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* After it was reported that Bruce Rauner wrote an e-mail five years ago saying about Chicago Public Schools, “50% of principals are managerially incompetent and half of teachers are virtually illiterate,” check out what he’s gonna do today…
Daily Public Schedule: Friday, July 22, 2016
What: Governor Rauner Signs Legislation to Increase Transparency for School Testing and Honor Training for Teachers
Where: James R. Thompson Center – Blue Room
100 W. Randolph, Chicago
Date: Friday, July 22, 2016
Time: 11:00 a.m.
You gotta figure this will be a well-attended press conference with some sharp questions. He’ll get his own chance to apologize in public while likely enduring some grilling.
* And he will likely be called upon to respond to this…
IFT President Responds to Governor Rauner’s Trump-esque Affront to Educators
Rauner Revealed: “Half of [Chicago] teachers are virtually illiterate”CHICAGO – As GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump prepares to take the convention stage in Cleveland, Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) President Dan Montgomery responded to revealing emails written by one of Trump’s supporters, Governor Bruce Rauner.
“Governor Bruce Rauner’s statement that half of Chicago teachers are ‘virtually illiterate’ is a grotesque affront to the thousands of dedicated, hardworking, and talented educators and, indeed, the children who learn from them and love them,” said Montgomery, a high school English teacher.
“Perhaps the Governor is trying to one-up Donald Trump, whom he said he would support, in the level of hate and impropriety in civic deliberations.
“While Rauner publicly claims to love Illinois teachers, his private emails reveal the appalling truth: he holds them in contempt. No public servant, let alone a governor, is fit to oversee the education of our children when he or she has so little regard for those who teach.”
* And this…
Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis described Rauner’s comments as “ridiculous” and “silly.”
“That’s on him, that has nothing to do with reality,” said Lewis, who like Rauner graduated from Dartmouth College. “Am I virtually illiterate? I have the same degree he has. Guess what? They didn’t just pass that out to me. … And if he threw everybody out who he claims is virtually illiterate, who would want to come into this system?”
* And…
CTU president Karen Lewis took offense, saying she has yet to meet an illiterate teacher.
“Doesn’t that speak to his elitism and his attitude toward who we are?” she said by telephone of the governor she has long sparred with. “If he said that and put in an email, think about what he really says when he feels comfortable.”
Hopefully, the Rauner presser will be livestreamed. Either way, we’ll have a ScribbleLive feed set up by then.
…Adding… BlueRoomStream.com will livestream the event.
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 7:33 am
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He’ll likely say it was a mistake, but he won’t apologize for the remark. All the while he’ll be droppin’ those G’s.
I’ll bet the word corrupt occurs…oh…at least five times as much as mistake, but we’ll see, I suppose.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 7:41 am
Gah! Me above
Comment by PublicServant Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 7:41 am
To all past, present, and future educators: Remember Oswego Willy’s words November– VOTE accordingly/
Comment by Retired Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 7:45 am
This will be a very difficult issue to pivot away from. Hopefully Rauner can successfully go back to demonizing Chicago for taking money from downstate, remind people of the crumbling prison schools, and repeat his calls for the bankruptcy of CPS. People need to see what’s in his heart and not his e-mails. Not easily done but if there’s anyone that’s capable it’s Bruce.
Comment by pundent Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 7:51 am
===but he won’t apologize for the remark===
I’m betting he will repeat Lance’s words almost verbatim, and then stick to those words when asked follow-up questions.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 7:51 am
Maybe not illiterate, but the incompetence runs much higher than principal.
Comment by DGD Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 7:57 am
Karen Lewis is like that North Korean dictator. All about communism from her protected pedestal. She is an atrocity inflicted on the Chicago population.
Comment by Ron Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 8:00 am
The Lance response was crafted last night exactly to be rolled out for this morning.
“I’ll write this now, you just repeat this tomorrow and get through the questions by repeating it over and over.”
Indeed, Teacher, all teachers in Illinois…
Vote Accordingly.
If you have a choice of a hostaged Raunerite or someone who isn’t held hostage by someone with vile contempt for educators…
Vote Accordingly.
