DFER-IL Statement on Chicago Teacher Pension Fund Chair Jay Rehak’s Attack on Paul Vallas
CHICAGO, IL — Rebeca Huffman, Illinois State Director of Democrats for Education Reform, released the following statement on Chicago Teacher Pension Fund Chair Jay Rehak’s attack on Paul Vallas:
“Jay Rehak’s job is to promote the fiduciary health of retirement funds, not to promote or oppose candidates for political office. In just one more indication that he’s a biased official who is more interested in pursuing an ideological agenda than administering the fund, he attacked Paul Vallas for opposing him simply because he supported reform efforts that strengthened our schools and put our students first. Rehak’s threat to withhold support from Vallas will do nothing but empower Republican candidates who may follow the national Republican trend of slashing investments in education. But moreover, it’s Rehak’s pursuit of a political agenda that should be troubling to any teacher that expect those officials trusted with their pensions to make impartial judgements intended only to secure a sound retirement.”
Rehak’s Comments on Paul Vallas:
No Self Respecting Teacher Can Support Quinn-Vallas
What Paul Vallas knows about real public education might fill half a dozen thimbles, but that doesn’t make him qualified to be Lieutenant Governor. No self-respecting teacher can vote for Quinn-Vallas. We need to urge the Governor to find a better candidate or he faces the loss of tens of thousands of teachers as voters and foot soldiers in the next Governor’s race.
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