When Activism Displaces Academics in America’s Schools

Danville, Ill., is my hometown. Fewer than one in eight students there can read proficiently. Even fewer can do math at grade level. 

Last month, hundreds of those same students walked out of class to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). 

That contrast, between academic performance and political mobilization, is not just a local story. It reflects a broader drift in public education across America. 

Danville has produced its share of recognizable names, including Gene Hackman, Donald O’Connor, and Dick and Jerry Van Dyke. For decades, Chuckles candies were made there. Danville Stadium even appeared in “The Babe.” 

Academic achievement, however, has never been the town’s calling card.