I bet Rauner, today at the school, would love to just have to answer Trump questions.
Right? Exactly right.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 8:01 am
=== then stick to those words when asked follow-up questions.===
He will try, I’m hoping for an angry press corps that doesn’t leave the point fade.
Comment by Dee Lay Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 8:01 am
“I’m betting he will repeat Lance’s words almost verbatim, and then stick to those words when asked follow-up questions.”
Which would be incredible since that ability is one of the things that distinguishes “functional illiteracy” from “pure illiteracy”
Comment by LizPhairTax Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 8:02 am
My respect for Rauner is zero.
However, my respect would notch up a bit if he actually stood by his email and didn’t apologize. The email probably says what he thinks. Stand by it. Don’t pretend you didn’t mean it.
If you mean it — and if you believe it — don’t apologize. Then deal with consequences.
Comment by Formerly Known as Frenchie M Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 8:08 am
Looking further, there are now multiple sound bites and clips attached to the governor that will not play well in elections, both for himself and surrogates. Governing is tough business.
Comment by Now What? Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 8:09 am
Rauner’s plan: take away teacher’s pensions, double the cost of their healthcare, and cut their pay. That will certainly attract better, more literate people to the job!
Comment by Buster crab Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 8:13 am
Karen Lewis got it right. If this language is in his emails, imagine what he says to his buds behind closed doors.
Comment by Sir Reel Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 8:16 am
=The email probably says what he thinks. Stand by it. Don’t pretend you didn’t mean it.=
Of course he means it. He “regrets writing it”. This is tantamount to “I shouldn’t have said that”. Doesn’t mean I didn’t mean it, I just shouldn’t have said it.
I don’t think Rauner’s intentions and beliefs have ever changed, it’s just that nowadays they’re couched in obscure terms such as “reform” and “collectivist”. He leaves it to us to interpret what those messages mean. Now if we were to say that his words sound like he’s attacking teachers he would vehemently deny it and probably say something like “I love our teachers”. This e-mail blows the lid off of all of that.
Comment by pundent Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 8:16 am
@FakeGovRauner - I just want to say I made it clear that half of the CTU teachers are literate. I’m giving a full apology for slandering half of “you” #MathIsntTheProblem #TeachersCanReadTheEmail
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 8:16 am
@FakeGovRauner - slandering teachers and unions is the backbone of what I’m about when it comes to… teachers and unions #DennisGreen #BruceWasWhoYouThoughtHeIs
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 8:20 am
Functional illiteracy is a moving target and is dependent on circumstances, location, job requirements, etc. It’s a matter of matching education to required skills for employment. I’m going to leave this here, Bruce. You do the self-analysis if you’re meeting the standard:
Workers are expected to master not only the basic skills of reading, writing and math, but also possess strong skills in listening, speaking, critical thinking, problem solving, team building, and technology.
Comment by LizPhairTax Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 8:20 am
The irony is that even if Rauner’s assessment of their literacy is true, how have his charter schools avoided this problem? Does he have any evidence to show that charters attract a better-educated teacher, what with their lower pay, poor retirement package, and lack of job security?
His statement was disturbing not only because of its offensiveness but because of the incoherence of its implications.
Comment by chi Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 8:27 am
You just can’t generalize with something like this, but the knowledge and skill of CPS staff and administration is a valid concern that needs to be addressed for the good of the students.
We need to know exactly how literate and skilled the staff ARE before raising their salaries to the limits being demanded by CTU.
From personal experience having worked with CPS school and central office staff for over 5 years, I can tell you that the skill and knowledge over there is incredibly uneven due to the politics of hiring and retaining staff.
Two of my neighbors are now and several friends are retired CPS teachers, and they are exceptionally bright and effective teachers. People in our neighborhood hire them to tutor THEIR kids.
I worked closely with CPS for over 5 years, so I also saw the other side of this coin. I met six figure principals who couldn’t write a coherent paragraph and would be challenged by third grade math. I saw sum so foolish as to claim one of their students in a simple fight had a gun just to get quicker CPD response. She was taken away in handcuffs after filing that incredibly dangerous false report, but was given her job back. Another principal got into a fist fight in school with an LSC member.
