CTU’s political spending has topped $24.3M since 2010

When a radical slate of CTU members called the Caucus of Rank-and-File Educators took over the union in 2010, it launched CTU into years of activism, strikes and political wrangling.⁸

Since then, CTU and its political action committee have directed more than $24.3 million to 349 separate political committees, according to records with the Illinois State Board of Elections.

From aldermen in Chicago to lawmakers as far south as Belleville, CTU pours its money into candidates’ political coffers.

Chicago: CTU and its affiliates are the biggest political spenders in Chicago

CTU isn’t just one of the political players in Chicago. It is the political player.

CTU and its state and national affiliates – the Illinois Federation of Teachers and the American Federation of Teachers – spent nearly $6.5 million on Chicago mayoral, city council, city clerk and city treasurer candidates between Feb. 28, 2022, and May 4, 2023.

That made CTU and its affiliates the largest spenders on Chicago politics for the 2023 election.

Specifically, the largest recipient of that funding was Brandon Johnson, who received a combined $5.7 million from CTU and its state and national affiliates.⁹

CTU alone contributed nearly $2.3 million to Johnson’s campaign leading up to the election, even breaking its own internal rules with a $1.5 million contribution of members’ dues in March 2023.¹⁰ Since the election, CTU has sent nearly $112,000 more to Johnson’s coffers.¹¹ It also raised member dues by 13% to $1,400 a year for the 2024 fiscal year, likely to make up for the union’s deficit spending and political wrangling.¹²

In addition to bankrolling Johnson’s way into office, CTU has funneled over $850,000 to 30 of the 50 current Chicago aldermen, according to records with the Illinois State Board of Elections.¹³ More than 60% of its contributions went to aldermen who are members of the Democratic Socialists of America or the Democratic Socialist Caucus in City Hall.¹⁴

This shows the union’s commitment to getting the most radical candidates elected.

But CTU isn’t done after taking over City Hall and the City Council. It has now set its sights on the Chicago Board of Education. In 2021, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed legislation creating an elected school board and expanding it from seven members, who are currently appointed by the mayor, to 21, who will be elected over the course of two election cycles. In 2024, the first 10 members will be elected and the mayor will appoint the remaining 11. An election to choose the remaining 11 members will occur in 2026.¹⁵

CTU has endorsed 10 candidates and has spent over $175,000 to date, according to records with the Illinois State Board of Elections.¹⁶ More money is likely to come, if CTU’s spending on Johnson is any indication. Much of that money came in the weeks leading up to the election.

If successful, CTU will control Chicago Public Schools. After bankrolling its endorsed candidates into office in 2024, it could then tell Johnson who he should pick for the remaining 11 positions.

Statewide: CTU has funneled money to nearly half of Illinois lawmakers and even more through Democratic political committees

CTU may be a Chicago-based union, but its political efforts don’t stay local. It has also poured $1.3 million into the coffers of current state lawmakers and $500,000 into other Democratic election committees that can disperse money to candidates.

Nearly half of current lawmakers in the Illinois General Assembly have received money from CTU since 2010, according to records with the Illinois State Board of Elections.¹⁷

Those contributions include:

• $620,071 to current Illinois state senators.
• $662,200 to current Illinois state representatives.
• Donations to 84 out of 117 Democrats, or 72%.
• No donations to the 59 Republicans.¹⁸

Notably, CTU has donated to 40 current Illinois lawmakers whose districts are outside the city and school district, showing its interests go well beyond the school district’s boundaries.¹⁹

CTU’s influence over statewide politicians doesn’t end there. The union has also contributed more than $500,000 to other Democratic election committees in Illinois. Those committees then direct money to additional candidates and causes.

But contributing money to politicians is just one part of the puzzle. The other part is seeing results. And CTU has laid the groundwork to get what it wants – a political quid pro quo that emboldens and empowers the union.

