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Chicago Tribune
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Paul Vallas: The real reason Chicago high schoolers are missing so much school — and what to do about it
Public schools are in crisis — not just in Chicago but also in Illinois and across the nation. Chicago Public Schools data obtained by WBEZ-FM 91.5 and Chalkbeat reveals a disturbing number of days missed by CPS students, adding to mounting evidence of systemic failure. Blaming this trend on more lenient makeup policies and an easier path to graduation sanitizes the deeper truth: Schools have been systematically abandoning standards and accountability and returning to a culture of social promotion. One might have expected that after COVID-19, school districts such as CPS would restore accountability systems. But that hasn't happened — not for students, teachers or schools. The accountability pause, brought on by the prolonged, union-driven shutdowns of school campuses, has become a permanent feature. It's now also reflected in widespread teacher absenteeism and inaction around failing schools. In CPS, more than 40% of teachers were absent from their classrooms for 10 or more days during the 2023-24 school year, the Tribune Editorial Board noted last year. This threshold marks what experts define as 'chronic absenteeism' among educators. Pre-COVID-19, that rate hovered around 31%. Meanwhile, CPS has not closed or consolidated even the most underenrolled or underperforming schools, nor has it reconstituted any failing ones. Rather than raise standards, Illinois education officials recently proposed lowering the proficiency thresholds on state standardized tests. They argue current benchmarks are too high and fail to reflect true college and career readiness. 'Our system unfairly mislabels students as 'not proficient' when other data — such as success in advanced coursework and enrollment in college — tell a very different story,' state schools Superintendent Tony Sanders said. But this is just the latest maneuver in a broader state strategy to address abysmal academic outcomes by redefining success downward. Teachers unions and their allies oppose accountability. Their strategy is simple: Failure is easier to hide when the definition of success is diluted. This has disastrous consequences, particularly for low-income families. CPS' dismantling of its magnet school system is also part of this effort — designed to erase high-performing outliers and obscure disparities. The Chicago Teachers Union has long opposed standardized testing. Under the now-abandoned School Quality Rating Policy, CPS once evaluated schools based on test scores. That's gone — replaced by a system that decouples school ratings from academic outcomes. The district has also weakened teaching standards. In 2023, 86.3% of CPS teachers were rated 'excellent' or 'proficient'; in 2024, it was 93.4%, according to Illinois Report Card data. Families are responding by leaving. Between 2010 and 2021, Illinois lost more than 250,000 students — the second-highest decline in the country, after California, the right-leaning think tank Wirepoints reported last year. The erosion of standards, the lack of school choice and CPS' extended COVID-19 shutdown have all contributed to this exodus. To make matters worse, the state has taken steps to eliminate competition. It failed to renew the Invest in Kids tax credit scholarship program. Meanwhile, the CTU's campaign to dismantle public alternatives such as charter and magnet schools is gaining ground. The abolition of the Illinois State Charter School Commission has allowed the CTU to pressure CPS into capping charter school numbers and enrollment. What's the recourse? There is no substitute for raising standards — for students, teachers and schools. Assessments should certainly go beyond test scores and include other indicators of success, but alternative evidence must complement, not excuse, failure. In my leadership roles across three of the nation's largest school districts, I saw firsthand how embracing high standards — combined with expanding instructional time — dramatically improved test scores, graduation rates and attendance. We must also empower local communities, through elected Local School Councils and principals, to control budgets and drive school-level reform. That includes the freedom to adopt better school models — whether traditional or private — and to consolidate underenrolled programs to expand opportunities. Parents, too, must have the right to choose the best school for their children — public, charter or private. Finally, high schools need to evolve into career-connected learning centers. Whether college-bound or not, every student should participate in universal work-study programs. These initiatives build financial literacy, expose students to real-world environments and connect them with professionals serve as role models. Paid internships would serve as many students' first jobs — helping them gain confidence and a sense of purpose. Just as early college programs substitute for some high school coursework, work-study opportunities should replace low-value electives. The cost savings from offering fewer electives could fund student salaries in work placements. As a bonus, this would place students in safe, structured environments surrounded by adults committed to success.