Every year I saw incredibly promising teachers let go due to their being the “wrong” ethnicity to suit the principals. I saw people on Clark with corner offices who should’ve had no more responsibility than asking, “Would you like fries with that?” next to some of the best pros with whom I’ve ever worked.
The challenge is getting rid of the political bottom feeders while retaining the life changers. You’d be surprised at how many of those “life changers really want to contribute to CPS, but are denied that opportunity due to racial politics.
I’ve also worked with charters, and too often they’re just run by political retreads from CPS.
There’s too much money and patronage there to be reformed, IMHO. The only answer is giving the kids an escape route through vouchers.
Comment by Illinois Bob Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 8:32 am
@chi, Rauner lamented that he and his wife wasted $20 million dollars on teacher training and development and charter schools. He apparently doesn’t even believe in his own schools. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-bruce-rauner-cps-teachers-met-0722-20160721-story.html
Comment by Valerie F. Leonard Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 8:39 am
Here is the perfidy.
Perfidiously Honoring Teacher training
vs
The honest email loathing and maligning teachers
Funny wasn’t there something recently…..
Oh yeah,
Loving emails to stateworkers from Uncle Terranova.
vs.
The unrestrained contempt for ALL state workers show BY HIS BEHAVIORS!
hmmmmmmm which one is true?
Perfidy vs Behaviors
Comment by Honeybear Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 8:45 am
If what he says is true about out teachers now, just imagine what the taxpayers would have to pay competent, literate teachers! Their pay would double! /s
Why such hatred everywhere toward the Education profession? I seriously ask that question. I’d like some justification and explanation for why such resentment. Is it in line with the hatred some have for police in that they represent the order and continuity of our society and just so happen to be paid with public funds (the public that is their client base?—–after all how else would these folks be paid when the people they serve should be the ones picking up the tab!) More than that, tho, I’m sure and I’d like to know why.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 8:47 am
Remember folks, Don’t feed it. If you feed it in any way it only comes back stronger and more hateful.
Comment by Honeybear Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 8:48 am
I assume he means half his daughter’s teachers were illiterate.
Comment by Cheryl44 Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 9:02 am
We all must be morons then. We all went through school with incompetents directing us.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 9:08 am
@FakeGovRauner - by clouting my denied Winnetka-living daughter into Payton Prep, I saved a worthy child from learning from half of the virtually illiterate teachers in the best HS in IL #ThatsMyStory #YouShouldThankMe
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 9:08 am
From the post yesterday, it appears that there was more than one email uncovered as part of this case. These may be just as damaging, and no word salad may be able to fix the fix Rauner is in.
Comment by Anon221 Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 9:10 am
“Mrs. Krabappel and Principal Skinner were in the closet making babies and I saw one of the babies and the baby looked at me!” — Ralph Wiggum, “The Simpsons: Grade School Confidential” (1997)
– MrJM
Comment by @MisterJayEm Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 9:14 am
If he does believe that, then why is he gutting the universities that are there to train those teachers?
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 9:14 am
“more than one email uncovered” In what context was this email and comment? I’m wondering if it had to do with the SUPES Academy? Just a thought.
Comment by Ms. SHEESH Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 9:24 am
Maybe I missed it, but unanswered in the Trib story was whether or not Rauner pushed for the SUPES training contract that resulted in Barbara Byrd Bennett’s indictment. A good question for today’s presser, right?
Comment by Telly Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 9:24 am
By illiterate, does Rauner mean half the teachers can’t enunciate the “g” at the end of words? Or that they do?
Comment by Concerned Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 9:25 am
Wonder if the Daily Public Schedule is gonna get a last minute change today??? Rauner is not comfortable with the hard questions, and the press needs to play hardball on this issue. If there is a presser, I’m sure it will be very short.
Comment by Anon221 Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 9:30 am
=If he does believe that, then why is he gutting the universities that are there to train those teachers?=
He doesn’t value Education as a legitimate field of study or training.
He believes that any educated person, even those with minimal training and experience can teach and/or run a school, thus…….
Teach for America.
But, look at their track record…it’s a revolving door.