CTU’s political quid pro quo

CTU’s spending creates a quid pro quo between the union and politicians in Illinois. That relationship was recently acknowledged by Illinois Senate President Don Harmon during his comments at the Democratic National Convention.²⁰ “Democrats don’t win without organized labor… We gotta stick together,” he said.

From the mayor’s office to the Statehouse, CTU has seen the rewards of its political spending.

CTU reaps the rewards of buying a mayoral election

It didn’t come as a surprise when CTU made a play for City Hall through a handpicked candidate on its payroll. Former Mayor Lori Lightfoot had all but predicted it. She told the New York Times in February 2021, “I think, ultimately, [CTU would] like to take over not only Chicago Public Schools, but take over running the city government.”²¹

Yet Johnson initially trailed in the polls. Just two weeks before the February election, he wasn’t a top four contender.²²

But the polling hadn’t accounted for the power – and money – of CTU and its union allies.²³ Johnson found himself in the top two in the February election and made it into the April run-off. By March 30, 2023, Johnson’s political committee had taken in more than $11.1 million – with more than $10.1 million coming from unions.²⁴

Overall, nearly 91% of Johnson’s war chest came from 27 unions leading into the election. Over half of his donations were from teachers unions.

Within weeks of Johnson taking office, CTU started reaping the rewards of its investment. On June 8, 2023, a newly inaugurated Johnson and CTU jointly announced a new paternity leave policy of 12 weeks for bargaining unit members.²⁵

What about groups that didn’t financially back his campaign? Ask the police. Johnson initially rejected the Fraternal Order of Police’s request to extend the same paternity leave policy to police officers that he granted to his former coworkers in the CTU.²⁶

Then there were Johnson’s administrative appointments. One of his picks: Jennifer Johnson, former CTU chief of staff who is now the deputy mayor for education, youth and human services.²⁷ CTU President Stacy Davis Gates said she was “absolutely elated” by the appointment.²⁸ Members of his transition team included staff of other union allies.²⁹

Now CTU is negotiating for a new union contract with Johnson’s administration, pushing more than 700 expensive provisions – many of which have nothing to do with education or employment, such as the creation of affordable housing programs and “climate justice.”³⁰ These demands could add at least $10 billion in additional costs for taxpayers to cover over the five-year lifetime of the new contract.³¹

At a speech at the City Club of Chicago, Davis Gates said the union’s demands “will cost $50 billion and 3 cents. And so what? That’s audacity. That’s Chicago.”

But negotiating a radical contract with a union crony you put into office isn’t “audacity.” It’s evidence of a political machine.

CTU reaps the rewards of funding lawmakers

It may be based in Chicago, but CTU’s lobbying affects residents throughout Illinois. In the most recent legislative session, the Illinois General Assembly did CTU’s bidding on 60% of the bills on which CTU took a stance.³²

Clearly, CTU’s money is translating into corresponding action by lawmakers.

The union officially registered its position on 59 bills during the recent 103rd General Assembly. Of those, it supported 54 bills and opposed five bills.

Here’s the kicker: lawmakers passed 32 of the 54 bills CTU supported. That’s a nearly 60% passage rate.

None of the bills it opposed passed.

Taken together, the Illinois General Assembly did what CTU told them to do on more than 6 out of every 10 bills. From charter schools to minimum wage at restaurants, CTU had an opinion.

Many of the bills CTU supported involved education or educational employment, but that doesn’t mean the bills were in the best interests of students. From the ability to force charter schools to unionize under House Bill 1120 to required instruction in all public schools on climate change in House Bill 4895, CTU supported bills that many families around the state might oppose.³³

The union also secured the passage of House Bill 2392, which allows teachers to take 10 paid days each school term to do “federal advocacy work,” i.e., politics, for unions’ state affiliates.³⁴ While the union will pay for a substitute, the district will still be paying the teacher to do political work, and students will be left without their normal teacher.

