By: Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner
Most parents don’t know just how badly Illinois schools fail their children. In Chicago, only 17% of black, 21% of Hispanic and just over half of white students are able to read at grade level, and yet the system graduates 83% of students. The same façade is on display in Rockford, Peoria, Decatur, Waukegan and many other cities across the state.
To take down that façade, Wirepoints has just launched a new version of its School Report Cards, updated with 2023 Illinois State Board of Education data, for all 3,600 schools and 865 school districts in Illinois. Parents deserve to know the truth – that many Illinois Kids Can’t Read.
Click here to view Wirepoints’ School District Report Cards.
For example, at Mather High School in Chicago’s West Ridge community, less than a third of white students are reading proficient. The school’s minority students fare even worse. Only 14% of black and 9% of Hispanic students score proficient. Math results are even lower. Yet school officials end up graduating 83% of all students.
This data, and more, can be found on every Wirepoints Report Card.
Mather is just one of the schools education officials and the Chicago Teachers Union want to spend ever-more money on despite parents’ far different priorities. A Public Agenda survey just released about CPS reveals that parents’ top concern at the district is “students not learning enough academically.” That same survey found nearly 75% of Chicago residents aren’t confident that CPS spends its money effectively.
Real accountability would mean education officials listening to parents and changing course. But there’s no sign of that at CPS.
In fact, just the opposite. CPS and union officials want to eliminate selective enrollment schools like Northside College Prep, a diverse, top-performing school where children excel at the highest level. There, 96% of white, 94% of black and 88% of Hispanic students are all proficient in reading.
Here are a few more facts shared in our report cards:
- Just 35% of Illinois students statewide read at grade level. That’s 1.2 million children not proficient in reading.
- Results are even worse for Illinois’ minority students. Just 22% of Hispanic students and only 16% of black students statewide read at grade level.
- Just 27% of Illinois students statewide do math at grade level. That’s 1.4 million children not proficient in math.
- In more than 250 school districts, fewer than 25% of students are able to read at grade level. Just 15% of students read at grade level in Peoria, just 18% in Rockford, 13% in Waukegan, and only 16% in Joliet.
- Results in Decatur have become so dire that just 12% of white students there read at grade level.
- The above results clash with the education system’s “accountability” statistics. A near-record 87.6% of students statewide graduated in 2023. Parents are told 97% of Illinois teachers are rated “excellent or proficient” and that 70% of Illinois schools are “exemplary” or “commendable.”
Illinoisans pay the nation’s highest property taxes to fund a broken, unaccountable education system that sets a vast majority of children up for failure. It’s dishonest.
Parents, use our report cards to impose some real accountability on the system.
Use the facts to confront your local school board and lawmakers. Demand change…and demand school choice.
Click here to view Wirepoints’ School District Report Cards.
Audio and summary 
If this bill passes, say goodbye to local control over all Illinois parks and expect to see open drug and alcohol use, needles, no sanitation and fire hazards, but no ordinary park users.
The problem is not the teachers, it is a system that no longer holds students or parents accountable. It is a system that lets students disrupt the educational setting, curse and defy staff with no consequences. We have become a system that just passes students along without enforcing mastery of any skills. It is not the teachers!! Teachers have been crying for years that if we take away accountability from the students and parents for academic achievement as well as behavior the system would fall apart and students would suffer. The problem is with the people in charge of education… Read more »
Very true Chrissie. Although, not sure you will get much support from many people here as many of them really don’t want to solve this issue but would prefer to just blame teachers. People on this site usually display open hatred for teachers because the majority of them tend to vote democrat. Teachers get pensions and they don’t which also upsets them. Very jealous and angry bunch.
SUCK AS USUAL PPF…..Plus I think you are the one with the problem (grudge) cause all you do is bring up hate when all people want is a fair shake and their child educated!!
Easy on the language, please.
sorry
Thank for proving my point bingo. Like I said, an angry bunch.
Not angry…..you just make me pause cause you are a sad person…..you must be a product of this bad school system cause you can’t handle when people tell the truth about it.
