By: Mark Glennon*
On August 5, Wirepoints’ Matt Rosenberg wrote about empty, failing Chicago Public Schools. The numbers we reported are truly astonishing but they are the school district’s own.
Mike Flannery of FOX 32 Chicago asked the Chicago Teachers Union to join his show to discuss the numbers along with Wirepoints’ Ted Dabrowski.
“F*** Wirepoints,” was the union spokesman’s answer to Flannery. He used the whole word and said his answer was on the record, according to Flannery. The spokesman added nothing more about the numbers and did not join the video segment, which is here at the 8:30 mark, wherein Flannery described the union’s response.
Is the union so confident in its political power that it can respond to legitimate issues in such a manner?
Is that how the union believes Chicago students should be educated to engage in discourse?
Where is the Chicago leadership to address the calamity in its public schools?
Where is the government of the State of Illinois that has full power to force reforms but shirks any responsibility?
The numbers we reported almost defy belief. Of CPS’ 478 stand-alone “traditional” schools, one-third of them, 150, are less than half-full, according to the school district. The 20 most empty CPS schools are only 5% to 25% full and most have abysmal educational outcomes, with proficiency percentages in the single digits.
Manley High School has a capacity of 1,296 students but just 64 students are enrolled. There, 2% are proficient in reading and 1% in math. Just 44 students attend Douglas High School that has a capacity of 888 and their reading and math proficiency are both 0%. The list goes on.
CPS has already lost 100,000 students, or 25% of its enrollment, since 2000 and enrollment is projected to decline by tens of thousands more within a few years.
That’s in a school system that spends an astonishing $28,000 per student to cover the district’s operating, capital and debt costs, a spending number which has doubled since 2013, as we reported earlier.
It’s in a system that graduates 84% of its students though only about a quarter can read or do math at grade level.
And it’s in a system that rates the portion of its teachers as “proficient or excellent” at 100%. That’s correct, 100%.
Those numbers are real, as is the omnipotence of the Chicago Teachers Union, but how one of the world’s formerly leading cities could have let it come to this seems to defy reality.
*Mark Glennon is founder of Wirepoints
Related articles from Wirepoints:
- No, Chicago Sun-Times, there is no ‘silver-lining’ to Chicago Public Schools’ shrinking enrollment
- Chicago leaders’ hypocritical stance on school choice
- The opportunity that Chicago – and Illinois – kids need is real school choice
- Why the Chicago Teachers Union Always Gets What It Wants
- Chicago teachers are paid some of the highest salaries of any big district in the nation. What do Chicago parents get in return?
- How can 84% of Chicago Public Schools students graduate when only 26% of 11th graders are proficient in reading, math?
- Families continue to flee Chicago Public Schools as it loses 14,000 students in 2022, more than 100,000 since 2000
- Mayor Lightfoot’s Resolution Calling For Critical Race Theory In Schools Is As Shameless As It Is Shameful
A set of state lawmakers want to extend CPS’ current school closing moratorium to February 1, 2027 – the same year CPS is set to transition to a fully-elected school board. That means schools like Manley High School, with capacity for more than 1,000 students but enrollment of just 78, can’t be closed for anther three years. The school spends $45,000 per student, but just 2.4% of students read at grade level.
Hopefully, all media will get the message, in Illinois, too.
Ted joined Tom Miller of WJPF to talk about Illinois’ highest-in-the-nation property taxes, why lawmakers don’t want to touch the tax’s cost drivers, just how much Illinoisans’ tax burden has grown over the decades, why Gov. Pritzker failed to meet his promise to reform property taxes, and more.
Whenever people especially Americans complain about the total “failure” of their schools to deliver or other such problems emanating from schools and in education, two very prominent researchers and American patriots and indeed people that gave their all to expose and warn their fellow citizens and peoples of the world of the dangers and evils attending to their education. and school developments especially since the 1950s but even earlier. The two names are Charlotte Iserbert who wrote the book, titled The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America, (website: americandeception.com) and Dean Gotcher who researches and teaches on the dialectic process(Diaprax). He… Read more »
CTU says their pensions are not a problem but they must be secretly in panic mode. CPS has $13 billion unfunded pensions on its balance sheet. Teachers will tell you the pension system is fine because new hires will keep making contributions to the system. But what if there really are teacher shortages? Even the most math-challenged CTU member must be wondering who is paying their pensions. The system is fine until it isn’t.
From Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises:
“How did you go bankrupt?”
“Two ways. Gradually and then suddenly”
They should also be worried about generations of illiterate/barely literate graduates of their system. These are the people they must count on to pay the taxes for the pensions.
It’s considered a teacher shortage because the current number of teachers cannot pay the pension obligation. It has nothing to do with actual need for teachers teaching students.
These numbers are heart breaking. These kids should get a first class education. I can only imagine how horrible it would be to be in a school that has capacity of 1200 and has 64 kids. How is that economically feasible? Then you read that only 2% of the kids are proficient in reading and 1 % in math. Awful. People should be screaming from the roof tops. Heart breaking….
All the politicians always say they care, but obviously they really don’t.
The proof is everywhere you look.
As long as the money keeps rolling in, the kids are just collateral damage.
No one involved in this dumpster fire cares. Not the kids, or the parents, or the teachers or the unions. No one. Only outside observers seem to care. And that’s the problem.
Family member was a teacher in a Catholic school.
No one studied or worked on a class assignment. When the teacher got upset with the class, one of the kids told her not to get upset, because “we just don’t care about any of this”.
If you were under contract, and your employer consistently did not live up to the contract terms, why would you sign the next contract? Wouldn’t you seek employment elsewhere? Each and every CPS contract has been counter-signed by CTU. CTU can complain all they want, but they signed those contracts. Over and over and over. In a “teacher shortage”, labor should have all the leverage in the world to find new employment. There are dozens of schools in Cook County alone that are majority-minority. If you’re looking to make a difference in that regard, drive south of 135th Street. They’ll… Read more »
Since when does a Marxist honor a contract LOL?
Thank you Marxist downvoter!
Do you realize that the free speech you enjoy here at Wirepoints will no longer be available when your comrades take over?
Typical communist coward. You’ll double down on the downvote, but you’re too afraid to explain yourself because the facts get in the way. C’mon, impart your genius wisdom on all the nice folks over here.
Or are you afraid of words?
Ha! You assume the Marxist values free speech. Zir/Them does not value free speech. Zir/Them values limiting your speech though.
Hey, I’m amazed the commie can even understand Wirepoints since there’s no pictures to explain the stories.
It’s sickening that the CTU traveled to the workers paradise of Venezuela to get “educational advice.”
You’d think that since the leading export of Venezuela has become Venezuelans, that would be all they needed to know.
Will forward this article to national (wsj and washington post) and international journalists (ft) who recently wrote articles about Il/Chicago. Gives a quick wake-up-call as to what the non public union tax payers are up against here.
Anticipating CPS argument that the Illinois average proficiency performance ‘isn’t that much lower than National average’. For example, 2019 scores per “The Nation’s Report Card” for NAEP Math Achievement-Level Percentages and Average Score Results : Illinois 38% proficiency vs. 40% proficiency for the Nation. (ISBE would likely characterize that result as merely 2% lower than national average while a mathematician would characterize that 2 percentage point differential as 5% lower than the 40% national average.) The really important point is: what did it COST Illinois taxpayers to achieve those mediocre results, relative to what the rest of America spent to achieve… Read more »
This sounds like a cps spam shop probably located in St Petersberg. Talk to the fact set Wirepoints communicated….not something like “O’bama took 30 million records to Chicago”. Stick to the Chicago CPS fact set that Wirepoints is communicating….not some other obfuscating fact sets (i.e.national averages).
CPS you should spend your coms $, received mostly from us non-union taxpayers, on a better spam propoganda shop.
I do not understand your comment. The post above laid out a predictable counterargument from CPS, then discredited that counterargument with source-cited facts describing the tremendously lower costs-per-pupil spent all over America (to achieve mediocre academic results, if you can call <40% proficiency mediocre).
It would be productive to try finding solutions rather than participating in an echo chamber.
One way to get under-enrolled schools closed would be ‘going over their (CTU) heads’ to force litigation on issues which might attract participatory activism by affected parents, such as possible ‘life-safety’ Statutory guideline violations at these buildings.
You could try closing down underpopulated schools for code (of one sort or another) violations. But, if I understand correctly the CTU agreement calls for no closings until 2025. They could force the Board of Education to repair the violations, not close the schools.