Other bills had nothing to do with education or teacher employment at all, such as House Bill 5345, which mandates minimum wage for tipped workers.³⁵ The union also supported Senate Bill 3649.³⁶ While framed as a union rights bill, it effectively prohibits religious and policy-oriented 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations from requiring their employees to attend meetings about religious or political matters – even if those matters are at the crux of the entity’s existence. The Illinois Policy Institute has filed a lawsuit challenging the law as an unconstitutional restriction of free speech.³⁷

The union also prevented passage of bills that could have benefitted children and families all over the state. For example, one of the five bills CTU opposed was House Bill 1573, which would have enabled low-income students to attend private schools that better fit their needs.³⁸ It also opposed House Bill 1246, which would have ensured parents in school districts of 300 or more students could see a list of the curriculum used in the district in the previous school year.³⁹

The union also attacked the ability of school districts to boost their career and technical education departments, opposing a bill that would allow a license for teaching a course in manufacturing, engineering, technology or a trade to be issued to an applicant who has at least 10,000 working hours in a trade.⁴⁰

Notably, most of these bills applied throughout Illinois and not just in the Chicago area. That means CTU’s political reach affects students and parents – and, in the case of House Bill 5345 and Senate Bill 3649, businesses – outside its own district.

That’s more power than any special interest group should have.

Polling shows CTU’s influence could be waning

CTU’s influence isn’t in the best interest of students or taxpayers. But it might not be in the best interests of Brandon Johnson or other politicians, either.

Polling reveals 63% of Chicago voters have an unfavorable view of Johnson.⁴¹ His close affiliation with CTU is certainly not helping. Voters expressed significant opposition to candidates who take money from CTU, with 55% indicating they would be less likely to vote for such candidates (39% much less likely, 15% somewhat less likely).

Not only is public opinion turning, but the political will of local Chicago leaders to toe the Johnson/CTU line is also wavering. When Johnson urged the CPS Board of Education – the members of which he appointed – to take on a city pension payment, the board refused.⁴² When he wanted the board to obtain a long-term, high-risk loan to address the CPS budget gap, the board refused.⁴³  Johnson has also gotten pushback from the City Council. Johnson wants to end ShotSpotter, the city’s gunshot detection system, but the City Council voted 33-14 to give the Chicago police superintendent the power to bypass the mayor and make his own contract with the firm that operates the system.⁴⁴

The headlines haven’t been friendly:

Johnson and CTU have also faced rejection from Springfield in recent months. After Johnson and CTU leaders called on Springfield to funnel $1.1 billion to CPS after it squandered pandemic aid money, Gov. J.B. Pritzker had harsh words for the union.⁴⁵

“I don’t think that that’s the job of Springfield, to rescue the school districts that might have been irresponsible with the one-time money they received,” Pritzker told a Springfield blogger.⁴⁶

CTU also ruffled lawmakers’ feathers after labeling as “racist” the democratically-sponsored bill aimed at pausing the union’s assault on selective enrollment schools.⁴⁷

When asked if he thought their antics had hurt CTU, Pritzker responded, “I do. I think that when you take it to that extreme, I think there are people that – you heard some of that discussion on the floor by members – that… some were between offended and outraged by what was said.’’

CTU may be the current machine, but its leaders’ actions could be making the union’s affiliation toxic to politicians.

If people start voting the way polling indicates – and against anyone who takes CTU’s money – it’s only a matter of time before CTU finds itself out of favor with the political elite.

