“Only 1 in 3 Illinois Students Can Read at Grade Level. Why Aren't We Fixing It?”
Illinois schools are failing far too many kids. According to the Illinois State Board of Education, only 31 out of 100 of Illinois students were proficient in English Language Arts in 2025—meaning two out of every three students were not proficient.
That is not a minor shortfall—it is a crisis.
As a literacy teacher for 19 of my 30 years in the classroom, I know firsthand that teaching a child to read is not complicated when adults stay focused on the basics.
What pulls teachers away from effective instruction is the constant churn of new tests, revolving textbooks, and layers of state mandates that have little to do with actual learning.
We do not need endless new funding to fix this. We need accountability and proven methods. Mississippi went from worst to first in literacy in just 13 years by focusing relentlessly on the fundamentals. Illinois can do the same—if we have the courage to put teachers and students first, not bureaucracy.
We don’t need endless new funding to fix this. We need accountability, high standards, and proven teaching methods.
Mississippi dramatically improved literacy by focusing on the fundamentals, strengthening teacher training, and holding schools accountable for results. Illinois can do the same—but only if we have the courage to put students and teachers ahead of bureaucracy.
The path forward is clear:
Restore high academic standards.
Protect classroom instructional time.
Support teachers with proven, effective methods.
Measure success by what students actually know and can do.
Hold our education system accountable for results.
Every Illinois child deserves the opportunity to graduate with the skills needed to succeed in college, career, and life.
It’s time to put excellence back at the center of Illinois education.
Our kids deserve nothing less.
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