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 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.

Douglass Academy High School had 35 students with nearly 900 seats unfilled. None were proficient on the SAT. The Chicago Teachers Union wants to add at least eight staffers there and at every other school in the district at a cost of $1.7 billion.