Posts tagged Chicago Teachers Union
600 groups with $2B in revenue mobilize 3,000 May Day protests in a ‘red-blue’ alliance, probe finds
May 1, 2026 // The California Democratic Party is using the pro-Democratic tech platform, Mobilize.us, to promote "Workers over Billionaires May Day rally" protests, like at the corner of Monroe Street and Highway 11 in Indio, Calif. In its publicity material, the California Democratic Party notes it's "the largest state party in the nation with more than 10 million members." The Ohio Democratic Party Progressive Caucus, North Carolina’s Young Democrats of Moore County, Young Democrats of Wisconsin and the Yuba County Democratic Central Committee are on the official list of organizers for a coalition, "May Day Strong," promoted online.
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.
LLINOIS: 15,600 IFT members don’t exist, according to a union filing
April 16, 2026 // In a required annual report, the union’s own words reveal that: It has 15,600 fewer members than it claims on its website. Less than 28% of its spending is on representing teachers — what should be its main focus. The union spent over $1 million on politics in 2025. Nearly half of the IFT’s officers and employees made over $100,000 last year.
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: ‘The issue is the revolution’: Who is running your city’s teachers union?
March 4, 2026 // Under the banner of “social justice unionism,” teachers’ unions are increasingly treating classrooms, teachers, and even students as instruments in a wider ideological project — one organized, replicated, and funded across the nation. This shift helps explain why contemporary political controversies are now being filtered into elementary, middle and high schools. As one activist leader put it during the NEA Educators for Palestine webinar, the anti-ICE movement is “the spark that could ignite the fire under Labor.” As the saying goes, “The issue is never the issue — the issue is the revolution.”
Lawmakers join Chicago Teachers Union to push for more school funding
February 12, 2026 // State lawmakers have introduced legislation backed by the Chicago Teachers Union to immediately increase evidence-based funding and additional public school services. Republicans say Illinois' taxes already are too high. State Sen. Graciela Guzmán, D-Chicago, is a former CTU organizer.
CTU alleges rival union conspired with the boss in fight over low-wage CPS employees
February 3, 2026 // In an escalation of an ongoing turf war over low-wage school district employees, the Chicago Teachers Union has accused the Chicago Board of Education of conspiring with a rival union to undermine its bargaining unit. The allegation is the latest example of ongoing acrimony between the two once-allied progressive labor unions, a fracture with major implications for city politics and for Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. Local 73 of the Service Employees International Union called the accusation of conspiring with the boss “unfortunate, baseless, and unsupported by any evidence” and said its goal was only to improve the wages and working conditions of the workers.
Chicago Teachers Union sparks backlash with video harassing Target employees over ICE as test scores plummet
February 1, 2026 // "The CTU can’t help itself — they feel compelled to weigh in on every political issue," Teacher Freedom Alliance posted on X. "And they bankroll these so-called ‘protests’ with your tax dollars." Erika Donalds, America First Policy Institute's chair of education opportunity, told Fox News Digital that the statement made by the union "tells you everything about the goals of today’s teachers unions." "They’re harassing retailers and pushing radical politics instead of doing the job they’re paid to do: advocate for the best education for our nation’s children. While kids are falling behind in reading and math, union leaders are staging protests over immigration enforcement. They don’t speak for teachers, they don’t serve students, and at this point they barely even pretend to care about education."
Illinois House speaker, unions push millionaire’s tax as lawmakers return
January 21, 2026 // Activists and union leaders held a virtual “Tax the Rich” press briefing on Thursday. Chicago Teachers Union and Illinois Federation of Teachers President Stacy Davis Gates said it is no longer good enough for Democrats to offer a tweet or a press conference. “It is enough that working people get united across this country and demand that statehouses like ours in Springfield make billionaires pay their fair share,” Gates said.