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* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
Last Tuesday, Chicago Teachers Union lobbyist Kurt Hilgendorf told the Illinois Senate Executive Committee the union had only “one problem” with Senate President Don Harmon’s elected Chicago school board bill.
Hilgendorf praised much of the bill during his testimony. But the CTU has claimed for years it wants a fully elected school board, just like every other school district in the state. Right now, all board members are appointed by the mayor.
The “one concern” the union had about the legislation, Hilgendorf said, was “only half of the city will vote,” because Harmon’s bill elected only half of the 20 district members and mandated the mayor appoint the other half. The appointed members would serve for two years, and then their districts would be put to the voters.
“That creates a disenfranchisement lawsuit risk,” Hilgendorf warned, adding that “maximum participation should be done in the first election, similar to how the Senate after a remap year, all members of the Senate are up.” In conclusion, the CTU lobbyist told the committee, “We think that all the voters in the city of Chicago should have the right to vote in that first-year election.”
Harmon rewrote his bill and used language similar to Hilgendorf’s when he explained his new measure to his chamber two days later. The bill would, as the CTU requested, elect all 20 members next year.
Harmon explained that, after a period of staggered elections, the proposal adopted “the Senate model” of breaking up the 20 districts into “three classes,” of “terms that we in the Senate are elected to.” A third of the Senate’s members is elected for terms of two, four and four years. Another third is elected for terms of four, two and four years. And the final third is elected for terms of four, four and two years.
The CTU, in other words, would get exactly what it said it wanted during the committee hearing two days earlier.
But the CTU adamantly refused to accept a win and continued supporting the House’s hybrid plan of electing only half the school board next year, with the other half appointed.
A few hours after Harmon passed his bill, CTU President Stacy Davis Gates wrote on X, the website formerly known as Twitter: “The real question is when did the senate president become a proponent of a fully elected [Chicago school board]? The ONLY reason we [have] a hybrid board until ‘26 is [because] of his refusal to pass legislation for a fully elected board. Why now? Ask him? It’s the MOST obvious question NOT being asked.”
Um, the most obvious answer is the CTU asked for a fully elected board on Tuesday and warned a lawsuit could be filed if the language wasn’t changed to elect all 20 members. And, unlike the House, Harmon gave the CTU exactly what it publicly requested.
Near the end of a story earlier last week by Sun-Times chief political reporter Tina Sfondeles was this passage: “The CTU, which has always supported a fully elected board, prefers [Rep. Ann Williams’ hybrid House plan], in part because it would give the union more time to choose candidates and raise campaign funds. The union would only have to find 10 candidates, as opposed to 20, under the House Democrats’ plan. And the union’s political action committee will have to play catch-up after contributing a hefty $2.46 million to Johnson’s mayoral campaign.”
In other words, why spend precious dollars on 10 extra elections if the mayor you elected will appoint your people for free?
Davis Gates also complained online that reporters asked Mayor Brandon Johnson, but not the CTU, about the union’s reasons for supporting the House’s hybrid bill instead of the fully elected Senate bill. I took her up on the offer and asked. As I write this, she hasn’t yet responded.
Harmon told reporters after he passed his bill the Legislature has until April 1 to come up with a solution, so sending both chambers home without a deal last week wasn’t the end of the world.
It did not go unnoticed, though, that House Speaker Chris Welch abruptly adjourned his chamber not long after passing his chamber’s CTU-backed hybrid bill in a way which couldn’t be amended by the Senate, forcing Harmon’s chamber into a take-it-or-leave-it position.
“None of this instills much confidence in the legislative process going forward,” noted one longtime legislative observer.
I have a hunch something else is going on here. The CTU is backing a candidate against appointed Sen. Natalie Toro (D-Chicago), for instance, and that race is gonna get negative as all heck. Also, I think there might possibly be something in the CTU-backed House bill that could have turned Harmon against it.
Either way, I ran into CTU President Stacy Davis Gates at an event Friday night and she said the fact that Harmon didn’t tell her he was moving a bill caused her to be suspicious. But, as noted above, the CTU’s own lobbyist requested the changes that Harmon made, and the union has an experienced staff that can read bills on their own.