Endnotes

^{1 Dan Petrella and Rick Pearson, “Michael Madigan Resigns from Illinois House after being Ousted as Speaker, Defends His Legacy in Face of ‘Vicious Attacks’,” Chicago Tribune, Feb. 19, 2021, https://www.chicagotribune.com/2021/02/18/michael-madigan-resigns-from-illinois-house-after-being-ousted-as-speaker-defends-his-legacy-in-face-of-vicious-attacks/; Hannah Meisel, “Madigan Trial Delayed Until October for SCOTUS Review of Bribery Statute,” Capitol News Illinois, Jan. 3, 2024, https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/madigan-trial-delayed-until-october-for-scotus-review-of-bribery-statute.}

^{2 Editorial Board, “Is the Chicago Teachers Union the New Machine?,” Chicago Tribune, March 1, 2023, https://www.chicagotribune.com/2023/03/01/editorial-is-the-chicago-teachers-union-the-new-machine/. See also William A. Galston, “Understanding What Happened in the Chicago Mayoral Race,” Brookings Institute, March 2, 2023, https://www.brookings.edu/articles/understanding-what-happened-in-the-chicago-mayoral-race/ (“Although the fabled Daley ‘machine’ has disappeared, enduring organizations still dominate many of the city’s 50 wards, and large unions can still determine the outcome of city-wide contests. Two unions stand above the rest in the Windy City – the police and the teachers. Lightfoot managed to lose the confidence of both, creating a huge opportunity for her competitors. Paul Vallas, who finished first with 34% of the vote, was backed by the police, while Brandon Johnson, who came in second with 20%, got the endorsement of the teachers.”).}

^{3 Heather Cherone, “Chicago Teachers Union Endorses Brandon Johnson for Mayor, Urges Him to Make Bid Official,” WTTW, Sept. 28, 2022, https://news.wttw.com/2022/09/28/chicago-teachers-union-endorses-brandon-johnson-mayor-urges-him-make-bid-official.} 

^{4 Heather Cherone, “Chicago Teachers Union Endorses Brandon Johnson for Mayor, Urges Him to Make Bid Official,” WTTW, Sept. 28, 2022, https://news.wttw.com/2022/09/28/chicago-teachers-union-endorses-brandon-johnson-mayor-urges-him-make-bid-official.}

^{5 Data gathered from the Illinois State Board of Elections. Notably, this only represents CTU’s spending on Illinois politics and does not account for federal political spending or spending in other states. For more on the rise of CORE and its radical policies, see “Local 1: The Rise of America’s Most Powerful Teachers Union,” a documentary available at chicagoteachersunion.com.}

^{6 For an explanation of how union money is funneled through their political action committees to general democratic committees for further use, see Mailee Smith, “Illinois Government Workers’ Union Dues Being Diverted to Swing-State Politics,” Illinois Policy Institute, Sept. 19, 2024, https://www.illinoispolicy.org/illinois-government-workers-union-dues-being-diverted-to-swing-state-politics/.}

^{7 M3 Strategies, Polling Memorandum, August 16, 2024, https://files.illinoispolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Polling-Memorandum-Chicago-Mayor-Brandon-Johnson-and-CTU-Money-August-2024-For-Distribution.pdf.}

^{8 For more on the rise of CORE and its radical policies, see “Local 1: The Rise of America’s Most Powerful Teachers Union,” a documentary available at chicagoteachersunion.com.}

^{9 Mailee Smith, “Chicago Teachers Union, Affiliates Biggest Spenders on Chicago Politics,” Illinois Policy Institute, Dec. 12, 2023, https://www.illinoispolicy.org/chicago-teachers-union-affiliates-biggest-spenders-on-chicago-politics/.}

^{10 Mailee Smith, “Chicago Teachers Union defies its own rules with $1.5M more in member dues to Johnson, Illinois Policy Institute, Mar. 15, 2023, https://www.illinoispolicy.org/chicago-teachers-union-defies-its-own-rules-with-1-5m-more-in-member-dues-to-johnson/.}

^{11 Records with the Illinois State Board of Elections show CTU’s PAC made contributions totaling $111,643.16 between April 20, 2023 and June 28, 2023.}

^{12 Mailee Smith, “3 Bad Decisions Drive Up Chicago Teachers Union Dues by over $160,” Illinois Policy Institute, Nov. 22, 2023, https://www.illinoispolicy.org/3-bad-decisions-drive-up-chicago-teachers-union-dues-by-over-160/.}

