students need better. Your logic implies that if we vote differently and change city leadership that the children will learn more. History tells us that is false. People that can leave do. People that can’t don’t. Decades ago Lawndale and many other neighborhoods looked very …different. Think of a natural disaster like a Hurricane. They make an announce everyone needs… Read more »
Cause like.. the gop left no child behind right!?! This is all from that one stupid policy from Bush. Get your mind right.
Not getting the resources they deserve? The list shows how much money they are getting per student. Some of the failing schools are getting more money than the cost of tuition at some North Shore prep schools.
This is not about blaming the students, but certainly the teachers and administratos have some explaining to do, and perhaps more than a few of them are not doing their students any favors. In fact they are doing them a disservice, and damaging their prospects for a fulfilling career.
YES! Not getting the resources we deserve! We have NO AP classes to push us! Our PRINCIPAL COME OUT OF POCKET TO GIVE US WHAT WE DESERVE! Oh and the mental health support? TERRIBLE! 2 Mental Health workers for 250 student? Unacceptable!! So you don’t support us or send us support but you get here and judge our test score man? Get it together? I wonder what school your PRIVILEGE STUDENTS GO TO. I just can’t with y’all, these score don’t define us. Good morning fools!
Preach!! The ones that complain the most do nothing at all because its “reckless spending” to them to help our kids. They complain about elites as they want to fund the elite schools. Like in IA. Yet no underprivileged kid actually got a chance to go to one of those schools like Kim said. Greed over people. Not my circus. That’s for sure.
OH, and why you’re talking… SPEAK on how these students have to share their building as HIGH SCHOOLERS! Once again, look they give us low expectations and don’t give us what we deserve and NEED Like I said we deserve our own schools and hall talking about some scores. Good morning. And remember. Low expectations is racism with a hub.
Speak on the conditions of these buildings! Actually don’t speak on these schools until you really get to know those students and what they’ve got going on outside of schools and you out it on these educators and administrators to change it with no proper resources.
What resources do you need exactly? What schools across the board, not just Chicago, need is more parent involvement. I live down state from Chicago and watched as someone who graduated from high school , working a fast food job ( no disrespect) but he couldn’t make change for a dollar and the customer had to tell him the coins needed to make the amount. Parents need to be more proactive and jobs need to be more understanding of people with school aged children. Start treating it like jury duty. It’s the law !!
Many parents aren’t paid enough at their jobs to be home with their kids at night. So they have to work two to pay the bills. It isn’t always the parents.
What exactly is racist about math and reading ? Every other ethnic group can pass standardized test . Stop letting our young believe that their race is a disability
Um, Marion, CPS gets an astronomical $29,000 per student.
They have to leave because of the people who there value hip hop ideals over education. Millions have been spent on this issue and it still remains. A two parent household is a good start
Was that parody?
I’m just confused they only did 67 schools out of 3977 schools in Illinois? Also 12,000 students out of about 1,800,000? I’m sorry but that’s not a great sample at all…especially when some of these schools are in the same area. How about the schools that are doing good and what are they doing? Let’s look at that…also Illinois isn’t the only state struggling cause we are like ranked 19th in standardized testing out of 50 states! So it’s definitely a country thing. I blame accountability. Students aren’t accountable anymore and allowed to be passed even if they shouldn’t be… Read more »
Ya Londa, we’ve written about the other schools time after time after time, such as here:
https://wirepoints.org/wirepoints-testimony-to-the-illinois-house-committee-on-ed-appropriations-accountability-not-funding-is-the-core-problem-with-illinois-education/
https://wirepoints.org/poor-student-achievement-and-near-zero-accountability-an-indictment-of-illinois-public-education-system-wirepoints-special-report/
You still didn’t cover half the school districts. Lol 😂 this is such a bullshit thing it’s not even funny.
Rockford school district 205 also had dismal results. Here is an article from 13 WREX Investigates from 2019 our local station. Rockford dist 205 has approx 28K students so this has been going on for years. It is not just Chicago.
https://www.wrex.com/news/13-investigates/13-investigates-rps-205-teachers-say-failing-students-still-get-moved-on-to-next-grade/article_8b8b9850-7042-52d4-8301-530f0b8293c2.html
The ones that disagree aren’t educated enough to understand your great statement. I worked in an IA school district and it was exactly what you say. But if parents are making excuses for bad adult behavior.. why wouldn’t they with their own kids?
“The State of Illinois and other states are now moving rapidly toward mandatory mental health screening of every single child. So there are several interests that are converging here. Of course, big pharma wants more customers. If the kid fidgets in his chair, let’s call it a disease. We’ll call it a mental disorder, then we’ll treat it with speed, crystal meth, and we”ll call it Adderall or whatever. So the big pharma companies love this. They are buying up legislators like trading cards. And then the legislators say the federal government is going to pay, they are going to… Read more »
Any 2nd grade student from old Soviet Union Education era will beat your high school graduate in reading and math. One of the things that Soviet Union did was to provide one of the best free education for everyone. I am not a fan of Socialism, worst political regimes ever created. But from educational point of view, it’s a different story.
