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Color me highly doubtful
Friday, Jul 31, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Last night…
* News coverage roundup from Isabel… * Chalkbeat Chicago | Seeking to reverse layoffs, Chicago school board approves budget, assuming more state money will come: Bucking warnings from Chicago Public Schools CEO Macquline King, the school board amended and narrowly passed a roughly $10 billion budget proposal Thursday that assumes the district will receive $150 million more in state funding than projected. Eleven board members voted to reverse hundreds of school-based staff layoffs included in King’s proposal, heeding the demands of the Chicago Teachers Union and the principals union. * WBEZ | Chicago School Board approves budget that reverses layoffs, but counts on shaky state funds: Emila Zoko, the district’s acting chief budget officer, issued stark warnings in her presentation to the board about the consequences of approving a budget that includes more money from the state than has yet to be appropriated. She said the budget would not be seen as balanced, which is required under state law, and could result in a credit downgrade. That could, in turn, make it more expensive for the district to borrow money and pay off debt. And if state lawmakers don’t come through soon, the school district would have to cut spending midyear. * Tribune | After divisive debate, Chicago school board passed $9.96 billion budget banking on uncertain state funding: CPS CEO Macquline King warned the budget amendment may leave the district vulnerable to midyear school cuts if the money doesn’t come through. Lenders will also “not look favorably” at unconfirmed revenue, which could lead to credit downgrades and higher borrowing costs, officials said. “We need to learn from our mistakes instead of repeating them,” King said. * NBC Chicago | Chicago School Board approves amended budget that relies on more state funding: Board members debated the amendment proposal for hours after Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch told CTU members that he would fight for the additional funding in November’s fall veto session. “I strongly support in the veto session committing to a supplemental funding bill,” Welch said. Welch is trying to shore up his own political base and facing calls to resign his speakership because some members question how he’s handled sexual harassment allegations against disgraced former state Rep. Harry Benton. * WGN | Chicago Board of Ed votes to pass amended $10 billion CPS budget: “If we are not including the state in this conversation, then we are fooling ourselves and we are robbing our kids of opportunities,” Board Member Michilla Blaise said. Many of those who supported the amended budget proposal that passed on Thursday have demanded a special session in Springfield, where the district’s woes could be ironed out while pressing state lawmakers to fully fund the district. “The only way this works is if Springfield figures out how to meet the state law and fund Chicago Public Schools by 20% more,” Chicago Teachers’ Union President Stacy Davis Gates said on Thursday. * Chicago Teachers Union | What Today’s Vote REALLY Means: For the First Time Ever, CPS is Budgeting for A Piece of What Springfield Owes: As incredible as it is to see people on the board standing up for children outnumber individuals who are there to cut, the reality is that anything done today is magical thinking until Gov. Pritzker joins the team. Gov. Pritzker has been in office for eight years and owes the state’s students $6.4 billion dollars from pre-K to PhD. CPS is owed $2 billion by Springfield’s own formulas. Today, the board voted today to assume the legally required funding from the Illinois General Assembly. * Press release | Statement from the Civic Federation on Chicago Public Schools’ Budget: “We strongly support the CEO’s objection to this amendment and commend her commitment to presenting a budget grounded in realistic financial assumptions. “By adopting a budget that relies on uncertain State revenue, the Board has increased the District’s financial risk. If these funds do not materialize, CPS will likely need to enact mid-year cuts and layoffs and further delay the long-term reforms needed to restore the District’s financial stability. Ultimately, it is Chicago’s students and their families who bear the immediate consequences of today’s decision.”
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- Steve - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 8:21 am:
Hope springs eternal!
- Oklahoma - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 8:49 am:
I will say again. For an organization that prides itself on its organizing ability, the CTU seems awfully scared of doing the actual work of organizing to get enough legislators on board.
