Do School Budgets Shape Student Behavior?
An Analysis of Rock Island’s Staffing and Spending In recent months, concerns about student behavior at Rock Island High School have circulated widely in the community. Alongside those concerns, a number of theories have emerged about what might be driving the perceived changes in school climate. One explanation that has surfaced repeatedly in my conversations is financial: the idea that district spending decisions—particularly the growth of administrative staffing—may have c
17 hours ago9 min read
Policing by the Numbers in Rock Island: A Look at Gender
Last week, I posted data on police hiring and race. Interested readers wanted to see the same data reflecting gender. Over the past three years, women have represented a minority of applicants but a growing share of hires. The data suggest that while relatively few women apply to become officers in Rock Island, those who do apply advance through the hiring process at higher rates than their male counterparts. The Applicant Pool Between February 2023 and February 2026, 187 ind
3 days ago2 min read
When the Data Challenged Me: What Rock Island’s Police Hiring Numbers Actually Show
Editor’s Note / Update (March 4, 2026): After publication, the Rock Island Human Resources department provided corrected data for the agility and psychological testing stages of the hiring process. The department discovered that several applicants had been omitted from the agility testing totals, which lowered the reported pass rates across most groups. One psychological test result was also miscoded and has been corrected. The charts and percentages in the article have been
Feb 258 min read
The Three-Person Board That Shapes Rock Island Public Safety
In response to a recent set of slides examining the demographics of our police and fire departments, several readers asked an important question: who is actually responsible for hiring our public safety workforce? The answer is not the Mayor or City Council. It is not Human Resources. While the Police and Fire Chiefs play a role in certain promotional and disciplinary matters, the formal authority over hiring, promotions, and serious discipline rests with the Board of Fire an
Feb 63 min read
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