A recent report from the Chicago Public Schools Office of Inspector General reveals a staggering amount of wasteful spending. Over $14.5 million was poured into excessive travel expenses for fiscal years 2023 and 2024, even as students faced alarming difficulties in basic subjects like reading and math. The findings describe a broken process that has allowed funds to be mismanaged, raising serious questions about the priorities within the school system. Ultimately, this squandering of resources happened, in part, because of federal pandemic relief money.
The reasons for the travel mirror the wider issues within the district. Much of the money went toward out-of-town employee development seminars and unnecessary overnight student trips. Pre-approval for these excursions was often lacking, and many went over spending limits. A shocking example involves eight schools that collectively used more than $142,000 on 15 trips to places such as Finland, Estonia, Egypt, and South Africa. It raises eyebrows that one principal made multiple trips to Las Vegas, including a stay where he booked a luxury hotel for himself and his wife, costing the district over $400 per night.
While educators indulged in lavish travel, alarming statistics paint a stark picture of the state of education. By the spring of 2024, only 30.5 percent of students in third through eighth grade could read proficiently, and merely 18.3 percent achieved proficiency in math. Pastor Corey Brooks, addressing the issue, said, “It is a sad commentary on just how far our city has fallen and how bad the leadership is.” He highlighted the devastating reality that in certain neighborhoods, reading proficiency stands at a mere 6%.
The current leadership in Chicago has come under fire for failing to address the city’s dire educational challenges. Instead of focusing resources on the students who need it most, leaders appear to prioritize their own comfort and travel experiences. It’s frustrating to see local government ignore issues of education and violent crime while educators mismanage taxpayer funds.
The Illinois Policy Institute has pointed out failures in local leadership, emphasizing Mayor Johnson’s praise for Dyett High School, despite its dismal record of only 2 percent of students meeting reading benchmarks. This type of financial irresponsibility and political wrongdoing cannot go unnoticed. Congressional pressure is mounting for the Chicago Teachers Union to provide audits from the past five years, but critics argue that it won’t solve the fundamental problems facing the city.
The systemic decay within the school system and the accompanying governance issues present an ongoing crisis requiring urgent local solutions. Failure has become normalized, rewarded with salaries, pensions, and extravagant trips instead of accountability. This situation is intolerable.
Parents are urged to consider alternatives, such as private and charter schools, to escape the failing public education system. School choice policies, like the “Invest in Kids” voucher program that was in place from 2017 to 2023, allowed for a redirection of taxes to support private institutions. Instead of extending this initiative, it was allowed to expire—much to the delight of the Chicago Teachers Union, which celebrated the move as a “historic win” despite its failure to deliver quality education.
If change is not initiated at the ballot box, Chicago’s schools risk a relentless spiral into further turbulence and waste. Without decisive action, children will continue to be trapped in an ineffective system, deprived of proper education, while unions and local politicians continue to reap benefits at taxpayers’ expense. The only way forward must emerge from concerted efforts within the community, as the status quo remains unacceptable.
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