South West Illinois News

Ted Dabrowski, a gubernatorial candidate for Illinois, emphasized the importance of improving literacy and praising students as top priorities during a recent tour stop at Metropolis City Hall. He highlighted local costs and proficiency in education during his visit with Rhonda Belford and Representative Patrick Windhorst.

"Governor Pritzker and Illinois state education officials are focused on imposing DEI and other destructive policies in our classrooms instead of encouraging the principles of merit and achievement," said Dabrowski. "The damage that does can be found in cities like Metropolis, where only half of students could read at grade level in 2024. One of my top priorities as governor will be to once again promote merit, achievement and literacy in our public schools."

According to Dabrowski, he appeared in Metropolis alongside Republican County Chairmen’s Association President Rhonda Belford and Rep. Patrick Windhorst. His remarks focused on local schools and taxpayers. The event took place at Metropolis City Hall, a central civic venue for the community.

The Illinois 2024–25 State Report Card indicates that just over half of students statewide meet grade-level benchmarks in English Language Arts (ELA), while fewer students meet math benchmarks. This data underscores the challenges Dabrowski mentioned regarding literacy and numeracy, with reported proficiency levels at approximately 52% for ELA and 38% for math.

Dabrowski brings over three decades of experience in international finance and domestic policy leadership. He spent 16 years in senior financial roles, including as Head of Corporate Banking at Citibank in Poland, where he advised the government on economic liberalization and managed multi-billion-dollar Treasury portfolios in Poland and Mexico. After returning to the U.S., Dabrowski became Vice President of Policy at the Illinois Policy Institute and later served as President of Wirepoints, a nonprofit focused on Illinois’ economy and government. His research has been cited by national outlets including The Wall Street Journal. He holds a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Chicago, an MBA in finance from the Wharton School, and a bachelor’s degree from Georgia Tech.