CTU Retirees Group

Report of the meeting of the Retiree Functional Group (RFG) held on, February 21, 2023

By George Milkowski

With the pandemic receding the Retired Functional Group RFG had its first in-person meeting in almost two years.  

The meeting began at 10:46 a.m..  

1. The meeting began by a welcome from Tennille Evans, CTU liaison with the retiree group.  She then had members of the Retired Members Standing Committee who were present to introduce themselves and make a few brief comments.

2. Tennille asked the assembly for suggestions for issues and topics that the RFG should address.  She wants to have the RMSC and the RFG deal with items that are of concern of the members and not issues that are top-down from the CTU.

3. Hilario Dominguez, (Political Legislative) spoke of how there is only one week before the official date of the municipal election.  He said that Paul Vallas is leading in a poll conducted February 12-15, with Lori Lightfoot in a statistical tie for second with Brandon Johnson.  Hilario cited a recent comment by Jesus “Chuy” Garcia asking if Brandon could be neutral if he is elected mayor.  Hilario said “No’; that we want someone who understands what we face in the schools and is willing to work with the CTU to get better schools for everyone.  He made it clear that Brandon has NOT called for an income tax on those making more than $100,000.  He also said that Anjanette Young, the woman whose apartment was wrongfully raided by police three years ago while she was naked, endorsed Brandon today.  Any who would like to volunteer in the final push for Brandon this week should contact the CTU at ctulocal1.org/volunteer.

Howard Heath, newly elected retiree functional vice president to the CTU Executive Board, spoke of concerns some people have about supporting Paul Vallas.  He reminded the attendees that Vallas had been an advisor to Mayor Richard M. Daley and also was the CEO for the CPS about thirty years ago.  As such he imposed the pension payment default (he called it a holiday) and did NOT have the CPS make any payments into our pension fund for years.  He argued that the CTPF was in good financial shape and didn’t need the money.  While it is true that the fund was fully funded then, he ignored objections that it might not always be that way, especially as the baby boomers (myself included) were approaching retirement en masse and there would be greater demands on the fund.  Maria Rodiguez pointed out that the fund is currently funded at 47.5% as of the most recent figures, which means we are not in great shape today.  This wouldn’t be a problem if Vallas had made the payments instead of diverting that money to other things.

4. Tennille asked for people to volunteer to serve on subcommittees of the RMSC – a social committee, membership committee, political action committee and PSRP committee

5. Tom Tulley said that if Brandon doesn’t make it into a runoff we should consider endorsing Jesus Garcia.  He also reminded the group that in 2024 we will have the first round of elections for an elected school board that will be phased in in 2024 and 2026.

Charlotte Sanders pointed out the great inequities that exist between the CTPF and the Municipal Employees Pension Fund that our PSRPs belong to.  They do not have an elected board, they cannot sub at all without losing their pensions, they have no assistance in their medical insurance costs, and other differences.  And according to Maria Rodriguez, their pension fund is only funded at the 20% level; much worse than ours.

Someone brought up information about a new dental plan for retirees that the CTU will look into.

6. Kurt Hilgendorf (CTU) said that two members of the General Assembly, Sen. Martwick and Rep. Maurice Evans, are preparing legislation that would allow PSRPs to be subs.  He also said there has been a bill submitted this past week that sets the boundaries for the upcoming elected school board elections.  There is a bill that would require charter school operators to stay out of union organizing drives.  For example, they would not be allowed to hold mandatory anti-union meetings with their faculty and staff.

The bill numbers and sponsors information will be made available soon. 

The CTU intends to organize bus trips to Springfield to lobby in the Spring on legislation of interest to our membership.   

Kurt also asked for volunteers to help get Brandon elected.  If anyone has concerns as to where he stands on the issues, one may go to brandonforchicago.com to see his entire platform.

7. Bill Lamm asked for support on changing the existing statewide law that bans rent controls.  He said rental rates have skyrocketed and that there are around 20,000 CPS students who have no housing.  There is proposed legislation that would allow municipalities to impose some sort of rent control.

