How’s everyone’s weekend going?
Thanks for spending a portion of your Sunday and Happy Father’s Day to all dad Six readers.
Let’s get right to it.
NO WINNERS, ONLY LOSERS IN SCHOOL DISTRICT CONFLICTS
There’s been quite a bit news coverage over the upcoming labor negotiations between the Chicago Teacher’s Union and the city. CTU leadership has been very public with its demands—a clear tactical public relations strategy.
The CTU is doing as a labor organization should—ask for the moon and the stars. It doesn’t appear interested in compromise, instead leveraging its City Hall relationships over actual classroom performance of its students.
Of course, Chicago Public Schools can’t negotiate on classroom performance because it’s terrible. CPS is arguably the worst big city school system in the country. That’s irrelevant to CTU leadership. As President Stacy Davis Gales said recently about pompous contract demands, “why not?”
Yes, why not? Davis-Gales knows exactly what she speaks because in Chicago, public sector unions make up the Ruling Class.
All of the theater would make for an entertaining story, one that calls for a Joseph Campbell-like Hero’s Journey tale. Only the story would have to be fiction as there are no heroes in this game. Only victims, which of course, are students.
Forty miles up Interstate 94, there’s another school district conflict brewing in Lake County, with a twist.
District 128 encompasses Libertyville and Vernon Hills High Schools. In May, its union gave a “no confidence” vote towards D128 Superintendent Denise Herrmann. Hired in 2021, Herrmann quickly adopted the Ruling Class Creed of spend, spend, and spend some more.
According a document made public, Herrmann spent as much as seven figures on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Equal Opportunity Schools-related initiatives. She’s made questionable consultant hires at great cost, shelled out $17k redecorating an office and engaged in the type of Game of Thrones-esque World Building behavior we’ve grown accustomed to from public school administrations in Illinois.
What’s seems to have ticked off union chiefs is Herrmann’s management philosophy—mandate over collaborate.
When announcing its “no confidence” vote, union leadership’s list of grievances toward Herrmann include “creating a chaotic and hostile work environment” and “refusing to communicate and collaborate honestly and transparently with teachers.”
In a June 10 BOE meeting, a union executive board member noted three grievances filed by the union in response to Herrmann’s actions and reiterated its demand for the board to remove her.
The lone comments from Herrmann on the matter came during a May 27 school board meeting when she said, “Doing the right thing and not the popular thing means sacrificing convenience or struggling emotionally, physically or mentally. Regardless … here’s a certainty: every leader faces a time when a line must be drawn. This is my line. I will stand by the unwavering values of integrity and equity.”
Spoken like a true Authoritarian.
Herrmann strikes me as a disruptor, which never goes over well in the public sector. She’s bloating C-Suite offices while asking more of teachers. With backing from the school board that hired her, Herrmann’s charges come across as directives rather than recommendations. Administrators such as her possess certain superpowers. Patience is not one of them.
As district Boss (at a $250k+ salary), Herrmann deserves the scrutiny that comes with the office. She was hired to do a job, and she’s doing it. By nature of her hierarchical position, she’s most conscious of what she’s doing and garners no sympathy in this whole charade.
But neither does the union representing the teachers.
It should come as no surprise D128 is a year away from an expiring contract. The loud jockeying, leaked documents and public admonishing serve as trial balloons before negotiations between the union and BOE. Removing Herrmann, a villain to union leaders, would make for more cooperative environment during contract talks. Union representation has an active social media presence, attempting to seize the higher ground in the conflict. But public teacher’s unions can try all they want. They will never be heroes.
When administrators and board members unilaterally locked kids out of the classroom for a year over a virus, forced them into isolation and jabbed a vaccine in their arm, I don’t recall hearing any talk from union spokespersons about “accountability” or being “committed to positive change and growth” or how its “members know that effective leadership is critical to student success.”
I don’t recall unions saying anything other than adding to the hysteria by making half-baked demands about its members’ “safety.”
Now, because you don’t like The Boss, you’re going to complain about wasteful spending and a hostile work environment? Now you’re concerned about taxpayer funds and transparency?
What about the thousands upon thousands upon thousands of dollars spent for Covid testing in 2020-21? Remember that? Where’s the cry for accountability?
No, we just want to pretend that detestable time in history never happened.
For all of labor’s shouts for strength and unity and solidarity, the chickens have come home to roost.
