East Central Reporter

Chris Miller, Illinois state representative for District 101, said in a Facebook post that Chicago leadership and Chicago Public Schools officials are living in “fantasy land” due to what he describes as a lack of solutions for failures that have “destroyed education.”

"These people really do live in fantasy land," said Miller, according to Facebook. "They hold onto their lies because they have no answer for their failures that have destroyed education. The same people who want to hijack the freedoms of homeschool education!"

Miller's comments were linked to a Fox 32 Chicago report on Mayor Brandon Johnson's endorsement of a $1.5 billion, four-year contract deal for Chicago teachers and the expansion of "sustainable community schools" from 20 to 70. In an April 9 interview, Johnson defended the sustainable community schools model, describing it as a successful partnership between schools and their neighborhoods. "These schools work with the neighborhood to secure additional resources to respond to the unique needs of that particular school," Johnson said, highlighting Dyett High School as a "success story." However, according to a study by the Illinois Policy Institute, Dyett High has some of the worst academic outcomes in CPS, with only 4.5% of students reading at grade level and less than 1% meeting math proficiency standards.

Screenshot State Representative Chris Miller's April 10 Facebook post | State Representative Chris Miller's Facebook page

According to a Public Bargaining handout on the Sustainable Community Schools initiative, CPS and the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) began implementing this program in 2018. The vision for these schools includes integrating community partnerships into educational experiences, prioritizing underserved schools, seeking grants and external funding, and establishing systems to evaluate progress. With an annual investment of $10 million, CPS currently operates 20 Sustainable Community Schools and plans to expand this number to 65 by the 2028 school year.

In October 2024, Illinois Policy reported on the Chicago Board of Education’s five-year plan which includes expanding the Sustainable Community Schools program. The report discussed its implications for parents and students in Chicago. Both CPS and CTU aim to expand the program further, with CTU advocating for 200 Sustainable Community Schools across the district. However, Illinois Policy notes that among current participants—12 elementary schools and eight high schools—fewer than one in five students can read at grade level, while fewer than one in ten are proficient in math.

Miller has represented Illinois' 101st District since his election in 2019. A native Illinoisan, he is a third-generation cattle farmer and grain operator based in Hindsboro. He holds an associate degree in agriculture from Lake Land College and a Bachelor of Science in Education.