Fund Our Schools Press Conference
On Wednesday, July 20, 2016 Chicago Teachers Union members held a press conference on the 2nd floor of City Hall. There teachers, parents and supporters highlighted the need for adequate city funding for teacher contracts and schools. Chicago teachers have not had a contract since July 2015. Additional revenue is needed to insure that city schools open on time this fall. Mayor Rahmbo must raise taxes on the upper income levels and invoke a transaction tax on futures contracts. These two measures alone would provide the needed revenue to fund Chicago's public schools.
This rally came one day before The Chicago media reported that Governor Bruce Rauner, before he was elected, said that half of Chicago Public School teachers are illiterate and principals are managerially incompetent. Once again this demonstrates what the 1% believe of CPS teachers and their students.
Mr. Rauner, then an ally of Mayor Rahmbo, and a large donor to the Chicago Public Education fund which included Ken Griffin, Ariel investment president, Melody Hobson and Helen Zell, were pushing for structural changes in Chicago Public Schools. He was frustrated with the slow pace of change within the district and an outspoken critic of the Chicago Teachers Union, as the main reason for the slow change.
Rauner has backed charter schools and was involved in getting legislation passed that the Chicago Teachers Union needed 75% membership approval to strike. Of course in 2012 the Union went on strike with 90% approval.
So what better way to dismantle the union than to buy the Illinois Governor's office? There he can pull the levers to benefit his rich friends. And ever since Rauner has been in office he has been working to dismantle the Teachers Union and bankrupt Chicago Public Schools. This of course would benefit his rich buddies much more than public school students.
CTU President Karen Lewis summed it up in one tweet about Rauner's emails."Doesn't that speak to the elitism and his attitude toward who we are? If he said that in a an e-mail think about what he really says when he feels comfortable."
This rally came one day before The Chicago media reported that Governor Bruce Rauner, before he was elected, said that half of Chicago Public School teachers are illiterate and principals are managerially incompetent. Once again this demonstrates what the 1% believe of CPS teachers and their students.
Mr. Rauner, then an ally of Mayor Rahmbo, and a large donor to the Chicago Public Education fund which included Ken Griffin, Ariel investment president, Melody Hobson and Helen Zell, were pushing for structural changes in Chicago Public Schools. He was frustrated with the slow pace of change within the district and an outspoken critic of the Chicago Teachers Union, as the main reason for the slow change.
Rauner has backed charter schools and was involved in getting legislation passed that the Chicago Teachers Union needed 75% membership approval to strike. Of course in 2012 the Union went on strike with 90% approval.
So what better way to dismantle the union than to buy the Illinois Governor's office? There he can pull the levers to benefit his rich friends. And ever since Rauner has been in office he has been working to dismantle the Teachers Union and bankrupt Chicago Public Schools. This of course would benefit his rich buddies much more than public school students.
CTU President Karen Lewis summed it up in one tweet about Rauner's emails."Doesn't that speak to the elitism and his attitude toward who we are? If he said that in a an e-mail think about what he really says when he feels comfortable."