Hypocrite Spotlight: Henry Bienen, Effete Union-Hater

Henry Bienen, outgoing CPS Board Member, ex-President of Northwestern and interim head of the Poetry Foundation, recently discussed his thoughts on CPS and the CTU.  In response, WCT turns our spotlight on Henry Bienen:

Bienen's thoughts on CPS during Rahm's 1st term:  "The schools improved, no doubt about it..I can't see that it comes from any lowering of standards in any way."

Chance that Bienen understands the realities of grade/attendance manipulation: 0

Amount of regular CPS teachers spoken to by Bienen while serving on BoE:  0

Opinion of CTU:  "There are very few places that have as good a deal as the CTU."

Assessment of his own wealth: "I'm not that rich."

Value of his 161 E. Chicago Ave. condo:  $1.3 M

Percentage of CPS teachers eligible to collect Social Security: 0

Percentage of retired CPS teachers collecting less than $3,000/month pension: 42%

Percentage of retired CPS teachers collecting less than $2,500/month pension: 27%

Opinion of elected CPS School Board: "Poor idea."

Bald-faced lie:  "I believe in democracy."

Effete false-modest musings on new poetry job: "When I was a freshman at Cornell, my poetry teacher was W. D. Snodgrass, a great poet.  I met my wife in his class...I had lunch with Snodgrass, who was a very wonderful guy, very informal.  He said to me, "Henry, either you have a very complicated ear for poetry, or..." And the 'or' just hung there."

Behavior during CPS Board Meetings:  "When parents would come before the board with questions, he never even made eye contact, like, 'I have to endure these unwashed masses in front of me.'"
-Karen Lewis

Wife Leigh Bienen's job:  Law Professor at Northwestern, special interest in capital punishment reform

Likelihood that Northwestern's Innocence Project sent an innocent man to jail: 100%

Probability that Henry and Leigh Bienen are clueless about life in Chicago: 100%

Concede, Teacher Pigs!

In yesterday's Tribune, Forest Claypool laid out what he sees as the two possible solutions to CPS's budget crisis:

1. CPS teachers agree to contribute 7% more salary to pension pick-up (7% pay cut)

OR

2. Chicago imposes another property tax hike

Predictably,  comments posted online reflect the effectiveness of Rauner and Rahm's media campaign against unions, teachers, and public servants in general.  Highlights:

• "Let the teachers strike.  Fire them and break the union."
• "What will Rahm and Forest do when Boss Hogg and her CTU minions go beserk and walk out on strike?  Seeing that horde of slovenly-dressed, red-shired, vile-slogan-shouting, money-grubbing teachers may weaken their resolve."
• "Make the teachers pay 15% and cut their generous benefits."
• "Let Boss Hogg and her followers run wild downtown - and then have them arrested."
• "Asking the CTU to make concessions is like asking a pig to back away from the trough."

Interestingly, Chicago has one of the lowest property tax rates in Illinois.  The following percentages reflect average tax rates as a percent of home value:

Illinois as a whole: 2.28%
Chicago: 1.84%
Woodridge: 2.55%
Aurora: 2.65%
Lombard: 2.23%

So perhaps Boss Hogg and her vile minions' reluctance to take a 7% pay cut isn't so ridiculous? Particularly in light of the fact that the money-grubbing teachers are asked by CPS to work for free and buy students' school supplies? 

Interestingly, Claypool did not mention a financial transaction tax as a solution to CPS's budget crisis. Currently, traders at Chicago's rich-person casinos -- the Board of Trade, the Options Exchange, and the Mercantile Exchange -- pay state taxes that are 0.000014% of the value traded.  In contrast, gamblers at poor-person casinos -- the riverboats -- pay 3.32% per dollar wagered.

But can you imagine Rahm and Rauner asking oligarch Ken Griffin to part with one nickel of his $65M per month take-home pay? Certainly not! Quelle horreur!  

So let's carry on with what everyone is comfortable with:  money-loving teachers and fat pig union bosses need to make some fucking concessions.

Ed Reform in Chiraq?

The Illinois Network of Charter Schools glibly states, "We know all children can achieve academic success and have bright futures!"  As actual Chicago public school teachers, we at WCT would, of course, like to believe the same.  CPS has certainly supported INCS's ed reform tran$formation efforts, with $442 million of tax-payer money given to charter schools in 2015.

