Paul Vallas is the former CEO of the Chicago Public Schools and the School District of Philadelphia, as well as a former Democratic candidate for Illinois governor and Chicago mayor.
He posted this Monday on Facebook and it’s quite a read:
WAIVING THE WHITE FLAG, CHICAGO’S MAYOR SURRENDERS CONTROL OF CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO THE CHICAGO TEACHERS UNION.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot must be suffering from Stockholm Syndrome. Why else would she praise the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) president for “constructive participation” in negotiations over reopening schools? Never mind that the current deal is “tentative” and totally lacking in urgency in addressing the crisis that our students are living. CTU was principally responsible for creating the conditions that created this awful saga in the first place. CTU has fought the science tooth and nail to keep schools closed for months, to the detriment of poor school children and working families.
And what an agreement this tentative deal is. Except for pre-school and select special education students, K-12 schools will not open to in-person learning for another month! If that wasn’t enough, the mayor agreed to conditions for buildings remaining open that make it easy for the union to demand that schools close again, and perhaps again. Meanwhile, in an act of almost criminal negligence, there is no plan or timeline for reopening high schools at all. It lands during a disturbing decrease in enrollment and a huge jump in school-age victims of shootings and murders – not to mention the jump in murders, shootings and carjackings committed by out of school teenagers.
The Mayor and the CTU would have you pay no mind to Chicago-area Catholic schools, which serve 69,000 students, and have been open since August without any significant health issues. The Chicago Tribune reported that despite the pandemic, parochial students who took the i-Ready exam in the same fall-to-fall period performed at 105 percent of the expected learning growth in math and at 130 percent of the expected learning growth, on average. Furthermore, the poorest Catholic School students saw the greatest growth.
I can’t think of a more embarrassing crisis in recent Chicago history. Really, when has this toxic combination of selfishness and political incompetence been more fully on display?
Obviously, CTU’s selfishness is undiluted. CTU has made it clear that Chicago’s school children and their working families’ interests are – in the face of science and official guidance – no match for the preference of CTU members to stay sequestered at home at any cost. This is disturbing, but given the conduct of CTU over the past years, not shocking.
What is shocking is the current administration’s incompetence. In 1995, capping an era of nine work stoppages over 25 years and continuous financial crisis, the Illinois legislature decided to rein in the dysfunction. With the intent to prevent CTU from holding children and working families hostage through the threat of work stoppages and strikes, lawmakers handed control of CPS to the mayor, thinking that strong, competent executive management would counterbalance union money and muscle.
Thus, Mayor Lightfoot, unlike most mayors nation and statewide, has direct control over the city’s schools through her appointed school board and her appointed CEO. Despite many wars-of-words and public broadsides, Lightfoot has managed cave in to CTU demands without any payoff for students. Consider that in the most recent $1.5 billion contract, the richest contract in CPS history, average CTU member salaries increased by 24-48% over the life of the contract including longevity pay increases. Yet, the union violated its agreement by threatening to illegally strike again unless the district agreed to strictly remote instruction. In response, the mayor squandered her authority to void the contract in the face of such a flagrant breach by CTU. Her threats to refuse to pay teachers who didn’t show up for in-person instruction were also meaningless. How many times did the Mayor draw a line in the sand only to lay out the welcome mat when the union crossed it?
The Mayor’s repeated surrender to the CTU will only embolden it to make more demands. It has a well-funded war chest to fund city council and state legislative races. It has cash to fund “community activist” groups that, along with its leadership and more rabid members, disseminate misinformation and intimidate critics.
If this seems exaggerated, consider HB 2275, which the union and its union-subsidized allies secured passage of, which currently sits on the Governor’s desk. If Governor Pritzker signs it, teachers unions will have unlimited power to veto any Illinois’ school district’s decisions, by allowing a local to strike for virtually any reason. Next will be the CTU’s push to get the state legislature to replace the mayoral-appointed school board with an elected school board that the union can dominate through its campaign contributions and field organization. Given this administration’s performance in balancing the school district’s customers’ – meaning Chicago’s children – needs with the union’s demands, that might not have such a different result. But on paper, it will effectively complete the CTU’s takeover of CPS.
Look for families who can afford it to continue to flee the school district, which has seen 17 straight years of declining enrollment, and then flee the city itself. Left behind will be those children whose families lack the financial means to have other school options. This is the population that the CTU will continue to hold hostage. . . and no less, the city itself.
Expect no retraction or apology. This what they do.
The state’s existing buyout program for its own pensions is the precedent for Chicago, which should be a warning: Look out for similar exaggerated claims and shoddy analysis.
He actually thinks people will vote for him. He’s no different than Goofioretti.
Vallas lost Chicago Mayor (2019) and Illinois Governor (2002).
It’s all just empty, meaningless words. Spitting in the wind. His words have no value.