Sorry, Michael, your statement and your conclusion are simply not correct. May I respectfully inquire as to how much time you actually spent living behind the Iron Curtain; how much time you spent in a Soviet run school? They provided the education they chose to provide, offered by teachers they chose (who were not always even trained teachers!) and if you didn’t meet their requirements moving through the various grades, you were ELIMINATED!!! Yes, that is correct. You didn’t ‘fail’ or take 5th grade again….you were ELIMINATED!! Let’s hear about your experiences there, please.
You are absolutely correct. The other reason is to rat out parents who are non-compliant with the Globohomo agenda. Note the introduction of a bill today saying that it is child abuse to disagree with your child’s gender bending and desire to chop off his or her genitals. The mutilations are just fine – the state will even pay for it with medicaid. But the parents who object to the mutilation? that’s now deemed child abuse and CPS will take your kids away for that. That’s literally in the bill introduced today.
Jesus… how much Fox do you watch? Good God.
I won’t watch the other networks that support the Globohomo agenda so I leave Fox on all day and night. They keep me updated on all the grooming activities of educators.
Bethany, his name isn’t “Jesus”, so that’s a bit unnecessary….but to your point, you’re making a bit of a fool of yourself and letting all of us know that you don’t really do the homework you should do before making such comments. Because you don’t, here’s the information for you: The legislation is Illinois House Bill #4876, introduced by the reliably “progressive” legislator Ms. Anna Stava-Murray from house district #81. Surely, SURELY you knew that, right???? SURELY you’ve read it, and you’re prepared to go to jail, pay a fine of $25,000 if you don’t agree to have your kid’s… Read more »
How many school shootings do you have to witness before you take student mental health seriously?!?! This whole thing you said is straight garbage.
Thank Bush for the no child left behind program. Take education back to the 1950’s. You don’t pass until you are proficient. And leave the cellphones at their locker.
It wasn’t bush’s no child left behind , that program at least held educators responsible. It’s Obama’ s evey child must succeed program that has schools passing and graduating kids that can’t read or write
Nope. Because of no child left behind, they all got educationally left. They kept passing kids along with… no… accountability. They cut tutors and teachers aids big time in those days and thats when classroom sizes grew because the feds would close your school if you werent meeting expectations. I worked with these kids. It was a mess. Obama put regulations on it teachers aids came in full because class sizes we too full. But his down fall was not ripping the whole thing out altogether. Bush was a mess!!! My entire life that whole party has been not only… Read more »
Mr. Bush was President almost a quarter of a century ago. Are you telling us that the Democrat presidents, whom you seem to revere, and the many Democrat-controlled Congressional terms couldn’t fix it if they thought it was so awful? They were in charge – why didn’t they check with you and make it all better????
https://news.wttw.com/2023/10/31/latest-illinois-school-report-card-shows-proficiency-gains-persistent-gaps-racial-lines
Can someone please contact me re [deleted].
No ads, please.
It isn’t about teachers but the teachers unions contribute to the problem. The real issue [deleted].
You’re a lying racist piece of shit! And it’s not union’s either, it’s criminal politicians gutting education funding so other pieces of shit with $, like Musk, can keep more of it through tax cuts, or “incentives”, and pass the burden on to those that are stretched to thin already, talk shit about those they disadvantage and give their enablers kickbacks in the form of dark money campaign contributions.
Wrong. 1.The teachers union is a problem in the taxation department. That why most tax money goes there. This state has highest taxation but has horrible road conditions and horrible schools. 2. Politicians in IL. Pritzker owns parts of certain companies that he used during Covid shut down to enforce free testing for Covid. It wasn’t free it came from taxes and went into his pocket. Next mayors of Chicago prioritize illegal immigrates over citizens. Use the teachers Union to get re-elected. 3. Parents should take the time to help their children but the government promotes single parents which is… Read more »
$27000 per student isn’t enough???
Yup!!! PrEACH!! They sure hate the elites soooo much they’ll vote to cut all their resources to be educated and healthy, hand them a gun instead, when we know education combats violence, while all the taxes they do pay just goes right into the elites pockets as you said. It’s soooo stupid!!!!!! These people couldn’t take a modern history test and pass to save their lives cause they’d just call it CRT or some other cop out.
Well, Mrs. Truth – that’s a really strange ‘take’ on all of this. You can wail and howl all you want, but the fact is, the kids are passed along whether they can read or do math or not. Teachers are not allowed to fail them, and they don’t even have to go to class! Talk with some of the teachers….out of the earshot of their union rep, please. The teachers aren’t the problem…The problem is the union rules that make sure kids aren’t punished for misbehaving. No teacher should be in the classroom afraid for her life!!! Do you… Read more »
That’s what a lot of the general public fails to understand: there are a lot of kids who aren’t successful in school for a variety of reasons all generally leading to “lashing out” at anyone in authority there. It can be blatantly verbal or subtle, intimidating or simply suggesting intimidation, etc. Those kids start thinking of school as life in prision, treat the property and much of the staff members as if they were guards and deserving of disrespect. Just continually thinking of school as a prison eventually makes such a person act that way and focus on “counting down… Read more »
James, I really appreciate perspectives like that from teachers like you. Not that some or maybe many teachers don’t deserve some or much of the blame, but I want to hear their perspective, especially from good ones. What is your view about what Karen said above? Specifically, who is to blame for lax promotion and graduation standards and lax discipline? Teachers, unions, government rules?
