By: Mark Glennon*
She thought she was making the case for her choice to send a child to a private, Catholic high school. But Stacy Davis-Gates sure made the case for school choice as a policy. It’s in her response to the controversy she created, that she finally provided in her email letter to Chicago Teachers Union members, reproduced in full below, mostly repeated in an interview with WBEZ.
Keep in mind that Davis-Gates is not just president of the Chicago Teachers Union, but also vice president of the American Federation of Teachers and executive vice president of the Illinois Federation of Teachers.
Despite her virulent opposition to school choice, calling private schools “segregation academies,” her own choice of one of them came to light earlier this week, as we described here.
Among the excuses she has now provided are the following:
“We can all agree that options for Black students, their families and entire Black communities on this city’s South and West Sides are limited,” she says in her letter to members. “Nearly all lack the thriving extracurricular activities, sports programs, wraparound services or other ingredients that make for a high-quality neighborhood public school.”
Yes! And that’s despite spending an astronomical $28,000 per student in Chicago, as choice supporters have been saying.
“For my husband and me, it forced us to send our son, after years of attending a public school, to a private high school so he could live out his dream of being a soccer player while also having a curriculum that can meet his social and emotional needs, even as his two sisters remain in Chicago Public Schools,” she says in the letter.
How deaf can one be to that same dream others have? But many parents lack the resources she has, making over $220,000 last year from the CTU and IFT alone, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The entire point of school choice policy is to bring at least a little more equality of choice to the disadvantaged.
The letter also brims with charges of racism, as you’d expect. Read it, below.
*Mark Glennon is founder of Wirepoints.
September 7 letter from Stacy Davis-Gates to CTU members:
  
Dear Union Sibling, You may have seen the recent online attacks against my family and our union related to the school where my eldest child recently enrolled. This story was initiated by a disgruntled former CTU employee with a history of violent incidents who has stalked members of my family and made threats against other CTU members. He has now publicly doxed my teenage son online, posting his name, photo, school, sports team and more, violating my son’s privacy and threatening his safety and the safety of his schoolmates. Let’s be clear: this crosses a line. We have a deep culture of debate and democracy within our union, but targeting children, exposing them to harm, or collaborating with extremist, racist, or anti-worker forces is not “debate” and cannot be excused. Regrettably, whether you are an ardent supporter of building and investing in more high-quality neighborhood public schools or believe in “school choice,” we can all agree that options for Black students, their families and entire Black communities on this city’s South and West Sides are limited. That is precisely why CTU members have struck, organized, and worked hard to change our city. While our fights and continued advocacy have secured more school resources, the inequities remain alarming. Not only are our classrooms the victims of compounded racism and redlining from decades past, but they are also struggling to recover from waves of school closings and disinvestment under previous mayors. Public and charter high schools in our Black and Brown neighborhoods are living and breathing examples of inequality. Nearly all lack the thriving extracurricular |
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activities, sports programs, wraparound services or other ingredients that make for a high-quality neighborhood public school. One of the few bright spots in all of this is you, the educators who show up daily, making the best of this unjust situation by giving your all for your students while also organizing to undo the decades of systemic underinvestment in marginalized communities. You are the professionals who should be writing education policy. Yet, sadly that role has been left to millionaires, billionaires and those living outside our neighborhoods, city and state. These violent forces want to skip over the realities of racism and discrimination in educational institutions and propose a “choice” agenda that ignores this context. They want to ban books and diversity inclusion while ignoring the disproportionate suspensions, expulsions and criminalization of Black boys. Here is the truth: If you are a Black family living in a Black community, high-quality neighborhood schools have been the dream, not the reality. Unlike some white counterparts on the North Side or in the suburbs, we aren’t blessed with quality options blocks away from our home, neatly placed near a grocery store, doctor’s office or a safe public park. Our schools are usually stranded in food and healthcare deserts. Our critics want you to believe that “school choice” is a black-and-white issue that lacks nuance and hard choices for people like us, Black families–especially when you are parenting a Black boy in America. For my husband and me, it forced us to send our son, after years of attending a public school, to a private high school so he could live out his dream of being a soccer player while also having a curriculum that can meet his social and emotional needs, even as his two sisters remain in Chicago Public Schools. In Chicago, we have repeatedly witnessed the same school-choice operators who want to call me a hypocrite take action to shortchange students, engage in fraudulent practices and provide substandard services to Black and Brown families. Sadly, when we have stood up to fight for students in our communities—at district, charter or private schools—CTU educators, parents and students from the harmed |
communities are the only voices you hear while the right-wing, “school-choice” movement goes silent, which is a silence that speaks volumes.
Thank you for standing up for our schools and our union as well as for your personal support at this challenging time for my family. I appreciate being able to share these thoughts with my union family as we prepare for the challenges ahead.
The CTU has always fought and will continue fighting for the equitable resources that these school communities deserve. We will continue to oppose siphoning public school resources off to private institutions through voucher programs. And we will continue to fight against destructive and racist school closings that have left a trail of devastation in Black and Brown communities. We have helped show Chicago that a brighter future is possible, and we owe it to ourselves and to our city to do nothing less.