8. CTU vice president Jackson Potter also spoke regarding lifting the rent control ban.  He said there are more people in Chicago now, many of them immigrants bused in from other states, that have no housing and will have a hard time surviving while their parents go through the process of trying to be recognized as legal residents of the U.S..  He mentioned the CPS is sitting on $1,800,000,000 in federal relief money that it is refusing to use on the needs of the students and of the schools.

Pres. Stacy Davis Gates addressed the audience.  She announced that the CTYU will be re-issuing calendar date books that many retirees had relied on.

Stacy also expressed concerns about future payouts by the CPS to the pension board.  With that in mind we really need to focus on politics now and in the next election cycles that will be the vehicle for having an elected school board.

9. Before adjourning, I mentioned that the number of retirees who are members of the CTU dropped by over 60 according to the latest figures from the CTU.  I reminded those who were present to make sure they paid their investment fee (a.k.a. dues) as soon as possible and that they should remind their friends to do the same.  If you haven’t sent in your check, please contact the CTU about this as soon as possible.

The meeting adjourned at 12:44 p.m.

Crypto Con

Chicago Teachers Pension Fund Cryptic About Its Crypto Investments

By Jim Vail 

CTPF Investment Chair Phil Weiss

Chicago Teachers Pension Fund Trustee Phil Weiss believed that CTPF was not invested in crypto currencies. After being wined and dined by crpto salespeople, Weiss, who chairs the Investment Committee, said no way.

Weiss agreed with experts who say crypto is not a legitimate investment. Some say an investment in crypto is even worse than a Ponzi scheme because it is an unregulated market. The spectacular collapse of FTX was proof in the pudding.

However, it turns out that the Chicago Teachers Pension Fund is indeed invested in crypto, in a very cryptic way. 

At last month's CTPF Board meeting, Retired Teacher Trustee Maria Rodriguez asked an investment consultant if the Fund was invested in crypto directly or indirectly. Callan, the Fund's consultant, said the Chicago Teachers Pension Fund is invested in crypto, but it is minimal, although she could not say how much pension money was invested.

Trustee Weiss then interjected to say that he was first told the Fund was not invested, but then they later admitted upon further questioning that yes the Fund did buy into crypto, but at a minimum.

"We studied and decided crypto didn't meet the standards, it's not investment grade," Trustee Weiss said at the board meeting.

He said it was a good thing too as these investments like the subprime disaster that tanked the economy in 2008 have gone downhill. But he added that crypto has worked its way into a lot of places.

Indeed it has. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot declared Chicago would be a haven for crypto currency because it would revolutionize banking and bring the city investment and jobs. Wall Street similarly sold subprime loans as a wonder for people who otherwise could not buy a home.

"We're fortunate to not get involved in this," Retired Teacher Trustee Lois Nelson said at the meeting. "We're not gambling, we're investing."

The Chicago Teachers Pension Fund appears to take its marching orders from the Chicago Machine. Its close ties to Ariel Investments and Chairperson Mellody Hobson who also chairs the Starbucks Board of Directors as they engage in a vicious anti-union campaign and has performed poorly for CTPF over the years and now this crypto investing after the Mayor declared it good for the city show the Fund's allegiance to politics over sound pension investments.

Second City Teachers filed a Freedom of Information Request to determine how much CTPF is invested in crypto currencies. All members who pay into the Teachers Pension Fund should be able find out how their pension money is being invested.

"With respect to CTPF, please disclose any direct or indirect investments, including through funds managed by external fund managers, in any of the following categories as it relates to digital assets."

However, CTPF attorney Daniel Hurtado denied the request.

"CTPF is unable to fulfill your request because it is not asking for existing public records, but is asking CTPF to research its records and then create a document or documents that contain the information you are requesting, which is not required under FOIA."

I then filed a follow up FOIA request that simply asked how much money has the Teachers Pension Fund invested in crypto currencies.

Public pension funds across the country are denying public requests about their investments in crypto currencies.