The playbook is obvious, go after the Governor in the hopes that he is so embarrassed by attacks from the teachers union that he is compelled to act. But that pressure has to come with credibility to work, and right now it’s just not credible. There is no schools doomsday. It is a crisis of their own making.
So all they do is sabotage JB, and who steps in as the Dem standard bearer nationally? None other than CTU favorite Rahm Emanuel.
Not saying they shouldn’t fight for what they believe in. I am saying stop being lazy and put in the work.
- Demoralized - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 8:51 am:
==go after the Governor in the hopes that he is so embarrassed by attacks from the teachers union that he is compelled to act.==
He’s already shown multiple times that he isn’t going to be bullied by SDG and the CTU.
I’m going to start doing my monthly budgets by assuming more salary from my job and see how that works out for me.
- btowntruth from forgottonia - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 9:02 am:
I want the rights to the popcorn and soda concessions for this show.
- Just Me 2 - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 9:02 am:
I am so sick and tired for CTU constantly screaming from the rooftops that the “children” are being treated poorly. This is an organization that is perfectly happy with schools being half empty. Cry me a river. Their act is really getting old.
- Simon - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 9:11 am:
CTU, like most practitioners of “movement” politics, need a bad guy to rail against. It always used to be whomever the Mayor was. Ever since Brandon Johnson took over City Hall, they’ve been trying to make Pritzker the bogeyman. It hasn’t worked yet and won’t work again later this fall.
- Demoralized - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 9:27 am:
How many times and how many different ways does the Governor have to tell you no.
- Candy Dogood - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 9:39 am:
I am not certain that the lawmakers of Illinois are really ready to start having a conversation about our consistent revenue shortfalls when adjusting our historic budget amounts for inflation.
The State, much like my own household, is spending less these days than we were several years ago when you adjust for inflation. The “fiscal conservatives” like to claim that we have a “spending problem” which really dominates the conversation because what we have is a revenue problem. The number goes up, but when you adjust for inflation we’re spending less and the impacts are pretty significant — especially when it comes to education.
The funding demands coming from the CTU aren’t actually unreasonable, but we don’t spend a whole lot of time talking about what the actual problem is and why it is easy for folks to pretend like they are unreasonable.
No one wants to run on tax reform to stabilize our chronic revenue shortfalls, though. To some extent our government is run by elected officials that are content to make everything the next office holder’s problem.
Now, excuse me while I pass a law that allows me to claim that we are fully funding the pensions while making zero payments to it.
- City Zen - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 9:39 am:
==CTU seems awfully scared of doing the actual work of organizing==
Because CTU’s religion is one of coercion, not compromise.
The ultimate move would be for the EBF folks to bump CPS back up to a Tier 2 level school district, which they are, at minimum.
- Steve - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 9:47 am:
CTU is very, very good at what they do. They are one of the most effective unions in America. They got their members a higher standard of living than New York City schools and LAUSD. This is no small accomplishment. Say what you want about Stacy Gates: she’s very good at her job. There is an election coming in November: CTU understands the element of time.
- Ducky - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 9:59 am:
Hard disagree Steve. Pritzker is gonna win regardless of what happens with the CPS dare. In fact, this stunt does even more to make him look like moderate and reasonable.
- soccermom - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 10:04 am:
The increase to CPS will be funded by a new tax on magic beans
- Steve - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 10:06 am:
- Pritzker is gonna win regardless of what happens with the CPS dare-
JB will win in November and CTU will also get some of what they want. JB isn’t Rahm.
- levivoted4judy - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 10:10 am:
I’m a city dweller and whenever I hear my mayor or CTU claim the state owes them $1.6 - $2 billion my blood boils. Acting like a goal is a law is just mind boggling. Now, this pollyanna decision by the board is just incredibly irresponsible, the equivalent of buying a Cadillac when you only can afford a Honda. I do feel for the students and the teachers, but this and spending the one-time money on unsustainable costs/programs/people really exposed how the old board set the stage for being poor fiscal managers that the new board is continuing. I guess Welch circling the wagons was an opportunity to parlay.