Chicago Tribune
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Laura Washington: Three Black women may vie for US Sen. Dick Durbin's seat. Will they split the vote?
Three's a crowd. That is what is ahead in Illinois' Democratic primary contest to succeed U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin. Three African American women are expected to enter a crowded 2026 race. A day after Durbin announced his retirement, Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton bolted out of the gate to announce she is in. Within days, she had nailed down endorsements from her political partner, Gov. JB Pritzker, and Tammy Duckworth, Illinois' junior senator. Stratton is looking to grab front-runner status and create a sense of inevitability. Rumors are flying that Pritzker is trying to muscle out potential competitors. When Durbin announced his retirement, he told WBEZ-FM 91.5 that more than a dozen people have expressed 'serious' interest in his seat. They include statewide officials and members of Congress. Such as U.S. Reps. Robin Kelly and Lauren Underwood, who, like Stratton, are African American women. All could be vying to become the third Black female U.S. senator in the nation's history and the second from Illinois. Carol Moseley Braun represented Illinois in the Senate from 1993 to 1999. All three are qualified and distinguished. All three could appeal to women and voters of color. That's why Democrats who are eager for more diversity in the Congress are sounding the alarm. In the primary, the three would split that base, leaving another contender to slip by to the nomination. Someone such as U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, from the 8th District, boosted by his $19 million-plus war chest. Stratton, 59, is a former Illinois state representative. The support of a billionaire governor gives her a leg up. Her policy record, like that of every lieutenant governor, is thin. Her role has primarily been the governor's partner and stand-in. In that job, loyalty is highly prized, and Pritzker evidently wants to reward her. Stratton has made few mistakes and has been a vocal advocate for progressive causes. Stratton also nabbed Braun's early endorsement and is emphasizing her own personal history of being born and raised on Chicago's South Side. Kelly, 69, announced her Senate bid on Tuesday. Based in Matteson, the former state legislator represents the 2nd District, which covers the Far South Side and south suburbs. Kelly was elected in 2013 on a platform of gun control, thanks to heavy backing from Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire business owner and former New York City mayor. Legislative advances on gun control have been a long slog, particularly at the federal level. Underwood, 38, is based in Naperville and represents the 14th District. Elected in 2018, she is the first woman, person of color and millennial to represent her northwest suburban district. The former nurse prioritized health care and environmental issues as part of her congressional portfolio. Black female voters are the backbone of the Democratic Party and its most reliable base. In a crowded Senate race in blue Illinois, that vote can hold sway. Unfortunately, it can also be divided and conquered. Leaders in progressive and African American political circles are already buzzing about this threesome. Could all of them build a movement among progressives and voters of color? 'Yes,' they are saying, but don't force us to choose. Given that Democrats dominate in Illinois, a primary nomination is a likely ticket to the Senate. I am remembering a long-ago lunch with an Illinois state senator at a downtown restaurant. Barack Obama was trying to decide whether he would run for the U.S. Senate. He was already on his path to the presidency, but the Senate was the next crucial step. There was a snag. Braun was considering another run, to try to recapture the seat she lost to Peter Fitzgerald in 1998. Obama acknowledged that if Braun got in, he would have to stay out. Braun eventually demurred, Obama ran and you know how the rest of the story goes. So, ladies, as you gear up for the big campaign, consider having your own conversation, a private kitchen table talk. That talk should cover a prickly path to reality. First, if you all stay in, you all may lose. Second, Kelly and Underwood, if you pursue the nomination, you will have to give up your safe congressional seats. That would be a potential loss of seniority and clout for your districts and open up the chance for a Republican takeover in the general election. This high-stakes contest will get ugly. Your strengths and weaknesses will be exposed. Stratton, you'll get a heavy lift from Pritzker and his bucks, but you possess minimal legislative experience and no federal chops. Kelly, you have that experience, but your signature issue needs more traction. Underwood, you represent a new generation and an overdue fresh face for your party. At 38, are you ready? These are the questions for the kitchen table. No gossip, no buzz. Their supporters should urge them to do a behind-closed-doors for a reality check, if they want the best woman to win.
