Stand for Children Illinois has launched a widescale multi-media campaign urging Springfield lawmakers to negotiate a compromise solution for an elected Chicago school board structure that puts students first and on which all sides agree.
The campaign includes a six-figure television buy in the Chicago and Springfield markets, as well as integrated digital, mail, and telephone programs. The campaign urges constituents to reach out to their state senators and representatives and tell them that, when it comes to reforming the Chicago School Board, putting our students first must be their first priority.
It’s time for Springfield to reform the Chicago School Board and politicians and interest groups are facing off with ideas that serve their interests.
Political appointments versus costly elections? A large board or a small board?
Here’s a suggestion: Find a compromise. Choose the best ideas from each side and create a system with diversity, a voice for parents and teachers, and accountability to taxpayers.
Call your legislator. Tell them to support a compromise and put kids over politics.
Would have to know what the specific compromises are that are being pushed by this advocacy group to “put students first” before I would call and urge my legislator to do anything. Historically, they focus more on funding. This is a feel good ad without any real substance.
Stand, funded by Ken Griffin, multiple members of the Crown family, other millionaires and billionaires knows that a fully elected school board will respond to community and family pressure more than the appointed board, controlled by the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club, and billionaire funded education ‘think tanks.’
Billionaires, millionaires, and Stand would not have the same level of control under an elected board, as they do now. This is why an elected board is so threatening.
Way too vague to have any real value. Knowing where the two sides stands/the competing proposals is inside baseball.
The thing is, the explicit message they really want to send to the legislators - “Only Support a Proposal That Allows the Mayor to Appoint a Majority of Board Members” - doesn’t exactly poll well.
If you thought the CTU had too much influence over CPS wait til you see what a fully elected school board chosen in small turnout elections will do.
They will no doubt represent the interests of special interest groups before the needs of parents, kids and taxpayers and continue to make demands that have nothing to do with schools
No clear idea to the compromise, no clear idea why there are issues, namely Lightfoot’s lacking, and what does a compromise look like that they advocate.
Burning $100 bills in a fireplace, while having lobbyists work the legislators might have been more efficient.
To the post at 11:08 am - all these worries about ’special interests’ controlling an elected school board: there’s a bit of fear-mongering occurring.
The Chicago city council and general assembly members in the city are not lock-step in line with any one interest, and these elected officials are sensitive to their communities’ concerns. Yes, charter school - funded candidates would win a few seats (as have some GA and city council electeds), and some with ties to teachers (as have some GA and city council electeds). But elected board members would have to listen, and attempt to represent, their constituents, just as city council and general assembly members do.
No one group would win ALL the board seats. That’s not happening now with the city council and legislative seats - it wouldn’t happen with board seats.
FWIW, Jonah Martin Edelman is the co founder and CEO of Stand for Children. His mother was the famed Marian Wright Edelman activist for Civil Rights and Children.
this isn’t meant to be a burn against Ashland Adam, but I’m a Chicago taxpayer & voter who has a child entering high school next year. Our family has ZERO interest in sending our kid to CPS, even the vaunted Selective Enrollment HS’s. Why? CTU.
There is no doubt that CTU will go on strike in the next 4 years. CTU has made no recommendations to help students who were affected by the pandemic and the loss of in-person instruction. There has been nothing that CTU has said or done to improve the educational outputs of CPS students, except say that “Black and Brown communities” are the most damaged, but nothing tangible to change things.
So many taxpayers in Chicago are tired of CTU and their terrible politics, of putting kids as an afterthought, of constant money grabs that never result in better schooling.
Having a non-elected board helps keep the CTU in check. As a Chicago voter and property taxpayer, I support that.
===So many taxpayers in Chicago …
Having a non-elected board helps keep the CTU in check===
If Chicagoans are that upset, then you should be all for an elected board.==
I’m not, mainly because CTU and SEIU can motivate their base to come out in an off-year election, with the typical low voter turnout, and dominate the school board. Funding and benefits would completely benefit CTU, and hurt property taxpayers by demanding annual pay hikes and pension hikes. CTU members are some of the highest paid teachers in America, but always wanting more.
