Parent to two children in a neighborhood school. Not part of a school system, teachers' union, charter, Sacks, or anything, really.
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CPS Cuts that Don't Affect the Classroom
1) $21M: Eliminate "The Network"
Miami Dade has no bureaucracy like "The Network." Principals there report to the central office & receive more autonomy. And in Chicago we have LSC's who can recommend removal of a bad principal.
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I'm hearing Mayor Brandon Johnson orders Chicago police to chauffeur his child to and from school*
*if you're in the know, please don't name the school in my replies out of respect for privacy of his kid.
But do point out what an abuse of authority and misuse of money this is.
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Mary Ann, am I understanding correctly that older folks in indoor casinos won't need to mask while children outdoors for recess will need to mask?
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Stacy Davis Gates has turned the CTU Foundation into a repository for paying staff instead of helping the community.
CTUF Grants 2016: $1,951,314
CTUF Grants 2020: $252,780
CTUF Grants 2023: $39,582
CTUF Salaries 2016: $77,456
CTUF Salaries 2023: $1,304,324
Source follows...
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One other question for president of Chicago Board of Ed: he is not a parent, not an educator, not an experienced leader of a large organization. What makes him think he's remotely qualified for this position or to judge Pedro Martinez' performance?
The president of the Chicago Board of Education answers questions. why does he want to be board president? why did he drop out of college? why does he need a car and a driver?
chicago.suntimes.com/educati…
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Let's concede, for arguments sake, that airplane travel is more bad than good.
United hq and jobs leaving Chicago for Denver still obviously would be bad for Chicago's economy, and public schools that depend on tax dollars.
Incredibly stupid take from H.
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What was the name of the staffer who shoved you? If they did this, they don't deserve anonymity.
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"At least 100 schools have less than 200 students." - Pedro Martinez today at City Council meeting in response to @Alderman_Beale question.
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If Paul Vallas wins, @CTULocal1 will throw a tantrum and strike next school year (when contract is up for renewal).
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I think he has a spouse who, like hundreds of thousands of Chicagoans, could do pickup/dropoff. Or carpool.
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Board of Education President Mitchell L. Johnson had a "lien placed on his house for non-payment of children support"
nbcchicago.com/news/local/ci…
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Karen Zaccor lost her election. Appointed anyway. CTU does a thread celebrating elected school board.
The appointment of these members, many of them advocates for justice and public education, like retired teacher and founder member of Uplift High School Sustainable Community School Karen Zaccor, coupled with the election of champions like Aaron "Jitu" Brown, will usher in a new era of collaboration for our school communities and doing what's right for our students their families.
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The Brandon Johnson/CTU-backed candidate has raised the most money in 8 of 10 districts.
Don't believe the billionaire rhetoric.
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When someone complains that each of their last nine bosses have been bad, the problem might not be their boss.
Here is my list of CEO’s of Chicago Public Schools that I have worked for since I started teaching in 2007. Their common threads-all neoliberal CEO’s who are interested in privatizing public schools. None have fought for transformative changes. It’s time for a different path.
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I've tweeted often advocating for cps to be fully funded.
The biggest roadblock is Mayor Johnson, who (1) failed to lobby for this 11 months ago when he should have and (2) has been caught lying so much that he's incredibly unpopular and untrustworthy by public+legislators
For all those tweeting how you are mad a CEO was fired—go count your tweets and show me all your tweets to get our public schools fully funded. I’ll wait.
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DQ manager probably could care less about Vallas but is just tired of Brandon Johnson not paying his blizzard tab.
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And the housing was so needed by retired teachers & paras that ctu invested and bought more....
Wait, I'm told they sold the housing and used the proceeds for charitable giving...
Wait again, l'm told they cut charitable giving by more than half.
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Good work by whoever at CPS leaked this info to @paschutz.
Keep it up please. Expose any selfish spending requests.
NEW: According to CPS sources and internal communications, School Board President Sean Harden is requesting a taxpayer-funded Ford Expedition + personal driver at an estimated cost of $154,000 - as the district faces $500 million shortfall and CTU negotiations. More at 4pm FOX 32
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Terrible idea to send people mail-back testing kits rather than in-home tests. Was quite obvious at the time.
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Davis Gates used CTU money to hire her brother to work on Jitu Brown's campaign despite no other candidate on ballot. Potter sent CTU money to his mom. I wonder what Kurzydlo and Castro are doing...