^{13 Perry Zhao, “Chicago Teachers Union Funds 3 in 5 Chicago Aldermen, with Big Bucks to Socialists,” Illinois Policy, Aug. 1, 2024, https://www.illinoispolicy.org/chicago-teachers-union-funds-3-in-5-chicago-aldermen-with-big-bucks-to-socialists/.}

^{14 Perry Zhao, “Chicago Teachers Union Funds 3 in 5 Chicago Aldermen, with Big Bucks to Socialists,” Illinois Policy, Aug. 1, 2024, https://www.illinoispolicy.org/chicago-teachers-union-funds-3-in-5-chicago-aldermen-with-big-bucks-to-socialists/.}

^{15 In 2021, Governor J.B. Pritzker legislation creating an elected school board and expanding it from seven members, who are appointed by the mayor, to 21, who will be elected. In 2024, the first ten members will be elected, and the mayor will appoint the remaining 11. An election to choose the remaining 11 members will occur in 2026. See Press Release, “Gov. Pritzker Signs Legislation Establishing an Elected Chicago School Board,” July 29, 2021, https://www.illinois.gov/news/press-release.23639.html#:~:text=CHICAGO%20%2DGovernor%20JB%20Pritzker%20signed,of%20the%20next%20five%20years..}

^{16 Chicago Teachers Union, “Endorsements: Chicago Board of Education,” https://www.ctulocal1.org/movement/general-election-2024/. The union initially endorsed 11 candidates for the 10 available spots. See Zareen Syed, “Chicago Teachers Union Endorses Slate of Candidates for Chicago’s School Board Election,” Chicago Tribune, June 28, 2024, https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/06/28/chicago-teachers-union-endorses-slate-of-candidates-for-chicagos-school-board-election/.}

^{17 See also Chris Coffey, “Chicago Teachers Union Gives Nearly $1.3M to Sitting Illinois Lawmakers,” Illinois Policy Institute, June 6, 2024, https://www.illinoispolicy.org/chicago-teachers-union-gives-nearly-1-3m-to-sitting-illinois-lawmakers/.}

^{18 Chris Coffey, “Chicago Teachers Union Gives Nearly $1.3M to Sitting Illinois Lawmakers,” Illinois Policy Institute, June 6, 2024, https://www.illinoispolicy.org/chicago-teachers-union-gives-nearly-1-3m-to-sitting-illinois-lawmakers/.}

^{19 Chris Coffey, “Chicago Teachers Union Gives Nearly $1.3M to Sitting Illinois Lawmakers,” Illinois Policy Institute, June 6, 2024, https://www.illinoispolicy.org/chicago-teachers-union-gives-nearly-1-3m-to-sitting-illinois-lawmakers/.}

^{20 Catrina Peterson, “Legislator says Illinois Senate president admitted to ‘quid pro quo’ at DNC,” The Center Square, Aug. 31, 2024, https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_896be948-670d-11ef-bee1-33a3315e0857.html.}

^{21 Dana Goldstein, “Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot on What She Learned From Battling the Teachers’ Union,” New York Times, Feb. 14, 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/14/us/chicago-mayor-lori-lightfoot-on-what-she-learned-from-battling-the-teachers-union.html.}

^{22 Craig Wall, “2023 Chicago Mayoral Election: Latest Poll Shows Tight Race Between Lightfoot, Garcia and Vallas,” ABC7, Feb. 14, 2022, https://abc7chicago.com/chicago-mayoral-election-2023-candidates-latest-poll/12815673/.}

^{23 See Galston, “Understanding What Happened in the Chicago Mayoral Race.”}

^{24 Mailee Smith, “Unions Still Fund Johnson, Individuals Back Vallas for Chicago Mayor,” Illinois Policy Institute, March 31, 2023, https://www.illinoispolicy.org/unions-still-fund-johnson-individuals-back-vallas-for-chicago-mayor/. Paul Vallas is currently a policy advisor for Illinois Policy Institute.}

