Chicago Kids Can’t Read. The Chicago Teachers' Union Can’t Spell.

Amy Curtis | January 13, 2026 5:00 PM

During COVID, the Chicago Teachers' Union (CTU) made it very clear they didn't want to do their jobs. They opposed reopening schools, calling the move one "rooted in racism, sexism, and misogyny." They followed that up with a cringeworthy dancing video to keep Chicago kids out of school even longer (while one of the CTU leaders took a vacation to Puerto Rico). Despite all that, the CTU made insane demands during contract negotiations in 2024.

Here's a taste of what they wanted:

The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) is negotiating a new contract with the public schools system and is understood to be calling for an extra $50 billion to pay for wage hikes as well as other demands such as fully paid abortions for its members, new migrant services and facilities and a host of LGBT-related requirements and training in schools.

At the same time they were demanding all of this, only 21 percent of the district's eighth graders were proficient in reading.

In November of last year, we learned that CTU and Chicago Public Schools spent almost $8 million on luxury travel despite a $700 million-plus budget deficit. And shortly after the New Year, the CTU decided to protest in support of ousted Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro.

Because nothing says "No Kings" like an unelected tyrant running a country. Then again, members of the CTU traveled to Venezuela in 2019 to "show support" for Maduro.

The good news is, students in Chicago Public Schools won't have any idea what their teachers are protesting, because most of them can't read. It turns out that's in part because many of their teachers can't spell, either.

The Chicago Teachers Union doesn't know how to spell "Governor." pic.twitter.com/FLJAJz3AbQ
— Corey A. DeAngelis, school choice evangelist (@DeAngelisCorey) January 13, 2026

The CTU let the mask slip a long time ago. A union that can’t spell “governor” can’t teach kids to read, and it certainly can’t explain why its priorities never include students. The CTU has lost all claims to any authority; it isn’t fighting for education or children. It’s fighting for ideology, perks, and political relevance, while an entire generation of kids is left functionally illiterate. And no amount of deleted tweets can hide that reality.

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