Stacy Davis Gates

Stacy Davis Gates
President of the Chicago Teachers Union
Incumbent
Assumed office
July 1, 2022
Vice PresidentJackson Potter
Preceded byJesse Sharkey
Personal details
Born (1976-12-15) December 15, 1976 (age 48)
South Bend, Indiana, U.S.
EducationSaint Mary's College (BA)
Notre Dame University
Concordia University Chicago

Stacy Davis Gates (born December 25, 1976) is an American labor leader and educator. She is president of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU). In May 2022, she was elected president of the union after previously serving as vice president under Jesse Sharkey.[1]

Early life

Davis Gates grew up in South Bend, Indiana in a middle class household.[2] Her first job was a union job working in the cafeteria at the Memorial Hospital of South Bend.[2] She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in political science from St. Mary's College in 1999.[3] Later she studied nonprofit management at the University of Notre Dame and educational administration at Concordia University Chicago.[4]

Career

Teaching career

Davis Gates began her career teaching history in 2004 at Englewood Technical Prep Academy High School, a public school on the south side of Chicago, Illinois.[5] In 2008, the school was closed as part of a series of closures led by the CEO of Chicago Public Schools (CPS), Arne Duncan, Davis Gates attributes this as the moment she was "radicalized."[6][5]

After the closure of Englewood Technical Prep Academy, Davis Gates transitioned to Roberto Clemente Community Academy in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood of Chicago.[6] In May 2008, Davis Gates was one of 12 elected delegates for the Chicago Teachers Union who formed the Caucus of Rank-and-File Educators (CORE).[7]

Chicago Teachers Union

In 2011, Davis Gates joined the staff of the Chicago Teachers Union as political director.[8]

Vice President

In 2018, Jesse Sharkey succeeded Karen Lewis as president and Davis Gates was chosen as Sharkey's vice president following the recommendation of Lewis.[9]

As Vice President, she oversaw a 14-day strike in 2019, over failures to reach a contract.[10][11] The majority of her time as vice president was characterized by the COVID-19 pandemic; in April 2020, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker closed all schools to in-person instruction for the remainder of the school year.[12] In October of that year CPS announced a plan to return to in-person instruction, which Davis Gates and the CTU opposed.[13] Chicago Public Schools returned to in-person instruction in January 2021, despite concerns of the union and discussions of a potential strike from Davis Gates.[14][15] In January 2022, the CTU went on a 5-day work-stoppage over safety concerns following a rise in COVID-19 cases.[16][17]

In 2021, Governor Pritzker signed HB 2908 into law, establishing a fully elected board of education in Chicago by 2027, supported by the CTU and Davis Gates.[18][19][20]

President

In February 2022, CTU President Jesse Sharkey announced he would not seek reelection.[21] In May of that year Davis Gates and the rest of the Caucus of Rank-and-File Educators (CORE) were elected with 56% of the vote and she took office in July.[1][22][23]

In August 2022, she denied speculation that she would run for mayor in the upcoming 2023 election, instead endorsing CTU organizer and Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson.[24][25] As president of the union, Davis Gates oversaw large contributions to Johnson's mayoral campaign; including, donating $8 per month per member's dues, to controversy and mixed support among CTU members.[26][27] CTU contributed $2.4 million to fund the mayoral campaign, which Johnson ultimately won in an April runoff.[28]

In an August 2023 interview with South Side Weekly, Davis Gates expressed optimism for the union's future relationship with the mayor and elected school board.[20]

Personal life

Davis Gates lives on the south side of Chicago with her husband and three children.[29] Her grandparents both moved to Chicago from the Southeastern United States as part of the Great Migration, before settling in South Bend, Indiana.[6][20]

In September 2023, Davis Gates faced controversy after a website critical of the Chicago Teacher Union published her son's name, photo and the name of the private high school he is enrolled.[30][31][32] Critics highlighted her past statements criticizing school choice initiatives, whereas Davis Gates highlighted her son's enrollment as representing a larger issue of disinvestment in public schools.[33][34]