Bottom line is there are no consequences for failing to show up for work. So they are literally being paid to do nothing. Nothing less than theft.
He can waste his breath all he wants. The entire government backs the rob-from-everyone-to-pay-corrupt-lazy-teachers policy.
And he supports the government.
I have questions similar to those in the wind when affirmative action first got traction. I think the questions have become more cogent, however. Would any voter, who continues to elect clueless, venal officials to office, seek the services of anyone who graduated from an urban public school? Maybe for an oil change. Some happy few grads may make it into college — probably more than a few when one looks at prevailing wokeness in higher-education precincts. Then some of these scholars may make it into a woke med school, dental school, law school, architectural school, etc. Next, they’ll get… Read more »
doesn’t matter what Vallas says. until you break the back of the teachers union all discussion is moot
This would have been an excellent time to declare an impasse and lock them out. Line crossers would keep their jobs, the rest would be only eligible for strike pay. After three to four months with no paycheck, the CTU members might come to their senses and cross the line or force their corrupt leadership out.
I’m surprised that the former CEO of CPS would misspell “Waving” in the first word of his post. “Waiving” has totally different meaning
CPS waved the white flag by granting waivers to CTU.
Vallas had a chance to run. He had no support. Hes too lazy to run. He is no different than Goofioretti. He’s a policy big talk no action idiot. Be on your way paul. You are over.
Vallas would have been governor of Illinois but for a few thousand votes. He almost beat Blagojevich in the primary. we need a mayor who is willing to be a one termer. As adam Kinzinger quoted from Band of Brothers, go into the fight like you are already dead.
It looks like Vallas is already running for Mayor of Chicago. Wouldn’t you agree?
He’s got no chance. He’s white in a blm controlled city, county and state. But remember we’re all racist but all office holders except fat boy are black or Latino. Watch incompetent lazy Kwame to run for Governor.
Vallas already ran and lost.
Definitely an under-reported fact that CTU has an army of neighborhood groups they support financially. They use these groups to funnel their biased agenda down to the block level, then these neighborhood groups rework their corporate messaging to sound more grassroots. This explains why many CPS families in the minority communities have an exaggerated fear of school re-openings: CTU scared the crap out of them.
Senile joe and his blm approved vp have totally given in to the commie CTU in exchange for donations to the dummycrat party.
It’s not really “giving in” when you already agree with them.
I see no evidence they are being dragged kicking and screaming.
Yup, and all on the taxpayers dime to go along with thier political contributions to fake machine progressives. Is there any other city in the country where they will pay you an upper income living & benefits and fund your radical socialist organization where you can go on strke once or twice a year and never loose a dime? All based on massive untold $billions$ of taxpayer debt. And a desperate the press love you. Its craziness
So what’s Vallas’ solution, or does he just complain? Weirdly, he gives stats on the success of the Catholic system by comparison to the shuttered CPS, but then fails to reach the obvious conclusion: GIVE PARENTS A VOUCHER TO TAKE THEIR KIDS OUT OF THE CLOSED AND FAILED SYSTEM AND ENROLL THEM AT AN OPEN AND SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL. And once again I ask, where the hell is Cupich?
Open the privates to everybody and watch the value of your education plummet faster than a boulder dropped from a tall building.
Chicago needs a “no vaseline” mayor, Rahm failed, Littlefoot failed, the state is run by the CTU, JB just move out of the way.
Mark – Have you seen this K-12 School Opening Tracker? Gives you a good idea how we compare nationally.
https://cai.burbio.com/school-opening-tracker/
Thanks. Had not seen.
Paul Vallas has described in detail the weakness of Mayor Lightfoot in dealing with the CTU. She is hardly the reformer that we thought she was. The lack of any plan for the opening of high schools is outrageous. The insistence on vaccinations for all teachers defies the guidelines of the CDC because of the low risks of serious COVID cases for most teachers and children. CTU wants teachers to be vaccinated before those most at risk of dying, the elderly. If Governor Pritzger signs that bill expanding their right to strike it will be a travesty for the school… Read more »
It’s time to institute Khan Academy to parents and students. At the Khan Academy website they have a quick start tips for parents and mentors for those under 12 and over 12.
https://www.khanacademy.org/khan-for-educators/resources/parents-mentors-1/khan-academy-accounts/v/parent-quick-start-tips-
Maybe kids could catch up on what they missed by not being in class. Probably will learn much more and much easier to boot.
Seems like you have a Khan-do attitude here. Good for you!
Good one! Thanks!
So what if your kid attends a vocational, now career academy ?
How do you zoom a shop class that requires hands on learning ?
