Number of half-empty Chicago public schools doubles, yet lawmakers want to extend school closing moratorium – Wirepoints
April 19, 2024
18 Comments
A set of state lawmakers want to extend CPS’ current school closing moratorium to February 1, 2027 – the same year CPS is set to transition to a fully-elected school board. That means schools like Manley High School, with capacity for more than 1,000 students but enrollment of just 78, can’t be closed for anther three years. The school spends $45,000 per student, but just 2.4% of students read at grade level.
Hopefully, all media will get the message, in Illinois, too.
Ted joined Tom Miller of WJPF to talk about Illinois’ highest-in-the-nation property taxes, why lawmakers don’t want to touch the tax’s cost drivers, just how much Illinoisans’ tax burden has grown over the decades, why Gov. Pritzker failed to meet his promise to reform property taxes, and more.
This is a great way to spike the pension payments. That way they can cheat the taxpayers for another 40 years. Teachers, cops and firemen do their best to spike the pensions to make the taxpayers cry uncle. Such a big rip-off and they all do it.
Chances are the grafters and fraudsters will not be sanctioned or asked to return the booty. The victims are the taxpayers and all the teachers who failed to get “theirs.” There’s probably a lawyer who will claim that those teachers were denied “equal protection.” Acting through the union the entire force of “educators” is basically a collective extortion ring. So the principle of “honor among thieves” ought to warrant “sharing” the booty. Or at least giving a fair share to the unions and politicians.
No such thing as an honest government employee. Never was never will be.
You’re wrong there. I was an honest government employee for the six years I worked for Illinois – after 40+ years in the private sector. My wife, who works for the Fed, is an honest government employee. Lots of honest people work for Illinois, and wonder why Illinois voters persist in electing mendacious frauds who perpetuate Illinois’ pestilential bankruptcy of governance and finance.
I’m with you, Goodgulf. I regard government work as public service for those that are honest, hard workers. “Ask not….” Thank you to you and your wife.
99% of government workers are honest. No different than private sector workers. PT just hates government employees because the state owes them money and he doesn’t want to pay up. Sure go after any employee that commits fraud but that is the small minority.
Only in some crazy alternative reality would the person that performed labor be called a thief for collecting their check and the person trying to steal their money think they are the righteous one.
In Soviet Russia, I believe it was Brezhnev told Nixon that All shopowners are thieves.
In the United States today, nearly government workers are Democrat thieves, and the private sector works (tend) to be the honest ones, and the private sector workers who tend to be criminals are almost always Democrats (SBF of FTX)
Source? Just another one of your baseless lies.
Baseless lies?? We all have eyeballs and common sense (except for the public sector union criminal co conspirator scum). So it stands as fact that “he private sector works (tend) to be the honest ones, and the private sector workers who tend to be criminals are almost always Democrats.” Even theives know that they are in the wrong and a parasite upon society.
I would agree with you if your characterization of the situation was accurate. But it’s not.
Teachers unions colluded with politicians to defraud taxpayers with a contract to provide education, but actually only provided day care at best, indoctrination into vile ideologies at worst.
Not quite the simple honest workers that you try to portray.
Teacher unions don’t “collude”. They collectively bargain as is their constitutional right. The people of Illinois want union employees to be able to negotiate as a group. That’s not fraud. If you have evidence of collusion then show that proof. If you have evidence that teachers didn’t meet their contractual obligation then provide it. Otherwise it’s just another lie that is spewed by anti-union haters.
Get mad all you want. Collective bargaining is here to stay.
Yes, we all know it’s always “what the voters want”. 548 out of 573 districts opt out of sex ed standards, so the politicians want to mandate it since clearly the voters want it. Evidence of collusion? How about 95% of union political donations going to the party that controls the state? And the public unions are always among the largest donors to that party? Check the declining test scores for evidence that teachers did not meet their contractual obligation. Unless you want to argue that the contract was simply for their “labor”, ie just showing up. In which case… Read more »
“How about 95% of union political donations going to the party that controls the state?” That’s not evidence of collusion. You clearly don’t know the definition of evidence or collusion. Organization donate money to politicians that align with their views. Teachers unions are not colluding any more than the NRA is colluding with politicians that are staunch second amendment supporters. “Check the declining test scores for evidence that teachers did not meet their contractual obligation.” Nothing in their contract discusses outcomes. There are many factors that influence outcomes. Did the parents read to their child in the first few years… Read more »
The teachers blame the test for declining scores. I’m serious, that’s the newest ‘research’ to explain declining test scores. They say that GPAs are better indicators of learning. Point out grade inflation and they call you a racist.
Yes, most teachers are Democrats, and the education industry itself is so far to the left, that only leftists (mostly AWFL’s) even go into it anymore, and classes at ISU are full of pink haired they/thems screaming about overthrowing the patriarchy.
The education industry is so broken, I don’t know if there is a fix.
If they don’t blame the test, they blame the parents in a classic case of “blame the victim”.
They have been financially supporting Dems since teacher unions began in the 1970’s. But we are not supposed to notice nor attach any significance to that fact.
You are right, the industry is so broken. Oh wait, they are just “laborers” who deserve their money. Disgust is not a strong enough word….