- City Zen - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 10:14 am:
==They got their members a higher standard of living than New York City schools==
Unlike CPS teachers (excluding some exempt positions), neither NYC or LAUSD teachers are required to live in NYC or LA. CTU still hasn’t figured out a way to win that valuable benefit.
- Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 10:25 am:
Pritzker to CTU: “Well, there’s always Bailey.”
- Hmmmm - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 10:28 am:
“The funding demands coming from the CTU aren’t actually unreasonable, but we don’t spend a whole lot of time talking about what the actual problem is and why it is easy for folks to pretend like they are unreasonable.”
Bingo. Underfund a system long enough that just getting to adequate funding feels radical.
- Sue - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 10:32 am:
If Welch didn’t deserve removal for covering up sexual harassment- he deserves to be roasted for his CTU antics- his throwing COS into certain chaos may be the most irresponsible act on the part of a legislator in years
- NorthSideNoMore - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 10:33 am:
That board wants to get paid so do we add that to the shortfall ?
- Bogey Golfer - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 10:35 am:
This is CTU’s last chance at garnering any clout. When Johnson is defeated as Mayor next year, CTU goes on strike and its credibility as a influencer is shot.
- Jerry - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 10:37 am:
How about draconian cuts to the Downstate Jobs Program called “prisons” and send that money to CPS? Nice jobs downstate, strong union and most customers are from Chicago.
- Think Again - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 10:45 am:
= consequences of approving a budget that includes more money from the state than has yet to be appropriated=
A silly pressure tactic by CPS/CTU that only benefits a narrow swath of the state in terms of geography/legislative seats. This ill-advised budgeting trick could backfire so badly that independent-minded folks (outside Chicago) may rethink which party they should support.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 10:49 am:
It’s like Thelma & Louise, but, you know, misogyny. I guess that’s just people driving off cliffs.
- Annon'in - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 10:58 am:
“Doubtful” is a classic understatement. It only 2+ decades to overhaul the school funding formula, city clout near zero, GA leaders from burbs. Seems better to suggest CTU el al take their campaign $$$ over to a lottery terminal and start snagging MegaMillions and Powerball tix
- Linus - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 11:02 am:
What Candy said at 9:39: nailed it.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 11:14 am:
===The funding demands coming from the CTU aren’t actually unreasonable, but we don’t spend a whole lot of time talking about what the actual problem is and why it is easy for folks to pretend like they are unreasonable.===
Their methods of advocacy are certainly unreasonable, dangerous, inhumane, and many, many other adjectives. I will not let myself be tricked into thinking there is any real agenda here other than expanding Stacy’s and Brandon’s sense of their own political power and ego.
- ChicagoVinny - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 11:15 am:
= who steps in as the Dem standard bearer nationally? None other than CTU favorite Rahm Emanuel =
On what planet is Rahm Emanuel the national Dem standard bearer? Did I travel back in time to 2006?
- Larry X - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 11:16 am:
CPS may in fact need more funding. Or they may need to make decisions about how to spend their current large amount of resources in a different way. Or a combination of both. But the CTU leadership is a flawed messenger that lacks credibility.
- Rudy’s teeth - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 11:27 am:
The school board in Hammond, Indiana, closed several elementary and high schools due to declining enrollment. The sky didn’t fall.
It is ludicrous that the CTU insists that schools with a handful of students remain open to maintain their jobs program.
Makes no economic sense. Time for CPS to do the math and act responsibly.
- Trinity - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 11:30 am:
I’d call this idealistic, but it’s crossed into delusional. Do people not do their homework? The money isn’t there. Very on brand for this administration. CTU and Mayor Johnson are burning bridges that could set progressives back for years.
One question: what is in that report for Speaker Welch to suddenly get on board after so much time? They don’t have the votes, and even their own people know that. The people suffering, the ones they allegedly stand up for, are the ones paying the biggest price for egotistical political theatre. Tired of this.