^{25 Press release, “Mayor Johnson, Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Teachers Union Announce Paid Parental Leave Plan,” June 8, 2023, https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/mayor/press_room/press_releases/2023/june/ChicagoPublicSchoolsPaidParentalLeavePlan.html.}

^{26 Fran Spielman, “Chicago Police Union Vows Court Fight After Mayor Rejects Demand for 12 Weeks of Paid Parental Leave,” Chicago Sun-Times, July 11, 2023, https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2023/7/11/23791390/police-union-fop-paid-parental-leave-lawsuit-teachers-union-catanzara-mayor-brandon-johnson. A 12-week parental leave policy was later negotiated into police union’s collective bargaining agreement. See Term Sheet for the Collective Bargaining Agreement, Dec. 7, 2023, and Policy Statement, 6, 30 https://www.chicagofop.org/images/Collective-Bargaining-Agreement-Ordinance.pdf.}

^{27 Sarah Macaraeg, “Mayor-Elect Brandon Johnson Names Chicago Teachers Union Chief of Staff as Deputy Mayor for Education,” Chicago Tribune, May 11, 2023, https://www.chicagotribune.com/2023/05/11/mayor-elect-brandon-johnson-names-chicago-teachers-union-chief-of-staff-as-deputy-mayor-for-education/.}

^{28 Fran Spielman, “Brandon Johnson Fleshes Out Senior Staff, Shows Continued Influence of Toni Preckwinkle, Chicago Teachers Union,” Chicago Sun-Times, May 11, 2023, https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2023/5/11/23719858/brandon-johnson-appointments-budget-director-deputy-mayor-education-cook-county-ctu-teachers-union.}

^{29 Mailee Smith, “3 Ways Mayor Johnson is Likely to Repay Unions for Bankrolling Him,” Illinois Policy Institute, August 24, 2023, https://www.illinoispolicy.org/3-ways-chicago-mayor-johnson-is-likely-to-repay-unions-for-bankrolling-him/.}

^{30 Mailee Smith, “Forced Agenda: Chicago Teachers Union Contract Aims to Dictate Radical, Costly Worldview to Chicagoans,” Illinois Policy Institute, July 2024, https://www.illinoispolicy.org/reports/forced-agenda-chicago-teachers-union-contract-aims-to-dictate-radical-costly-worldview-to-chicagoans/.}

^{31 Bryce Hill, “Chicago Teachers Union Contract Could Cost At Least $10.2B to $13.9B,” Illinois Policy Institute, June 3, 2024,  https://www.illinoispolicy.org/chicago-teachers-union-contract-could-cost-at-least-10-2b-to-13-9b/.}

^{32 Mailee Smith, “Chicago Teachers Union is a Lobbying Powerhouse in Springfield, But is That Waning?,” Illinois Policy Institute, August 29, 2024, https://www.illinoispolicy.org/chicago-teachers-union-is-a-lobbying-powerhouse-in-springfield-but-is-that-waning/.}

^{33 See Hannah Schmid,” Pritzker Signs Charter Neutrality Bill, Chicago Teachers Union Fights to Weaken Charter Schools,” Illinois Policy Institute, August 15, 2023, https://www.illinoispolicy.org/pritzker-signs-charter-neutrality-bill-chicago-teachers-union-fights-to-weaken-charter-schools/; House Bill 1120, https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/billstatus.asp?DocNum=1120&GAID=17&GA=103&DocTypeID=HB&LegID=143135&SessionID=112; House Bill 4895, https://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=4895&GAID=17&DocTypeID=HB&LegID=152760&SessionID=112&SpecSess=&Session=&GA=103.}

^{34 House Bill 2392, https://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=2392&GAID=17&DocTypeID=HB&LegID=147469&SessionID=112&SpecSess=&Session=&GA=103.}