But will busting unions ed reform really provide bright futures to all children? What are some other factors that get in the way of children's bright futures besides unions lack of charter schools?

Yesterday's Trib published two interesting op-eds on Chicago's violence problem:

• In the first, Robert Milan, Cook County State's Attorney, asks that the National Guard be called in to protect Chicago.  Milan notes that "CPS's regular school year is over and thousands of teenagers are now on the streets."
• In the second, Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin calls for 1. strict curfew enforcement 2. prosecution of gangbangers as domestic terrorists 3. increased presence of Cook County Sheriff's police 4. an increase in parenting/drug rehab/work training programs.

These op-eds, plus the ongoing debate over Spike Lee's new film, provisionally titled "Chiraq", warrant a review of Chicago crime data:

• A person is shot every: 3.22 hours
• A person is shot and killed every: 19.21 hours

In other words, a Chicago student, parent, cousin, aunt, uncle, grandma, grandpa, brother or sister commits, witnesses, or is the victim of an act of gun violence every 4 hours.  And that's just guns.

So, Illinois Network of Charter Schools and ed reformers everywhere, we ask you:  How are you so sure that all children can have bright futures if only unions are busted and education is privatized?

Perhaps Ken Griffin and his ilk can get moving on some lucrative corporate police reform.

Where did the money go?

With the usual poisonous comments about CPS teachers (pigs, whiners, swine) being posted in response to the CTU's announcement that contract negotiations have stalled, we turn our attention to one of the essential questions:  Where did the money go?

Background info:

• The teachers' pension fund was close to 100% funded in 2000
• Between 1995-2005, CPS collected more than $ 2 billion in tax revenue from CPS teachers, counselors and paraprofessionals (and paid none of that revenue into the pension fund)
• At the request of the School Board, CPS has been twice granted "pension holidays," periods of time during which CPS does not have to put any money into the pension fund
• Pension Holiday #1: 1995-2005
• Pension Holiday #2: 2011-2013
• Currently, Illinois has the worst unfunded pension liability in the U.S., at $85 billion
• Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts were established under Mayor Washington in 1986
• TIF $$ comes from property taxes within each district that are diverted from government units, including public schools, for public and private inve$tment in community improvement projects
• Chicago's TIF program was greatly expanded during Mayor Daley's term

On 6/30, a $634 million pension payment is due from the city to the pension fund. The city's cry: BROKE!  Which brings us back to the question:

Where did the money go?

• Block 37 Development:  Over $50 million; paid from diverted TIF funds; still largely unoccupied
• Block 37 Underground Loop Train Station: $213.3 million; paid from diverted TIF funds; designed to connect Midway to O'Hare but currently non-functional
• Millennium Park: Over $280 million paid from diverted TIF funds
• Central Loop Public Improvement Projects: $365.5 million in TIF funds spent in 2008, with no obligation for Mayor Daley to account for the recipients 

Where else did the money go?

Cronies, kick-back artists, charter profiteers, Aramark big wigs, vendors, University of Chicago thought partners, number-crunchers, CPS Talent Office staff, CPS Network chiefs, and David Vitale and Deb Quazzo's banker buddies

Tribune Crusades for Rahm. Again.

The Tribune's monthly quota of articles that begin to frankly address the problems of the urban poor must be exactly three (lead poisoning, poverty, and corruption). Or, maybe now that Rahm Emanuel's Blackhawks bromance is waning, his lackeys are back on high alert for anything less than glowing written about Emanuel's management of Chicago. Whatever the reason, the Tribune's hot streak of truth-telling comes to a screeching halt with Monday's editorial posting (paywalled) that is a direct response to the CTU's charge that CPS is broke on purpose.

The Editorial Board helpfully reminds readers, "The value in the stark report prepared for CPS by Ernst & Young is that the firm has great credibility. The report, released over the last few days, underscores that this is not a manufactured crisis. It is real; it is happening now."

The CTU never said it was not real, they've simply outlined--ad nauseam--the many repeated missteps that Mayor Daley and David Vitale, among others, have taken along the way to ensure a crisis. Toxic debt swaps? Check. Rampant cronyism? Check. An open checkbook to any and all but traditional schools? Check. Fat checks to charter operators and opportunists? Check and check.

