Wirepoints President Ted Dabrowski testified on March 22, 2023 to members of the House Appropriations Committee on Elementary & Secondary Education. Ted made the argument that a lack of accountability, not funding, is the core problem with Illinois education today.
“Illinois is already spending more on education than most states. The question is, for what? Student outcomes haven’t improved yet there is no accountability for that failure.”
To view a PDF copy of Ted’s presentation, check out the flipbook below:
And check out Wirepoints’ District Report Cards for the data you need about student achievement in the state’s biggest school districts.
The data shows student outcomes are dismal, most children are passed along and yet teachers consistently receive high evaluations. Meanwhile, spending and tax burdens continue to grow while Illinois home values suffer compared to the rest of the country.
Read more from Wirepoints:
- Wirepoints has new report cards for Illinois’ 20 largest school districts
- Poor student achievement and near-zero accountability: An indictment of Illinois’ public education system
- Six facts Gov. Pritzker doesn’t want you to know about Illinois’ 2022 Report Card
- 50 years of failure: Norman Lear’s ‘Good Times’ first criticized Chicago’s policy of automatically passing students in 1974. It’s still happening today.
- Elgin’s Tony Sanders promoted to Illinois State Superintendent, though just 2 in 10 students in his district can read at grade level.
Expect no retraction or apology. This what they do.
The state’s existing buyout program for its own pensions is the precedent for Chicago, which should be a warning: Look out for similar exaggerated claims and shoddy analysis.
It was so laughable when she went on to suggest that he spend some time in the classroom and to basically state “you weren’t there man – you don’t know”. Suggesting that the answers to WirePoint’s questions were somehow in the classroom, that the explanation of why student performance is so low…but the ratings of the teachers and schools are so high…somehow make sense…in the classroom. Truth is, they have no explanation except corruption and greed and neither one of those play well with the tax payers. There is no accountability anywhere in public education, not in the class room,… Read more »
As I read any number of responses such as yours the immediate thought I have is that a great many people weigh-forth with heated points of view without ever having any real-life experience in the sort of job they somehow feel qualified to judge. Then, there are people who think another person’s job is so easy, rewarding and pleasurable as compared to their own. What’s insufferably worse is the reader’s sense because they hold such beliefs they MUST be true. People almost never doubt the truth of their naive perceptions. Ever hear of the Dunning-Krueger Effect (perhaps wrongly spelled here)?… Read more »
Somehow feel qualified to judge? The abysmal proficiency numbers combined with increased spending amid declining enrollment speak for themselves. There’s nowhere to hide.
Ha! Pretty funny. Please. Save the sanctimonious lecture. Developing an opinion about what is wrong with Public Education is pretty darn easy when you look at the outcome. With the trillions of dollars being spent and ever increasing, resulting in the awful outcomes and results…something is wrong and isn’t working. Throwing more money at the problem clearly, isn’t the solution, because that’s all that has been done for decades and look at the results. In any other industry, “investment” needs to yield positive results – this is a bad investment. And please, save the “education can’t be run like a… Read more »
Education went woke and they don’t teach much any more. My son’s classroom spends Friday afternoons doing pure SEL, they teach the kids nonsensical breathing techniques to calm down, and teach kids how to express their feelings like, “Stick out your hand at the other person and say ‘I feel mad! Here’s why I’m mad!” Just complete nonsense. They have some thing on Mondays where they mix kids of different grades together to ‘chat’ about life, and discuss their feelings, and do crafts. Learning to read is some nonsense where they let you spell words wrong, for years, ‘spell how… Read more »
Understood – this type of nonsense is why the results are what they are and why it is perceived as a grift. May not be the teachers fault, might be the layers of administration who need to try and look busy, who attend a “conference” someplace and come back with these nutsy ideas and trends to make it look like they are accomplishing something. Perhaps it is them dictating this crap to teachers. Maybe. Perhaps it is the inability for the teachers to be allowed to adequately discipline unruly students and get them out of the classrooms and out of… Read more »
It’s this way because marxist theory has infected every aspect of the education system. They believe schools are to provide a holistic approach to children, by teaching them marxist values, and demorat morality, and life skills, in addition to basic skills like reading and writing. And they spend so much time on SEL and other woke crap, there’s just not enough time between 8:00 and 3:30 pm. to do all the actual learning. ANd keep in mind, drop out rates used to be really high when schools focused on education. In the inner cities, drop out rates were over 50%… Read more »
“In any other industry, “investment” needs to yield positive results.” You might consider the fact that only in prisons and schools do you have “customers” there agains their will. Not all feel that way, but some do in every school, a lot do in some schools and probably a majority do in inner-city, low-income neighborhoods all across the United States. Given that is it any surprise those “inmates” don’t care in the least what outcome-expectations the administration or taxpayers have for any such institution have as their own set of employment mandates? Can you name any other sorts of “industries”… Read more »
We agree. Couldn’t agree more that forcing kids that have no interest in education and have no discipline in life to comply with the structure of school is nuts. Mixing students who believe they want to be there or those students who are forced to be there, but have the discipline to make the best of it…with people who have no interest, no control and no aspirations for the future, really does not work. Makes the business of Public Education almost impossible. What’s the solution? I don’t have one, but one that would help would be to allow parents to… Read more »
You are one of very few here who seem to have a real understanding of these issues. Nearly everybody here likely works with adults who are more likely to think, work and be interested in getting ahead in life in productive ways. Kids live in a time of life where they are dependent upon their parents for life’s basic needs but may well have no interest in what any other adult says to them. Adults can’t have that cavalier attitude and expect to get ahead. Do most “widget makers” out there even begin to understand how hard it being a… Read more »
Agreed – there are lots of cultural and social issues that drive the poor results. I think students that are interested in school and their parents should have the control to put their kids and their tax dollars into and toward an environment that promotes their studies and opportunities, without having to carry or drag along other parents and students who have no interest. Trying to serve every type of person doesn’t work at the scale of these Districts. Instead of being able to help create young adults who can think and succeed in life, we settle for mediocre because… Read more »
Well, we seem to agree that teachers’ efforts and results are diluted by goofball students who waste class time and class attention at the expense of the students and parents who care as well as the tax dollars which pay for that time.
