Illinois has yet to realize MLK’s dream of quality education for all

April 4, 2018, marks the 50th anniversary of the assassination of noted civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. Because he was a minister, King infused his activism with appeals to morality, values and common decency. King fought for everything from voting rights to eliminating racism and alleviating poverty.Of the many causes King championed, one — universal access to a quality public education for all children — has grown significantly in importance since the 1960s. In fact, over the last 30 years, those states which funded K-12 education at the highest levels had a statistically meaningful advantage over all lower spending states in median and mean annual wage growth. Indeed, there’s a greater statistical correlation between a person’s education and economic prospects now than ever.