@Rich — Why are you opposed to the way that it is currently constructed? Not a burn, by the way…
=== I’m not, mainly because CTU and SEIU can motivate their base to come out in an off-year election, with the typical low voter turnout, and dominate the school board.===
“If I can’t win with democracy, I don’t want democracy?”
If CTU is so unpopular, they should be easier to defeat, lower turnout notwithstanding.
Stand’s endorsed candidates tilt way blue. We fought Rauner in a big way on fair funding. Supported the Fair Tax and many other progressive policies. Our family engagement work is on the South Side of Chicago, only neighborhood schools. Griffin donated over a decade ago. Nothing with him for over 11 years. Check us out at stand.org/Illinois.
=== Please don’t put words in my mouth or intentionally misrepresent what I wrote. Thank you.===
You wrote…
=== I’m not, mainly because CTU and SEIU can motivate their base to come out in an off-year election, with the typical low voter turnout, and dominate the school board.===
I can’t help it you don’t like the reflection in the mirror…
“If I can’t win with democracy, I don’t want democracy?”
Stand is still funded by billionaires and millionaires, including those w family members sitting on the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago, the true power behind CPS and the Mayor’s office. Stand advocates for testing and ed policies which have resulted in the CPS schools we see today: librarians fired, SPED resources diminished, increased NWEA testing, and fewer options for parents to opt-out of that testing. Stand argues that the testing requirements are all about ‘equity.’ The Equity argument is reminiscent of Mayor Ram (and others) who say - “Don’t let a good crisis go to waste” We know which kids, schools and communities need support, we don’t have to test them 3 or 4 times per year, especially when that testing results in a loss of time for real teaching and learning.
Just a question - do you think they’re doing this much testing in the U of C Lab Schools - where Ram’s kids went? How about Francis Parker or the Latin Schools? Nope.
That Stand organizing going on in those S side communities - that’s classic Astroturfing.
True - Stand supported Ed funding and the Fair Tax. That was good. A broken clock is right twice a day.
What I don’t get is why someone doesn’t advocate for school board elections being moved to the same time as the generals. Save money and make sure the public weighs in as opposed to the inside baseball game that is played with the current structure.
- TinyDancer(FKASue) - Tuesday, May 4, 21 @ 3:18 pm:
=… we don’t have to test them 3 or 4 times per year, especially when that testing results in a loss of time for real teaching and learning.=
Yup. Nothing could be more boring or a bigger waste of time. Get the kids all excited about learning, and then sit them down for 3 days of coloring in little circles. With reading passages that are nowhere near grade level.
The only one who benefits from all the testing is Pearson.
=== There is no doubt that CTU will go on strike in the next 4 years.===
Please share the lottery winning numbers too.
=== So many taxpayers in Chicago are tired of CTU and their terrible politics, of putting kids as an afterthought, of constant money grabs that never result in better schooling.===
… and yet you think you can’t beat them in an election, so no elected school board.
Your argument is you can’t beat them in a fair election, I don’t like them, so no election.
You think only “landowners” can vote, I’m hoping you think women have the right to vote, or own land for that matter, and CTU members make *so much* money… they can’t own a home with all that dough.
You’re about 3 ad-libs short of a comedy routine, so it’s whip lash based on anger towards a teachers Union.
Solid D. If the ad was about proposals over Daylight Saving Time or not, they would argue that adjusting the time by 39 minutes would be good because it’s compromise.
The Ad leaves me with no idea of who this group is or what they wants. Totally empty of meaningful content. I received a flyer in the mail today which was just as ambiguous. Complete waste of money.
- Socially DIstant Watcher - Tuesday, May 4, 21 @ 10:18 am:
TV stations will be happy for the revenue, but beyond that? It’s so vague, legislators can vote for anything and say they agree with this ad.
- Fav Human - Tuesday, May 4, 21 @ 10:29 am:
impact?
Of course not. The stakes are way too high.
- Fav Human - Tuesday, May 4, 21 @ 10:29 am:
It’s a good ad, short, to the point. But they are trying to climb a pretty steep hill.
- JoanP - Tuesday, May 4, 21 @ 10:34 am:
The problem with the ad is that it doesn’t tell me what they want. “Putting kids first” means different things to different people.
