Chicago Teachers Union President Stacey Davis Gates staunchly defended the union's teacher contract proposal at a press conference Monday, despite the challenges faced by Chicago Public Schools. Big economic headwinds are blowing That's because of unspent money from controversial pension payments covering non-teaching staff at CPS.
The $175 million in city pension payments, historically paid by City Hall, were transferred to CPS under former Mayor Lori Lightfoot. But during ongoing contract negotiations, Davis Gates shifted responsibility for paying CPS to the mayor, a former teacher and close ally.
Mayor Brandon Johnson was working at CTU when the teachers union criticized Lightfoot's move. Nevertheless, in the face of this year's tight city budget, Johnson asked CPS to take over pension payments.
“This is not the fifth floor of Chicago City Hall. That's not it,” Davis Gates said. “You're making very incorrect assumptions about the interconnectedness of these places.”
CPS is set to receive a record $311 million in surplus funding from tax-increase local funds this year. Johnson's budget passed In December.
TIF surplus is money collected into a special fund from increases in property values within a city district and allocated by city council members as needed.
The additional money likely won't cover both CTU's proposed teacher contract and $175 million in pension payments to the city. CTU's head of research, Pavlin Dyankov, said Monday that after all costs are taken into account, only about $140 million is available. After Monday's press conference, the union did not respond to inquiries about the total value of the proposal.
CPS did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the union's claims Monday.
Still, Yankov insisted that the TIF money would be enough “bridging financing” to move forward with the deal.
“With Pedro out of the way, the board is in a position to actually implement a budget that meets short-term contract requirements,” Yankov said, referring to CPS CEO Pedro. Martinez.
It's unclear how long CTU expects the “bridge” to cover the cost of the new four-year contract.
with johnson Martinez headbutts The mayor proposed a high-interest loan to pay for the pension, which Martinez and others argued would lead to financial ruin for the district. Mr. Martinez's refusal to take loans also contributed to his pending removal from the current seven-member board. moved to fire him In late December for no reason.
Davis-Gates stressed on Monday that pension payments and potential loans are not her responsibility. She said the amount of TIF funding they are currently working with, historically, would be able to push the deal across the finish line. The union has been negotiating a new contract since April.
“TIF was good for Rahm and Lori, so why wouldn't it be good for Brandon?” Davis Gates said. “Those two can continue to figure it out. We're trying to figure out a way to enter into a contract that is already reshaping the way public education is conducted in the city of Chicago. It is.”
In contract negotiations, the union and CPS are still resolving differences over what they call “non-economic issues,” including what constitutes a “school day” for teachers and students. At issue include teacher time planning and standardized testing, which union members say disproportionately affects black teachers in majority-black schools.
In a recent negotiation update, CTU members pointed to research showing that a teacher evaluation program tied to student performance, called REACH, could drive teachers away from the profession. The union said the contract proposal provides support for Black teachers, adding that this is an issue the CTU is currently addressing through its teacher mentorship program.
Cook County Commissioner Tara Stamps, the program's teacher administrator, said she was unfairly judged as a teacher under REACH.
“It didn't matter how many prom dresses or luncheon outfits I bought or how many kids I was around who lost a parent or sibling. It didn't matter who I was and what I brought to the classroom. It didn't matter,” Stamps said.
Mr Stamps said there was an urgent need to address the data by agreeing to the union's contract proposal.
“They're saying it's okay that our babies don't get what they deserve… They're saying in this moment that we recognize that this tool is being used inappropriately. By not doing it,” she said. “And we're ready to change that.”