Like a lot of jobs elsewhere teaching itself and administrative jobs require a great deal of “political schmoozing” responsibility in dealing with the students, the parents, and—especially—your superiors up the food chain. Being undiplomatic and/or autocratic will bring lots of anxiety and woe your way. Thus, you gradually learn that your high standards as a bright-eyed beginner are not going to serve you well as complaints come your way. So, eventually you fall into line and go with the prevailing currents. You’ve got to be at least reasonably pleasing and responsive to literally every interest group that I mentioned, or… Read more »
I’ve only complained about a teacher once in my life, and only to the teacher directly, after she gleefully and in a celebratory mood showed her entire class the Biden inauguration while chastising Trump the entire time. I had to tell her that we were very, very disappointed in her low IQ Democrat beliefs, and that nearly everyone (but not all!) of Little Billy’s family voted for Trump, from his Grandfather, Uncles, Aunts, siblings and most importantly parents, and that we don’t appreciate her imposing her personal political beliefs upon her students. Other than that one time, I’ve never complained… Read more »
I appreciate the honesty of your post. While what you describe reminds me of life trying to survive and climb the corporate ladder, the difference is the stakes are much higher when you’re talking about teaching children. Thanks for the perspective.
You’re out of here. Don’t come back.
You have a platform and you shut down freedom of speech. Nice.
Have you ever seen this cartoon? I love it
They don’t actually believe in freedom of speech unless it’s a conspiracy story.
See the cartoon above Bethany.
The statistics don’t matter to them. Their own feelings are all that matter. “You just don’t understand how tough I have it”. You may recognize it as the lament of a 15 yr old.
Sadly, many of these kids were probably “failed” by their parents and local communities before they even got to first grade. For me, I am beginning to agree with voices that ask for alternate learning opportunities for many of these kids. I have much sympathy for many of the teachers that find it nearly impossible to help some of their students reach the goals that many others are able to attain. Dumping on the teachers is probably not helpful.
Unsurprisingly, most of the teachers raiding this article can’t read critically or comprehend statistics! The jokes write themselves.
Like teachers “raiding”[sic] the article?
Go back and “re raid” that statement. Also the requirements to become a teacher are higher than they’ve been.
#VoteRepublican to keep taking money from schools and forcing districts to cut spending on arts, music, math, and science.
It’s just daycare after the Republicans get through with it.
There aren’t any Repubicans to vote for in Illinois. This is entirely a Democrat created mess we’re dealing with. Illinois spends more per student than most states.
I’m glad we spend more per student than most states. We also have a more educated work force than most states. We also have higher average incomes than most states. We also have higher GDP than most states.
What lol. Did you read the above? Oh wait nevermind.
The article takes a atom sized slice of education and attempts to extrapolate it into a universe.
You don’t pay attention to local politics and it shows…
One of these districts spends $44k / student! Try again. I think we have enough aspiring rappers and artists in this crowd… we need people who can read and do basic math.
LOL, have you seen the ‘mandates’ required by the progressive IBSE? It’s 44 pages of liberal progressive BS. There’s simply no time for art, music, math or science, when students are forced to learn about LBGTQP(edophile) inclusion and history! And you blame Republicans in Illinois! Delusional!
You are delusional if you believe what you wrote. Do you even listen to yourself?!
We you aware that the ISBE mandates that all components of IL’s curriculum be infused with LGBTQ inclusion and representation at every grade level? Gay math, gay art, gay social studies. The state has gone ‘Full Libtard’. You’re the one who is delusional, or naive. Maybe both.
Um… that’s talked about in health. Which is one class in high school. Quit watching fox. Your brain has left and it shows. I’d rather my child be prepared for the world they’ll be entering then scared like you.
LOL, serious question, is your IQ below 90? One of those people who are so ignornant and stupid they don’t even know how stupid they sound, and are arrogant about it? here ya go: LGBTQ INCLUSIVE CURRICULUM Governor JB Pritzker signed Public Act 101-0227 in August 2019. This measure is more widely known as the LGBTQ Inclusive Curriculum Bill. The core purpose of the bill is to ensure that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer and questioning (LGBTQ) contributions are incorporated into curriculum and history classes. Our history as a state and a nation is riddled with the influences from individuals who… Read more »
So, who is in power?
The governor is democrat.
The mayor/city council in those areas are democrat.
I don’t care about parties but ummm yea.
You teachers who are reading this, I am interested in your opinion on this: Something clearly went wrong in our schools here and nationally around 2012 to 2016. That’s when NAPES scores everywhere began to plummet in Illinois, Chicago and across the nation. But what was it? I don’t know what the answer is, but something clearly went awry at that time. One retired IL teacher I talked to blamed it on the pervasive influence of Lucy Calkins, who she says emphasized listening over instruction. Any truth to that?
