The Chicago Tribune has come under fire after criticizing The Chicago Teachers Union and public school educators demanding better treatment in the classroom.
The paper’s editorial board accused the teacher’s union of having “outlandish” demands, despite Illinois teachers being overworked and underpaid.
The Chicago Teacher’s Union was accused of ‘outrageous demands’ after 41% of teachers were ‘chronically absent’ during the school year.
“Chicago Public Schools’ teachers are extraordinarily well paid given the norms of their profession,” the editorial board began.
“The median salary for a CPS teacher is nearly $95,000. That’s 21% more than teachers make in Cook County’s suburbs, where median pay is $78,000,” they continued. “What’s more, CPS says it pays its teachers more than any other large school district in the nation, and that’s before whatever increases they get in union contract negotiations that are ongoing.”
While Chicago passed a state funding formula in 2017 and offered a one-time infusion of aid from the federal government during the pandemic, Chicago teachers are still struggling. At the end of the last school year, The Chicago Teachers Union released an extensive list of demandsasking for more staffing and a minimum of 9% annual raises for the next four years.
However, over the last several months, the city’s budget has become a more serious issue. The district has considered taking out a high-interest $284 million loan to cover this year’s operating budget, and in 2025, the city will face a shortfall of $982 million.
The Chicago Tribune thus accused the teacher’s union of having unrealistic demands as they pressured Mayor Brandon Johnson to meet them.
The editorial board further noted that the Chicago public school system suffered from “chronic absenteeism” among teachers. State records show that over 41% of teachers exceeded 10 days of absence last year, the Chicago Tribune reported. These absences are in addition to the built-in vacation time allotted to teachers, like school breaks and holidays.
Chicago has experienced a drastic teacher shortage in recent years.
There has been a severe teacher shortage across the country, and Chicago is no different.
According to the annual survey of school officials from the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schoolswhich has been conducted every year since 2017, Illinois continues to suffer from a shortage of teachers and other education professionals.
This year’s survey found that more than 90% of schools responding reported a “serious” or “very serious” teacher shortage problem. That percentage has changed very little in the last several years.
The Chicago Tribune insisted that teachers should already be ‘motivated’ to show up to work.
“Given the audacity of these (The Chicago Teachers Union) demands and salaries that already are among the highest in the nation, one might think that CPS teachers would be motivated to show up for work,” the editorial board wrote. “School administrators tend to put great emphasis on student attendance, but precious little attention is paid to how frequently teachers miss work.”
The Thomas Fordham Institute notes job-related stress and post-pandemic burnout as the main reason for these absences. Teachers’ close proximity to sick students is another commonly cited reason.
At the end of the day, this back-and-forth between the Chicago public school teachers, the district, and the mayor, is only hurting the students in the classroom. They’re the ones whose education is impeded by government officials and district members’ unwillingness to sympathize with educators.
While Chicago has done right by its teachers in some aspects, it has also failed them in other ways.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
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