Teachers Union and Teachers: 28Students and Parents: 0
The government knows monopolies are bad. That’s why they break them up. Unless of course it’s a Government monopoly, like a school system.
The Chicago Teacher’s Union voted late last night to cancel all in person classes and work remotely until January 18th or until COVID-19 cases fall below an unreleased threshold. If your local grocery store, or bar or hardware supplier decided to stop opening their doors, you’d have an option to take your business elsewhere. With a school? Not so much. The Chicago school system has a monopoly on spending Chicago tax dollars on education. Parents who have committed their time and tax dollars to supporting the public schools in Chicago have no say in whether or not the schools are opened.
According to Former CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield, “The reality is, the school is probably the safest place for these students to be.”
The average public school teacher in Chicago is paid $64,000, and will retire with a pension worth over $70,000 a year.
Thinking back to my days as a mom, I would have hated a school system that could pull the rug out from under me. When my children were young, it was important to me that they have a stable environment. It’s disappointing to me that teachers in Chicago would pull this sort of maneuver and leave people in the lurch with no warning.
And a vote at midnight? I remember Mayor Daley’s Chicago, where the government believed they were in charge and would tell people how things were supposed to be. Now in the name of transparency, public boards and unions are supposed to have public votes — but sneaking in a vote at midnight doesn’t seem to be in keeping with the spirit of transparency.
Liberty is about having choices in your life. One of the greatest choices we can have is to determine the future of our children. When the government has a monopoly on education, there is no liberty. The next time you think about making the world more free, consider how great an impact you can have close to home, by supporting school choice.
If you liked this article, please sign up for the People For Liberty newsletter to be kept up to date on our efforts to promote the #LibertyLifestyle and #ConsentCulture.