Por Renan Filho · 2026-10-27**Lead**
Chicago’s education system is failing its most vulnerable students by not prioritizing the single skill that offers a proven path to safety and opportunity: reading. According to longtime community activist and pastor Corey Brooks, the lack of emphasis on literacy in public schools is a critical security issue. Brooks, who has worked for decades to reduce violence on the city’s South Side, argues that without the ability to read proficiently, children are more likely to drop out, become involved in crime, and cycle through the justice system. His message comes as Chicago Public Schools (CPS) continues to struggle with low literacy rates, widening the gap between students from affluent and disadvantaged neighborhoods.
**Context**
Corey Brooks is the senior pastor of New Beginnings Church of Chicago and the founder of Project H.O.O.D. (Helping Others Obtain Destiny), a community development organization focused on economic empowerment and violence reduction. For years, he has been an outspoken critic of systemic failures that trap children in poverty and violence. In various public appearances and interviews, Brooks has emphasized that literacy is not merely an academic goal but a matter of life and death. He points to the direct correlation between third-grade reading proficiency and high school graduation rates, and between graduation rates and future incarceration risks. Research consistently shows that students who cannot read at grade level by the end of third grade are four times less likely to graduate high school on time, and that male dropouts are far more likely to be incarcerated. While Brooks does not cite specific figures in every speech, the trend is clear: illiteracy feeds a pipeline from school to prison.
Chicago Public Schools, the third-largest district in the nation, has faced persistent challenges in raising reading scores. Standardized test results in recent years indicate that only about one-third of CPS students meet or exceed state standards in English Language Arts. The disparities are even starker in predominantly Black and Hispanic neighborhoods on the South and West Sides, where schools are often underfunded and overcrowded. Brooks has argued that the district’s focus on test preparation and punitive disciplinary measures overlooks the basic need for effective reading instruction. He advocates for early intervention, smaller class sizes, and community-based tutoring programs as concrete steps to address the crisis.
**Analise**
The security implications of educational failure are profound. In a city like Chicago, where gun violence remains a daily reality for many communities, the inability to read can be a direct driver of criminal behavior. Young people who are disengaged from school often seek belonging and income in the streets. Literacy not only opens doors to legal employment but also builds cognitive and social skills that reduce the appeal of gangs and drug dealing. Brooks has consistently linked his anti-violence work to education, arguing that a diploma is the most effective bulletproof vest a child can have. His perspective aligns with a growing body of evidence that investment in early literacy yields long-term public safety returns by reducing the number of potential offenders and victims.
Moreover, the issue extends beyond individual outcomes to the broader fabric of the city. When large swaths of the youth population lack basic reading skills, economic development stagnates, and social cohesion weakens. Brooks’ calls for a renewed emphasis on literacy are echoed by many educators and criminologists who see education as the first line of defense against crime. However, political and budgetary constraints often hinder meaningful reform. The challenge for Chicago is to move from rhetoric to action, ensuring that every child, regardless of zip code, has access to high-quality reading instruction. Without that shift, the cycle of violence and poverty will likely persist, and no amount of policing or incarceration will solve the root problem.
**Fontes**
- Corey Brooks, pastor of New Beginnings Church of Chicago and founder of Project H.O.O.D. Public statements made at community events and in media interviews. - Chicago Public Schools official data and reports on literacy rates (publicly available via the Illinois State Board of Education). - Research from the Annie E. Casey Foundation on third-grade reading proficiency and its correlation with graduation and incarceration rates. - Academic studies on literacy and crime reduction, including works published by the National Literacy Trust and the RAND Corporation.