I fully agree that “accountability” – for both the student and the teacher – is incredibly important…without question. However, I don’t think much is going to change until we take even one step farther back in the continuum. We must address CONSEQUENCES – and as it relates to this topic is it incredibly important. As a State and as taxpayers to individual school districts we can continue to pour almost uncountable amounts of money into the schools; we can demand better capital plants and we can demand more ‘dedicated’ teachers; we complain and try to fix the quality of the… Read more »
Good analysis, Karen. The family and community are key to success for kids.
To suggest that will bring on the standard chorus of white privilege and ‘you don’t understand the culture’ comments.
Cheating the kids today is cheating society tomorrow.
It seems to me you are ignorant of the phrases “love thy neighbor.” You might want to research its origin and ponder its importance as advice. Reality is a function of perception, and you might need a new pair of glasses.
I don’t recall “love thy neighbor” having any follow-on list of exceptions. LOVE thy neighbor (without creating such a list). Doing so is easy/hard as not doing so. That doesn’t matter. LOVE thy neighbor.
How about they love us back and stop creating all the harm in the community? Or is your “love thy neighbor” prescription a one-way street, going only your way?
If the unions and politicians loved our children they would be requiring that they all are able to read and do math before they graduate instead of rewarding failure. This world is upside down…
I love it that someone is finally addressing accountability. Teachers need to be held accountable student learning in their classrooms. On that note, there are others that also need the same accountability. Students should be held accountable and if they do not show appropriate growth in a school year they should be held back. They should be tested on a statewide standardized test at the beginning, middle, and, end of each school year and if they do not meet or exceed state standards, then they do not move on to the next grade. Parents should be held accountable and the… Read more »
You bring up a good point – though in my experience home schooled kids tend to go to the top of the class when they integrate in high school.
That would be an interesting study – exactly how well are home-schooled kids doing academically?
There is so much that needs to be done. But nothing will be until we elect politicians who are concerned more with teaching our children than garnering votes from an “underprivileged” class created from their own doing.
State schools are being instructed from the top to pass everyone. Grades are now meaningless. Teachers are frustrated that they cannot make a difference in kids lives.
Equity at its finest…
Where are all the politicians who are purportedly interested “in the kids”. They seem to be there “for the kids” when teachers are asking for raises?
But not present when an expert testifies regarding teacher and public school accountability? Why?
So glad you asked! It’s because it has NEVER been ‘for the kids.’
When I hear a politician claim to do something ‘for the kids,’ I know s/he’s lying. It’s never ‘for the kids.’ Unfortunately, probably never will be.
The BIG mistake they make is that cheating ‘the kids’ means cheating society.
What clowns!
Yet the people in the state of Illinois keep re-electing them.
The public schools seem to be in existence for indoctrination purposes instead of for education. These democrats in power don’t give a damn about our children.
Has anyone considered the damage done to students’ education by schools being shut down and “remote learning” being done for OVER A YEAR? But Pritzker and the teachers’ unions were just showing “an abundance of caution” and caring for students by shutting down, right?
Again, it was never to safeguard the children who are the least likely to suffer/die from COVID.
It was about POWER and they showed us that they can force us to do just about anything: wear diapers on our faces, huddle at home in fear, stay away from church, yell at one another if someone stood too close in a grocery line, abandon our elderly in nursing homes where many languished and died, and to ultimately line up to get ‘jabbed’ … repeatedly.
That power play has cost a lot of trust in government and medicine – across ALL demographics.
Very well said. I can count on your posts being logical and well stated.
Thank you, Yossarian!
