FreedomWorks Statement in Response to Chicago Teachers Union Refusal to Return to the Classroom

WASHINGTON, D.C.– In response to the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) refusal to return to in-person teaching, Laura Zorc, FreedomWorks Senior Advisor of Education Policy Reform and Parent Led Advocacy, commented:

“Enough is never going to ever be enough. The demands of the CTU have become increasingly ridiculous, with teachers refusing to come to school even after proper precautions have been put in place. With the CTU using the pandemic as an excuse to wield whatever political power it can, the hypocrisy of its members continues to come into fuller view.

“I hope that this can be an eye opener to parents on how much power politicians have handed over to teachers unions. It’s time for lawmakers to wake up and realize that the only way to get the decision making power back into the hands of the parents is by allowing per-pupil tax dollars to follow students or be freed up for alternative education options. If teachers are refusing to do their jobs, then parents should have the choice to reclaim the education tax dollars that are tied up in the system. It’s time to stop playing political games with our kids’ futures, open the schools, and fund access to other options. It’s not complicated.”