COMMON CORE. The change is COMMON CORE. I’m very passionate about this. The short version is that Common Core was introduced in 2010ish but the standardized tests weren’t changed to reflect common core teaching methods into 2012 when 20% of the test was common core. The ISBE was so confident that common core was working wonderfully that the increased the cutoffs for proficiency. I will link to the article below. Proficiency dropped precipitously. When the first entirely common core test scores were administered in 2014 there they were a complete disaster. Few in education wanted to admit the disaster so… Read more »
https://www.wbez.org/stories/illinois-test-results-plummet-under-new-common-core-exams/6d2c73aa-4259-4903-952f-4970a4d48aa9 Illinois test results plummet under new Common Core exams “As expected, the percentage of Illinois schoolchildren deemed to be meeting standards has plunged in the state’s first year of Common Core testing, prompting state superintendent Tony Smith to declare the scores “simply a new baseline from which we can move forward” and warn that he doesn’t want the lower results used “to shame teachers or schools.” This first look at scores from the controversial PARCC test may not be representative—the results, which Smith called a “super draft,” leave out between 25 and 30 percent of the nearly 1.1 million… Read more »
Famous common core math question: This is the absolute crap they teach kids. Parents are incapable of helping their children with the math and half of teachers dont’ understand it either:
This is why scores dropped. No one understands this crap. It’s ‘new math’ all over again and students arent learning anything. They have practically just stopped teaching this crap alltogether now, and, rather than returning to the 3 R’s, the education complex now pushes SEL and critical consciousness and trauma healing instead of learning. They’re all charlatans, all of them.
It was Obama who implemented this stupid and very confusing Common Core! He and everyone behind him wanted to destroy America from within and keep young generations stupid and easy to manipulate. That’s one of their agenda. Math supposed to be easy if it’s explained correctly. In my country where I came from that silly common core program was never used.
Based upon my experiences finding an Illinois teacher that can explain math correctly is like finding the proverbial needle in a haystack.
This explains a lot why kids are struggling with math.
Unfreaking believable!
Looks like the twitter trolls have found wirepoints comment section.
No, this is mostly from CTU. Unsurprisingly, all the DEI folks are intolerant of criticism and reject diversity of opinion as well as inclusivity related to public matters.
CTU trolls: why Doesn’t Johnson want the public to vote on all 21 board member seats like originally planned? Wouldn’t that be a step in the right direction?
https://abc7chicago.com/school-board-members-chicago-public-schools-mayor-brandon-johnshon-illinois-senate/14414344/
How many actually took the time to read the article? Most of the schools listed are school for kids considered “at risk”. That includes children with disabilities, kids who struggle being in a traditional classroom setting, as well as students who have been expelled from school for various reasons (undesirable for many but still needing education). Many of these kids are ones who would have dropped out the second they were able. Or weeded out by the traditional school setting in order to keep the standardized test scores up.
Not to mention the greatest information left out, how many schools are there in Illinois? And how does this compare to other states? In other words, this is a clear case of lying with statistics taken out of context. About what I expect from Musk, and any rag that publishes his lies.
Larry, try reading the column before commenting. It says: “Wirepoints’ analysis above focuses only on the Illinois schools where zero of kids were able to read or do math out of the more than 3,500 schools (grades 3 through 12) that test their students every year. we could have just as easily looked at the 408 schools where only 1 out of 10 kids or fewer can read at grade level. Or the 873 schools where just 1 out 10 kids or fewer can do math. That’s 12% and 25% of all grade 3-12 schools in the state, respectively.
I read the article. It seems to me the bigger point of this article is the amount of money being invested in these failing schools. Several are even being commended by the Illinois School Board.
Marxists want to take away all of your money and liberties because they erroneously view the state and party as more important than the individual. History has proven this plan only works out for those that run the party. The reality is that arbitrary state encroachments are the primary reason for the destruction of the family and loss of social capital. We’re well beyond the point where tax collection for administrative services is productive. For example, $24,000 per year per child is huge compared to other states. $300 textbooks??? $20M for electric school busses that don’t work when the traditional… Read more »
Also, all the schools listed are in the Chicago area, and not all of the schools in the Chicago area, sound like it’s possibly handpicked data, definitely flawed if not outright fraudulent info. Also, most of the students where I’m at in Central IL test proficient in math and reading.
False.
“Far to the south, about 60 miles west of the state’s capital of Springfield, there’s the three-school district of Meredosia-Chambersburg 11. Not a single student tested at the elementary school could read at grade level. At the middle school, none were proficient in math. And in Meredosia-Chambersburg High School, where 75 percent of students graduated, not a single student tested was proficient in either reading or math.”
There’s years worth of data on this mess on Wirepoints. Maybe you should take the time to look.
https://wirepoints.org/wirepoints-testimony-to-the-illinois-house-committee-on-ed-appropriations-accountability-not-funding-is-the-core-problem-with-illinois-education/
https://wirepoints.org/poor-student-achievement-and-near-zero-accountability-an-indictment-of-illinois-public-education-system-wirepoints-special-report/
While I agree about the lack of better measurements and comparisons I will share my personal experience. My son just returned to a public school in Illinois. This is his 2nd time. 1st time was 1st grade. They went behind our backs and skipped him to 2nd on the 2nd day of school and were going to skip him to 3rd if I didn’t find out and stop the madness. We came from Idaho schools. He was so far ahead of Illinois peers, even though he was not top of his kindergarten class etc. In 2nd grade they pulled him… Read more »
What? It states 0 of the children in that district met the standards and they were still passed/graduated.
On top of that over paid because private schools don’t even spend that much per student.