Yours in unity, Stacy Davis Gates
Chicago Teachers Union • 1901 W. Carroll Ave. • Chicago, IL 60612 • 312-329-9100
www.ctulocal1.org
With $162 billion more from taxpayers, couldn’t you deliver a few bond upgrades, too
Audio and summary 
A largely unasked question is becoming glaring: Is Illinois doing all it should to use artificial intelligence to make government cost less and work better? So far, the evidence says no.
Ms. Gates certainly insulted her own CPS teacher-union constituent members, when she claims “black communities lack access to quality public schools”.
Huh? What city does she live in?
I thought her Majesty governed a CTU union which enjoys CPS’s stand-out position as having near highest $/student annual budget expenditures, near highest teacher wage-scales and benefits, and nearly 100% CPS teachers garnering work-evaluation scores “excellent”.
Ms. Gates has some serious explaining to do.
In justifying her vote for BJ, a north side progressive soccer mom told me she feared Paul Vallas would gut the CPS system by allowing private and charter schools to proliferate. Rather, the union membership and leadership themselves are busy doing the very thing this misled, uninformed voter feared so much.
People like that should be the next armed robbery/carjack victims
Now why would you wish that on someone? Some modicum of respect, please.
Of course, all of the hypocracies already mentioned are spot on. However, this statement is what stood out for me, „Here is the truth: If you are a Black family living in a Black community, high-quality neighborhood schools have been the dream, not the reality.” Why? Why aren’t neighborhood schools in Black communities high-quality? I thought CPS schools were all staffed by your amaaaaazing, underappreciated, super-hardworking, intelligent, the best anywhere, rainbow-sh*tting CTU members. How can any school staffed by such titans be anything less than high quality? The answer of course will be that the schools are under-funded… aaaand there… Read more »
This person as the right to send her kids anywhere she wants to school. She needs to make her own decisions about her family, just as any one would. The challenge with this particular person is the job she has, the role she has, the visibility she has in the public space. Her method of communication in the form of preaching to the taxpaying public about how we should think, why private schools are bad for public schools, why school choice programs are bad for public schools and whos fault it is that schools are below expectations. I don’t believe… Read more »
Shuts yer yappers youze peasants and jus keep handings over youze tax moneys.
Wasting money on schools with low enrollment instead of closing them prevents CPS from offering programs at other schools. CTU, who wants to keep these low enrollment schools open and why?
Pretty stupid for the CEO of an organization to admit said organization sucks so bad that they themselves use an alternative. But, given who and what she is, no harm, no foul. No repercussions or changes will result. After all, what does one expect from a city that put CTUs mascot in the driver’s seat?
According to the link provided, S D-G was paid $149,916, including “allowances” and “official business,” during 2022. Where does the “over $220,000” come from?
Her second full-time job, that one as “executive VP”.
Double-speak is part of Marxism – Get used to that IL.
It’s OK for her to have school choice for her family but to deny it for others? There is no way for Gates to whitewash this – it is called being a hypocrite and elitist.
As I said for Brandon in another posting, she’s consistent, calling out any criticism, even one clearly indicated of a POC leader as racist.
I largely enjoy NPR + WBEZ but they routinely carry water for those who’ve been caught up in something, but align with their world view. It’s increasingly sad to see the lack of hard journalism in this city.
It’s just as disappointing when an outlet is critical of an individual, readers claim the outlet is “controlled” by the far right/left. It seems everyone has lost the ability to use nuance and critical thought.
You’re being rather kind. NPR openly admitted to suppressing the Hunter Biden laptop story before the election, along with the multiple scandals it pointed to. That’s just one of their many mortal sins.
I listened to NPR stations almost exclusively from the mid 70’s thru GW’s second election. Morning Edition and All Things Considered – one or the other or both – every day. Big Band Jump, Hearts of Space, Thistle and Shamrock, Piano Jazz, Dr. Science. Prairie Home Companion – used to really enjoy that show. NPR chased me away in the ’90’s. Once the internet got invented for news sources, NPR’s ‘news’ became far more insufferably biased than it was informative. Garrison told me I was a Nazi. Overnight music programing turned into the gloomy BBC. ‘National Public’ Radio. Right……and “you’re… Read more »
Absolutely spot on and also my experience starting in the early 1980’s. I even tolerated the biased news from that poster child of nepotism Cokie Roberts. But not since the early 2000’s. Trump proposed eliminating taxpayer support of NPR and I completely agree. National Propaganda Radio no longer deserves any taxpayer support. Once taxpayer support is eliminated Ill give more $ than I already give to WFMT for its fantastic musical programming but soyanara WBEZ.
With all do respect, I’ve never met one of these NPR ‘intellectuals’ who could find their own pie hole with both hands and a flashlight. They are ideologues and propagandists for Leftism.