Just saying that the basics of 3R’s plus computer sciences/etc can easily be taught online. As for shop classes depending on which ones there are not too many classes offered. https://www.madeinamerica.com/bring-back-shop-class-in-all-public-schools/ Hopefully someday Covid will be a thing of the past (not holding my breath) but will probably be replaced by new versions of bubonic plague-dengue fever-Black Death. Here in Rockford there is a very nice carpenter training facility and the parking lot seems to be full. They have open houses and try to recruit young people to learn trades and not having any debt upon graduating is a plus.… Read more »
Given the facts and history laid out by Mr Vallas, is the CPS ‘fixable’? It sure looks like it is permanently broken, i.e. unfixable.
My parents made the hard choice to move twice, to get their kids a better education since private education was beyond my parents reach. I suggest families send their children to Parochial school, or move to an area with competent and functioning public schools.
I was no fan of Rauner, but if Hedge Fund Guy, with his supposed business acumen, couldn’t dent the political sludge of Illinois, then Pritzker, Trust Fund Boy, certainly can’t even begin to itemize what needs to be done to turn-around the disaster that Illinois has become. Of course Pritzker will cave to CTU, to government employee unions, to SJW agendas, because he has NO concerns other than obtaining trinket of governorship, bought and paid-for. Pritzker’s sole goal is to maintain media attention, gloat at his cousin Penny, and churlishly fail to administer any constructive legislation or policy-change to actually… Read more »
Oh boy, Streeterville. You captured so much in that. Perfectly said. Proud to have readers like you heree.
Thank you, Mark. You deserve a Good Citizen award for maintaining this blog. I’m so glad to find your site, and greatly miss Second City Cop blog-site. Chicago Contrarian’s recent article bleakly described future of Chicago; article is worth posting here for comments too. “Political correctness”, “SJW”-biased censorship of free speech and media coverage, and Chicago’s Machine politics-related long history of corruption and crony capitalism has doomed Chicago for next decade, at minimum, and perhaps forever. Many years ago, before Chicago Crains became “woke”, it did a long article comparing Chicago’s probable decline to Detroit actual decline. It’s a seminal… Read more »
After the financial and ethical corruption of both the Daley and Emmanuel administrations, coupled with the poorly run and corrupt State of Illinois, it was time for a take no prisoner, scorched earth, mayor who would kick some behinds, take on the entrenched power structure and right the ship With sound management policies and rooting out of corruption. Lightfoot is intelligent enough todo that job, and as a prosecutor, she should be able to do it. It seems she likes the limelight and wants to be liked. She doesn’t want to risk being a one termer. As a result, she’s… Read more »
Everyone thinks this is about Covid, even Vallas. Its really about immediate semi retirement for all teachers. Working from home is a freaking vacation for teachers as their Zoom classes are not all day like in person, they can relax and do a few sessions a day. And no commuting. And no accountability to the Kids, do your session, done, if the kids didn’t learn it tough. We’d be better off literally putting the kids in front of YouTube with a list of topics to look up.
One thing no one even considers for these unfortunate BIPOC students, is that their remote learning environment is sub-optimal. I have working-class relatives doing 100% remote learning so I’m a little familiar with the learning environment. They are’t BIPOC but they are poor and underclass like BIPOC. One Jr High aged relative remote learns in a suburban school district. She has a little table that she sets up on her parents bed and acts as a desk for the ipad. she props up pillows as a chair, and sits in her parents bed for 7 hours a day, ‘learning’. She… Read more »
Private schools are excellent examples of professionalism. This is greatly lacking in the public unions.
Chicago is now and always has been completely controlled by unions.
The union is the problem.
Isn’t the mayor an accomplice but she is being drug around by her nose by teachers unions
and all other public service unions?
I wonder how another city manager would have handled this.
Having voted for Paul Vallas. I owe an apology for that, because candidates who I vote for inexplicably almost never win.
The whole thing is pathetic. What does Lightfoot think she will gain from giving in to CTU? They hate her guts, they threw all their weight behind Preckwinkle in the mayoral race. They’re never going to support her. First she lets them soak the city with an unaffordable, bonkers CBA, and then they don’t even abide by it! And Lightfoot just takes it. Nuts.
I regret not voting for this man in the primaries (you have to reg as a dem in Chicago because there are no other parties running for most elections except democrats)
Thanks to Wirepoints from those who don’t use Facebook for reprinting this. Vallas’s analysis is outstanding, and summarizes what most of us have observed over the last few months of these school negotiations. The tragedy is that Chicago kids in the pubic schools will not recover from the consequences of these disastrous policies.
80% black and latino population of the schools I read and that means they are being trodden underfoot when worthless “at home” or “On Line” education is all they are given.
There was no pandemic.
This has been a common virus turned into an assault weapon on the American people.
Time to wake up the sheep and go get their schools back.
They paid for them and dearly.
Vallas for mayor!
Unfortunately he doesn’t check any of the pc boxes, he’s just an old white guy (just like me)
The teachers union will never allow that.
He’s as nuts as Goofioretti.