Chicago’s Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson has nominated seven new members to the city’s school board, a move that has left many stunned. The sudden change comes after the previous board collectively resigned in early October, citing frustration with Mayor Johnson’s handling of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) contract negotiations.
At the heart of the controversy is the CTU’s demands, including a 9% annual raise, 45 days off school each year, and a list of other benefits that could cost the city between $10.2 billion and $13.9 billion between 2025 and 2028. The CTU, one of the nation’s most powerful teachers unions, has a reputation for being inflexible and resistant to change, despite a history of failing to deliver academic results for Chicago Public Schools (CPS) students.
The CTU’s resistance to reopening schools after the Covid pandemic was a major factor in the district’s slow return to in-person classes, with significant learning losses suffered by its primarily black and Latino student body. Even former Mayor Lori Lightfoot, a Democrat, expressed frustration with the CTU, saying, “We’ve extended ourselves beyond measure. We need our kids back in school. We need our parents to have that option.”
The academic performance of CPS is dismal, with nearly 75% of students in grades 3-8 failing to meet reading standards and over 80% failing the math test. Minority students have suffered the most, with just 30% of black students meeting or exceeding reading standards in the third grade. The Chicago Tribune reported that the number falls to 14% for 11th graders, leaving students ill-prepared for their future.
Despite the poor academic performance, CPS’s per-pupil funding is around $30,000, more than double the national average. However, the school board has stopped grading schools by performance, and the CTU’s president, Stacy Davis Gates, has sent her own child to a private Catholic school that charges $14,750 tuition per year.
The CTU’s demands for a significant pay raise are also problematic, given the city’s budget constraints. In July, the school board announced a $500 million budget hole. The deficit was partly caused by the federal pandemic funds running out and partly due to shrinking tax revenue as people and businesses, including large companies such as Boeing and Tyson Foods, fled the city due to rising crime and property tax hikes under its Democrat mayors. Despite this, Mayor Johnson has pushed for a $300 million high-interest loan to give the CTU a giant raise and fund its members’ pensions, a move that will likely push the school district over a fiscal cliff and burden taxpayers.
The resignation of the school board has sparked outrage, with 41 alders and some members of the city’s progressive caucus calling for a city council hearing to vet prospective appointees. However, Mayor Johnson has dismissed their concerns, equating them to those who supported slavery. He has also made it clear that he will not let the city council vet his appointees, citing a lack of charter (city constitution) that limits the city council’s power.
The controversy is the latest episode in a long history of mismanagement and corruption in Chicago, which has seen rising crime, a heavy tax burden, and an underperforming public school system. As one alderman noted, “Every gunshot victim left bleeding in the streets of our city will be a worthy sacrifice in the eyes of the mayor for his radical agenda.” Chicago’s voters will have to ask themselves why they continue to reward corruption and failure.
