The editorial on teacher absenteeism in Chicago Public Schools (CPS) overlooks the impact of COVID-19, which led to increased absences due to quarantine requirements. The editorial also references Waukegan’s unusually low absentee rate, questioning the accuracy of its data and suggesting a need for further investigation. Additionally, it misrepresents CPS spending, implying most of the $30,000 per pupil goes to teacher salaries. In reality, the average teacher salary in CPS is $86,439, which translates to less than $6,400 per student when distributed across the district.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/12/01/letters-120124-cps-teachers-salary/