Why are only the minority areas polled.
That’s racist
I don’t know what the big deal is. The kids don’t need to learn reading, writing, arithmetic, science. The school boards across the country decided that the children just need to learn about sex and perversion.
Try reading the article. Illinois actually has some of the best public schools in the country. These are a tiny subset of the state’s schools. There are almost 4000 public schools, making this not even 1% of the state schools, which means 99% are passing these standards.
I just looked at several outside articles that report how English and math scores are still lagging from before the pandemic hit. Student absenteeism, however, has risen.
Keep reaching….you’re almost there…..but not really.
The simplest answer will be to stop scoring the tests. There are no doubt assorted social workers who will chime in about how test scores intimidate the students with assorted diagnosed maladies that will sing in chorus to stop the testing. This is how things are solved in Illinois these days and it isn’t getting any better
Or, show.all the data. The schools here are 1% of the state schools, a
Which means 99% are passing these standards. Musk is as bad as Trump with being a lying pos
ISBE data says 65 percent of all Illinois students can’t read at grade level.
https://wirepoints.org/5-facts-they-dont-want-you-to-know-about-illinois-2023-student-test-results-wirepoints/
Can you provide evidence about how well these other schools are doing? Because outside articles I’m reading aren’t painting a positive picture. Making this about personalities instead of actual issues doesn’t solve problems.
What does Musk and Trump have to do with IL.
No it doesn’t mean 99% met standards. As long as 1 kid met the standards wire points did not report it. That 1% or 12,000 kids not one has met the standards.
At least the kids are learning proper pronouns and have “Safe Spaces “ where they can be free of things like tests and other standards of measurement that might hurt their perceived notions of entitlement and victimization.
How do you think they came up with these lists? They are the result of tests. I know my kids are learning far more than I ever did in school.
That was sarcasm. They have to do the state testing, but some are allowing the students to opt out of traditional testing as it might be too hard. Hence why they are failing these measurement tests. You’re right in that they are learning far more than you probably did. They’re learning about exploring their sexuality, learning about a lot of things and issues that should be left to their parents and not by pornography in school libraries. That being said. It’s time for the schools to focus on math, reading, and science like they are supposed to be teaching. Stop… Read more »
Oh boy. If kids learn about sex the world will end. Why do we have such puritanical police when it comes to everything below the waist, but we praise those who do terribly illegal and immoral economic acts in their race to die with the most money?
Are you housing the illegals?
Do you even have children? If so, how are they doing in life?
If the above is no or single with kid or some other issues. Please, just move along.
I don’t know any illegals, or even any asylum seekers. I wish them all the best. I have children. They’re doing great, thanks.
Typical lib, lives in a bubble, walks around oblivious to the world around them.
“I don’t know any illegals because I work in an office and earn $100K plus a year and they don’t live in my neighborhood with $600+ homes! I just assume my landscapers and contractors all have papers!” LOL
You seem to be a very pleasant, happy, well adjusted individual. /s
Bill, why are you so interested in teaching kids about sex, are you a groomer? Why do you like teaching sex to kids?
You seem to be the obsessed one.
Yes, obsessed about keeping my children away from the groomers. I have three relatives (2 nieces and a 2nd cousin) who were groomed into the opposite sex by teachers in public schools since the pandemic started. My relatives are understandably upset. One had to leave the state. You’re delusional if you don’t think this crap is happening everywhere.
Maybe, MAYBE it might have something to do with the fact that grades of 50% are being given to students that have not turned in any work. Students are being allowed to pass school without doing any work so yeah, maybe when you test them they might not know the subject matter. They’re passing class without doing the work. If you don’t do the work, you might not learn the subject matter. Seems like an easy fix to me- hold students accountable for their learning. Show them value in learning. A 50% given for not even showing up isn’t going… Read more »
The schools are much better if you get out of the blue area and get into the red area of the state.
Check the list again.
Exactly first thing I noticed was them red area logic tooting people lol
This article is absolutely abysmal and ignorant. Looking at students as numbers and not people is why the author is a writer and not an educator. Basing a kid’s proficiency on one data point is precisely why standardized tests should be used as teaching points and not fodder for idiots to write articles. The lack of curiosity as to WHY kids can’t pass these tests and the leap straight to shutting schools down is unimaginative and ridiculous. Do better.
This has been the game plan for the last couple years. The GOP has chased every good educator out of the field by banning books, attacking teachers at PTA meetings and mobbing school board meetings across the country. Republicans have been trying to destroy public education in favor of segregation by way of charter schools. They want to pick where their kids go to school so they don’t have to be around kids of color or teachers with liberal outlooks. Most parents I know in IL have pulled their kids out of school and are homeschooling because the schools can’t… Read more »
The GOP went after the parents that voiced concerns at the board meeting in VA? They are pushing segregation when we see, even at the local level classes for black and Latino students only? Stacey Gates that sends her children into a better school out of district is a MAGA extremist? I certainly hope you are trying to be sarcastic or else you are extremely delusional. Wow.
You could argue that the teaching profession has become so politicized that the politically ambivalent to even mildly conservative candidates who might otherwise be interested in teaching go elsewhere…much to the detriment of rural schools having issues attracting talent.
