Chicago teachers demand higher pay even as report shows ‘chronic absenteeism’ among educators

Higher pay for fewer days on the job?

It may sound counterintuitive, but the Chicago Teachers Union is demanding a 9% annual raise for members even as a report shows “chronic absenteeism” among public-school educators. 

“Over 41% of teachers were absent from their classes for 10 or more days during the 2023-24 school year, according to state records,” noted a Chicago Tribune editorial concerning Chicago Public Schools.  “Those 10 days represent a statistical benchmark the profession uses to monitor ‘chronic absenteeism’ among teachers.” 

When considering the 23 vacation days already allotted to educators throughout the school year, such absences directly affect student outcomes, according to the editorial. 

“CPS students on the whole face more challenges than many of their suburban counterparts. As most of us have experienced in our lives at some point, a great teacher can make a monumentally positive difference in a child’s future. But to have that opportunity, teachers need to be present.” 

‘Outrageous’ demands amid ‘underwhelming’ results 

The report on absenteeism comes even as the union has come under fire for “underwhelming results” in academic performance, according to Fox News. 

“Only 21% of the city’s eighth-graders are proficient readers, according to the Nation’s Report Card, which provides national results about students’ performance,” writes Yael Halon. 

The lapse in teacher attendance has affected high schoolers as well. In one example, students at Roberto Clemente Community Academy were left without a teacher for several weeks. 

CPS teachers already enjoy a median salary near $95,000 – “more than any other large school district in the nation” without considering any increases to be negotiated by the union, according to the editorial. 

“As CTU continues to make outrageous demands of city and state taxpayers, what exactly are Chicagoans getting for the $30,000-per-student they are currently paying, the highest per-student investment in Illinois? Why is it that all we hear from CTU is demands for more, but we never hear anything from the union about what its members owe the taxpayers (and parents) of this city?” 

As previously reported by The Lion, the school district is grappling with major financial issues after an election where the CTU still holds a majority on the city’s school board. 

The district’s budget is projecting a $900 million shortfall, in addition to an estimated $9.3 billion in outstanding debt. 

Amid this economic backdrop, the union’s insistence on a 9% annual raise comes as “an outlandish ask” for the city’s already stretched-thin taxpayers, the Chicago Tribune opines. 

“Student attendance is critical to learning, which is crucial to preparing tomorrow’s adults for the challenges of the workforce and independent life,” noted the editorial. “But that’s only one part of the school-success equation. We need an equal focus on the attendance of teachers.”