Aldermen, legislators and parents marched outside the offices of the Illinois Charter School Network on Monday morning, armed with signs that billionaire investment checks had blown in Chicago’s next school board election. They came together to denounce large donations by out-of-state billionaires and put forward a proposal. For campaign finance reform.
State lawmakers fought for years to draft a bill to create an elected school board, but “much remained on the table.” said state Sen. Robert Martwick. He called for legislative hearings to consider “different models for campaign finance reform.”
“We have an obligation as legislators to fine-tune this to make sure Chicagoans get what they bargained for and that the process is not tainted by outside donors,” Martwick said.
But finance experts say the proposed campaign finance reform bill would have no impact on school board elections in the short or long term. Illinois has a unique rule in which the cap is lifted if campaign contributions total more than $100,000 through self-contributions or independent spending during an election period.
Martwick said there has been a steady flow of outside money for special interests ahead of November’s school board elections. This flow of money, both money raised and money spent, flows from both supporters of school choice and its critics, namely the Chicago Teachers Union.
So far this year, two super PACs that support school choice and charter schools, the Illinois Charter School Action Independent Committee and the Urban Center group, have put 1.6 million dollars into the race since Oct. 21, according to state campaign data. Spending close to a dollar.
State campaign data shows CTU is investing as well. CTU candidates raised $1.3 million from committees whose largest donors are labor unions.
Both groups advocate a vision for the school system.
“As a mother of two young black boys, I cringe when I think about the fate of black and brown children,” said Chicago Public Schools parent Cleopatra Draper. “It was already predicted in the third grade that there would be a pipeline to prison. Now you are trying to take over my school and miseducate my children. It’s not for sale.”
No specific bill language was proposed Monday morning, but Kent Redfield, a professor emeritus of political science at the University of Illinois at Springfield, said the bill would likely die if it passes. Donations to state judicial campaigns have been challenged in federal court, citing recent laws imposing withdrawal limits.
Just because you’re not from Illinois doesn’t mean you can’t exercise your First Amendment rights and provide funding, Redfield said. But with the entire school board resigning in early October and Mayor Brandon Johnson’s close alignment with CTU, which helped him take office, the school board race has become more competitive than most national races. He said it appears to be different.
“Systematically speaking, school board elections are usually very local, they don’t involve interest groups, they don’t involve mayors,” Redfield said.
Super PACs, also known as independent spending committees, cannot directly coordinate with or donate to candidates, but they can raise and spend an unlimited amount of money. They often spend money on mailers, ads, and text messages to support or oppose a particular candidate. They receive donations from wealthy individuals and billionaires, some of whom live out of state.
If any candidate in a district receives more than $100,000, all candidates in that district’s campaign can accept donations in excess of the normal contribution limits, so after the campaign ends, There is often an influx of large sums of money.
The Electoral Commission recently removed contribution limits from all but two constituencies. And with about a week left until the historic election, charter school supporters and opponents alike are spending millions in hopes of winning board seats.
In recent months, the INCS Super PAC has received six-figure funding from major donors including James Frank, founder of auto fleet leasing and management company Wheels. Brothers Jim and Alice Walton and heirs to the Wal-Mart fortune. Reed Hastings, co-founder of Netflix. Craig Duchossois, a major Chicago investment firm, according to state records.
INCS President Andrew Broy said all of the out-of-state donors have a “very specific belief that charter schools help young people develop the skills to succeed in life.” Ta. Broglie said he is in talks with donors about investing in INCS.
When asked about ideas for campaign finance reform, he said: “Democracy is a participatory sport, and we are engaged in that process because we care deeply about the future of our school district.” …Trying to close one of the avenues of democracy is Seems hypocritical to me. ”
CTU did not respond to requests for comment on political donations.
National politics are increasingly infiltrating Chicago’s local elections, as evidenced by flyers and texts about school board elections that were filled with voters.
John Jackson, a political science professor at Southern Illinois University, said the trend has been growing over the past decade. He said school board elections are beginning to mirror national political party dynamics, with significant financial commitment and ideological battles.
“We are used to school board elections, but they have been relatively quiet and in no way reflective of national trends,” Jackson said. “And now they are significantly polarized along national lines.”
First Published: October 29, 2024 5:00am CDT
