South Cook News

Christine Shanahan McGovern, the Republican candidate for Illinois State House District 36, questioned the priorities of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) in a recent Facebook post. "Why have they lost so many students?" McGovern asked. She will face Democrat Rick Ryan in the upcoming general election.

"Why have they lost so many students," said Shanahan McGovern, according to Facebook. "Could it be that the CTU had put their political agenda as a priority instead of providing a classroom setting to create creative critical thinkers? Could it be the path of mismanage of funds? Could it be they allow minor students to make adult decisions?"

McGovern was responding to a Facebook post from Illinois Policy, which stated, "Illinois public schools have lost 127,000 students since 2020."

Screenshot of Christine Shanahan McGovern's June 2 Facebook post | Christine Shanahan McGovern for IL State Representative District 36 Facebook page

According to an editorial on the Illinois Policy website by Hilary Gowins, Senior Vice President of Illinois Policy, public school enrollment has declined significantly across the country. The editorial cites an NBC analysis and data from the Illinois State Board of Education showing that during the 2022-2023 school year, there were 1.85 million children in Illinois public schools, down from 1.98 million in 2019. Additionally, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) experienced a decline of 44,000 students compared to pre-COVID-19 numbers.

"Could it be that leaders past and present of the unions send their own children to private schools because public is not good enough for their children?" McGovern continued in her Facebook post. "I support the teachers who work so hard to fight for their students. I support the teachers who fight for an IEP only to be rejected. I support teachers who fight for an aide in the classroom for their student that needs some extra help to get them caught up."

McGovern also raised concerns about budget allocations: "There are so many teachers that care but I have seen many that do not care. Now how is the budget of CPS increasing while enrollment is decreasing? This is not only CPS but many other districts across Illinois."

Christine Shanahan McGovern ran uncontested in the Republican primary in March and describes herself as a mother and business owner committed to her community where she has lived for almost 29 years.