"America's state and local pensions are supposed to be the most transparent in the world," wrote Ted Siedle in Forbes Magazine. "After all, trillions of public dollars are held in these large unregulated investment funds and every state has established freedom of information act laws designed to ensure public accountability."

Siedle, a pension forensics expert and former SEC lawyer, says public pensions today have become very adept at circumventing state public records laws and stonewalling.

"All public pensions I have ever investigated refuse to provide even minimal information until forced to do so through litigation," he wrote.

The Chicago Reader recently obtained via a FOIA request that there were more than 2,100 complaints from Illinois residents filed with the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) alleging they lost more than $45 million to crytocurrency scams. In 2022, major cryptocurrency entities collapsed, including Voyager, Celsius, BlockFi and FTX who had an office in the West Loop.

"Emails sent by Mayor Lori Lightfoot's staffers between Dec. 2021 and Sept. 2022 illustrate the mayor's desire to position the city as a hub for the cryptocurrency industry."

But the crypto con spectacularly exploded after FTX declared bankruptcy. John Ray, who came in after Enron blew up, was brought in as FTX's new CEO.

"Never in my career have I seen such a complete failure of corporate controls and such a complete absence of trustworthy financial information as occured," he was quoted in Jacobin.

By the way, FTX's former CEO was also the second-largest donor to the Democratic Party.

Fictional valuations and accounting manipulations used to artificially pump up balance sheets - that my friends is crypto.

Should our pension money be investing in this?

HOD Feb.

Report of the Meeting of the House of Delegates, February 8, 2023

By George Milkowski

This meeting was held via computer and began at 4:35 p.m.

I. Officers Reports

A.  Recording Secretary - Christel Williams-Hayes – Christel reported that 49 teachers have been able to go through the CTU Quest Center program and are now National Board Certified Teachers.

B. Financial Report – Kurt Hilgendorf – Kurt said that we are now at the half- way point in our fiscal year and things look good.  We have $538,776 more revenue than expected and our $1,183,856 in operating expenses is less than expected.

Kurt mentioned that the CTU is involved with teacher and other organizations across the nation that are trying to get the WEP/GPO (windfall elimination provision/government pension offset) repealed.  These parts of federal law reduce or eliminate Social Security benefits that teachers and their spouses have paid into over the years but cannot collect.  He said 8 of the 18 U.S. representatives from Illinois have joined to be part of the 123 members of Congress who have introduced a resolution to repeal this onerous legislation.  If you would like to volunteer some time to try to get this pushed through Congress, go to: https://www.mobilize.us/aft/event S48196/.

C.  Financial Secretary – Maria Moreno - Union membership is at 27,692, and retiree membership is 1,534.

The deadline for returning ballots for the election of the Executive Board Retiree Vice President’s position is February 14.  If you haven’t received your ballot, call Maria’s office immediately. 

D. Grievance – Leah Raffanti – The CPS has made unilateral changes to its Corrective Action Training.  This is a program for personnel accused of some type of misconduct.  Sometimes, teachers are not even aware that there have been accusations made against them.  If someone receives a notice to attend this training, make sure you comply, but definitely inform the CTU about it as soon as possible.

The CPS cut the pay for coaches of Girl’s Flag Football by $1,500.  The CTU is filing a grievance over this.

A Curry High teacher was denied the right to work from home despite health related issues and lost a month’s pay.  A grievance filed on her behalf got her the $9,000 the CPS had tried to deny her.

Three years ago teachers at Edwards School filed a grievance over missed prep periods.  They were finally paid for it after the CPS was dragged through the grievance procedures.

Chester McSwain is a guest teacher (substitute) at Kenwood and was recognized by the CTU for the outstanding dedication to the students he has shown.

E. Charter Division –Jen Conant– Jen reported that the CPS has renewed the charters of a number of charter schools but none of them for more than three years.  She said this is indicative that there is increased scrutiny and accountability of the charters and the Board is starting to realize that the charters cannot necessarily educate the students cheaper and better than traditional schools.

F. Organizing report –Tennille Evans– Tennille urged delegates to make sure they conduct union meetings at their schools.  The CTU has developed a kit to help do this and have personnel willing and able to help out.

