Chambana Sun

Dan Caulkins argues the sexual abuse scandal now plaguing the Chicago Public School (CPS) system proves what everyone already knows.

“For the most part, CPS has long been considered a failure and this is just another example of that,” Caulkins told the Chambana Sun. “For all the money state taxpayers pump into the system, there’s no excuse for all the dysfunction that comes with it. The blame for all this lies at the feet of (Chicago Mayor Rahm) Emanuel and school board leaders.”

A Chicago Tribune special investigation found that since 2008 at least 40 CPS students, many of them special-needs pupils, have suffered sexual abuse at the hands of other students while on school grounds.

Jennifer McMillin

The series also uncovered that almost as many students have been similarly preyed on by an adult predator, including teachers and coaches.

“That no one is left to take responsibility for any of this is typical of how Democratic, Chicago machine politics operate,” said Caulkins, running against Democrat Jennifer McMillin in the 101st District. “As for all the people who were working in jobs where they should have known something about this a lot sooner, that’s what happens when you have so many people in these jobs because of who they know and not what they can do. It’s patronage at its worse.”

Caulkins said once he arrives in Springfield the days of downstate districts issuing blank checks to the city and CPS will cease to be.

“This is proof that just handing over a check, no matter how big it is, doesn’t work,” he said. “There has to be accountability. Maybe, with the chance of a new mayor being in place soon, things will change but we are talking about Chicago.”

Caulkins said people downstate are tired of rescuing the city time and time again.

“The people downstate talk about that very issue as much as they do anything,” he said. “They feel shortchanged as if CPS is getting priority over everyone else. Things are just not equitable, and a big reason for that has to do with (House Speaker) Mike Madigan serving his agenda.”

The 101st House District spans parts of Champaign, De Witt, Macon, McLean and Piatt counties.