A recent communication from the Chicago Teachers Union quickly vanished from social media after a striking error caught the attention of observers. The flyer, intended to rally support for increased funding for the city’s schools, contained a fundamental misspelling that immediately sparked criticism.
The union’s plea to contact Governor JB Pritzker regarding funding from the “ultra-wealthy” was marred by the incorrect spelling of his title as “Governer.” The error appeared across multiple platforms – X, Facebook, and TikTok – before being swiftly deleted.
School choice advocate Corey DeAngelis highlighted the mistake, questioning the union’s attention to detail. He suggested that if the CTU struggles with basic spelling on official communications, it raises concerns about the standards within the classrooms themselves.
DeAngelis’s commentary pointed to a deeper issue: the educational outcomes in Chicago. He argued the misspelling was emblematic of a larger problem contributing to low literacy rates among students.
Recent reports paint a grim picture of Chicago’s public schools. An audit revealed $23.6 million in questionable travel expenses, and the CTU itself has faced scrutiny for failing to provide complete financial audits to its members for the past five years.
The union’s financial practices have drawn concern from the House Education and Workforce Committee, which noted the CTU’s non-compliance with its own auditing policies. This lack of transparency adds to the growing questions surrounding the organization’s priorities.
In the past year, the CTU advocated for a substantial $50 billion increase in taxpayer funding, encompassing demands like wage hikes, expanded healthcare coverage, and new programs. However, the results within the schools themselves tell a different story.
A recent report from the Illinois State Board of Education revealed a shocking statistic: in 30 schools across the state – 22 of them in Chicago – not a single student is performing at grade level in reading. The situation in mathematics is equally dire, with 53 schools reporting zero students proficient in the subject, 33 of those located in Chicago.
These numbers underscore a critical challenge facing Chicago’s education system, raising serious questions about resource allocation and the effectiveness of current strategies.
