Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner

The speed at which DOGE is pursuing efficiency at the federal government level is both mind-blowing and chaotic. It’s causing elation for some, anxiety for others.

But if you reflect soberly on Illinois and Chicago’s problems – corruption, ever-higher taxes, declining services and a shrinking population – you’ll quickly reach the conclusion Illinois needs a DOGE of its own. 

If you’re not convinced, take a look at the mess at Chicago Public Schools. It’s the perfect example of a bureaucratic machine in Illinois that’s able to drive up costs dramatically year after year despite its obvious and ongoing failure to deliver results. 

Start with CPS’ failed results. Today, just 1 in 5 students are proficient in reading and math on the SAT. For black students, it’s only 1 in 10. Student proficiencies have fallen about 22% since 2017, the first year Illinois administered the SAT. 

That failure has chased away many families from CPS. District enrollment has shrunk by nearly 60,000 students, or about 15%, since 2017. Overall, CPS has lost nearly 25% of its enrollment since 2000. 

Yet costs have been booming. In just seven years spending has jumped 84% – from $15,800 per student to more than $29,000. Hiring is way up, too, with total staff growing by 8,000, or 22%.