The Illinois Policy Institute is out with a new video detailing five facts everyone should know about the Chicago Teachers Union strike, which leaves 400,000 students out of the classroom. The usual union hyperbole applies, and this video does a good job of cutting through the misinformation. The five facts:

  • Average salary of Chicago Public School teachers: $71,000. Median salary of a Chicagoan with a college degree: $48,866.
  • 4 out of 10 freshman in Chicago Public Schools do not graduate.
  • Chicago Public Schools will drain its cash reserves this year. Next year it will face a billion dollar shortfall.
  • 35 percent of funding for Chicago Public Schools comes from taxpayers outside of Chicago. The entire state is paying for Chicago’s failures.
  • When compared to the 10 largest American cities, Chicago has both the shortest school day and the shortest school year.

Check out the Institute's website here, and follow them on Twitter at @illinoispolicy.