Well you used all caps and Mark had to correct your language. That certainly doesn’t seem like someone who is balanced in their emotions. You do realize that all caps means yelling and not “pausing”? Your reading comprehension skills are also failing you. I’m not “sad” because I don’t blame teachers for student outcomes. It just means that I have a different opinion than you and that seems to make you angry. I’m curious, what part of my response to Chrissie did you find so upsetting? Is it that I agreed with her response or that I correctly told her… Read more »
Chrissie sounds normal………..YOU don’t………enjoy your evening……class dismissed
So you can’t articulate any inaccuracies in my statements. Thanks for clarifying. On top of that you “dismissed class” after you admit that can’t find any fault in my comment. lol
Maybe you should stick with slogans like “Defund Teachers”. That way people won’t realize the massive gap in your intellect and education. Then again, you can always run away instead of addressing any of my comments. It may come across to others as a cowardly move but at least you can lie to yourself and pretend you’re smart.
I can find lots of fault but it would be lost on you…..
Well I’m still happily married to my first and only wife. So again, your assessment doesn’t match reality.
If you can find “lots” wrong with my comment then please provide a factual statement. Instead of relying on emotion or projection of your own failed marriage. Remember, you chose a husband that is on his fourth marriage. Your own judgement thought he would be a good partner and yet you were wrong. “nuff said”!!!
oh pleeeeeeeeez……. do not project your BS on me………. You really have …….a last nasty word complex….usually that means insecurity…… please get some help I have read most of your posts and you do argue with most people…..it’s not just an opinion.you are nasty…..l condolences to the wife
That’s so kind of you to care for others. I’m the nasty one yet you continue to name call? lol Still haven’t offered up one factual statement. I keep giving you a chance to show off that intellect. Alas, we are all missing out on your wisdom. Also, my opinions differ from most people on this site regarding our financial liability and what the future looks like. It stands to reason that my comments would differ from many people here. It’s not rocket science. I have noticed a trend whereby people that are unable to counter my comments based on… Read more »
I am not calling you a name..you say it all yourself I am wondering if there is some evil along with the nasty……you pick on people……read your own disgusting posts!!!!
Please provide an example. You just keep calling me “nasty” and now I’m “evil” because I have a different opinion than you? Are you unable to provide an example other than I “disagree” with people. That’s such a strange leap.
Look……..just go back and read your posts to people…opinion has nothing to do with this…….you are NOT NICE to people…..that better?? you write things that hurt people……you are rude do you understand that terminology??
If I have so many posts that “hurt” people, I would think it would be easy to provide some examples. Otherwise, the only thing I can conclude from your statement is that my statements of facts and logic “hurt” your feelings. Well, the truth hurts sometimes. On a separate note, do you comment under chris and pam as well. You have the same writing style and seem to get your feelings hurt when someone offers up a different opinion. If not, the three of you should really meet in real life. I think you would hit it off and might… Read more »
……..no one is this thick
More name calling and not one comment that is based on facts or logic. You continue to prove my point with each and every one of your comments. Just in case you are wondering, you have now called me “nasty”, “mean”, “evil”, “libtard”, and “thick” all because I have a different opinion than you. That’s on top of the language call out that you received. Notice how I provided you examples to back up my statements. Now you try. “bet at some point we all payed into your pension” I would need a pension for you to have “payed” into… Read more »
that is not name calling that is how you make people feel that is what you do to people and go back and read your own posts.there is the proof..you hurt peoples feelings and don’t care or we would not be having this conversation it you cared at all about how you hurt others! oh you forgot Bully……chow
duh…..,didn’t ask….i know it’s a big secret….maybe you do and maybe you don’t…..now that’s classic…lol
Nice try liar. You do realize everyone can see that you edited the comment. That’s not a secret. People here also know that I often provide quotes of someone’s comment so they know what I am referring to when I respond. The quote I responded even included your spelling of “payed”. What’s the matter? Reread your post and realized how dumb you sounded? Realized that calling me names because of my vocabulary made you sound uneducated? lol. We all could tell from your comments that you are unable to form a cogent thought and now we know you are a… Read more »
OMG I get it now……you are one of those that gets to say what he wants but doesn’t want to hear the conservative side………now it all makes sense!!
No, you don’t get it. If I didn’t enjoy hearing the conservative views I wouldn’t read WP and wouldn’t subscribe to the WSJ. I also happen to have many conservative views and find conservative justices tend to follow our constitution better than liberal ones that tend to follow the “ends justify the means” decisions. I believe that the constitution is the rule book that we all agree to live by in a civilized society even when I disagree with the rules. I just differ from modern day “conservatives” that want to blame the results of education on teachers. I also… Read more »
If you enjoyed the views you would be nicer…….
I’m not trying to make people think I’m a genius with big words. What a weird thing to say. That is more of a reflection of you than me.Someone with a writing style that includes a decent vocabulary doesn’t make their opinions “mean” or “evil” as you’ve stated.
