School Board Mailers Get Ugly in Chicago

Lately, Chicagoans have been finding some strange mailers on their doorsteps. These aren't your usual flyers; they're ads for the upcoming school board election. With 31 candidates vying for 10 seats, the race is heating up. Both the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) and groups supporting charter schools are pouring money into ads. These mailers aren't just promoting candidates; they're attacking them too. Some candidates are even being linked to Donald Trump's agenda! Candidates like Ellen Rosenfeld are seeing their faces on Trump-related ads. She's a Democrat, but the mailers make it seem like she's backed by Trump. This isn't the case, but the ads are causing confusion. Other candidates, like Ebony DeBerry, are being linked to Mayor Brandon Johnson's policies. This is all happening because CTU and charter school groups have been at odds for a long time. They're using these mailers to push their agendas. The ads are causing a stir, but are they helping? Some people think they're just making things worse. They're giving opponents more attention and making voters uncertain. All this negativity is taking away from the real issues, like student outcomes and school experiences. It's not just the candidates who are upset. Voters are too. They want to know what's really going on, not just who's being accused of what. They want to make informed decisions, not just vote against someone because of a scary mailer.