Chicago Public Schools officials provoked a backlash this week after sending home all 381,000 of the district’s students with a letter bashing the state’s Republican governor and President Donald Trump, WGN reports.
CPS CEO Forrest Claypool authored the bizarre letter, which lay all the blame for the state’s budget woes — and subsequent funding cuts — at Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner’s feet, accusing him of stealing and “cheating” Chicago children. Claypool goes so far as to pull President Trump into the mix as a way of attacking Rauner.
Republican Bruce Rauner gives a thumbs-up after winning the midterm elections in Chicago, Illinois, November 4, 2014. REUTERS/Jim Young (UNITED STATES – Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS) – RTR4CVD2
The letter, which is addressed to students’ parents, claims that “Governor Rauner, just like President Trump, has decided to attack those who need the most help.”
Claypool, who previously worked for Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, goes on to say that “like President Trump, Governor Rauner is targeting our must vulnerable citizens: immigrant children, racial minorities, the poor.”
“The letter, paid for by taxpayers, does not mention Democrats who have been in control of the city and state legislature for decades,” WGN points out.
“This is so inappropriate. How can he send political propaganda home?” one parent wrote to WGN.
This isn’t the first time Chicago Public Schools has pushed a liberal agenda.
The district unveiled new transgender guidelines last May that calling students by the “wrong” pronoun is a punishable offense. (RELATED: Chicago Students Now Required To Adopt Transgender Newspeak)
According to those guidelines, “the intentional or persistent refusal by students or school staff to respect a student’s gender identity (for example, intentionally referring to the student by a name or pronoun that does not correspond to the student’s gender identity) is a violation of these Guidelines, the Student Code of Conduct, and Comprehensive Non-Discrimination, Title IX and Sexual Harassment Policy.”
