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They say that our children are our future and I believe that. I fought to break up violent gangs in my neighborhood on South Side of Chicago free the children from their grip. I fought to make sure our children had enough to eat so that hunger wouldn’t ruin their growing up. I fought to give our children a higher value in life than crude materialism: faith in God, respect for parents and faith in themselves.
However, I find that most of my efforts to guide these children upward are constantly being undermined by one force in our city: the Chicago Teachers Union.
We have long known that too many of our Chicago schools are failing their children, especially those in my neighborhood. We’ve also had a pretty monumental year in exposing the corruption, incompetence and flawed DEI policies that have undermined education over the past few years.
However, the Union shows no signs of slowing down its destructive path that leaves our children at the bottom of the bucket. According to Wirepoints, only 29 out of every 100 students in Chicago can read at grade level. Only 18% of all students are proficient in mathematics.
These numbers are worse for those in my neighborhood. Our schools continue to herd these children from class to class without demanding any form of educational excellence from them. They are failing these kids up.
Again, according to Wirepoints, 81% of these students graduate! How is that possible? Where is the moral? Who benefits from this lie?
Lies beget more lies. Ninety-three percent of Chicago teachers were rated “excellent or proficient.” Seventy percent of its schools were rated as “exemplary” or “commendable.”
The biggest beneficiary of these lies is the Chicago Teachers Union. The damage they have done to our most vulnerable population will reverberate for years to come — we are already seeing the impact today as packs of lawless youth roam the streets looking for trouble.
Where is their moral conscience? The failure of schools is well documented, but the only thing that worries union leaders is the concentration of their own power. They take no form of responsibility or accountability for their aggressive power grabs – their own selfish power is their main interest, not the children.
I recently came across quote from the union to X which sums up their attitude towards their critics like me: “They want us to think that teachers are the problem, but that has always been their message. We know that the only thing that has brought progress to our schools has been militant We know that the only thing that has brought to improve schools in my community has been an alliance, a coalition of students, teachers, staff and, of course, parents working together.”
Remember, lies beget lies. What kind of “school improvements” are they talking about? And what’s this story about a “militant Chicago teachers union” bringing “progress?”
Their militancy is actually corruption.
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Theirs pinned post on X says, “This is what solidarity looks like! From powerful speeches to unwavering energy, our rally demonstrated the strength of educators and allies united for justice. We’re building a brighter future for our students, schools and communities.”
The accompanying video says, “We need leadership in Chicago Public Schools that intends to protect us from the tyranny of Trump and his troops.” Last time I checked, Trump hasn’t undermined the education of these kids, but let’s go ahead and distract from the union’s disastrous results by pointing the finger at the big bad orange man.
Furthermore, the union continues to place the blame on itself lack of financial resources — another lie was born. Specifically, the union accuses the city of not funding all schools equally. But according to Wirepoints, we’re spending more than ever per child: $29,160 in 2024, up from $20,979 in 2019.
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Financing is not a problem. It’s a union. And I hate to say it, but so are teachers. They claim their hands are tied, but after years of hearing about it, I have to center the cold hard reality that we are failing our children — that’s all that matters to me.
The Chicago Teachers Union does not have the best interests of our youth at heart and we must admit that if we want a better America. After all, the quality of today’s youth determines the quality of the future.