Perhaps if I called the governor Jabba the Hut I could gain your approval and wouldn’t be “evil”. Maybe if I called teachers vermin then I wouldn’t be so “mean”. I guess I just operate with a different moral compass than you. Such is life.
sorry……did not realize you had a moral compass with some of the things you say
Care to provide an example for “some of the things” I say? You can do it bingo. I believe in you.
Or is it pam? or chris?
you really like to bully people…..as i have said many times…………’ go back and read the posts you have made’ ……..and see the hurtful things you have said……and I will look up pam and cris on here……they probably don’t like your posts either if you mentioned them!!
You’ve said it many times yet haven’t provided any evidence. Just because you find the truth “hurtful” doesn’t mean I’m a bully. How could I possibly bully you by pointing out facts?
Most of YOUR facts are bs……..they exist in your mind only!
Again, can you provide an example? Sounds like they are facts that you don’t like if you can’t provide any examples.
Again….go back and read your posts…….what are you not understanding about that statement????? that is your proof all that you have written is your proof…………….almost every post you make is talking down to the person you are posting to……that is your proof …..read your own writting……..now do you understand???????
More than enough said.
Let me add that what constitutes “normal” also varies from one person’s point of view as compared to another’s. How many ways do I have to say this same concept to you? Your opinion as to what’s true or normal is YOUR opinion, and it doesn’t necessarily speak for the population as a whole as you seem to prefer portraying it.
I do agree with your logic.but quite a few people on this site are fed up with the school system and the kids lack of learning….. All these teachers want is more money and the job is not getting done. that was my point.
“All these teachers want is more money and the job is not getting done.” I can easily agree with that statement. Where we disagree is/are the reason(s) for that “not getting the job done” part. There are a myriad of reason, but you, like most here, want to make it simplistic single-issue reason. It isn’t.
It’s not simple but what can be done? Smaller classrooms different hours parent participation?
Much of being successful at anything starts with a positive productive attitude and desire to stay fully engaged. Those basic concepts apply to marriage, the work environment, parenting, teaching, growth as a student, and most other situations of a prolonged nature. To the extent that ant such person “checks out” the situation start deteriorating. As to applying those ideas to schooling some things are harder to both teach and learn than others, suggesting that a positive attitude is hard to maintain when the rate of successful accomplishment deteriorates in such cases. When that applies over a significant period of time… Read more »
PPF and James seem to be oblivious to the harm they are causing to families of the State of Illinois.
Just give the cps ctu more $ and everything will be just great. Go figure?
Have you seen this article from Rockford school dist 205? This is from an investigation in 2019.
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
You correctly mention “people in charge of education” as the source of the problem. Parents do not determine academic promotion, nor do they set discipline policies. Teachers, through their unions, could insist on changes to the policies they disagree with. Surely they would fall under the workplace conditions that should be discussed. Instead, we see teacher unions making demands about homeless policies and the war in Gaza. Your anger about conditions in the classroom is justified, but directed at the wrong party. And where did you get the idea that schools are in a position to hold parents accountable for… Read more »
Very true…..politicians and teachers forget we pay their salary …..so they do work for us!
Teachers work for the school system not “bingo”. The school system is a service that is provided to the people and the voters elect school board members/mayor to shape the education system. Their employer, aka the voters, keep electing the same politicians and school board leaders that set up these policies. So the majority of the voters seem to be quite happy with the outcome. The actual employer of teachers is also quite happy with their performance as 97 percent of them receive proficient or excellent ratings. Also, the latest survey of Chicago residents found that the vast majority do… Read more »
you really are a sick one……..PLEASE get some help!!
You spend to much time being mean and hateful and writting hateful things
Where am I being “sick” or “hateful” or “mean”? You have not offered up one comment that is factual. I have done nothing but offered up facts about who hires teachers, their performance and the perception of the Chicago voters. Does a different opinion really upset you that much?
Sure would be nice if you could respond with facts and logic.
yep sure would……..you don’t know what logic is
Look at that, we agree on something. We both think it would be nice you could respond with facts and logic. Common ground sure is beautiful.
wishYOU had some
Look……..read the posts you write to people and there are your facts……out of your mouth…. your words…. your proof….. that simple!! Unless you want to continue to play your little game that you don’t know what i’m talking about!!
