A report revealed that in a large number of schools in Chicago, students are not proficient in math or reading, reflecting a large academic decline possibly caused by the closures of educational institutions during the pandemic.
According to Wirepoints there are 53 public schools in Chicago where not a single student can do math at grade level. It also indicated that when it comes to reading, there are 30 schools whose students are also not performing as well as they should.
"I think that we have to reengage parents, have parents actively take a role inside the schools when they can be, but in addition, we need to make certain that we … spend our money in the right way as it pertains to our children's education," said Democratic Illinois Senator Willie Preston.
It should be noted that the state and federal government allocate billions of dollars to education in Chicago, so it is most likely not due to lack of funds. In fact, the senator acknowledged that these data may be a "byproduct" of some of the policies that were taken during the coronavirus pandemic.
Not a single student can do math at grade level in 53 #Illinois schools. For reading, it’s 30 schools. Not 1 single student. Education data from @ISBEnews
It's yet another indictment of the state’s educational system. Via @Wirepointshttps://t.co/rMZlnHjcgK #twill #SchoolChoice… https://t.co/IEbaxctIoo pic.twitter.com/meKyUDo7sk
— Wirepoints (@Wirepoints) February 14, 2023
However, it is important to note that, although school closures and virtual classrooms may be one cause of students' poor academic performance, the truth is that Chicago's education problem was already alarming before 2019, noted Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner, the authors of the Wirepoints report.
"Defenders of the current system are sure to invoke [COVID] as the big reason for the low scores. But a look at the 2019 numbers show that the reading and math numbers were only slightly better than they are now.," they noted.
Preston admitted that this issue is "very serious" and stems from "a larger issue in Chicago overall."