We are less than two weeks away from our election for CTU leadership. The choice is clear, vote the CORE slate on May 16th. Featuring President Stacy Davis Gates, VP Jackson Potter, Financial Secretary Dr Diane Castro, and Recording Secretary Vicki Kurzydlo. #VoteCORE
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Peace circles with victim and harassser are not an acceptable solution to sexual harassment.
Chief of Staff Pacione-Zayas should resign.
And Chicago School Board should not consider her, ever, for any position.
NEWS: Mayor Brandon Johnson’s comms chief faced sexual harassment, misogyny, racism complaints before firing. Chief of staff Christina Pacione-Zayas was criticized for talking about "peace circles" to complaining workers, city gave him “verbal coaching.” chicagotribune.com/2024/11/2…
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CTU elementary school teachers already receive a full hour of prep time, more than the national average of 45 minutes.
@chalkbeatCHI covered this 6 yrs ago...chalkbeat.org/chicago/2019/1…
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Elected school board member Jessica Biggs received 7 votes for cps board vp.
Appointed stooge board member Olga Bautista received 12 votes.
All 9 appointees+ctu endorsees Lopez, Brown, DeBerry voted Bautista.
So appointees get president and vp; electeds get nothing.
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How does this new app avoid the problem of wealthy parents buying the best teachers?
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Rich Miller reports that among Latino voters in this poll, Brandon Johnson is 2% favorable and 88% unfavorable.
@RepChuyGarcia
@AldRodriguez22 -
Could you share these numbers with School Board member Yesenia Lopez please before she votes on anything he wants? Thank you.
Updated with some crosstabs for Mayor Johnson. Not pretty capitolfax.com/2025/02/24/po…
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When Lightfoot was mayor, it was Lightfoot's budget. Now that Johnson is mayor, it is Martinez's budget?
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2 radical ideas CPS may consider in a few years, when the fiscal cliff severely worsens:
1) Declare bankruptcy & dissolve. Escape pensions & contracts. Replace CPS w more manageable districts, using network or board boundaries
2) Charter the whole district as New Orleans did.
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Does Stacy Davis Gates think @byaliceyin called some white billionaire for this story, who then whispered "talk to Rhymefest" and then Yin complied?
Does she think @RhymefestforCPS is incapable of having his own opinions on what's right for CPS students?
This rerun is so tired. I really wish the monied opposition would play straight up. Why recruit a black man to play the role of oppositional rich white billionaire? So the rich white billionaire won’t be called racist? Or, to shield the billionaire from public criticism?
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Completely selfish and irresponsible. Harden should be asked to resign.
NEW: According to CPS sources and internal communications, School Board President Sean Harden is requesting a taxpayer-funded Ford Expedition + personal driver at an estimated cost of $154,000 - as the district faces $500 million shortfall and CTU negotiations. More at 4pm FOX 32
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CTU is still asking for higher pay for veteran teachers who already make $100k+ (point #3) and more prep time than any large district in the country (point #4).
CTU President Stacy Davis Gates threatens escalation in a letter sent to CPS Monday, days before a school board vote on a controversial budget amendment.
Doesn’t threaten a strike, but the possibility hangs over the letter. Two weeks ago, CTU gave its last, best and final offer.
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Bad take. They're asking for more paid prep time than teachers across the nation. And the paid prep time means less instructional time for students.
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Multiple low paid staff were allegedly sexually harassed by a powerful man and @AldermanLaSpata @DanielLaSpata's only tweet on the subject is concern that peace circles might get a bad rap.
Delete your tweet, Alderman. Do better.
It has been hard hearing peace circles be a misunderstood object of derision in Council of late. I don’t see them as a replacement for human resources and EEO policies, but when grounded in trust, consent, and mutual respect they can be genuinely transformative.
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Yes. If only there was a department in our government who could mandate 5 day reopening in order to qualify for fed funds next school year.
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It is ridiculous that cps doesn't open school buildings until the opening bell. An example of Parent Voice being ignored in favor of CTU voice.
These drop-off windows don't exist in suburban schools. When I was a kid, there was a 30-min. window where students shuffled in, because the school district knew working parents needed that flexibility.
W/ @ChiPubSchools, it's like the 'Soup Nazi'. Why do we live like this?
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Since we're defining words today, what's your definition of the word "liar"?
I am hearing today is the day for school board resignations. Mayor Brandon Johnson had nothing but contempt for Paris Schutz when he asked the mayor about it the other day #twill
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Our mayor lies often. He might also be a crook.
This is an incredible story and people need to know what’s going on with the Mayor’s ‘affordable’ housing project.
