CHICAGO — After news broke of CTU President Stacy Davis Gates transferring her son to a private school, institutions she previously referred to as “the choice of racists,” Davis Gates defended her position claiming disinvestment in schools in the South and West sides.
In the last 10 years, 6 of which Davis Gates has been in CTU leadership, the CPS budget has nearly doubled, from $5.3 billion to $9.4 billion. For context, that is nearly 20% of the size of the ENTIRE STATE’S budget of $50 billion dollars. Per WBEZ, that translates to $13,200 per each of 403,000 students in 2013, and today that number is $29,400 for each of 322,000 students.
If disinvestment is the problem, as Davis Gates claims, it has happened right under her nose in the last 6 years she has been in CTU leadership. Between 2019 and 2022 – while Davis Gates was in CTU Leadership – enrollment declined at a rapid clip, with a nearly 10% drop in enrolled students.
If the Union’s focus is, as their website says, “advancing and promoting quality public education, improving teaching and learning conditions, and protecting members’ rights,” then it is clear that Davis Gates has failed.
Maybe some of that $2,415,000 of member contributions transferred to their PAC for political donations should have gone to actually working for better schools.