References

  1. ^ a b "Stacy Davis Gates Wins Election to Become Next CTU President". WTTW News. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Meet the firebrand stoking the CTU's flammable rhetoric". Crain's Chicago Business. August 2, 2019. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  3. ^ "Celebrating Juneteenth! | Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, IN". www.saintmarys.edu. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  4. ^ "Stacy L. Davis Gates: Who's Who in Chicago Business 2023". Crain's Chicago Business. December 13, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  5. ^ a b "How the Chicago Teachers Union — and its driven vice president — ended up in a fight for social justice". Chicago Sun-Times. October 14, 2019. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c "Stacy Davis Gates Won't Back Down". Chicago Magazine. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  7. ^ "On CORE's 15th Anniversary, Reflecting on the Teachers Caucus That Changed Chicago—and the Nation". In These Times. June 7, 2023. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  8. ^ "The Country's Most Progressive Teachers Union Is On The Ballot In Chicago". HuffPost. April 4, 2023. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  9. ^ "Karen Lewis Pens Letter to Teachers as She Exits Top CTU Job". WTTW News. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  10. ^ "Chicago Teachers, Lightfoot Reach Agreement to End Strike". NBC Chicago. October 31, 2019. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  11. ^ "CTU Will Strike After Officially Rejecting Contract Offer". NBC Chicago. October 16, 2019. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  12. ^ "Illinois schools to remain closed for rest of school year; state sees highest daily spike in COVID-19 cases". ABC7 Chicago. April 17, 2020. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  13. ^ "Chicago Teachers Union disagrees with some students' possible return to classroom next quarter". ABC7 Chicago. October 16, 2020. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  14. ^ "Chicago Students Return To Public School Classrooms For The First Time Since March". WBEZ Chicago. January 11, 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  15. ^ "CPS Brings Back First Students for In-Person Learning Despite Pushback From Teachers Union". WTTW News. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  16. ^ "EXPLAINER: Why are Chicago schools, teachers union fighting?". AP News. January 11, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  17. ^ Nierenberg, Amelia (January 5, 2022). "Chicago Fights Over In-Person Learning". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  18. ^ Bauer, Kelly (July 30, 2021). "Chicago Is Getting An Elected School Board As Pritzker Signs Bill Lightfoot Had Fought". Block Club Chicago. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  19. ^ "press-release". www.illinois.gov. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  20. ^ a b c Daley, Jim (August 21, 2023). "Stacy Davis Gates on Mayor Johnson, Elected School Board, Asylum Seekers, and More". South Side Weekly. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  21. ^ "Chicago Teachers Union President Jesse Sharkey won't seek reelection". Chicago Tribune. February 2, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  22. ^ "Stacy Davis Gates elected Chicago Teachers Union President, defeating two challengers". WBEZ Chicago. May 21, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  23. ^ "CTU Vice President Stacy Davis Gates Named New Union President". NBC Chicago. May 21, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  24. ^ "Stacy Davis Gates won't run for mayor, but CTU ally Brandon Johnson hints at imminent announcement". Chicago Sun-Times. August 22, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  25. ^ "Chicago Teachers Union Endorses Brandon Johnson for Mayor, Urges Him to Make Bid Official". WTTW News. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  26. ^ "CTU's big spending on Brandon Johnson for mayor draws criticism". Chicago Tribune. February 19, 2023. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  27. ^ "Chicago Teachers Union Under Fire From Within for Campaign Spending". WTTW News. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  28. ^ "Fresh off Brandon Johnson's election, how will the Chicago Teachers Union move from outside agitators to insiders?". Chicago Sun-Times. April 7, 2023. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  29. ^ "City Club of Chicago: Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates". WGN Radio 720 - Chicago's Very Own. August 22, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  30. ^ "CTU's Stacy Davis Gates defends son's private school enrollment". Chicago Tribune. September 8, 2023. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  31. ^ Morris, Kyle (September 8, 2023). "Chicago Teachers Union boss who denounced school choice as racist has son in Catholic school: report". Fox News. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  32. ^ "Teachers union chief calls private schools 'fascist', yet sends her son to one". September 9, 2023. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  33. ^ "Chicago Teachers Union president defends sending her son to private school". Chicago Sun-Times. September 7, 2023. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  34. ^ Ruder, Eric (September 7, 2023). "A message from CTU President Stacy Davis Gates". Chicago Teachers Union. Retrieved September 10, 2023.