In what ways do collective bargaining agreements tie the hands of school boards, administrators and voters? To what extent are those agreements negotiated at arms length by representatives elected by the voters? To what extent do those representatives look after the interests of taxpayers? Why do the unions make such large contributions to legislators and candidates for election? If this were the ideal democratic process you maintain, then schools might get fair value for the compensation paid (rather than teachers who don’t show up for work). Fair [market] value is the price a business, property or other asset would sell… Read more »
Thank You wish I could write like that……honestly
“It does seem that unions act to benefit the represented employees alongside enriching their coffers with dues used for political contributions and publicity.” That would certainly be a good use of a unions time as well as their funds. “There is a reality matrix here that clearly you recognize, but you insist on characterizing the employer-employee relationship as some artfully balanced give and take where most of us [Wirepoints readers] are constantly choking on the smoke that you are blowing at us.” I’m not sure where I have ever said the relationship is “artfully balanced”. I certainly wouldn’t characterize it… Read more »
you really are tooooooooooo much and i don’t mean as in humor
yep
PPF, you’ve told us over and over about the responsibilities of the voters. What do you see as the responsibilities of the teachers? Of the administrators who run the system? Or does their contract only require that they physically show up each day? Is that the extent of their responsibility?
I’m interested to hear what you think. We’ve heard plenty about their rights. What are their responsibilities?
Teachers are responsible to perform their duties as assigned and agreed upon by both them and the administration. These agreements are laid out in their contract. Administrators are responsible for determining the effectiveness of those teachers and providing that feedback also in accordance to the contract. If teachers show up and do their job and management assess that performance and determines that the job was performed as satisfactory of better, then they have done their job and met their responsibilities. If a teacher hasn’t performed, the administration is responsible for providing corrective action to meet standards or remove that teacher… Read more »
I don’t believe in magical teachers, and I agree that the education system is broken throughout the entire country. So do we shrug and blame voters, rather than the people actually running the system? Or blame the 6 year old students for their inability to read? They must be at fault for not getting what teachers are telling them! And yet, that’s what we are told. It’s the parents. It’s the students. It’s the voters. When a system clearly is not producing the results for which it exists, it’s time to examine every part of that system. Yes, that means… Read more »
Here’s an article from John Stossel from 2006 about trying to fire a teacher. He had many shows about Stupid in America.
https://reason.com/2006/10/01/how-to-fire-an-incompetent-tea-2/
I’m not defending the status quo. I’m simply pointing out that it’s multi-faceted and the problem doesn’t appear to be caused from the teachers. By all means examine every aspect but it’s ridiculous to expect teachers to fix this system without the rest of the voters, parents and student participation. Also, it’s not smugness to point out ratings that teachers are performing to expectations or beyond. It’s merely evidence that shows they are not the cause. Providing evidence isn’t smugness but done to provide a counterpoint that uses logic and facts. Evidence and facts seems to really upset some of… Read more »
Evidence and facts do upset me. I don’t expect teachers to fix this by themselves. But where is the evidence that they have any interest in fixing it? We hear only that the job is impossible and that they can’t be expected to teach kids. Oh, and they need more money.
Evidence and facts do upset me, and they should upset you too. The evidence and facts show that the schools are failing in what they are paid to do- teach children.
Or would you prefer to discuss my past marital history?
“We hear only that the job is impossible and that they can’t be expected to teach kids.” This is an often repeated statement from you but I have never heard teachers make this statement. Could you provide any type of quote that backs up this claim? You know facts. Or is that too upsetting? I agree that the students are failing to learn at a desired rate. It certainly looks like some of the things the schools do (passing failed students and curriculum) could be the cause of that along with students not showing up or applying themselves and parents… Read more »
Maybe you don’t read teacher comments on this site. Maybe you haven’t seen the demands of the CTU in their new contract. They show up in Springfield to present their demands for more money.
When has any teacher union demanded that kids in primary grades not be promoted until they can read? Why are teachers in the higher grades not up in arms about this? They certainly know they are dealing with the fallout.
Crickets now PPF? So you are only loquacious when you are busy insulting others’ intelligence I guess?
