Chicago Teachers Union president Stacy Davis Gates just said the quiet part out loud: “CTU thinks your children are its children.” That’s not their families. Not their teachers. Not even their parents.
It’s the union.
This wasn’t a slip. It was a window into how public‑sector unions—especially in education—see their role. It’s not about representing teachers. It’s about controlling the narrative, reshaping social norms, and consolidating power.
Let’s be crystal clear: no child belongs to a union.
Children are not property. They’re not political pawns. They certainly don’t belong to an institution that crafts woke manifestos while classrooms suffer.
But this is what the CTU has become. What happens when unelected ideological operatives masquerading as “labor leaders” hold unchecked political power.
What began as a labor movement has morphed into a full‑blown social campaign—one that now openly scorns families, community values, and academic neutrality.
The Quote That Laid It Bare
At the City Club of Chicago on June 23, 2025, Davis Gates invoked James Baldwin:
“Baldwin says the children are always ours. Every single one of them… ‘CTU thinks your children are its children.’ Yes, we do. We do. We do.” (face2faceafrica.com, foxnews.com)
That wasn’t a misstep. It was a mission statement.
And It Gets Worse
This is the same CTU that:
- Pushed radical gender policies over parental consent
They pushed contract language that allows schools to withhold gender identity and pronouns from parents—creating “gender support coordinators,” requiring gender‑affirming care for minors, and enforcing students’ chosen names and pronouns regardless of parental awareness. (Illinoispolicy.org)
- Weaponized COVID to keep kids
In January 2022, CTU pulled students from classrooms despite CPS being ready to reopen. (AXIOS.com readlion.com).
- Used dues to fund hyper‑partisan causes unrelated to education
Federal records show CTU spent over $2.3 million on Brandon Johnson’s 2023 mayoral campaign—directly from member dues. Then they added an $8‑per‑member monthly voluntary PAC fee, despite internal opposition (axios.com).
Let’s be clear: this isn’t an attack on teachers. Teachers didn’t say this. A union boss did—someone being paid to politicize classrooms while claiming to represent every educator.
But teachers are speaking up. They didn’t become educators to serve fringe ideologies. They took on the job to make a difference—not to be pawns.
At what point does silence become complicity?
If a union can claim ownership over children without backlash from its own members, what does that say about the institution—and those who stay silent?
Not all teachers stand with this madness. Countless are silently horrified—but they’re trapped in systems that bully dissent, punish individuality, and equate silence with loyalty.
It takes courage to walk away. To say no to a union that’s lost its moral compass. To reject the false choice between a paycheck and your principles.
Some teachers have found that courage.
They’re standing up—not just for themselves, but for their students, their communities, and the truth.
They’re showing the next generation that integrity matters. That it’s OK to stand up to bullies. That just because an organization negotiates your contract doesn’t mean you owe it your voice, your values, or your endorsement.
A paycheck doesn’t justify moral compromise.
These educators aren’t alone—and they deserve our support.
This Isn’t Just Chicago
Illinois is a test case. This script is repeating on a national stage.
To understand how activism spreads—from the classroom to city hall to the courts—see In the Heart of LERC. It traces the blueprint from university labor centers to activist union reps—and shows how they’ve quietly built toward this moment, now confident enough to say it out loud:
“The children belong to us.”
It’s time to say no.
No to CTU. No to this quote.
And no to the system of forced representation, political manipulation, and moral cowardice that let this happen.
