The Chicago Teachers Union told lawmakers what to do over 1,360 times in just six legislative sessions. It used its powerful position to pressure the state to follow its radical politics. Here are five examples of the union placing politics over its core purpose.

Much attention is rightly being paid to how city policy can address the need to provide young people with meaningful opportunities for work. The stakes couldn’t be higher.

In 2013, Chicago closed 50 nearly empty schools. Since then, the CTU has barred charters and other schools from using these empty buildings to provide schooling options for local students. After railing against these school closures, CTU leadership locked students out of full-time, in-person learning for 17 months during 2020-21.

The graduation and postsecondary enrollment rates in Chicago were below the statewide average in 2022. Reading and math SAT scores were also below the Illinois average. Other large districts in Cook and the collar counties performed better.

The Illinois General Assembly approved $100 million in grants so students can choose a private or public university. But when it comes to giving that private or public choice to low-income students, there soon may be no choice at all.

The Illinois General Assembly is poised to pass a budget without extending the Invest in Kids tax credit scholarship program, which allows 9,000 low-income students to attend a school of their choice. The program expires Dec. 31.