The CTU is asking for input from school personnel about staffing in the Pre-K programs.

The CTU is still urging getting involved with the Green Schools campaign.  Schools with peeling paint, lead in the water, windows that do not close properly and so on, need to be brought to the attention of the Union.  The CTU has developed a walk through program to assist teachers in identifying problems in the physical plant.

The Union is hosting a “More Love, Less Trauma” forum on February 15 starting at 5:00 p.m. at the Union building.  They are looking for suggestions and ideas from teachers on how to address problems of violence

G.  Vice-President – Jackson Potter – Last month Jackson lauded the teachers at McClellan School who refused to back down when they discovered lead in paint that was chipping in many parts of their building.  They were able to compel the CPS to spend $35,000 to take care of the problem over the winter break.  However, tonight he clarified that that sum was just used to identify the problems in the School.  The CPS has since spent over $750,000 alleviating the problem there.

Jackson spent some talking about a CTU member who is running for alderman in the 50th Ward, Mueze Bawamy.  The Tribune published angry tweets he sent out three years ago.  I have not seen the tweets, but supposedly two angrily opposed Israel and its’ actions in Gaza. They were thus interpreted to be anti-Semitic.  Note: Bawamy has been endorsed by the Jewish Council on Urban affairs.  The other was seen as being angry at white people. Jackson tried to explain Bawamy’s state of mind and that we all have done things in anger that do not reflect our true feelings.

 

H. Political/Legislative – Hilario Dominguez – He stated that Brandon Johnson has been steadily surging in the polls over the last few weeks.  Hilario also stated that Johnson has NOT proposed having an income tax on those earning $100,00 or more per year.  This was a complete error by the media.  He would want to see a tax on homes valued at more than $1,000,000 per year.  He would also like to re-impose a $4 per month “head tax” on corporations with large numbers of employees.  Anyone who would like to volunteer to help the Johnson campaign can contact the CTU.

II. President’s Report –Stacy Davis Gates– Note: this was a Zoom webinar and Stacy’s voice was muffled and unclear a lot of the time.

Stacy spoke at a rally in support of striking workers at the UIC and someone took her remarks and turned them into a music video.

Stacy said we are still fighting to get extended paid family leave that Lightfoot granted to other City workers but then pulled the plug on us getting it.  This will definitely be in the next contract talks.

She also derided the CPS decision to cut the pay for coaches of girl’s Flag Football.  She expects to win this easily but asked that we contact the Mayor’s Office about this AND the Chicago Bears.  Apparently, the Bears have some interest in this program.

Stacy also reminded the delegates that we are hosting a blood drive on February 24 from 2-7 p.m. at the Union building.

III. Items for Action

A.  The CTU passed a resolution titled “The Clinical Services Chicago’s Students Deserve”  It is based on nationally recognized standards for staffing formulas for nurses, social workers, school psychologists and many more.  It passed with 100% approval from the House.  I voted “yes”.

IV. New Business/Questions and Answers

David Arredonde hoped that someone would motion to rescind the CTU endorsement of Mueze Bawamy due to his tweets from 3 years ago.  David characterized the comments as “hate speech”.  Since David himself did not present this as a motion, the meeting moved on.

Moselean Parker (McKay School) motioned to have the CTU endorse Matt O’Shea for alderman in the 19th Ward.  After a number of people spoke on this, the motion passed 61-39%.  I voted “yes”.

A motion to adjourn was made and it passed 88-12%.  I vote “no”.

Student Imposter!

A STRANGE SPECTACLE!

By Stephen Wilson

 

IMAGE SOURCE,ALAMY

Image caption,

 

In 1993  a tall striking school pupil suddenly appeared in the classroom at Bearsden Academy, a school in an affluent suburb of Glasgow. He hardly looked like your average school student. In fact he looked too conspicuous. For a start, he struck all the pupils as in his thirties rather than sixteen, carried a brief case and wore the school uniform. Wearing a school uniform was optional and most pupils did not wear it and none of them carried a brief case around with them. What is more, the pupil's name was Brandon Lee and he had a slight Canadian accent. When a teacher told Brandon to leave the classroom because 'mature students' are relegated to other classes he answered, 'This is my class' and casually walked up to register his name. 

