Chicago school spending nearly doubles as scores drop

As Chicago Public Schools spending per student continues to rise, test scores and proficiency levels among students continue to drop.

Recent data from the Illinois State Board of Education shows the more Chicago Public Schools spends, the worse students perform on academic testing.

Test scores and academic performance have continued to drop, while education spending has continued to rise – with most of the spending on payroll. Since 2012, education spending has increased by 97%, while reading proficiency has decreased by 63% and math proficiency by 78%.

About three-quarters of CPS students can’t read at grade level and even fewer can do math. Faced with that, what is the Chicago Teachers Union leadership seeking in its new contract? It is pushing a lengthy list of costly demands that have little to do with improving the academic performance of students and everything to do with politics.

These costly demands include housing for homeless students and families, $2,000 stipends for migrant students, subsidies for weight-loss surgery and drugs, more time off and environmental initiatives such as an electric school bus fleet. Their climate and social justice demands are political issues best decided by elected leaders rather than union bosses who are quick to strike and bargaining with their former co-worker.

CTU leadership needs to focus on Job No. 1: advancing students academically.

Students throughout CPS are struggling in the classroom. Chicagoans and CPS parents have already expressed their concern about “students not learning enough academically” in CPS. Some are moving away or shifting their children to private schools.

Still, CTU seems oblivious as it pushes $1.7 billion in demands for new support staff that will give them more union members – part of at least $10.2 billion in new demands – rather than prioritizing students’ outcomes. This, in a school district that just cut enough to close a $500 million deficit. Expect that deficit to reappear with a vengeance if CTU gets even a fraction of its demands. Expect taxpayers to eventually pay for that deficit.

As student achievement deteriorates and spending dramatically increases because of rising salaries and benefits, the focus of CTU demands should be re-evaluated to ensure providing quality education for CPS students is the top priority.