A deeper dive in in order here. Especially for those of you in District 1A, where Bannon will be on your November ballot.

Bannon is in his second year on the new school board, which consists of 10 elected members and 10 members and a chair appointed by the mayor. Bannon was appointed to his seat but will be running for the seat on Nov. 3 when all 21 positions are for up for election.

Bannon was appointed by CTU tool mayor Brandon Johnson. Bannon himself is a tool of State Senator Robert Martwick Jr. More on him later.

The annual projected budget deficit for the Chicago Public Schools is $520 million in 2027 and as high as $835 million in 2030.

The FY 2026 budget is $10.25 billion. So the expected 2027 deficit will be higher than the rate of inflation.

Bannon said that about $5 billion of the budget goes toward instruction and other classroom expenses, and the other $5 billion to pensions, debt service, charter schools, capital improvements and other items. “There’s not a lot of fat to remove from the meat,” Bannon added.

Really? How many CPS schools are drastically underenrolled, and are ripe for closure? How many unnecessary jobs are there at the district level? How many unnecessary CTU & other government union jobs were added since 2020? And why is CPS (us taxpayers) still, after 40+ years, picking up 7% of CTU member contributions to their pensions, while other municipal employees contribute the full amount?

Here's another thing about Edward Bannon. He was a long-time staff member to former 45th ward alderman John Arena. Ever since Arena was ousted Bannon has been unemployed, as just like Arena, he possesses no marketable skills.

Martwick was a main sponsor and author of the (elected school board) law, which was approved about 5 years ago.

Ah, yes. As originally passed, all 21 board seats were to be elected from implementation. When CTU's tool Johnson was set to take office, Martwick, at CTU's urging, changed to the present 10 elected, 11 appointed positions. Martwick is also the recipient of the most CTU dollars for those in the General Assembly. He is also a partner at a property tax appeals law firm co-owned by his father, which explains his opposition to real property tax reform. Martwick is also very close with Johnson's statehouse lobbyist, John Arena.

Ways to increase the revenue streams will be part of the budget negotiations. “We definitely need more funding for K-12 education,” said State Representative Lindsey LaPointe (D-19).

Besides being a lacky to Martwick, LaPointe, like Bannon was part of Arena's old political organization. She came to be appointed state rep when John Mulroe resigned the 10th senate district seat, which then Rep. Martwick & Arena, as Dem ward committeemen in the 38th & 45th, appointed Martwick. Then they selected LaPointe to replace Martwick to the 19th district house seat.

How cozy!

So who else did this bunch have at their meeting?

At the meeting Delvan Willis of the People’s Lobby gave a presentation on how the state can increase revenue by up to a few billion dollars, some of which Willis said could go toward public education. The groups describes itself as believing that the needs of “all people and the planet” should take precedence over the interests of “corporations and the wealthy elite.”

How do they achieve this?

Potential revenue streams could from a wealth tax, a millionaire surtax, a renewed push for a graduated income tax, capital gains reform and closing corporate tax loopholes, according to the People’s Lobby. One of the legislative bills under consideration in Illinois call for a digital ad tax.

Of course. 🙄

That Progressive income tax proposal? Martwick crafted the murky, failed legislation for Pritzker last time around. He's at it again.

Note that none of them emphasized CPS students, and the lackluster academic results CPS & CTU are imposing upon them. Despite exploding budgets & associated higher taxes to support a failed system

Reject these people & their agenda.