Pick a lane
Friday, Jun 4, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From comments on a post about the elected Chicago school board bill yesterday…
It’s fascinating to me that folks (like editorial writers) who regularly complain about the speaker and senate president having too much power over their chambers now want them to exercise that power to stop something a super-majority of their members are in favor of.
* Tribune editorial board on the elected school board bill…
The Illinois House must still approve the bill, and Gov. J.B. Pritzker would have to sign it before it becomes law. It could be a moment for the new House speaker, Emanuel “Chris” Welch, to step up and say no, he won’t call the bill for now, even though it’s an issue he supports.
It could be a moment for Pritzker to say no, he won’t sign it as is, even though it’s an issue he supports.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot doesn’t want it; it would be bad for taxpayers and students; and the reasons it flew through the Senate were heavily political — jabs at Lightfoot from Martwick, with whom she has battled, and Senate President Don Harmon, with whom she has a strained relationship. Throw kids under the bus to assert your own power? You bet, they said.
Welch and Pritzker should put a brick on it. Don’t call the House back to Springfield.
- Common Sense - Friday, Jun 4, 21 @ 6:37 am:
Tribune has consistently called an elected school board bad for students because they assume the public will vote in CTU friendly members. Or in other words, we can’t trust Chicagoans to vote for their own best interests. Is that thought more condescending or maybe just good old fashioned racism given the demographics of the city.
- lake county democrat - Friday, Jun 4, 21 @ 6:45 am:
The Trib should have used a similar dodge as the gerrymanderers (oh, believe us, we really do want more democracy, but we won’t “unilaterally disarm” - so long as the leadership puts the kibosh on all sorts of things polls show the voters want and their members publicly claim they support, they should use that power here).
The key though is Pritzker. There is no hypocrisy in supporting an elected school board and not supporting a version that is three times as large as sprawling L.A.’s and has the power to stick the city with who knows how much pension debt.
- Pundent - Friday, Jun 4, 21 @ 7:41 am:
The argument from the editorial board is that democracy is a dangerous thing. And we have to do whatever we can, even if we disagree, to keep groups such as the CTU from engaging in democracy. Because the most pressing threat to our children is democracy so says the Tribune.
- Frank talks - Friday, Jun 4, 21 @ 7:42 am:
It’s almost like a really bad joke- don’t call the bill even though you support it and have advocated for it, don’t sign it even though you support?
The amount of flips that the Trib is going through, now that Madigan is gone, must be staggering. Kass built a whole brand on Madigan and Daley. Rahm gave him an interesting foil as well. But JB, Welch and Harmon just aren’t as fun.
- Eneg - Friday, Jun 4, 21 @ 8:01 am:
* Or in other words, we can’t trust Chicagoans to vote for their own best interests.*
It’s not very nice being accused of that, is it?
- Perrid - Friday, Jun 4, 21 @ 8:19 am:
People are pro democracy until they’re in the minority. I understand the theory that taking control away from the Mayor may mean CPS makes decisions that cost money. I DON’T understand the argument that people shouldn’t elect the people in charge of the schools because they might make decisions that cost money. If you want a school board that will close schools, negotiate a contract that docks teacher benefits, etc., if you want to save money at the expense of children’s education, or, to be fair, if you think you can do the same job for less money, then make that argument to the public. Don’t depend on the Mayor to take executive action, against the will of the people, to give you what you want.
- Willowglen - Friday, Jun 4, 21 @ 9:13 am:
The rest of the State has elected boards; no principled reason Chicago cannot have the same.
In the near future, do I think this will improve the quality of CPS? Not at all. The school population has been precipitously declining, and very likely continue to do so. The system also has a massive underutilization problem, with many schools operating with so few students that it makes no sense to keep them open. An elected school board would likely prevent closings, but such is democracy. On the practical side, Lightfoot will never work with the CTU, and it makes sense for her to disengage (including financially) from the system to the extent possible. Any future mayor not having the CTU endorsement would benefit as well.
- Levois J - Friday, Jun 4, 21 @ 9:13 am:
Seems like a mess and democracy can be a mess. It seems if they don’t like the idea of an elected school board why didn’t anyone else have their own proposals. Especially those with the political heft to push it through since unfortunately the Mayor ran on an elected schoolboard has very little.
- Montrose - Friday, Jun 4, 21 @ 9:56 am:
“the reasons it flew through the Senate were heavily political”
They write that as though this issue hasn’t been on the table for years and hasn’t been debated for multiple months this session. Just because you don’t like the result doesn’t mean the process was rushed.
- Chicagonk - Friday, Jun 4, 21 @ 10:00 am:
Lori should have gotten in front of this and proposed something reasonable when she supported it as a candidate. That being said, the bill that was passed is a mess. 21 people on the board is way too many. LA Unified has 7. People aren’t going to want to run to be part of a 21 person body. You are going to get bottom barrel candidates and then a slate supported by the teacher’s union.
- walker - Friday, Jun 4, 21 @ 10:37 am:
Only hesitation in the House, I think, will be that the bill isn’t quick enough to a fully elected board.
Oh, and the Trrib editorial board being against something usually helps it pass.
- Pundent - Friday, Jun 4, 21 @ 11:58 am:
=“the reasons it flew through the Senate were heavily political”=
It’s also heavily popular. In fact it might be so popular that it could get you elected mayor if you ran on it.