Posts tagged Stacy Davis Gates
Chicago teachers union slams newspaper that called them out for their members’ chronic absence
December 3, 2024 // "Alarmingly, this poor record of CPS teachers showing up for work has been a new and recent phenomenon. In the 2022-23 school year, for example, CPS teachers’ performance was even worse — 43% were absent at least 10 days. Before that year, though, the rate was considerably better: in the 2016-17 school year, chronic absenteeism among CPS teachers was 31%. The number worsened slightly from there leading into the pandemic but still was better than what we’re seeing now," the editorial board wrote. Chicago teachers are paid a median salary of $95,000, significantly more than what teachers are paid in the suburbs and more than "any other large school district in the nation," according to the Tribune.
Chicago Teachers Union spent $1.74M trying to take over Chicago school board
November 14, 2024 // The Chicago Teachers Union took over City Hall when it bankrolled former union operative Brandon Johnson’s way into the mayor’s office in 2023. Then the union went after the first elected members of the Chicago Public Schools Board of Education. It endorsed 10 candidates and funneled $1.74 million into their races, according to records with the Illinois State Board of Elections. CTU only got four of them elected, and one of those faced no opposition.
Chicago Teachers Union’s actions affect all Illinoisans
October 31, 2024 // What exactly does Davis Gates think is “emergency” status for all of Illinois? CTU’s more than $10 billion in demands include 9% wage increases for Chicago teachers, a housing program for Chicago teachers, a 100% electric bus fleet and solar panels for Chicago school buildings – to name a few. CPS has projected just 52 of CTU’s demands would create a $2.9 billion deficit for the district next fiscal year and a $4 billion hole by 2029. Illinoisans outside Chicago may not think that’s their problem to solve.
Chicago Teachers Union members sue union bosses over missing financial reports
October 14, 2024 // Specifically, the CTU financial secretary is required by union bylaws to “furnish an audited report of the Union which shall be printed in the Union’s publication.” Similarly, the CTU Board of Trustees is to “procure each year, a reliable and adequate audit of the finances of the Union for the preceding fiscal year ending June 30, and to deliver a copy of said audit to other major officers and to announce to the membership of the Union that said report may be inspected in the Union office by any member.” The last audit was released September 9, 2020, and covered the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 fiscal years. Audits for 2019-2020, 2020-2021, 2021-2022, 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 fiscal years have not been released.
CHICAGO: Mayor Brandon Johnson Asks CPS CEO Pedro Martinez To Resign. Martinez Says No, Sources Say
September 26, 2024 // ohnson’s desire to replace Martinez comes after he pushed school district leaders to take out a short-term loan to cover a pension payment for non-teaching staff and new costs related to the yet-to-be-settled Chicago Teachers Union contract. It also comes as school district leaders are in tense contract negotiations with the Chicago Teachers Union. The mayor is also struggling to address looming deficits to the city budget he now oversees. Those deficits are driven, in part, by the CPS administration and school board’s refusal to take out the short-term loan.
Chicago teachers’ union claim that Black kids cannot pass standardized tests doesn’t go over well with mom
August 14, 2024 // Stacy Davis Gates, president of the Chicago Teachers Union and executive vice president of the Illinois Federation of Teachers, was asked by a Black radio station last week about public school students' declining reading and math scores. Specifically, criticism that Gates was advocating to boost teachers' contracts with money that would be better served addressing student achievement. She responded that gauging student achievement through testing was the problem.
Illinois Federation of Teachers, American Federation of Teachers spend a lot, but not on teachers
August 8, 2024 // The federal filings of the Illinois Federation of Teachers and its national affiliate, the American Federation of Teachers, reveal questionable spending, with little spent on representing teachers, millions spent on politics and deficit spending while the big boss got $500K.
Chicago Teachers Union Pushes Progressive Ideology in Negotiations
June 27, 2024 // Critics, including the Illinois Policy Insititute, scrutinized the CTU’s agenda, highlighting a focus on progressive causes rather than educational priorities or teacher welfare. The union’s demands include mandates for a 100% electric bus fleet, adding solar panels to facilities, and going “carbon neutral” by 2035, all in the name of “climate justice.” Additionally, the union advocates for policies that would prevent teachers from sharing students’ gender identities with parents and require all school wellness staff to complete annual training on LGBTQ+ issues. The union pushed for the district to provide 100% coverage for abortions (including out-of-state travel if Illinois restricts abortion), allocate $2,000 for each student seeking asylum, and use schools as homeless shelters. Brigette Herbst, senior organizing director at AFFT, believes there are more relevant issues facing Chicago Public Schools that the union should address instead. “In 2023 only 27% of Illinois students were proficient in math. 90% of schools in Illinois report staffing shortages. These are real issues that should have the focus of the union and the school administration,” said Herbst. “Perhaps it’s time the union starts putting the obvious needs of students and teachers first instead of this constant focus on social issues and politics.”
CHICAGO TEACHERS UNION CONTRACT COULD COST AT LEAST $10.2B TO $13.9B
June 6, 2024 // CTU wants massive pay raises, stipends and additional personnel – all of which are within the traditional scope of bargaining. It also wants the city to create new housing, levy new taxes, construct new parking garages, undertake new environmental initiatives, divest pension funds from fossil fuels, fully fund infertility and abortion care for members, subsidize weight-loss surgery and drugs such as Ozempic, add new members to the bargaining unit, offer free CTA passes for all students and employees, among many other things. The new contract also mandates certain positions to be staffed at every school, regardless of enrollment. The new positions include: librarian, librarian assistant, social worker, newcomer liaison, case manager, restorative justice coordinator, reading specialist and interventionist (elementary schools), three elective teachers (middle schools), technology coordinator, “Climate Champion,” and gender support coordinator and/or LGBTW+ lead/specialist and option to expand LGBTQ+ faculty support teams at each school. Because of the minimum staffing requirements laid out in the contract, this would constitute a minimum of 4,650 new hires. Based on the current average compensation for each type of employee, hiring the additional personnel would cost an estimated $1.7 billion.
THE POLICY SHOP: THE CHICAGO TEACHERS UNION’S AFFINITY FOR FAILURE
February 29, 2024 // The district already has 20 sustainable community schools, including 12 elementary schools and eight high schools. Sustainable community schools integrate student services coordinated by the school with outside organizations, such as housing or food assistance, medical or dental care, mental health services, English language or parenting classes. CTU claims the model promotes improved outcomes, such as decreased absenteeism rates, increased student performance and improved school culture, including “decreases in school discipline referrals, suspensions, and expulsions.” With dwindling enrollment in CPS, CTU markets the expansion of sustainable community schools as an attempt at “fortifying neighborhood schools.”