The Chicago Teachers Union Continues to Endorse Chicago School Board Candidates 

All 21 seats on the Chicago Board of Education are up for election this year. This year also marks the first time the mayor will not appoint 11 of the 21 seats on the board, putting full decision-making power in the hands of Chicago voters this November. Illinois lawmakers divided Chicago into 20 separate voting districts, with voters in each district electing 1 of the 20 board members. The final seat is for the school board president, and all Chicago voters will have the opportunity to cast a vote for it. The increase in open seats on this year’s ballot is also expected to bring more campaign spending, especially from groups such as the Chicago Teachers Union.

As of September 1, the Chicago Teachers Union has already spent nearly $236,000 on eight candidates running for Chicago’s first fully elected school board. The union has spent about 87% of these funds, totaling $207,293, on its endorsed candidate for school board president, Hilario Dominguez.

The Chicago Teachers Union has spent millions on political spending over the years, and its political contributions have nearly quadrupled since 2022. Last year marked a record high for the Chicago Teachers Union, which reported $4.23 million in political spending. To put this in perspective, only 18 cents of every dollar the Chicago Teachers Union spent was on “representational activities” in fiscal year 2025. The remaining 82 cents of each dollar went to politics and other union leadership priorities.

This spending follows a member vote rejecting a dues hike intended to fund the union’s political agenda. The Chicago Teachers Union sought to raise dues by as much as $800. However, almost 63% of the union’s members voted against the annual dues increase. Even though the union continues to face criticism from educators for its spending choices, it continues to prioritize political contributions over teachers and students.

For more information about education policy in Illinois, please contact the qualified attorneys at Rock Fusco & Connelly, LLC.