As the 2024 elections approach, the state of America's education system is poised to be a significant issue.
Parents across the nation are expressing their discontent with the perceived liberal political agendas being pushed in classrooms, while fundamental subjects such as reading, writing, math, science, and American history are allegedly being neglected. The stranglehold of teachers' unions on school districts has left many parents, particularly those with children in inner-city schools, with no alternatives to underperforming institutions.
In a city like Chicago, where the concept of equity is prioritized over academic achievement, the situation is particularly complex. Brandon Johnson, the city's mayor, had promised during his campaign that the 11 selective enrollment high schools in the city would not be closed. These schools, some of which are ranked among the best in the nation, admit students based on academic achievement, providing many low-income students with the opportunity to attend an elite high school and increase their chances of going to college.
However, Johnson has recently proposed a plan to close all 11 selective enrollment high schools within five years, in an effort to boost enrollment in neighborhood public schools. Currently, approximately 76 percent of Chicago high school students do not attend their neighborhood school. Pedro Martinez, the CEO of Chicago Public Schools, supports the plan, arguing that the selective enrollment high schools are creating "stratification and inequity in Chicago Public Schools." School Board President Jianan Shi also supports the plan, stating:
"This plan needs to be guided and informed by the community. The goal is that we're able to change (the) current competition model so that students are not pitted against one another, schools are not pitted against one another."
Shi further added, 'It shouldn't be a competition between schools; it should really be families, knowing that, 'Hey, my child can walk to school and have a great option.''
However, the reality of the situation appears to be far from this ideal. While Chicago Public Schools were celebrating their "historic" graduation rate, the numbers told a different story. In 2017, only 24.7 percent of CPS students met or exceeded the SAT standard for math. By 2023, this figure had dropped to 19.1 percent. Language scores were not much better, with only 27.8 percent of students meeting SAT standards in 2017, and 22.3 percent meeting standards in 2023.
The connection between Johnson and the Chicago Teachers Union is also a point of contention. Johnson, a former employee of the union, has been described as "hand-picked" by the union to run for mayor. As of June 30 of this year, the union has donated around $2.6 million to his campaign.
The residents of Chicago are quickly realizing the implications of these political dynamics, not only due to Johnson's broken campaign promise but also because of his steadfast insistence that Chicago is a sanctuary city for illegal immigrants. Many residents recently attended a City Council meeting to protest not only Chicago's sanctuary city status but also the plan to erect tent cities in predominantly black and Hispanic neighborhoods in the city.
Even the editors of the Chicago Tribune have expressed concern over this plan, stating in an opinion piece:
"Johnson's people can call this resolution a roadmap, or a transition plan, or a framework, or whatever they want. They must have a very low opinion of Chicagoans' intelligence. People will see what is going on here. The selective-enrollment high schools are stars in the CPS firmament. All 11 of them. They are going to need defenders. Chicago has struggled for decades to keep its vibrant middle class from fleeing to the suburbs when their kids reach school age. The offering of more choices in education, a long-time city policy, hasn't gone perfectly, but it's inarguable in our view that without those choices Chicago would be in far worse shape."
Despite these concerns, the Board voted on Thursday to adopt the resolution to "move away" from any kind of school choice to "elevate" neighborhood schools. This decision marks a significant victory for the Chicago Teachers Union, but a potential loss for Chicago's gifted students. The question remains whether the union is working to prepare its students to attain selective enrollment schools, or simply papering over their failures by making all schools equally mediocre.
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