A deep dive into why most CPS kids can’t read. Why the Chicago Teachers Union has so much power (hint: Illinois politicians). And why empowering Chicago parents – via school choice – must be the lead reform to bring about change. The time for incrementalist reforms has long passed.
Read what you need to know about CPS from Wirepoints:
- Chicago Public Schools spends $100 million yearly on its 20 emptiest schools. And it wants to spend another $1 billion on them.
- One big reason Chicago Public Schools is facing a billion-dollar deficit
- Update: Chicago school board resignation is giant distraction from the fact that kids at CPS can’t read
- Chicago’s 2025 budget fiascos. First up, Chicago Public Schools.
- Illinois lawmakers’ decision to kill school choice looks increasingly absurd
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.
Education starts in the home.
As pointed out many times, we know most of these kids have less than ideal parents and home life. The kids currently being “educated” in CPS schools are barely learning to read. They will soon be the next generation of bad parents, with few prospects for a better life. At some point, schools will need to figure out how to teach children despite their poor backgrounds. Otherwise, if that’s really impossible, then we need to re-examine why we are spending ridiculous amounts of money with no chance of success. Or be honest that, as Old Joe says, schools are nothing… Read more »
Theoretically at least I like the European education rules of years ago, although I don’t know if its still in wide usage. Students were/are given all-or-nothing tests at various points in school to determine how they will be tracked in the public schools from that point forward. Fail an exam, and you are headed to a “lower track.” I dont know that such systems solve more than they don’t, but for those who value education I’d have to say its a motivator to do your best every day you’re in school if you want public financing for a greater chance… Read more »
It blows my mind that for all the time Wirepoints staff spend analyzing and (rightly) criticizing all things Illinois, they STILL either don’t understand or are unwilling to admit what the problem is with CPS today. CPS is a disaster and the kids underperform not because of politics, the union, or the always undefined accusation of “bad” schools. The kids can’t read or do math because neither the kids nor the families care. Education is not something they value. The vast majority of families who place a high value on education have either moved to the suburbs, moved out of… Read more »
We do understand and have written about it, but I fully accept your criticism. We don’t emphasize it enough. When Paul Vallas was on our podcast I made the point by citing something Mike Royko said years ago, which was something to the effect that the problem with the schools is worthless parents. He mostly agreed and cited a couple ways he thought schools could mitigate the problem. But I will take your point to heart and try to do better. I would add that it goes beyond parenting to most everything else, and would refer you to Matt Rosenberg’s… Read more »
Replace “worthless parents” with “no parents”. Grandmothers are raising their daughters’ children and working men are non-existent. Uncle Sam has outbid men for the privilege of raising their children.
Yes but this is the ONLY point. This explains like 95% of the problem with CPS, everything else, while real, is just a sideshow. People like to accuse the schools of being “bad” but it’s always curiously without specific explanation, and when you start asking questions you will inevitably and always find yourself at the same place: the family. But look, I get it, this is a profoundly depressing topic, and virtually no one wants to accept the grim reality of it when they could instead externalize the blame on amorphous groups things like the union, or “bad” schools, etc.… Read more »
Most do accept that “grim reality”. So then what? Keep the schools going as they are, because it’s not their fault? What does that accomplish, except keeping union power intact? Not much of a plan, let’s just wait until we get better parents. Then we can teach kids to read.
I often think your observation that “neither the kids nor the families care” has a lot of validity. One might add that the elements of baby sitting comes into play as well.
The people of Chicago are clueless slaves, perfectly content with their slavery as long as there are bars, restaurants and sports. Bread and circuses.
Dont forget the assorted government checks
I believe many of the city’s employees and citizens really do know this nonsense cannot be sustained but vote the same clowns into office because they’ve invested the bulk of their working life toward gaining the false promises of the administration. At retirement they bail out of here and take part time jobs elsewhere to qualify for SSA benefits.
Nobody is taking a part time private sector job to get SS benefits. Research Windfall Elimination Provision if you have any doubts.
To expand on your reply the reduction in your SS benefit can typically be something in the range of 40-50% if you’ve had multi-decades of employment in a governmental system where you’ve not had to pay into SS. You’ll get a SS retirement benefit, but its about as close to nothing as imaginable. When the yearly SS benefit raise comes around your increase will still be maybe 2.5% above what was already thisclose to zero. So, looking ahead, if any long-term governmental employee retiree seeks private employment during his/her retirement years they need to realize they will pay the full… Read more »
I know someone that’s doing exactly that. Retired from his municipal job in the burbs and is collecting his pension. Got a full time job with cook county and a part time private sector job for SS benefits. Yes he won’t get much from SS but he’s doing the minimum to get something.
Sure, but that’s what he’ll essentially get from SS—the minimum.
The minimum minus the WEP deduction. It would be a couple hundred at best. Nobody is taking a private sector job after a full pension for the social security. It wouldn’t make sense and definitely not something lucrative.
Work part time in the private sector making an extra 25k a year for 5 to 10 years after you retire with a great pension to end up with $100 to $200 extra a month from social security? That’s after you paid into it with 10 to 20k in SS taxes. Doesn’t seem too smart and hardly worth it.
What, people with public pensions actually working? Crazy thought.
Seems like it is almost a daily event I read about the poor performance of Chicago schools. Yet on election day the same people get elected and from this I am beginning to surmise that the people of Chicago don’t really care about the quality of education their children get.
Only 24.1% of Chicago households contain children. While we all should be concerned about incompetent and larcenous government schools, other issues may take priority.