* Background is here if you need it. Rep. Ann Williams (D-Chicago) tells the CTU’s vice president that nobody is talking about a state takeover…

Wasn’t CTU supportive of state legislation to preclude school closures until the elected school board was seated? No one’s talking about a “state takeover” except you. Let’s focus on how we ensure stability for our schools as we await the first ever school board elections in…

— Rep. Ann Williams (@RepAnnWilliams) October 6, 2024

* Anyone can introduce a bill and this idea hasn’t even been introduced yet. But is there the will to pass a “guardrails” bill without also addressing school funding, for which there is no current money?…

There’s a move for lawmakers to step in ⁦@ChiPubSchools⁩
Veto session in November, post election
⁦@nbcchicago⁩ pic.twitter.com/whk5BgMQ3b

— Mary Ann Ahern (@MaryAnnAhernNBC) October 6, 2024

The mayor has ten school board appointments once the results of the ten elected members are known. So the GA could have time to deal with those. Whether super majorities in both chambers and the governor *want* to rush into that mess is another story.

— Capitol Fax (@capitolfax) October 6, 2024

* Meanwhile, a total of 41 Chicago alderpersons have signed on to the letter, up from 38 on Saturday…

Here’s the updated letter with 41 alders calling for a hearing on CPS in the wake of yesterday’s resignations, and for that hearing to happen before new people are appointed to the board. The mayor is planning to announce replacements on Monday morning. https://t.co/E8Otv12Uzj pic.twitter.com/VAcRlkrqPd

— Reema Amin (@reemadamin) October 6, 2024

“Earlier this year, legislators in Springfield noted the requests they received from the city’s lobbying efforts. Many of them shared that the requests focused too much on $2 billion for a new Bears stadium, and not enough on additional funds for CPS and other school districts across Illinois. We must find new ways to work with one another, CPS leadership, and our colleagues in Springfield to achieve our shared vision of fully funded schools for all Illinois students.”

* List of alderpersons who have not signed the letter…

4 - Lamont Robinson
6 - William Hall
25 - Byron Sigcho Lopez
26 - Jessica Fuentes
27 - Walter Burnett, Jr.
28 - Jason Ervin
29 - Chris Taliaferro
33 - Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez
35 - Carlos Ramirez-Rosa

* Biz weighs in…

STATEMENT OF THE CIVIC COMMITTEE OF THE COMMERCIAL CLUB OF CHICAGO AND THE CHICAGOLAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ON LEADERSHIP CHANGES
AT THE CHICAGO BOARD OF EDUCATION

Two weeks ago, we raised serious concerns about Mayor Brandon Johnson’s plans to fire CPS CEO Pedro Martinez and his request for CPS to borrow over $300M through a short-term, high-interest loan. With the unprecedented mass resignation of the Mayor’s handpicked school board and the announcement of seven new school board members just weeks before the first school board election in Chicago’s history, our concerns have only escalated. The management stability, educational quality, and financial state of the Chicago Public Schools are critical to both the short and long-term prospects of the children and families of Chicago as well as the success of Chicago businesses of every size and the long-term economic future of our city. We strongly urge the board to keep CEO Martinez in place, reject the misguided proposal to borrow more money, and work with all parties to bring transparency and long-term fiscal stability and quality education to the school system.

* A candidates’ forum was held yesterday by Raise Your Hand for Illinois Public Education, which is partially funded by the CTU’s foundation, but on Friday expressed deep concerns about “a season of disruption in CPS leadership. Tribune coverage…

Less than 24 hours after the news broke that the entire Chicago Board of Education planned to resign, more than 40 family members of Chicago Public Schools students filed into Lane Tech College Prep’s auditorium to hear some candidates pitch why they should serve on the city’s partially-elected school board in January. […]

During the audience question period, former CPS parent Mike Rubin asked whether the board members would agree to Johnson’s wishes for the district to take out a high-interest loan to cover budget gaps — one of the key issues in his clash with CPS chief executive Pedro Martinez. District 4 candidate Kimberly Brown then called for a vote among those on stage regarding their thoughts on the loan.

All six non-CTU endorsed candidates immediately raised their hands to oppose the loan.

[CTU-endorsed District 4 candidate Karen Zaccor] voted “neutral,” saying that she needed more information. [CTU-endorsed District 2 candidate Ebony DeBerry] did not raise her hand at all.

…Adding… Raise Your Hand claims it receives no funding from the CTU Foundation, but I got that info from their own website. Click here in case they alter the page.

…Adding… Raise Your Hand: “My apologies. We did not realize that logo was still available on our site. We have removed it and clarified our other funders in line with our tax filings.”

* CTU President Stacy Davis Gates on WVON Radio…

Chicago is the economic engine, not just of Illinois, but this entire region. So how is it that the economic engine of the Midwest is struggling to resource its own schools? Now that’s a question that we’re going to have to press our state representatives, our state senators and our governor on.

If Chicago can power the entire state of Illinois, why are we begging them to resource schools where our Black children attend? We have the highest number of Black children in the state that attend the Chicago public schools, we have the highest number of unhoused children in the Chicago public schools, as well as the highest number of children who need special education supports in the state of Illinois. Those things are not being addressed, and yet, Chicago is literally holding up this entire state.

How do you pay the bills for everyone else and when it comes time to pay the bills in Chicago, you tell us, Governor and General Assembly, you ain’t got it. That doesn’t make sense to me. My grandmother used to say, Charity begins at home and spreads abroad. How is it that we pay the bills for every municipality in this state, and we cannot pay the bills at the Chicago Public Schools? That’s an inequity that needs to be called into question.

Yes, Chicago is a strong economic engine, but the city most definitely does not “pay the bills for every municipality in this state.”

C’mon.

…Adding… Oops. I forgot about this one…

Our Progressive Caucus supports this statement of concern around the recent @ChiPubSchools Board resignations. pic.twitter.com/jLIEMXHBqs

— Progressive Caucus (@ProgressiveChi) October 5, 2024