The possibility of being surrounded with radicalized co-workers – either side of the political spectrum, mind you – for 30+ years might not be the best recruiting tool.
So, Chris, we have mandatory Illinois teacher training in woke doctrine, radical teachers unions that drive public policy and much of how schools are run, divisive race obsession in schools, mandatory curricula from progressive lawmakers and more, yet it’s the right driving teachers out of the profession? What conservative or moderate would want to teach in Illinois schools?
Never been to Tazewell County?
As soon as I hear ‘book banning” I ask, why do you want to give children ghey pornography, groomer? Why are you so concerned with making sure children have access to pornography at school, groomer?
Lauren, the article did not attempt to answer all the reasons why results are what they are. There are many of them, some of which we have written about, and other opinions are welcome. It’s you who have offered nothing about the reasons why.
It’s only one data point? These kids can’t read. I’ll say it again so maybe it will sink in:
The children you are paid to educate can’t read.
How do you imagine you are teaching them anything when they can’t read?
I do not know why people are surprised that students are performing poorly on standardized tests. This group of children basically missed two years of school due to Covid. We can’t expect them to “catch up” unless we have them go to school two more years. There is not enough time in the school day to make up for the time they missed. We need to stop fretting about something that was not in anyone’s control and just support our students to learn as much as they can in the time that we have them in school. (I was in… Read more »
We can support our students by ridding them of the yoke of self- serving teachers that fought tooth and nail to keep them out of school in IL while other states had students in attendance with no ill effects. CTU was quite satisfied with half days of instruction taught on Zoom in their sweatpants. Until parents wised up as to what was being taught, that is.
It doesn’t suprise me. I never even learned how to do long division and I graduated college with honors. I also had learning disabilities no one knew about. The funny thing about how much they supposedly spend on each student is every school is constantly still desperate for more money. And they never seem to have enough staff and support for anything.
The “new” math definitely at the core of this.
Your ignorance is astounding.
I was an English teacher for 20 years. In the United States for only five. I was treated horribly and worked 90 hours a week for my monthly salary, no overtime. I worked in four different school districts during that time and all treated me like I was the most replaceable thing in the world. Obviously I’m not the only one who is treated that way. This country has plenty of good qualified teachers, but you need leadership that knows how to keep them! After returning to the United States from Italy during the pandemic, I took a substitute teaching… Read more »
So, that’s 67 out of 3,977 schools in Illinois. I guess the parents of children attending these schools need to hold their local school board, administrators, and staff accountable. My intuition is that Wirepoints is in favor of a more sinister solution. Illinois ranks #12 in education compared to other states.
You’re assuming the parents care about their kids education. Not every parent is a good parent. If that were true, DCFS would not exist.
I’m assuming that at least a handful of parents in each of these schools care about their kids. That’s all it takes to effect change.
I’d bet that handful of parents make sure their kids are proficient in both so they don’t have to rely on the school.
I agree with you Julie. Although there are SOME teachers that offer twice as much as other teachers The parents just can not expect all the learning to come from schools. When teachers spend more time with them than their parents, we have a problem. Unless they can’t read or can perform math problems either. But then again, I’m 60, we didn’t have all these parentheses, etc around numbers to work, this part first, then that part, click your heels three times, stand on one leg, then you get the answer.
So IL is mediocre and that’s ok for 24K per student, right? Low expectations are our feel good for no apparent reasons friend.
I’m sorry, I made a mistake. According to US News & World Report, Illinois is #5 in Pre-K-12 education. Surrounding states are as follows:
Wisconsin #10
Iowa #16
Indiana #7
Missouri #29
Kentucky #27
The US News & World Report counts, among other stats, high school graduation rates as a factor in their rankings. Grad rates can be easily manipulated to make schools look better than they are. See above. Zero reading or math, and yet 70% of students graduate.
So graduation should be totally dependent upon reading and math test scores? I’m nearing retirement age, and I can recall graduating with classmates who weren’t reading or doing math at grade level. This didn’t mean they were incapable of reading or doing math at a level to become prosperous, contributing citizens. Every one of them excelled in something. I was never a math wiz in K-12, but I’ve worked in the engineering field for 30 years. It wasn’t until I discovered Physics in college that math meant anything to me other than a very strange, cryptic language.
Chuck, if they aren’t teaching math and reading, what are they teaching? Progressive values?
You’re kidding, right? What school did you go to that only had two periods per day and only taught reading and math? I mean, I was all for a shorter school day, but there were many classes other than reading and math. History, government, social studies, business, typing, computer science, science, biology, chemistry, home economics, industrial technology, health, foreign language, physical education, economics, drivers education, communications, and literature to name a few.
How does one study history, social studies, or economics without basic proficiency in reading and math?
They don’t study, they’re just told that white people are bad evil colonizing oppressors, go out and protest to effectuate change.
Basic proficiency in reading is not equal to grade level proficiency.
