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John Tillman of the Illinois Policy Institute on the impact of the teachers strike and the continued negotiation efforts.
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-- let's get back -- that teachers strike in Chicago very important stuff yeah.
No sign that the teachers will return to work any time soon but here are some facts for you this is good stuff.
The average salary of a Chicago -- is 76000.
Dollars and that is before benefits.
It's the highest in the nation.
Teaches by only 3% of their health care costs 71 cents of every dollar in Chicago spent on education goes to.
Teacher retirement.
And only 60% of high school students end -- graduating within five years that Rahm Emanuel is not backing down.
I believe that what has been discussed over the last hundred plus meetings over five months over 400 -- Is it any agreement that is an honest compromise.
That respects their teachers.
Does right by our.
Kids.
And is fair to our taxpayers.
Time now John -- -- from the Illinois policy institute is still -- John we've discussed that teaches the union and the quality of education and the money.
I want you now pleased to put this teacher's strike in the context of Chicago.
As a business area and Illinois as an economy.
-- You have -- -- 50000 children were not -- school and thousands upon thousands of parents we normally would be working today.
We're not going to be working are scrambling for day care.
Trying to find places for the kids to be taking care today -- some of these people may lose their jobs on employment -- -- time a half percent.
So the ones who are working are lucky to have those jobs and -- -- wanna go to work so it can provide food shelter and clothing for their own children.
And they have the expectation their -- to be in schools what -- these people in jeopardy.
As well as the -- productivity here in the economy -- Chicago which is struggling.
What about the the politics of this Chicago is the home town essentially -- President Obama.
He says he's not going to get involved.
The -- and the teachers union which is on strike.
Is an avid supporter President Obama he just go through the politics woman for a secondly.
It's it's fascinating insulin levels are 97% of public employee union money is given to Democrats -- democratic mayor and of course a democratic president front -- President Obama.
But I think it's so interesting about this is for mayor Emanuel to be successful as a mayor he have to take on the public sector unions and right now the Chicago teacher's union.
If he does not stand strong and actually get transformative change.
We're going to be right back here in a few years and the failures of the system will continue.
And -- his political interest now for the first timer to go against those Democrat or those a union sponsors of the Democratic Party.
Meanwhile -- gotten used to be chief of staff -- the president does not want to do that because he doesn't wanna see a wedge driven between public sector unions and particular teachers unions.
And a Democratic Party that's what makes the politics -- Dicey.
And interest.
Charles.
You know let's talk about the kids for a moment and they you know we know about all the gangs and all the murders and things like that.
Black families in Chicago -- of 40000 of teenagers and those households only one out of ten has a job.
So that's 90% unemployment overall just 27% of teenagers in Chicago even have a job so that's -- from 50% in 2000.
So you know and by the way these mirrored the national numbers that we saw on Friday and this is part of the untold story so.
You know we talk about the importance of education you see that that the drop -- rate is absolutely amazing there.
This country Triad a giant fiasco how that teachers could let these kids down at this juncture it's his mind about what the teaches -- That they don't want to be held accountable for the academic performance of this -- he's the greatest word right there accountability is something that's been thrown out this window front news you know and in general.
You can hold it you can't tell -- the unemployment rate UAE AB CB yet I don't wanna be graded I think of the hypocrisy of that.
Four out of ten drop out before graduating from high school so that's 60% actually cracked -- -- -- -- -- -- average is 75%.
So I mean the teacher's -- what do you do do you hold the teachers to accountability and also the parents and the parent do.
-- -- for the strike you all the teachers the parents obviously have to play a greater role of community you know what you gotta get rid of the excuses you have to stop if we had these same numbers under Republican.
I'm telling you right now people will be in the streets there would be -- people will be upset you cannot give.
This this situation.
You can't just let it go by simply because you -- the president and you can't let that happen I.
-- -- -- -- -- -- I think the outrage of this is blaming the children and the challenges these children are facing with poverty and other -- difficulties living in the city of Chicago.
The same kids are expected to show office school every day and do well and overcome those same disadvantages.
And it's really outrageous to blame bad and the other thing that we should keep in mind is that Chicago kids have proven that they can compete if given a chance for teachers have flexibility to customize education for every individual child but probably Chicago public school systems CT -- it's one size fits all with some exceptions.
But in charter schools are parochial schools it's more custom and these kids in the in the -- lottery filled.
A charter schools are graduating at 77% instead of 57%.
And many of them go on -- college that to nine of the top ten Chicago high schools are charter school.
Long seconds on the New York Stock Exchange is pausing once again as of right now to mark the time 937 precisely so -- the Pentagon by the way 937.
Is the time when the second plane hit the south tower so what you're looking at now.
Is the commemoration.
Of the second plane.
-- the -- traits of the south tower in fact which took place precisely in revenues ago as of right now -- you're looking there at the at the Pentagon.
By John I I'm so I interrupted you doubt me just finish your -- -- important -- Well it's an important reason erupt we should never forget what happened all of us in charge Chicago remember what happened in New York on that cannot just leave you somewhat yeah.
And that -- a 118.
Charter schools in the city of Chicago today on not on strike.
I interrupted you when you're saying that they have a -- -- academic performance tells more about that.
Not number ten.
-- top opening as compared open enrollment high schools in Chicago are charter schools they're performing extremely well the noble system in particular does really well I have those Chicago.
It was several others are doing really great and the point is that.
To disparage the children of Chicago when they're proving they can compete and it was well some suburban schools -- state white schools.
In these charter schools is just really -- the reason the charter schools do better is they're held to account if you don't perform the schools were closed down if your teacher who don't perform your let go if your teacher -- doing well you're rewarded battery that's all the mayor wants to do and that's why he should stand strong and -- these mechanisms of accountability.
-- if I if I may for 12 in the private sector.
Unions are held accountable because they have their business our partners have competitors the problem is we better competition in the public sector.
John Tillman the Illinois policy institute thanks for joining us -- -- -- against -- I'm -- --
