Chicago teachers union slams newspaper that called them out for their members' chronic absence

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The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) on Friday responded to a newspaper editorial about teachers’ chronic absences in Chicago Public Schools (CPS) when they are paid a median salary of $95K.

"CPS teacher Roxanne Piersanti calls out the Tribune Editorial Board’s recent criticism of teacher absences, pointing out how it unfairly targets working mothers and ignores the realities of caregiving, illness, and the physical toll of teaching," CTU posted on their X account.

"Have they considered how often educators — especially the 75% of whom are women — are on the front lines of both their classrooms and their families? Does the Trib think workers don’t deserve sick days, FMLA and parental leave? Educators don’t just teach; they sacrifice, care, and persevere. It’s time for the Tribune to reflect the facts," the CTU wrote.

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Despite union membership declining since 2000, a rising number of Americans approve of unions, according to a 2022 Gallup poll. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

The union also highlighted Piersanti’s remark aimed at the Tribune's editorial board.

"The editorial feels very one-sided and absolutely misogynistic. Do better," Piersanti wrote in an article criticizing the Tribune.

Piersanti added that the Tribune is "missing facts about why teachers take the time off."

"What about COVID-19? Do members of the board work with 100-plus different kids a day? How would their immune systems hold up?", she added.

The Tribune editorial wrote on November 25th that over 41% of teachers were absent from their classes for 10 or more days during the 2023-24 school year, citing state records. The outlet added that 10 days of absences represent a statistical benchmark used in the profession to monitor chronic absenteeism among teachers.

Brandon Johnson, mayor of Chicago, during an inauguration ceremony at the Credit Union 1 Arena in Chicago on May 15, 2023. (Jamie Kelter Davis/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

"Alarmingly, this poor record of CPS teachers showing up for work has been a new and recent phenomenon. In the 2022-23 school year, for example, CPS teachers’ performance was even worse — 43% were absent at least 10 days. Before that year, though, the rate was considerably better: in the 2016-17 school year, chronic absenteeism among CPS teachers was 31%. The number worsened slightly from there leading into the pandemic but still was better than what we’re seeing now," the editorial board wrote.

Chicago teachers are paid a median salary of $95,000, significantly more than what teachers are paid in the suburbs and more than "any other large school district in the nation," according to the Tribune. 

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The Tribune added that it was an "outlandish ask" for the CTU to demand a 9% annual raise. 

CTU President Stacey Davis Gates penned an op-ed on November 29th responding to the editorial board, saying that the board "continues its agenda of denigrating the Chicago Teachers Union and lowers itself with a series of half-truths and cherry-picked statistics." 

"When numbers aren’t juiced to advance an agenda, teacher attendance at CPS tracks with statewide trends," Davis Gates wrote. "They call this ‘chronic absenteeism’ and insinuate that teachers should be ashamed for doing so."

Stacy Davis Gates is President of the Chicago Teachers Union, Executive Vice President of the Illinois Federation of Teachers, Vice President of the American Federation of Teachers, and Chair of United Working Families. (YouTube/screenshot | Fox News Digital)

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"In CPS and across the state, teachers are making use of their allotted sick time more than before the pandemic. Even when looking at districts with more or less generous leave policies, Chicago is neither the highest nor the lowest when it comes to teacher usage of paid time off," she added. 

CTU, Davis Gates, nor the Tribune immediately responded to a request for comment.