{"id":121266,"date":"2026-02-17T10:00:07","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T15:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cablemanpro.com\/wallstreetpr\/mississippis-school-miracle-shames-failing-chicago-leaders-on-education-121266"},"modified":"2026-02-17T10:00:07","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T15:00:07","slug":"mississippis-school-miracle-shames-failing-chicago-leaders-on-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cablemanpro.com\/wallstreetpr\/mississippis-school-miracle-shames-failing-chicago-leaders-on-education-121266","title":{"rendered":"Mississippi’s school miracle shames failing Chicago leaders on education"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

As I walk across Mississippi<\/a> in my “Walk Across America” campaign to help reverse the fortunes of my South Side Chicago neighborhood, I see something powerful unfolding. This state, often dismissed by other parts of America as backward, has turned its schools into engines of progress. Children are no longer trapped in failing schools but are moving toward promising futures. Meanwhile, back in Chicago’s South Side, schools in my own neighborhood continue to let kids down. The contrast couldn’t be starker, and it forces a hard question: If Mississippi can make such dramatic gains, why does a city like Chicago, with far greater resources, continue to fail its children?<\/p>\n

The stereotype that the South is ignorant while the North is enlightened is crumbling before my eyes.<\/p>\n

Mississippi’s transformation, often<\/a> called the “Mississippi Miracle,” is not an accident. In 2013, the state ranked 49th in fourth-grade reading on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP. By 2024, fourth graders ranked ninth in the nation in reading and 16th in math. Adjusted for demographics and poverty, Mississippi fourth graders ranked first nationally in reading and math, according to the Urban Institute. The state achieved its highest-ever rates of students scoring proficient or advanced across tested grades and subjects. Fourth-grade reading proficiency reached levels where Mississippi students outperformed the national average for the first time. Black fourth graders rose to third in the nation in both reading and math, while low-income and Hispanic students ranked among the top performers nationally in key categories.<\/p>\n

HERE’S THE SECRET BEHIND MISSISSIPPI\u2019S EDUCATION MIRACLE \u2014 AND WHY IT\u2019S NO ACCIDENT<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

The foundation? The 2013 Literacy-Based Promotion Act, which mandated evidence-based phonics instruction<\/a>, early identification of struggling readers, literacy coaches and retention in third grade for students not reading at grade level.<\/p>\n

Former State Superintendent Dr. Carey Wright emphasized the deliberate work behind it: “Educators do not call these achievements a ‘miracle’ because we know Mississippi\u2019s progress in education is the result of strong policies<\/a>, the effective implementation of a comprehensive statewide strategy, and years of hard work from the state to the classroom level.”<\/p>\n

CHICAGO KIDS ARE DYING WHILE MAYOR JOHNSON FIGHTS TRUMP, ICE AND REALITY<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves has celebrated the sustained gains, noting how conservative reforms and a focus on phonics<\/a> have made Mississippi a national model. Even with a slight dip in 2024-25 state accountability grades \u2014 80.1% of schools and 87.2% of districts earning a C or higher, down from the previous year \u2014 the long-term trajectory shows what evidence-based reform can achieve, even in a state with high poverty.<\/p>\n

By contrast, Dulles Elementary School in Chicago’s Woodlawn neighborhood<\/a> \u2014right in the heart of the community I serve \u2014 presents the opposite picture. The school, serving mostly Black and low-income students in grades pre-K through 8, ranks in the bottom 50% of Illinois elementary schools. In recent data, only about 1% to 5% of students scored proficient in math, and 3% in reading, on state assessments. In the 2024-25 school year, just 3.9% were proficient or better in mathematics and 13.8% in English language arts \u2014 far below Chicago Public Schools district averages (27.3% in math, 42.8% in ELA) and state averages (38.5% in math, 53.1% in ELA). Chronic absenteeism remains high, often between 25% and 40%, and the school struggles across student subgroups. It is labeled “Commendable” in Illinois’ system, but those numbers don\u2019t lie. Far too many children are leaving without the foundational skills they need to thrive.<\/p>\n

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

That\u2019s why Project H.O.O.D. is building the Leadership and Economic Opportunity Center down the block from this elementary school. The $45 million center will include a private Christian school for boys from single-parent households, and I am working to learn as much as possible from Mississippi\u2019s success so that our school can follow a similar model. I am driven by the urgent need to reverse these fortunes. We can’t wait for broken systems to fix themselves. We will be working to create a model that equips kids with skills, faith and opportunity \u2014 something Mississippi proves is possible when priorities align.<\/p>\n

The contrast between Mississippi and Chicago is so stark that I am tempted to call what\u2019s happening in Chicago criminal. It borders on educational malpractice. Mississippi succeeded with clear standards, teacher retraining in the science of reading, accountability through letter grades and the courage to hold students back until they master the basics \u2014 policies rooted in what works, not ideology. Chicago, despite vast funding and talent, remains mired in bureaucracy, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) mandates<\/a>, resistance to proven methods and excuses about poverty. It doesn\u2019t help that Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson focuses on blaming phantom of White supremacy instead of doing the real work and confronting academic failure head-on.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the true backwardness \u2014 not the South, which has shown wisdom in embracing evidence over excuses. From these Mississippi roads, the message is clear: The chains of low expectations can be broken anywhere \u2014 with bold policy, hard work and faith in children\u2019s potential.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mississippi is proof. Chicago can follow. Project H.O.O.D. will help lead the way.<\/p>\n

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM PASTOR COREY BROOKS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Source – https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/opinion\/mississippis-school-miracle-shames-failing-chicago-leaders-education <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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