The Tribune dutifully points to Ernst & Young's claim (a week before the CTU contract expires) that, " 'CPS teachers are well remunerated compared to their peers in other large US/Midwest school districts.' " This, despite the 2012 report by arbitrator Edwin Benn that suggested pay be commensurate with increased work.

The Editorial Board further carries the mayor's water by suggesting that CPS seek bankruptcy authorization, "No one would relish a bankruptcy declaration; the repercussions would be difficult to predict. But the Illinois General Assembly needs to pass legislation to allow that, just in case." Needless to say the charter operators who are already making a windfall of profits would relish such bankruptcy proceedings so they can gleefully continue to make private a public good.

The writers plant a nice wet one right on Rahm's ass when they can't even be bothered to suggest getting rid of David Vitale or suing the rubber stamp Board of Education for orchestrating the tidal wave of financial malfeasance the families, students, and teachers are now bracing for.

A Real MisMatch

Hey, David Kirp, you left something really important out of your article about Foreman High School: any mention of real teachers working at the school! The exclusive focus on Match Education and their tutors' alleged lone efforts to improve student achievement in math would lead the casual reader to believe there aren't 15 math teachers already on staff at the school.

Match Education's tutoring program uses, "intensive support, providing a safety net for students who have fallen far behind." Hmm, that description sounds suspiciously like what teachers would do, were it not for overflowing classes and days of test prep, or if they were employed at the Lab School where there's a 10:1 student-teacher ratio. We're told Match Education's tutors even, "individualize instruction." Again, much like a teacher. What else do these latter day Miracle Workers do? They also are, "not only trained to teach math but also in how to relate to these teenagers." Teaching and relating to teens are also what our counselors do.

The real allure of Match Education for Mayor Rahm Emanuel: cha-ching! The tutors earn $16,000 year plus benefits, that's just above the 2014 poverty line. And, no nasty, complicated unions to deal with either. 

Another bonus for Rahm is that Match Education is the brand name of several different entities all aimed at privatizing public education, most notably Match Charter Public Schools, currently invading Boston. Looks like the Chicago invasion has begun since Match tutors already work at Foreman and Match Board member Matthew Vettel used to work for Bruce Rauner's $6 billion dollar a year private equity firm GTCR. 

Chicago's Newest Grinch: Mary Weaver

 

The above pictures bear a striking resemblance to each other, don't you think? While one of these images is a fictitious character described as, "a bitter, grouchy, cave-dwelling creature, with a heart two-sizes too small..." the other is an image of an actual bitter, grouchy, cave-dwelling creature with a heart two-sizes too small (no, not Rahm Emanuel) who resides not on Mount Crumpit, but at Scammon Elementary. 

The alleged grinchiness of Scammon's principal, Mary Weaver, was outlined today in a Federal complaint charging the Board of Education with discrimination based on pregnancy. The complaint alleges that Weaver targeted teachers who became pregnant with lower evaluations and derisive remarks, such as: "I can't believe you are doing this [having a baby] to me!" While WCT tires of the Chicken Soup for the Soul at Work bullshit we're treated to on a regular basis, this seems a little too angry parent.

Eventually, the teachers either quit or were fired. We wonder if this behavior falls under Pillar Four--Committed and Effective Teachers, Leaders & Staff-- of CPS's five pillars? If so, much like the ousted teachers, we'd have to E3 Ms. Weaver's entire tenure at the school.

Weaver is just one of many bully principals within CPS who intimidate employees at their whim to remain in positions of power and to win high ratings within a discredited system.

We'd suggest some reading for Weaver and her ilk which suggests being a nice boss is better than being a horrible boss, but something tells us photo-ops with Rahm far outweigh any need to be liked.

No Big Surprise

In the increasingly acrimonious public education landscape, it should come as no big surprise that Karen Lewis hints that teachers will not want to add the optional year to their contract: "In a recent interview with Catalyst Chicago, CTU president Karen Lewis laughed when asked whether the union plans to terminate the contract in June 2015 rather than renewing it for another year. She indicated she is pretty sure that teachers would not want to extend the contract." 

Jesse Sharkey, the CTU VP, furthers the argument stating teachers' displeasure over the new evaluations, lack of adequate substitute coverage, and the longer school day that's never been properly funded. Sharkey calls the language renewing the agreement "meaningless." 