He will spend far more per unit to build (and nearly 6X the cost to acquire) a low-rise, income-restricted project on the far west side (4500 block of W Washington - a place not exactly known for expensive real estate) than it would cost to build a Class A+ high rise on Michigan Ave or West Loop.
He will enrich his buddy contractor (who donated to his campaign) with a cost-plus contract to the tune of at least $1.16M. This means the contractor is incentivized to go over budget, because he will earn a percentage of the total cost.
Furthermore, Brandon’s longtime church formed a non-profit to oversee this project and they will earn $1.7M in “Developer Fees.”
What does a church know about development? Good question.
Will Brandon see some of those juicy fees being paid to the church or contractor? Better question.
This entire project is being paid for by taxpayers (through TIFs, HUD, and bonds) and raises the question of whether the real reason it is happening is to funnel fees to Brandon or his allies.
This smacks of corruption and demands an investigation.
@FBI @EileenCookCnty @JBPritzker @ToniPreckwinkle @FBIChicago @RaymondALopez @AldReilly @Andrefor40th @AttyDanKirk @NDILnews @MaryAnnAhernNBC @Williamjkelly @ChicagoOIG @TheJusticeDept @byaliceyin @jus10chi
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Well done @TavernStyled and thank you @HeatherCherone and @paschutz for digging deeper!
nitter.app/TavernStyled/status/16…
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Not sure how I feel about this. I don't trust CPS to develop curriculum. Nor do I trust the most ardent CTU member to have authority over curriculum.
Neither is talking scientifically-backed teaching methods.
Not only do these things cost $0 in the contract, in some cases they prevent wasteful spending. If you allow teachers/schools to build curricula, CPS cannot waste hundreds-of-millions of dollars to create a poorly designed one-size-fits-all "curriculum" as they did with Skyline
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Ouch. 71% of those polled were, like me, Harris voters. And just 6.6% rate Brandon Johnson favorable.
Anyone on the school board voting with this mayor can kiss their career goodbye.
NEW: A poll of Chicago voters finds fewer than 7% have a favorable opinion of Mayor Brandon Johnson, while 80% have an unfavorable opinion of the mayor. I don’t think I’ve ever seen numbers this bad for a sitting public official in any elected office.
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His boss is the students. He works on behalf of what is best for students rather than what mayor wants.
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Fact ✔️: 3 ctu demands that reduce instructional time
1) 30 min weekly of teachers advising students, not instructing.
2) two fewer weeks of schools being open to preschoolers
3) p.e. every day.
Also: more prep time than teachers at other large districts means less math & ela.
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Brandon Johnson lies repeatedly. And gets caught.
The only thing good about this is that he's no longer in a classroom teaching children.
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Miriam has broken many stories through her foia and knowledge.
Sean Harden is the new chair of the board of ed.
CPS contracting conflicts ...hmmm....let's see who lasts past Friday, @CPS_CEO_PM or Harden.
@JeffO773 @CitizenVMachine @cswir , others, can we figure it out?
someone just go look at sean harden's work and see if there are conflicts with CPS contracting is what i'm trying to say
my plate is full!
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Jackson Potter lies and claims Chuck Swirsky was fired.
Chuck Swirsky reported to Pedro Martinez and, as evidenced by his many tweets, Swirsky is a big defender of Pedro Martinez.
Make it make sense, Jackson.
Hey @RobinPotterLaw is Jackson's false claim slander by chance?
I was fired? Guess that's more "truth." You might want to look into that. You guys couldn't get rid of the CEO with your allies on the board (who all resigned) and you think I was fired? I left bc of one your allies said "GD's would shoot Jews down Michigan Ave" and I was done
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Here's Willie Preston, who just won his election yesterday to Illinois state Senate! Over the ctu-backed and funded candidate. Sorry @stacydavisgates, you can't buy every election. #ParentVoice
Willie Preston, dad of 6, also points out that 70% of students due to return are Black and brown.
“I am extremely disappointed by the guerilla organizing and misinformation” from @CTULocal1.
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Teachers are working insane hours under stress. Not all school parking lots are large.
There is a staffing shortage at many schools. What horrible timing to send this, CPS.
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I'm hearing whispers that 1 of the 7 departing school board members has remained silent on everything because their kid was put into a cps school that they weren't normally eligible for.
As a parent, I get it but would have trouble living with myself.
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$4,000,000?
Any school's PTO could've loaned them a few cardtables and folding chairs.
First look: $4M renovation of CPS boardroom makes space for 21 members chicago.suntimes.com/educati…
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CTu often points out that most teachers are women, and that some attacks on them are misogynist.
