Chicago’s newly approved $1.5 billion contract with the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) is drawing heavy fire from fiscal watchdogs and education reform advocates. One of the loudest voices belongs to Ted Dabrowski, president of Wirepoints, who joined Chicago’s Morning Answer on Tuesday to sound the alarm about the cost to taxpayers, the consequences for students, and the political dysfunction that continues to plague the city.
“What do you get out of this contract?” Dabrowski asked hosts Amy Jacobson and Chris Krok. “A bigger property tax bill, a more emboldened CTU, and a bunch of kids who can’t read.”
A Contract with No Accountability
While Mayor Brandon Johnson celebrated the agreement as a win for teachers and equity, Dabrowski painted a starkly different picture. He noted that despite skyrocketing costs—Chicago Public Schools now spend $30,000 per student—academic outcomes are dismal. Most CPS students cannot read or perform math at grade level, and chronic absenteeism remains rampant for both students and teachers.
Meanwhile, teacher evaluations have hit a near-perfect 99% “excellent or proficient” rating, even as performance continues to decline. “The system is rigged to hide failure,” Dabrowski said. “We’re paying more and getting less, and the people trapped in these schools—especially low-income Black and Latino families—are the ones suffering the most.”
School Choice Off the Table in Illinois
Adding insult to injury, Illinois lawmakers recently let the Invest in Kids scholarship program expire, stripping 15,000 students—many from underprivileged backgrounds—of access to private school options.
“We’re the ugly duckling surrounded by states expanding school choice,” Dabrowski said. “Texas, Indiana, Iowa—they’re all empowering families. In Illinois, we’re empowering unions.”
He remained cautiously optimistic that, with enough pressure from constituents and growing discontent among the Black and Latino caucuses, school choice could return—eventually. But for now, he said, entrenched political interests and CTU influence have blocked any meaningful reform.
Crime Stats and Spin
The Wirepoints chief also pushed back against Mayor Johnson’s claims of crime improvement. While Chicago homicides dropped 8% last year, other cities like Philadelphia saw nearly 50% declines.
“Chicago still leads the nation in murders and has the highest homicide rate among the 20 largest cities,” Dabrowski noted. “We’re not improving—we’re just falling slightly slower.”
The Brandon Johnson Problem
When asked how Chicago elected a mayor so closely tied to the CTU, Dabrowski offered a blunt assessment: voters were misled—or complacent.
“We went from Lori Lightfoot to someone who’s even more ideologically rigid, less experienced, and more beholden to the union,” he said. “Now, the entire country is asking: how did this happen?”
While Johnson currently faces no threat of recall due to Illinois law, Dabrowski said it’s time for serious conversations about structural reform and accountability.
The Bottom Line
Wirepoints continues to ring the alarm bell about Illinois’ spiraling spending, shrinking population, and eroding public trust. With a failing education system, rising taxes, and ineffective leadership, Dabrowski warned that more families and businesses will simply opt out—leaving the rest to foot the growing bill.
“We need radical change, not just better personalities,” Dabrowski said. “Until then, Chicago will keep hemorrhaging people, money, and opportunity.”
For more of Ted Dabrowski’s insights and data analysis, visit Wirepoints.org.