Chicago Public Schools prioritizes political activism over education despite academic failure
Source: https://www.facebook.com/americanspectator/. "May Day or Mayday in Chicago? | The American Spectator | USA News and Politics." May 8, 2026. spectator.org
The Gist
The author argues that Chicago's public schools are wasting time and money on political activities when they should be focused on teaching basic skills. With most students failing to read or do math at grade level, organizing political rallies is the wrong priority.
Conclusion
Chicago Public Schools is failing its students by prioritizing political activism over education while academic performance remains abysmal
Premises
- CPS organized a 'Day of Civic Action' that allowed thousands of students to attend a political rally instead of regular classes
- Academic performance in CPS is catastrophically poor, with fewer than 1-in-3 students reading at grade level and fewer than 1-in-5 doing math at grade level
- Despite increased spending (revenue budget reached $7.9 billion, up $3.2 billion over a decade), academic outcomes have not improved
- CPS faces massive budget deficits ($734 million for fiscal 2026) while simultaneously increasing teacher salaries significantly
- The Chicago Teachers Union has a history of prioritizing political activism over classroom instruction, including defying return-to-classroom orders
- Student enrollment has declined by over 71,000 students since 2014, and 41% of remaining students are chronically absent
Assumptions
- Schools should prioritize academic instruction over political activism
- Educational resources should be allocated based on academic performance outcomes
- Political rallies and activism are inappropriate uses of school time when academic performance is poor
- Teacher unions bear responsibility for educational outcomes in their districts