- Just a thought - Tuesday, May 4, 21 @ 10:44 am:
The average citizen has no idea what this ad is talking about. We all want to put kids first, but what is the issue? Seems like a waste of money.
- Responsa - Tuesday, May 4, 21 @ 10:47 am:
Would have to know what the specific compromises are that are being pushed by this advocacy group to “put students first” before I would call and urge my legislator to do anything. Historically, they focus more on funding. This is a feel good ad without any real substance.
- Ashland Adam - Tuesday, May 4, 21 @ 10:49 am:
Stand, funded by Ken Griffin, multiple members of the Crown family, other millionaires and billionaires knows that a fully elected school board will respond to community and family pressure more than the appointed board, controlled by the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club, and billionaire funded education ‘think tanks.’
Compare the membership of the Civic Committee’s board: https://civiccommittee.org/membership-directory/
With Stand for Children’s funders:
https://illinoissunshine.org/committees/22913/
The status quo in CPS and public education results from decades of ‘reforms,’ like 1. privatized charter schools, https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/4/12/18426326/costs-pile-up-at-cps-funded-charter-network-over-ceo-who-acted-inappropriately - 2. CPS defaulting on Chicago teacher pensions (100% funded in 1995 - 50% funded now - thank you Paul Vallas, Arne Duncan, Rich Daley, Pate Philip, Jim Edgar, Lee Daniels); 3. closing schools https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2018/05/24/chicago-promised-that-closing-nearly-50-schools-would-help-kids-in-2013-a-new-report-says-it-didnt/, 4. testing testing testing.
Billionaires, millionaires, and Stand would not have the same level of control under an elected board, as they do now. This is why an elected board is so threatening.
- Montrose - Tuesday, May 4, 21 @ 11:00 am:
Way too vague to have any real value. Knowing where the two sides stands/the competing proposals is inside baseball.
The thing is, the explicit message they really want to send to the legislators - “Only Support a Proposal That Allows the Mayor to Appoint a Majority of Board Members” - doesn’t exactly poll well.
- Lucky Pierre - Tuesday, May 4, 21 @ 11:08 am:
If you thought the CTU had too much influence over CPS wait til you see what a fully elected school board chosen in small turnout elections will do.
They will no doubt represent the interests of special interest groups before the needs of parents, kids and taxpayers and continue to make demands that have nothing to do with schools
- dbk - Tuesday, May 4, 21 @ 11:10 am:
I don’t think the proposal “compromise” will appeal much to IL voters. Most people won’t know what’s involved in said compromise anyway.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, May 4, 21 @ 11:12 am:
It’s barely a “C-“
No clear idea to the compromise, no clear idea why there are issues, namely Lightfoot’s lacking, and what does a compromise look like that they advocate.
Burning $100 bills in a fireplace, while having lobbyists work the legislators might have been more efficient.
It made some feel good, so there’s that.
- Ashland Adam - Tuesday, May 4, 21 @ 11:31 am:
To the post at 11:08 am - all these worries about ’special interests’ controlling an elected school board: there’s a bit of fear-mongering occurring.
The Chicago city council and general assembly members in the city are not lock-step in line with any one interest, and these elected officials are sensitive to their communities’ concerns. Yes, charter school - funded candidates would win a few seats (as have some GA and city council electeds), and some with ties to teachers (as have some GA and city council electeds). But elected board members would have to listen, and attempt to represent, their constituents, just as city council and general assembly members do.
No one group would win ALL the board seats. That’s not happening now with the city council and legislative seats - it wouldn’t happen with board seats.
- cover - Tuesday, May 4, 21 @ 11:33 am:
= Burning $100 bills in a fireplace =
So now Stand for Children is muscling in on Dan Proft’s racket?
- Ashland Adam - Tuesday, May 4, 21 @ 12:02 pm:
In response to ‘Cover’ at 11:33
Actually - its interesting you should bring up the Dan Proft and Stand for Children connection.
You know they have Bruce Ruaner in common, right?
Yes, Bruce Rauner recruited Stand for Children to come and get involved in Illinois.
https://www.illinoistimes.com/springfield/how-stand-for-children-snuck-into-the-statehouse/Content?oid=11439085
- Ashland Adam - Tuesday, May 4, 21 @ 12:05 pm:
Pardon my spelling mistake above.
