“As a former educator and longtime employee of the Chicago teachers union, what grade would you give the current system and why?”

That question was put to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson during his appearance Thursday night at the Economic Club of Chicago.

 

His answer:

“I personally don’t give a lot of attention to grades…. My responsibility is not merely to just grade the system but to fund the system.

That’s how I am ultimately going to grade whether our public school system is working – based upon the investments we make to the people who rely on it.”

He offered nothing further about how to grade the schools or educational outcomes.

That answer was not an offhand comment taken out of context. It was a thoughtful answer that he explained. See for yourself. The question and answer start at the 47.3 mark in the video of his appearance.