LOL, all of these low test scores all around the state, and kids aren’t passing anything, can’t read or write, and no one can figure out why? IT’S NO SECRET. They’re not teaching kids to read or write anymore, that’s why they can’t read or write. School today in many places isn’t 1950 anymore! Educators each week spend more time providing therapy and counseling through SEL as mandated by the ISBE. Are you familiar with the nonsense that is SEL? The entire educational is filled with bad faith actors who have little interest in teaching and much interest in indoctrinating… Read more »
I’m sorry you’re not happy with your child’s education, but it’s great that you are engaged in it. I certainly wouldn’t want it to be like it was in the 1950’s. Educational standards have improved greatly since the 1950’s. Heck, they’ve improved greatly since I was in school. My kids are at a level of math being taught a full year earlier than when I was in school.
I don’t know where your kids attend school but my son does not have improved standards since the 50’s. My kid is learning the crap common core math that no one understands, he spends 3+ hours a week in SEL where he is taught to rub his tummies when he gets upset, and then with all the state’s necessary mandates about s3xual degeneracy (which I opt him out of) he just sits in the gym for quiet time with the half a dozen other kids opted out.
Uhm this is fraudulent information and should be removed. I live here in Illinois and have intimate knowledge in our school systems and how they rank nationally and I’m not seeing any truth here much less it’s missing many schools from this list. Funny not one single school that me nor family members attended are even listed. And we live in large swaths of the state. Secondly, many of us are tested in math and reading and are scoring above average. So I know for fact this is lies. The question is why are you outright lying. What purpose are… Read more »
Unfortunately, it is true according to the department of education. So where exactly are you getting your information?
Welcome to the world of “clickbait”.
Successor to the world of “sound bite”.
It looks like your a victim of the school system… They only listed those that had zero math/reading-proficient students.
The numbers come straight from the Illinois State Board of Education.
I believe it. In our neck if the woods children run the school. Teachers are hit by first graders, fights break out regularly, bullying runs rampant and our school board does nothing but sweep it under the rug. We regularly lose young teachers. Nothing can prepare them for children acting like animals. And that’s just the grade schools. Don’t get me started on middle, jr and high schools. If they can’t control first and second graders by the time they are in high school all hope is lost. Parents don’t care what their kids do as long as they don’t… Read more »
See the data for yourself: https://www.isbe.net/pages/illinois-state-report-card-data.aspx
“Nearby North Lawndale Prep Charter-Christiana spends over $20,000 for each of its 308 students. …..Not a single student tested was proficient in math and only 1 student tested proficient in reading. “
Missing data Chronic absenteeism 70%
Children need to attend school to learn.
And yet despite that absenteeism officials at the school graduated 85 percent of students… the overall system is the problem here.
This data is incomplete. Test scores without truancy data fails to inform. Students must attend school regularly to learn.
27 – 29 in kindergarten classes. 27 – 29 in primary grade classes. 30 – 32 in intermediate classes and upper grade classes.
Funny. It is staggering how many charters made the list.
I thought that was the answer.
I guess Education is just… Harder than it looks.
The schools in this country are too focused on gender identity, queer studies and making perversion the top priority instead of proper basic education. Home school if you can.
The public school system in America still works. There are excellent public schools in areas where the public understands the value of a quality education. A large swath of the Chicago Public School system has students that have zero hope of being educated and could care less. It’s a reflection of the community that goes to that school. High quality communities have high quality public schools.
God bless the good parents who strive day and night to keep their children out of these hellish “schools”.
And God bless those that care enough to leave evil Illinois.
I just got here I am thinking I should have stayed in TN. Taxes are insane, roads are trash(trying to fix them now), school’s are a joke, and worst social system. Where is all that tax money going? With as much taxation going on the roads should be perfect, schools should have literally everything (pools and all), a way better social system. This tells me a lot of corruption is going on. Ppl keep voting the same ppl in that keep doing this. Mississippi needs to vote blue and IL needs to vote red. Shake it up make them earn… Read more »
Well, if we would pay teachers better, we would attract teachers who are proficient in math that will teach the children to be proficient in math.
It’s the black family, no the black culture responsible for 95%;of these resulrs.
If parents cared,this would not be an issue. Parents need to be involved too. Parents need to do their part. My parents were involved by making sure homework was completed.
It’s ignorant racists like you that are the problem. Or should I say “are responsible for these resulrs”
I’m sure data exists to back up his argument. Or is data also racist when it sheds light on a problem upon a specific sector of the population?
In the US, the educational establishment has been thoroughly ideologized, which has been its undoing. The Long March of the Marxists through all of our institutions, beginning with Academia, has served to render those institutions spiritual, moral, ethical, intellectual, philosophical, ideological and sociocultural wastelands.
Math proficiency starts with teaching math. Schools don’t do much of that these days, spending a lot of their time indoctrinating students in liberal progressive values. Here’s an ISBE list, 44 slides long, of all the required educational mandates
https://www.isbe.net/Documents/IL-Mandated-Units-of-Study.pdf
Math proficiency starts with children attending school daily. Low test scores are often seen at schools with high truancy. You need to attend school to learn.
What part of that list is explicitly a liberal progressive agenda? Specifically.
Nearly all of it that is not math or science is infused with progressive ideology, or arises out of a progressive belief system: Asian American History (identitarian politics) Black History (identitarian politics) Conservation of Natural Resources (Climate Change!) Disabilities: History, People & Rights (identitarian politics, ableist politics) Internet Safety and Media Literacy: (Right wing bad, progressive good!) Native American History: (progressive revisionist history) Social studies: (this ain’t your grandmother’s social studies, you cis-gendered white colonialist occupier) Teen dating violence: (how to enjoy perversion responsibly) Health Education: (how to enjoy perversion responsibly) US History: (Howard Zinn’s A People’s History, you you… Read more »
Check the list and weigh the number of core reading/writing/math/history courses versus the balance.