Comment by TinyDancer(FKA Sue) Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 9:36 am
“…half of teachers are virtually illiterate…”
So let’s decrease funding to our state universities so we can attract future teachers that are even less ready to enter the teacher workforce. /s This guy has it all planned out, doesn’t he?
Comment by Consideration Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 9:36 am
Good for Montgomery to connect the Guv to Trump. If more do that he will eventually have to say something, won’t he?
Comment by Henry Francis Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 9:36 am
===Wonder if the Daily Public Schedule is gonna get a last minute change today???===
He’d be a fool to do that. It’s Friday. It’s summer. One convention just ended and another one is about to begin. You gotta even wonder if the city’s top political reporters will be back from Cleveland and sentient by 11 o’clock.
Best to just get it over with today.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 9:37 am
@Honeybear
=If you feed it in any way it only comes back stronger and more hateful.=
Kind of like your responses when anyone challenges the public benefit from public unions, bear…
Comment by Illinois bob Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 9:38 am
You know how it is with Rauner, hate unionized teachers, love the unionized teachers’ pension business.
I’d like to see Rauner grilled about making money for decades from the types of people he loathes.
Comment by Grandson of Man Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 9:40 am
Rich- True, but I’ll bet the Q&A will be short!
Comment by Anon221 Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 9:43 am
Karen Lewis is not one to complain about others making over-the-top and ridiculous comments.
Comment by Just Me Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 9:46 am
@Cheryl44
=I assume he means half his daughter’s teachers were illiterate.=
Not at Payton or Northside prep, Cheryl. Some of the CPS magnet schools are amongst the best out there and they prove it objectively year after year.
I’ve been at Payton, Whitney Young and Decatur Classical and they accomplish things with blue collar workers’ kids that put overpriced suburban schools to shame.
Sadly, the schools to which Rauner is probably referring are in some of the most challenged communities in Chicago, where a kind word or note from the alderman can get you hired and retained despite being illiterate and a poor instructor.
Comment by Illinois bob Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 9:48 am
==sentient===
What a beautiful word.
No choice but humility with this one. It’s indefensible.
Comment by A guy Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 9:52 am
Karen and Jesse are just the leaders of a group of pigs mindlessly being led to slaughter.
Comment by Ron Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 9:54 am
@Illinois Bob
No soup for you…come back when you have a valid argument backed up with statistics. The “I know a guy” stuff is tiresome and no one is interested. Also, Rauner must have included you in the 50% of illiterate teachers. Learn to spell…it is some not sum
Comment by Sum-thing is Wrong Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 9:54 am
@consideration
=So let’s decrease funding to our state universities so we can attract future teachers that are even less ready to enter the teacher workforce. /s This guy has it all planned out, doesn’t he?=
The money isn’t the problem. It’s the preparation prior to college and the poor curricula in most colleges of education. We also should change the “student teaching” requirement at colleges. If engineers and accountants can be expected to take as much coursework as possible while in college then get trained when they enter the work world, there’s no reason that teachers can’t take the same path. They should be “assistant teachers” for a year before getting their own classes under the mentoring of the best teachers in the system.
Comment by illinois bob Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 9:55 am
” Bet the Q & A will be short!”
And inaudible for obvious reasons.
Comment by Ms. SHEESH Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 10:00 am
@Sum thing is Wrong
Well you know how to spell. Maybe next you can learn how to reason and analyze.
The point was that teacher quality at CPS is wildly uneven. Are you disputing that? I see you made no counter argument. I’d love to see YOUR statistics that show that CPS has highly literate staff.
Comment by Illinois bob Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 10:18 am
@anonymous
=If what he says is true about out teachers now, just imagine what the taxpayers would have to pay competent, literate teachers! Their pay would double! /s=
That would be true if teacher compensation had anything to do of the quality of instruction they provide.
Unfortunately what teacher unionism is all about is ignoring teacher quality and only rewarding longevity and effort in taking classes that often don’t have any value in improving student outcomes.
That needs to be fixed, and you can’t do that without vouchers.
Comment by Illinois bob Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 10:24 am
So, this is going to cost him ALLLLLLL those teachers that voted for him last election. Yep. OK.
