Vice President Kamala Harris, paired with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, is set to promote their education agenda at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this week.
Walz, who often highlights his background as a former teacher, aims to paint a rosy picture of education under a potential Harris-Walz administration.
However, the true story of what such leadership might mean for education is unfolding outside the convention halls, not within them, as reported by Fox News.
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In a move that raises eyebrows, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) have delayed the start of the school year by a week to accommodate the estimated 75,000 visitors flocking to the city for the convention.
The official reason? To allow students time to “attend, volunteer, and participate in the civic process.” Translation: 320,000 students are being kept out of classrooms so they can witness a political spectacle.
Randi Weingarten probably won’t be visiting Chicago Public Schools this week because the Democratic National Convention delayed the start of their school year.
Politics first. Students last. https://t.co/Wmuj5LD0cH pic.twitter.com/FK8bBwvz8i
— Nicki Neily (@nickineily) August 19, 2024
While students are sidelined, teachers are still required to report for professional development days. Meanwhile, the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) has arranged for teachers to be bused to Soldier Field to watch Harris’ acceptance speech.
One has to wonder if CPS or the CTU would have bent over backward in this way for a Republican event.
The selective concern over a 75,000-visitor event is even more questionable given the city’s lack of similar measures for events like the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade, which attracts far larger crowds.
This isn’t the first time Chicago’s students have been used as political pawns. CPS dragged its feet on reopening schools post-COVID, staying closed until late August 2021—long after many districts had resumed in-person learning.
The CTU even labeled reopening efforts as “rooted in sexism, racism, and misogyny” in a now-deleted tweet, showing their willingness to politicize any issue.
Even if school were in session, the reality of union-dominated education in Chicago is glaringly evident. Within walking distance of the convention center, William H. Brown STEM Magnet School and Robert Nathaniel Dett Elementary School are failing spectacularly.
With English Language Arts (ELA) and math proficiency rates below 10% and absences soaring, these schools are a stark reminder of the failures of union-controlled education.
The situation isn’t isolated. Across the district, proficiency rates in reading and math hover below 30%. Enrollment is plummeting, with over 50,000 students lost between 2018 and 2023. Schools like Douglass and Manley High operate at less than 5% capacity, yet thanks to a CTU-backed 2021 law, CPS can’t close any schools until 2025. And, if the union has its way, this moratorium might extend to 2027.
The CTU isn’t just blocking school closures. They’re demanding that unused school facilities be converted into shelters for unaccompanied migrants, a proposal included in their latest contract negotiations.
This is just a piece of the union’s $50-billion wish list, which includes costly demands like across-the-board raises and weaker teacher evaluations.
Chicago’s education crisis is the inevitable outcome when a teachers’ union runs a city.
With a mayor hand-picked by the CTU and a school board filled with union-friendly appointees, it’s clear that in Chicago, politics trumps education.
CPS students may not learn much in the classroom, but they’re getting a front-row seat to the lesson that, for education bureaucrats and union bosses, politics always comes first.
This piece was written by LifeZette News Staff on August 21, 2024. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.
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Source: https://www.rvmnews.com/2024/08/cps-sacrifices-students-education-for-dnc-agenda/
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