Please provide a link to one of those comments. I have not read one here that’s why I’m asking you to provide one. What do contract demands have to do with your comment? Are you implying that CTU making demands means they can’t be expected to teach? You really aren’t making any sense. I’m happy to engage in a dialogue but you need to make sense in order for that to happen. Also, I’m not retired as others have suggested. While I do have time during the day to comment, I also have moments where I’m out of pocket. I’ll… Read more »
I’m implying that contract demands could include an item that could actually help alleviate the problems in the classroom that we hear about constantly. To spell it out: no promotion without established reading skills. If kids were taught to read in primary grades, teachers would have an easier time teaching them higher level concepts as they progress through the upper grades. It seems to me an obvious first step. Why are no teacher unions demanding it? There must be a reason. Maybe because it would be admitting failure to instill even the most basic of learning tools? And because it’s… Read more »
Also, I’m not sure why you think insulting others (you need to make sense) makes you seem like a genius. It does not.
There are probably lots of reasons underperforming students are not held back: it reduces complaints from parents, holding back lots of them requires extra money spent for staff and three any such student is more likely than not to be more disruptive and certainly less interested than he was the first time he had to “learn” any such course content. “Holding back” students seems a good idea on its surface, but as it plays back there are some serious problems when using it as a standard strategy.
So just keep promoting them to keep the peace is the answer? Honestly, if that is the attitude of those who run schools, I am not surprised there are problems. This cannot be swept under the rug forever. It will no doubt be tough at first, but you can’t keep passing kids who can’t read or do math, then complain about the inevitable results.
I’m not convinced they need to be held back, but they certainly need many hours upon hours of remedial learning. Which the schools don’t provide, because, now it’s time for this week’s It’s LGBTQP+ Grooming Hours!!
All I’ve said is that there are negative consequences of holding large numbers of student from being moved to the next grade level as I have briefly indicated above. Seldom does any solution only include positive results in real life. Probably every solution you might bring to the table is bound to have negative consequences, or surely it would have been in wide-usage policy adoption long ago, don’t you think? You seem to think you have the perfect answer here. Let me give you a clue: you don’t.
I don’t think I have the perfect solution. I understand that after schools have spent decades digging this hole, getting out of it will not be easy.
But I do know that offering nothing but explanations for why something cannot be done does nothing to fix the problem. I have to wonder if teachers really want to do something to improve the situation in schools, or if they prefer to just keep complaining. And demanding more money, of course.
Politics both in the governmental election sense and in the sense of keeping and fostering one’s income security surely are at play here. What school superintendent or principal wants to take on all the downsides with every parent who is irate with the decision that a child should not be promoted with his peers and take on the stigmas that will forever attach to that? At some point sooner than not that person’s career is kaput! On the surface most citizens will have your strict point of view up to where the local aggressive, politically connected parents gather to destroy… Read more »
My suggestion was that proof of reading competence before promotion could be part of a collective bargaining agreement. That would take it out of the hands of administrators, thus avoiding the terrible tragedy of an educator’s career going kaput!
Honestly, do you not realize how you make educators sound when you talk about worry over possible loss of career, while schools are churning out graduates with little hope of having a career themselves?
My comment re career security target those who run the schools rather than its teachers as you seem to want to do. Teachers can accomplish what the administration, parents and students all cooperativelly allow. Any of the three I’ve mentioned who choose not to agree with the others will cause problems for a teacher’s performance. Adults can agree on an educational success strategy, but that doesn’t necessarily the child will perform accordingly. I’m guessing you’ve never had to deal with children other than your own. Parents can make it clear they nearly OWN a child’s welfare, providing him/her with food,… Read more »
So back to blaming the students and parents. Guess what, when you turn out graduates with no skill levels, you won’t get better students and parents any time soon.
Just keep wringing your hands and crying poor me. But careers will be secure, and we are assured that the money will just keep flowing.
And by the way, go back and read the first comment on this thread, from a teacher upset that administrators forced promotions over teacher objections. So which is it? Teachers don’t want social promotions with no skills? Or they want social promotions because holding them back is too much trouble?
If you are talking about Chrissie’s posting I readily agree with her.
The teacher’s role is much like that of an actor—seeking to fully and continually engage his listeners. There are several noteworthy differences, though. Primarily there is no well-conceived, well rehearsed script day to day, so except for having his immediate goals in mind the teacher is left to “wing it” multiple hours each day. Secondly, the actor has the goal of seeking to be fully engaging over a relatively short period of time as compared to a teacher. Thirdly, actors have to appeal only to audiences that actively select to be there and even pay directly for that performance. Teachers… Read more »
James, how do you think that defending the status quo and challenging me to be a teacher in any way solves the problem? Or do you think it’s OK that schools are not educating children?
I get the impression that you are old enough to remember the TV show Queen for a Day, where contestants won prizes based on which one had the best story of hardship. Teachers sound as if they are competing on Queen for a Day, rather than looking for solutions to the problem.
