Last weekend, my downstate friends asked me, “What is going on with the Chicago Teachers Union?” I shrugged my shoulders.
After reading CTU President Stacy Davis Gates’ op-ed in the Tribune (“CPS students need a leader who won’t capitulate,” Aug. 26), I realized the problem. Gates does not understand her role as president of the CTU. She believes her most important job is to “create liberation and opportunity for every single student in CPS.” That is not even close.
Her first duty as an educator is to teach her students, at whatever level, the necessary skills required so that upon graduation, they meet nationwide standards in reading, writing and math. Currently, that is an abysmal statistic in Chicago.
Secondarily, as president of the CTU, her job is to enhance and protect the jobs of the teachers she represents. She should leave the responsibility of running the school district to CPS’ bloated bureaucracy.
Devoting energy to eradicating “racism, privatization, austerity and gender inequality,” although admirable, has absolutely nothing to do with what should be happening in the classrooms on a daily basis.
When CPS graduates meet acceptable nationwide standards in basic skills, then people will be more likely to listen and embrace social justice issues. Take care of the basics first.
— Cathleen Bylina, Chicago
Don’t lay blame on CPS’ CEO
As an alumnus of Chicago Public Schools and a now-retired former parochial and suburban public school teacher, I have a unique perspective and a steadfast understanding of the myriad of challenges educating children.
In response to Stacy Davis Gates’ op-ed, I am in total agreement that the Chicago Teachers Union president’s most important responsibility is to create opportunity for all students enrolled in CPS. But what exactly does that mean? Every student attending CPS should expect to receive the finest educational experience to thrive and prosper, whether enrolled in a magnet school or a local neighborhood school.
Sadly, labor strikes organized by CTU have adversely impacted CPS students. From 1967 to 1980 as a student, I experienced four teacher strikes with more than 30 days of lost instruction. Moreover, while I had many inspirational, dedicated CPS teachers, I also experienced too many apathetic, unmotivated teachers. When I started college, it became very apparent that students who either attended local suburban or parochial schools were far better prepared for the academic rigors and challenges of university life. It took me two full years to fully catch up academically and truly compete with other students on an even playing field.
Since 2012, CPS students have experienced two labor strikes by CTU and a walkout over COVID-19 safety measures. Simply stated: Students cannot grow academically and compete with their suburban counterparts if they are not in school.
During my teaching career, I mentored many former CPS students whose families had moved to the suburbs seeking a better educational experience. It truly saddened me to watch them struggle academically as their learning skills and knowledge foundation were woefully inadequate to succeed. As a result, I frequently reminded my students how fortunate they were attending my school district.
Furthermore, CPS spends close to $30,000 per student. My former school district spends $18,673 per student. More funding is not the issue.
I strongly urge Davis Gates to stop blaming CPS CEO Pedro Martinez. Rather, the CTU must unequivocally motivate its members to provide every CPS student an optimal learning experience. If Chicago wishes to thrive as a world-class city, the key is an exemplary public school system. Every Chicago kid deserves it.
— Lawrence E. Bonk, Roselle
Chief’s fiduciary responsibilities
Regarding Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates’ observations about Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez: I found myself flummoxed by her assertions regarding the responsibilities of a CEO. She’s right about the fiduciary role of a CEO, and it’s no different in the case of any other department head, or manager for that matter, employed in city government. She goes awry in her assertion that Martinez sat on his hands and is driving the district off a cliff with the most recent budget.
By refusing to borrow more money, at usurious rates no less, or performing some sort of creative accounting to “find” more funds for the system’s budget, Martinez has somehow failed to live up to his responsibility, according to Davis Gates. Other than raising property taxes beyond their already-stratospheric levels, where does she think Martinez can secure more funding?
The state and the federal government have their own fiscal houses to right, so no one should hold their breath waiting for one, or both, of them to come to the rescue. Meanwhile, the city persists in throwing good money after bad at underutilized schools. I suspect that if the city undertook a serious consolidation, much like the one the Chicago Archdiocese did with its churches, there would be more financial resources to draw upon. Perhaps it’s also time to reassess diverting tax dollars to charter schools, which I consider on a par with Medicare Advantage plans (i.e., a waste of tax dollars).
I’m a 70-year-old retiree who has lived in a house in the Irving Park neighborhood with my wife for the past 34 years. The burgeoning debts facing the city, in particular the underfunded pensions, are an existential threat to taxpayers like us. Our tax burden is unsustainable and will likely result in us leaving, particularly if the city’s management structure ignores its fiduciary responsibility to us.
— John Mark Stanley, Chicago
Tackling poverty, homelessness
In June, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to uphold an ordinance banning people from sleeping or camping in public spaces. Over the past few years, poverty has become increasingly visible in Chicago. A walk through downtown Chicago reveals many people living on our streets.
Poverty is often invisible, which is part of why homeless encampments in and around Chicago are so contentious. As a community, we need to be more proactive on poverty and homelessness. We must advocate for and implement comprehensive programs that address the root causes of poverty, offering real hope and solutions to those in need.
To those who argue that many unhoused people do not want help, I say it is not about a lack of desire for help but rather the accessibility and adequacy of the help being offered. Many unhoused people face significant barriers to accessing assistance, such as mental health issues, transportation or insufficient information about available help.
The real problem isn’t homelessness itself, but the absence of effective poverty programs that can break the cycle.
These folks are Chicagoans too and should be extended the same warmth and grace as anyone else.
— Anna Marie Kuell, Chicago
Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.
