By: Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner
Illinois lawmakers killed off school choice last year when they let the state’s tax-credit scholarship program sunset in December. The Invest in Kids program for six years helped thousands of children escape Illinois’ broken public school system.
That decision – to become the nation’s first state to totally wipe out school choice – is looking increasingly absurd as states across the country continue to give their residents more choices in education. Since the start of last year, 19 states have either enacted or expanded school choice programs, ranging from tax-credit scholarships to school vouchers to education savings accounts. Many are now universal programs, meaning every single student in a state, regardless of race or income, can access a voucher or education savings account. Iowa’s recently passed universal program, for example, once fully implemented, will let any student in the state use an ESA account worth $7,800 to find a better education.
Louisiana this week became the 31st state to adopt school choice and the 12th to adopt universal choice. Louisiana’s action comes on the heels of Wyoming’ enactment and Nebraska’s expansion of school choice programs earlier this year. Illinois is rapidly becoming an outcast.
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Nearly two-thirds of the states in the country now allow at least some children access to school choice. Only one has taken choice away from children: Illinois.
That’s particularly egregious given that, as we’ve shown time and again, Illinois’ student outcomes are beyond dismal. 1.2 million Illinois children can’t read at grade level. In Peoria, just 8% of black students are proficient in reading. In Elgin, it’s just 14% of Hispanics. In Decatur, just 12% of whites can read at grade level. And in Chicago, it’s only 17% of black students.
As the state’s failed education policies become increasingly extreme, count on Illinois parents to notice the good news that’s happening in education across the rest of the country. The fact that so many states are now giving parents a choice in education should spur those in Illinois to demand the same.
Read more from Wirepoints:
- Here’s what Chicago voters will need now: School report cards by district – Wirepoints
- Dolton’s mayor gets all the attention, but what about the failure – and high pay – of Dolton’s school admins?
- The evidence so far on Illinois’ ‘Evidence-Based Funding’ for K-12 schools: It’s a flop – Wirepoints Special Report
- Poor student achievement and near-zero accountability: An indictment of Illinois’ public education system – Wirepoints Special Report
- The big myth that needs debunking: Illinois needs more money for education – Wirepoints Special Report
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.
Expect no retraction or apology. This what they do.
Wow, what a cash cow farce the education system has become. Bring it all down.
I was educated in Catholic schools at a time we never expected to have tax dollars headed our way. I still agree with the separation of church and state, unlike states like Louisiana. Texas voucher fight is another aspect of this. Well-to-do folks are fighting for yet another discount while they prefer fewer dollars to be directed to public schools. I know there are some here in Chicago whose neighborhood choices are bad but this nationwide move is one with the goal to help those who don’t need the help most.
We both were educated in Catholic Schools and separation of Church and state is fine. But, not all families who decide to send their children to Catholic schools are well off. Many make the decision to do so and sacrifice to make that happen. In these cases, these parents are paying for the local school district with their property taxes and paying the tuition for the Catholic School. Yep, it is their choice to do so, but providing these families with the ability to have their tax dollars be used in schools that they prefer their children attend vs. being… Read more »
Also depending on whatever denomination a family has joining the church will give you addition discounts for the school. Maybe you need to take some classes or are expected to tithe or whatever you can but it does save lots of money. Most sectarian schools are K-8 not high school.
My friend was the director of admissions at a prestige university. He noticed that some kids didn’t have a chance at the public schools they attended. He became big in the school choice movement. One of the headwinds he dealt with was the belief that strong public schools are vital. Fast forward to today, with a significant number of schools performing poorly, and choice looms significant. There are in many places no decent options for parents or students. Choice certainly can make a difference. So I don’t think choice programs are designed to support those who need the least amount… Read more »
School choice has become a nationwide movement because the public school system is no longer fulfilling the mission for which it was established: providing most students with at least a basic education. Until the schools show they are capable of understanding that mission and delivering acceptable outcomes, the school choice movement will continue to gain traction.
We already have school choice, but only for IL politicians, union leaders, and the wealthy who can afford to send their children to private schools. Meanwhile, they pull up the ladder and leave low-income children behind in a system with no accountability, discipline, or commitment to academic excellence.
School choice is not just a red state issue. It’s looking good for purple state Pennsylvania to be the latest state to buck the teachers unions and adopt school choice with Jay-Z foundation backing no less (https://www.wsj.com/articles/pennsylvania-vouchers-from-milton-friedman-to-jay-z-education-710ba198?mod=Searchresults_pos2&page=1)
As with our elections, it’s the Blue states who wish to eliminate choice. Democracy is very much at risk in Blue states like IL.
There’s a video of Condoleeza Rice discussing school choice, at the end of which she said if you oppose vouchers and school choice, fine, but don’t send your kids to Sidwell Friends. Have read that about 40% of CPS teachers send their own kids to private schools, as does the CTU president. Perhaps time to require CPS employees to send their kids to CPS only schools, that might loosen their opposition to choice.
The Unions are now collecting on the millions they invested on getting their candidates elected. Parents and citizens that accept this corruption deserve it. You can’t even go to the beach in Chicago without the possibility of being robed or shot.