* Background is here. From a press release…
What: Chicago Republican Party Chairman and Chicago Public Schools parent Chris Cleveland to file ethics complaint against CPS CEO Forrest Claypool for using taxpayer funds for political letter
When: 1:00pm, Monday, February 08, 2017
Where: Office of Inspector General for the Chicago Board of Education, 567 W. Lake St., Chicago, IL 60661
Note: Chris Cleveland will be available for questions following the filing of the complaint
Copy of the ethics complaint letter:
Mr. Schuler:
Earlier this week, Chicago Public Schools CEO Forrest Claypool used taxpayer resources to send a blatantly political letter home with students.
The letter was sharply criticized by parents as “inappropriate” and rebuked by the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform as “invoking partisan politics.”
Using public time and resources on such a letter should always be considered a misuse of taxpayer funds, but it is made even more egregious in light of CPS’s self-declared financial crisis.
Via this letter, I am formally filing an ethics complaint against Mr. Claypool and ask that you investigate Mr. Claypool’s latest actions as part of your on going review of Mr. Claypool’s questionable stewardship of Chicago Public Schools.
Coming on the heels of the school district blocking an investigation into a $250,000 legal contract with Mr. Claypool’s former law firm and interfering in another investigation of major theft and “criminal conspiracy” by a CPS’ employee, Mr. Claypool’s latest misuse of taxpayer dollars appears to be part of an alarming personal habit of disregard for and abuse of the public’s trust.
Former CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett serves as a cautionary tale of what happens when high-ranking CPS officials thinks the rules don’t apply to them.
I ask that you look into Mr. Claypool’s pattern of unethical behavior to help guard against CPS finding itself with the same fate under Mr. Claypool as it had under Ms. Byrd-Bennett.
- The Captain - Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 11:51 am:
When filing a complaint it’s best to specify which law or rule was broken.
For example, let’s say you installed a sign without a necessary permit, you could say “this sign was installed without a permit, as required by law”. See, it’s easy.
- stlboy - Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 11:54 am:
The date’s wrong, in case anyone wants to go.
- Responsa - Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 11:56 am:
I have been watching reaction to this letter in many places since last night. I do not think this Claypool letter was smart or wise.
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 11:58 am:
I will just assume that he filed a similar complaint against Beth Purvis for her multiple violations as well.
- Gooner - Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 11:59 am:
If it makes him feel better, most parents ignored the letter. Unless the communication is a letter about permission for a field trip, I almost never bother.
In all seriousness, most CPS teachers will e-mail parents if there is an issue in the classroom, whether the progress is good or bad. For instance, when my wife travels on business, I always e-mail the teachers to let them know my kids might not be themselves. We also get e-mails from teachers letting us know if one of the kids did particularly well in something or needs improvement.
If an issue is school-wide, the principal will e-mail parents.
Form letter from CPS admin? No, I’m not going to read it. If something is important, we will hear it from the teacher.
So rest assured, Mr. GOP, that the letter likely had no impact at all.
- Delimma - Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 12:03 pm:
So, is it a violation to send blatantly political emails using state resources?
- DuPage - Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 12:10 pm:
I recall Rauner using State of Illinois media to push his Turnaround Agenda and blame problems on the Democrats. This seems to be something similar.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 12:13 pm:
–I will just assume that he filed a similar complaint against Beth Purvis for her multiple violations as well.–
That’s why the letter is a swing and a miss.
The outrage should be over using the kids to deliver the political propaganda.
I mean, couldn’t a Chicago Republican even fake a little concern over the kids being used?
And the Byrd-Bennet reference is so forced as to be juvenile. You’re equating fraud and kickbacks with a partisan political letter?
Makes him look silly.
- Pyrman - Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 12:30 pm:
The Governor and CMS’s Terranova use state resources all the time to send out letters that are political
- MSIX - Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 12:34 pm:
=So, is it a violation to send blatantly political emails using state resources?=
According to the mandatory ethics training I have to take every year, it is.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 12:37 pm:
From the strong odor of burning hair coming out of troncistan, I thought I was having a stroke for a minute. Turns out it was just Katrina doing her usual.
Hard to believe that Claypool was once the tronclodytes Great White Hope to run Cook County. Rauner’s, too.
- Just Observing - Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 12:42 pm:
I think Claypool’s letter was wildly inappropriate, but don’t think it quite rises to using public resources for political purposes.
- Not It - Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 1:06 pm:
Heh heh, I already forgot about BBB. Good one.
- Winnin' - Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 1:16 pm:
CPS did not mention a political party or political preference. Where is the breach of ethics?
We are in a new era, friends. An era where the President of the US tweets about his own personal interests and his family’s. Heck, he blasted Nordstrum’s today for dropping his daughter’s fashion line. He tweets about “so-called judges.”
None of us should be surprised these days, since the new era of direct communications begins right at the top of the GOP.
We should be outraged by a CPS letter to parents that is based on fact? We should be outraged? LOL.
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 1:26 pm:
=The outrage should be over using the kids to deliver the political propaganda.=
Spot on. What Claypool did was loathsome and stupid.
Professional educators (which he is not) should no better than use kids to address adult issues.
If it were my call, he would be gone for bringing kids into it.
That said, hard to take Mr. GOP seriously given the partisan messages sent by some of the education superstars.
- the Cardinal - Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 1:26 pm:
Slippery slope time, where does it end ???
- old pol - Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 1:41 pm:
Rahm has Claypool play bad cop so Rahm can look “chill”.
- Generic Drone - Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 2:19 pm:
Ah hahaha…a GOPer filing an ethics complaint! Ah hahaha…. whew, thanks I needed that.
- TinyDancer(FKASue) - Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 5:05 pm:
Yes! Let’s weaponize our justice system to conduct political vendettas.
Lock him up! Lock him up!
What could go wrong?
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 5:09 pm:
Beth Purvis wrote an “open letter” in response to Claypool’s epistle. I am unaware of her paying for it to be printed or duplicated for thousands of school children to carry home to their parents. Nor did her letter require large expenditures at taxpayer expense
- softail - Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 10:01 pm:
Ethics violation, huh. What about J.T. and the Gov. using state resources to play the fear game against their employees.