Chicago Public Schools’ reliance on temporary federal pandemic funds has left the district grappling with deficits even before factoring in a new Chicago Teachers Union contract. $505M deficit + $10B in demands = taxpayer trouble
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As Chicago Public Schools spending per student continues to rise, test scores and proficiency levels among students continue to drop.
Hundreds of Chicago Public Schools buildings have a space-use problem – they’re too empty. Nearly 60% of schools are underutilized while 5% are overcrowded. Only 37% are at ideal capacity. The Chicago Teachers Union wants to add staff to the empty schools.
Illinois students’ reading and math proficiency have yet to rebound from pandemic losses. Illinois parents have a right to know what their children are being taught so they can be part of the solution.
Lawmakers in 2023 required the Illinois State Board of Education to create a public school literacy plan using evidence-based reading instructional practices. A follow-up bill awaiting the governor’s signature would require school vendors to follow that plan.
Enrollment at Chicago Public Schools has dropped by 31,905 students since 2019. The district’s staff has increased by 5,472 full-time equivalent staff members over that same period. CPS now has 323,251 students and 43,255 staff members, including teachers.
Illinois’ average in-state tuition to public universities is among the highest in the nation. Getting an education is crucial to escaping poverty, putting Illinoisans at a great disadvantage.
A study found charter students in poverty had stronger growth in reading and math compared to their peers in traditional public schools, especially minority students in poverty. But the Chicago Teachers Union wants to limit families’ options to enroll their students in charter schools.
The union’s federal reports show the union has suffered membership loss during the past two decades. It could be because the union’s spending priorities are completely misplaced.
The Chicago Teachers Union’s current contract limits the growth of charter schools in Chicago. The union’s new contract demands seek to further deny access and limit parents’ options for their children’s educations.
Students at a private school and a Chicago public school in the same neighborhood experience very different outcomes in their educations. Which one produces struggling students? The one dominated by the Chicago Teachers Union.