It appears the head of the Chicago Teachers Union, Stacy Davis Gates, is getting an education in hypocrisy.
Mrs. Gates has been a fierce opponent of school choice and has long argued that allowing families to attend private schools was “the choice of racists.” Now, however, she’s been caught sending her own son to a private school despite such rhetoric.
During an appearance on CNN, Mrs. Gates was asked about the hypocrisy of her actions. To her credit, CNN’s Abby Phillip challenged Mrs. Gates about the matter. Unfortunately for Mrs. Gates, she had no real defense.
Mrs. Gates attempted to claim that private school choice is racist, but Phillip correctly pointed out that the rhetoric Mrs. Gates has long used to oppose school choice does not match her actions. It became clear that Mrs. Gates had no argument beyond trying to deflect and portray herself as the victim.
DEVASTATING takedown of Chicago Teachers Union boss by CNN host.
CNN: Why not help poor families have the same choice you have?
Union boss: SCHOOL CHOICE IS RACIST! MEAN EMAILS! MY SON PLAYS SOCCER!
CNN: “What you just described for your son is choice.” pic.twitter.com/cLpVBEdQ39
— Corey A. DeAngelis, school choice evangelist (@DeAngelisCorey) September 13, 2023
Unfortunately, this isn’t a new tactic from Democrats. All too often, when presented with facts that confront their beliefs, Democrats resort to throwing out accusations of racism without actually defending their position. In this case, Mrs. Gates’ words weren’t backed up by her actions.
This hypocrisy is especially troubling when it comes to the state of Illinois. This year, the Illinois Democrats killed the Invest in Kids Tax Credit Scholarship Program for low-income students, a program that Mrs. Gates’ union vocally opposed. It’s no wonder that Mrs. Gates’ decision to exercise school choice for her son is frustrating to those without the means to do the same.
To be fair, Mrs. Gates isn’t completely off-base when she talks about a lack of choice in Chicago. Many black students are forced to travel two hours a day for school and that’s before they can even consider the sports their son may want to participate in.
But, these problems are not helped by the Chicago Teachers Union or Mrs. Gates’ rhetoric. Rather than creating real solutions that actually help students, Mrs. Gates and her union are content with trapping children in a broken, ineffective system that benefits it financially.
School choice is an opportunity to unlock opportunity for everyone and give more students access to quality education. It is a true shame that Mrs. Gates and the Chicago Teachers Union are dead set against it.