Brandon Lee turned out to be an ace student. When other pupils in his classroom were stumped by some difficult questions they always shot a glance to Lee to provide an answer. Lee always got the answer correct and even knew more than the teachers in areas of medical knowledge. Lee became a very popular school student. He played football, took part in a school play based on South Pacific and emerged from school with 5 highers with 'A's which later allowed him to enter the medical school at Dundee University. Lee also stood up for pupils subject to racism from bullies. He even attempted to persuade the bullies to change their ways. Teachers had no discipline problems with Lee! In fact, his presence turned out to be an asset to teachers. He was very polite, helpful and diligent. In a word, he was the perfect student!  

 

Then soon after he graduated in 1995, an earthquake shook the school and the Scots. Brandon Lee was not Brandon! Far from it! He was exposed as being Brian MacKinnon, aged 32, who had been a former school student at Bearsden Academy from 1974 to 1980. He had returned to enroll once more as a pupil at his 'old school'. The perfect pupil turned out to be a brilliant impostor! Fellow pupils and teachers were shocked by the revelations. The reputation of Bearsden Academy was tarnished. People asked 'How could a pupil who was nicknamed as Mr Thirtyish have been admitted into the school in the first place? 'Alan Cumming, a Scottish actor who played the role of MacKinnon, stated in an interview to the press that, "We Scots like to think we are canny and nobody can pull the wool over our heads, but this case calls this into question." The up shot was that he was expelled from Dundee University 'for lack of integrity.'

 

The scandal raises many more questions. And not all those questions have been clearly answered. Despite thirty years passing since Brian MacKinnon's hoax began, people are still talking about this scandal. It is a fascinating story in itself. The reason this old case has drawn more attention is that a former pupil at Bearsden Academy, who happened to be in Brian's class, is a film director who made a film /documentary about the scandal called 'My Old School.' {Jono Mcleod} The film came out in Summer 2022. This was not welcome news for Bearsden Academy. They had perhaps hoped that people would have forgotten about the scandal with the passage of time. By this time practically all the teachers at Brian's school had retired or left it.

 

The main question which Scots kept asking is - "How come Brian MacKinnon managed to pull off such an elaborate ruse?" 

He himself boasts, "When I set out to do something I always do it well!" Some people gloated at the fact that one of Scotland's bastions of privilege was 'foolish' enough to be hoodwinked. It only goes to show how stupid they are. It couldn't have happened in a school in a working class district as the pupils and teachers are more streetwise! But I think this is more a complacent conceit. It fails to acknowledge the pressure both teachers and pupils were under as well as some basic facets of human psychology. Teachers are very busy and have so many other things on their mind than checking the past details of pupils.

 

The facts are that 30-year-old Brian MacKinnon turned up asking to be admitted to school. He invented a story that he was Brandon Lee, who had lived in Canada, but his mother, an opera singer had died in an accident and his father had sent him to Glasgow to be looked after by his grandmother. He provided two references. He was not asked to produce a birth certificate and his bogus references were never checked. 

Now it is more than understandable that any suspicious teacher would not want to interrogate or question the veracity of his claim. This is the job of the admission's department, not a school teacher's or pupil's. MacKinnon claims that nobody suspected his ruse, but this is contradicted by a teacher who asked him to leave the classroom because of his appearance. But what teacher would want to ask a model pupil awkward questions about whether he is a genuine student or not? 

A school teacher is loathe to expel a pupil who behaves so well. They would like to expel a pupil who was threatening and bullying pupils or creating disorder in the classroom! But why pick on a student who is a role model for other pupils? Why would any teacher in his or her right mind want to accuse such a pupil of being a liar or fraud? That is not how school teachers act at this school. 

I was a pupil at this very school from 1973 to 1978. This was around some of the time MacKinnon was a pupil. My younger brother Christopher was in his class at the time and remembered him as ' a normal guy'. In fact, the vast number of pupils and teachers have fond memories of him and liked him. In the film where the director interviews pupils very few people have a bad word for him! They even feel protective of him. Some admire his nerve.

