Chicago's Education Battle: Money, Politics, and the Fight for Schools

Chicago is in a tough spot when it comes to schools. The city's teachers' union leader, Stacy Davis Gates, recently spoke out against Trump's policies. She said they're hurting public education. The union just got a big contract worth $1. 5 billion over four years. But the school district is facing a huge budget shortfall of $529 million. Davis Gates said the problems in Chicago schools are part of a bigger national issue. She thinks Trump is trying to weaken public education. She compared today's challenges to the struggles after the Civil War and during the Civil Rights Movement. She believes Chicago is in the middle of another big fight for fairness in schools. The school district hasn't said how it will pay for the new contract. The former schools chief, Pedro Martinez, was fired. He had refused to take out a big loan to cover the contract. Now, the interim president, Macquline King, has to figure out what to do. There might be big cuts coming. The district could eliminate over 1, 600 jobs. Davis Gates doesn't want to see any spending cuts. She says the budget choices affect students directly. Meanwhile, the federal government is investigating Chicago schools for discrimination. Davis Gates criticized Trump's attacks on diversity and inclusion. She said Trump is trying to undo progress. She believes the way forward is through unity and resistance.