That’s rather telling.
The core topics should be dominant.
And realize these general topics can be taught with content and bias that might be objectionable.
Most teachers are groomed to lean liberal.
When kids must pass through a combat zone to get to school it makes learning to read less important than survival. A friend who taught Kindergarten (not in Chicago) said every student in his class knew someone who had been shot
I am from down state Il and spent 13 years working in and around the Chicago schools. The Chicago schools are awful. It is not just the system, but many of the “students” in general are from fatherless homes with no parental emotional or motivational support. This is a cultural issue. Nothing is going to change for the vast majority of these schools or students until the culture changes. Most of them are told repeatedly and believe it is not their fault and blame someone else. A formula for failure which is what they are doing, failing worse each year.… Read more »
A good start is to bust the teachers unions.
lol. No one wants to be a teacher anymore because you can’t actually teach. Kids just talk over you and there are no consequences and kids think they can just be TikTok stars and profession is a joke to them (their parents tell them they don’t have to listen or do work). Parents actually defend their shitty kids and are happy letting them watch skibidi toilet. Kids will attack you if you take away their screens. Kids don’t want to learn and their parents just plop them on the couch with a screen in their face and tell them how… Read more »
Hey Tom,
Well… That’s what the Illinois policy Institute is for. you know, high-quality propaganda.
…Ralph Wiggum
They don’t need to read or do math. They are all going to be social media influencers or rap artists and make millions.
Who is it that keeps saying that Illinois is the best state to raise a family? Oh yeah, that would be JB Pritzker. He must mean it’s the best state to raise a family of illiterates!
It’s the best state for the underserved to get fed at school, learn about sexuality of all persuasions, how evil capitalism is and the inherent racism of America. It’s also a great place to get a taxpayer funded abortion, smoke all the pot you want and gamble your life away. Life long welfare recipients and repeat criminal offenders are especially looked favorably upon.
Those are just a few of the benefits of living in IL! isn’t it a little slice of heaven?
You all can leave anytime. Where do you live? I’m looking to move.
I’m with you on the abortion part, but how on Earth is feeding poor children a bad thing? Did you and I read different editions of the Bible or something?
The main focus of school should be education, not feeding children whose lazy parents can’t be bothered to attend to those that they brought into the world at everyone else’s expense. I’m all for a free lunch, but breakfast and summer meals are a bit much and only serve to make the families, whose main source of food is now school, beholden to a leftist, liberal and corrupt union entity. I don’t see throwing in with a crooked system so long as they feed your family in the Bible anywhere, either .
FREE SCHOOL LUNCHES MAKES KIDS FAT AND OBESE: Do School Lunches Contribute to Childhood Obesity?Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach, Journal of Human Resources, July 2009, 44 (3) 684-709; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.44.3.684 Abstract: This paper assesses whether school lunches contribute to childhood obesity. I employ two methods to isolate the causal impact of school lunches on obesity. First, using panel data, I find that children who consume school lunches are more likely to be obese than those who brown bag their lunches even though they enter kindergarten with the same obesity rates. Second, I leverage the sharp discontinuity in eligibility for reduced-price lunch to… Read more »
You need Jesus in your life, friend.
These are problems a long time coming.
I personally observed it in the mid 60’s
During my preinduction physical and
Testing. Out of 120 local kids at least
20 could not test because they could not read. This drove the sargent nuts.
The higher ups know the problem but
Will not acknowledge it, they need more
Money! Its a joke how Brandon continues
To look like Oliver Twist bowl in hand
Saying “ More please may I have more”.
FYI WP: Both charts say ‘reading’
Can you imagine how incredible an education system there would be if that $24,000 (per student) was given to home schools? One parent could stay home and teach their own children while the other worked outside the home. The medium income of Chicago families would jump to over $100,00 overnight. Larger families wouldn’t even need a parent to work outside the home. They could focus all their energy on educating their children. The current system makes no sense. So many better alternatives are out there when you can spend $24,000 per student.
lol. Yes and then they can sit on their screen all day at home and treat their families the way they treat people on the school grounds (like garbage and then be loud aggressive). Parents can’t handle their own kids and that’s why they send them to school to have someone else raise them. Parents need to raise their own children and stop relying on schools to do it – so that kids can actually LEARN at school. Schools used to be a place for learning and repent but now it’s just a day care for overgrown kids who can’t… Read more »
Some kids are so special they have school aides devoted to changing diapers.
dumb question, your $24,000 cost per child “all in” figure includes or doesn’t include all the benefits and benefit debt?
It includes.
$44 billion state, local and federal dollars spent on classrooms and benefits, divided by 1.85 million kids.
Of course, there’s a few billion in old pension debts to pay back in the future! As we pay that down, it will show up in the yearly spending numbers.
That number is stunning. $44Billion. Think of that…spending $44 Billion on anything and have it perform this bad…and not change it or stop it. It is really unreal.