Let’s be crystal clear about motives and intentions here: the union representing D128 is a card-carrying constituent of the public sector labor cartel that runs Illinois. They do not serve students or are all that interested in academic progress. They extort money from taxpayers and give to dues paying members. That’s their sole function.
In that way, D128 is no different than CTU.
Where there’s a divergence: the educators. Teachers do a better job in suburban districts like D128. I know educators in that district who care about their students and work extremely hard. I’m sure many of them are uncomfortable with the current situation and don’t like the unseemly public airing of dirty laundry. They deserve competitive compensation and the ability to support their families. Overwhelmingly, parents in Libertyville and Vernon Hills are on the side of teachers. That’s how it should be.
Both things can be true; support of teachers and opposition of its leadership.
That’s why these squabbles contain no plant-the-flag-for protagonists, all products of the corrupt system and Monarchal Class that runs the state.
However both situations play out—CTU and D128—there are no winners.
Let’s proceed with the Six.
1. How Public Schools Became Ideological Boot Camps.
We just wrote about the amount of money spent by public school districts and lack of measurable ROI. But for all the investment in consultants and materials, how much oversight is given to ensure the implementation of curriculum? How much freedom do teachers have to do what they want? According to this piece via The Free Press: “The answer has a lot to do with one of American education’s dirty little secrets: on any given school day in nearly every public school in the country, curriculum materials are put in front of children that have no official oversight or approval. It’s true that schools might have a state- or district-adopted curriculum, but that doesn’t mean it’s getting taught.” We like to think this type of stuff happens at other school districts than in our own backyard but that’s likely a pollyannish viewpoint not grounded in reality.
2. Why 270 Is The Most Dangerous Number.
It’s been a little over two weeks since the Donald Trump trial and conviction. There are polls that show a slight bump towards the incumbent, Joe Biden. Hard to completely trust any polls as people change their minds or don’t tell the truth. Either way, the margins are so tight in this race that any slight movement in swing states like Michigan or Pennsylvania will probably have a seismic impact on the outcome of the election. The Silver Bulletin newsletter takes a closer look at the road to 270 electoral votes and how to get there, for both candidates, requires “a lot of things to go right.”
3. What I Learned Visiting All Of Chicago’s 77 Neighborhoods.
I’ve lived in three Chicago neighborhoods in my life—Old Town, South Loop and (very briefly) Rogers Park. All three have their own unique history and charm. I enjoyed the taverns the most in Old Town, restaurants in South Loop (and access to the 18th St. bridge towards the Lakefront) and the neighborhood, community feel of Rogers Park. Although I spent about 12 years in the city, and spent time all over, I didn’t visit enough neighborhoods. This writer for Chicago magazine visited and wrote about all 77 ‘hoods and recommends the best way to see the city is via “Divvy bike.”
4. Jerry West And The Burden Of Being The Logo.
It’s been a rough couple of weeks in the basketball world. First, the loss of Bill Walton. This past week, another legend passes, Jerry West. Hard to conjure a figure as iconic to one sport than Jerry West is to basketball. His image is the league’s logo! West won NBA championships as a player and executive with the Los Angeles Lakers, drafted Magic Johnson, traded for Shaquille O’Neal, drafted Kobe Bryant, hired Phil Jackson…the list goes on and on. A writer who covered West and knew him well, Howard Beck, pens this excellent obit on the madness and genius of one of basketball’s greatest all-time figures.
5. Why Is Everyone On Steroids Now?
According to the author of this piece via GQ, we all likely know someone who is quietly taking steroids. Use of the body-modifying drug has been normalized for a variety of reasons, despite its marketplace remaining somewhat entrenched in the shadows. The article investigates the reasons why steroids have suddenly become so popular and whether this unlikely trend is a good thing.
6. 40 Years Later, Raiders Still Rules.
In 1981, arguably the greatest action/adventure film of all time hit theaters. I remember seeing it for the first time while visiting my grandmother in Milwaukee and being totally blown away. Four decades later, the movie hasn’t lost any of its swag. It’s still awesome, with an underrated sense of humor. This scene encapsulates that comedic playfulness. I’ll be doing my 117th ROLA rewatch soon.
Thanks for reading everybody and have a great rest of your weekend.
Have a suggestion for The Sunday Six? Send email to jonjkerr@gmail.com.