Back from Capitol Hill, mayor talks Congressional questioning, CTU contract, Dept. of Ed.

CHICAGO (WGN) — Fresh off his return to the city from the hot seat on Capitol Hill, Mayor Brandon Johnson paid a visit Thursday to Pearl’s Place, a Bronzeville staple where political and business leaders regularly dine, and opened up about the questioning he faced, the ongoing teachers’ contract negotiations and President Trump’s vow to abolish the Department of Education.

Johnson became the first mayor since Richard M. Daley to testify before Congress when he, along with the mayors from New York, Boston and Denver, answered questions about sanctuary status in their respective cities

on Wednesday before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

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“Yesterday was an opportunity for the City of Chicago for our story to be told, and be told in a way I believe the rest of the nation can appreciate,” Johnson told WGN.

During a Republican-led, six-hour hearing, Johnson and the other mayors were accused of protecting criminals and not following the Trump administration’s anti-immigration efforts. In Chicago, city ordinance and state law prevent police officers from questioning people about their immigration status and limits their ability to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“The Welcoming City policy has been around for 40 years. We comply as a city with all laws, local, state and federal,” Johnson said. “We know that the Illinois Trust Act that had bipartisan support, that Gov. Bruce Rauner signed into law, and that it also compliments our efforts to ensure that local law enforcement focuses on local issues.”

Johnson said he does not know the number of people that ICE agents have arrested in Chicago.

Among the local issues outside of law enforcement is the nearly year-long teachers’ contract negotiations between the Chicago Teachers Union and Chicago Public Schools. On Wednesday, CTU leaders shared petitions signed by thousands of CPS educators with the Chicago Board of Education. They’re demanding smaller class sizes, a better teacher evaluation process, more money for veteran educators, extra planning time for teachers, and additional enrichment time for students.

If a deal isn’t met, teachers could strike as soon as this month.

To help pay for a potential contract, the Board of Education will consider increasing the CPS budget.

“This budget amendment is a step in the right direction because it is the responsibility of our public school board to ensure that we are investing in the hopes and aspirations of our families in our public schools,” Johnson said.

Regarding the US Department of Education, the mayor said Chicago would face major consequences if President Trump’s proposal to abolish the agency is approved by Congress.

“The impact that any loss of resources from the federal government would have on our public school system would be significant,” he said. “We think about special education, we think about our bilingual education. Those resources are critical in the overall direction of our schools.”