Yes, but this would draw attention to the specific costs involved.
It would force public justification of the policy to (over)spend millions to justify patronage jobs and capital spending on tiny poorly-served enrollments.
It would highlight the willingness of this administration to waste taxpayer funds and throw schoolkids under the bus, solely for self-benefit.
Could possibly work if the mainstream media in this city and state would participate.
Have to look for help from bigger bullies.
If someone you knew always whined about a situation, but did nothing, what would you think of him/her? Now you know how those of us that left Illinois feel about those that stay. Below are the top 5 excuses I hear to stay in llinois. Excuse #1: My kids are in school. Comment: Red states have schools. Excuse #2: My job is in Illinois. Comment: Red states have jobs. Excuse #3: My family lives here. Comment: So your solution is for you all to stay and suffer together? Excuse #4: I take care of an elderly parent. Comment: Good reason… Read more »
I agree with your assessment but overall Illinois is a good state. Location/access to water/fertile land producing a variety of crops/etc. The problem lies with only a few hundred people in office and the top of the list was/is Madigan. How many bills were shelved or put in some obscure committee just to die. Many thousands which never came to the floor to be looked at to be discussed and voted for. How many of those bills which Madigan and HE alone decided was not worth looking at but offered some real reforms and long awaited change? Trying to vote… Read more »
Madigan is gone. Noticed the improvement? My point is that there is a long line of equally bad politicians waiting to replace the current ones.
Arguably, it’s gotten worse, now that progressives are fully in charge.
Great point, ToughLove!
Yes he’s gone but his policies are still in place. All the bills that were presented and passed had to meet his criteria before they became law. This is why I would like to see a list of proposed bills he put into the proverbial shredder to see if any would have been beneficial for most Illinois residents not just a select few. Imagine if he worked in the mortgage industry and he alone decided which applications would be approved. Remember it was up to him who remained in power and if anyone opposed him they received his wrath. Many… Read more »
Bills? Legislation? Freddy, government is the problem. Why would your solution be more laws or different candidates? Don’t you think that big money will get to them too? And if not, they do what they did to Rauner and trump. The real problem lies with the people. The people must keep the constitution relevant or it’s just a piece of paper. Balanced budget amendment? Lol! just a piece of paper. #2? Lol! just a piece of paper. #1? Lol! just a piece of paper. Unfortunately, (for us) Illinois is the front line in 5th generation warfare. Folks, that means it’s… Read more »
Sorry, but the good people are outnumbered. The only solution is to move to a state where the good people outnumber the bad. Any current resident has to decide how long they want to remain and keep funding the evil people who hate them and their way of life. Illinois is done.
Yes Ataraxis, it’s that simple. Either continue to send your taxes to support the people that you despise or leave and find some measure of self-respect.
Amen!
If someone you knew was constantly monitoring and criticizing your comments, even though the comments do not affect that person (having already left the state), what would you think of him/her?
ProzacPlease, maybe consider requesting Wirepoints ban out of state comments, especially from those pesky former Illinois residents that remind those left behind of a better life beyond the state border.
No desire to prevent you from commenting, say whatever you like.
The F word is so typical of teachers today making me question their ability to be teaching school children.
Education is really secondary to the bigger purpose of the CTU, which is to foment a Marxist revolution, and that is no exaggeration. If you follow their dialogue, national affiliations and policy proposals it’s clear that they see themselves as part of a textbook Communist movement. One of the first things I wrote about here, ten years ago, was their participation in a conference on Marxism. They really don’t try to hide it: https://wirepoints.org/just-how-far-out-in-left-field-do-some-chicago-teachers-play/. And don’t forget their “solidarity mission’ to Venezuela.
I have heard teachers combined with Marxism before and it has always perplexed me that when there have been Marxist takeovers in the past the educators are high on the list to be “handled” that often includes getting rid of them. How interesting that these educators preach for the very ones that will get rid of them. Oh well, those that don’t know history are bound to repeat it I guess.
Well put Bender.
History teaches us (but not necessarily CPS teachers or the CTU ) that men learn nothing from history.
You’re right, educators throughout history have found themselves on the wrong side of the communist power struggles. But like every communist repeats: “Communism has never been implemented properly”. Akshually, they all say, teachers will lead the communist revolution instead of being persecuted…
The CTU and its predecessors have forever been infected with communism. The communist purges in the 40’s were only partially effective. And like when you kill only the weakest cockroaches, the strongest survive and multiply, and today the entire union is filled with Marxist scum.