It’s the parents and the students fault not the teachers. Teachers are not responsible for reading to their children in the early development years. Teachers aren’t responsible for the broken homes these kids come from. They are not responsible for the many absences or from the students lack of engagement. The teachers aren’t even responsible for the curriculum. Doctors aren’t responsible for obese patients. Police aren’t responsible if more crime is committed. The teachers performed their job according to the administration. The administration has said over 95% of the teachers are meeting or exceeding at their profession. If you have… Read more »
Of course I expected this response. Really disgusting how the blame is diverted to anyone except those who were actually paid to provide an “education”. Didn’t teachers unions tell us that getting a Master’s degree to teach 1st grade should be rewarded with higher pay since the students would be the real beneficiaries? Sorry PPF but I’m tired of playing nice. Teachers and their unions (for whom the teachers voted) have earned nothing but disgust. Go ahead, tell me about your boat, and your steak, and the wine you drink. Disgusting.
I don’t care if you’re disgusted. You know nothing about the real causes of these students performance nor do you really care about them. It’s all fake outrage. Blame teachers all you want but it’s not their problem. The parents of CPS students continue to support teachers. Your opinion is in the minority and is meaningless to what will happen in education.
Why should you care if I or the ordinary taxpayers are disgusted? You already have your income stream all locked up, so of course I understand your lack of interest. Why didn’t you respond with your tales of your boat excursions and the steak and wine you will consume after your boating is done? My reaction is meaningless, but at least it lets you and your compatriots know that at least some of us don’t buy your heroic martyr tales. So go ahead and tell us how we are completely on the hook to your BS, and there is nothing… Read more »
Apparently the teachers unions don’t know much about the problems in education either, except to whine that they can’t do anything about test scores. Education has nothing to do with teachers, except for the paychecks and pensions they collect. And you want to accuse me and the voters of playing the victim and not accepting responsibility for their actions?
Amusing that you compare teachers to doctors. Patients are free to find another doctor if they are dissatisfied with the service. Teachers have a stranglehold on the parents, who mostly cannot go elsewhere. But yeah, teachers are just like doctors…
A doctor diagnoses a patient with high cholesterol and prescribes a statin to help lower it. Patient ignores advice and continue to eat unhealthy and doesn’t take their medicine. When the patient returns for the next visit and “fails” their test, is it the doctors fault?
In your world where everyones a victim, Yes. Sad that we don’t take ownership for our own actions, including the voters.
A raise of 15.9% is unheard of in recent times. The state is broke and they are voting raises. Everyone should be taking a pay cut if they want the ship not to sink.
Inflation is causing prices to go up. No one should be taking a pay cut but instead raises are in order. If the amount is too high then the voters will express their disappointment in the next election.
There’s no ‘pay cut’. that’s a lie. If they can’t afford their lifestyle, they can get a second job during their summers off, like everyone else.
If the state can’t afford their spending then they need to get more revenue.
You stupid Schmitt, as you raise taxes higher and higher you actually get less money. People are fleeing is numbers that are increasing every year. Soon no one will be around to raise taxes on. You are a greedy piece of Schmitt that has destroyed the quality of life for an honest hard working family society. Illinois needs family’s and you are chasing them out of the state.
“There’s no ‘pay cut’. that’s a lie.”
I didn’t say they were taking a pay cut. I was responding to a post from PT that said they should take a pay cut. You struggle with basic reading comprehension. It’s probably why you draw so many faulty conclusions.
PFF said: “No one should be taking a pay cut but instead raises are in order.”
DURRRRRR
That was a statement to PT saying they SHOULD take a pay cut. I responded with no one should be taking a cut. You then called me a liar because of your inability for basic reading comprehension. Do you not understand the difference between “should” take a cut and “are” taking a cut? How could an opinion for what SHOULD happen be a lie? Are you that dense? That’s rhetorical by the way. You have put your ignorance on full display.
Sure that’s why there are 50 people in the office of the Cook County Clerk alone who have illegal PPP loans. When are are engulfed in a corrupt culture you are personally corrupted.
Government employees (not workers) love the taxpayer like a cat loves a paraquet. Taxpayers serve the government; the government does not serve the taxpayer. Schmitt Schools, Schmitt cops, Schmitt Chitty services. This whole thing is a con game.
They are getting paid, and these days usually more than in the private sector. I don’t consider it a public service. It is just a job.
So clawback the fradulent pay and fire their a$$es. Simple. Take every opportunity to toss the CTU vermin to the curb. And……..file criminal charges.
In response to an OIG investigation that reveals widespread past and ongoing criminal fraud among teachers and principals, CPS replies, “CPS will continue to ensure our District policies and procedures support the highest ethical standards to ensure our valued team members act in the best interest of our students.”
What a hoot!
The OIG proves that many teachers and school administrators are thieves, and the school district responds by saying they’ll continue to do the great job they’ve always done.
We’ll see how that works out……
It seems like the CPS position most rife with fraud is clerk.
Yes bad, as we have come to expect for almost all IL political-related operations. But good…that we are hearing about it (and really great WirePoints get that type of info to us)….that doesn’t typically happen in the IL political spheres.
What a surprise? Cops and firemen spike their pensions all the time. Why shouldn’t the teachers rob the taxpayers? All the government employees do it all the time. Taxpayers were put on earth to be CHEATED AND ROBBED. Just “Shut up and pay your taxes”.