North Cook News

Illinois State Senate District 10 candidate Jon Luers has raised concerns about the influence of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) on local school board elections. In an October 7 Facebook post, Luers said, "The Chicago Teachers' Union is actively trying to control who they report to--they are funding a School Board candidate in each district."

"The Chicago Teachers' Union is actively trying to control who they report to--they are funding a School Board candidate in each district, for a total of hundreds of thousands of dollars," said Luers, according to Facebook. "But such blatant conflicts of interest, which would make the board represent the CTU more than parents of students, is not lost on the voters."

According to his Facebook post, Luers shared an article from The Daily Caller that focused on the CTU's ongoing negotiations with Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez. Dylan Sharkey, assistant editor at the Illinois Policy Institute, commented on the situation: "Chicago Teachers Union is a former employee of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, they poured millions of dollars into his campaign to help get him elected. And now, in a similar vein, he is appointing members of the school board, and on the other half, they are endorsing who would be the elected candidates. So essentially, they have their hands in the underscoring for the entire school board and every decision that would be made regarding Chicago public schools."

Screenshot of Jon Luers' Oct. 7 Facebook post | Jon Luers for IL Senate 10t District Facebook page

In a September 25 article by the Illinois Policy Institute, it was reported that CTU has donated more than $400,000 to endorsed school board candidates across districts 1-9. The highest amount, $124,647, went to Friends of Jason Dones in District 3.

The Daily Caller also quoted Mailee Smith from a press release about CTU's unpopularity. Smith said, "The CTU has grown increasingly unpopular, and its leaders are desperate to pad their ranks with allies in advance of key conversations about the district, union and taxpayers’ money. Voters get to decide if they want CTU to officially take over the school board and decisions about the district and city at large."

Luers is running for the Illinois Senate's 10th District seat as a seasoned software engineer with four decades of experience. He expresses dissatisfaction with Democratic leadership both in Illinois and nationally. He criticizes his opponent, State Senator Robert Martwick, as being akin to Mike Madigan and benefiting from a property tax appeals business while taxes increase. A significant concern for Luers is what he describes as "ridiculously expensive and ineffective" public schools in Illinois. He attributes these issues partly to teachers' unions and notes the negative impact of Covid lockdowns on education.