SDG's Response To Private School Hypocrisy ? Victimhood, Counter- Accusations and Slander

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Blame me for being disappointed by CTU president Stacy Davis Gates. I hopelessly forgive. Alas, self-reflection and respectful discourse are weaknesses for my union boss.

Ya' see, while calling private schools racist, Stacy sends her son to a private school. SubX's John Kugler broke the story last Saturday. Four days later Cap Fax's Rich Miller exposed CTU's hypocrisy when he said "rules for thee, but not for me." A CTU officer, who earns $1/4 million a year, supports private schools and expects a pass from public scrutiny, but the same rules didn't apply to public figures like Rahm Emanuel.

Territory controlled by Daley's Hamburg club. The source is Chicago Commission on Race Relation's "The Negro in Chicago" - an investigation of the 1919 race riots.

CTU criticizes private schools as racist tools of segregation, and with some reason. Historically, many whites enrolled in Catholic schools not because of religious devotion, but to avoid the ills of a school district dominated by poor people of color. De La Salle High School fits that mold, the home school for generations of white Catholics from the Bridgeport area. De La Salle produced Kings Richard Daley I and II; the attackers in the 1990's Leonard Clark beating; and the instigators of the 1919 race riots, the Hamburg Club.

Stacy, in particular, is a vocal critic of private schools racist history. She declared on Twitter that private schools are “'Segregation Academies' ...Call them private schools supported by taxpayer funds—vouchers—so your northern cousins understand better.” Stacy, whose rhetorical skills are legendary, made it clear: private schools are racist.

Stacy proclaimed for years, trust me - I'm a CPS parent. SDG's righteous pursuit of justice was rooted in her identity as a CPS mother. She benefitted from publicly disclosing her children's education choice. She claimed an authenticity and used the media to do it. She created an image for the media to eat up.

In 2021 she told Chicago Magazine, “I can’t advocate on behalf of public education and the children of this city and educators in this city without it taking root in my own household.” The same fluff piece article appeared in the midst of a heated re-election for Davis-Gates. Her persona was of a powerful mother deeply committed to Chicago Public Schools. The image she promoted in the media fluff piece even helped her re-election bid.

In a Thursday email sent to CTU members, after waiting six days, Stacy snapped back. Stacy claimed that media who publicly question her family's educational choices are racists, anti-labor and are endangering her children. She adds that media, "targeting children, exposing them to harm, or collaborating with extremist, racist, or anti-worker forces is not “debate” and cannot be excused." Message: media creating CPS mother image = good, media challenging that image = bad.

CTU's attitude toward public figures' educational decisions was different in 2011. Mayor Rahm Emanuel sent his children to the elite University of Chicago Lab school. CTU lambasted the mayor and labeled him an elitist and hypocrite. As a CTU field rep at the time, we lambasted Rahm and piled on with the media. Nothing was out of bounds for us - including highlighting a public figure’s decision for their child’s education.

In 2011 CTU President Lewis told Chicago Magazine,

“I’m actually glad that he did because it gave me an opportunity to look at how the Lab school functions…. I thought he gave us a wonderful pathway to seeing what a good education looks like, and I think he’s absolutely right, and so we love that model. We would love to see that model throughout.”

In a 2011 CTU statement President Lewis said ,

“The new mayor seems to recognize how school funding impacts school quality. We understand why he would choose a school with small class sizes, a broad rich curriculum that offers world languages, the arts and physical education, a focus on critical thinking not test-taking, a teacher and an assistant in every elementary classroom, and paid, high-quality professional development for their teachers."

The CTU's media allies joined in as well. Ben Joravsky wrote in the Reader, "Mayor Emanuel sends his children to a unionized private school while working overtime to break the public school teachers’ union."

Chicago magazine's Carol Felsenthal joined in the chorus , "Making the choice to send their children to the University of Chicago Laboratory School was a canny one for the Emanuels because the school carries the patina of great, urban university "lab" school."

Stacy justified the choice of De La Salle because the southside doesn't have good options for her son to play soccer. I guess she doesn't know about Lindblom HS. Side note, I'll bet lunch that Lindblom has a better record than De La Salle's soccer team this year.

Another southside option is George Washington HS - a former state champion. Perhaps the issue with a school like Washington is it's location. As Sara Karp reported in the Sun Times Friday, "the southside schools with good programs are in Latino neighborhoods far from her home." I read that line and did a double take, is there something wrong with schools in Latino neighborhoods?

Stacy's deflection included counter attacks against Sub X reporter John Kugler. Stacy claimed that John is, "a disgruntled former CTU employee with a history of violent incidents who has stalked members of my family." It's true, John Kugler was convicted of a crime three decades ago. Stacy frequently reminds people of John's troubled past (At House of Delegates Meetings). This is despite any evidence of alleged stalking or violence over the past decades.

I support CTU's belief in restorative justice and criminal justice reform. CTU member/Mayor Johnson led an effort to help convicted felons by "banning the box" in rental practices. The Union partners with community groups to address the school to prison pipeline. CTU endorsed Kim Foxx for State's Attorney, because we appreciate her commitment to reform. Stacy could embrace John's rehabilitation, and live the values of our union, but instead slanders a reporter over an issue from the 1990s.

Final note to Stacy, your email was 800 words long. There's an old saying in public relations, "If you have to explain it, you already lost." Next time, spare the slander and the long winded justification. Come out in front of the issue, make a simple statement and be done with it. Remember the adage, those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. That's from the bible, and I learned that without attending a Catholic school.