Another one of your comments where if you don’t bash teachers you are somehow defending the status quo. I have never witnessed James defending the status quo. He has consistently pointed out the difficulty of the job as someone (I believe) who used to work as a teacher. Life is more nuanced than your perspective.
Yes, life is more nuanced than a simple “poor teachers” perspective. Expecting results from a school system is just bashing teachers?
There are no quick, easy, cheap solutions. For a person to care about anything new he has to be naturally curious and patiently attentive. To have any of that require the persistent efforts of parents to encourage and promote it as a lifestyle. Parents who ignore any of that persistently generally will find their children will be weak there, having little curiosity and drive to be successful academically except where a single thing in life, sports or academia that engenders that degree of personal commitment. I’m not a fan of the current public educational system in that its a huge… Read more »
When 6 in 10 kids don’t function at grade level (FYI that’s 60% for you CTU members and also means MORE than half) I’d say that one of the major problems is the teachers and that throwing more money at the parasites of CTU won’t make a difference. Improve the product and get to 3 in 10 kids not functioning at grade level and then we can move beyond the incompetent teacher issue and onto the next problem……but until then it’s the teachers. And get rid of the woke curriculum garbage and stick to the basics of education.
Paging Sister Mary Knuckles……..
You repeat this ridiculous statement non-stop. You do realize sister Mary knuckles would get her a$$ whooped by the students that attend CPS. She wouldn’t make it a day. It’s laughable that you believe it would be any different and it lets everyone know how disconnected you are from the reality of teaching in today’s environment of any inner city school.
don’t be mean to old joe…he is allowed to express his opinion PPF
I’m entitled to mine as well. I never told him not to offer up his opinion. I just don’t believe a nun with a ruler is going to scare some gang banger from the south side into submission. What an odd thing to believe and it does demonstrate how out of touch he is on this issue.
Well PPF, I don’t remember any nun ever getting whooped by a student in the 60s. What I do remember is none of them were union members and a student could be expelled for an infraction lesser than assaulting a nun. Their parents also had skin in the game as they paid to have little Johnny attend Catholic school unlike most inner city residents and usually attended the church associated with the school. In short, government had nothing to do with this “old school” education and you’d never get a piece of the action. Left leaning people like yourself have… Read more »
I have no problems with Catholics Joe. Please point to one comment where I have denigrated the catholic faith. Just more lies from people that can’t engage in facts. Now Joe, just because you don’t remember any nuns getting whooped in the 60’s doesn’t mean it wouldn’t happen in CPS schools today. The nuns who taught you have never experienced the public schools of today. They also didn’t teach in the public schools in the 60’s. You can play dumb on this aspect but it won’t change the truth. Just because I disagree with your ridiculous solutions doesn’t make me… Read more »
Very Well Said!!
Bingo, I thimk you meant to say “very well written” and I was taught to read and write by nuns in the early 1960s some of whom were in their 60s!
At this point we need to DEFUND THE TEACHERS until the standards for teaching are improved………that means NO MORE MONEY till our kids get a decent education!!
The beatings will continue until morale improves, always an award winning strategy.
The only way to improve morale is to vote out this current administration and become conservative as they promote good things unlike what is being promoted now!!
James – parents will at some point starve the system. Too many schools are expensive (via property taxes) and results are woeful. I do agree that direct actions in defunding teachers likely won’t bring about results but the populace will increasingly avoid bad schools. Just think – my father – a Price Waterhouse HR lead in the 70’s – used to have no problem getting people to work in Peoria to service accounts like Caterpillar because the schools were of high quality. The decline is alarming.
Illinois plans to keep them Dumb Socialist Democrats!
Not so dumb cause they are ruining this country and no one is stopping them!
Terrific research and a great topic for Wirepoints to focus on. What a disgrace for the State of Illinois– and not just for the City of Chicago. You wonder where all the uneducated, semi-literate, almost unemployable people in this state are coming from? Well we are processing them right here through expensive public education and getting little to show for it.
Hope for the future typically relies upon the youngest generation. In Illinois, the youngest generation will be poorly educated and weighed down by enormous public debt.
Spot on, the real smart younger generation will move to another state to get away from this Financial Disaster. Public sector unions are just crushing the state in debt.
As a NW sider city resident, Mather’s the neighborhood HS kids are assigned to if they don’t get into north side or any of the other selective enrollment HS or choose charter HS, etc.