Illinois/Chicago–political mismanagement, incompetence and corruption of the worst magnitude….and our politcians are “owned” by the public unions…outrageous
In 1975, John T Molly wrote a business book titled Dress For Success. I ask you all to take one good look at the way CTU members dress and ask: Is this someone I want around my children? In my home? In my neighborhood? The image they present to all is not inspirational or motivating. Why be surprised by their limited vocabulary?
You all keep trying to figure out how to save Illinois while I relax in my red state.
Investigation idea: Someone spend one full day in one of these extremely under-enrolled schools. What does a typical class look like? Are the students engaged? Are the teachers talking to each other? Is this what teachers had in mind when they entered the field? Is a custodian standing around all day? Is it depressing or tranquil? Find those few proficient students: Do they feel engaged? Would they rather be somewhere else? Treat it from an agnostic viewpoint. Don’t go in there to vilify. Rather, report how the situation impacts all from principal to soon-to-be drop-out. For all we know, these… Read more »
Not hogwart but horseshit
F*** CTU
And F the idiots that keep voting for Beetlejuice, Taxwinkle, Foxx and others like them
They have destroyed my birthplace and office location. Now this BS is seeping further into the suburbs. Only a matter of time for us to move out of Naperville to a hardened red state…
You will find the urge for profanity is much less in a red state.
These are the same entitled hypocrite taint-wipes who locked kids out of school during the pandemic — saying that being around people is unsafe — while they vacationed in Florida, and posted their poolside pics online
https://www.mystateline.com/news/state-news/chicago-teachers-union-leader-who-vacationed-while-claiming-its-unsafe-to-return-to-school-apologizes/
The teachers union said years ago they don’t care about the children.
Typical Demoncrat response, can’t debate any facts for logic so always resort to simply demonizing your enemy. You know, we are all racists and nazis.
That’s the most fascinating and consistent feature of today’s leftists — how consistently they use ad hominems or expletives with nothing more. We write mostly rather wonky, data-heavy things here, but we get that all the time from them, almost never with any substantive challenge to our data.
Classic cognitive dissonance.
Wirepoints has consistently exposed the leftist’s worldview with facts and truth, and because the leftist does not have a factual response, they can only lash out with rage.
Simple, basic questions can turn a leftist into a raging bully. I enjoy doing it, but frankly, it’s so easy to do I get bored.
Folks, don’t confuse a government jobs program with education.
The CTU Marxist’s may only be able to teach 2% of students in some mostly vacant schools how to read-n-write, however even in those schools they can still manage to provide meals to 100% of the kids, as well as taxpayer funded transportation to get them there. Which is all the majority of those student’s “parents” really want – a day off while the village feeds and babysits their kids. Small wonder that whenever CTU wants something woke-n-broke camouflaged as education to keep them busy, all they have to do is go on strike so that the kids stay home… Read more »
Who has authority to correct these problems under Illinois law?
ISBE is tasked with ultimate oversight of public schools. Are they abrogating responsibility to a union?
Are there actions which might be undertaken by citizens? Maybe ‘life/safety’ violations at these buildings, for one example, might provide a wedge to get judicial review?
The unions OWN them. The Unions have run the State of Illinois for decades. That is why it is in the shape it is.
I understand your point. Therefore one should seek a bypass of an authority known to be unyieldingly corrupt. While the absence of unyielding corruption might not be available in the Illinois judicial system, it is the only marketplace of possible dispute resolution that Illinoisans may hope to access. ILCS School Code has plain language about certain issues, one being ‘life&safety’. Possibly these buildings do not adhere strictly to Code? Or, is there a nurse or other mandates safety personnel available at all times if such is required? Are all OMA disclosure rules followed regarding public meeting requirements for that building… Read more »
A court would award default judgment to Wirepoints. The union and most teachers know the truth and don’t believe it bears on the issues … authenticating their fascist approach and eliminating them as participants in any respected forum.
See: This Tablet From 1,500 B.C. May Contain The World’s First “Yo Mama” Joke (allthatsinteresting.com)
Alas, the available fora include Illinois judges and legislators so brush up on your kangaroo quips.