Bruce Rauner, nor ‘Ruaner.’
And to be clear - its Stand for Children and Dan Proft who have Rauner in common.
- A Guy - Tuesday, May 4, 21 @ 12:05 pm:
It sounds like a “call.. to no action.”
- Responsa - Tuesday, May 4, 21 @ 12:21 pm:
FWIW, Jonah Martin Edelman is the co founder and CEO of Stand for Children. His mother was the famed Marian Wright Edelman activist for Civil Rights and Children.
- ChicagoVoter - Tuesday, May 4, 21 @ 12:25 pm:
this isn’t meant to be a burn against Ashland Adam, but I’m a Chicago taxpayer & voter who has a child entering high school next year. Our family has ZERO interest in sending our kid to CPS, even the vaunted Selective Enrollment HS’s. Why? CTU.
There is no doubt that CTU will go on strike in the next 4 years. CTU has made no recommendations to help students who were affected by the pandemic and the loss of in-person instruction. There has been nothing that CTU has said or done to improve the educational outputs of CPS students, except say that “Black and Brown communities” are the most damaged, but nothing tangible to change things.
So many taxpayers in Chicago are tired of CTU and their terrible politics, of putting kids as an afterthought, of constant money grabs that never result in better schooling.
Having a non-elected board helps keep the CTU in check. As a Chicago voter and property taxpayer, I support that.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, May 4, 21 @ 12:35 pm:
What Ashland Adam said.
But I worry about dark money special interest groups infiltrating the election process by posing as “community members.”
How do you stop that?
- TinyDancer(FKASue) - Tuesday, May 4, 21 @ 12:36 pm:
Sorry. Anonymous was me.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, May 4, 21 @ 12:41 pm:
===So many taxpayers in Chicago …
Having a non-elected board helps keep the CTU in check===
If Chicagoans are that upset, then you should be all for an elected board.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, May 4, 21 @ 12:44 pm:
If CTU is as unpopular as folks portray… how will they ever win a single seat on an elected school board?
Fearing democracy under the guise of “better representation” is nothing more than being afraid to be seen on the wrong side of popularity.
Candidate Lightfoot understood that… Mayor Lightfoot is against democracy?
- ChicagoVoter - Tuesday, May 4, 21 @ 1:06 pm:
===So many taxpayers in Chicago …
Having a non-elected board helps keep the CTU in check===
If Chicagoans are that upset, then you should be all for an elected board.==
I’m not, mainly because CTU and SEIU can motivate their base to come out in an off-year election, with the typical low voter turnout, and dominate the school board. Funding and benefits would completely benefit CTU, and hurt property taxpayers by demanding annual pay hikes and pension hikes. CTU members are some of the highest paid teachers in America, but always wanting more.
@Rich — Why are you opposed to the way that it is currently constructed? Not a burn, by the way…
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, May 4, 21 @ 1:09 pm:
=== I’m not, mainly because CTU and SEIU can motivate their base to come out in an off-year election, with the typical low voter turnout, and dominate the school board.===
“If I can’t win with democracy, I don’t want democracy?”
If CTU is so unpopular, they should be easier to defeat, lower turnout notwithstanding.
=== taxpayers===
Teachers are taxpayers too. You know that, right?
- Stand Scott - Tuesday, May 4, 21 @ 1:14 pm:
Stand’s endorsed candidates tilt way blue. We fought Rauner in a big way on fair funding. Supported the Fair Tax and many other progressive policies. Our family engagement work is on the South Side of Chicago, only neighborhood schools. Griffin donated over a decade ago. Nothing with him for over 11 years. Check us out at stand.org/Illinois.
- ChicagoVoter - Tuesday, May 4, 21 @ 1:16 pm:
@Willy
1. Are they all property taxpayers?
2. Please don’t put words in my mouth or intentionally misrepresent what I wrote. Thank you.
- SaulGoodman - Tuesday, May 4, 21 @ 1:38 pm:
This argument is something…
I’m against an elected school board because CTU is really unpopular and Chicagoans don’t like them and we can’t beat them in an election.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, May 4, 21 @ 2:27 pm:
===Are they all property taxpayers===
Allowing only property owners to vote went out of fashion a long time ago, bub.
