The Economic Ripple of Learning Loss and its Impact on Chicago's Future 

The Economic Ripple of Learning Loss and its Impact on Chicago's Future
Moderated by Lorraine Forte (Chicago Sun Times)
Panelists: Jens Ludwig (University of Chicago's Crime and Education Labs), Pedro Martinez (Chicago Public Schools), Laura Thonn (PricewaterhouseCoopers)
The once-a-century public health crisis of the pandemic has also created a once-a-century crisis for public education. In Chicago, math proficiency for 8th graders dropped by 40%, with the largest declines in test scores for Black and Latino students and those from low-income households. These short-term declines in test scores will - if unremediated - harm the long-term life outcomes of a whole generation of children and threaten Chicago's long-term prosperity because education is the most important determinant of economic growth in the 21st century. The good news is that if we act with urgency, there is something we can do about it. Join Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez, University of Chicago's Dr. Jens Ludwig and PricewaterCooper's Laura Thonn to discuss what can be done to ensure Chicago students thrive. Moderated by Chicago Sun Times Editorial Page Editor Lorraine Forte.
February 20, 2024