And yet complete silence from @CTULocal1 @stacydavisgates @hkappklote on the sexual harassment scandal in mayor's office.
I guess it's OK if they're your friends.
We use our power to get the contracts that create sustainable community schools. We use our power as a union of women for our children. The people of our city drop their kids off to you. They trust you. #SolidarityIsOurPower
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Is your handle ironic?
Secret Service is important. Security is important. A daily police chauffeur to and from school isn't necessary.
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Good!!!! Gov. Pritzker to ban cell phones in schools
Thank you @GovPritzker @anacaprana
The science is clear: this will help student outcomes.
Tough to learn when you're on your phone.
#twill
Pritzker to propose banning cellphones in public schools
audacy.com/wbbm780/news/loca…
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No school in any form Friday is the fault of @Chicagosmayor, not @SharkeyCTU1. CPS could have sent devices home Wed. and Thu. to avoid more missed school and as an honest acknowledgement that a deal is never reached this quickly.
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"At breakfast I used the intercom to tell 670 children we had no milk."
Half of Brentano's students are low income.
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And he's lecturing Pedro Martinez on fiscal responsibility.
Back-loaded repayment schedule for $830M bond issue adds $2B to borrowing costs, experts say chicago.suntimes.com/city-ha…
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Are you new to CPS parenthood? I've seen this movie twice already. Spoiler Alert!
Today, CTU celebrates with a car parade; no progress in negotiations if they even occur.
Tomorrow, Lightfoot says something completely insulting, causing CTU to pout, delaying negotiations again.
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The "Happy Birthday" at the bottom of the cake looks like it was done last minute on an office laser printer and affixed to the cake stand when someone realized the cake didn't have a birthday message.
His allies can't even get a birthday cake right.
Though @ChicagosMayor is preoccupied trying to portray himself as seeking reelection, with 6.6 percent approval, he knows he is done after one term.
Johnson is in big trouble politically, and he is losing support among black voters.
Though a birthday party, the evening was also a third-rate attempt at pandering to the mayor's last remaining constituency, black political allies and black donors.
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Check my facts pls.
If CPS makes the $175M payment and w/o cutting staff or borrowing, a way to pay for it would be to cut ctu salaries by 9%.
$175,000,000÷25,000 ctu mbrs = $7,000 cut per mmbr ÷ $80,000 salary = 9% pay cut.
CTU hates him anyway; Pedro could make this point.
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"Consider the legal jeopardy you're putting yourselves in. Consider the legal jeopardy you're putting CPS in."
-elected board member Rhymefest writes and delivers a persuasive speech.
WATCH: Chicago’s newly elected school board members are now speaking out against Mayor Brandon Johnson’s hand-picked school board, which is expected to fire CEO Pedro Martinez for his refusal to issue a $300M high-interest loan to fund Chicago Teachers Union contract demands. This power play by Johnson and the CTU comes just a few weeks before elected members take office Jan. 15.
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How absurd. You are a fair minded reporter too. Thank you for your work Mary Ann.
If you had to guess, did they set you up? Or did staff really not know and figured she would have to answer?
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Nell, any word from Glen Ellyn police or mayor as to why they are re-shipping migrants?
Glen Ellyn median hh income is $124,754 vs Chicago $65,781, and schools are well-resourced there.
Shame on @VillageofGE
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The ctu-backed appointed school board trying to take over negotiations with ctu is like letting my children take over negotiations on whether vegetables will be a part of dinner.
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Do you have a view on the greed of the board of ed president's request for a luxury car and private driver?
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CPS board members have a fiduciary duty to oversee the finances of the district. Board members who signed the letter demanding a loan and who expressed concern about the city's finances rather than cps' finances...
they could be sued for failure to act as a fiduciary.
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"F Israel and F all you Zionist scum." - Mueze Bawany, current(!) CPS teacher and recipient of $59k from @CTULocal1 in his '23 aldermanic campaign against @50thWardChicago.
When his comments came to light, some retracted their endorsement.
CTU did not.
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Cozen O'Connor donated to Brandon Johnson's mayoral campaign.
Cozen O'Connor is the high priced law firm cps board hired to save their own skins in their scheme to fire Pedro Martinez. Money that could be going to schools.
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I'm surprised "only" 30 of 50 signed the letter. If your alderman didn't sign, call or email them.
chicago.gov/city/en/depts/ma…
BREAKING: Thirty Chicago aldermen have signed on to a letter urging the Chicago Board of Education to stand by their unanimous resolution requiring the next CEO of Chicago Public Schools to hold a superintendent’s license.
