The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) has been forced into an embarrassing retreat, deleting a social media campaign that called on the 'ultra-wealthy' to fully fund city schools after the post was widely mocked for a basic spelling error.
A Costly Typo in a Funding Fight
On Tuesday, the union posted a flyer across X, Facebook, and TikTok urging the public to pressure state leaders to tax billionaires. The campaign came months after a report by Chicago Public Media found the school district faces a staggering $1.6 billion shortfall in necessary funding. The flyer specifically targeted Democratic Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, a multibillionaire heir to the Hyatt hotel fortune, demanding the wealthy 'pay their fair share'.
However, the message was immediately undermined by a glaring mistake at the very top of the graphic: it read 'TELL GOVERNER PRITZKER'. The irony of a spelling error in material shared by educators was swiftly seized upon online. The post also featured a barcode linking to a May Day Coalition petition, which, in contrast, spelled 'governor' correctly.
Ridicule and a Wider Debate on Performance
Conservative education reform advocate Corey DeAngelis called out the error on X, leading to the post's rapid deletion from all three platforms. 'If the union can't handle simple spelling on a flyer, imagine the oversight in their classrooms,' DeAngelis stated. 'No wonder so many kids in Chicago can't read.'
The criticism gained traction against a bleak backdrop of academic performance. The 2025 Illinois Report Card revealed that last year, over half of Chicago students couldn't read at grade level, and nearly three-quarters failed to reach math proficiency on state tests. Statewide, only 40% of 11th graders were proficient in reading, and just 25% in math. These scores followed eased proficiency standards, with 40.1% of students missing at least 10% of the school year.
DeAngelis further noted that Chicago already spends over $30,000 per student annually, questioning the demand for more funding. He sarcastically referenced a viral video about an allegedly fraudulent daycare centre that misspelled 'Learning' as 'Learing', quipping the CTU leadership must have graduated from a similar 'Quality Learing Centre'.
Union's Broader Campaign and Scrutiny
For months, Chicago educators have aggressively lobbied for increased education funding through taxing the wealthy. In October, CTU President Stacy Davis Gates criticised Governor Pritzker, claiming he had done little for schools beyond denouncing Trump's policies. 'We believe that we should be taxing billionaires so they can pay their fair share,' she told Capitol News Illinois.
However, the union's focus has faced scrutiny. A September CTU spending report showed only 17.7% of its 2025 budget was allocated to 'representation activities' for teachers. Earlier this month, The Washington Post criticised the union for prioritising social justice initiatives while literacy and numeracy rates fall. An editorial argued it was 'hard to believe the union has students' best interests at heart' when it ignores fundamental academic deficits.
The Post also highlighted chronic absenteeism among Chicago educators, with about 43% missing 10 or more days of school compared to 34% statewide. The episode, blending a simple typo with deep-seated debates over funding, accountability, and educational outcomes, leaves the union's campaign facing questions beyond mere spelling.
