Parents across the nation are still fighting the effects of a stringent schedule of school closures and lockdowns triggered by the COVID-19 epidemic, and Chicago families are in the same boat.
A shocking study has found that scores of Chicago schools have no students who have a high proficiency in reading or math despite the federal and state government pumping billions of dollars into educational programs within The Windy City.
Illinois state senator. Willie Preston, a Democrat, and father of six, was on "Fox & Friends First" to discuss the findings and ways that legislators and parents can assist students to excel in school after the pandemic.
"Government isn't the anthem for all things," said Preston. "I think that we have to re engage 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."
Wirepoints has released findings based on 2022 data provided by the Illinois Department of Education, which showed that within 55 Chicago public schools, none of the students were found to be proficient in mathematics or reading.
In all, there were 22 schools with no students who read at grade level. 33 schools stated that no students were able to perform math above grade level.
In Illinois, there were 53 schools that reported no students proficient in math. Another 30 schools reported no students who could read at grade level.
Preston has blamed the decline in academics on the pandemic, citing the remote and virtual learning due to strict lockdowns and school closures.
"I believe this is something that is a byproduct of some of our policies that we were taking during COVID," Preston declared. "This is a very serious issue and one that as a father and as a lawmaker, I'm going to be addressing feverishly."
The co-authors of the Wirepoints report, Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner, were able to disprove this narrative, stating that the levels of 2019 were not significantly higher than the levels of 2022.
"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 concluded. In addition, they said that the decline is not due to a shortage in finds either.
This fiscal year alone, the state of Illinois provided $9.4 billion to Chicago Public Schools, and the federal government has provided another $1.8 billion for the school system via the American Rescue Plan.
Despite the seriousness of the findings, Preston claimed that teachers should not be the sole blame for the huge achievement gap that exists in classrooms.
"I don't know that it's fair to lay this all at the feet of teachers. I think there are other factors. There are a lot of children that are facing homelessness that are not attending classes regularly. There are a number of factors in addition to that ... a lot of these children are coming from poverty-stricken communities."
"As a community, we just can't focus on the dollars being put in the classroom," he added. "We have to reengage a working-class, rebuilding working-class communities."
Preston expressed his hope that Chicago will reverse the trend by utilizing the funds "the right way."
"I think there's more that we can glean from this is what I'm getting at. We have to figure out why. Is it just the teachers? I think if it's just the teachers, then we have an issue, but I don't think that's the case here. This is stemming from a larger issue in Chicago overall."
Chicago Public Schools has previously provided the following announcement to Fox News Digital
"As 2022 academic scores were reported last fall, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) saw that, by and large, our scores were consistent with other large urban districts. We have reminded our community that these scores are a direct reflection of the pandemic challenges, not a reflection of the extraordinary talent and potential of our students and staff. We expect a strong recovery this year and next and are hopeful these gains will be reflected in our internal assessments, grades and classroom engagement, as well as State assessments."
"The majority of schools listed in the recent Wirepoints report are CPS Options Schools, which serve students who re-enrolled after dropping out. Options Schools serve some of our most vulnerable students who face higher rates of challenges related to special education, housing instability, involvement in the justice system, and victimization. The combination of these challenges lead to higher rates of mobility, transiency, chronic absenteeism, and disengagement from school for extended periods of time."
The statement concluded, "we remain optimistic about the strides that we believe all students will make this school year."
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