Mayor Brandon Johnson has been pressuring the board to reverse that resolution in order to name his chief of staff, Cristina Pacione-Zayas, as CEO.
“The interests of students, parents and teachers must come before the political considerations of any mayor.”
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I don't understand Jackson Potter quoting the racial makeup, 17%-28% of four races, as being a bad thing.
Is there a more diverse high school in the country?
Also ignores the fact that there are SEHS throughout the city.
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Any parents of cps kids still undecided?
Brandon Johnson is our better hope over the next four years to spend more $$ on public schools.
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And thank you to regular and irregular parents here on what @chicagobars calls this dumb free app who did most of the research that uncovered so much about the not-so-reverend Johnson.
BREAKING: Chicago Public School Board President Rev. Mitchell Johnson has announced his resignation.
Thank you to the more than 40 Chicago aldermen and other elected officials who came together over the last 24 hours to call for a change in leadership. Rev. Mitchell Johnson’s decision to resign from the Chicago Public School Board is in the best interests of our city. Next week, a group of Chicagoans will be elected to our School Board, joining Mayor Brandon Johnson’s appointees, and I hope this group will promote inclusivity and tolerance while delivering a world-class education to our young people and support to parents and caregivers.
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Ben, he will backtrack, not go, then blame you and the rest of the media for not understanding.
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Thats not reflective of the recent poll. Latinx Vallas 58% - Johnson 32%
Interesting stuff in the cross tabs of this Emerson poll.
First, Hispanics are almost 2 to 1 for Vallas.
Second, more people trust Vallas over Johnson on education, 48% to 41%. If Johnson is not even winning that topic…
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We need more independent thinking progressives like @JaymalGreen involved in politics. Appreciate his thoughtfulness.
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Here's a story about Paul Vallas' New Orleans tenure.
nola.com/news/education/paul…
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In addition to his antisemitic words, School Board Mitchell Johnson also failed to pay child support and lost his law license after ghosting three clients.
He must resign.
School Board Chair Mitchell Johnson abandoned at least 3 clients & failed to pay child support.
Receipts:
two separate cases he noshowed casetext.com/case/cleveland-…
$1k from bankrupt guy to not pay for expert witness: law.justia.com/cases/ohio/su…
Deadbeat dad:
shorturl.at/eEH0Q
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Wow - three appointed board members found their spine (or made a wise calculation for their political future).
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The appointed board members who voted against Brandon Johnson's wishes:
1) @EdBannonNWChi from NW Side, the target of a strong lobbying effort from both sides.
2) Anusha Thotakura, very young former teacher.
3) Cydney Wallace, community activist & mom to 4 CPS students.
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The vote breakdown on Brandon Johnson's choice to lead cps:
Appointed members: 10 yes, 0 no.
Elected members: 1 yes, 8 no, 1 abstention.
Here's our story about the school board tapping Macquline King, city hall advisor and former principal, as CPS's interim CEO. King talked to us briefly today to address the investigations in her personnel record and how she'll handle this new role: chalkbeat.org/chicago/2025/0…
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Read both these Alice Yin tweets (she's a skilled and accurate reporter).
Tweet 1 shows Mayor Johnson implying Pedro Martinez is a liar.
Tweet 2 reveals who the liar is.
Mayor Brandon Johnson is all but calling Pedro Martinez a liar on MEABF now: “I want to believe that the CEO did not come before the City Council and lie to them. I want to believe that. … What's the contingency plan around someone being dishonest? Call on the name of Jesus.”
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Great write-up by @chalkbeatCHI @reemadamin
I also think Pedro Martinez and his team earned some respect, taking five hours of questions.
Five hours more than former school board president Jianan Shi or Deputy Mayor for Ed Jennifer Johnson have taken.
Here's our write-up of today's 5+ hour grilling of CPS CEO Pedro Martinez on the budget, how money is allocated to schools, the short-term loan idea, and a lot more chalkbeat.org/chicago/2024/1…
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Principal Ortega from Hamline Elementary and other staff from @ChiPubSchools had a long convo w secret service officers and then later claimed it was ICE visiting.
Prior to this video, I had guessed they were just confused. Now it would appear they lied to stoke fear.
Chicago Public Schools announced that ICE had come to its doors but new video obtained by Caroline Kubzansky and @nellbsalzman shows pretty clearly they identified themselves as Secret Service. What a mess that day was chicagotribune.com/2025/02/0…
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