The Chicago Teachers Union and its president want a say about fixing Chicago’s transit and health care problems, rather than focusing on its education problem. CTU’s answer to every problem? More taxes from Chicagoans and the rest of the state.
The Chicago Teachers Union isn’t just a typical union interested in teacher wages and student improvement, which is obvious from the millions it’s spent on politics and lobbying over the years.
It’s obvious from CTU leaders’ social media feeds. CTU hosted a “bake sale for billionaires” to call out people in Illinois who should be taxed more. Outside the Board of Education headquarters in Chicago, CTU members carried posters of sweet treats with million-dollar price tags.
CTU President Stacy Davis Gates went on X to urge a special session in the Illinois General Assembly to increase funding for education as well as for transit and health care. CTU tried to address those three issues in its 2024 contract negotiations with Chicago Public Schools as well as in its 2025 legislative session agenda.
CTU’s go-to strategy is to throw more taxpayer dollars at things. But that’s a failed strategy.
Here’s what CTU and SDG have been saying about education, transit and health care recently. If the union had its way. Chicagoans would pay more via taxes and likely get less in services, just as we’ve seen with Chicago Public Schools.
“The ask has been for all 3 – transit, healthcare & public education”
“The rich need to pay their fair share”
“Our services we rely on – are at risk from cruel attacks and devastating cuts by the Trump Administration”
“We need to fix it [transit] and to fund it”
“Now imagine what we could do if we had what we needed”
CTU’s answer to everything is to throw more money at it. Yet that’s already proven to be a failed strategy within CPS. There have been dramatic increases in spending per student within CPS to the current $25,459 – $6,500 more than the state average – yet student outcomes remain subpar. Fewer than 1-in-3 students can read at grade level. Even fewer are proficient in math.
CTU is a political party masked as a teachers union, and it is hurting students and underrepresenting teachers. It spends only 20% of its income on representing them.
If you are a member of CTU and don’t want your union dues to fund the CTU political agenda, you can opt out here: leavectu.com.