CPS: always true to its meaningless form.

Looks like we might want to ready our strike gear for August 2015.

Thanks Karen, Again.

Last week, in typical CPS fashion, B3 issued a statement angering many parents and teachers. B3 kinda, maybe said parents could choose to opt their kids out of tests. That is only if parents talked to the principal and realized that by opting out they'd damage their child's future and the school's ranking. And probably make those testing companies less profitable with a bunch of unused tests sitting around. 

Some would call B3's statement an exercise in false choice, we'd agree. 

Less than a week later, Karen Lewis and the CTU have responded to Bennett's threatening, huffy email with good sense and logic for parents choosing to opt their kids out of tests:

• "The ‘low stakes’ test is administered over the course of eight days in all elementary schools. Formerly used to help qualify 7th grade students for selective enrollment high schools. The district recently issued a memorandum to teachers stressing the value of “rigorous, high-quality assessments,” in measuring student progress. The ISAT, however, is not aligned to any CPS curriculum, and in Chicago, it is no longer used to measure student progress, school performance, promotion, or for any other purpose."

CPS demands students use over a week and a half of school days to take a test that isn't aligned to any CPS curriculum nor will be used for measurement of any sort? Shocking. Good thing CTU provides the money trail for us:

• "Illinois paid over $18 million this year to Pearson Corporation for the ISAT. The portion attributed to CPS is roughly $3.4 million, impacting over 171,000 students. The total cost of administering the tests are the untold hours of preparation for the exam, and the loss of valuable instructional hours that could be spent on real learning."

$18 million dollars would certainly provide real learning opportunities in the form of smaller class sizes, adequate staffing so teachers can provide meaningful help to students, and quality materials with which to teach.

Thanks again Karen for standing up for the families of CPS.

Forward!

Savvy investors that WCT are, when we saw the acronyms CTU and IPO together we immediately thought of an initial public offering of profitable teaching stock. We were quickly dismayed by our own hypocrisy as we realize we've spent some time railing against all things cha-ching!

Luckily, we see that Karen Lewis and the CTU have instead resolved to form an independent political organization to "engender authentic political engagement" to stem the tide against "privatized essential services" and those who continue to balance budgets "on the backs of our most vulnerable."

Working against the deep pockets and deep ties forged by a Machine city is no easy task. However, as others have noted here and here, it's time someone tries to move the city forward.

Thanks, Karen!

Barbara Byrd Bennet's response to the polar vortex descending upon Chicago was predictably indecisive and confusing, angering Chicago parents city-wide.  Perhaps BBB's SUPES Academy training teaches that there are no excuses for the effects of a polar vortex.  Her official statement was that "while all district schools are slated to be open on Monday, I strongly encourage parents to use their own discretion in deciding whether to send their child to school." Furthermore, "all student absences will be excused."

So basically, schools scheduled to be open, but students kinda/sorta don't have to come.

Thanks to Karen Lewis, however, for being the voice of reason.

Stay warm at home, CPS students and teachers!

A true love, hate relationship

Hates the unions, loves the votes.

Rahm Emanuel is beginning to bear a striking resemblance to Al Pacino in his turn as Alphonse "Big Boy" Caprice, the money and power hungry crime boss from Dick Tracy.

Nowhere is this more evident than in Thursday's Tribune lead story reporting his union and budget calculations. Last year, Rahm went down to Springfield and talked big about a "day of reckoning," in the hopes of dismantling the police and fire unions. This year, one of his aides must have opened up a calendar and pointed to the date of his looming re-election primary. Now, he's offered what may well be the contents of a fortune cookie: "Reform, revenue, and time all go together" as a way to untangle the pension mess the government has put unions in.

No city employee with a pension should leave their retirement up to the whims of fortune cookie finance. While Rahm is busy meditating on his next non-solution, Machine buddy John Cullerton calls for a delay in "big" pension payments until 2022, along with a "series of small property tax increases beginning in 2018." Let's see, delay property tax increases until after the 2015 election cycle (must get those votes!) and continue the habit of pension avoidance until the election cycle after that (must use the money for my pet projects!).

What Rahm meant to say was, "Reform, revenue, and time all go together to keep the unions nervous and me in office!"