Public schools are in crisis – not only in Chicago but also in Illinois and across the country. Chicago public school data obtained by WBEZ-FM 91.5 and Chalkbeat reveal a worrying number of days missed by CPS students, adding to rising evidence of systemic failure.
Back this trend on milder makeup policies and an easier path to the end of studies disinfectuates the deeper truth: schools have systematically abandoned standards and responsibility and the return to a culture of social promotion.
We could have expected that after COVID-19, school districts such as CPS would restore responsibility systems. But that did not happen – not for students, teachers or schools. The liability break, caused by prolonged closures focused on the union of school campuses, has become a permanent characteristic. It is also also reflected in the generalized absenteeism of teachers and inaction around failing schools.
In the CPS, more than 40% of teachers were absent from their classrooms for 10 days or more during the 2023-24 school year, noted the Tribune Office last year. This threshold marks what experts define as “chronic absenteeism” among educators. Pré-Coiffure-19, this rate oscillated approximately 31%. Meanwhile, CPS has not closed or consolidated even the most underestimated or underperformative schools, and it did not reconstruct those who fail.
Rather than increasing standards, Illinois education officials have recently proposed to reduce competence thresholds on standardized state tests. They argue that the current benchmarks are too high and do not reflect real preparation for colleges and career. “Our unjustly wrong system for students as” non -competent “when other data – such as success in advanced courses and registration in college – tell a very different story,” said the superintendent of public schools Tony Sanders.
But this is only the last maneuver of a broader state strategy to deal with abyssal academic results by redefining downward success. Teacher unions and their allies oppose responsibility. Their strategy is simple: failure is easier to hide when the definition of success is diluted. This has disastrous consequences, especially for low -income families.
The dismantling by CPS of its magnetic school system is also part of this effort – designed to erase highly efficient aberrant values and dark disparities.
The Chicago Teachers Union has long opposed standardized tests. As part of the now abandoned school quality notation policy, CPS has once evaluated schools according to test results. This has disappeared – replaced by a system that has disputed the school’s assessments of academic results.
The district has also weakened teaching standards. In 2023, 86.3% of CPS teachers were assessed “excellent” or “competent”; In 2024, it was 93.4%, according to data from the Illinois report card.
Families react when leaving. Between 2010 and 2021, Illinois lost more than 250,000 students – the second highest drop in the country, after California, reported last year. Erosion of standards, the lack of school choice and the closure of the CPS COVI-19 all contributed to this exodus.
To worsen things, the state has taken measures to eliminate competition. He failed to renew the scholarship program on children’s tax credits. Meanwhile, the CTU campaign to dismantle public alternatives such as Charter and Magnet schools is gaining ground. The abolition of the Illinois State Charter School Commission allowed the CTU to put pressure on the CPS in the ceiling of school numbers with a charter and registrations.
What is the recourse?
There is no substitute to increase standards – for students, teachers and schools. The evaluations must certainly exceed the results of the tests and include other indicators of success, but alternative evidence must supplement, and not by excuse, failure.
In my leadership roles in three of the country’s largest school districts, I saw first -hand how to embrace high standards – combined with the expansion of teaching time – has considerably improved test scores, diploma rates and attendance.
We must also empower local communities, through local school board and school directors, to control budgets and stimulate reform at school level. This includes the freedom to adopt better school models – whether traditional or private – and to consolidate the underlying programs to expand opportunities. Parents must also have the right to choose the best school for their children – public, charter or private.
Finally, secondary schools must evolve to career connected learning centers. Whether linked to the college or not, each student must participate in universal-study programs. These initiatives strengthen financial literacy, expose students to real environments and connect them to professionals serve as models. The paid courses would serve as many students’ jobs – helping them to gain confidence and a sense of objective.
Just as the first university programs replace certain secondary school courses, work opportunities should replace courses at low value. Cost savings by offering fewer choices could finance students’ salaries in internships. As a bonus, this would place students in safe structured environments surrounded by adults engaged in success.
Paul Vallas is an advisor for Illinois Policy Institute. He ran against Johnson for the mayor of Chicago in 2023 and was previously director of the budget for the city and CEO of Chicago Public Schools.
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