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Nov 13, 23 @ 8:58 am
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The CTU is backing a candidate against Natalie Toro, which is ironic because Toro is a CPS teacher and CTU member herself! They never explain why they’re endorsing against one of their own members. Hmmm
Comment by Nick Monday, Nov 13, 23 @ 9:11 am
Good article. The current CTU leaders have definite motives for not wanting contesting elections for all positions on the Chicago School Board. Why risk losing elections when their ally, Mayor Johnson, would likely appoint their preferred people to the board in the short term?
Comment by Gravitas Monday, Nov 13, 23 @ 9:12 am
Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss. - Stacey Davis Gates
Comment by pragmatist Monday, Nov 13, 23 @ 9:15 am
A benefit for CTU to stall the school board map to be sure.
CTU has moved on to process battles after losing the substantive battle on turning Brandon’s electoral map into the school board map.
Comment by Chicago Voter Monday, Nov 13, 23 @ 9:15 am
The Old City Machine is dead and a new one (CTU) has arisen from the ashes. Mayor Johnson’s actions are closely aligned with the wishes of CTU, and House Speaker Chris Welch appears responsive to their commands. The implication is that Senate President Don Harmon needs to be similarly influenced or brought under control.
Comment by Westsider Monday, Nov 13, 23 @ 10:01 am
Simple explanation- it’s Mayor Gates who no longer needs an elected Board
Comment by Sue Monday, Nov 13, 23 @ 10:14 am
I suspect for CTU it’s more about retaining power than it is the money. By having half of the members appointed, they are basically guaranteed of the board for two years. If all the positions are elected, you might have a bunch of concerned citizens (read parents) end up on the board. I think CTU is counting on majority control from day one, and incumbency to then retain the control.
Comment by RNUG Monday, Nov 13, 23 @ 10:19 am
Zealotry, whether it’s practiced by CTU on the left or MAGA types on the right, comes with the benefit of being untroubled by any notion of hypocrisy. To them, anything done in furtherance of a political goal is just.
Comment by Anon404 Monday, Nov 13, 23 @ 10:38 am
“In other words, why spend precious dollars on 10 extra elections if the mayor you elected will appoint your people for free?”
Chef’s kiss succinct.
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Monday, Nov 13, 23 @ 10:39 am
Heck, cant we just turn over the state to CTU?
Comment by Hank Sauer Monday, Nov 13, 23 @ 10:51 am
==Toro is a CPS teacher and CTU member herself==
Was. Her opponent is now an employee of CTU.
https://www.ctulocal1.org/posts/welcome-abbie-illenberger-lori-torres-graciela-guzman/
Comment by City Zen Monday, Nov 13, 23 @ 11:00 am
It was not a smart strategic move for the CTU to endorse an opponent of a sitting Senator before veto and to then expect the Senate President to do them any favors. Sounds like Don said, game on!
Comment by Capitol Observer Monday, Nov 13, 23 @ 11:47 am
Interesting column.
Hopefully Harmon’s bill will pass.
This election could be very interesting.
The status quo candidates will be well funded, but the trend in education is for change and choice so a lot will depend on how parents vote. With test scores so low, this could just be the time to see voters choosing to go in a different direction.
Comment by Back to the Future Monday, Nov 13, 23 @ 12:41 pm
===and to then expect the Senate President to do them any favors===
He gave them exactly what they publicly requested.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Nov 13, 23 @ 1:02 pm
Why leaders are allowing CTU and SDG to further divide folks in Springfield is a mystery to me.
Comment by Shytown Monday, Nov 13, 23 @ 3:43 pm
There are 3 leaders that need to be questioned here…President Gates as to why CTU changing their stance and the column hits it on the head…now that they have the mayors office less of a need for an elected board for their interests …President Harmon as to why their was an 11th hour change …politics no doubt…as a commenter and the column intimated said “game on”…and finally Speaker Welch why he just shut down …but crickets on that. He needs to answer more for that and seems as usual he is not called out on that.
Comment by CTU 30 years Monday, Nov 13, 23 @ 8:31 pm