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The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) appears poised to spend a substantial amount of money on “political activities,” internal documents viewed by Digital show.
According to CTU’s fiscal report, projecting into June 30, 2026, the union budgeted $3.1 million for “political activities.” In comparison, the union budgeted $152,500 for “training/ workshops,” $260,000 for community events, and $1.2 million for its contract campaign. The largest amount is budgeted for salaries and health insurance.
The Fiscal Year November report, which was obtained by the North American Values Institute (NAVI), was part of a meeting agenda and presentation notes from the CTU House of Delegates meeting held on Jan. 14.
The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) appears to spend a substantial amount of money on “political activities,” internal documents obtained by Digital show. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
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“CTU funds are public tax dollars, issued from the paychecks of local and state-funded educators. As a public sector union, its mandate is to represent the professional and bargaining interests of teachers — not to bankroll the political agendas of ideological caucuses. It is time for the State of Illinois to provide rigorous oversight and end the gross misuse of taxpayer resources,” said Josh Weiner, chief strategy officer of NAVI.
The CTU is primarily funded by teachers’ member dues rather than directly by taxpayer dollars. Teachers are employees of Chicago Public Schools, which is funded directly by taxpayers.
The meeting and presentation were politically charged.
During the meeting, Vice President Jackson Potter discussed the Trump administration’s intervention in Venezuela and Iran and the killing of civilian Renee Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis. “Are you feeling crazy? Cause it is,” a caption says above the slides on the topic.
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Chicago Teachers Union President Stacey Davis Gates delivered an address at the City Club of Chicago on Monday, June 23, 2025. (YouTube Screenshot)
Another slide on the presentation included a flyer titled, “This MLK Day Chicago Resists,” and information about a protest located at Water Tower Park on Jan. 19, demanding on the anniversary of Donald Trump’s inauguration to “abolish ICE,” “stop the wars,” “tax the rich,” and “end the genocides.”
This summer, the union plans an “Environmental Justice Freedom School,” a “two-week educational experiential program offered to high school students in the CPS to develop local school climate action plans.”
Neither the Chicago Public Schools nor the Chicago Teachers’ Union responded to Digital’s request for comment.
The union released its list of endorsements on Feb. 5, backing only Democratic candidates in federal and state elections, including Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, who vows to “stand up to Donald Trump and his MAGA cronies,” in his congressional bid. Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson, who is running for re-election in 2027, was backed by the union in his last mayoral election bid.
The union previously made headlines for supporting social justice initiatives, recently being critical of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement and generally being vocal on political issues.
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The union budgeted $3.1 million for “political activities” for the fiscal year ending in June. (Chicago Teachers’ Union Fiscal Year November Report)
CTU issued a statement accusing the Trump administration of “normalizing terror” and condemning the “teargassing of students and arrest of an educator at Roosevelt High School.”
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Earlier this month, CTU faced backlash from The Washington Post for pursuing social justice initiatives in its school district even as student reading and math proficiency continues to decline.