^{35 House Bill 5345, https://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=5345&GAID=17&DocTypeID=HB&LegID=153571&SessionID=112&SpecSess=&Session=&GA=103.}

^{36 Senate Bill 3649, https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=3649&GAID=17&DocTypeID=SB&LegID=153595&SessionID=112&SpecSess=&Session=&GA=103.}

^{37 Patrick Andriesen, “Illinois Policy Institute Sues Over State Law Violating Employers’ Freedom of Speech,” Illinois Policy Institute, August 12, 2024, https://www.illinoispolicy.org/illinois-policy-institute-sues-over-state-law-violating-employers-freedom-of-speech/.}

^{38 House Bill 1573, https://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=1573&GAID=17&DocTypeID=HB&LegID=143904&SessionID=112&SpecSess=&Session=&GA=103.}

^{39 House Bill 1246, https://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=1246&GAID=17&DocTypeID=HB&LegID=143342&SessionID=112&SpecSess=&Session=&GA=103.}

^{40 House Bill 4173, https://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=4173&GAID=17&DocTypeID=HB&LegID=150679&SessionID=112&SpecSess=&Session=&GA=103.}

^{41 M3 Strategies, “Polling Memorandum,” August 2024, https://files.illinoispolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Polling-Memorandum-Chicago-Mayor-Brandon-Johnson-and-CTU-Money-August-2024-For-Distribution.pdf.}

^{42 Sarah Karp, “Johnson Rejected by Board of Education on CPS Loan, Pension Payment,” Chicago Sun-Times, July 12, 2024, https://chicago.suntimes.com/education/2024/07/12/mayor-brandon-johnson-rejected-by-board-of-education-cps-loan-pension-payment.}

^{43 David Greising, “The Mayor Learns Who is Really Calling the Shots on the CPS Budget,” Chicago Tribune, July 19, 2024, https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/07/19/column-chicago-elected-school-board-brandon-johnson-greising/.}

^{44 Heather Cherone, “City Council Votes 33-14 to Again Rebuke Mayor Brandon Johnson’s Decision to Scrap ShotSpotter, WTTW, Sept. 18, 2024, https://news.wttw.com/2024/09/18/city-council-votes-33-14-again-rebuke-mayor-brandon-johnson-s-decision-scrap-shotspotter.}

^{45 Editorial Board, “Editorial: Gov. J.B. Pritizker Won’t Bail Out Brandon Johnson, the Chicago Teachers Union and Chicago Public Schools. Good.,” Chicago Tribune, July 26, 2024, https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/07/26/editorial-cps-jb-pritzker-brandon-johnson-chicago-public-schools/.}

^{46 Rich Miller, “Pritzker Stands Firm: State Doesn’t Owe Chicago Public Schools $1.1B,” Shaw Local News Network, July 23, 2024, https://www.shawlocal.com/opinion/2024/07/23/rich-miller-pritzker-stands-firm-state-doesnt-owe-chicago-schools-11b/.}

^{47 Kristina Watrobski, “Illinois Governor Chides Chicago Teachers Union for Labeling School Closures Bill ‘racist,’” ABC7 KHQA, April 22, 2024, https://khqa.com/news/local/illinois-governor-chides-chicago-teachers-union-for-labeling-school-closures-bill-racist-jb-pritzker-ctu-stacy-davis-gates-chicago-public-schools-margaret-croke-selective-schools-admissions-crisis-in-the-classroom; Rich Miller, “Chicago Teachers Union Tries to Bulldoze Through Springfield on Selective Enrollment Bills – And Loses,” Chicago Sun-Times, April 19, 2024, https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2024/04/19/chicago-teacher-union-selective-schools-bill-mayor-brandon-johnson-activism-leftist-rich-miller; House Bill 303, https://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=0303&GAID=17&DocTypeID=HB&LegID=142135&SessionID=112&SpecSess=&Session=&GA=103.}