By: Diane Benjamin
This is National School Choice Week – Illinois isn’t participating because teacher unions want students locked into failing schools based on their zip code.
Statement from Tommy Schultz, CEO, American Federation for Children: https://www.federationforchildren.org/afc-celebrates-national-school-choice-week-2026/
“As we celebrate National School Choice Week, we embark on what will be a golden age in American education supercharged by a belief that all families should have access to the educational environment that best meets their needs. Today, 32 states and the District of Columbia have a school choice program, with more on the way. And like never before, the potential to unlock educational freedom in every state in America is possible through student-centered policies and programs combined with the historic federal scholarship tax credit that will take effect in less than a year’s time. We celebrate this week, and we continue to do the critical work of delivering school choice to every family in America.”
All families, regardless of income, should be able to choose the right school for their children.
See options other states have enacted: https://www.federationforchildren.org/school-choice-in-america/programs-and-eligibility/
Illinois Public Schools will never educate because they don’t have to. Today’s students will not be educated for the future because schools decide and cut out parents. Parents know their kids best and should make the best decisions for their family.
Illinois doesn’t allow it.
Election have consequences. This state proves it.
Maybe it’s time to consider willful negligence by the state and districts. SEL and Equity promised to reduce discipline problems and increase academic performance. After 4+ years we’ve seen the opposite. And yet they continue to push it. Of course it all depends on parents caring and voting.
(sorry for the length)
Can I add something about discipline? Here is Unit 5’s Discipline Matrix https://1drv.ms/b/c/13a7e8f0c571bee1/IQAeXK27n5V-TqQVGDSfw0oMAaiB4ytCt6aZqRWAJ7nC3dI?e=ja2BWl
U5 is currently in trouble with the State for having racially disproportionate discipline rates.
Here’s excerpts from the Matrix.
pg 10 “staff members are specifically tasked with monitoring the impact of their actions on students from racial and ethnic groups, as well as other protected classes”
“Any evidence of disproportionate use of punitive measures against students of color will prompt corrective action by the district.”
If you were a teacher what would you think about this?
It puts teachers in a difficult pressure position when it comes to disciplining students. Look at race first, then look at what took place. I can do what’s responsible or I can please the boss who reports to the state.
And again – SEL and Equity have been drilled into the heads of teachers, administration and students for 4+ years with no measurable improvement. But what do they do? Double down on what hasn’t worked. Look at their Discipline Improvement Plan online. It spells it out – more SEL (in every classroom), more race-based identity training, more anti-bias training.
The other, much easier path, guaranteed to work, is to ease academic standards and play with numbers to make the boss’ accountability report look good. I feel sorry for the teachers I feel worse for the students.
From Here, your comments explain the failure of our public education system with no turn around in sight.
School choice would be a step in the right direction, but we all know it will never happen in Illinois.
Bumpkin – You are right. Nothing will change in Illinois until we have a change in politics. The current state’s education system is infected with political activism (see SEL). Radicals from the 60’s decided education was a tool to be used to infiltrate the institutions, destroy the norms and then…. well they didn’t think that far ahead.
Children that can’t yet think critically are told what to think and consequentially then how to vote. Only 5-10% of professors in American universities are conservatives.
From our neighbors in INDIANA:
During National School Choice Week, parents can celebrate and defend their fundamental right to raise and educate their own children
Attorney General Todd Rokita’s Office provides the Parents’ Bill of Rights and Eyes on Education portal to empower Hoosier families.
National School Choice Week (January 25–31) is an ideal time for parents to reflect on their rights and responsibilities in directing their children’s education, Attorney General Todd Rokita said today.
“When parents aren’t in control of their children’s education, bureaucrats and ideologues step in to fill the void — indoctrinating our kids with divisive ideologies instead of teaching core fundamentals,” Attorney General Rokita said. “That’s just one reason school choice is essential: it empowers Hoosier parents to select the best path — public, charter, private, faith-based or homeschool, ensuring education aligns with family values rather than one-size-fits-all government mandates.”
To support parents navigating K-12 education, the Attorney General’s Office first released the Parents’ Bill of Rights in 2021. Now in its fourth edition, this comprehensive guide covers key areas such as curriculum transparency, medical decision-making, school choice and religious liberty.
Additionally, in February 2024, Attorney General Rokita launched the Eyes on Education portal, an online tool for parents, teachers and citizens to report concerning classroom materials or curricula. Attorney General Rokita invites Hoosiers to visit the Eyes on Education portal and submit any materials that raise concerns.
“Here in Indiana, we are blessed to have many great schools and outstanding teachers,” Attorney General Rokita said. “But we are not immune from the troubling trend nationwide of left-wing indoctrination creeping into our kids’ classrooms. We must remain vigilant and fight back when necessary. And we must exercise our rights to choose where our kids get their schooling in the first place.”
Both the Parents’ Bill of Rights and the Eyes on Education portal are available at the Attorney General’s website