Although people express astonishment at the incredulity of teachers and pupils, is it so odd? Who would really imagine that a former school student would want to go back to his own school, after 13 years, to relive his school years? McLeod himself, who is gay, describes his own experiences at this school as 'hellish.' In deed at this school you encountered quite a lot of snobbery, elitism and pure racism. There was also homophobia! I recall some of those experiences at school. I recall when a math teacher heard that a pupil had taken up work as a butcher in his local family business, the teacher frowned on this as 'underachieving.' A few well-off pupils would look down on cleaners or pupils who had a father who worked as a bus driver.

Many pupils can easily be swayed by false rumors. I remember at this very school some strange pupil pointed at me saying, "This boy goes about burning cats to death." All his fellow pupils in his class never questioned this false allegation. For about two years, I faced those ugly false accusations. So it is not so easy imagining how school students could be easily deceived by any impostor!

 

My older brother James was once smiling in the classroom. He was just in a good mood!  A math teacher approached him saying, "What are you smiling at? What have you got to smile at?" Life in this school could be brutal!

 

What I found odd about this film is how it took me back in time. I was surprised that my old English teacher Mrs Ogg had a role in this story and an actress even acted out her role! This woman was a wonderful teacher. She was thoughtful, kind and very creative. She was always using her English lessons to make pupils question the impact of racism, sexism and all kinds of cruelty. When she came across racists in her classroom she attempted to encourage them to pause and think things through.

 

So why did Brian MacKinnon commit such a ruse? He was never arrested by the police because what he did was not deemed a crime in Scotland. MacKinnon claims that he failed his medical exams at Glasgow University and was unfairly expelled. He states that he was very ill at the time of those exams. He assumed a false identity in order to enter another medical school in Dundee. This school only allowed people under 30 to enter it. Although MacKinnon managed to enter this school under a false age, he was finally exposed. We can't be sure how he was exposed. Some people state that a former pupil on holiday exposed him or that when he got detained by police abroad they discovered he had two passports, and they alerted the authorities in Scotland. Some claimed a neighbor had given him away. What is clear is the intensity of MacKinnon's striving to be a doctor. He was obsessed with fulfilling his ambition. Nothing else would satisfy him. 

Now, at present, at 59, he is rumored to be living the life of a recluse who no longer sees people. He shuns publicity and doesn't like attention. Although he did an interview for the recent film, 'My Old School,' where the actor Alan Cumming mimicked his voice, he later disowned the director, actors and the whole film. He stated that he did not even want to watch this film. In his own autobiography titled 'Rhesus Negative', MacKinnon wrote some bizarre views of how some people had conspired to prevent him becoming a doctor for all kinds of weird reasons. According to hearsay, rumors and some reports, MacKinnon seems 'a damaged person' who lives in the past or can't come to terms with the past. He seems to spend much of his time reading up about conspiracy theories.

  

When I informed my Russian colleagues about this case they answered he might have had more luck in Russia. One source told me that she had heard of a friend who had forged the details on her passport in order to make herself younger so as to enter a university in Russia because she was ' too old ' for entry. She was admitted and successfully graduated. My source stated that there were lots of cases such as this where people pulled this off in the 1990's. So what appears as exceptional in Scotland hardly raises an eyebrow in Moscow! 

Perhaps Brian Mackinnon was just born in the wrong place and time. Perhaps it would be more intelligent to question the inflexibility and conservatism of the Scottish education system. I mean what is the big deal of allowing a student to resit his exams a third time if this student is really intent on being a doctor? Why put so  many formidable obstacles before a very talented student who simply wanted to become a doctor to help other people? If Mackinnon has been accused of 'a lack of integrity' he is a hardly alone.

 

Now it seems odd that my own school has become famous or rather infamous all over the World for Scotland's greatest hoax! But believe me, all kinds of bizarre events can happen in any school. But this qualifies as one of the oddest!