Wirepoints President Ted Dabrowski joined Chicago’s Morning Answer this week to shed light on two critical issues plaguing Illinois: failing public schools and a broken housing policy. Dabrowski and his team recently released new findings on both, and the results are drawing concern from education reformers, housing advocates, and taxpayers alike.
On the education front, Dabrowski revealed staggering statistics: 80 schools in Illinois—most of them in Chicago—had zero students proficient in math, and 24 schools had zero students proficient in reading. In total, nearly 18,000 students attend these underperforming schools. Despite the failure to teach even the basics, nearly 70% of students at these institutions still graduate.
Dabrowski pushed back against excuses that these are “special circumstance” schools serving at-risk youth. While acknowledging that some students face unique challenges, he emphasized that the Chicago Teachers Union and the state’s political leaders continue demanding more funding without delivering results. In some cases, schools are spending $27,000 or more per student—yet producing no measurable academic success.
“There’s no obsession with literacy,” Dabrowski said, noting that the system seems more focused on preserving itself than helping students. Making matters worse, Illinois education officials are now considering removing standardized test scores from teacher evaluations—despite 97% of teachers being rated “excellent” or “proficient.”
Beyond the 80 worst-performing schools, the problem widens. Dabrowski noted that 307 Illinois schools have less than 10% of students reading at grade level, and 853 schools have fewer than 10% proficient in math. “Once you start widening the lens, the numbers explode,” he said.
Schools like Dunar on Chicago’s Near South Side were cited as examples of systemic failure. Despite spending over $27,000 per student, the school has 0% proficiency in math and just 2% in reading—yet a 72% graduation rate. “It should be a statewide scandal,” Dabrowski said.
Turning to housing, Dabrowski also highlighted a Wirepoints study showing Illinois has the second-worst housing stock growth in the country since Governor Pritzker took office. He blamed excessive zoning regulations, burdensome building codes, and anti-development policies in Chicago and statewide.
“Affordable housing is impossible without increasing supply,” Dabrowski said. “But our leaders are doing the opposite—limiting development and then stepping in to create government-funded housing projects that cost $600,000 to $800,000 per unit.”
Instead of letting private developers build more housing to reduce costs across the board, Illinois continues to meddle—and inflate costs. “It’s the same story,” Dabrowski added. “Whether it’s education, housing, or taxes, the state is overregulating, overspending, and underdelivering.”
As Illinois continues to see population loss, ballooning pension liabilities, and high tax burdens, Dabrowski urged policymakers to reconsider the state’s top-down approach. “Let parents choose better schools. Let builders build more homes. Get out of the way.”
For more analysis, visit Wirepoints.org.