- TNR - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 11:32 am:
@City Zen
SDG and her CORE slate have always been against lifting the residency requirement. They want their membership living in the city and voting in mayoral, aldermanic, and now school board elections. Some of the slates that have opposed CORE in the union elections have tried to make an issue of this, but given that CORE has always been re-elected by comfortable margins, the membership seems much more concerned with salary and benefits than residency.
- pragmatist - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 11:33 am:
As I said yesterday, CTU is really good at being the permanent opposition. The last few years of CTU having the mayor’s office have shown that it’s not enough to be screaming or using the office as a platform to make pronouncements and not do the work. They don’t build relationships, find common ground, and create coalitions. They threaten and scream.
At the end of the day, the questions are:outside of its closest allies, who actually sees CTU as a trusted partner? Who genuinely wants them at the table when it’s time to solve a problem?
- City Zen - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 11:34 am:
==CPS may in fact need more funding==
Nah, the problem is CPS is the only school district that doesn’t closely mirror its actual population. It’s a school district with numerous revenue sources that most other school districts lack (a large corporate/industrial tax base, numerous billionaires) that likes to cosplay as Ford Heights.
- BigLou - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 11:40 am:
@City Zen “…still hasn’t figured out a way to win that valuable benefit.”
Does CTU really want to win that though? If it does, they have their voting block moving outside the city so CTU’s influence over the city is greatly diminished. As well as the influence in legislative races where the majority of the district is within the city. Also county wide and county districts, since people could live outside of cook county. Or am I missing something?
- JS Mill - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 11:56 am:
=The playbook is obvious, go after the Governor in the hopes that he is so embarrassed by attacks from the teachers union that he is compelled to act. But that pressure has to come with credibility to work, and right now it’s just not credible. There is no schools doomsday. It is a crisis of their own making.=
Spot on.
=The funding demands coming from the CTU aren’t actually unreasonable, but we don’t spend a whole lot of time talking about what the actual problem is and why it is easy for folks to pretend like they are unreasonable.=
I respectfully disagree. The crux of their current problem is the hiring that occurred and was funded with COVID stimulus money. The hiring took place, at least partially, while students were at home and CTU was refusing to return to the classroom (something they fought very publicly against doing). The blame falls squarely on leadership for using one-time funds to hire permanent employees. Everyone who knows anything about school finance knows this is not what you do. That they may have been encouraged or even pushed into this hiring by CTU is irrelevant to me. Now that CTU has, in my estimation, control of CPS they don’t want their members let go, which is what has to happen when you have people you cannot afford. Another option is run an Education Fund referendum and get the money that way. Instead, they have taken a different route altogether.
For transparency, I have been RIF’ed (reduction in force) as a teacher and issued RIF notices as a superintendent. Both were bad experiences.
- Lurker - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 2:18 pm:
And JS Mill keeps bringing up the misuse of the COVID money no longer being available. But the other side of this coin is they did not use the money in anyway that helped the district in the long-term. (actually, not even in the short-term because all those hires should be eliminated and nothing was really gained)
- Amalia - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 2:24 pm:
also providing more national fodder for the right wing nuts, the CTU and the emoji man saga. there’s always talk of Illinois being an island, and much of it we think of is in a good way. the list is growing of what can be pointed out as bad in Illinois. step down emoji man and stop this nonsense CTU.
- Shytown - Friday, Jul 31, 26 @ 4:02 pm:
You have to believe that Stacy and the CTU realize that everyone sees right through their shenanigans, but they do it anyway. So many lies, smear campaigns, gaslighting. Why aren’t more folks standing up and saying enough already? The minute a CTU ally today doesn’t agree with some CTU position tomorrow, they’ll be the next target. Just say no people, ffs. Rip off the dang bandaid. You know you want to because this is not doing anyone a lick of good, especially the children of chicago.