Union members need to go to school and learn how to appropriately manage all the money they are given by the state. They are miserable failures at their jobs, thus making a large number of the children they are in charge of failures as well.
We keep hearing we need to invest more in education but are also told that the schools can’t control the “outside factors” that impact student learning. If that’s the case, why don’t we redirect some of the education funding into those other “outside factors” so we can resolve the root cause? The argument really isn’t much different than defund the police. If Johnny ain’t learning because pops can’t find a job, then take some of that ed money to help pops get that job. If traditional schools have a limit on what they can accomplish, it’s time to take some… Read more »
Great job Ted and Wirepoints!
This has been going on for decades. Champion News and Bill Zettler were at the forefront of this years ago. Fell on many deaf ears at the time. Things had to get this bad to get more people to wake up. Hope they are awaken and stay that way and push back against the corrupt system.
Hmmm….when will we see any of this on the mainstream media news?
Answer….never!
brings to mind now of my favorite movie quotes, “I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take it anymore!” I only wish…
It would appear that the committee that you addressed is in serious denial and ascribe to the ‘throw more money at the problem’ mentality. Sad that instead of acknowledging the state’s poor outcomes, one representative pointed out that some children are ESL – what bearing is that on the abysmal reading scores of black children? I doubt the majority of black kids are ESL. Another questioned whether or not you had attended any 3rd grade classes to see what’s going on. What does the topic you addressed have to do with sitting in a 3rd grade classroom? What possible insights… Read more »
All teachers and unions live in Denial. They couldn’t survive anywhere else and no one would give them the size of pensions they get from Illinois. It all works for them and their union leaders. Why would they criticize it or change it?
I agree that the unions are in on this, but I know many teachers who sincerely want to enrich and teach their students. It’s the politicians and superintendents who are passing along the edicts to lower the bar. And as always it’s “follow the money.”
Wasn’t it rich when one of the committee members suggested Wirepoints should dig deeper into the numbers because “you didn’t sit in any 3rd grade classrooms.” What!?! Why didn’t she say this, “I demand that ISBE dig deeper into its own numbers and explain why there is such a dichotomy between student reading and math levels and the high ratings assigned to teachers, schools and school districts!” The one word that none of them could speak: accountability, when that is so obviously the answer. Ted and John, I have great respect for you and the work you’re doing. It must… Read more »
It was so laughable when she went on to suggest that he spend some time in the classroom and to basically state “you weren’t there man – you don’t know”. Suggesting that the answers to WirePoint’s questions were somehow in the classroom, that the explanation of why student performance is so low…but the ratings of the teachers and schools are so high…somehow make sense…in the classroom. Truth is, they have no explanation except corruption and greed and neither one of those play well with the tax payers. There is no accountability anywhere in public education, not in the class room,… Read more »
All you can do it keep at it. I doubt whether anyone there listened or cared. The points made were logical and commonsense. But those types of points never enter the minds of the “educators”. They know best…and they know they need more of our money.
As they tell us repeatedly, the test results have nothing to do with them. How can there be accountability when society and the parents are at fault? But give them more money anyway.
Great work Ted– and Wirepoints. Finally someone is focused on the possibility that simply throwing more money at the problem is a waste of time. Springfield isn’t used to hearing an alternate view. I’m sure the IEA toadies on the Committee didn’t like to hear it, but sooner or later maybe parents will wake up and figure out why their kids can’t spell and can’t count the change in their pockets.
Good job Ted. Hard to believe someone with sanity and not beholden to the Dem/CTU symbosis is appearing before our legislatures. I’m gonna mark it on my calendar!
Trying to deal with the CPS & CTU and Springfield is like pissing in the wind.
Wow, some uncorrupt competent sanity in Springfield. Nice work WirePoints!
Great job Ted & John. It was a long time ago since my kids where at CPS. Way back when, CPS had some dumbed down testing that basically told every parent their kid was a genius and was a complete joke. But obviously CTU loved it. I have no idea what they do now but currently CTU /Brandon is out campaigning saying that testings all some kind of “eugenics” plot!! WOW!! Maybe you already answered in previous wp articles: Question 1.—The school districts test kids on one statewide accepted test or is each school distinct have different tests? and then… Read more »
https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/
https://www.isbe.net/assessment
For its recent series of articles that included school district and statewide academic performance (report cards), Wirepoints used the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) 2022 Report Cards. ISBE also refers to this as the Illinois Report Card. https://wirepoints.org/school-district-report-cards/ https://wirepoints.org/wirepoints-has-new-report-cards-for-illinois-20-largest-school-districts-wirepoints/ https://www.isbe.net/reportcard The ISBE website has a help section which includes the following. “Where does the data come from? The Illinois State Board of Education collects most of the data in the Illinois Report Card from school districts through data systems such as the state’s Student Information System, throughout the school year. Principals directly enter items listed under school Highlights on illinoisreportcard.com… Read more »
thanks!!