Since 2022, nearly 50,000 migrants have been transported from the Texas border to Chicago. Although not all of them remained, many chose to settle in the city, particularly in predominantly Black neighborhoods on the South and West Sides.
Now, in a shocking exclusive report from WGN News reveals that administrators have instructed several Chicago Public Schools teachers in these areas to give passing grades to migrant students last school year, despite the steep language barriers.
The local Chicago station writes that “the teachers we spoke with work in CPS elementary schools and say they spoke no Spanish, while their migrant students spoke no English, making communication virtually impossible. They also added that because their schools were located in predominantly Black neighborhoods, they offered no English as a Second Language (ESL) support. Despite this, they say they were instructed by school administrators to give their migrant students a 70 percent in every subject and pass them on to the next grade.
Teachers say this was the case even if their migrant students displayed severe academic deficiencies.“
CPS has not yet responded to WGN’s claim.
The Chicago school system has become a national laughingstock. During the most recent contract talks, the Chicago Teachers Union made a list of demands that had nothing to do with student success.
The Federalist reported, “The union intends to require every school to have at least one sex-neutral restroom and for every counselor and social worker to undergo training on “LGBTQ+ issues” each year. It also specifies that no union member may be compelled to tell a student’s parents when the student rejects his or her sex. Since when does a labor union get to decide what parents are allowed to know about their own children?
This isn’t the only way the contract veers into social issues and away from academics. CTU wants taxpayers to pay for unused school facilities to be turned into migrant housing and to pay $2,000 in “support” to each unaccompanied minor. Ever-hungry for more members, the union also insists each school must have a “newcomer liaison.”
The union is also pushing for policies that will make its youth violence problem worse. The contract put forward by CTU calls for “police-free schools,” security guards (presumably members of the union), and the creation of school safety committees at each school chaired by — who else? — the union delegate or the delegate’s appointee.”
The system currently spends over $7,000 more than the national average at around $21,000 per student, but the results have been horrific. Only 21 percent of Chicago’s eighth graders are proficient in reading.
The president union president of the Chicago Teachers Union, Stacy Davis Gates, has been criticized after it was revealed that she sends her own children to a prestigious private school.
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“Only 21 percent of Chicago’s eighth graders are proficient in reading.“
When they use the word “proficient” what they mean is only 21% of students can read at what is expected for someone at that grade level. In other words, 79% can’t read at their grade level. A similar percentage can’t write or do math at their grade level.
But ALMOST ALL will be promoted to the next grade. So, it’s not just illegal immigrants or Chicago public schools who are failing and continue to promote kids to the next grade…and the next until they graduate them without the education they were promised and need to be successful.
In fact, nationally there isn’t a single state that doesn’t have a majority of its public school students failing to meet grade level standards.
What are they doing about it? Nothing! They’ll just lower the standards. They are already talking about doing so.