Chicago Public School (CPS) system is the most understaffed in Illinois, where throughout the state the average student to staff ratio is 11 to one. In the CPS system, it is 16 to one—16 students to every one teacher, and that is just going by averages (Sepeda-Miller, 2018). As Laraviere (2019) puts it, “the 20 most adequately staffed school districts in Illinois have 100 staff members for every 500 students.” Yet in CPS, it is just 29 staff for every 500 students (Laraviere, 2019)—which means when compared to the best that Illinois has to offer, Chicago looks like the worst. That is a serious shame for a city and school system that should be recognized and hailed as the state’s top district. Instead, the reality is that there is no maximum limit on classroom size in the CPS system (Guerrero, 2019), and some classes can grow much larger than already woeful average student to teacher ratios. What all this means is that teachers are at a severe disadvantage and students at an even worse disadvantage since it is their future that is really the concern here. And students are getting short-changed. They and their families seem to know that, too, because enrollment in the district has been declining for years as an exodus—student flight from the district—is massively underway (Leone, 2019). In short, the CPS is in a pitiful state—underfunded, understaffed, with too few teachers, nurses, social workers, and psychologists on hand to provide the school system with the support and guidance it needs. The overall impact is that the CPS system is negatively impacting children by what amounts to a case of educational negligence. This paper will describe this negligence and show what needs to be done to fix the situation and make CPS better for students.
The problem of understaffing is first and foremost the biggest issue that CPS faces. It is caused by the issue of underfunding and a pension plan disaster plaguing the city’s public sector jobs. Teachers do not want to take up jobs not knowing what the future holds and many are already striking to show that they mean it: they want change and they want it now. As Guerrero (2019) notes, “teachers citywide are striking for a better contract that’ll provide more nurses, social workers and a cap in classroom size in CPS.” As the third largest school district in the United States, CPS teachers should be heard loud and clear, but the city’s leaders do not seem to be listening.
Inconsistent evaluation methods between public, private, and charter schools, as well as the ever-present problems with whether or not achievement is actually measured accurately by standardized test scores, are two issues that must be taken into account when evaluating the findings of this report. Despite all of this negative press for charter schools, some studies do appear to show that these schools may be a positive learning atmosphere for students
The trial lasted seven months and Justice Leland Degrasse rendered his decision, 719 N.Y.S.2d 475 on January 10, 2001, in favor of plaintiffs and ordered the state to ensure that all public schools provide the opportunity for a sound basic education to their students." (Hunter, 2004) Entered, as part of this decision was a "costing-out study as the threshold task in developing a new school funding system." (Hunter, 2004)
Economics Issues in Non-Public Schools This paper is a literature review of economic issues in non-public schools and it will mainly use information obtained from nine sources of economic literatures so highlighted in the work cited section. To begin with, this section will look at an overview of the economic subject from a general perspective, followed also by an overview of the non-public educational sector in general; the purpose of this
These issues of professionalism and innovation seem to be a major problem in many public schools in America. In recent years these issues have come to light as teachers have been disciplined and even fired for their interactions with students that have been unprofessional and even criminal at times. Teachers have an ethical responsibility to act professionally and when they fell to do so the ability of students to
urban school districts. The biggest one I believe is coping with and attaching importance to the diversity that has been part of the American paradigm since the beginning of the country. The related challenge is providing equitable education for the children of a diverse community, frequently with wide differences in background. These differences might include socioeconomic, cultural and linguistic diversity. I believe the best way to deal with these
Education Advocacy Issues Massive institutional racism and structural inequalities still exist in the United States, especially in housing, public education and the criminal justice system in inner city areas. In every urban area, the quality of education available to poor and minority students is demonstrably worse by any measure than that of their white peers in the suburbs. This type of institutional discrimination is not caused by genetic or cultural deprivation
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