Posts tagged Chicago Public Schools
Lunchroom workers block Downtown street in protest as contract talks with CPS stall
April 29, 2026 // Lunchroom workers, who are among the lowest-paid full-time workers in Chicago Public Schools, want to be paid $40,000 a year. But the cash-strapped district hasn’t agreed to that minimum and is asking a federal mediator to step in.
Chicago Public Schools declare May 1 a ‘day of civic action’ for students
April 20, 2026 // However, CPS added that schools can allow "optional participation" in "civic engagement events" for students who wish to attend protests or take part in civic activities during the school day under state laws. "Principals may exercise their existing authority to provide students the opportunity to participate in events and field trips, including civic engagement activities on May 1 during the school day. Schools wishing to participate must follow the existing CPS student travel policy and normal field trip procedures," the CPS statement read.
Chicago teachers want no school on May Day, testing the city’s mayor and school leaders
April 12, 2026 // “What our students need, and what history teaches us is the only thing that works, is educators, labor unions, and community groups standing together to defend each other and our democracy and demand that the government put our families over their fortunes,” the CTU said in a statement. This week, Macquline King, the newly-named district CEO, said she had no plans to cancel class.
With teachers union support, committee approves charter school mandates
March 16, 2026 // An Illinois lawmaker’s union-backed proposal to place new mandates on charter schools in the state is generating debate. State Sen. Celina Villanueva, D-Chicago, told the Illinois Senate Executive Committee on Wednesday she has been working on Senate Bill 3391 for a couple of years. The Chicago Teachers Union supports the legislation. CTU Legislative Director Hilario Dominguez said Chicago Public Schools spent about $35 million stabilizing failed charter operators.
CTU plans to join May 1 ‘no school, no work’ day of action, wants classes canceled
March 14, 2026 // On Wednesday the union’s 730-member House of Delegates approved a resolution to join a national movement calling for a day of “no school, no work, no shopping.” Participants plan to call for higher taxes on the wealthy, better-funded schools, protections for immigrants and other reforms. Union leaders cited several reasons for participating, including to “demand ICE out of our cities,” referring to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, and “tax the rich to support our schools and vital services,” according to the resolution. It also says public education is facing attacks from “MAGA politicians” who support the policies of President Donald Trump and “corporate interests.”
Op-ed: Chicago Teachers and Students Deserve Better
March 8, 2026 // Concerns about oversight extend beyond the union itself. Reports from inspectors general in Chicago Public Schools have identified troubling issues, including fraud tied to falsified enrollment data in the American Indian Education program, which forced the district to repay $1.2 million in federal funds covering the years 2016 through 2023. Spending patterns have also raised eyebrows. District travel costs increased dramatically, from roughly $300,000 in 2021 to nearly $8 million in 2024, covering extensive travel and accommodations at a time when many families and educators were focused on recovering from pandemic learning loss. Meanwhile, student outcomes remain deeply concerning. Only about 18 percent of CPS students in grades three through eight are proficient in math, and just 31 percent are proficient in reading.
Op-ed: Why is Government Empowering Public Sector Unions?
February 26, 2026 // Government empowers unions, and unions use that power to protect themselves. Forget any potential harm to taxpayers. The irony here is that union members are also taxpayers. So, in effect, unions are hurting their own members. But union leadership doesn’t think about that. Leadership is more interested in keeping their power and clout.
Chicago Public Schools spends a lot on empty desks
January 14, 2026 // CPS can do little to solve the problem as long as the Chicago Teachers Union forces it to keep these nearly empty schools open. CTU’s contract dictates the district not close schools, preferring high costs to house a few students to efficient use of resources and taxes that could better educate the children at those empty schools. While CPS enrollment continues to decline, taxpayers are on the hook for larger and larger district budgets each year to educate fewer and fewer students. Property taxes just jumped $25 million and rose 62% in 15 years thanks to the district’s ballooning spending.
Federal probe demands Chicago Teachers Union explain missing financial audits since 2020
November 24, 2025 // The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) is under investigation by the House Education and Workforce Committee for allegedly failing to show how it has spent union members’ money over the past five years, according to a letter obtained by Fox News Digital. The committee sent a letter to CTU President Stacy Davis Gates stating that evidence suggests the union failed to provide members with complete financial audits since 2020. "When unions flout these obligations, they betray the trust of the very people they are meant to serve … Every dollar paid by workers should serve their interests, not those of a select few operating in the shadows," the letter said.
Chicago Teachers Union lobby day costs taxpayers up to $19.3K
November 16, 2025 // Just 2-in-5 Chicago students read at grade level. They could have benefitted from a normal day of instruction. CTU chose a political agenda and personal gain above students. Each time it takes teachers out of the classroom to lobby, the costly burden impacts both students’ futures and taxpayers’ pockets.