Comment by LessAnon? Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 10:29 am
@Illinois Bob
Are you advocating paying teachers the same as engineers and accountants. And paying them as “assistant teachers” If so, then I’d agree.
However, I don’t think you understand what student teaching is.
Money is part of the problem. When you expect a student to take on $50K debt to enter a teaching profession where they will not earn enough to rent an apartment and pay their students loans you get those students who score low on their ACT. The higher scorers, those ready for college, they go into engineering, medicine, technology - where the money is.
Comment by Consideration Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 10:37 am
@consideration
=Are you advocating paying teachers the same as engineers and accountants.=
of course not. Apples and oranges. Engineers and business schools have the highest standards for enrollment,education typically the lowest. Engineers and accountants are typically paid by performance. Teachers are not.
Comment by Illinois bob Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 10:43 am
I’ve been googling without success to find out the average certification test scores of CPS teachers. That would perhaps be the best “statistic” regarding teacher literacy.
Anyone know where that may be found?
Comment by Illinois Bob Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 10:46 am
- Illinois Bob -
You go find it… and when you find it, come back…
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 10:49 am
==Teach for America. But, look at their track record…it’s a revolving door.==
It’s called options and demographics. Many of the TFA applicants only intend to teach for a few years anyway. If I remember correctly, TFA teachers to be more male than the typical teaching population, come from better schools, with majors that can be leveraged outside the education system. And that versatile background allows them to plug in to other sectors much more easily.
No one ever said teaching - or any other profession - has to be a lifetime commitment.
Comment by City Zen Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 10:59 am
Bob, I don’t think the statistic actually matters. What matters is the governor made something up to demonstrate his disdain for public school teachers.
Comment by Cheswick Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 11:06 am
When will CTU members realize they will lose, you can’t stop math. The sooner they try to work with CPS, the better off they’ll be. Cuts and closings will be brutal otherwise.
Comment by Ron Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 11:31 am
@Cheswick
=What matters is the governor made something up to demonstrate his disdain for public school teachers.=
I doubt that, Ches. He probably had personal experience to back up that position and perception.
Recognizing the problem is the first step, which he took. Studying the details of the problem and coming up with policy to address the root causes of the problem is the next. Too bad that wasn’t part of his turnaround agenda.
Comment by Illinois Bob Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 11:44 am
I’m surprised Karen Lewis would concern herself about a comment made by “a new ISIS recruit”.
Comment by City Zen Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 11:44 am
Okay well if you think the governor had some basis in fact to back up his position, let us know when you find it.
Comment by Cheswick Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 11:55 am
@OW
=You go find it… and when you find it, come back…=
Once again you add nothing to the discussion, no facts, no links, nothing of value. All it lacked was cheerleading for unions over the people to make it a typical OW post….
Comment by Illinois Bob Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 12:06 pm
- Illinois Bob -
When you find your links, come back…
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 12:09 pm
@Illinois Bob
=”Engineers and accountants are typically paid by performance. Teachers are not.”=
Didn’t NCLB have a clause that ties raises to test scores? That’s pay by performance.
Comment by Chi Native/Spfld Resident Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 12:15 pm
I am unaware of any statistics regarding the literacy of CPS teachers. On the other hand, test scores of the students they marshal through the system, or the fraction of CPS students that just drop out, give cause for concern. These matters are not lost on the tax paying public, or its representatives.
Comment by Keyser Soze Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 12:18 pm
Rauner: “Read ALL the emails”.
Blago: “Play ALL the tapes”.
Comment by James Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 12:54 pm
Honeybear @ 8:48 - obviously your plea fell on deaf ears. I won’t take the bait any more but am amazed how passionate, pointed and articulate some commenters can be.
I appreciate, and often times am amazed, at the lengths this favorite commenter will go to to when trying to make his “point” - absent any substantiation or facts.
Comment by illini Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 1:15 pm
Rauner is all for private education and its teachers. His problem is really not about the teachers as much as its about their unions and his paying taxes for public education.
Comment by Mama Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 3:23 pm
Bob - It seems to me that you are an expert in everything. Is there anything you haven’t done or can’t claim experience doing?
Comment by Huh? Friday, Jul 22, 16 @ 3:29 pm