the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
Jun 6, 2016
Chicago Public Schools is now threatening that, without a state budget, the schools won’t open in the fall.
This is part of a political game by the Democrats who control the Illinois legislature and the Chicago city government. The Democrats are trying to convince Chicago teachers and parents to blame Republican Governor Rauner for all the school system’s problems, and to rally behind them.
Rauner is an enemy, no doubt, but so are the Democrats! Former Democratic Governor Pat Quinn spent most of his time in office trying to cut teacher pensions, along with the pensions of other state workers. Democratic Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel closed fifty schools in one year in predominantly black neighborhoods, and has imposed cut after cut in school budgets. Do the Democrats think teachers have forgotten?
The Chicago Teachers’ Union pointed out the obvious: there is plenty of money in Chicago to fund excellent public schools for every child, no matter what the state does.
When the teachers’ union wouldn’t go along with the Democrats’ game, Chicago Public Schools CEO Forrest Claypool said he was “shocked” that the union was “surrendering to Governor Rauner and letting him off the hook.”
Does he really think the teachers can’t see the wealth of the city, or that they can’t remember the last decade of attacks–led by Democrats like Claypool and Emanuel?
The teachers are smart enough to remember that both parties have led the charge against them.