Also, renters pay property taxes.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, May 4, 21 @ 2:35 pm:
=== Are they all property taxpayers?===
The 1790s called… they wondered where you at?
=== Please don’t put words in my mouth or intentionally misrepresent what I wrote. Thank you.===
You wrote…
=== I’m not, mainly because CTU and SEIU can motivate their base to come out in an off-year election, with the typical low voter turnout, and dominate the school board.===
I can’t help it you don’t like the reflection in the mirror…
“If I can’t win with democracy, I don’t want democracy?”
It’s what you are saying.
- Ashland Adam - Tuesday, May 4, 21 @ 2:38 pm:
Stand is still funded by billionaires and millionaires, including those w family members sitting on the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago, the true power behind CPS and the Mayor’s office. Stand advocates for testing and ed policies which have resulted in the CPS schools we see today: librarians fired, SPED resources diminished, increased NWEA testing, and fewer options for parents to opt-out of that testing. Stand argues that the testing requirements are all about ‘equity.’ The Equity argument is reminiscent of Mayor Ram (and others) who say - “Don’t let a good crisis go to waste” We know which kids, schools and communities need support, we don’t have to test them 3 or 4 times per year, especially when that testing results in a loss of time for real teaching and learning.
Just a question - do you think they’re doing this much testing in the U of C Lab Schools - where Ram’s kids went? How about Francis Parker or the Latin Schools? Nope.
That Stand organizing going on in those S side communities - that’s classic Astroturfing.
True - Stand supported Ed funding and the Fair Tax. That was good. A broken clock is right twice a day.
- @misterjayem - Tuesday, May 4, 21 @ 2:40 pm:
“Please don’t put words in my mouth or intentionally misrepresent what I wrote.”
You said you’re against elections because the extremely unpopular CTU would win them.
That intellectual incoherence is all on you, buddy.
– MrJM
- Ed Equity - Tuesday, May 4, 21 @ 3:16 pm:
Between and Illinois Network of Charter Schools request to sign people up for school board candidate training, it would appear this is a done deal; https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScWsogPvqKWeaSBcb8EQYwI4k6wPcrmOLTbH_fgpnVd2E_sgQ/viewform
What I don’t get is why someone doesn’t advocate for school board elections being moved to the same time as the generals. Save money and make sure the public weighs in as opposed to the inside baseball game that is played with the current structure.
- TinyDancer(FKASue) - Tuesday, May 4, 21 @ 3:18 pm:
=… we don’t have to test them 3 or 4 times per year, especially when that testing results in a loss of time for real teaching and learning.=
Yup. Nothing could be more boring or a bigger waste of time. Get the kids all excited about learning, and then sit them down for 3 days of coloring in little circles. With reading passages that are nowhere near grade level.
The only one who benefits from all the testing is Pearson.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, May 4, 21 @ 3:20 pm:
=== There is no doubt that CTU will go on strike in the next 4 years.===
Please share the lottery winning numbers too.
=== So many taxpayers in Chicago are tired of CTU and their terrible politics, of putting kids as an afterthought, of constant money grabs that never result in better schooling.===
… and yet you think you can’t beat them in an election, so no elected school board.
Your argument is you can’t beat them in a fair election, I don’t like them, so no election.
You think only “landowners” can vote, I’m hoping you think women have the right to vote, or own land for that matter, and CTU members make *so much* money… they can’t own a home with all that dough.
You’re about 3 ad-libs short of a comedy routine, so it’s whip lash based on anger towards a teachers Union.
- Right Field - Tuesday, May 4, 21 @ 3:54 pm:
Solid D. If the ad was about proposals over Daylight Saving Time or not, they would argue that adjusting the time by 39 minutes would be good because it’s compromise.
- Windy City - Wednesday, May 5, 21 @ 8:19 am:
Politicians do not ever “put kids first” in Chicago. Period.
- Milosz K. - Tuesday, May 11, 21 @ 2:21 pm:
The Ad leaves me with no idea of who this group is or what they wants. Totally empty of meaningful content. I received a flyer in the mail today which was just as ambiguous. Complete waste of money.