SPRINGFIELD (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - Mayor Brandon Johnson is lobbying lawmakers in Springfield for more funding for the Chicago Public Schools, while his supporters in the Chicago Teachers Union have been ruffling feathers over legislation that would put a two-year moratorium on school closures.
The moratorium legislation overwhelmingly passed the Illinois House on a vote of 92-8. The “no” votes came from Democrats.
The Chicago Tribune reported it was viewed as a resounding slap at the teachers union, which labeled the legislation as “racist.”
That didn’t sit well with some lawmakers.
State Rep. Margaret Croke, the House sponsor and Chicago Democrat, said, “People were pretty offended by that.”
Members of the state’s board of education have said they have “grave concerns” about the legislation and fear it could lead to more racial and economic segregation.
They object to language about admissions and budgets. The mayor opposes it, too.
This all comes as a new teachers contract is being negotiated.
The mayor's wish list includes $1 billion in state funds that, he said, are “owed to the families of Chicago.”
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