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“Let’s not forget that these independent private schools throughout the state also serve a very important role in educating Illinois kids,” said said Anthony Holter, executive director of Empower Illinois, the largest scholarship granting organization in the state. Holter said demand is high; More than 20,000 kids were on the waiting list this past cycle with Empower Illinois.
With $162 billion more from taxpayers, couldn’t you deliver a few bond upgrades, too
A largely unasked question is becoming glaring: Is Illinois doing all it should to use artificial intelligence to make government cost less and work better? So far, the evidence says no.
Everybody needs a side hustle these days, and mine is Ukraine, where I am now.
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Audio and summary
Independent schools and charter schools are bane of Chicago Teachers Union, so to be stripped of all financial subsidies from Chicago and Illinois – ASAP.
Lord knows, and Johnson knows, there are plenty of empty CPS schools filled with CTU members that demand higher wages and job guarantees, even students fail to attend.
Money well spent. Something that the CPS does not do.
Nothing strikes fear in the hearts of teachers’ unions like the thought of competition.
You can’t talk meaningfully about that topic unless realizing the public and private school systems serve families having different sets of values in a great many cases, the former clearly more devoted generally to the cause of traditional education. When comparing apples it’s best to compare them to other apples. It makes more sense to compare private schools to similar private schools and public schools to similar public schools. In short, your statement is too all-encompassungly glib.
But that’s the point. Among the reasons public teacher unions fear competition is that they don’t want, and could not hold up against, competitors that teach different values.
It appears from most postings among the Wirepoints responders that they think nearly all public schools are essentially equal to CPS in terms of the values they try to instill, the skill level of the staff, etc. So, maybe thinking that they—and you as well it would seem—start to think about teacher unions likewise generally like or closely like CTU. They aren’t. Consequently your original statement and the one to which I am now responding are total nonsense. You are conflating one large public school system—Chicago’s—to essentially suggest all public schools act in like manner. There are places where you… Read more »
Private schools aren’t competing with public schools Mark. Do private schools admit autistic kids? How about ESL kids? How about kids with serious behavior problems? Will private schools allow those suspended students come back to their school? What about kids that only show up 50% of the time? Private schools only take on a certain type of student and others are kicked back to the public schools. The public schools are required to take everyone regardless of issues they have. Then intellectually dishonest people think you can make a comparison. If they were truly competing they would be taking all… Read more »
If you have school choice I’ll bet you’ll get more schools strictly for autistic kids as well as other types of schools. I know someone that pays for a private school for his autistic child. No need to compete or compare, let people have a choice where their child gets educated. In the Chicago metro area I’m sure a lot of people will still choose public.
They have that choice and like your friend they can pay. Private schools don’t main stream any of the kids I mentioned.
There are private schools for learning disabilities that also give out tuition assistance. The Gow school in New York is famous.
Schools for learning disabilities not regular mainstream program. Schools designed for special needs are not the same. What about the kid that is on the spectrum and needs additional support so he can attend school with other kids that aren’t neurodivergent? What about the kids that don’t need a special school but just additional attention. The private schools don’t want these kids. Private schools can cherry pick where public schools take all.
The public schools in the sense you’ve mentioned are like a business in the same community. They either start resembling the immediate community served or they suffer the consequences. You are trying to have all schools run according to your own values. That’s but one subset of values they have to accommodate in a truly pluralistic society these days. Some in any community will have your values and some won’t. Public schools have to deal with all such divergent people and will likely truly please only a small minority of the community served since each subset thinks its priorities are… Read more »
So for example, Fenger a high School reflects the values of the Roseland community and Calumet High School reflects the values of the Auburn-Gresham community. What consequences to be suffered could be more damaging than the consequences now if they tried to improve reading, writing and thinking of the communities they reflect?
Absolutely spot on. True for education and true for much of the other things that are done by Public Sector Union workers. Much of what is done by AFSCME and virtually everything by SEIU. Competition yields better results at lower cost. Period.
Leave it to filthy fake news fraud liars at WBEZ to argue for LESS educational choice for poor kids — so long as that lines the pockets of the crooked corrupt teachers unions
This scholarship program comprises 1% of the state’s K-12 entire education budget, and that number doesn’t include what we spend on teacher pension debt. But they sure put up quite the fuss over it.
The children should be sent to the public schools that are ran in accordance with the voters wishes. Perhaps then the parents might take the time to get knowledgeable about the issues and vote in upcoming elections.
I would say No. If all parents and students can’t choose where their tax dollars go to educate their children, then no one should get a tax payer funded scholarship to private schools. My children attended private catholic schools their entire Elementary and High School years and I paid both the property taxes and full tuition for all three. It wasn’t easy, but worth it. This is nothing but another “program” to give away tax payer dollars. Sorry, don’t agree. There is already Billions of dollars being provided to the Public Schools – they need to figure out how to… Read more »
“My children attended private catholic schools their entire Elementary and High School years and I paid both the property taxes and full tuition for all three.”
Agreed. Not only that, even after your kids graduate or if you never had any, taxes still need to be paid for public schools. The money is not tied to kids because everyone pays, not just those with school aged children.
Don’t quote me, but I believe there are places that don’t collect school taxes from property owners who don’t have school age children.
We too paid both private school tuition and property taxes – and it was worth it.
Well you can quote me on this. Some Canadian provinces have publicly supported Catholic schools!
You read that right and it’s my wet dream for Illinois.
I have not heard of that. Are you talking about the US? If we just paid for our own kids when they are in school I would imagine the costs would be quite unaffordable for many young parents.
Check out https://usca.edu/history-political-science-philosophy/opportunities/ssbrl/south-carolina-school-property-taxes-survey Apparently South Carolina has some provisions that give tax relief. Most home-owners do not pay property taxes on their primary residence for the regular operating costs of public school in South Carolina. In 2006, the SC Legislature passed Act 388, an overhaul of the state’s property tax laws. One of its key provisions was a 100% exemption on the market value of owner-occupied homes from the school property tax (also called school operating millage). Since 2006, most home-owners bear no obligations to pay school operating millage on properties they occupy as their primary residence. As a result,… Read more »
I would say yes. It would be good to know how they compare as far as all the metrics-math/reading/etc compared to public schools they would have attended. Are they far ahead/equal/or behind in performance. All 10,000 should be compared. The students should have the best opportunity whether it is private/public/home schooled/Khan Academy/etc. The money should follow the student. Right now public education costs close to $32B or 65% of the total budget in Illinois of which 60% comes from taxpayers. Are taxpayers getting their money’s worth?
“All 10,000 should be compared” Compared to who? Many private schools have selection criteria as well as not taking on any students with special needs. Kids in private school that are later diagnosed with special needs are told that the school can’t provide the services they need and are sent back to public schools. If I start an AAU basketball team and hold tryouts to find the best players in the area, should I compare the results of my new team with the park district team that takes everyone and everyone gets the same playing time? Comparing these teams would… Read more »