NPR/WBEZ isn’t news or journalism. Its entertainment for upper-middle class liberals. There might be some news tidbits in there relating to current events, but it is not news or journalism.
Both stations cited are run about the same as the station on on the “Newsradio “ television show. At least the show is mildly entertaining.
Now we see why Stacy wants to shut down Urban prep charter school so desperately, it’s all about the children!
I wonder how many CTU members send their kids to private or suburban schools ?
39%. https://www.aei.org/carpe-diem/why-do-public-school-teachers-send-their-own-children-to-private-schools-at-a-rate-2x-the-national-average/#:~:text=Chicago%2520Public%2520School%2520Teachers%253A%252039,three%2520times%2520the%2520national%2520average
The Chicago stats that 39% of CTU teachers send their children to private schools needs a whole lot more publicity and public awareness when it comes to funding and school choice. Shout it loud!
A companion question might be, “How many CTU members actually have children of their own?” I can only speak for the high schools I was assigned to in the decade I spent as a teacher, but over half the faculties had no children of their own. They were all experts though in what was wrong with the upbringing of their students.
Another question, how many ctu members have their kids in neighborhood cps schools? Answer ZERO……As former cps middle-class parent (I’d like to think), your hyper aware of all the schools to AVOID, unfortunately those are mostly your neighborhood cps schools. You apply for all the FEW great selective enrolment cps schools and if your kid doesn’t get in you explore private schools or leave city….that’s pretty much the way it works. There’s a lot of low income b&b parents who have figured THE GAME out as well…a pathetic charade for all the taxes you pay
It’s ‘Racist’ To Call Out CTU President Stacy Davis Gates — For Being A Race Hustling Hypocrite — Who Calls Private Schools ‘Racist’ And ‘Fascist’ — And Then Sends Her Kid To Private School — But Wants YOUR KIDS Kept Locked In A Union Run Public School – Second City Cop; Stacy Davis Gates Tries To Defend Her Race-Baiting Hypocrisy – WBBM AM 780 News Radio Chicago
Smart of Davis-Gates to respond with a REALLY long letter full of well worn, which is to say thoroughly worn out, race-baiting blather and harrumphery.
Stick with what works for you…..
How much money per student does CPS spend? And what is the yearly tuition at DeLaSalle? So why are there so many desirable programs there that aren’t available at a CPS HS? In other words, the money is misspent and more money will not fix it. How many other CTU members send their children to private schools, especially for HS? I know my old Catholic HS this year has record enrollment.
The stats are $27,000 per year for a CPS student vs $15,000 at the Catholic high school. Thank you.
Stacy’s statement is so filled with contradictions and hypocrisy it speakes for itself. In any case, looks like even Miller/Capfax thinks she’s a joke: “This is basically an admission that the city’s public schools are not up to par. Gee, if only she was in a position to do something about that, or perhaps help others in similar situations to attend private schools who don’t have her personal financial resources. Just saying.Also, she was not asked in the interview about her previous statements like this one...“I’m also a mother,” Davis Gates said on March 6, 2022. “My children go to… Read more »
Right, if CPS sucks, why sign the contract? And if you do sign the contract, you are now 50% liable for the suckiness.
My favorite thing about her letter is her insistence that none of the selective enrollment or magnets met her son’s needs since they would have forced him to spend “hours traveling.” Kenwood Academy, which is first in its conference for soccer, is closer to her house than De La Salle. This woman is such a liar.
An amusing aside is that apparently Rich Miller attempted to contact Stacy numerous times and was blown off. So it looks like Stacy wanted a “friendlier” outlet like WBEZ and Sarah Karp to break her story. Sarah can be pretty even handed in CPS coverage, but this scenario brings to question this apparently chummy relationship between NPR and CTU.
Note that Sarah tried to characterize critics as “right wing.” Standard bullshit from the far left’s media.
Yep, this looks like one of those access issues where an education reporter can’t risk pissing off one of its main sources. Ironically, it’s similar to the Miller/Madigan dynamic.
The end product is a milquetoast article that kinda challenges the antagonist but puts the blame on conservative boogeymen.
Therein lies the rub: If the outlet that broke the story stated “Stacy’s kid goes to private school!” without proof, everyone would’ve either ignored it or made him prove it. So what’s a journalist to do? It’s not like CTU volunteered this information nor did it seem they were going to validate a disgruntled former employee’s claim. Hell, it took Stacy over a week to issue a statement. No one is after her kid. No one has made any disparaging comments about her kid. That she is now using him as a shield is pretty distasteful from a parental perspective.… Read more »
It’s hierarchy, not hypocrisy. She really doesn’t care, and only did the interview because she was told to do so.
The Chicago Media will give her a pass and only a handful will push. This will die a slow death because the propaganda machine just won’t report it. They report what they want to report. Chicagoans are fed a daily narrative which is highly edited, shaped, and twisted no different than a third world country. It’s so pathetic that you have to read alternative sources and sometimes even overseas sources. US media is not a free press and regularly shapes the narrative of what government wants it to publish.